Angel ✦ Nomin

40

Jeno lands with a loud crash into a never ending sea of dark water. At first, he is able to easily swim up and get his head above water. He gasps for air as he thrashes his head around to spot any sign of ground. Unfortunately, there is nothing, and mere seconds after realizing this, a large wave crashes over him, engulfing him in water. He tries to swim towards the surface, but he can only stay above water for a mere second before something seemingly grabs his ankles and submerges him under water. He tries kicking as hard as he can to be released from whatever is dragging him down, but nothing works. He is pulled down.

Down.

Down.

Down until the last bit of light which illuminates the water diminishes to nothing.

Jeno holds his breath, trying his best to swim, but it's in vain. He begins to feel his lungs straining, begging to exhale and take a new breath. Jeno lets out small bubbles of air from his mouth, aiming to buy himself some time so that he may possibly find a way out.

But there's none.

Jeno releases the last bit of air in his lungs and begins his struggle to not breathe in the water. Unfortunately, he is unable to hold his breath much longer. He inhales, allowing a copious amount of water to enter into his system from both his nose and his mouth. Jeno begins to cough, allowing more water into his airways which causes the cycle to repeat.

As he slowly feels his consciousness fading, he recalls a time his father visited him as a child.

"Daddy? What happens when we die?" Jeno asks softly.

"Most humans who can feel themselves dying begin to feel a sense of panic. They are eager to cling to the life they have because it's all they've known. Slipping into the unknown scares them. It is a very fearful, terrifying process. They have to submit to the unknown to pass the barrier between the living and the dead," his father explains as Jeno slowly stops playing with his small fire truck.

"Daddy, I don't wanna die. I'm scared," Jeno whimpers.

"No one does, my son. But everyone does eventually."

As Jeno slips into unconsciousness, he feels the panic his father told him of. The intense fear that makes him wish to live, to cling to the life he knows. Despite knowing what happens when he dies, he does not know where he will go or what will become of him or Jaemin. The fear of the unknown forces him into a very childlike mindset, one which leaves him with one final thought:

Daddy, I don't wanna die...I'm scared.

****

"I love you," Mark murmurs.

Donghyuck smiles, lowering his face in embarrassment as his cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. He mumbles a faint 'I love you too', barely audible for Mark and Jeno to hear.

The two sit face to face on a couch in the middle of a dark room. A spotlight shines on them, giving focus to them and only them.

"After all these years, you still blush when I say that," he teases the latter.

"It never gets old," Donghyuck admits, "It feels like the first time every time."

"Think of how lucky we are to be in love like this and to know we'll be together forever," Mark hums.

"We're very lucky," Donghyuck agrees, finally raising his eyes to look at Mark.

Jeno's jaw clenches as his stare hardens.

"Yes we are," Mark confirms with a wide grin as he places a delicate hand on Donghyuck's cheek. Donghyuck shuts his eyes and leans into his touch. Mark gazes at home softly for a moment before kissing him gently. Just as Mark slowly lies Donghyuck down, Jeno hears a loud roar that practically deafens him. He flinches, throwing his hands up to cover his ears as he spins his body around to face a new scene.

Flames ignite and show his father atop a large throne made of black stone which comes to a wickedly sharp point just a bit higher than his head.

"I don't care if Yangyang is busy! Tell him that if he does not arrive here before the sand in the hourglass reaches the bottom, I will personally rip him to shreds the next time he steps foot in Hell!" the man bellows at the top of his lungs. He points to a very large hourglass with crimson red sand inside and girls his hand. It flips around so that all of the sand is on top, and he slams it back onto the stone ground with a thunderous bang. "I refuse to let Taeyong take this one! I don't care if he was destined to be an angel!"

A familiar face kneels down to him, practically trembling in his presence.

"Yes, my lord," he says with his hands clasped, "Before I go, may I ask if I can pay a...visit...to Jisung and-"

"You have one job to do right now, Xiaojun!" Jeno's father growls, "Do it, immediately!"

"Yes, my lord," Xiao nods frantically as he leaps to his feet, "Right away, my lord."

Jeno smirks at the sight, but it slowly fades as he begins to wish he could make pathetic demons like Xiao tremble at the mere sight of him. It makes him feel...envious.

Envious?

Envy.

Envy!

"This isn't real," Jeno says to himself, "None of this is real."

Jeno turns his back on his father and looks around for something, anything to lead him out of the place he's found himself in. He becomes so distracted by this train of thought, that he does not initially realize that everything has gone completely silent.

"It is real, my son," his father's deep voice hisses in his ear.

At that moment, Jeno gasps awake.