Chapter 55: The story of the princess who resembles the moonlight is over

The black sphere was a living prison.

I had no sense of direction at all.

It felt like there was no up or down, no front or back.

Was I even walking in the right direction?

Whoosh—

Feelings like icy winds endlessly raged, blocking everything that approached the center of the void.

Sadness.

Resentment.

Loss.

Guilt.

Loneliness.

Various emotions became sharp thorns, grazing and cutting me.

—Rip.

Warm, fresh blood poured down.

Every step I took, my entire body was torn, and blood flowed.

‘So this is what it feels like for flesh to be ripped off.’

“I thought I’d never know, but it’s… more painful than I thought….”

The blade-like wind continued to assault me.

‘My breathing is getting faster and faster….’

My brain commanded me to breathe, but my body didn’t respond properly.

I forced myself to inhale, but air and the metallic taste of blood entered my lungs together.

The sensation of skin tearing and blood flowing.

Even in pain that no ordinary human could possibly endure, I walked and walked.

“My legs aren’t getting much strength… Did I lose too much blood?”

Each step was incredibly painful.

‘Was the act of ‘walking’ always this agonizing?’

I briefly raised a hand to wipe the blood flowing from my eyes.

Strangely, one side began to blur.

‘When did I get hurt…? I don’t even know where or how I’m being wounded… Well, it doesn’t matter anymore….’

My body was already broken beyond repair, so there was no need to fuss over one more wound.

“I have to go quickly.

Luna is waiting….”

As I moved forward, the blades of emotion grew sharper, but I didn’t stop.

No, I couldn’t stop.

—Gleam.

The crescent moon hairpin in my hand trembled slightly.

The only object connecting Luna and me.

Luna’s emotions flowed from this small hairpin.

– “Sihyun… I hurt….”

– “Where are you…?”

– “I’m lonely….”

– “Did you abandon me…?”

– “Do you hate me now…?”

“That can’t be true.”

I clutched the hairpin tightly with my bleeding hand.

I felt the fragile heart of a young girl sobbing in pain and agony.

“I told you before.

Even if you hurt me, even if my life ends by your hand.

I will never hate Luna.”

I had to convey these words.

Before Luna completely succumbed to ruin.

Before she felt abandoned by everyone.

“Just wait a little longer.”

—Rip!

My skin tore and blood continued to flow, but for some reason, it no longer felt hot.

The pain and agony were barely noticeable.

‘Had my body begun to give up?’

“So this is what it feels like to slowly die….”

Perhaps my body was sending its last danger signal.

Warning that it was dangerous to go any closer.

That I could truly die.

I might be able to live if I turned back now.

But I couldn’t.

‘Even if I live, if Luna isn’t by my side… what’s the point?’

I don’t want a comfortable life obtained that way.

Even if it’s painful, sad, and agonizing, I want to live with Luna.

“Luna… at the end of this path of pain and solitude, you’ll be there….”

I forced my injured legs to move, continuing forward.

One step, then another.

“…I’ll be there soon, Luna.”

****

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry….”

The voice of a girl continuously apologizing to someone.

Realizing that she was the one who had killed everyone, Luna could do nothing but beg for forgiveness.

“Luna, why didn’t you trust us?

For your sake… Everything was done for your sake!

How could you not endure that brief moment and succumb to greed!”

“Princess, you killed us all.

You monster!

Why did you kill us?

Why!”

“Luna… you pierced my heart, so why are you still alive?

You should die too, shouldn’t you?”

Hallucinations continued to plague her.

Luna, alone in the void, kept repeating her regrets, with no one to hear her.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me….”

The girl sat on the floor, hugging her knees, muttering continuously.

Her lips were already chapped, and her throat was streaked with blood, but Luna did not stop her penitence.

The girl placed a hand on her chest, sobbing.

“Ah, it hurts… here… here… it hurts so much….”

Guilt became needles, relentlessly stabbing the girl’s heart.

‘I wish it would just bleed….’

Then perhaps the guilt would lessen, even a little…?

“I have to hurt… I have to suffer.”

The girl roughly scratched her arm with her fingernails, creating wounds.

—Trickle.

Crimson blood flowed from the wounds, but Luna’s body, transforming into ruin, began to heal as soon as wounds appeared.

However, the girl considered it a blessing.

“I can keep hurting myself… I can keep suffering….”

Because she could torment herself endlessly.

—Rip —Rip —Rip

Luna repeated the process of wounding and healing herself hundreds of times.

She simply couldn’t bear the overwhelming guilt without doing this.

“Please… please… forgive me….”

How long had she been self-harming?

After enough time had passed for the blood flowing from the girl’s body to pool and slosh on the floor.

“Ah…?

Like a fleeting lantern, old memories began to flash before Luna’s eyes.

– “Luna, how’s the toast today?

I worked quite hard on it, isn’t it delicious?”

– “Oh, this?

I bought it as a gift for Luna.

It’s a crescent moon hairpin, don’t you think it’ll go wonderfully with your silver hair?

Luna is pretty, so it’ll definitely suit you.”

– “Come here, Luna.

I’ll hug you tight again today.”

– “Hahahaha.

Luna, you’ve gotten much more spoiled, haven’t you?

Such spoiling is always welcome!”

Memories that were so radiant and happy.

But unlike Sihyun, who always smiled at her, the Luna in her memories had never once smiled back at him.

“I-I’m sorry… Sihyun…!

H-I’m sorry I never properly expressed myself….”

The more the fleeting memories passed, the more Luna’s heart crumbled.

He had always treated her kindly.

He had warmly embraced her every day.

“I… couldn’t do anything for him….”

Her golden eyes continued to follow Sihyun in her memories.

To see as much of him as possible before she became ruin.

“Sihyun… always looked at me with such warm eyes….”

Luna envied her past self.

Her past self, who was foolish not to be happy with such a warm Sihyun by her side.

‘Now I could say I’m happy ten, even a hundred times….’

‘I love you so much….’

But now, it would be an impossible dream.

Because no one could enter this void.

And she herself could not leave this place.

Luna struggled to lift her trembling hand, waving it in the air as if trying to grasp something.

‘Sihyun in my memories is so… so close… I feel nothing, but I want to feel Sihyun even like this….’

However, the girl’s small hand only repeated meaningless gestures.

“Sihyun… help me….”

A memory from a certain day suddenly came to mind.

– “If Luna ever feels pain and becomes sad because of it, remember these words I’m telling you now.”

– “You must remember, Luna.

If you say ‘help me,’ I’ll come to your side no matter how far away I am.”

A promise that he would come no matter how far away he was, no matter where she was.

Believing those words, Luna asked for his help for the first time.

“Sihyun… I, I… hurt….”

Such a small voice.

“Here… here it hurts… so much….”

It was so small, it felt like no one could hear it.

Luna placed a hand on her chest and choked back a sob.

“Sihyun… help me… come to my side… please….”

Luna knew it was a meaningless cry.

Everything was already too late.

She was destined to fall into ruin here.

“I wanted to… say goodbye….”

The girl’s fingertips trembled.

‘Sihyun… thank you for… loving me….’

In the pitch-black space filled only with despair and sorrow, Luna decided to let go of her last thread of hope.

Because she no longer wanted to suffer.

“Goodbye… my precious person….”

The moment transparent tears flowed from Luna’s golden eyes.

“Goodbye…? My precious Luna.”

Sihyun’s voice, the one she longed for even in her dreams, reached her ears.

Luna thought she was hearing hallucinations again.

‘Don’t look up… If there’s nothing in front of me… I can’t bear it anymore….’

If she realized it was a hallucination, her heart would surely be torn to shreds without a trace.

Luna buried her face in her arms and simply waited for the illusion to disappear.

However.

Thump—

When she heard footsteps forcibly breaking through an area that allowed nothing to pass.

“Ah…?”

The girl lifted her head and looked forward.

“Ah… Aah…?”

Far away, a man covered in wounds was walking towards her.

All sorts of thoughts simultaneously flooded Luna’s mind.

‘Is it really Sihyun?’

‘What if this is another illusion…?’

‘What if it’s just a dream I created…?’

As her heart pounded uncontrollably with countless thoughts, that familiar voice spoke again.

“Luna, I told you, didn’t I?

If Luna says ‘help me,’ I’ll come save you no matter where you are.

We pinky promised.”

That voice.

That warm gaze.

“I came to keep that promise, Princess.”

Only then did the girl feel certain.

“Ah… Aah…! Si-Sihyun…!!”

Luna’s vision blurred.

Her whole body went limp, causing her to stagger, but the girl stretched out her hand, forcing strength into her legs, and stood up.

—Dash!

To run to him as quickly as possible.

“Huuuht… Huuuuuh!”

The emotions she had held back burst forth uncontrollably.

Trickle.

Transparent tears fell from Luna’s golden eyes.

She couldn’t believe it.

The reality that he had come here, wounded, to find her.

The fact that he had risked his life to enter this place to keep his promise to save her no matter where she was.

—Embrace!

The girl threw herself into his arms without hesitation.

Her whole body was losing strength, but Luna did her best to burrow into his embrace.

“Ah… Si-Sihyun…! Sihyun…! Sihyun…!!”

She cried out his name, wailing.

The name of the one man she had longed to call.

Hugging him in his warm embrace, the girl relaxed and began to pour out everything she had wanted to say.

“Ah… I’m sorry I hurt you…!

I’m sorry I couldn’t wait well…!

I… I was scared Sihyun would disappear…!

I missed you so, so much… Sihyun…!!”

Endless heart-wrenching sentences poured out.

She was crying.

Finally.

At long last.

The girl who had lost her emotions was truly crying for the first time.

“Huuuht…! Huuuuuh…! Sihyun…! Sihyun…!!”

“Luna, I’m here.

Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

Sihyun hugged her tightly, patting her back as she cried.

“Luna, I’m so late, aren’t I…? I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to come back soon.

Will you… forgive me for leaving Luna alone all night?”

“I… I can forgive… everything…!

Huuuh… because you’re back… by my side…!

You kept your promise to come no matter where I was…!!”

Luna hugged Sihyun and cried for a long time.

For a very long time.

They didn’t let go of each other.

****

How long had they cried?

How long had they embraced each other?

Luna looked up at Sihyun with eyes full of tears.

Sihyun was looking at her warmly.

Luna’s golden eyes were red and bloodshot.

Sihyun’s face was stained with blood.

The girl raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek.

“I’m sorry… for hurting you so much…!

I’m sorry for just crying…! Huuuuuh….”

“Luna, no more ‘I’m sorry.’

You’ve already said it over a hundred times.”

“B-But….”

Sihyun gently stroked Luna’s face, wiping away her tears.

“Instead of ‘I’m sorry,’ I want to hear what my Luna always used to say, you know?”

“W-What I always used to say…?”

Sihyun looked at the girl’s face and quietly whispered.

“Luna, I’m home.”

At those words, Luna looked up at Sihyun blankly.

The words she had waited for so long.

The words she had wanted to hear so desperately.

Tears naturally flowed from her golden eyes.

But this time, they were warm tears of joy.

“Yes…!!”

Luna smiled brightly.

It was a smile so bright and beautiful, it was hard to believe it was the first time she had felt ‘joy’.

“…Welcome home, Sihyun…!”

At the same time as those words, Luna opened her arms to Sihyun.

“You’re home, so hug me… tightly…!!”

“Of course!

Come here, Princess Luna.”

The moment Luna’s small body entered his embrace.

The dark crimson storm of emotions subsided, and only golden, happy emotions enveloped the girl and Sihyun.

As the soft moonlight from the sky shone upon them, the story of ruin completely drew to a close.

****

[Cataclysmic Ghost Story: Unrecoverable….]

—Static…!

[The story of the boy who came from afar, following a promise, to save the girl who embraced her shattered heart, ended as he embraced the girl smiling happily under the moonlight.]