I LOVE YOU SO
Chapter Nine
❛ We're already in hell. ❜

A SHRILL CRY pierced the tension that strung hightly in the air that night. Cowering behind a bed frame silently, Aera's worried eyes scanned the room as she tried to locate the disturbance in the room.

Then a silence followed.

A Muffled scream. Glass shattered—

Freezing, her soul almost left her body, her skin burning cold, "oh my God." Stumbling backwards, Aera almost retched at the sight. Metallic blood splurged all over the limp player's bedding. Still hidden behind a bed frame, she clamped a hand over her lips as she used her widened eyes to find the culprit-

The insane brute, with bloodied hands, was Deok-su.

Placing her hand behind her, stunned, the ground began to shake as beds tumbled over. "What the fu- Oh my God, oh God, oh God," murmuring under her breath, she felt winded at the chorus of pained wails that began to resound around the room.

The lights above flickered in a minacious manner. Everything reminded her of a haunted house cart ride at a carnival. Aera always felt queasy after riding one of those spooky rides, the realistic figures never settled within the pit of her stomach easily.

But this was real.

Just like the cruel Dalgona game.

Never taking her eyes off of the wicked beast that swayed savagely over towards a specific person. Her ears began to ring irritably. Pressing her wrists against her ears, she tried to protect her head, with her hands, from the falling bed frames.

Numerous players clambered over towards her ankles, tugging at them, begging for assistance, "help me- HELP-" Their pleading only increased as they were being dragged away by their predator, as the murderers took their life away as if they were their prey.

Shivering from the overwhelming amount of fright, Aera forced her feet to move, because if she didn't she'd meddle with another fight or she'd even faint for she felt lightheaded from it all. It was increasingly difficult to focus her vision on one specific thing, because once the lights flicker again, it either moved or disappeared.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Nearly choking on her terror, she scanned the room once more, "SAE-BYEOK!" Gripping tightly on to a frame, the metal of it was more sticky than shiny, shrieking from horror, she removed her palms, coated almost thickly on her skin was dark, dark, dark blood. "JI-YEONG?" Yelling out all the names she knew, their names circled her mind as her voice dispersed inaudibly.

Everything was at its max volume, that it was almost impossible to hear Aera's cries.

Still tripping over her own feet, she messily sprinted backwards. Jolting in fright, the back of her head collided with another, with an arm flinging up in defence, she used her other to massage the injured area of her head. Being too focused to survive than to breathe, Aera swiftly turned around.

"Oh shit, shit, shit," rushing forwards, Aera grimaced as she struggled to get Deok-su away from Sae-byeok. From the corner of her eye, she could just about make out Sae-byeok being held up by the neck against the cold, tiled wall with a grubby hand. "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU INSANE-" A hand flew out in front of her face, making her stumble away.

"A . . . Aera?" With the forceful grip Deok-su held, it was arduous for Sae-byeok to utter her words out, "Aera don't I've got this," she watched as Aera tried to tear Deok-su away from her.

Slapping and slapping at Deok-su's wrist, Sae-byeok desperately tried to keep her eyes on Aera, as if she did, it would keep Aera safe and away from the brutal murderers that roamed the place. Thinking sharply, she lifted her knee up and thrusted it against Deok-su's private area.

Being slammed against the wall again, Sae-byeok tried to regain her strength, breathing deeply, her blood stained hair fanned all over her face. Squinting at the distance, she was just able to make out Aera's discarded figure. "No, no, no- AERA," coughing briefly, trying to clear her hoarse throat, she slipped around as she tried to reach Aera's slumped body.

"I'm not finished with you," blocking Sae-byeok's way was Deok-su, he held a shiny pocket knife within his hands. He was sauntering his way over towards Aera, who was vulnerable and out in the open, a sneer plastered across his face.

With her back aching, some bones surely broken, a grumble escaped from Aera's lips as she lifted herself up in agony, her muscles throbbing. Closing her eyes briefly, since the constant flash of the lights was starting to do her head in, she murmured over and over, "shit, shit, shit-"

Thud. A large hand clamped onto Aera's back, dragging her by the jacket, Deok-su pulled her up by the collar. Tripping over a fallen pole, a sharp object slashed at the outer layer of her skin on her leg, making a thunderous scream tumble from her parted lips.

"NO!- NO," almost suffocating at the fact that her jacket was tightening around her neck, Deok-su held Aera by the back of her jacket, it pressed against her veins, making it strenuous to breathe. Just the impact of it all would surely litter a billion bruises on her skin.

"AERA-" Sae-byeok's terror-stricken voice mixed with the deafening rumbles around her.

Reaching forwards, even if it caused Aera an unbearable amount of pain within every fibre of her limbs, she reached and reached. She reached out until her fingers made contact with the fallen pole. Beginning to feel her body being dragged by Deok-su, she wrapped her fingers around the cold, steel pole, one that probably broke off from one of the bed frames.

A trail of crimson began to paint the floor as Aera was being pulled away by the collar. The blood belonged to her left leg, one that was torn open on the surface, by a pointy pocket knife-

"My knife," patting her pockets, a grim expression began to gloom all over Aera's benumbed face, ". . . my knife," a painful ringing began to resound around her ears at the loss of her weapon, her pulse began to strike at her chest at an alarming rate.

Never walk around without a weapon, got it? Aera didn't entirely disobey her brother's command. Returning her weary eyes on to the steel pole within her hand, she clutched it fiercely, her knuckles going pale. Swinging it around, it came into contact with Deok-su's eyes, making it swell.

"You bitch," dumping Aera's suffering body onto the stone cold floor, he doubled over and clutched his eye harshly with a hand. His other held Aera's pocket knife, it glinted unhappily between his fingers, "you're going to-"

"Regret that?" Throwing her head back with a wild chuckle, she slowly brought her chin back down, a dangerous sparkle caught onto Aera's dreary eyes. A trickle of blood, from the large gash on her leg, continued to stain her skin as she limped forwards. "Man you need to stop recycling your words," using her pointer finger to motion towards her temple, "upstairs is not very bright, is it?"

This obviously got onto Deok-su's last nerve. Fuming, he charged onwards. There was no momentum in his movements, each swing of his fist was too slow, making it easier for Aera to block his arms with the pole each time- it was almost like they were sword fighting.

Clang, clang, clang.

The pole hit against Deok-su's extended arm at least fifteen times. He managed to collide his fist against her cheek three times. Growing agitated, he tried to equip the pocket-knife again, but he was too slow. For in that split second, a wave of wrath boiled within Aera's veins, she lifted the pole up above her head and flung it down, making it clatter against his head.

"You're all going to hell, you're all going to hell," a player screamed past her.

Leaning her arm against the pole, a breathless frown etched across Aera's sticky face, one that had dots of crimson blood against the sides of her cheeks, it all blended with dirt and sweat. Following her tired eyes at the player that sprinted by, "we're already in hell," she half-yelled whilst running a palm against her sore throat.

Flickering her eyes towards Deok-su's knocked out body, she noticed how his back arose and fell slowly, a shaky sigh left her lips. Examining the area, she silently panicked. "SAE?" Ripping at her vocal chords, "SAE-BYEOK," peering from behind her shoulders and trying to adjust to the flashing lights, a ripple of fear tugged at her heartstrings.

A hand wrapped around her arm, "you're not getting rid of me that easily," a low grumble could be heard behind her. Eyes widening, she sucked in a breath at the sight of Deok-su clambering across the bloody floor. His cold palm that clung onto her arm, trapped her in place, making it impossible for her to escape.

Clang- Someone from the left of Aera, stole the pole from her hands and flung it across Deok-su's back. He flopped, face-down, onto the floor with a grunt.

"Come on, we've got to go," without leaving a second for Aera to think, Sae-byeok intertwined their warm fingers together, leading the two of them into the darkness.

Mumbling incoherently, "oh, oh okay," with her bloodied lips agape, Aera followed, her mind doing twirls. A scorching sensation rattled up Aera's arm at the feeling of Sae-byeok's palm within her hand. Grinning nostalgically at their hands, it was almost enough to make Aera forget about the numbing pain from the wound on her leg.

They neared the other side of the room, looking about her, Aera noticed that it was almost identical to the side they were just on. "You're here," a familiar voice spoke beside the pair. Perplexed, Aera tilted her head until a recollection of memories, from the scenes before, flowed into her head.

"Like you said," gasping for air, with a low stance, Sae-byeok's limbs grew senseless, "I'm with Aera," she squeezed her hand, the one that had Aera's soft hands within.

Glancing towards their hands, Aera froze for a split second, before an undetectable emotion flashed through her eyes. Being grateful that there was a lack of light, a wobbly smile illustrated itself across her face.

Without wasting a moment, Aera lifted her eyes away and landed them on to player 456 worried face, "thank you for helping me earlier. I'm Hwang Aera," her voice was forced to increase in volume; she winced at the pain in her throat. Talking almost felt like a hundred daggers were ripping it apart.

Placing a palm on to her shoulder, nodding swiftly, "Seong Gi-hun," he tried his best to give her a comforting smile during the monstrous situation they were in. From the corner of his eye, a figure he detested the most, stormed over, in the light, Gi-hun could make out the splatter of read that coated the figure's shirt. Dragging his eyes up, terror filled his pupils-

"Sir?" Aera interrupted his thoughts, concern caused her eyebrows to furrow together. In the midst of things, she felt herself being pulled away from Sae-byeok, a sudden chill loomed over her, as her body was being shoved to the side. "ARG," clinging on to her temples, a groan flew out of her lips.

Seong Gi-hun did that so he could lurch himself forwards and into the damned Deok-su. A series of grunts echoed around her as players clambered on top of each other. With her pulse slamming against her head, she tried to regulate her breathing as she ran up to Gi-hun, "sir?" She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, "sir are you okay?" When he inclined his head weakly, a wave of relief flooded through her veins.

In front of Aera, she saw Sae-byeok being hurled on to the floor by the collar, after attempting to make Deok-su unconscious by kicking him down. The sound of glass shattering across the floor, caused Aera to yelp, shards of green littered the ground, making her nervous. Scrambling on her feet, some of those shards dug into the surface of her palm.

A hand reached out for her, "Sang-woo," introducing himself briefly, he took her reluctant palm and aided her to her feet as he lightly pushed her behind him. Aera inclined her head briefly at this, as a sign of gratitude.

"Hey, Ssangmun-dong, what are you doing?" The bastard's scratchy and horrid voice resounded in between it all; Deok-su growled at the team Gi-hun assembled. Just as the lights flickered on for a second, everyone could see how the demon within Deok-su took over him. "We're just helping cull the herd," his animalistic eyes landed on Aera and Sae-byeok.

"I won't hesitate to bash your head in again-" Stepping forwards, Aera snarled. From beside her, a prideful grin tugged at Sae-byeok's lips as she held out a fist, ready to attack if Deok-su came near them again. Before Aera could dive towards the brute, Sang-woo's arm stayed in front of her.

"These two," with a powerful, stern voice, Gi-hun stepped forwards, "they're our teammates, you got that?"

Relaxing her brow, Aera stopped shifting between her two feet for a moment. Both Sae-byeok and Aera peered over their shoulders, wearily, their eyes focused on each other's exhausted features. Trapping her cracked bottom lip under her top teeth, Aera's eyes grew moist as she struggled to stand upright on just one good leg.

All her anxious thoughts began to dissipate at the sight of Sae-byeok right by her side, free from harm, and a few trustworthy players guarding each other. Struggling, she reached her bloodstained arm outwards, a shaky smile lingered on her lips, "hey," she gently placed her palm on to Sae-byeok's shoulder.

Wincing from the contact, Sae-byeok didn't try to hide the soft, relieved smile that sketched itself across her face, under the grime and blood on her skin, Sae-byeok's cheeks pinched pink, "hey."

"Are you . . . alright?" Chuckling bittersweetly, "stupid question I know," shrugging, Aera's forehead puckered in concern, "but are you?"

Rubbing at her elbow, even though it was clear Sae-byeok was undergoing an unbelievable amount of discomfort within her muscles. Peeking through her fringe, one that was curtained messily above her eyes, she took in how Aera's eyebrows knitted together, worriedly. Staring at the floor fora brief moment, "I'm fine . . . I'm alright," she then placed her tired eyes on Aera's, "you?"

"Same as you," almost falling asleep on the spot, feeling fatigued, Aera forced herself to stand up for a little longer, as she gave Sae-byeok a tight, brave smile.

At that moment, Hwang Aera felt safe.

( 2548 words )

DEAR ALL,

Also look at Aera and Sae being softies in the end💪❤️‍🔥

Aera's baddie moment though🤚😎

Anyways I was going to write an epic author note but I forgot ugh😞

WITH LOVE SYLVIA