“Argh,” Minyoung was woken up by the sudden headache the next morning. She held onto her head like as if she was suffering from some hangover from the night before.

“Why am I-“ she coughed and continued, “here? I thought I was in the hut with Tao?” She questioned as she place her elbow on her bed to prop herself up.

She sat on her soft comfy bed with warm blankets wrapping around her, “Wait, I remember being in the woods with Tao and then later.. Damn, I don’t remember anything.”

Hold up!

“Didn’t Tao bring me back? Where is he now then?” she stood up from her bed and looked for Tao around her apartment, “wait did I even gave him the key to my apartment? So does that mean that those images I saw and feelings that I felt was a dream once again? Argh, I hate that,” Minyoung scowled as she plopped down onto her sofa.

“Did I sleepwalked back on my own?” Oh geez! That creeps.

Eh? There was a plaster on her toe and it was still red and sore. That wounded toe does not convinced Minyoung into believing that everything was just a dream.

‘Ding dong,” the doorbell rang in the early morning.

It was the most annoying noise to be heard in a soft morning like this and Minyoung hated it. As reluctant as she was, she dragged her footsteps towards the door.

“Oh Zi-“ Minyoung wanted to give him a big hug as soon as she saw him when she opened the door but something halted her actions. She paused and the word confused was written all on her face that moment.

“Your hair..“ Minyoung questioned but Tao being the faster one snatched away her opportunity to speak.

“Yah! You don’t even bother to tell me that you’ve came back here huh?” Tao exclaimed.

“Aren’t you the one who sent me back here? Weren’t you taking care of my fever last night? I clearly see how you wet those towels and put it onto my forehead and this,” Minyoung pointed onto the plaster on her toe, “you help with this didn’t you?”  

“Dream on, like as if I would care you were to die or not,” Tao hissed.

“Yah, stop denying. Why are you so afraid on telling me that you actually concerned about me? I’m not going to tease you like what you always do to me. I promise,” Minyoung said with a huge smile and rose up her pinky finger to make an i-promise-you gesture.

“You think this is funny? I said I did not send you back means I didn’t. Why are you so stubborn?” Tao rolled his eyes.

“Huh?” Minyoung was confused. If it was not him, then who could it be? That person had his face and voice but not the hair color. Oh, the hair color. She finally realized that Tao who brought her back last night had his hair color as pale ash blonde and unlike the currant red one that was right in front of her that moment.

“Oh, no, no, no, no. Hold on, I’m sure that it was not a dream. It felt legit to me. Yes, not a dream, it was definitely not.” Minyoung shook her head furiously in denial.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Tao sensed that something was wrong.

Tao’s words caught Minyoung’s attention and caused her to look towards his direction. Her eyes landed on his chest and she saw nothing. By nothing, it means that she did not saw a wing-shaped pendant that she saw last night.

‘It can’t be a dream. If it was a dream and he did not bring me back then I must be still in the hut.” Minyoung thought. Goddamn, finally she realized the fact.

She shivered as she recalled on how that Tao felt to her. He was so gentle and familiar. Those vibes he gave out felt so right; felt just like her love. However, for this Tao who was right in front of her was so bossy and unfamiliar. He felt just like a stranger to her.

“You are not Tao,” she said as she took a few steps away from him.

“What’s wrong with you? I am Tao. The Huang Zitao that you loved,” Tao continued to lie as he walked towards her.

“No!” Minyoung had her hand in the air and tried to prevent Tao from getting any closer to her, “stop there. You are not him. Finally I realized why you will feel so different from the past. It was not because you reincarnated or lost your memory. It was because you are not him, not at all!” She continued saying as those tears flowed out from her eyes unknowingly.

Damn those tears, why are you guys so free flow? 

“What?” Tao was dumbfounded. How the hell she knew everything?

“Look, I don’t know who you are and why do you look so same to my bae. I too don’t know why you acted like as if you are just him but why did you even lie?” Minyoung retreated few steps back again.

“Pissh..” Tao rolled his eyes and smirked, “I’ve underestimated you.” He continued as he allowed his iris to turn death red.

He glared at her and sent fire daggers into her eyes. “Should I say that, you are smart because you’ve caught me?” he took another step towards Minyoung which caused her to retreat again frantically. “Or should I say that you are dumb because you realized only now?” he continued his footsteps as he spoke.

Minyoung retreated backwards again and again until her back was pressed against the wall. She felt helpless. She could feel that her pupils turned rounder and smaller at that instant. It was just the matter of time before Tao trap her between the wall and himself.

“Actually, you can live longer than you should,” Live longer what did he mean by that? “but, I guess you’ve just shorten your own lifespan huh?” Tao continued as he trailed his fingers across Minyoung's right cheek. That moment Tao was so close, dangerously close to her.

“Why didn’t you allow me to play with you a little longer? You are just starting to get more and more interesting to me but you cut it away. Why are you so cruel?” Tao said as he set his gazes on hers. 

“What do you want? Get away from me you idiot!” Minyoung placed her hands against his chest to push him away as she squirmed in between his traps. How fast did Tao reflex that the next thing Minyoung knew was that she already had her left hand held up against the wall? 

“I want you,” Tao said as he smiled and went on closer to Minyoung right ear.

‘Want me? What kind of want did he mean?’ Fear welled up Minyoung’s stomach as she heard the statement of his. As those hot breaths of Tao were closer to her she thought that it was the end; that she was going to be by him. She struggled and wanted to free herself from his iron grip. “Go away,” tears stung her eyes as she realized how futile all those struggles was.

“I want your..” he paused for a second “soul.” He whispered ily into her ears like he wanted to breathe her in at any second. His words stung and caused Minyoung to swallow her saliva in fear.   

Minyoung thought that she would feel Tao planting romantic kisses onto her earlobes or under it but no, all she felt was a tight grip around her neck. It was just seconds before she felt that her feet had left the ground completely. She struggled as she looked into his crimson red eyes from above. His sclera that was filled with blood vessels scared her off. Vivid green veins began to form on Tao’s neck and that grip was so hard that red marks were starting to print onto Minyoung’s pale skin. Oh well, just how much more strength was he using without the help of the moon?

Minyoung was so choked up because of the lack of oxygen in her lungs. “Let go.. Let go of.. Me..” she said and made weak punches onto his wrist that was strangling her.

“You wished. I’m not going to be like a loser this time. I won’t listen to my feelings anymore; things will end in just seconds. Be good, you won’t feel any pain. I promise,” Tao scoffed and said with all sarcasm. 

‘It’s the end. I’m going to end my life here? What’s worst? I’ve to end my life in the hand of the one who look so much like Zitao? Why is the world so cruel to me?’ Minyoung thought as tears started to spill again.

Cease formed between her brows as her face and lips turned paler. She was slowly losing her physical strength. She could slowly feel that she no longer had the control over her limbs anymore. She did not want to end her life just like this. It was unfair because she did not get a chance to bid her parents a goodbye and see her love once again before she die. She wanted to see him now before she lose all her conscious.    

Zitao where are you? Her mind automatically said when she was near to her last breath. 

A/N: 

Next chapter will be spicy. Stay tune. ☻