Suddenly, the air stopped.
It did not slow or weaken—it stopped completely, as if the entire world had forgotten how to breathe.
For one terrifying second, there was nothing.
No sound, no movement, no escape.
Then, light appeared.
It did not burst out or explode; instead, it bloomed from Asiya's body like a living presence, a soft golden radiance slipping through her skin and spreading into the surrounding darkness with quiet, terrifying authority.
At first, the light was gentle, almost harmless, like the glow of early dawn.
But in the next moment, it changed.
The light sharpened, deepened, and turned absolute.
The shadows recoiled violently, and they did not simply retreat—they screamed.
A piercing, unbearable sound echoed through the distorted city as the darkness began to peel away from her, layer by layer, as though it were being burned alive.
Gu Yan's breath caught in his throat as he stared at her.
"…Hey…?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
Because the girl standing before him was no longer the same.
Her hair lifted slightly, as if moved by a wind that did not exist, and her eyes glowed—not wildly, but steadily and endlessly, like something that could never be extinguished.
The chains of darkness wrapped around his body tightened in panic, but the moment the light touched them, they snapped and disintegrated into nothing.
The creature staggered back.
For the first time, it felt fear.
"…Light…" it rasped, its voice breaking apart. "…This is not allowed…"
Asiya slowly raised her head, her expression calm, cold, and completely unshaken.
"I warned you," she said softly. "I'm taking him back."
The light surged, not just outward but everywhere at once, filling the cracks in the ground, climbing the broken buildings, and pouring into every hollow window.
One by one, the countless watching eyes closed.
The whispers faded.
The suffocating pressure shattered.
Gu Yan felt the force pulling him vanish, and his body lurched forward as he gasped.
"I… I can move…" he said, his voice shaking.
Asiya extended her hand toward him.
"Come," she said.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Gu Yan did not hesitate either.
He reached out, and the moment their fingers touched, the light flared violently, exploding outward in a blinding surge that turned the entire world white.
The creature screamed as its form twisted and stretched, lunging forward in a desperate attempt to devour the light, but it could not even get close.
The light did not merely push it back—it rejected it completely.
"You don't belong here," Asiya said.
Her voice carried something deeper now, something that did not belong to an ordinary human.
The creature trembled as its form began to crack apart.
"No… he is mine…!" it roared.
"Wrong," Asiya replied.
She stepped forward, and the collapsing ground beneath her stabilized instantly.
"He was never yours."
She tightened her grip on Gu Yan's hand.
"Let's go."
A path of pure light opened in front of them, cutting through the crimson sky like a blade and splitting reality itself.
Behind them, the world began to collapse.
Buildings twisted and fell, the sky shattered, and the creature let out one final, broken scream.
"You cannot leave—!"
Asiya did not even turn back.
"Watch me," she said calmly.
Then she stepped forward, pulling Gu Yan with her, and the moment they crossed the path of light, the entire world shattered.
—
Reality snapped back.The room trembled violently.
Jun staggered and grabbed the wall to steady himself.
"What the hell is happening?!" he shouted.
The red thread tied between their wrists suddenly glowed brighter and hotter, before snapping with a sharp sound.
Asiya's body jolted, and her chest rose sharply as she gasped for air.
But then something slipped from her hand.
A soft sound echoed as the black stone fell to the floor.
A thin crack spread across its surface, followed by another, and then another, until with a sharp breaking sound, it shattered into pieces.
The faint warmth it once carried disappeared instantly.
The fragments lay still on the ground—cold and lifeless, like nothing more than an ordinary stone.
The room stayed silent for a few seconds after Gu Yan's breath returned, as if even reality needed time to confirm that he was truly back, and then—
"HE'S BREATHING!"
Uncle Gu rushed forward, his composure completely gone as he grabbed Gu Yan's shoulders, while his wife broke down into tears beside the bed, and Jun let out a long breath like he had been holding it for hours.
Meanwhile—
Asiya yawned.
"…Done?" she muttered, her voice sleepy as if she had just finished a small chore instead of dragging someone back from another world.
Jun stared at her.
"Done?" he repeated in disbelief. "You almost got eaten by… whatever that was!"
Asiya blinked slowly.
"Hmm."
A pause.
"Still tired."
She leaned back against the chair, eyes half-closed, as if she might fall asleep right there.
Jun: "..."
Uncle Gu: "..."
Mrs. Gu: "…Is she okay?"
Jun rubbed his forehead. "Unfortunately, yes."
At that moment—
Gu Yan coughed.Everyone froze.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
Dark, tired, confused—
but alive.
"Dad…?" he whispered.
Uncle Gu's hands trembled. "Yan… Yan!"
The emotional reunion almost turned into a full crying scene—
Until—
Gu Yan's gaze shifted.
And landed on Asiya.
She was sitting there, hair slightly messy, holding a cracked black stone, looking like she hadn't slept in three days.
Their eyes met.
A strange pause.
Then—
Gu Yan frowned slightly.
"…Who are you?"
Jun choked.Uncle Gu froze.
Mrs. Gu blinked.
Asiya tilted her head.
"…Wow," she said flatly. "I risked my life for this."
Jun burst out laughing. "Serves you right."
Asiya sighed dramatically and stood up.
"Fine. Refund not available."
She turned to leave.
But—
her hand was suddenly grabbed.
Everyone stiffened.
Gu Yan was still weak, but his fingers tightened around her wrist.
"…Wait," he said slowly.
His voice was hoarse.
"…You were there."
Silence.
Asiya glanced down at him.
"Depends," she replied lazily. "Do you remember anything useful, or just dramatic lines?"
Gu Yan stared at her.
"…You pulled me out."
A pause.
"…Why?"
Asiya blinked.
Then shrugged.
"Free time."
Jun: "YOU CALL THAT FREE TIME?!"
Asiya ignored him.
Gu Yan didn't let go.His grip wasn't strong—
but it was firm.
"…I saw you," he said quietly. "You were the only thing… that wasn't wrong."
For a brief second—
Asiya's expression softened.
Just slightly.
Then—
she yawned again.
"Yeah, yeah," she waved it off. "I get that a lot."
Jun: "No, you don't."
Asiya: "I should."
—
Later that evening—
Asiya was lying on the sofa in Gu's mansion like she owned the place, one leg hanging off the edge, scrolling lazily on her phone.
A ghost peeked from the corner of the ceiling.
"…She's awake again," it whispered.
Another ghost replied, "Don't go near. Last time she made me hold a fan for three hours."
The first ghost shivered. "She's worse than the one from the other side…"
—
Meanwhile—
Gu Yan slowly walked out of his room.
Still weak.Still adjusting.
But his mind was clearer now.
And strangely—
drawn.
He followed the sound of voices.
Or more specifically—
Jun yelling.
"WHY ARE YOU EATING AGAIN?!"
"I used energy," Asiya replied calmly, stuffing her mouth with snacks.
"You used supernatural energy, not calorie energy!"
"Same thing."
Gu Yan stopped at the doorway.And watched.
She was sitting there like nothing had happened.
Like she hadn't just fought something beyond reality.
Like she hadn't saved him.
"…You're weird," he said.
The room went quiet.Asiya looked up slowly.
"…You're welcome."
Jun snorted.
Gu Yan walked closer.Each step steady.
Then he stopped in front of her.
"…Thank you," he said properly this time.
No sarcasm.No confusion.
Just sincerity.
Asiya stared at him for a second.
Then—
"Hmm."
She tossed a chocolate at him.
"Payment accepted."
Jun: "THAT'S NOT HOW GRATITUDE WORKS!"
Gu Yan caught it.
Looked at it.
Then—
a faint smile appeared.
Small.But real.
"…Then I'll pay properly later."
Asiya raised a brow.
"Oh?"
Gu Yan leaned slightly closer.
"…I don't like owing people."
A pause.
"…Especially not you."
Jun slowly backed away.
"…I feel like I should leave."
—
Night—
Asiya returned home.Dropped onto her bed.
Didn't even change.
"Ugh… exhausting," she muttered.
A shadow slowly formed near her window.
Tall.Faint.Watching.
The same presence.
The same—
entity.
Its voice echoed faintly.
"…We found you…"
"…Light…"
"…We will come…"
Asiya didn't even open her eyes.
"Not tonight," she mumbled.
A pause.
Then—
"…Come tomorrow."
Silence.
The shadow froze.
Confused.
"…What?"
Asiya turned slightly, pulling her blanket.
"I have plans," she said lazily.
"Don't disturb my sleep."
The entity: "..."
And just like that—it disappeared.
—
The next morning—
Asiya woke up late.
Again.
Her phone buzzed non-stop.
Jun: WAKE UP.
Jun: GU YAN WANTS TO SEE YOU.
Jun: HE'S BEEN ASKING SINCE MORNING. HE IS CALLING ME CONTENTIOUSLY
Jun: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS.
Asiya stared at the messages.
Then turned her phone off.
"…Too much effort."
She went back to sleep.
—
Somewhere else—
Gu Yan sat by the window.
Looking unusually… patient.
"…She's not coming" Jun asked.
Gu Yan smiled faintly.
"…She will."
Jun raised a brow. "You sound confident."
Gu Yan looked outside.
"…She told something far worse than me to come tomorrow."A pause.
"…I think I can wait." Then cut the call
_