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From Woman and Man Who Love Them
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Chapter 12 – Borderline
Borderline between this world and the afterlife, between Earth and Heavens, will he dragged to Heavens or Hell?
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"Lily Dear!?", Yuria barged into Tae Woo's room because she heard from Jae Ha that she was there, only to found Lily and Tae Woo hugged each other "Ope, sorry for interrupting, please do continue...".
Tae Woo caught Yuria's collar nape of neck before she wanted to run away "wait wait wait wait, you're misunderstanding".
Lily grateful that Yuria didn't see her and Tae Woo when they still crying, it would make them more mortified than when Yuria found them who still hugged each other, of Lily for heard his heartbeat and of Tae Woo for felt her warmth, to comfort theirselves like now "what's wrong, Yuria?".
Yuria told them that Yona woke up by her nightmare again, Yun and the others tried to calm her down "at first, it seems our words didn't enough to snap her out of her nightmare but after Elder Mundok calmed her down, her counter attack subsided but when her eyes catct the figure of tofu-face King who tried to calmed her too, she gotten into berserk mode on again".
"why didn't you tell me sooner?!", Lily rushed past her towards Yona's room.
When she, Yuria and Tae Woo came inside Yona's room, once again grabbed her sword and pointed it to Soo Won who tried to approached her but after they saw closely, Yona leaned her back to the door of Hak's room.
Lily sighed heavily, after chased Soo Won (didn't forget to asked him to not show his face in front of Yona for a while because it just made her felt unsafe than before with you around her right now, you moron King) out of Yona's room and asked Tae Woo to guard Hak's room, Lily took Yona's sword, threw it towards Yun who yelled at her how dangerous the thing that she threw away to him before she pushed Yona down to her bed "what i told you before, dear little sister? REST!?".
"but Lily...", after she lying on her bed, Yona covered her eyes with her palms, her bleary eyes cause of her high fever was constricted, she stretched her hands around Lily's back "how could i go to sleep... if i even didn't know... he will open his eye again or not... and with that man still around here...".
Once again, Lily asked the others to waited outside after Lily caught her trembled body tried to hug her tightly as if her life defended on her, not before she asked Soo Won to not appeared in front of Yona again when Yona's state still unstable like this. Aware of Yona's tears started to fallen her cheek again, like before, Lily wonder if what the doctor said was true? She said Yona didn't cry even once before Jae Ha brought her with him to here but this? There must be something that burden her, at least she knew why did Yona refuse to cry before she came here. Because she knew Yun and the others must be worried about Hak too, she tried to kept strong and refuse to cry, because she didn't want make Yun and the Dragons worried more.
Lily's eye widen, why didn't she realize sooner, that Yona started lost control of herself right after she realized Soo Won and his companion was there, too.
Lily calmed her down again and once she made certain Yona had fell asleep after her nightmare and rambling counter-attack subsided, she asked the others who waited outside anxiously came inside the room and Yua was certain about Yona's state too.
Mundok furrowed his eyebrow "PTSD?".
Yua nodded while crossed her arm in front of her chest "PTSD, or so-called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder... it is a mental disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, or other threats on a person's life. For her case, well... i had heard about her situation, looks like her PTSD had started since her father passed away. The nightmare only occured after her stress lever reached high level and now she reach her highest stress level where her stress level reach depression state".
Lily couldn't believe this, she was strong than her, so why this time she even lost her control of herself? "how can she...".
"i think it's only natural for her... don't forget, no matter how she steeled herself, there must be a limit for her and she had reached her limit, after all she's still a 16-years-old girl. What do you expect from a girl who has to face her nightmares every time she fall asleep and face her traumatic experience that haunted her mind when she wake up, alone?", Yua put wet rags to Yona's temple, softly touched Yona's head with concerned look at her eyes "after her father passed away, looks like she can still survive from her distress because she had someone who stay by her side but if Hak isn't survive... just kept all of your eyes to make sure she won't do something stupid like she said before...".
"and how about my grandson?".
"thanks to this kid who give them first-aid to stop their bleeding before they take them here... even if this girl still can survive, i'm not sure about him...", Yua patted Yun's head, turned her head to her daughter and asked her to guide their guest to other empty room that far from her patients room and after she asked Yun to take care of Yona while she would take care of Hak tonight, she turned her gaze to Mundok "i can give you your privacy time before my daughter take you to your room, Elder. But since his body sustained many fracture and broken bone of nearly entire all his body, try to not move or burden his body. That's the reason why we can't take him to other room from the start".
In the hallway, after Yua slid opened the door to the room in front of her where she had put Hak inside while take a seat beside the door, small figure came from inside Hak's room. That blonde-haired blue-large-eyes child that only 6 or 7 years old at least, jumped from his seat beside Hak's bed, right after his eyes catch the middle-aged doctor who slid opened the door and landed on Yua's lap.
"oh my, who is this? Looks like i catch a little cherubim here...", Yua ruffled soft blonde hair of that boy's hair who cuddled into her lap "...Tae Yeon? You're crying?".
Tae Yeon lifted his face, he rubbed his eyelids that wet because of tears and asked Yua several question within his statement of worryness like what had happened to his big brother Hak, why Hak didn't wake up no matter how much he tried to wake him up and will Hak be okay. With tears on the edge of his eyes, Tae Yeon "i never saw him injured that badly... will big brother be okay? He will wake up and healthy like before, right?".
Yua hugged him tightly before speaking with strict voice "who... had brought this child to his room?".
"please forgive me, mom... i can't refuse his request, moreover his face when he begged me to to bringing him to big brother Hak's room was too cute...", Yuria curled her body into ball like squirrel that squirming after the lion targetted her as a prey, currently hiding behind the door "and even if he cried, he was still cute".
"...looks like your sadistic instinct that you inherited from me showed itself at the wrong time", Yua stared at her daughter, smiled with dark intention "prepare yourself for your punishment soon, my little daughter".
Yuria bowed her head, frustated with sadistic nature of her stern mother "yes, ma'am...".
Zeno carried Tae Yeon from Yua's lap, patted the little guy's head and cheered him up "there, kid~ let's sleep with the little miss, alright? Your big brother would be alright since he was so strong".
"let me take him...", Tae Woo took Tae Yeon from Zeno's hand and turned his head to Lily, nodded as a sign to asked her come with him to Yona's room.
After Mundok came inside Hak's room and slid closed door behind him, he gasped in cause he too shocked by what he saw. He had known about the circumstances and he had warned by that youngsters from Fire Tribe that Yona got injured and Hak got into critical state. Still, looked at his condition make him shocked and afraid, his grandson lay unconscious at his bed in front of him. His pale face was ashen like a corpse. Bruises could be seen on the edge of bandage that covered his left side of his face and from red dot at bandage covered his temple, looks like his face hit by stone a bit hard. Not to mention bandage that covered his neck, both of his leg and hand, and his body. Shina who looked what happened and Yua who examined his condition all along this time had told him about how his state became like this caused of the avalanche but looked Hak like this wrenching his heart.
Mundok dropped to his knees beside Hak and threw his arm around Hak's neck and head to hugged his grandson carefully, his tears fell after he kissed his forehead "you stupid grandson... how could you... if you go and die on your own, just wait for me at the afterlife and i'll kill you...".
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When Mundok back to Yona's room, Lily covered his other grandchild who fell asleep beside Yona's bed.
"i don't believe this, Elder... how can you bringing little Tae Yeon with you?", Yua threw her sharp gaze at Mundok even if it just a second before she turned her gaze towards the little figure that fell asleep beside Yona "we can't prohibit him to check his big brother, but we can't let him see Hak's condition like that now, right?".
Of course Mundok felt Yua's sharp gaze, but he only sighed "it can't be helped, because when that man bringing Hak's news, Tae Yeon heard the new accidentally and he begged me to take him with me here"
Yua huffed and rises to take a new bowl filled cold water to cool Yona's fever down "is that so? Can't be helped, though...".
When Yua wanted to back, inside the room in the opposite direction of the room where Hak and Yona placed, she found Joo Doh and Geun Tae confront Soo Won while the Four Dragons who stood in front of to guard Yona and Hak room's only stared at them from far distance. It was clear, not only Shina who can saw what happened, they even able to heard their fought.
"do you aware of what are you doing just now, your majesty?".
No wonder if Joo Doh pissed off, but it wasn't like him for speaking about it out loud in front of the others like this, looks like he couldn't hold himself anymore.
"i thought we had talk about this before... don't forget the reason why i chose you as my master but if you can throw away you life and let yourself die at the hand of your beloved one without thinking about what would happen to this kingdom after that, so you didn't fit to be the King again!? If you're going to die by her hand, first fulfill what you strived to do, then go and die by her hand whenever you want where i can't see it?!".
"like i would do that without thinking, i had known Elder Mundok was there and her Dragons won't let her kill me, at least not for now because her body sustained many injuries".
Geun Tae cut talks between Joo Doh and Soo Won "i acknowldge you because i want to believe you and i hope of you as prince Yu Hon's child, but you make me disappointed a little... i have no intention of following the King who didn't have a desire of life. If you didn't have a desire of life, that's mean you had die...".
"the desire of life, huh?", Yua snickered and looked at Hak's room "i bet what had made him hold his life on until now was his desire to kept alive...".
Not long after that, Yuria opened the room big enough "mom?! Big brother Hak?! He had...".
Where is this?
He didn't know the direction, he even didn't know where above or under, nothing here except complete darkness. The first time he stumbled here was after he felt his body wrecked by those avalanche. After felt weight of his body buried down the avalanche, he felt numbness take over as he close his eyes slowly before he dropped under the darkness like drowning, sinking deeper and deeper into the lowest of deep sea.
When the complete darkness consumed all around him, no matter how far he walked or ran till he tripped, there's no end of this place.
It felt quiet
Cold
Dark
Alone here, somehow make him feel lonely
When he stopped move and wait, not knowing how long he was there, he felt warmth of someone hugging him
"you stupid grandson... how could you... if you go and die on your own, just wait for me at the afterlife and i'll kill you...".
"that sounds... gramps?".
He was too busy about seek the path out of here, till he forgot about everything. How about the princess and the others? When he felt he heard Yona's voice yelled at someone, he rises from his seat, still unknown where he must go but refuse to kept silent. He must back to her side to make sure, she was alright.
Someone grabbed his hand and smiled, led his way to the center of the light in front of them "come this way, brat".
"who are you?".
Before the light enveloped and made this place become white out, Hak only caught his messy auburn hair and his Jade eyes.
When Yun slid opened Yona's door that make them could see Hak's room from beside after he heard Yuria yelled at her mother, they found Yua took a seat beside Hak to examine Hak's condition and Yuria kept calling Hak with teary eyes. They saw Hak opened his eyes, even if his eyes held void emotions and his breathing still uncontrollably. Hak rolled his right eyes, the only eyes that left to him for saw his surroundings since the left side of his face covered by bandage, he saw his right direction where his friend had gathered.
Hak lifted his right hand; the only hand that capable of he moved right now, looked to the only one figure that clear at his eyes and muttered "...princess...".
Yona jolted from her seat and take a seat beside Hak's right side "Hak, finally you're awake!?".
When Yona caught his hand, Hak stared her worried face "princess... are you alright?".
Yona couldn't believe this, did the stupid beast really have no idea of how she worried of him? "i believe that's my line?!".
"you're got injured...", Hak caressed her face before closed his eyes for a moment to catch up his breathing, his fracture felt throbbing and his dizziness blurred his sight intensely "i'm so sorry... because my carelessness...".
"remember what i told you before? you shouldn't have to feel responsible for my injuries... and don't give me your sorry with your condition right now!? My injuries nothing compared yours, your injury far worse than me!?", Yona grabbed his hand that cupped her face and sobbed "i am the one who must apologize... because protecting me, you're gravely injured and nearly die again...".
Hak sighed in the middle of his shallow breath "i should say the same... don't apologize to me because... it's my job to protect you... so please don't concern yourself and stop crying... your crying face... only make your face uglier, you know...".
The same pattern again, actually the true reason was because he hated everytime he saw her crying and he knew she would pissed at him for mocking her.
Lily rolled her eyes, how can he still joked like that with his condition right now even if it was he did to eased her minds?
With her free hands, Yona swept her tears that hard to stop as her words continued to burst out "you stupid jerk?! how can you still worrying about me even though you're such in a state!? Do you have no idea how i felt?! you're really make me afraid this time...".
Hak snickered before chuckled "it can't be helped though... just thinking what would happen to me... if i let something happened to you? Gramps... that old geezer would definitely send me to other side... at afterlife, your father and your mother would definitely waiting for me... King Il would beaten me black and blue even if he never touched weapon... Queen Youki won't let me if i can't fulfill my promise to her... not to mention those guys would cry over of losing you before one of them tried to kill me too... especially that White Snake or Droopy Eyes... i bet even Lily would kill me if i can't protect her little sister...".
Yona snorted before fell to laughter, her first laugh and bright smile after what happened last week. Their friends only stared behind Yona in awe, this beast really amazing, he always could manage to cheered Yona up.
Yona swept her tears; tears of relieved and happiness, same as her tears at Sensui after their first encounters with Soo Won, she smiled bittersweetly "you stupid... how can you say that ridiculous thing? I won't let Mundok and the others to do that... and i don't think my father would do that even if i'm not so sure about my mother... but i think it had a long time since we speak about my mother. Actually, what kind of promise that she had asked to you?".
Hak rolled his eyes before closed his eyes for a while "...better you not know".
It made Yona whining "aaah... fine, just rest and get better, so we can talk about that soon".
"i never mention this before... because i don't know how you would reacted but... i'm sorry, i couldn't protect your father at that night... it didn't meant i wanted to given redemption... not only because i couldn't forgive myself even more if i let something happened to you... but more because i can't bear it if something happened to you", Hak cupped her cheek and smiled wryly as Yona's tears stopped when her eyes widened of his confession "for always make you worried or afraid... and sometimes, you even crying... i'm so sorry... but i believe... those guys would protect you... even if i can't protect you anymore...".
Yona's chest tightened "what did you mean? It's not funny, you know?".
"i can't protect you anymore... but at least, i grateful... i can see your face for the last ti...".
Before Hak manage to finished his word, his hand fell from her face. As Yona catched his hand before fell to the floor, Yona screamed his name and begged him to keep wake up. The light faded from his eyes that slowly closed, his sight blurred fast as he pulled back into the darkness.
"Hak, wake up!? Remember i told you before, i won't forgive you if you die!?", Yona grabbed Hak's hand tightly, leaned her forehead to his after kissed his forehead "if you hear my voice... open your eyes and don't leave me... please...".
Once again, Jae Ha carried Yona outside of the room after Yua ordered all of them to waiting outside when she handle this with Yuria's and Yun's help.
He stumbled here again, will he really die this time?
This time different with before, he felt himself stumbled more hard, going under again passed through the complete darkness. It felt strange, he didn't feel hurt at all but he could see what had waited under his feet. He felt his leg grabbed by someone at first, until several hand trying to pulled him with them, to their place. He felt those hand was the hands of them, hands of the people that he had sent to the other side. They asked him and pulled him to come with them to the Hell.
Is this the end of him?
Meh, he had prepared himself to die young remembered his life that had messed up, but he didn't expect his life would ended this fast. Even if he could make it and kept alive, with his body that totally wrecked, he didn't sure if he still can fought his way beside her like before or rather, he even just would become burden to his master and his ally.
"don't give up!?".
Two hands caught his wrist.
One porcelain pale petite hand.
One tan worn big hand.
Only one thing that similar with this two hands, they are a little strict, but in some respects and gentle, they felt warm. The hand of someone he respects the most, he loved and he missed so much.
After he dragged out of the gate of hell, he landed with those two who pulled him out of that creepy darkness to the light. They sat in the middle of field where flowers blooming so beautiful and fulfilled this land. This place was the most beautiful place he has ever seen. He only could saw the flowers above the grounds as long as his eyes threw his glance, not to mention other plants like big tree or the blue sky above them, and now they sat on the riverbank.
Tall man with messy auburn hair and Jade eyes stood first, his figure resemblance with Hak except the colour of his hair and his eye "really, brat... how could you come here this quickly?".
The other one have long straight black hair that reached her hip, young woman with blue eyes chuckled at the man "looks like he lost his path... but he become really handsome and strong, not to mention he had became the strongest warrior of Kouka Kingdom. You must be envious of him, right, Haruki?".
"shut up, Serena".
Hak lifted his face towards two young couple in front of him "you two... who?".
Haruki chopped Hak's forehead "how could you say that to us, little brat?".
Serena patted his shoulder "hey, no wonder if he didn't remember us, you left us when he still infant and i must leave him when he still 4 years old... don't blame him if he even didn't know about you, it's your fault to leave us with him so quickly".
"still angry about that? I had apologize to you, right?"
Hak gasped, so he didn't wrong about what he felt from these two "it can't be... so...".
Haruki smirked, his smirk really resemble with Hak's "that's how your reaction after you meet with your own parents? Where's your greetings or gratitude? We had pulled you before you dragged to the hell by those bastards".
Serena chopped Haruki at his hip with smile at her face, stretched both her hand to Hak, ignored his husband that felt hurt and welcomed his son "come here, dear~ let mommy hug you, my only child~".
Hak jolted from his seat, he threw his arm to their shoulder and hug his parents, tears slowly fallen from his eyes "mom!? Dad!? How can... mom, i'm sorry... because i can't protect you...".
"hey, don't apologize to me... it's not your fault, you're still too young at that time and it's our nature as parents, to protect our child...", Serena cupped both his cheek with her hand, smiled brightly after kissed his forehead softly and leaned her forehead into Hak's "i must waited for a long time to can hug you again... the last time i hug you, you're still can carried by my hands, though... i missed you so much, Hak...".
Hak hugged his mother that sat in front of him "i missed you too, mom...".
Haruki simply smiled and chuckled when he saw his son had growth bigger than his mother and looked him hugging his mother like this, as if he swallowed his mother's petite body "don't forget me too, Dear~ where's my hug, my little brat? You're really full-growth like a bear".
"don't nicknamed your own son as a bear, dad!?", Hak chuckled before hug his father, it made his mother giggled at her warmth sight.
After Hak asked what happened to Haruki and he didn't too understand about what happened to his mother, Haruki and Serena looked at each other before nodded in understanding. Their child have a right to know what happened to them.
"before we tell you, it really worst memory that you shouldn't remember again or you even know... we think it's better if you didn't know... are you sure, you're still wanted to know?", Serena grabbed his child's large hand and stared him with her sad blue eyes, as if she begged him to stop.
Hak shook his head before smiled "it's alright, mom... let me know... because i think there must be a reason, why did i throw here and meet both of you".
"i'm glad you've become so strong...", Haruki smiled before his smirking appeared "but i never expected my son to stolen the most beautiful woman's heart in Kouka Kingdom".
Serena cupped her cheek and smiled wide "aw, i guess we can talk about it too, soon".
Hak felt embarassed "could we not?".
"why not? She's so cute, but i feel so sorry for her", Serena sighed after her smile dropped to disheartened frown "both of you really reminded me with your father... or should i mention it as... the three of you reminded us with the three of us?".
"ah, before that...", Hak realized one thing, he looked around him "actually, where is this?".
"this is the borderline between the Earth and the Heavens, you can tell this place as the afterlife or hereafter, but right now, we are at the San Tzu riverbank or so-called Styx river...", Haruki pointed under the river Hak nearly dragged down to the Hell "that place where you nearly taken by those bastards closer with what we called the Hell and this place where we taken you with us here closer with the Heavens... just barely, you dragged into there because you've lost your way".
Serena hugged Hak before cupped his son's cheek and smiled with that mixed feeling in her eyes "we have so many times to speak, so... can we start now?".
