Eating Alive Her

Mei sat on the edge of Sil's bed, her fingers wrapped tightly around the phone. She couldn't see the screen, but that didn't stop her.

She pressed the side button twice.A soft chime answered."Voice command active. What would you like to do?"

"Call the National Military Affairs Office," she said, her voice calm, even as her throat tightened.

The line clicked, rang once, twice, then connected.

"Yes, Miss Mei. We understand your concern. Mr. Sil Lan is currently under classified field assessment. He will contact you soon, madam."

Click.

She didn't even flinch anymore when the line cut.

She whispered again to the device, voice steadier than she felt."Call the Inner Mongolia Command Center."

Another call. Another sterile response.

She went down the list — every place she could think of. She used Sil's previous contacts, scraped from memory, some she'd overheard him speak to. She even asked the voice assistant to search for unofficial numbers, underground helplines, public switchboards.

"Call any line related to Awakening management," she said, knowing it was a long shot.

But every time, the voice on the other end said the same thing:

"He will contact you soon, madam."

She hated that line. Hated how it said nothing but closed the conversation like a slammed door.

She sat there for hours, phone resting in her palm, the line cold and quiet now.

And for the first time in years, she felt truly blind. Not because she couldn't see—but because she didn't know where he was in this world. Or if he was safe.

Just that he was gone.

And no one was telling her anything.

She got up, paced toward the kitchen, then stopped mid-step. The quiet gnawed at her nerves. The emptiness of the space — the slippers he left by the door, the mug with half-dried tea on the counter, his folded jacket over the couch — all of it screamed he's gone.

He said he'd be back.He said she should believe in him.

She did.

But four days?

No message. No voice. No proof that he was okay. 

Her thoughts circled darkly, whispering things she didn't want to believe.

Maybe they weren't letting him reach her.

Maybe something happened.

Maybe… he lied.

She shook her head hard. No. That last one wasn't possible. Sil wouldn't lie. Not to her.

Her knees buckled slightly, and she caught herself on the table. The old radio there, still untouched — Sil liked old things. Vinyl. Tape. Static between songs.

She turned it on, just to hear something.

"...military officials have stated that the situation near the Rift remains stable. No civilian involvement is necessary. Please refrain from spreading rumors—"

Click. Off again.

Mei stood in silence, the pain behind her temples growing dull and constant. Her hands trembled slightly as she poured water into a glass. Her body felt heavier than it should. Like something inside her was weighing her down, clawing at her bones.

She took a slow sip, then leaned against the counter. The fluorescent light above buzzed quietly. Outside, the city seemed far away, like it didn't care someone was missing.

"I just want to hear your voice…" she whispered.

Mei decided to wait a few more days. If she still couldn't contact him by then, she would go to Mongolia—where the Awakened were being managed. She would find her own way to see him again. And if that didn't work, she would use her last option.

The power. 

The one she had newly awakened.

After she awakened, she'd spent nights quietly trying to understand it—alone, in Sil's apartment.

At first, she could only feel strange sensations—shadows pulling at the edge of her mind, pressure in the room where nothing moved. But then, slowly, patterns formed. Reactions. Triggers.

And she found out that…

When she focused, she could cause things to rot.

Wood decayed. Metal weakened. Paint peeled. Plants wilted near her fingertips.

It didn't happen with touch alone. It happened when she wanted it.

The first time, it was by accident. She tried to pour water from a glass cup, but when her frustration surged, the glass cracked in her hand.

She tested it further. Whispered commands into the air. Break. Sink. Fade.

And slowly… the world listened.

She discovered that she didn't need to see. As long as she focused on something's presence, she could sense it. She could corrupt it.

One night, she stood still in the center of the room and extended her perception outward. She felt the apartment's walls, the pipes inside them, even the faint heartbeat of a rat hiding in the corner of the ceiling.

It terrified her.

But it also made her feel alive.

She wasn't helpless anymore.

And the more she used it, the easier it became to control.

It didn't just destroy. She realized she could extract truths from things. Objects whispered memories. People carried lingering echoes. Not clear visions, but fragments—ruined thoughts, left behind like footprints in ash.

These whispers, in return, strengthened her. It was as if she were born for destruction, because the more chaos and destruction there was, the stronger she became. Even now, she could clearly feel her energy improving, constantly absorbing the surrounding whispers and growing stronger. If she actively caused destruction and initiated the absorption, the efficiency would be terrifyingly scary.

The only reason she didn't constantly push this power was fear. This strength, while increasing her capabilities, also corrupted her mind with a torrent of negative thoughts. She could feel it: she was slowly losing herself. The stronger her power grew, the faster she was losing her mind. And she had no way of preventing it. At least , she had not found it yet.

That's why she called it Whispers of Ruin.

Everything breaks. Everything decays.

And through that decay, small whisper would came to her. And the final end of the user is ruin.

But if no other choice remained... soon, she would go. If not for this power, she would have simply been a good girl, waiting quietly for Sil. But she didn't have time for that now. She didn't think she would even be herself anymore by the time that moment came.

And no one—not even the military—would be able to stop her from seeing Sil again once she decided.

Just like that time pass....

The room had been silent for hours. She hadn't eaten. The phone sat beside her pillow, screen dark, no vibrations. Nothing.

Then suddenly —

A soft chime.

"Incoming call from unknown line."

Her breath caught in her throat. She fumbled the device, hands shaking slightly.

"Answer," she said quickly.

A pause.

Then static.

Then—

"…Mei?"

She froze. For a second, her throat refused to work.

"Sil?"

"I'm okay," he said. His voice was quiet. A little hoarse. "I only have a minute."

She sat up, clutching the phone tightly. "Four days, Sil. I called every place I could think of. They wouldn't even tell me if you were alive."

"I know. I'm sorry. Everything's restricted. I couldn't reach out sooner."

"I figured," she said. Then after a pause:"Something's off here, too. I haven't left the apartment. But I don't feel alone."

Sil understood instantly. Someone was watching her.

He kept his voice even. "It's okay. It should military personal. Don't be afraid. I'll handle it from my side. I sign a year contract with military. And I have some privilege here so I make a request for your eyes surgery which they approve. Soon, they will sent someone to pick you up. Mei, wait me for a year please. I will make sure to secure the future for both of us."

"I don't think waiting is an option anymore."

Sil didn't answer right away. Then:

"You're not doing anything reckless, are you?"

"Sil, I want to see you soon"

A pause. Something unsaid hung in the air.

Sil said, "Give me a little more time."

"I miss you a lot , I can't live without you" she replied

On the other end of the line, Sil felt the seriousness of the matter. Mei had always been strong. No matter how bad the situation, she would never say, "I can't live without you." Especially not after he'd told her, "Give me a little more time." He knew this wasn't their usual way of chatting, and he was sure Mei would understand why his communication style had changed. It was their way to bypass military monitoring and subtly inquire about each other's situations. Mei never showed her emotions to outsiders, and knowing the phone was monitored made it even less likely.

So, there was only one conclusion: Mei was in trouble, and it was significant enough that she couldn't wait even a year. Mei repeatedly saying she couldn't wait anymore was her way of telling him she didn't have much time left and needed to see him as soon as possible. The problem was also clearly something she couldn't discuss over the phone. She hadn't even mentioned her surgery or shown any interest in it, which meant she couldn't wait even the five to ten days the surgery would take. Sil's heart ached.

'What the hell happened, Mei? Please be safe,' he thought.

The line crackled again.

"Sil."

"Yeah?"

"I need you."

"…I will always be there when you need me."

The call ended.

She lowered the phone and sat still again, eyes closed, her fingers twitching faintly. The whispers were growing louder.

Inside the subterranean monitoring room, where light never changed and clocks were just for formality, the air hummed with quiet tension. The room was dim, lined with glowing monitors and hushed analysts wearing noise-canceling headsets. At one terminal, Agent name Liao leaned forward, fingers paused over the keyboard.

He had replayed the conversation twice already.

"I want to see you soon."

"I can't live without you."

"I don't think waiting is an option anymore."

"…I will always be there when you need me."

Liao typed up a short summary. Then he flagged the file white priority. Non important.