The Love That Remains

Somehow, I fall to the water by sheer luck.

And then, my bad luck decided to act up. I find two pale arms wrap around me. Another dead ghost. She holds me tightly in my arm. Unlike the ghost, I can't breathe underwater. I struggle hard, but she is as strong as Hercules. I use my elbow to hit her and try to scream for help.

Wrong move! The water fills my lungs. I cough and close my mouth.

She doesn't let me go no matter how much I try to free myself. We sink deeper into the water. I see more pale ghostly arms in the bottom. If she takes me down with her, they will not even find my body. I dig my nails in her arms and thrash my legs hard. Each second feels like an eternity.

I am going to die here. I don't want to become these damn things in my afterlife.

***

Sung Jun finds her in the arms of a demon. Beneath them in the dark, there are at least ten water demon's spawns crying for their mother to bring back the 'food'.

He swiftly makes a seal in the direction of the water demon holding Aisa. It hits both of them. The demon let go of Aisa and snarls at him. He makes another seal and throws it again toward the water demon. The water demon avoids it but doesn't fight. It knows the difference between their levels and swims back to the bottom before another seal can find the mark.

The pale hands disappear like they were never there. Sung Jun drags Aisa's lifeless like body to the ground. His heart drops to his stomach when he realizes that she isn't breathing.

He pinches her nose and covers her mouth with his. Her lips are so cold that he flinches.

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At this point, people have gathered around them. Even Fang Qi, Ms. Sung, and the headmaster are there. Someone calls the ambulance. The next few moments are silent and heavy.

When Fang Aisa starts breathing, everyone releases their breaths. Sung Jun doesn't feel the same relief. She hasn't regained consciousness.

"Move!" Someone pushes him away. Sung Jun glares at the paramedic. He apologizes to Sung Jun when he notices his red eyes.

"We are here to help her."

He doesn't leave her side no matter what. He holds her cold hand and makes a vow. He will never leave her side. He will exterminate all the things that can harm her. Those filthy things will pay for this.

"We have to take her to the hospital." The lead paramedic softly speaks to Sung Jun. "She isn't out of the danger yet."

"I will come with her." His eyes never leave Aisa.

"But..." The paramedic stops his next words when he sees Sung Jun's expression. The boy looks like a ruthless warlord who will cut down anyone who dares to stop him. He suddenly feels that the girl is lucky to have someone like this boy.

"Let him come." Another cold voice hits the lead paramedic. He feels goosebumps on his back and looks at the cold-eyed man.

"If something happened to her due to your tardiness, don't blame me."

The lead paramedic vigorously nods. He and his fellows put Fang Aisa on the stretcher gently. They don't delay for another second. Sung Jun enters the ambulance with Fang Aisa and the paramedics while Fang Qi and Ms. Sung follow them in their cars.

In the hospital, Sung Jun doesn't leave for a second. He blankly stares at the pale girl. The girl's situation is stable, but she still hasn't regained her consciousness. Though his expression is placid, his mind is in chaos.

Why does she have this supernatural ability?

He left Korea because he didn't want to follow the path of his ancestors. His mother fought with his father for him because he didn't want to be what his father wanted him to be. The disagreement between their parents grew like a tumor and finally, it turned to divorce. Though his father loved his mother, he left her because of his decision. Sung Jun was selfish. He knew that he was the reason behind divorce and still, he dared to choose his own future. All he wanted was an ordinary life.

A life without supernatural things. Life of an ordinary person.

He came here to build an ordinary life away from his father. Here, he falls in love with this girl who can see and touch the things that normal humans can't see.

Today, she nearly died because of those vile things.

"It's odd." He hears the doctor speak to Fang Qi's father. "She experienced an electric shock in the water."

Sung Jun stiffens and stares at the white-coat doctor. His mother is watching him intently.

"How did she get the electric shock?" Fang Qi is confused. "She fell into the water."

"Perhaps, before she fell...she got an electric shock." The doctor eyes the report in his hands. "But...I don't understand why she can't wake up. She should wake up by now."

"Useless!" Fang Qi is furious. This doctor doesn't even know what's wrong with his daughter. How can he treat her? He will shut down this hospital.

"Fang Qi, calm down," Ms. Sung says softly. "Doctor Li, what do you mean?"

"We have to wait for her test results before I can say anything." Doctor Li's face is grave. He knows that Fang Qi can ruin his career. Despite that, he doesn't lose his calm. "Mr. Fang, please wait for a while."

He goes to the patient to check her pulse again.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Fang Qi turns to Sung Jun. "I know who you are. What happened in there?"

Ms. Sung protectively shields Sung Jun. "Fang Qi, my son saved your daughter."

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"He did something." Fang Qi clenches his fingers. "Speak now before it's too late."

Sung Jun already knows what happened in the pool. He doesn't understand why Fang Aisa is also affected.

"Water demon." He replies in a low voice. "There is a water demon's nest in the bottom of the swimming pool. They tried to drag her to the bottom."

After a pause, Sung Jun looks into Fang Qi's eyes.

"I used the banishing seals on them."