Rika stared blankly in the photographer's studio. She woke up as the sunlight blazed through the big window. Her mind was still thinking about last night when she dreamt of V smiling with the sun shining brightly up above him. Though no word was exchanged in the moment, she knew that her brilliant sun's telling her through his calming presence, that he was okay and she should stop being anxious. It was so typical of him worrying about everybody.
She extended her hand to the guy she used to adore, trying to reach and feel his gentle warmth. That very moment, the movement brought her back from her slumber, eyes opened wide. Hand failed to reach the turquoise haired guy, instead she found empty air. There was nothing but numbing sadness, no tears came out of her brilliant emerald eyes which now looked empty and dull, losing their souls. The blonde girl wore nothing but a hollow expression on her face.
The girl felt like she would sleep forever these days. Because only in her dreams, she might have the chance to meet her devout lover. How she longed to stare at those beautiful aquamarine eyes, calming smile, kind gesture and soothing voice. It must have been love she experienced those days, but it was over now.
Love. It was a novel thing for her who used to be neglected and avoided. Wasted by her parents. Bullied by her peers. Since V's love tried to infiltrate her heart, at first, it was warm fuzzy and she enjoyed it. But her past spoke different language.
Ah, nobody would understand this pitch blackness inside her soul. A darkness that made her able to see the same thing in others, in the insecurity of Saeran's, in the innocence of Yoosung's, in the stoic emotionless Jumin's, in the need of acceptance of Zen's, in the obedience of Jaehee, in the brilliance of Saeyoung and even in V himself. Light was believed to travel faster than anything but it was a misconception. In spite of its incredible speed, light finds the darkness has always gotten there first, and is waiting for it. Just like V's light found her darkness.
V was the man who had sacrificed everything for her. He let his own sight obliterate just to wake Rika up from her own oblivion. She was overcome by her own fear, past pain and anger as well as her damaged sense of self to the point she hung onto her disbelief that the love he showed her would not be able to save her. Her past pain had made her unable to believe his loving words. Those tests to prove the guy's love was never enough compared to long history of pain and trauma that she had to endure.
During her painful past she built her own defense to survive her cruel surrounding. This part of her was apprehended by the warm love, convincing Rika that she would not survive if that part of her were to be disappeared. That part she called her darkness, terrified to the core, built up a strong resolution to demonstrate that she was right, to save people like her. Those she thought possessed the same darkness. Her past was a living evidence that society failed to protect them. Thus she, even if she had to do it with her own hands, would strive to build a new different world, where everyone would be salvaged.
Neither she knew that there was a thin line between love and hate. Once V disagreed with her belief, those fuzzy feelings turned into hatred. Her darkness grew to hate his light, a threat to her existence. All she wanted just an acceptance, why could not he give her that? Nobody would try to understand her, not even her dream lover? She thought that her prayers came true when the photographer basked her with love. In spite of that, was an acceptance so hard to do? That was all her demand. In her own abhorrence, she thought that V just used her, to accentuate his virtue. Without darkness, how can the light manifest?
"I am always with you, Rika…" That was his last words. The photographer tried to envelop the darkness and his light and tied them together with love. He brought her darkness to his grave, leaving her empty. Her brilliant light had died, but there was no darkness either. There was nothing left.
Void.