Leo was frozen, utterly transfixed by the impossible scene unfolding before him. His sapphire-blue eyes remained locked on Arthur, whose body radiated an ethereal, shimmering blue aura that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. The energy crackled faintly in the air, sending ripples through the atmosphere as if reality itself was bending under its force.
Leo's heart thudded heavily in his chest, its rhythm erratic and uneven, as though his body could feel the weight of the moment even if his mind couldn't fully process it. Every fiber of his being told him this wasn't real—this couldn't be real—but there it was, undeniable and vivid, playing out before him.
Arthur stood at the edge of the cliff, his muscles taut and veins bulging as he poured every ounce of his strength into the impossible task before him. The bus teetered precariously on the brink, its back wheels dangling over the abyss below, swaying ever so slightly with every shift of the earth. Each pull Arthur made sent tremors through the ground beneath his feet, his gritted teeth and contorted face revealing the immense strain he was under.
Every sound seemed amplified—the grinding of metal as the bus resisted his pull, the faint whistle of the wind as it swept across the cliffside, and the muted gasps of the crowd that had gathered behind Leo, their fear and disbelief palpable.
Arthur's voice tore through the tension like a knife. "Lyla!" he bellowed, his tone raw and desperate, filled with an urgency that struck Leo like a physical blow.
Inside the bus, Lyla stirred faintly. The world around her was a haze of distorted shapes and muffled sounds, her head throbbing as though it were caught in a vice. The acrid scent of burning rubber and gasoline stung her nostrils, mixing with the metallic tang of blood from a small cut on her forehead. Her fingers twitched against the fabric of the seat, and she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids.
"Brother…?" she whispered, her voice so weak it was almost lost amidst the chaos. Her lips barely moved, but the sound carried, reaching Arthur like a lifeline in the storm.
Arthur's heart surged at the sound of her voice, a fierce protectiveness blazing through him. His grip on the bumper tightened, his calloused hands trembling as he poured every ounce of strength into his task.
"Just wait a bit, Lyla! I'm coming to save you!" he shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his determination.
The blue aura surrounding him flared brighter, bathing the area in an almost blinding glow. It shimmered and pulsed like a living thing, its edges rippling erratically as if struggling to maintain its form. For a brief moment, it was almost as if Arthur were the center of a storm, the eye of a chaotic force that threatened to consume him entirely.
Leo's gaze remained glued to Arthur, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what he was witnessing. His body felt paralyzed, his muscles locked in place as if fear itself had chained him to the ground.
How is he doing this? The question echoed in his mind, over and over, but no answer came. All he could do was watch, helplessly, as Arthur battled against the inevitable.
Then, it happened.
With a sickening crack, one side of the rear bumper snapped, the sound cutting through the air like a thunderclap. The crowd collectively recoiled, a wave of gasps and murmurs spreading through them like wildfire.
Arthur stumbled as his grip faltered, his fingers slipping against the jagged edge of the remaining bumper. The bus groaned in protest, its frame shifting ominously as it tilted further toward the edge.
"No…" Arthur's voice was barely more than a whisper now, his strength waning. His legs trembled beneath him, the once-unyielding determination in his expression beginning to crumble. "I can't hold it for long…"
"Hyung, is Lyla going to die?"
The trembling voice beside Leo made him flinch. He tore his gaze away from Arthur to look down at Surya, whose small hand clung to his with desperate strength. The boy's dark eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared at the scene before them.
"I don't want that. She's my friend," Surya said, his voice breaking.
Leo swallowed hard, his throat dry as sandpaper. He wanted to reassure the boy, to tell him everything would be fine, but the words caught in his throat. How could he lie when even he wasn't sure what to believe anymore?
The aura around Arthur began to flicker, its once-brilliant glow dimming with each passing second. The blue light, once so vibrant and full of energy, now seemed fragile, as though it might shatter at any moment.
Inside the bus, Lyla struggled to keep her eyes open. Her body felt like it was weighed down by lead, each movement a monumental effort. Her head lolled to the side, her gaze unfocused as she took in the jagged edge of the cliff through the shattered windows.
"Please… help me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The plea was faint, fragile, but it carried. Somehow, it reached Leo, cutting through the fog of fear and doubt that clouded his mind. His breath hitched, and a sharp pang shot through his chest.
And then, like a dam breaking, a rush of heat flooded his body.
The world around him seemed to blur and twist, the edges of reality distorting like ripples on the surface of a pond. He blinked, and when his eyes opened again, he was no longer on the cliff.
He stood in a sunlit meadow, the air warm and fragrant with the scent of wildflowers. The soft hum of bees and the distant chirping of birds filled his ears, a stark contrast to the chaos he had just left behind.
Before him stood a woman, her figure bathed in a soft golden light. She cradled a little girl in her arms, holding her close with a tenderness that made Leo's heart ache.
Leo looked down at himself and gasped. His hands were small, his limbs thin and childlike. He was six years old again.
"What… what is this?" he murmured, his voice trembling.
The woman stepped closer, her features becoming clearer with each step. When she knelt before him and placed a gentle hand on his head, a wave of warmth and familiarity washed over him.
"Mom?" Leo's voice cracked as tears welled in his eyes.
She smiled, her expression soft and full of love. Her lips moved, but her voice was faint, like a whisper carried on the wind.
"Save her, Leo."
Her words echoed in his mind as his gaze shifted to the little girl in her arms. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized her.
"Hina," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
He reached out to touch her cheek, his fingers trembling. The moment his skin made contact, the vision shattered like glass.
"Lylaaaa!"
Arthur's anguished roar yanked him back to reality. Leo's eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as the cliffside scene came rushing back to him.
But something had changed.
The fear that had gripped him moments ago was gone, replaced by a fiery resolve. His hesitation melted away, and his legs moved before his mind could catch up.
Leo sprinted toward the bus, his heart pounding like a drum.
"Hyung, no!" Surya shouted, but he didn't stop.
Surya's eyes widened, his hand slipping from Leo's grasp as the older boy surged forward.
Leo's footsteps were a blur as he moved, each stride bringing him closer to the bus, closer to Lyla, and closer to the edge of the cliff. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat like a war drum, each breath sharp and shallow.
The world around him was a haze, a cacophony of sounds that barely reached his ears—the gasps of the crowd, the frantic murmurs of his friends, the distant crackling of Arthur's aura—all drowned out by the deafening roar of blood rushing in his own ears.
His eyes remained fixed ahead, locked on the bus, on the girl inside.
"Just hold on," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his pulse. "I'm coming."
The rock beneath his feet felt cold and jagged as he approached, but Leo didn't hesitate. He knew that hesitation would be his undoing. There was no time to second-guess himself, no time to think of what could go wrong.
Every muscle in his body screamed with the effort of the sprint, but he pushed through it, focusing only on the goal ahead.
The bus loomed larger now, its outline growing clearer as he neared it. The rear windshield—once a solid barrier between him and Lyla—was cracked and fractured, the glass now a dangerous web of sharp edges. He took in the sight of it for only a moment before leaping.
He stepped on a large rock then jumped, his body propelled into the air like a bird in flight. His feet left the ground, and for a split second, he felt weightless. Arthur's eyes widened as he saw a figure above him. Leo folded his arms and legs to his chest like a cannon ball.
Then, his folded arms and knees met the edge of the rear windshield, the jagged shards of glass cutting into his skin. He grimaced at the sharp pain, but he didn't falter. With a grunt, he shoved forward, his body crashing through the glass, the shards falling around him like rain.
Inside the bus, the world was a blur of movement. Lyla's wide, startled eyes met his as he landed with a soft thud on the other side of the windshield.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. She blinked, her body still weak and trembling, as if she couldn't fully comprehend what had just happened.
"Huh...????"