She doesn’t respond and levitates high off the ground, her eyes burning a fathomless white.
Shit.
She’s losing control of the Yeoiju and the four life forces. They are going to tear her apart unless she absorbs them.What do I do?Panic wipes my mind clean.How do I help her?
“Fuck.” I fist a hand in my hair.
Then, Dangun’s words reverberate through me.Stay by her side and help her through it. Anchor her with all your heart.
Sunny will be okay. A stoic calm spreads through me. I will anchor her. I willbecomeher anchor.
No matter what it takes.
I retreat a few steps, then take a running leap into the air and grab her by her hips. Every part of me that comes into contact with her burns, but I ignore everything but saving her.
I let gravity do its job and pull us down. Before we hit the ground, I pivot to take the brunt of the impact. Then I immediately roll over and pin her down with my body.
“Sunny.” My voice breaks, seeing her white, unseeing eyes. “Remember not to hold on too tight.”
Her head thrashes on the ground, and her back arches even with my weight on top of her.
“Please, Sunny.” I cup her pale cheek. “Expand your Yeoiju.”
Why is she cold?Her skin doesn’t burn me anymore. Something’s wrong.Very wrong.
“Open your heart.” I don’t know if she can hear me. “Embrace the divinegiof Underworld and Water like you did with Sky and Mountains. Make them a part of you.”
Her lips move, but no sound comes out, and spit dribbles down from the corner of her mouth.
“Listen to me,” I yell in a ravaged voice. I stop and take a shuddering breath. “Listen, Sunny. Let the divine life forces flow through you and the Yeoiju. Just like your father taught you. You can do this. Please.”
“It ... hurts ...” Her eyes finally meet mine, white fire glowing like amber in her irises.
“I know, baby. Just hang on a little longer.” I drop a kiss on her forehead. “You’re so strong. You’re already starting to control it. I can see it in your eyes.”
She moans, shuddering beneath me. I want to scream and wail. I hate seeing her hurt, but I can only hold her—anchor her. After an eternity, her body goes soft, and her head lolls to the side with a sigh of relief.
With a wavering breath, I push up onto my arms and struggle to a seat. Then I get Sunny off the hard ground and lift her onto my lap. She wordlessly burrows against me, her breath warming my collarbone.
“Hey there,” I croak.
“Hi,” she whispers.
“You did good, baby.” I struggle to swallow. “You did real good.”
Hwanin bursts into the courtyard and stumbles to a stop. “Yongwang, what have you done?”
The former god of Water curls into a ball on the ground, sobbing pathetically. After a disappointed glance at Yongwang, Hwanin rushes over to Yeomla.
“It’s good to see you one last time, old friend.” Yeomla smiles wanly, his teeth coated with blood.
“Is this truly goodbye then?” Hwanin whispers.
“I believe so. Then again, I am not familiar with mortality.” His chuckle turns into a sputtering cough. “But I am at peace at last. I don’t know if I deserve it, though.”
“Do not worry.” Determination hardens Hwanin’s face. “I will set everything right.”
“Can you?” the dying god of Underworld asks, a tear seeping out the corner of one eye.
