“Min, where were you?” Yoseob was panting slightly when he approached Min, who was now walking into the hospital.

Min stopped at his voice, but her gaze was fixed at nothingness.

“Min?”

“Do you love me?”

The question startled Yoseob. What kind of question was that? Why was she asking this question now? Her grandmother in the hospital was the result of the curse’s work. She should be worried about the curse.

“Do you love me enough to let go of me?”

Yoseob frowned that at the question.

“Let me go.”

“I never ever said I loved you.” He never confessed, so how would she know.

“You didn’t need to tell me.” Was he that obvious?

“You are Claudius and I am Anastasia.” Min spoke, confusing Yoseob even more. “The play, as you know, is cursed.” Where was she getting at? “And the curse is not Esmeralda, but instead Haemon.”

Kikwang

Yoseob was shocked. Everything pointed at Suzy, but it was never her. Never

All along it was someone entirely different…more like something…

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know…”

There was a pause. A pause for Min to think. A pause for Yoseob to observe.

“Don’t…” Yoseob warned.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t give up your life.”

“How did you know?”

“I can tell.” Min looked up to see him in the eye. “Giving up your life will do what?”

“Perhaps the other Anastasia’s won’t always live in fear like me and the former actresses.” Min reasoned.

“And that benefits you how?” Yoseob countered. The only thing in his mind was that…Min needs to be with me. And death was no option.

“It doesn’t.” Min whispered.

“But I feel obligated to do this.”

“Fei, why do I only see the ghost of Haemon? Why don’t I ever see the ghost of Claudius?” Min asked.

“Claudius is with you. He resides in Yoseob.”

Claudius is Yoseob…

“So for the curse to work, do Anastasia and Esmeralda need to have a common love?”

“From what I know, that is what happens. It does need to be romantic. The actresses before were both intrigued by an object both wanted to posess.”

“Can a ghost reside in an inanimate object?”

“Yes. Both of them wanted to go after an award granted to the theatrical actress of the year.” Min was confused. “It wasn’t like that initially. They were made to go against each other after they became Anastasia and Esmeralda.”

“How do you stop a curse?”

“That seems slightly impossible.” Fei looked at Jia. “You may lessen the intensity of a curse.” Min looked at them expectantly.

“But you can never break a curse.”

Min watched her grandmother. She was still unconscious. Her old body was still recovering slowly from the organ failure.

Many people faced this before me.

She leaned closer to hold her hand, kissing it gently, watching her soft face.

Many people would still have to face it.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

I managed to find the curse. Many have not found it.

She closed her eyes, and images flashed in front of her eyes. Théâtre de Nyx,