Kai stood there, watching Hana's retreating form as the weight of what had just transpired settled over him. The gym, once filled with tension, felt eerily quiet now, like the calm after a storm. His heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline slowly fading, replaced by a gnawing sense of unease.

He had done what he thought was right—he had given her a choice. But had he truly understood the gravity of it? His gaze drifted toward the Ledger in his bag, and the chill that came with it settled into his bones.

Hours passed, the gym’s fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead. Kai had remained in the same spot, as if waiting for something—some sign that the worst was over. But deep down, he knew that the Ledger didn’t work like that. There were no simple endings when it was involved.

Just as Kai began to move toward the exit, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed down the hall. His head snapped up, his body tensing in an instant. It was Minseo, her face pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and urgency. She skidded to a halt in front of him, her breath ragged.

"Kai!" she gasped, doubling over to catch her breath. "Something’s... wrong."

Kai’s blood ran cold. He didn’t need to ask what she meant—he already knew. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice tight.

Minseo shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "She collapsed... after she left here. I don’t know what's happening, but she—"

Kai didn’t wait for her to finish. His legs moved on their own, carrying him toward the hallway, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew what was happening. He had known the moment he asked Minseo to write Hana’s name in the Ledger. But knowing didn’t make it any easier.

He burst through the doors of the gym, sprinting down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him. His mind raced, desperate for answers. Could he stop it? Could he undo what had already been set in motion?

When he rounded the corner, Kai’s worst fears were confirmed.

Hana was lying on the floor, her body unnaturally still. A small group of students had gathered around her, but no one dared to get too close. Whispers floated through the air, mingling with the panic and confusion that rippled through the crowd. Kai’s stomach twisted as he pushed his way through, his breath catching in his throat as he reached her side.

"Hana," he breathed, dropping to his knees beside her.

Her face was pale, almost translucent, as if the life had been drained from her. Her eyes were half-open, staring blankly ahead, but there was no recognition in them. No spark. Just emptiness.

Kai's heart sank, the weight of the Ledger pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. He had done this. He had asked for her name to be written down, and now she was dying before his eyes.

"No, no, no..." Kai muttered under his breath, his hands trembling as he reached for her. "This wasn’t supposed to happen. I... I didn’t want this."

Minseo knelt beside him, her own face stricken with horror. "Kai... is this because of the Ledger?"

He swallowed hard, his throat dry. "It must be. But... but it’s not supposed to happen like this. I thought... I thought she would have time."

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Minseo's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. "She doesn’t look like she has much time left, Kai. What are we going to do?"

Kai's mind whirled with desperation. There had to be something he could do—some way to stop this. The Ledger had rules, yes, but surely there was a loophole, something he had missed. His fingers fumbled for his bag, yanking the Ledger out with shaking hands. He flipped it open, searching frantically through its pages for any clue, any hint that could save Hana.

But the pages offered him no answers. Just a cold, lifeless script that seemed to mock him with its finality.

"Hana," Kai whispered, his voice breaking as he looked back down at her. "I’m sorry... I didn’t mean for this to happen. I thought—"

Her hand twitched, just slightly, and Kai’s breath hitched in his throat. He leaned closer, his heart pounding with a desperate hope.

"Hana?" he whispered.

For a moment, nothing. And then, slowly, her lips parted, and the faintest whisper escaped her.

"Kai..."

Her voice was so weak, so fragile, it barely reached his ears. But it was enough to send a shock of emotion through him.

"Hana, I’m here," he said, leaning closer. "I’m right here. I... I can fix this. Just hold on, okay?"

Her eyes, once sharp and calculating, flickered with the barest hint of recognition. But it was fleeting. Her body was already shutting down, the life draining out of her with every passing second.

"You... shouldn’t have..." she rasped, her voice so faint that Kai had to strain to hear it. "You... don’t understand..."

Kai’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this. I thought I was helping you. I thought—"

Hana’s hand weakly grasped his sleeve, her fingers barely managing to hold on. "The... Ledger... it’s... not just names..." Her voice trailed off, her breathing shallow and labored.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked, panic rising in his chest. "What do you mean it’s not just names?"

Hana’s grip loosened, her hand slipping from his arm as her eyes fluttered closed. Her breathing grew more erratic, each breath more labored than the last.

"No, no, no!" Kai cried, his voice cracking as he shook her gently. "Hana, stay with me! Please!"

But it was too late. With one final, shuddering breath, Hana went still. The life that had once burned so brightly in her was gone, leaving nothing but a cold, empty shell behind.

Kai stared down at her, his mind numb with disbelief. It didn’t feel real. None of this felt real. How could it? How could Hana, the girl who had always been so strong, so unyielding, be gone?

He felt Minseo’s hand on his shoulder, her voice shaky with tears. "Kai... she’s gone."

The words hit him like a sledgehammer, knocking the breath from his lungs. Gone. Hana was gone. And it was his fault.

Kai’s hands trembled as he clutched the Ledger to his chest, his mind reeling. He had thought he could control it. He had thought he could save her. But now she was dead, and nothing he did could change that.

"I... I killed her," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I killed her, Minseo."

Minseo’s grip tightened on his shoulder. "No, Kai. You didn’t mean for this to happen. You were trying to help her. She made her choices, too."

But Kai shook his head, tears blurring his vision as guilt tore through him. "I shouldn’t have used the Ledger. I should’ve found another way. I should’ve... I should’ve done something!"

Minseo knelt in front of him, her tear-filled eyes searching his. "We all make mistakes, Kai. But this wasn’t just on you. Hana... she was already too far gone. She knew what she was doing."

Kai’s chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, the weight of his actions crushing him. "But I... I asked you to write her name. If I hadn’t—"

"Kai, stop," Minseo interrupted, her voice firm but kind. "You couldn’t have known what would happen. You were trying to protect yourself, and her. You didn’t want this."

Kai clenched his fists, his knuckles white as he stared down at Hana’s lifeless body. The Ledger felt like a curse in his hands, a symbol of everything that had gone wrong.

"I have to destroy it," he whispered, his voice hollow. "The Ledger... it’s too dangerous. It’s not just a book. It’s... it’s death."

Minseo nodded, her face somber. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it's time to end it."

But even as she said the words, Kai felt a deep unease settle over him. Destroying the Ledger... could it really be done? Or had he already crossed a line from which there was no return?

As he stared down at Hana, a cold realization crept over him. The Ledger had claimed another life. And this time, there was no going back.

Kai had lost more than just a friend. He had lost a piece of himself.