[ Soo-won will struggle to find a way out. Literally. The burning from inside him intensifies, until his entire body sears in pain. How much can his determination overcome his physical limits?
There are people approaching him. He will recognize them as palace servants, perhaps members of the army—people he knows who serve him and look to him for orders, guidance. ]
Your Majesty!
[ But he is tired, and his body hurts so much...
Over with Xie Lian:
Once Xie Lian's speech is over, Bai Wuxiang lets out a low laugh. ]
You'll never break? You'll never be like me?
I'm sure that everyone, as they lay suffering, as they die in agony—they'll be glad to know that, o Xian Le. That it's all right, because you, at least, will stand strong amidst their misery, such pathetic beings that they are next to you.
[ He's quiet for a moment, as if considering this. ]
Very well. You're right. Since you will be fine no matter what happens... there's no reason for them to point their blades at you, is there? After all, it's not only your "death" that cures the disease.
[ And so, the people around Xie Lian begin to turn against one another. Regardless of friends or family, they fight, desperate. Even if Xie Lian tries to stop them, tries to come in between them—he will find that nothing can injure him, and there is no pain, only an electrifying sensation.
In the distance, Ruoye flutters in the air, before it slowly starts to fly away. ]
['heavy is the head that wears the crown,' they would say, but it's clear that they did not know the half of it.
soo-won is dizzy, and he is exhausted, and more than that, he knows that this is all false. he knows that there is no reason why kouka would suffer this fate, so suddenly. not when the generals are finally united, and their system of alarm works. not when yona and her comrades are out there, and while he does not wish to rely on them - he knows that they would never cause this much destruction to their beloved home.
a lie works into his head, trying to discern what falsities to say - he is simply dizzy from smoke inhalation. it's painful. breathing is painful. watching his ambitions go up in literal flames is painful.
he breathes out, in difficult breaths:]
Follow... General Joo-doh... Mobilize the - Sky Tribe Army. Focus on... evacuating the people, and salvaging... the crops.
[is this a test? are these the monsters? he wonders again, what he is meant to fight in this situation - or is he simply to be tormented?
his defense is only as powerful as his heart, was it?
very well. then his heart would continues as it always has - to beat for the purpose of defending his kingdom against any onslaught, until the moment that he can no longer carry on.]
[ he watches in horror, the blood in his veins turned to ice.
this is what xie lian wanted to avoid, more than anything, when the human face plague first began. this is why he kept the secret of its cure - why the people screamed for his downfall, when they learned he was keeping it from them.
because it was this nightmarish scene that was avoided.
most of the people in xian le died. his family was no exception - his mother and father and himself fled. feng xin and mu qing left him, one by one. his cousin... his cousin, xiao jing, terrible, but probably dead somewhere too. killed by war, killed by plague, but not killed by their own hands, violently rioting at each other.
stunned, frozen to the spot, xie lian stands there, his heart still pumping a mile a minute.
his heart, as the sound around him muffles itself to nothing, as he pushes himself in front of a blade and feels like he's been shot with spiritual energy, electric and firing, but no pain. for a moment, it's spinning desperation of his own, trying to stop the blood the splatters the formerly golden pathways of the place he was born, but nothing works. not a single wound, not a single hurt.
his heart, working, beating.
that's the only defense that he has. he remembers monsters, blurry. there are monsters you need to defend against.
no matter what, xie lian's heart has always beat, strong in his chest. even when he most wanted to die, when he tried, nothing could kill it. ruoye goes, away, and he doesn't reach for it, as death itself unwinds from around his wrist, his mothers, his fathers, but not his own. ]
This isn't real. [ xie lian repeats, again, trembling with anger, with fury, but not with despair, as he takes a step backwards, and then whips around to where he'd heard the voice of the bai wuxiang, focusing all of his fury on him. ] You aren't real. You can't kill something that's already dead!
[ There are still civilians left, of course. Families panicking, trying to protect one another. People fighting, those trying to stop them. Whatever the cause, there is chaos. ]
Your Majesty? What's wrong? [ at the same time, others— ] My apologies, but we couldn't hear! Can you repeat your orders?
[ But though Soo-won might try to speak again, it's becoming harder and harder. A few try to help him stand, when his legs can no longer support himself, but although they keep trying to speak, their words will eventually blur in Soo-won's ears.
He is dying. He can feel that clearly.
On the other hand, we have Xie Lian, who's practically rubbing it in Soo-won's face with his strong heart. Anyway.
Bai Wuxiang simply stares back at Xie Lian, his face hidden underneath his mask. Then, calmly, ]
You may wish to follow Ruoye. Before it's too late, Your Highness. Before, once again, you fail to protect anything.
[it'd be nice to have a strong heart right about now!
soo-won grits his teeth and tries to think on how to address this situation. he's dying, and he's losing against the battle of his own body. he knew that this day would come and yet some part of his mind rejects this - this is not reality, and even though he knew that this day was inevitable, that he would one day meet his end, he knows that this is wrong.
so they have the power to take his suffering and making it manifest in front of him, do they?
it's weak, but if he could name a successor in this moment, or at least someone to look too while their king lay dying:]
Joo... doh....
[seek general joo-doh, and he will lead even this fictional kouka into its next era.
even as his mind continues to race, trying to determine escape. because he doesn't want to die, he's never wanted to die - no matter how long he's been aware that he would.]
xie lian lifts his arm as if he's going to swing at the white no face - it vanishes before he gets the chance to, and his eyes lift to ruoye, wriggling free.
he hates the idea of doing anything the white no face says, but - it's a dream. it's just a dream.
he can't let his past run away from him, literally. xie lian makes a noise, a quiet scoff, and takes off running after it. ]
[ At this point, any faces will be a blur, but faintly, Soo-won might make out what one of his subordinates say. ]
Your Majesty... General Joo-doh has fallen.
[ Soo-won might want to respond fast, if he even can anymore—his end draws near.
Xie Lian's chase will take him through ruins. Familiar ruins, of his home, and of the tragedies he's been through or caused. As he goes on, however, he'll notice butterflies fluttering about. Very familiar butterflies, most likely!
And then, at the end of his chase, stands an equally familiar figure.
When Hua Cheng, looking just as Xie Lian saw him last, spots him, he runs. As soon as he reaches Xie Lian, he makes a move to take Xie Lian's hands into his own. ]
Gege. Where have you been? You went missing from the town, and no one had seen you for hours—what is going on?
[if he even can anymore sure is the question here. there's some part of him that is still racing to give direction because this kouka isn't real, it's not, but.
his mind is getting foggy, between the pain and the weakness. if he were to be numbed down to his most vulnerable, if he were to place his trust in anyone, anyone else - ]
... H...ak... Yo....na.....
["That girl is the Crimson Dragon King. She will be the cause of your downfall."
maybe so.
but she loves the country just the same as he does - and if he were to leave it in the hands of any, then it should be the only person who's outmaneuvered him at every step.
[ there's an instant sensation of relief when xie lian sees the first silver butterfly. for a moment, his attention draws away from ruoye, but only for the seconds to run to the red figure at the end of the road. san lang's butterflies are the scourge of the heavens, maybe, a signal of impending doom, but to xie lian, the mean that someone important is here.
someone safe.
as hua cheng runs towards him, xie lian meets him halfway. ] San Lang! There's no time to explain, I think someone's in trouble!
[ xie lian's faith in hua cheng is unshakable. unwavering, after all of this time. every time xie lian has needed him, he has been there, and he is right there. just in the nick of time.
it doesn't even occur to him that hua cheng could be who the white no face spoke of.
before it's too late, your highness. his eyes shoot upwards, away from the hands reaching for his, looking for his sort of spiritual device. ] I need - where's Ruoye?
[ a beat, and then, his gaze drops back to hua cheng. ]
[ As Soo-won's vision turns to black and his consciousness fade, Soo-won's life will flicker in the world behind his eyelids, whether he wants to remember or not. His childhood. The fond times he spent with Hak and Yona. His father's death, his mother's grief. The coldness from Il. Becoming Emperor, and all that followed.
A voice will echo in his head. It's hard to tell who it belongs to: his father, any of his subordinates, or perhaps even himself. ]
So you would betray your father's wish and leave your country in the hands of those favoured by the gods after all?
[ Hua Cheng looks at Xie Lian with the same sort of expression he always does—the love that he carries eternally for Xie Lian, mixed in with worry over the situation and relief at seeing him safe. ]
I am not sure, gege. Something is strange about this area. However, all I know is that if they helped lead you to me, then I am glad for it.
[ He pauses, giving Xie Lian a moment to answer, if he so wishes. ]
Still, it doesn't seem safe here. We should leave quickly. Are you all ri—
[ Though it should be clear what Hua Cheng hoped to ask, he doesn't get the chance to finish that sentence. His eyes widen, and swiftly, he pushes Xie Lian out of the way—and a blade pierces through his chest, in what would've undoubtedly stabbed Xie Lian instead had Hua Cheng not acted.
At the other end, holding onto the hilt, is Bai Wuxiang. Hua Cheng narrows his eyes. ]
You— [ A sneer. ] Do you truly think this would be enough to...?
[ But then Hua Cheng freezes. Before Xie Lian's eyes, spreading from where Bai Wuxiang's sword has impaled his torso, Hua Cheng's body begins to turn to ash. ]
he pouts a little at that, against all odds. push him to the brink and then jeopardize his choices, huh! the aches and residue of pain still linger at the edges of his memory, and automatically he seeks to catch his breath - if there's much point in that anymore? is he still alive in this illusion?
well, his consciousness is still here and so:]
I'd leave it to Hak and Yona.
The Thunder Beast and the Princess of Kouka - nothing more, nothing less.
You're the ones who removed General Joo-doh in that timeline! Picking a different general would create instability amidst the tribes as an act of favoritism, and cause an internal fracture within Kouka's borders.
This was the only sensible option.
[don't fucking argue with the disembodied voice you piece of shit]
[ that surely gets the reaction the white no face was looking for.
he has a relieved smile for hua cheng, at first, some of the tension disappearing off of his face as he comes to terms with the idea of solving the problem with hua cheng, and then --
it all happens so fast. he's being pushed - ] San Lang --
[ because even if he's a ghost, even if he's immortal, he shouldn't have to suffer. not for xie lian, he shouldn't have to hurt, not when xie lian can protect him from pain, because he deserves it. his face contorts, surprise, horror, and his hands are on hua cheng's back, as if he can pull him off and away from it, out of the way.
so he feels it the way his body starts to crumble, and xie lian's entire world falls apart at the seams. ]
San Lang! [ this time, it's a scream torn out of his throat, anguish and sorrow as another person dies for him. the people in the dream, his parents, wanting him to be free of their burden, the little girl from mt yu jun, more and more -
he can't look away as it's happening, panic and fear and confusion rising so fast it nearly takes him out. he drops to his knees with hua cheng as he's crumbling, trying to gather him in his arms as if he can hold his pieces together. xie lian has experienced so, so much loss in his life, and this is what he's always been afraid of. xie lian, you ominous star; the closer he got to someone, the more likely they were to end up like this. ] No -- no, no, San Lang, you can't - you promised, you can't --
[ and then.
nothing. shell shocked, he stays there on his knees, as the person he thought was invincible is gone. ]
[ Sure glad that Soo-won is arguing with a disembodied voice while Xie Lian's entire world is screaming for his not-husband.
To Soo-won, all is silent for a while, before he hears a distant response. ]
O Soo-won, short-lived Emperor of Kouka...
You, of all people, have no right to say that about that girl anymore.
[ Likewise, silence hangs in the air as Xie Lian collapses to his knees. Then, Bai Wuxiang speaks. ]
What a fool you are. I told you, did I not? You cannot protect anything. You never will.
[ And then he, too, disappears once more.
For both Soo-won and Xie Lian, their consciousness then fades. For the former, it's perhaps an expected, inevitable result of his death; for the latter, it may come more suddenly. Or, perhaps, the shock finally got to him. Who can say?
there are pieces of his memory that make it hard for him to grasp pervious events, that leave giant puzzle pieces missing, but none of it manage to touch the feeling of wrong every time he interacts with yona. he has no right to be by her side - even if he's not sure why that is.
but he knows it well, that someone as cursed as he, has no reason to be at the side of the one such as her. for all the kindness that she shows him, and the weakness she inspires -
he cannot go to her, and he cannot redeem himself.
even as his consciousness begins to fade, his emotions harden and he decides, firmly:
This is not over yet.
defiant to the last, still trying to take everything into his own hands.]
[ the bai wuxiang's voice is not the last thing xie lian hears, when his consciousness fades.
as blackness cordons off his vision, xie lian reaches upwards with a trembling hand, and finds the ring on a chain around his neck. his palm touches the cool metal, shaking fingers curling tight around it, until the edges prick into his palm, and it unbidden, two voices exchange in the back of his mind. the flippant one of a ghost, pretending to play a teenager, and a god, pretending to play a normal human being.
"there's a tradition in the ghost realm. in the case where that ghost has chosen a person, they would entrust their ashes into that person's hands."
"so, it turns out the ghost realm would have such a sentimental custom!"
"they do. but not many ghosts would dare to it."
his hand tightens around the ring.
...we aren't dead yet, he thinks, and everything goes black. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
There are people approaching him. He will recognize them as palace servants, perhaps members of the army—people he knows who serve him and look to him for orders, guidance. ]
Your Majesty!
[ But he is tired, and his body hurts so much...
Over with Xie Lian:
Once Xie Lian's speech is over, Bai Wuxiang lets out a low laugh. ]
You'll never break? You'll never be like me?
I'm sure that everyone, as they lay suffering, as they die in agony—they'll be glad to know that, o Xian Le. That it's all right, because you, at least, will stand strong amidst their misery, such pathetic beings that they are next to you.
[ He's quiet for a moment, as if considering this. ]
Very well. You're right. Since you will be fine no matter what happens... there's no reason for them to point their blades at you, is there? After all, it's not only your "death" that cures the disease.
[ And so, the people around Xie Lian begin to turn against one another. Regardless of friends or family, they fight, desperate. Even if Xie Lian tries to stop them, tries to come in between them—he will find that nothing can injure him, and there is no pain, only an electrifying sensation.
In the distance, Ruoye flutters in the air, before it slowly starts to fly away. ]
no subject
soo-won is dizzy, and he is exhausted, and more than that, he knows that this is all false. he knows that there is no reason why kouka would suffer this fate, so suddenly. not when the generals are finally united, and their system of alarm works. not when yona and her comrades are out there, and while he does not wish to rely on them - he knows that they would never cause this much destruction to their beloved home.
a lie works into his head, trying to discern what falsities to say - he is simply dizzy from smoke inhalation. it's painful. breathing is painful. watching his ambitions go up in literal flames is painful.
he breathes out, in difficult breaths:]
Follow... General Joo-doh... Mobilize the - Sky Tribe Army. Focus on... evacuating the people, and salvaging... the crops.
[is this a test? are these the monsters? he wonders again, what he is meant to fight in this situation - or is he simply to be tormented?
his defense is only as powerful as his heart, was it?
very well. then his heart would continues as it always has - to beat for the purpose of defending his kingdom against any onslaught, until the moment that he can no longer carry on.]
no subject
this is what xie lian wanted to avoid, more than anything, when the human face plague first began. this is why he kept the secret of its cure - why the people screamed for his downfall, when they learned he was keeping it from them.
because it was this nightmarish scene that was avoided.
most of the people in xian le died. his family was no exception - his mother and father and himself fled. feng xin and mu qing left him, one by one. his cousin... his cousin, xiao jing, terrible, but probably dead somewhere too. killed by war, killed by plague, but not killed by their own hands, violently rioting at each other.
stunned, frozen to the spot, xie lian stands there, his heart still pumping a mile a minute.
his heart, as the sound around him muffles itself to nothing, as he pushes himself in front of a blade and feels like he's been shot with spiritual energy, electric and firing, but no pain. for a moment, it's spinning desperation of his own, trying to stop the blood the splatters the formerly golden pathways of the place he was born, but nothing works. not a single wound, not a single hurt.
his heart, working, beating.
that's the only defense that he has. he remembers monsters, blurry. there are monsters you need to defend against.
no matter what, xie lian's heart has always beat, strong in his chest. even when he most wanted to die, when he tried, nothing could kill it. ruoye goes, away, and he doesn't reach for it, as death itself unwinds from around his wrist, his mothers, his fathers, but not his own. ]
This isn't real. [ xie lian repeats, again, trembling with anger, with fury, but not with despair, as he takes a step backwards, and then whips around to where he'd heard the voice of the bai wuxiang, focusing all of his fury on him. ] You aren't real. You can't kill something that's already dead!
no subject
Your Majesty? What's wrong? [ at the same time, others— ] My apologies, but we couldn't hear! Can you repeat your orders?
[ But though Soo-won might try to speak again, it's becoming harder and harder. A few try to help him stand, when his legs can no longer support himself, but although they keep trying to speak, their words will eventually blur in Soo-won's ears.
He is dying. He can feel that clearly.
On the other hand, we have Xie Lian, who's practically rubbing it in Soo-won's face with his strong heart. Anyway.
Bai Wuxiang simply stares back at Xie Lian, his face hidden underneath his mask. Then, calmly, ]
You may wish to follow Ruoye. Before it's too late, Your Highness. Before, once again, you fail to protect anything.
[ And with that, he disappears.
Ruoye is still in the distance, flying off. ]
no subject
soo-won grits his teeth and tries to think on how to address this situation. he's dying, and he's losing against the battle of his own body. he knew that this day would come and yet some part of his mind rejects this - this is not reality, and even though he knew that this day was inevitable, that he would one day meet his end, he knows that this is wrong.
so they have the power to take his suffering and making it manifest in front of him, do they?
it's weak, but if he could name a successor in this moment, or at least someone to look too while their king lay dying:]
Joo... doh....
[seek general joo-doh, and he will lead even this fictional kouka into its next era.
even as his mind continues to race, trying to determine escape. because he doesn't want to die, he's never wanted to die - no matter how long he's been aware that he would.]
no subject
xie lian lifts his arm as if he's going to swing at the white no face - it vanishes before he gets the chance to, and his eyes lift to ruoye, wriggling free.
he hates the idea of doing anything the white no face says, but - it's a dream. it's just a dream.
he can't let his past run away from him, literally. xie lian makes a noise, a quiet scoff, and takes off running after it. ]
no subject
Your Majesty... General Joo-doh has fallen.
[ Soo-won might want to respond fast, if he even can anymore—his end draws near.
Xie Lian's chase will take him through ruins. Familiar ruins, of his home, and of the tragedies he's been through or caused. As he goes on, however, he'll notice butterflies fluttering about. Very familiar butterflies, most likely!
And then, at the end of his chase, stands an equally familiar figure.
When Hua Cheng, looking just as Xie Lian saw him last, spots him, he runs. As soon as he reaches Xie Lian, he makes a move to take Xie Lian's hands into his own. ]
Gege. Where have you been? You went missing from the town, and no one had seen you for hours—what is going on?
no subject
his mind is getting foggy, between the pain and the weakness. if he were to be numbed down to his most vulnerable, if he were to place his trust in anyone, anyone else - ]
... H...ak... Yo....na.....
["That girl is the Crimson Dragon King. She will be the cause of your downfall."
maybe so.
but she loves the country just the same as he does - and if he were to leave it in the hands of any, then it should be the only person who's outmaneuvered him at every step.
it should be the two of them.]
no subject
someone safe.
as hua cheng runs towards him, xie lian meets him halfway. ] San Lang! There's no time to explain, I think someone's in trouble!
[ xie lian's faith in hua cheng is unshakable. unwavering, after all of this time. every time xie lian has needed him, he has been there, and he is right there. just in the nick of time.
it doesn't even occur to him that hua cheng could be who the white no face spoke of.
before it's too late, your highness. his eyes shoot upwards, away from the hands reaching for his, looking for his sort of spiritual device. ] I need - where's Ruoye?
[ a beat, and then, his gaze drops back to hua cheng. ]
...Why do you have your butterflies?
no subject
A voice will echo in his head. It's hard to tell who it belongs to: his father, any of his subordinates, or perhaps even himself. ]
So you would betray your father's wish and leave your country in the hands of those favoured by the gods after all?
[ Hua Cheng looks at Xie Lian with the same sort of expression he always does—the love that he carries eternally for Xie Lian, mixed in with worry over the situation and relief at seeing him safe. ]
I am not sure, gege. Something is strange about this area. However, all I know is that if they helped lead you to me, then I am glad for it.
[ He pauses, giving Xie Lian a moment to answer, if he so wishes. ]
Still, it doesn't seem safe here. We should leave quickly. Are you all ri—
[ Though it should be clear what Hua Cheng hoped to ask, he doesn't get the chance to finish that sentence. His eyes widen, and swiftly, he pushes Xie Lian out of the way—and a blade pierces through his chest, in what would've undoubtedly stabbed Xie Lian instead had Hua Cheng not acted.
At the other end, holding onto the hilt, is Bai Wuxiang. Hua Cheng narrows his eyes. ]
You— [ A sneer. ] Do you truly think this would be enough to...?
[ But then Hua Cheng freezes. Before Xie Lian's eyes, spreading from where Bai Wuxiang's sword has impaled his torso, Hua Cheng's body begins to turn to ash. ]
no subject
he pouts a little at that, against all odds. push him to the brink and then jeopardize his choices, huh! the aches and residue of pain still linger at the edges of his memory, and automatically he seeks to catch his breath - if there's much point in that anymore? is he still alive in this illusion?
well, his consciousness is still here and so:]
I'd leave it to Hak and Yona.
The Thunder Beast and the Princess of Kouka - nothing more, nothing less.
You're the ones who removed General Joo-doh in that timeline! Picking a different general would create instability amidst the tribes as an act of favoritism, and cause an internal fracture within Kouka's borders.
This was the only sensible option.
[don't fucking argue with the disembodied voice you piece of shit]
no subject
he has a relieved smile for hua cheng, at first, some of the tension disappearing off of his face as he comes to terms with the idea of solving the problem with hua cheng, and then --
it all happens so fast. he's being pushed - ] San Lang --
[ because even if he's a ghost, even if he's immortal, he shouldn't have to suffer. not for xie lian, he shouldn't have to hurt, not when xie lian can protect him from pain, because he deserves it. his face contorts, surprise, horror, and his hands are on hua cheng's back, as if he can pull him off and away from it, out of the way.
so he feels it the way his body starts to crumble, and xie lian's entire world falls apart at the seams. ]
San Lang! [ this time, it's a scream torn out of his throat, anguish and sorrow as another person dies for him. the people in the dream, his parents, wanting him to be free of their burden, the little girl from mt yu jun, more and more -
he can't look away as it's happening, panic and fear and confusion rising so fast it nearly takes him out. he drops to his knees with hua cheng as he's crumbling, trying to gather him in his arms as if he can hold his pieces together. xie lian has experienced so, so much loss in his life, and this is what he's always been afraid of. xie lian, you ominous star; the closer he got to someone, the more likely they were to end up like this. ] No -- no, no, San Lang, you can't - you promised, you can't --
[ and then.
nothing. shell shocked, he stays there on his knees, as the person he thought was invincible is gone. ]
no subject
To Soo-won, all is silent for a while, before he hears a distant response. ]
O Soo-won, short-lived Emperor of Kouka...
You, of all people, have no right to say that about that girl anymore.
[ Likewise, silence hangs in the air as Xie Lian collapses to his knees. Then, Bai Wuxiang speaks. ]
What a fool you are. I told you, did I not? You cannot protect anything. You never will.
[ And then he, too, disappears once more.
For both Soo-won and Xie Lian, their consciousness then fades. For the former, it's perhaps an expected, inevitable result of his death; for the latter, it may come more suddenly. Or, perhaps, the shock finally got to him. Who can say?
But finally, they can know peace. ]
no subject
there are pieces of his memory that make it hard for him to grasp pervious events, that leave giant puzzle pieces missing, but none of it manage to touch the feeling of wrong every time he interacts with yona. he has no right to be by her side - even if he's not sure why that is.
but he knows it well, that someone as cursed as he, has no reason to be at the side of the one such as her. for all the kindness that she shows him, and the weakness she inspires -
he cannot go to her, and he cannot redeem himself.
even as his consciousness begins to fade, his emotions harden and he decides, firmly:
This is not over yet.
defiant to the last, still trying to take everything into his own hands.]
no subject
as blackness cordons off his vision, xie lian reaches upwards with a trembling hand, and finds the ring on a chain around his neck. his palm touches the cool metal, shaking fingers curling tight around it, until the edges prick into his palm, and it unbidden, two voices exchange in the back of his mind. the flippant one of a ghost, pretending to play a teenager, and a god, pretending to play a normal human being.
"there's a tradition in the ghost realm. in the case where that ghost has chosen a person, they would entrust their ashes into that person's hands."
"so, it turns out the ghost realm would have such a sentimental custom!"
"they do. but not many ghosts would dare to it."
his hand tightens around the ring.
...we aren't dead yet, he thinks, and everything goes black. ]