The hospital room was a sterile, cold space, filled with the beeping of machines and the faint smell of disinfectant. Kim Zong-Un lay on the bed, his frail body weakened by the relentless onslaught of cancer. His dark eyes, once bright and full of life, now seemed sunken, weighed down by the burden of his illness.
Zong-Un's mother sat beside him, her hand wrapped around his, her eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep and tears. She forced a weak smile as he looked up at her. "An-nyeong, eomma," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
"An-nyeong, eomma's here," she replied, her voice trembling. "Don't worry, Zong-Un. You'll get better. You just need to rest and focus on getting stronger."
Zong-Un's gaze drifted away from his mother's face, his mind wandering to the world outside these hospital walls. He longed to feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, to breathe in the fresh air, and to run through the streets without feeling winded. But those days were behind him now.
The door creaked open, and a doctor entered, a somber expression on his face. "Mrs. Kim, I need to speak with you for a moment," he said, his voice low and gentle.
Zong-Un's mother hesitated, not wanting to leave her son's side. But the doctor's expression told her it was important. She squeezed Zong-Un's hand and followed the doctor out of the room.
The minutes ticked by, and Zong-Un's eyelids grew heavy. He felt himself being pulled towards the darkness, but he resisted, fighting to stay awake. He didn't want to miss anything. He didn't want to forget the feel of his mother's hand in his.
As he drifted off, he saw a vision of a different life, one where he was strong and healthy, where he fought in battles and emerged victorious. He saw himself standing alongside a girl with piercing blue eyes, her smile radiant and warm. Who was she? And why did he feel so drawn to her?
The vision faded, and Zong-Un's eyes snapped open. His mother was standing beside him, tears streaming down her face. "Zong-Un, eomma's here," she whispered, her voice cracking.
But Zong-Un didn't respond. His eyes had frozen, his chest motionless. The machines surrounding him began to beep erratically, and his mother's screams echoed through the hospital room.
And then, everything went black.
*To be continued...*