The Wraith Alliance

The sound of the door slamming echoed in Taenus' mind long after Eunseok had left. Her entire body felt heavy, as if the world had pressed down on her all at once. She sat there, unmoving, her knees drawn up to her chest, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She had expected shock, maybe even confusion, but she hadn't expected this—this cold, harsh rejection.

She had hoped, foolishly, that he would care. That they could face this together. But now, the future she had imagined seemed so far out of reach. She looked around at the meal she had prepared, at the surprise that was meant to bring them closer, now rendered useless. Her vision blurred as tears spilled down her cheeks.

The empty room was a harsh reminder of the loneliness that had already begun to seep into her heart. The silence felt suffocating, and she hated how quickly everything had unraveled.

For a long time, Taenus stayed where she was, too broken to move. Her phone buzzed on the table, but she couldn't bring herself to look at it. The last thing she wanted to see was another reminder of Eunseok's abandonment. But finally, she picked it up, swiping through the notifications, trying to ignore the ache in her chest.

There was a message from her sister. She hadn't replied to it earlier, busy with everything going on, but now she felt the need to reach out to someone who might care.

"Are you okay? I haven't heard from you in a while. Let me know if you need anything."

Taenus smiled faintly at the message, her sister's concern like a small lifeline in the sea of pain she was drowning in. She quickly typed back, her fingers trembling as she wrote:

"I'm fine. I just need some time. Thanks for checking in. I'll be okay."

It wasn't the truth. She wasn't fine. But she didn't know how to explain it.

After sending the message, she placed her phone back on the table and stood up, slowly walking to the window. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the city below. She felt as though everything around her had changed, but she was still stuck in the same place.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to push away the feelings of hopelessness that were beginning to overwhelm her. There was no time to fall apart. She couldn't afford to wallow in the mess Eunseok had left behind.

Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the window and walked toward the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes swollen from crying, her face pale. She barely recognized the girl staring back at her.

This was not the life I wanted, she thought, wiping away the last of her tears. But it's the one I have now. And I'll have to face it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself. She wasn't alone. She had the baby growing inside her, and no matter what, she couldn't turn her back on that. This was her reality now. And somehow, she had to find the strength to move forward.

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