. . .

❝ All of a sudden I felt really tired. Like the world had drained me for everything that I had. ❞

. . .

A CHILL RAN THROUGH HER SPINE AS SHE HEARD HER MOTHER'S YELL OF HELP. Her blood ran cold as a bead of sweat dripped down her face. She sat there helpless not knowing what to do and she was too scared to even think for a second. She stood up from her bed and walked to her door, but a hand stopped her.

"Don't." Her aunt, Eunah warned sternly, giving one of her sharp stares. Areum let go of the doorknob and made her way back the bed.

"My mom's in pain, Eunah," Areum croaked out, feeling her chin tremble. Eunah walked over to her niece, squatting down at her level. "I know, honey, but it has nothing to do with you." She answered softly, caressing her shoulder. She jerked her hand away, scoffing.

"It is, everything is, don't you get it?" Eunah's eyes softened. She sighed as she stood up, running her fingers through her hair.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Are-" a loud gunshot interrupted her and Areum felt the panic wash over her. She opened the door and ran out of the bedroom and made her way to the living room as fast as she could.

The world turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. She paused trying to hold back the feelings rumbling inside her but she couldn't. A lone tear traced down her cheek. So many tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face. She breathed heavier than she ever had before.

"N-No" she whimpered, approaching her mom's lifeless body on the floor. She sank to her knees and sobbed into her mom's chest. Her tears splashed onto her shirt. She placed her head over her chest, which contains no sounds of a heartbeat.

"D-Don't leave me, mommy," she bawled out, trying to gasp for air. Before her brain could register the sound of breaking glass, her eyes are shut tight and a million new knives fell over Areum's exposed skin. She was slammed into a wall as his hands tightened around her throat, and she could hear her aunt shouting at her brother.

"Daewon stop!" Eunah begs, walking closer to the pair.

"Shut up!" Daewon snaps, tightening his grip on Areum's throat, making her gag. He pulled out a knife and jabbed upward under her chin. He could feel her squirm against his touch, but he pulled the knife closer. Her head was throbbing and she was gasping for air.

"Daewon, d-don't do this! She's your daughter!" Eunah screamed when he slapped the young girl. It stung her face. Just below her eye was a small cut from the broken glass he threw at her. A shot of pain ran up Areum's body.

"You're such a failure." Her eyes started to water, closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the intense pain in her body. Eunah walked closer to them, gently putting a hand on her brother's back, but that only resulted in a slap on her face.

Areum opened her eyes, watching her aunt fall to the floor, holding her cheek. When Daewon turned to face her there was no trace of tears. Her eyes were narrowed and rigid. At that moment she knew she was already far away. She took a step closer to her dad.

"Don't touch her," her eyes hardened, becoming a yellow-green color as she used her eyes to inflict pain. Daewon cried out as if his brain was being shredded from the inside. He sank to his knees, holding his head while crying out of pain.

Eunah gasped, "A-Aerum stop, don't, you're killing him," she warned, trying to reach out to her. The young girl didn't seem to be bothered by his screams. If anything, she was amused by his pain. She started screaming and shoved the table destroying the glass vase and the glass shattered everywhere. She then pulled him down to the floor, his back sticking on the glass, making him cry out in agony.

"Stop please, stop!"

"Areum stop!" But it was too late. He was gone. She crouched and picked up his hand, so cold and pale. His were fixed and vacant. She let out a blood-curdling scream. She felt her eyes widen and her pulse quickened. Her head is spinning and she takes a few steps backward.

"Eunah, I-" she stuttered as tears fell down her blood-stained cheeks.

"Your abilities are becoming stronger, Areum," she softly said. Areum shook her head aggressively, looking at her aunt with anger.

"Fuck that! Why me, why me?" She shouted, her face was red with rage, and when Eunah put an arm around her shoulder, she swung around and mentally snapped.

"No! I don't like this. I don't know what I am anymore! I don't even know how to control it, Eunah!" She argued, breathing heavily. She looked down at her hands, that was covered in blood and sighed.

"I can't do this."

Areum packed the last things that she had around her room with tears streaming down her face. She's leaving a place that's been her childhood, memory, and home. She wiped her tears and breathed in through her nose, and exhaled.

She walked back to the living room, towards her aunt and hugged her. "Thank you for taking care of me. I don't know how I'm supposed to do this without you," she whispered and buried her head into her neck. Eunah sniffed, kissing her forehead, "I'll be there with you even if you won't be able to see me. I'll always be there." she comforted and Areum pulls away and grips her hand tightly.

"I love you," she says, and with one last tear falling down her face, she lets go. She ambles her way to the door and before she grabs onto the handle, she looks back one last time wishing this could only be a dream, but it isn't. It was reality and reality hurts more than dreams.