The Villain Who Returned Wants to Rest

8 : Burning Heart of Mine

Caution!

The following contains dark themes. Self loathing and suicide are present in multiple chapters. This story gets lighter as it progress, but be advised that the beginning is rather dark.

Current chapter has depictions of burning, mentioned tauma, self-harm and self-inflicted pain, body dysphoria, and psychological distress. Please be warned.

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Fire

Heat

Burning

Something he had dealt with ever since he was a young child. From the burning burning burning stares of the people who hated him. To the fire in his blood that always threatens to encompass him whole. A looming threat that he could never escape from. Fire, heat, burning, it has been with him his whole life. 

Following him even in his second life.

The simmering heat in his skin, always relentless in its sadistic torment, forever following the man with green eyes. Burning him, taking his senses, his strength, his people. His world, filled with those he loves, was a cruel world destroyed by war. Fire wasn't a stranger to the bloodshed of the enemy. Wasn't a stranger to his life, devouring everything in sight.

Devouring his body in his first life.

Devouring his people in his second.

The all-consuming blaze took hold of his fragile frame, this tiny sickly body of his.

Every cell within him seemed to radiate with searing heat, as if his very essence had been engulfed in an inferno. The fire coursed through his veins its tendrils wrapping around his weary limbs, constricting and squeezing. Waves of heat washed over him, assaulting his senses, as if he were trapped within a furnace with no escape. He could barely open his eyes.

Yet he did.

And so, Kim Lee Hyu woke up to the morning with puffy eyes, pain, and deep regret.

'Fuck, I shouldn't have done that' the boy thought, gritting his teeth as he did his best to ignore the burn.

'I messed up, I messed up so fucking bad' he thought in agony, gritting his teeth tighter.

He couldn't remember much of what happened last night, barely remembering the feeling of warm, not burning not scorching, but warm comforting arms hugging him, yet he vividly remembered crying on his torturer(!?). A huge part of him wanted to scream, the other wanted to die inside, but he ignored all of it for now. He could deal with that later, could deal with the meltdown on a different date, right now he needed to cool himself down.

Before he loses his damn mind.

Burning was something that Kim Lee Hyu was very familiar with. Something that follows him no matter the lifetime. Whether it be the burn from this cursed white-haired body, or the smell of smoke and blood on the battlefield, he knew fire well.

His body was always hot, permanently burning him away slowly but surely. It was normally ignorable. The boy had gotten so used to the feeling of smoldering pain that he could easily ignore it.

But it was different today. Almost like that day.

An invisible fire licked against his skin, sending waves of searing pain and agony that was so different to the warmth he had felt last night. He was burning so hot, his blood felt like lava under his skin, engulfing him in a merciless embrace, scorching his every nerve. He was being burned alive, and yet there was no fire burning him.