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wherethefireliliesgrow · 2 days

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Moonlight Sunrise (Part 3)

Minatozaki Sana x reader

Part 1 Part 2

GENRE: angst, fluff, non-idol

TYPE: Short fic

The deafening roar of the crowd behind you rang in your ears as your heart accelerated with anticipation and nerves, much like the feeling before delivering the killing blow to your target. It was the night of the competition, and contestants had gathered in front of the well-protected gate of the labyrinth, an alarming contrast to the decaying metal gates you had seen when you met Sana. Contestants of all sizes—scarred, muscular, frail—braced themselves, readying to enter the labyrinth. Most carried large backpacks, heavy armor, and multiple weapons, each likely costing more than your life savings. All you had was a small knapsack with enough food for a week, your trusty dagger, and a new crossbow crafted by Minjeong specifically for the competition.

As the royal mage lifted his wand and pointed it to the sky, a dark green mist shot up high with a bang, signaling the start of the competition. Dozens charged forward, roaring their own cheers before disappearing into the dark mist covering the entrance of the labyrinth. You, however, lingered back, giving Minjeong and Momo a slight nod of reassurance before quietly slipping into the darkness.

The moment you stepped between the towering ivy-covered walls, the outside noise disappeared, leaving an eerie silence. As your eyes adjusted to the lack of light, you noticed several entrances aligned in front of you, just as Sana had told you. Taking a deep breath, you took the route on the far right, sending a silent prayer to the moon goddess herself.

Relieved to find the route deserted, you carefully made your way forward. Screams from afar echoed within, along with roars too brutal to be human. You were no stranger to the monsters dwelling in the darkness but preferred to stalk your prey instead of engaging in direct confrontation. Hand-to-hand combat was not your specialty, as you lacked the stamina for this kind of battle. Dealing with monsters at the start would ensure you never reached the stone. It was best to evade rather than face any beings head-on.

As you moved forward, time seemed to stretch endlessly. After what felt like an eternity, marked by the occasional easy combats with a hideous harpie and a whale-sized tarantula, the ground grew darker underneath your feet. The hairs on your arms stood on end as you pressed onward. Your instincts urged you to turn back, but with no way out of the maze and no escape without the stone, you ignored the warnings.

Before you knew it, grey mist began to rise, shrouding your surroundings in clouded darkness. Groping blindly for the labyrinth walls, you continued on, taking deep breaths to calm the thudding of your heart.

"Unnie?" A familiar voice called out to you in the darkness.

You flinched at the sound; the voice sounded eerily similar to Yeji's. Ignoring her calls, you continued forward.

"Hwang Y/N." The weathered voice of your deceased master whispered in your ear, making you freeze in place.

"I missed you," Yeji's voice called out again, as sweet as sunshine. "When are you coming back?"

"I'm proud of you." Your master's voice echoed in your ears again, trembling through your frame. "You grew up well."

Your heart thumped loudly in your chest as you grabbed your dagger in your hands and quickened your pace blindly. Forest Sirens. One of the deadliest and most vicious creatures to ever grace the earth, choosing to play with their prey, making them grovel in fear and pain before consuming them.

"Where are you going, unnie?" Yeji's voice continued to follow you. "Are you going to leave me here? Again?" Her voice got louder and more aggressive as you continued to tune out her voice.

"You could've saved her, you know. Dahyun." Your master's voice cut through your footsteps, making you stumble a bit before stopping. You knew fully well that your master was no longer there with you, but the words still managed to tear open your heart.

"But you were too weak." Your master's voice cackled, like nails on a chalkboard, piercing through your ears.

"Why didn't you save me?" Suddenly, a ghostly pale face emerged in front of you, Dahyun's face contorted in an eerie smile, her eyes only whites.

"You let me die." Her face was so close you could smell the rotting flesh.

You coughed, stepping back and losing your footing, falling to the ground.

A wrinkled, long hand grabbed your ankle, tugging you toward its direction.

"Did you ever love me?" Dahyun's voice prickled your head, feeling like your heart was going to be ripped in half.

You swiftly sliced the hand with your dagger, cleanly severing the appendage. A shriek and wail echoed, before another hand grabbed your shoulder in the darkness. You couldn’t see anything, just the occasional haunting, inhumane faces of Yeji, Dahyun, and your master. Countless hands grabbed you, slicing open your skin as you tried your best to fend them off. The haunting voices continued to echo, each word poisoning your blood.

At this rate, you were sure to die. There were too many of them, and you could no longer find the right direction in the pitch darkness.

Your enemies would have had a field day of the fact that one of the deadliest assassins to ever grace the earth couldn't even fend off forest sirens.

Out of desperation, you remembered the compass that Sana had given you. Fumbling with your pockets and stealthily swinging your dagger in the dark, you accidentally dropped the compass as another hand sliced through your shoulder.

The compass hit the ground with a crunch, the glass screen shattering. Before you could react, a blinding light emerged, revealing Sana in the flesh, her skin illuminating the darkness. The creatures, blinded by the light, emitted wails of pain.

Sana's glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings before focusing on you. "Let's go," she muttered, her eyes tightening at the sight of you covered in blood. She grabbed your hand and dragged you forward, leaving the wails of the sirens behind, slinking within the shadows trying desperately to avoid the light. You paused after a few steps, reaching down to scoop up the broken compass, when Dahyun's mimicry grabbed you with its wrinkled hands.

"Y/N!" Dahyun called out, her ghostly pale face contorted in pain as it reached for you. "I love you."

Sana paused at this, a twinge of annoyance bothering her, though she couldn't put a finger on why. Instead, she took out her anger on the siren whose hand was still grabbing yours. With a forceful kick to its face, she continued forward, leading you out of the siren-infested area.

As soon as you were out of the mist, you collapsed on the ground.

"Thanks," you muttered, visibly shaken by the previous events.

"You're really not as great as what people said about you," Sana snorted, putting her fingers up to her chin as she looked at you. "I can't believe you couldn't fight sirens, nightwalker."

You groaned at her words; it was a huge blow to your ego.

"They just caught me off guard."

"Who? Your lover?" Sana teased, trying to mask the strange feeling gnawing inside her.

"Yeah. I mean... no, she isn't, wasn't—" You sighed, rummaging in your knapsack for some bandages. "Never mind."

Deciding to let you off the hook, Sana grabbed the bandages and water from you and began to clean your wounds in silence. You sat there, hissing slightly as she cleaned the gash on your forehead.

“I’m sorry,” you said, playing with the broken pieces of the compass in your hand.

“For what?”

“For breaking the compass. I promise I’ll get it fixed when we leave this maze.”

She bit her lip, focusing on your wound. “It’s fine. It’s pretty old, anyway.”

You couldn’t help but stare at the princess in awe. She was even more beautiful than what the books had said; they didn't do her justice. She was hauntingly beautiful, her eyes seeming to tell a thousand stories, and in those eyes lingered loneliness and sorrow. The years in the labyrinth had taken a toll on the princess. You found yourself intrigued by this human-like being in front of you, wondering what she was like before. Happier, perhaps.

Noticing your eyes on her, Sana felt her cheeks burning.

“What?” She met your eyes, confusion in her expression.

You merely shrugged, giving her an easy grin.

The princess flicked your forehead in annoyance, trying to act nonchalant to your staring.

“Did you bring me more of those cakes?”

“Of course. How could I dare to forget the princess’ orders?”

“Stop calling me that!”

The next few days in the labyrinth passed fairly smoothly, with only a few encounters with easy monsters here and there. Having Sana by your side made the darkness of the labyrinth less lonely. She kept you company, or for the most part, annoy you with her endless questions and reckless behavior. Nevertheless, you noticed a change in her demeanor; the haunting sadness in her eyes seemed to disappear, replaced by a more playful and youthful version of herself. You couldn't help but notice her flirtatious personality, which often left you speechless with her flirting and clingy touches.

“What are you doing?” Sana widened her eyes in wonder as she looked at you collecting the leaves of nightshades from a bush nearby.

“Creating nightshade powder.” You said, continuing to crush the dried leaves with a rock.

“Why?” the princess inquired, and proceeded to pluck a berry from the nightshade bush and throw it into her mouth.

“Because they are so poisonous you can knock down a full-grown hum—” You lifted your head to see the sight of Sana casually popping the poisonous berries in her mouth and swinging her legs as she sat on top of a tree, nearly sending your heart into cardiac arrest.

Panicked, you quickly pulled her down and made her spit out the berries, holding her warm face in your hands and squeezing her soft cheeks in an attempt to make her comply.

She merely grinned and continued chewing slowly. “They taste good. I’m not human anyways.” She licked her lips slyly, eyes flittering to your lips.

Lost in her eyes for a brief moment, you suddenly became aware of the proximity of your faces and the awkwardness of the situation. Hastily, you released her and took a step back, stumbling a bit before clearing your throat.

You quickly handed her a small leaf folded into a packet filled with the poisonous powder, and avoided her eyes.

"Put this in your pocket. If anyone comes near you, throw this in their face."

"Why are you called the NightWalker?" Sana asked randomly as you attempted to start a campfire on your sixth night in the labyrinth. The cold was becoming more biting as you neared the center of the labyrinth, and snowflakes began to fall.

You merely shrugged, struggling to ignite the damp wood.

“Is it because you sleep walk?”

"Seriously, Sana?" you sighed, rising from the pile of wood and shooting the princess an exasperated look. She had a knack for throwing you off with her random thoughts.

"What? The name sounds pretty lame, so I guess it has something to do with sleepwalking," she mused, enjoying your annoyance. "You also talk in your sleep, by the way."

Sana shivered slightly in her thin gown. You sighed again, as annoying and insulting as she was, you couldn't help but care for her. Seeing her discomfort, you took off your cloak and draped it around her body before returning to tending the nonexistent fire.

The princess’ heart fluttered at the gesture. You were growing on her, and she couldn't deny her feelings for you. Your care for her had softened her heart, making her fall for you faster than she had ever thought was possible. Also, she couldn’t ignore how attractive you are, because you looked so good with your tattooed arms flexing as you tried to star-

"I guess we can only settle for this tonight," you remarked, breaking her train of thought. A small fire, barely enough to warm your hands, now crackled weakly at your feet.

You raised an eyebrow at her, noticing her staring. She quickly averted her gaze, flustered.

“What?”

"Nothing. You just look stupid wearing a tank top in the snow," she retorted, trying to hide her embarrassment at getting caught checking you out. A slight blush lingered on her cheeks. The sight of your exposed skin wasn't helping her focus.

“Wow.” You glared at her playfully, “After working my ass off to get the fire going, all I get is an insult?”

“Shut up.” She muttered, her ears still tinged red.

The two of you huddled under the cloak, trying to warm up under the harsh weather. You were trying your best to ignore the tingling feeling whenever your arms brushed against Sana’s. The two of you ate dinner in a comfortable silence, a measly bread and ham for you, and a cup of apple cider for Sana (according to her, she didn't need food ever since she was cursed, but enjoyed the treats you brought).

“What is the first thing you want to do when you leave the labyrinth?” You asked.

The flickering flames of the small fire reflected in her brown eyes as she pondered over your question. After spending so many years trapped in the labyrinth, she had started to lose hope of ever seeing the outside world again. Hence, she never allowed herself to imagine what she would do upon leaving, worried that she would grasp onto false hope.

"I don't know," she muttered, a hint of melancholy in her voice as the sadness from her past resurfaced. "Maybe visit the seaside? I heard that's where my mother is buried, so I'd like to visit her.."

You had heard stories about the queen passing away not much after Sana was cursed into the labyrinth. She had died from grief of losing her daughter to the darkness.

“I’m sorry.” You murmured, trying to comfort her, but you were lost at words.

“It’s fine. It’s been a while.” Her voice cracked as she tried to wipe her tears discreetly. “We used to watch the sunrise together before everything happened. Now, I don’t think I can ever see the sun again, but at least being with her for a while would be enough.”

You hesitated slightly, before shuffling closer and wrapped your arm around her gingerly. She let out a content sigh, and leaned her head on your shoulders. You tried your best to ignore the feeling of her cool breath on your neck, and focused on consoling the broken-hearted princess.

“If you want, I can take you there.” You said after a while, Sana’s sniffles had now gone away and she switched to tracing the intricate patterns of your rune tattoos. “Someone I kno—knew used to live there.”

"Who? Dahyun?" Sana teased, pinching you playfully. Despite the circumstances, she couldn't resist teasing you about your love life. After the incident with the forest sirens, Sana had been curious about your romantic history and had pestered you relentlessly until you told her about your childhood friend and former lover, Dahyun. You had dated her for several years before she left you for someone else and tragically passed away during a mission.

Sana thought it was stupid of Dahyun to leave you - after all, what could she possibly see in someone else when you had everything a girl could dream of? However, she kept her comments to herself, knowing it was inappropriate to speak ill of the dead. She was however, slightly jealous and irritated that you were still hung up on your past lover.

"Yes... But Yeji is also there, too at the moment." You cleared your throat, feeling uncomfortable under the princess's narrowed gaze.

Satisfied at your answer, she put her head back on your shoulders. "I'd like that. Besides, I have to follow you after we leave the labyrinth anyway. Half of my soul is in the stone."

"I'm not going to tie you to me, Sana," you said, frowning at the thought that she still thought you were after the prize her father had set. " You should have your own life. I'm not bringing the stone with me, nor am I going to accept your father's offer of making you marry me."

"So you don't want to marry me?" Sana teased, noticing the goosebumps appearing on the tattooed arm she was clutching.

You cleared your throat, a habit she had noticed you do whenever you were flustered, and quickly stood up from the warmth of her embrace.

"Let me gather some more leaves to keep the fire lit when we sleep," you said, scratching your neck awkwardly. Sana found you unbearably cute, too cute to be a trained killer.

When you returned a few moments later with a handful of twigs and leaves, Sana was sitting there patiently, holding out a scrap of paper she had ripped off from your makeshift map.

"What's this?" you asked, confused, as she handed you a pen and the paper.

"A contract." she stated simply, giving you another of her charming grins.

You quickly scanned through the words, her neat handwriting befitting royalty, stating that you must take her to the seaside village any time per her request.

"Seriously?" you asked incredulously before signing your name underneath. "You have zero faith in me."

"An assassin's oath is as solid as a sugar teapot."

"What's that even supposed to mea—"

Before you could finish your question, shouts and hoots echoed from the far end of the open space where you were staying, cutting you off. It seemed that the surviving contestants had made an alliance and caught up to you. You quickly pulled Sana behind you and reached for your crossbow.

“Hey Nightwalker!” A bear-like silhoutte called. It was the scar-faced man from the bar. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Surrounded by his people, he was no longer the weak, nervous man you had threatened in the bar. You narrowed your eyes, annoyed at his ego.

"Who's that pretty lady behind you?" the man next to scar face cackled. You recognized him; he was once a guardsman who had killed his three wives, been sentenced to death, and managed to escape.

They were drawing closer, and you could make out there were four people in total.

"Wouldn’t mind sharing your girlfriend with us, would you?" Scarface said again, licking his lips disgustingly.

Sana flinched at that, her small frame shaking behind you as you pulled her closer. She had had a few run-ins with contestants like this throughout the years, and she had only narrowly escaped each time.

Trying to keep yourself composed, the twitch of your eyebrow betrayed your anger at their comments and their implications.

As the men stalked closer, you quickly pulled the hood of your cloak over Sana to block out the reflection of the moonlight on her skin. A soft glow of moonlight always lingered on her skin, an effect of the curse.

“On my mark, run to the back and hide in the shadows. Cover your skin.”

Her eyes widened in fear, but she decided to trust you. This was the most serious she had ever seen you.

“This is the real reason I’m called the NightWalker.” You gave her a lopsided grin as pitch-black mist started to emit from your skin, from the rune tattoos, quickly spreading out from your body and covering the area around you like wildfire.

“What is she doing?” one of the men shouted, their footsteps thundering loudly as they charged toward your direction. The entire area soon was engulfed with mist, making it hard to see.

“Now, Sana,” you whispered and kicked dirt over the small campfire, the last source of light.

Then everything was dark.

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