Please be advice that the story is not mine and I already ASK for permission to post it. Please visit her website at http://wattpad.com/thedispirit - the author of this story is thedispirit.

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Chapter XXVIII

There is that very moment where everything will betray you—even your tears. I couldn’t feel the pain flowing through my eyes anymore. I couldn’t feel any heartbreak or any hurt inside me.

It just seems like I lost my ability to feel anything. It’s as if everything in me died along with Jiyong.

“Dara? Are you all right?” the familiar sweet voice rang inside my mind as I tried to absorb everything around me. The fuchsia curtains swayed with the silent wind. The morning light made some specks of circle at the shadow on the floor caused by the trees outside. The smell of caramel tickled my nose and woke me up to my senses.

This room looks familiar and the person sitting next to me gave me a sweet, apologetic smile.

“Mom?” I weakly sat up and cowered lightly at the pain I felt on my shoulder. I want to think and believe that everything that happened was just a dream. I want to lie to myself about the truth.

But I can’t because the evidences are clear.

I am physically and emotionally hurt and Jiyong’s gone—again.

“Careful.” My mom helped me sat up comfortably.

“It’s my entire fault.” I whispered, feeling the neutrality inside me.

Feeling the want to emotionally break down conquered me but the tears betrayed me along with the feelings that I left and lost in that bizarre world.

She shushed and my hair gently as she tried to soothe my impassive feelings. I’m thankful enough for my mother’s care but it will not bring back Jiyong. Nothing in this ordinary human-filled world can bring Jiyong back to my life.

“If you’re ready, you can tell me everything that happened.” Like your every typical mother, that’s how she tries to ease the pain I am feeling.

I just nodded and watched her left the room. My eyes rested on the pale white door that served as the portal between this safe room and to the other rooms that I forgot what it looked like.

My parent’s house was my favorite place of all. I feel safe being inside this house. I feel secure; I feel the warmth and the love bonding my parents and I. But then—when I first laid my eyes on him, the second time I looked stupid in front of him, I knew by then that my parent’s house was just a temporary little play house for me. Because I knew by that time, being with him is the safest place where I could ever be.

My eyes wandered around the room until the spark in me ignited when I stopped at the side table next to me.

I looked at the calendar next to me.

Only a day left before my death. Time flies so fast that I am not yet even ready for tomorrow’s big event.

Dara…

Leeteuk’s voice disturbed my mind.

“What?” I bitterly asked him. I know I have no right to be mad at Leeteuk but I feel like he’s the one at fault here. I feel like he’s the one that I am supposed to blame. But I am still not sure if he’s really the bad guy. After all he has done for me—I couldn’t just simply judge him.

I’m sorry.

His voice was sad. I am not used to that tone of his. I want to hear his cheerful voice. I want to see his smile.

But something holds me back.

“Leeteuk.” I whispered his name with hesitation.

He didn’t respond.

“Tell me. Is the first option—the riddle, refers to me-“ I paused and let out a grave sigh, “Does it refer to me being married to you?”

A pile of golden dust formed a human silhouette in front of me. I knew he’ll appear once I mentioned about his proposal to me.

“Yes, Dara. It does.” His bizarre eyes bored into mine as if it’s the first thing he’ll ever look at me when he sees me. He walked slowly towards me and sat at the edge of the bed. His face was serious than ever. His eyes were cold and vulgar, quite different than the usual. But his presence was the only thing that soothed my clouded mind.

“If you accept my proposal and be married to me, this fight will end. The upper league will not bother you anymore and even Jiyong will be out of their leash. Everything will be normal, Dara. You’ll achieve the life you want.” He explained in a calm persuasive manner.

If I will be selfless then this storm will end. Jiyong will be out of danger, Ice will get what he wants, Jin Ah may win over Jiyong and the upper league will stop hurting the people I love—especially him.

But if I will be selfish like always, this fight will never end until tomorrow. Jiyong might die again if ever Jin Ah and Ji Yul can revive him. Leeteuk will continue to pull the invisible strings in this game and the upper league won’t stop until they made Jiyong into a full Superman, and until they get what they want from me.

“If I marry you—what will happen to Jiyong?” my voice trembled at the thought of Jiyong forever being a stranger to me.

“He’ll choose his own path.”

“What if he chooses to die?” the tears finally came back to me as they formed behind my eyes.

“No, he won’t. The upper league won’t let that happen.”

“Why?”

Leeteuk my cheek, “Because he is Superman.”

He pulled my hand towards him causing me to fall into his arms. He enveloped me with his warm arms, securing me and isolating me from the harmful world. I don’t know what occurred to me but I felt happy leaning on Leeteuk’s chest and feeling safe. He my hair softly as he whispered soothing words on my hair.

“Darn it, Dara,” He whispered with a low, painful chuckle, “I never knew that being close to you like this is what will hurt me the most.” He whispered slowly. I let him pulled me closer to him.

“Leeteuk.”

He shushed and buried his face on my neck.

“Even a villain like me is not afraid to cry once awhile especially when I think of going on with you gone in my life.”

“What are you say-“

“Dara, it will be hard to deal with the pain of losing you whenever I go.” He pulled away. His eyes were like a dark sky with the broken shards of the stars. He forced a smile that I’ve never seen before. All the pain he kept inside—I knew he let it all out with that smile of his.

He averted his eyes from mine, “It’s still useless, huh?”

“What is?” I tried reaching for his hand but he quickly moved away. He sat facing the wall and avoiding eye contact with me.

“Even if you accept being bonded to me forever, still, you’re pain belongs to him. I won’t accept the forced love you will give me, Dara, if it means you don’t feel the heartbreak every time I hurt you.”

I just watched him pour out all of his unspoken words to me.

“I would trade or even give away all the unspoken words that I saved in my heart just to save you, Dara. This time, I will not tell you what to do; instead it’s up to you to decide.” His words faded along with the smile on his face.

‘Jiyong, if ever you could hear me. I’m sorry. If ever I could start again—if I could go back to the beginning, I will throw everything away to the heart of regrets and stop being human just to save you. I want to make everything all right for you but it seems that whenever I try to save you—I’ll end up killing you. This time, I will save you by killing myself inside.’

“Leeteuk.” I whispered his name. He looked at me with puzzle in his eyes.

I smiled and held my hand out to him, “Please marry me.”

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Is this the end?