Destiny

Chapter 25

We tried all we can. We can't resuscitate her heart.

Mina wakes up in a cold sweat, her heart pounds loudly in her ears, panic rises in her chest. She looks to her right, the older girl is fast asleep. Her body trembles as she throws her feet on the floor, sits by her side and touches her hand. It's warm, not cool to touch unlike her dream, there's blood and life that she feels flowing underneath the soft skin.

The bedside clock dings.

The numbers smoothly slide down to read 29/12/2020 as the hours shift to nothing but zeros. It's midnight, the beginning of a new day- beginning, a word that brings most people hope, but she feels a dread pull through- to her, to Nayeon, it's the beginning of the end.

She can't save her from her destiny, and the supernatural powers that has sent her back knows this. It's twisted, it's cruel, like plunging a knife deeper into someone after tying up their hands. Like putting a full course meal in front of a starved person and telling them they can only look.

She feels a faint pressure on her hand, hears her name distantly.

The older girl is awake. And she is smiling at her. Her eyes are heavy with sleep, but it sparkles and sizzles with life, love, mirth and warmth, everything that makes Im Nayeon.

"Mina," She says, voice hoarse with sleep and a tinge of confusion, probably wondering what she's doing in her bed at this hour. "Can't sleep?"

She tried to get words out, but it gets lodged in her throat. All she wants to do is cry, because Nayeon is sleepy, smiling, adorably confused and alive.

"Nayeon." She chokes out, unable to hide the sadness behind them, and the older girl makes a shushing noise as she intertwines their fingers and pulls her into her with a gentle tug.

Mina clings to the heartbeat she hears under the strong chest. It's steady, it's soothing. "I'm here." Her voice is low and raspy and Mina wonders how she knows and understands her without words.

Here, for now. Not forever.

She swallows back the tears that threatens to fall out.

She buries herself in the feeling of all things that's Nayeon, her smell that's a mix of sea breeze and summer fruits, her soft skin that radiates warmth and comfort like that of a fireplace on a snowy night, her perfectly sculpted body that's fitted against her, her strong arms that holds her with the tenderness of an artist holding their masterpiece- everything that's going to be embraced by earth, turn to nothing but dust on the ground, return to where it came from.

We are made of stardust, Mina knows this, but she believes it with her whole heart when she sees eyes that shine and sparkle at her, "I know you love someone." She says softly.

Nayeon tucks her chin above her head and sighs. Like stars that burst in the end, Mina's heart ebbs and explodes with pain because Nayeon has taken her secret to the grave in the past, will take to the grave again, the sigh tells her that.

The glimmer of hope she's holding on to- that she's going to find the mystery person, give the older girl her dying wish- seems to fade with every passing second. "You don't trust me." She blurts, it's not an accusation, it's an admission. An admission to herself that she's going to fail in the mission given to her.

The older girl pulls a little back to look at her, "I trust you with my life."  The sincerity in those dark eyes makes her heart flutter.

"Then why won't you tell me who they are?" She brings her face to lay on her chest again, the distance between them physically hurting her.

"Trust me, you'll know about her soon." Soon is a word for people who have their whole life ahead of them, soon is only a dream for someone who has two days to live.

Mina looks up, a surprised expression ghosting her face. So far it's all been an assumption, now she is positive the mystery person is a girl. Nayeon averts her gaze, runs her hand up and down Mina's bare arm, eyes unfocussed as if her head is swirling in thoughts.

Mina ignores the goosebumps raising on her skin at the older girl's touch, ignores the heartbreak as she forms the next few words in her head and utters them,

"Will you tell me about her?"