Sunrise at Night | K.TH

Tears in Voices

KIM TAEHYUNG

"Are you staying behind, hyung?" Jungkook asks, his tone impatient as he looks at me sifting through the files on the table and out the door. It's so clear to see he wants to go to Lyr, as fast as he can.

"Just go." Jimin sniffs, his slit eyes sparkling. "He's a workaholic."

"Leave first." I say, hearing the sound of Jimin's laughter when I glance up sharply. "I just need to look at some of these."

The room grows quiet as they both leave.

And her face suddenly flashes through my mind. Her surprised face, eyes wide like a rabbit and her lips parted slightly in shock after I'd kissed her.

The papers slip from my hands.

I didn't know women were capable of making such faces. And such a wide range— with such intoxication.

What am I thinking?

Abandoning the papers, I leave the room knowing I wasn't going to be able to focus on them anymore. What was the po—

Then someone's small and delicate hand wraps around my upper arm and pulls me into one of the open rooms along the hall.

A woman.

My body instantly tenses, and I can't move as my back is shoved against the wall. If it was anyone else, I would've torn them open within a second for touching me like that.

But I can't even move, terror turning my blood to ice as a cold fingertip teases at the line of my jaw. A scent of sickly sweet honey fills the room. Perfume so fragrant that it makes me nauseous.

"Mother was right." A feminine voice whispers, so close to my ear it makes me stumble back. But there's nowhere else to go, but the wall behind me. "You are afraid of women, Crown Healer."

It feels as if my body has turned to stone.

Blood roars in my ears.

Why was this— Why was this so different?

Normally I would just be shaken a bit. Push her away, and let the rest take care of itself.

But her.

This woman's voice was so alike to her and heavens different from Leah's.

I can't even lift a single hand. I can't even feel the tips of my fingers. There's only the cold sensation of an acrylic nail caressing my bottom lip.

I can smell it. The toxic, bittersweet scent.

She's so damn close, and I can't even push her away.

"Aw. I didn't realize it was this bad." There's mocking laughter in her words as I press into the wall behind me, so hard that it feels like it's caving with the force. Her face is a blur, but her voice.

"Is it because I'm too close?"

Even the teasing tone is the same.