THE STORM RAGED ACROSS THE CITY, A RELENTLESS DOWNPOUR THAT TURNED THE STREETS INTO RIVERS AND THE NIGHT SKY INTO A CANVAS OF FLASHING LIGHT.SFX: (RAIN POURING, DISTANT THUNDER ROLLING, THE CRACK OF LIGHTNING TEARING ACROSS THE SKY)
EACH RUMBLE OF THUNDER SHOOK THE WORLD, WINDOWS RATTLING, STREETLAMPS FLICKERING, BUT TO SIYUN, IT ALL FELT EERILY CALM—LIKE THE HEAVENS THEMSELVES WERE WEEPING, LIKE THE SKY WAS MOURNING FOR HIM.
SFX: (FOOTSTEPS SPLASHING THROUGH WATER, CLOTHES SOAKED, SLOW, HEAVY BREATHS UNDER THE STORM)
HIS FOOTSTEPS ECHOED FAINTLY AGAINST THE EMPTY ROAD AS HE WALKED TOWARD THE OLD BRIDGE. THE HOOD OF HIS SOAKED JACKET CLUNG TO HIS HAIR, WATER DRIPPING INTO HIS EYES, BUT HE DIDN'T BOTHER WIPING IT AWAY. THE STORM OUTSIDE MATCHED THE ONE INSIDE HIM—UNSTOPPABLE, VIOLENT, AND ENDLESS.
THE BRIDGE LOOMED AHEAD, A LONELY STRUCTURE OF WOOD AND IRON STRETCHING ACROSS THE SWOLLEN RIVER. THE WATER BENEATH CHURNED VIOLENTLY, CRASHING AGAINST THE PILLARS AS IF CALLING TO HIM, WHISPERING PROMISES OF SILENCE AND ESCAPE.
SFX: (BRIDGE CREAKING UNDER HIS WEIGHT, THE WIND HOWLING LIKE DISTANT VOICES)
SIYUN STEPPED ONTO THE BRIDGE. EACH CREAK OF THE WOODEN PLANKS FELT LIKE THE WORLD HOLDING ITS BREATH. HE WALKED TO THE CENTER, STOPPING WHERE THE RAILING OVERLOOKED THE DEEPEST PART OF THE RIVER. HIS HANDS RESTED ON THE COLD IRON, TREMBLING—NOT FROM THE COLD, BUT FROM THE WEIGHT PRESSING DOWN ON HIS CHEST.
THE RAIN SOAKED HIS BRUISES, STUNG HIS SKIN, YET IT WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE ACHE THAT BURNED DEEPER INSIDE HIM.
HIS THOUGHTS FRACTURED, BREAKING INTO FRAGMENTS THAT LOOPED ENDLESSLY, EACH ONE HEAVIER, EACH ONE SHARPER:
"…IF I JUMP… THE WHISPERS WILL STOP.""…THE PAIN WILL STOP.""…THE LAUGHTER WILL STOP…"
SFX: (WHISPERS RISING UNDER THE STORM, INDISTINCT VOICES BLENDING WITH RAIN, REPEATING HIS FEARS)
THE VOICES IN HIS MIND GREW LOUDER, FUSING WITH THE THUNDER AND THE WIND.
HANA'S LAUGHTER—ONCE SWEET, NOW POISON.THE WOLF'S CRUEL SMIRK, HIS WORDS LIKE DAGGERS.MINJI'S TREMBLING VOICE BEGGING HIM TO OPEN THE DOOR.HIS MOTHER'S SHARP YET LOVING SCOLDING.HIS FATHER'S ABSENCE, A GAP THAT NEVER CLOSED.
BETRAYALS. LIES. LOSS. EVERY SACRIFICE HE HAD MADE—ALL CRASHING AGAINST HIM LIKE WAVES, MERGING INTO A STORM OF MEMORY.
HIS GRIP ON THE RAIL TIGHTENED UNTIL HIS KNUCKLES TURNED WHITE.
"…WHY?" HIS VOICE CRACKED AGAINST THE ROAR OF THE RAIN. "…WHY DID IT ALL… TURN INTO THIS?"
SFX: (HIS VOICE ECHOING, DROWNED OUT BY THUNDER)
THE SKY GAVE NO ANSWER. ONLY THE RIVER BELOW, BLACK AND ENDLESS, WAITED PATIENTLY—ITS SURFACE SPLINTERING WITH EACH DROP OF RAIN, EACH RIPPLE LIKE A HAND REACHING UP TO HIM.
TEARS WELLED IN HIS EYES, BUT THE STORM STOLE THEM, WASHING THEM AWAY BEFORE THEY FELL. HIS CHEST ROSE AND FELL IN SHARP, UNEVEN BREATHS AS THE PAST REPLAYED FASTER, SHARPER—KNIVES SLICING DEEPER, DEEPER.
HANA'S FACE APPEARED IN HIS MIND, SMILING THAT GENTLE SMILE SHE ONCE GAVE ONLY TO HIM. BUT THE IMAGE TWISTED, HER LIPS CURLING INTO WORDS THAT SHATTERED HIM:
"…YOU WERE NEVER ENOUGH."
HIS BODY STAGGERED, HANDS TREMBLING ON THE RAIL. HIS THROAT BURNED, AND BEFORE HE KNEW IT, A SINGLE NAME ESCAPED HIS LIPS—BROKEN, FRAGILE, AND FULL OF LONGING:
"…HANA…"
SFX: (HIS VOICE SWALLOWED BY THE WIND, DISSOLVING INTO RAIN)
THE SOUND VANISHED INSTANTLY, EATEN BY THE STORM. NO ONE HEARD. NO ONE EVER DID.
HIS TEARS MINGLED WITH THE RAIN AS HE LEANED FORWARD, HIS BODY TREMBLING AGAINST THE RAILING. THE WORLD BEHIND HIM—THE BETRAYAL, THE LAUGHTER, THE FALSE SMILES—FADED INTO NOTHINGNESS. AHEAD OF HIM WAS ONLY THE RIVER, SILENT, ETERNAL.
SFX: (HEARTBEAT LOUD, THUMPING, THEN SLOWING AS HE LEANED FORWARD)
THE STORM ROARED LOUDER, BUT INSIDE, SIYUN FELT ONLY SILENCE.
THE KIND OF SILENCE BEFORE THE END.
HE CLOSED HIS EYES. DARKNESS WELCOMED HIM, AND IN THAT DARKNESS, HE HEARD VOICES—NOT JUST THE WOLF'S MOCKERY OR HANA'S CRUEL WORDS, BUT HIS SISTER'S SOFT PLEA:
"…OPPA… PLEASE… DON'T PUSH ME AWAY…"
HIS EYES SNAPPED OPEN, BREATH CATCHING IN HIS THROAT.
SFX: (ECHOING VOICE OF MINJI, REVERBERATING LIKE A GHOST UNDER THE STORM)
FOR A MOMENT, THE IMAGE OF MINJI STANDING AT HIS DOOR FLASHED IN HIS MIND—HER SMALL HANDS KNOCKING LIGHTLY, HER VOICE BREAKING WITH UNSPOKEN TEARS. HE REMEMBERED THE LOOK IN HER EYES WHEN HE DIDN'T ANSWER.
HIS GRIP SLACKENED. HIS HANDS TREMBLED VIOLENTLY.
"…MINJI…" HE WHISPERED, VOICE BARELY THERE.
BUT THE RIVER BELOW CALLED LOUDER.
SFX: (WATER CRASHING, LIKE A THOUSAND VOICES DEMANDING HE FALL)
HIS BODY SWAYED FORWARD, BALANCED ON THE EDGE. HIS HEART POUNDED IN HIS EARS—LOUD, VIOLENT, THEN FAINT.
THE WOLF'S VOICE CUT THROUGH THE RAIN:
"…IF I WERE YOU… I'D KILL MYSELF."
SIYUN FLINCHED, HIS BREATH HITCHING, HIS CHEST TIGHT. THE WORDS CLUNG TO HIM LIKE CHAINS, DRAGGING HIM TOWARD THE EDGE.
SFX: (WHISPERS MULTIPLYING—THE WOLF, HANA, STRANGERS, ALL MERGING INTO A CACOPHONY OF MOCKERY)
"…USELESS…""…FAKE…""…ALONE…""…END IT…"
HE SHUT HIS EYES, SLAMMING HIS FISTS AGAINST THE IRON RAIL. THE SOUND RANG SHARP.
SFX: (METAL CLANGING UNDER HIS BLOWS, ECHOING AGAINST THE STORM)
HIS CHEST HEAVED. HE WAS BREAKING—SPLITTING BETWEEN THE DESIRE TO LET GO AND THE SMALL, FRAGILE THREAD STILL TYING HIM TO THE WORLD.
HE HEARD MINJI AGAIN. THIS TIME CLEARER.
"…I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU TOO."
THE WORDS PIERCED HIM DEEPER THAN ANY OF THE WOLF'S CRUELTIES.
HIS HANDS SHOOK VIOLENTLY ON THE RAIL. HIS BODY TREMBLED, TORN BETWEEN FALLING INTO THE DEPTHS OR TURNING BACK TOWARD A WORLD THAT HAD ALREADY SHATTERED HIM.
SFX: (HEARTBEAT RACING, THEN STUTTERING, THEN ROARING LOUD IN HIS EARS)
THE RIVER BELOW WAITED. THE STORM RAGED ON. HIS BREATH CAME IN RAGGED GASPS.
AND SIYUN STOOD ON THE EDGE—BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BETWEEN HOPE AND DESPAIR—FROZEN IN THE SILENCE THAT COULD BREAK EITHER WAY.
THE STORM DID NOT STOP. THE NIGHT DID NOT END. BUT SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE NOISE, A SINGLE THREAD STILL HELD.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE REALIZED—
THE END WAS NOT YET WRITTEN.