Last night, the darkness took me once more.

I dreamed of standing at the edge of a cliff, jagged and cruel, its spikes stretching upward like the fingers of a forgotten god.

Below, the water lay still, a deep, ominous abyss, its surface a glassy mirror reflecting the blood-red sky above. The wind howled, but the water beneath called to me, beckoning with its cold, consuming embrace.

I could not escape it.

How many nights had it been now? The nightmares, like an endless tide, crash over me again and again. Every time, I would jerk awake, heart pounding, drenched in sweat.

Only to find that I am still here - alone.

Tears would flood my eyes, a river of sorrow, and I would drown in them, unable to stop the torrent.

But there is no one to comfort me. Because he is not here. He no longer sleeps beside me, no longer whispered my name in the night. His presence had vanished, as if it were a fleeting dream.

The days drag on, cold and lifeless.

The crispness of Autumn's winds cut through the air like a blade, calling the harshness of the coming winter.

I let the tears come, surrendering to them completely. Knowing that in the morning, my eyes would be red and swollen.

But it does not matter. No one would see them except the maids, and they would simply look away, pretending not to notice.

I stopped leaving the villa. The outside world had become too much to bear. What had I been doing with myself all this time?

Nothing.

I sleep during the day, escaping into slumber where nightmares couldn't reach me. For as long as the sun remained in the sky, the nighthmares wouldn't reach me.

But when night falls, the darkness creeps in, and with it comes the terror of my dreams.

I hug my knees to my chest, rocking myself gently in the silence of the night.

Tonight is the worst of them all. My breath is shallow, my chest tight with an icy grip. The cold, it is so bitter, so cold.

It's as though I am fading away, becoming a ghost of myself.

Then, through the silence, a voice breaks through the darkness. It is faint, like a whisper carried by the wind.

"You don't have to stay."

I freeze, barely breathe as I strain to listen."Who's there?" I ask.

There from the shadows, he steps forward. The pale moonlight illuminates his face, and in that instant, the world seems to stand still.

"Hak!" I cry out, and the tears I had fought so hard to contain spills over, streaming down my cheeks.

Without hesitation he crosses the room, wrapping his arms around me. I sink into his embrace, sobbing uncontrollably, my heart breaking all over again.

"I'm sorry," I whisper between sobs. "I'm really sorry."

"Hush," he murmurs, his voice soft but steady. He caresses my back gently, his hand a balm to my soul. "You're not alone. I'm here."

I cling to him, my heart aching with a desperate longing. "I wish this is real," I say, my voice breaking. "I wish you were really here."

He smiles faintly, his eyes warm with a knowing sadness. "But I am real," he says, his words like a lifeline in the storm. "I'm really here."

I laugh bitterly, the sound dry and empty. "As if you could pass the walls and the guards."

He chuckles softly, a sound which feels like the first breath of spring after a long winter. "You forgot who I am, Princess?" he teases, his fingers lightly pinching my cheek.

"Ouch!" I protests, though a smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

"See? Not a dream," he says with a wink.

I stare at him in disbelief. "How?" I stammer. "Wait. Shush, my maids might hear."

"Don't worry," he says, his tone light and reassuring. "They're all asleep."

I frown, still processing his sudden appearance. "You didn't... kill them, did you?"

He laughs, shaking his head. "No need. You think I'm that heartless?"

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "No... I mean, how did you—?"

He looks around. "One of your maids is on our side."

I gasp. "What! Who?"

He raises a hand, a playful smile curling his lips. "I'd rather not say. For your safety, Princess."

I nod, though my heart pounded in my chest. "That's... unfortunate." I pause, gathering my thoughts. "But why? Why did you come tonight?"

The air grows heavy, and his expression darkens slightly. "I've been watching you for a long time," he says quietly. "I thought things would get better, that you'd find peace. But seeing your suffering... I can't stand by anymore. I'm giving you a chance, Princess. You don't have to stay. You don't have to suffer any longer."

His words tear through me, and my tears flow once more. He wraps his arms around me tightly, pulling me close. "You don't have to stay," he repeats, his voice gentle but firm. "He's doing this on purpose. Manipulating you. You deserve more than this."

I bury my face in his chest, my sobs uncontrollable. "Why would he do this?" I cry. "How is he so cruel?"

"Because he's no longer the person we knew," Hak whispers, his voice thick with pain. "He's gone."

I hear the sorrow in his voice, a subtle crack. It makes my chest tighten with a mixture of sorrow and guilt. Hak is suffering too.

"What do I do?" I whisper, my voice breaking. "I don't know what to do, Hak."

"You'll know," he replies softly. "Ask the gods, and they will guide you."

I look up at him, a glimmer of hope flickering in my chest. "If... if we leave... where would we go?"

His smile is soft, full of warmth. "Anywhere. Anywhere the gods take us. You don't have to stay." His words a balm to my weary soul, a promise of refuge from the storm.

In his arms, I feel a warmth I had not known in so long. It feels like coming home after a long journey, like finding the light after years of wandering in darkness.

I laugh through my tears, a sound that feels foreign and yet so familiar.

I ask him about his travels, about what he had been doing, where he had been hiding. He told me he had returned to Fuuga but had been watched closely, monitored every step of the way.

"How did you even manage to come here tonight?" I ask, still in disbelief.

His answer is always the same, a playful grin on his face. "Don't you know who I am?"

Even now, even after all this time, Hak still cares for me. Still trying to protect me. But I can't help but wonder if that would last.

Would he always be there? Would I always have him?

I don't know how much time has passed, but eventually, Hak speaks again.

"Princess, I have to go."

The words hit me. I do not want him to leave. I do not want him to go. But I know he has to.

"If you need me again," he says, his voice full of promise, "I'll come to you."

"But how would you know?" I ask, my heart clenching at the thought of losing him again.

"I'll know," he replies with a smile that made my chest ache. He wraps a blanket around my shoulders, his touch warm and comforting. "Goodbye, Princess. I'll see you again."

I take his hand, my grip tight. "Thank you, Hak."

"Yeah," he says. "I promised King Il I would protect you, and I intend to keep that promise. Until the day I die."

With one last look, he turns toward the window, and in a single fluid motion, he is gone. I want to follow him, to run after him and never let go. But I stay rooted to the spot, a coward in the face of the unknown.

And yet, as I stand here, the air around me feels warmer. The winds no longer howl so harshly. Perhaps, just perhaps, I'm not as alone as I thought.

The warmth of his words lingers, wrapping around me like a cloak of comfort, and for the first time in so long, I feel a flicker of hope, faint but undeniable. The night is still cold, but I am no longer afraid.