CHAPTER 24     I close my eyes as I fall deeper and deeper into the abyss…   I’m sorry Sica…   … … …   … … …   … … …   … … …   … … …   … … …     Twinggggggg   But… “huh?” my freefall stopped, What? Why?!   And as I looked up, I saw my wrist held up by a messily made knot, stucked to a corner of broken glass by a dark green scarf…     The one sica wore the first time she vanished…   Sica…   Even here she comes and saves me from ruin…    Tsk… I’m really a pabo.     Embarrased with my actions and with newfound determination, bit by bit I pulled myself up the piece of fabric, not minding the cuts “AHHH!!!” I get in clutching the remains of the glass steps, I hoisted myself up into the thick surface and breathe a sign of relief I can still continue on the remaining half of the flight of stairs.      “Ha… hah… Haaahhh…”           “Ha… hah… Haaahhh…”   “Ha… hah… Haaahhh…”     that was close…   Thank you Sica, I’m sorry for being confused for a second there… Wait for me! I’m coming to get you!     With a more focused mind I continued to tread carefully over the glass staircase, body wounded and bleeding, a mixture of sweat and blood damping my torn up clothes. Trembling a bit from the agony screaming all over me, I can’t say I never thought of just giving up and asking Sunny-ssi to take me back… but… if I was going back without Sica by my side… then might as well drain myself dead and dry on her world right?   Why was I so stupid to forget that?   With bloodied hands, I wiped tears off my face, staining it instead with a crimson smear… I’m really really sorry Sica…         Finally after a long arduous journey I reached the top…   One last step…   “Hahh… Oh My God… That was harsh… Damn at last!!! Where’s Sica-”       “Yoah Buddy!”   “Huh?”   What now… Yuri?   “What are you doing here Taeng? Sica your “Sister”, jeez you’re one sneaky monkey you know that?!, isn’t here”   “What?! What do you mean Yuri…?”   “What I meant to say is, seriously loving someone is a waste! Take for example my family situation at home! TSK… see, even look behind you!”   Behind me?   I turned my head and saw no more staircases in sight… all became shattered the moment I reached here…   “What?! But… But-But!!! I couldn’t have crossed to here otherwise?!”   “That’s what I’m trying to say buddy… In the end, when you wake up, after all your hard work, everything, every emotion invested, every moment spent, everything VANISHES just like that, and you’re left with nothing but cuts, drained over and hurt”   “Sigh… so what do you say Taeng? Come; let’s go back and just enjoy video games and-“   “But… Yuri…” I said removing a piece of shard on my side, “Ouch…” biting my lower lips and immediately pressing on the cut right after, trying to control the bleeding.     “That’s right… I have cuts and pain all over, BUT I could come here… I wouldn’t otherwise if I wasn’t in love… if she didn’t love me…   The energy, the blood that flows through me is controlled by that little pace maker here… inside… and it wouldn’t beat this much, this strong, without love.   Without Sica…   Loving is not a waste Yuri… It gives me strength and hope to move on. Because she’s there on the other side. My heart calls for her because SHE’s the other side, the other side of my heart.”   “Huh? Pssshhh you dumbooo---“ And she pixelize and vanishes just like that…   ?!   Was this also… a challenge I had to overcome?   I don’t understand…     “Yuri?! Yah!!! What’s happening here?!”   “It’s exactly like that Taeyeon” Huh?! Miss acio- I mean! Sunny-ssi!   “This place is… since it’s built up on your data, it also projects illusions that your weak mind created. They were the doubts that you have in your heart asking you to run away…”   “But… Good Job Tae~! Whoooopy!~ (Damn from serious to sugar rushed! Again, this Sunny-ssi is really more bipolar than Sica could ever be!) Hihi You could get here without taking the easy way! I was rooting for you, you know! Pout!   This is proof that your feelings for Jessica are really true…   and for that I’m proud of you…” and without an aegyo Sunny-ssi beamed me a smile, a simple smile, but something that felt so sincere, it seemed to cheer me up, lighting a fire of hope inside of me.   Thank you Sunny-ssi! For believing in me!   “So what are you waiting for you litte cub?! Go ahead and get your girl! To that beacon young Simba!” She said, looking like Napoleon Boneparte (She certainly is the size for it too, not that I’m any different Pooh!) leading its warriors, pointing at the direction up north.   Simba?!   “Go you little cub!!!”   Little CUB?!   Wait… What the?! I look at her and she’s still passionately pointing, legs in a lunging position.   Sunny-ssi can also get so weird…   Well whatever, gotta get to Sica first!   “Ah! Okay! Thanks Sunny-ssi for the directions!” I ran towards the said direction, limping slightly at each step, sometimes dragging my feet… Ouch! Tsk… It’s still bleeding…       Meanwhile… after Taeyeon goes a little way off…   “GASP! Oh shoot…!!! I got so into the part I forgot to mention to Taeyeon that getting TO Jessica is one thing, but getting her OUT of it is another… Oops.”             “SICCAAAAAAAA!!!!!”           “SICCAAAAAAAA!!!!!”   “SICCAAAAAAAA!!!!!”   “WHERE ARE YOU SICAA-!!!!!”   GASP!!!! SICAAAA!!!!!     In front of me was a 15 feet vertical structure made out of metal, wires and aluminum tubes, several monitors clamped into it, continuosly booting and reboothing emiting a faint red glow; Sica in her original Video Girl outfit in the middle of it.   “SICCCCAAAAAA!!!!!”   “Huh…?! TAENGOO!! What are you-?!”   “I’ve come here to save you! Just wait a bit as I remove you from ther-“     “Giggling… PShhh… really a Pabo as ever… do you even know how to?”   Ugh… I froze in place, scratching the back of my neck…   Actuallyyyyyyyyy no…   “Ugh… Actually no… ha…ha…ha I was so excited sorry! So how do I?”   “Hi… hi… Really, my dorky half-sister of the mermaid’s prince… that plug behind my back? See that purple one…? Unplug that quickly before it completely eats away my energy…”   “GASP?! OKAY! OH MY DOOKONG!! Just wait, THAT one right?!” I said jumping over a duct the size of a fallen tree, hurriedly moving towards the said plug.   “Yeah… that one… I’m sorry Taengoo… My power is being away by this machine so I can’t really move…”   “It’s okay Sica, just wait, I just have to unplug it right?! That’s easy- PAK!   WHATATTATATTTT Oumfff Oummmfff Gasp!!! Gasp!!!”   “KYAAAAA!!!!!!” while I was walking, over the octopus-like contraptions, I stepped over an orange coloured tube and rapidly the whole thing came to li