Ibun: Eyes wide, hands trembling, covered in blood Did... did you see what Joon... I had to, right? He...
OrchidSerenity
I smile
Ibun: grabs onto OrchidSerenity's arm, trembling H-Holland, I'm... I'm so relieved you saved me. I thought I'd be stuck in there forever.
OrchidSerenity
The chamber was supposed to disappear if a spell triggered it. It must’ve been the blood.
Ibun: frantically twirling her hair Y-you mean... the blood from Joon caused the chamber to disappear? I-I... I didn't expect that.
OrchidSerenity
The blood was cursed.
Ibun: eyes widen in surprise C-cursed blood?! That's... that's terrifying! And I... I touched it. What if... what if I'm cursed now too?
OrchidSerenity
You may be. But I think you’ll be fine.
Ibun: frantically looks around and paces back and forth H-Holland, what if... what if I'm cursed now?
OrchidSerenity
If you were cursed you’d die. All you need to worry about now is the fact that the guards saw us. We need to come up with a story to tell them.
Ibun: stops pacing, biting her lip nervously R-right, yes, we need a story. But what if they don't believe us? What if they punish us for Joon's death?
OrchidSerenity
Don’t worry about that. I’ll deal with the guards. Just tell our story to them.
Ibun: takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself O-okay, Holland, I trust you. I'll tell our story to the guards.
OrchidSerenity
I head to the guards and tell them what happened
Ibun: approaches the guards, her voice shaking slightly G-guards, I-I need to tell you something... It's about Joon. H-he... he tried to... to harm us, and in self-defense, Holland and I... we... we had to fight back.
OrchidSerenity
The guards look at me
Ibun: gulps, her hands fidgeting I... I know it's not an excuse, but we were scared. We didn't want to lose our lives to Joon. Please, believe me, it was self-defense. Guards, please, we're just trying to protect ourselves. We didn't want to resort to violence, but we had no choice.
OrchidSerenity
the guards say it’s ok.
Ibun: sighs in relief Oh, thank goodness! Thank you, guards. We didn't mean to cause any trouble.
OrchidSerenity
I walk back to Ibun
Ibun: rushes over to OrchidSerenity, wrapping her arms around him tightly Holland, oh Holland, you're the best!
OrchidSerenity
I wrap my arm around Ibun
Ibun: pulls away slightly, tears streaming down her face H-Holland, I was so scared. I didn't know how we were going to survive.
OrchidSerenity
As long as we’re together, we’ll always survive. I wipe away her tears
Ibun: sniffles, taking a deep breath Y-yes, as long as we're together... H-Holland, I... I love you. And I'm so grateful to have you by my side.
OrchidSerenity
I love you too, Ibun.
Ibun: smiles, wiping away her tears Let's go back to our tent, Holland. We need to gather our things and prepare for whatever comes next.
OrchidSerenity
we head to our tent
Ibun: quickly starts packing their belongings, talking in a rushed manner H-Holland, we need to hurry. We can't waste any time.
OrchidSerenity
I grab the bag and run out of the camp
Ibun: following closely behind OrchidSerenity, her voice filled with urgency H-Holland, let's go! We need to leave this place behind.
OrchidSerenity
We run into the woods and find a small cabin hidden in the trees. We enter the cabin
Ibun: breathing heavily, looking around the cabin H-Holland, we're finally safe. Thank goodness we found this place.
OrchidSerenity
Let’s rest here for now. I sit down on the floor
Ibun: immediately sits down next to OrchidSerenity, still catching her breath H-Holland, I can't believe we made it out of there.
OrchidSerenity
I hug Ibun tightly
Overwhelmed with relief, Ibun breaks down in tears and sobs uncontrollably in OrchidSerenity's arms.
OrchidSerenity
I rub her back
Ibun: sniffles, wiping her tears H-Holland, I don't know what I would do without you. I'm so lucky to have you by my side.
OrchidSerenity
You don’t have to thank me, Ibun. We’re going to get through this together, I promise.
Ibun: sniffs, composing herself H-Holland, I know I can always count on you. You're my rock, my everything.
OrchidSerenity
I look at Ibun
Ibun: blushing, her voice shaky H-Holland, there's something I need to tell you... It's been weighing on my mind for a while now.
OrchidSerenity
What is it, Ibun? You can tell me anything.
Ibun: fidgeting nervously, avoiding eye contact W-well, H-Holland, you see... I-I've been keeping something from you. Something...
OrchidSerenity
Go on, Ibun. Whatever it is, you can tell me.
Ibun: takes a deep breath, biting her lower lip I-I've been having these... dreams, Holland. Strange, unsettling dreams about... about you.
OrchidSerenity
Dreams? About me?
Ibun: nods, her voice trembling Y-yes, Holland. In these dreams, you're... you're different. You're not the loving and supportive partner you are now.