Chapter Text
Void
—1—
Pressing his forehead against the mirror, Gaon fogged his reflection by shallow breathing. Secretary Jung Sun-ah’s words echoed in his mind, they were poisonous, full of venom and hatred. How could the Elite be like that? Corrosiveness, destruction, loathsome.
They did not care about nothing but themselves, willing to leave a path of delapidated lives, falling apart, clutching onto blind hope, begging to be safe.
Gaon knew he was pawn. A pawn to Professor Min— who thought Gaon naive enough to trust him, to believe him, to believe his side of Justice—, Gaon was a pawn for the Social Responsibility Foundation. They thought of him as a tool to shake Judge Kang just by the look on his face.
Gaon played the part. He stood on shaky legs, walking a waddling gait, roaming the dark grounds of politics and greed. But he never imagined how far they would go.
Hearing the Foundation secretary’s words shocked him whole to the core. How dare they? How dare they spit on Gaon’s face by making him believe Yohan had something to do with Isaac’s and Cecilia’s deaths? As if haven’t been Gaon himself who drove them to the Church that day, as if hadn’t been Gaon the one who found Yohan holding onto Elijah, protecting her with his body regardless of the pain Yohan himself was put under.
They truly were scumbags.
His heart hurt and his chest ached. How could they be such disgrace at his family?
Gaon remained silent throughout the whole ride home only coming back to the present once Yohan decided it was pertinent to cause an accident.
“What are you doing?” Are you insane? Had you truly become mad with vengeance?
“You should have answered me,” Yohan smirked once his back rested on his seat and they soon reached home.
“What are you planing to do with this trial?” Gaon asked for a veredict. He was kept in the dark for so long, Gaon feared he would not be able to reach light anymore. He would not be able to reach Yohan anymore.
“You just wait and see.” Yohan send him a smile, something dark and obscured. All teeth, dangerous and sharp for a bite. Yohan was out for the hunt. It made Gaon want to cry. He never imagined he would be at the receiving end of such stare.
This was the mask Yohan wore for his enemies. This was Judge Kang Yohan in control of all his power. And it hurt Gaon to know there was nothing he could do to get underneath it.
No matter how much Gaon tried to dig himself out he would never reach Yohan fully, as the elder seemed fit for him to remain forever in the dark.
The dark was a lonely place.
“So that’s it?” Gaon wondered out loud. “All that is left for me to do is to smile at cameras, nod and say nothing?” Is it? Is the only way? For him to disintegrate into the Void?
If he was meant to play Judas then he would outshine his role.
“Is that why you kill him?” His sweeten whispered came louder than any bomb. Yohan’s back straighten at the accusation.
“What?”
“Is that why you killed Isaac?” Yohan’s body moved before he was fully conscious.
“Say That again?” Grabbing Gaon by the neck, holding him against the bookcase with all the strength in his body, managing to keep in his place, cutting of his air support.
“Is that why you killed your brother?” Gaon placed one hand on Yohan’s wrist but never made an attempt to push him aside, he never tried to fight Yohan away; there was no reason for him to do so. He believed in Yohan, he trusted Yohan even when there were times he felt Yohan did not trust him enough. Not for all that is worth.
Gaon slide down the floor where Yohan threw him, his nails scratching at the wooden floors. He coughed and gasped, his chest heaving in need, his vision slowly coming from the blurry lines that formed. To Yohan’s confusion, Gaon was smiling.
“That’s what they say.” His voice was rough. “That’s what they think.” Gaon barely tilted his head a side to meet Yohan’s eyes. “That’s what they want me to believe.” It was then when Gaon understood; that was their plan— their enemies wanted Gaon. They wanted for Gaon to be the one destroying Yohan.
Someone tell me how we got here?
From this city to this frontier
All the noises joint to make
Harmony
If Yohan was so adamant to keep him hidden then Gaon would comply.
If Yohan wanted for Gaon to remain in the dark, then Gaon would follow that path.
“I have never doubted you.” Gaon came to stand at last. “And I’ll never stop loving you.” Yohan felt a pang of longing, awe and disbelief; Yohan could see it in his eyes, he could see Gaon’s devotion to him but never had such open confession. “And if you want me to to stay in the dark—“ Yohan could see the soft-looking marks which started to circle Gaon’s neck. His fingertips. “Then, I’ll stay in the dark.” Only then Yohan read the pain and longing in Gaon’s eyes. His boy had kept them well-hidden under his anger and discomfort of being left behind—his need to be closer to Yohan came in the end.
Gaon swift away from his touch and Yohan tasted betrayal in his mouth, keeping his head low, Gaon stopped meeting his eyes. Gaon retracted to the dark, the hidden corners of the mansion where no light would hit. Gaon walked around the shadows and disappeared.
Gaon ghosted his presence away. No remains of his life would ever be found.
Elijah woke up in the middle of the night by wet warmth creeping onto her.
“What?”
“Shhh—“ Gaon whispered against her hair. “It’s ok, baby. It’s only me.” Elijah felt kisses on her face and she was thrill, happy and annoyed.
“Gaon?”
“Sorry, Love.” Elijah loved the sweet words. It had been long since she heard them and Gaon would come late at night to give whispers of affection and comfort. Bringing her family back. “I just missed you.” One last kiss on her forehead. “I’ll miss you.” Elijah went back to sleep before Gaon even closed the door.
There was one last reminiscing light igniting the space and Gaon stared at it, feeling the reflection on his eyes as his cheeks came back wet. He cried in the middle of the night with the roar of cold wind in his ears.
Once he closed his eyes, there would be no more.
Yohan woke up to a house devoured by the Void.