Frozen Reverie

Chapter 44: A Love Written in the Stars

The world around them blurred, time itself bending as Hyun and Yuna stood at the precipice of fate. The chaos that had raged moments ago now softened into a weightless stillness, as if the universe was holding its breath.

Hyun reached for her, his fingers grazing her cheek, memorizing every detail of the moment. "This time, I won't let go."

Yuna exhaled softly, her hands finding their way to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "Then don't."

A golden glow shimmered around them, tiny specks of light floating like fireflies in the night. It was as if time itself had paused just for them, granting them a space where nothing else mattered.

Hyun cupped her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her lips before he leaned in, his breath mingling with hers. "You're the only thing that ever felt real."

Yuna closed her eyes as his lips met hers, the world melting away in a kiss that felt like it had been written in the stars. It wasn't desperate, nor fleeting—it was infinite, like the universe had been waiting for this exact moment to happen.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer, grounding herself in the warmth of him. The scent of rain, the soft hum of the wind, the distant sound of waves—it all became a backdrop to the feeling of being completely, irrevocably his.

When they finally broke apart, Hyun pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths uneven but synchronized. "No more running, no more regrets. Just us."

Yuna smiled, her eyes shimmering. "Just us."

And in that moment, for the first time in forever, fate did not stand between them.

Chapter 45: The Shattered Dream

The golden glow around them flickered. Hyun felt a strange pull, like an unseen force tightening around his chest. Yuna's fingers dug into his arms as her body trembled.

"Hyun... something's wrong."

The warmth that had cocooned them moments ago was unraveling. The stars above them distorted, the air grew heavy, and suddenly—

A sharp, searing pain shot through Hyun's skull.

He staggered back, his vision fracturing into pieces. Memories, both past and present, flooded his mind in a violent storm. But there was something new—something he had never seen before.

Yuna. Alone. Crying in a hospital room.

Jiyeon standing beside her, eyes solemn, whispering words that sent ice through his veins.

"Hyun was never meant to wake up."

His breath caught in his throat. The scene shifted. He saw himself—no, his body—lying in a hospital bed, wires and monitors surrounding him.

This wasn't real.

The past he had been reliving—it was never a second chance. It was a dream. A fragmented illusion created by a mind that refused to let go.

"No…" Hyun clutched his head as the world around him flickered like a broken film reel. Yuna's face twisted in pain as she reached for him, her touch barely solid.

"Hyun, please! Stay with me!"

But his legs gave out. The warmth of her hands slipped away, and the last thing he saw was Yuna screaming his name as the dream shattered into darkness.

To be continued...