Chills ran down my spine as he moved even closer.
So close...
I could count every lash framing his eyes.
I wanted to step back.
I couldn't.
My body refused to move.
Not even an inch.
A dull ache spread through my neck.
I had been staring at him for far too long.
We were standing inside the mall's restroom.
Yet, not a single person came in.
Not...
Even Li Feng.
Where are you, idiot?
I lowered my gaze.
His hoodie.
Black?
No.
Onyx.
Suddenly-
His hand moved.
My eyes instinctively followed it.
His fingers slid beneath my chin, gently lifting it until our eyes met again.
I frowned.
His thumb slowly scratched my chin.
Gently.
Patiently.
As if...
I were some stray cat he was trying to tame.
His lips finally parted.
"I still hate you."
He said.
Hate me?
I scoffed.
"Yeah! Like I didn't know."
But...
My eyes reacted before my thoughts could fully form.
Without wasting a second, I smacked his hand and stepped backward.
Creating distance.
A few inches.
But... enough.
"Kai." He said softly." You know it's useless."
He said with great tenderness.
Then...
He took a step forward.
Slowly and carefully.
My body instantly reacted and I took a step backwards.
I have a really bad feeling, if he caught me, then it won't end well for me.
My heartbeat raced with every passing second, with every step he took.
His one step forward and my one step backward.
Unexpectedly, my gaze dropped to my hand... It was trembling.
Barely noticeable.
It's not like I am scared or something, so why is it even trembling?
Am I-
Before my thoughts could finish, my back hit something...solid.
Like a wall?
A WALL!?
Is it the dead end?
I quickly felt around with my hand to check if it was a wall or something else, because if my gaze left him even for a second who knows what might happen to me?
My hand slammed against the smooth and cold wall.
What am I going to do now?
I don't want to be trapped...
Not with him.
Should I... kick him?
Nah! It would only create more problems for me.
Suddenly...
He slammed his hand on the wall, just beside my head.
My body tensed immediately and I clenched my hands tightly.
Ready for anything.
Suddenly...
My vision started blurring.
I blinked once.
Twice.
But the haze refused to disappear.
-
Slowly, my eyes opened.
I was sitting beneath a haitang tree.
I wasn't in the mall's restroom anymore.
I was somewhere else.
A place I didn't recognize.
A place I had never been to in my entire life.
Yet...
It felt familiar.
Very familiar.
Like home.
Like a place I had lived in since birth.
I tried to get to my feet, but the moment I moved, a sharp, unbearable pain spread throughout my body.
A groan escaped my lips.
Every inch of my body hurt.
But why?
What happened to me?
What happened to my... body?
My body...
My eyes widened as I looked down at myself.
I was covered in crimson.
I was wearing clothes I didn't recognize.
My body trembled with something I couldn't name.
Fear?
Shock?
Pain?
Tears streamed down my face like rain.
I tried to wipe them away with my bloodstained hand, but it didn't help.
I looked around for answers.
Instead...
More questions arose.
Ignoring the throbbing pain, I forced myself to my feet.
A grave stood beside me.
A newly made grave.
Named ***.
Who was that person?
Why did I feel as though I knew them?
It hurt.
Too much.
But why?
WHY!?
I fell to my knees before the grave, my eyes fixed on the name.
I didn't know why...
But I wanted to die.
To sleep beside that person in the endless abyss.
My entire body ached.
My eyes burned from crying.
My throat was dry.
Not a single word would leave my lips.
I reached out and traced the name engraved on the gravestone once more.
I tried to remember.
But nothing came to mind.
Then...
Almost instinctively...
My hand reached for the sword hanging at my waist.
Its blade was stained with dried blood.
A lotus was engraved on its hilt, with a tassel hanging from it.
My fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt.
So tightly...
My knuckles turned white.
Slowly...
I raised the sword beneath my jaw.
As though I were about to do something to myself without a second thought.
I wanted to stop.
I truly did.
But my body wasn't under my control.
It felt...
As though it wasn't my body at all.
My eyes slowly drifted shut as the sharp, cold blade touched my skin.
My eyes slowly drifted shut as the sharp, cold blade touched my skin.
The sword trembled in my shaking hands.
Is this really my end?
Why is this even happening?
Why me?
I waited for several minutes.
Waited for something to happen.
But...
Nothing happened.
Everything was quiet.
So quiet that I could hear my heartbeat clearly.
"XEY!"
His voice was deep, yet pleasing.
He sounded worried.
Who is it?
Who is calling me by my nickname?
It's so loud.
So noisy.
I don't know.
"XEYER!"
Leave... me alone.
I want some... peace.
Don't... chase me.
I'm... not worth chasing.
Leave me alone!
"XEYER ARCHUR!"
My eyes snapped open.
All of a sudden, the scene that had just unfolded before me vanished into thin air.
The darkness disappeared.
I didn't dare move, afraid it would happen again.
Terrified that I would have to relive that pain once more.
"Xeyer! What happened to you?"
Li Feng?
Am... I back?
I looked around my surroundings, making sure I had really returned.
Li Feng was there.
But not... him.
Shit.
What happened?
My body felt cold.
Colder than ever before.
My head throbbed painfully.
My breathing was as fast as my heartbeat.
Fuck...
I leaned against the wall for support and shut my eyes, hoping the tears would stop.
I felt exhausted.
My body craved rest.
But my mind craved answers.
Answers to every strange thing that had been happening to me.
The one and only... me.
Warm tears had already soaked my cheeks.
I didn't know why...
But I wanted to cry.
Yet...
At the same time, I wanted to stop crying because I didn't even know the reason.
I tried to hold back my tears.
Yet they rolled down like the season's first rain.
Now...
Even my hands were wet with tears.
Nothing was going right.
I...
Couldn't even control my own tears.
I didn't even know why I was crying.
Was it because of that strange thing that had just happened?
That hallucination?
Or...
The strange incidents since New Year?
The black spot?
Those men in black?
Those... wolves?
Or...
Him?
I couldn't understand.
Why was all of this happening to me?
Why me!?
"Xey."
Li Feng.
I finally opened my eyes and looked at him.
My vision was blurred by tears, yet it was clear enough for me to see the worry in his eyes.
For the first time...
I saw Li Feng like this.
The man who always smiled and bloomed like a flower...
Was now trembling with worry.
Because of me.
All of a sudden—
The person standing before me stepped forward and gently pulled me into his embrace.
Everything went quiet for a split second.
My face instantly heated up as my brain finally processed what had just happened.
My face was buried against the crook of his neck.
His sweet scent filled my senses.
Slowly...
Patiently...
He stroked my back.
Comforting me without a single word.
It's going to be okay.
Don't worry.
"Don't worry Xey."