Gabriel hung up and Clara was clueless in the street of London.

“Lila, no, Lila… You can’t.” She let out.

Clara’s phone almost fell out of her hand too. Then her mind went blank. Gabriel could hate her she wouldn’t care but Lila was too precious to be lost. Her legs moved by themselves and she ran in the streets until her breath was hurting until her body was painful. She ran until she arrived in front of Lila’s building. There she climbed the stairs the fasted she ever had even with her broken body. She finished her run in front of the flat door number 5. She took back her breath and knocked.

“Lila? Lila you’re in? Lila, open the door!”

On the other side of this door Gabriel was keeping Lila away from the it.

“Let me open it! Look at what you did! I told you not to. Let me go Gabriel! – She screamed.

-Clara needs a lesson. – He told her coldly.

-You don’t understand! You know nothing! Let me go before…

-NO! – Gabriel cut her.”

Lila was frightened and even if Gabriel was a bit surprised by her reaction he didn’t let her go. She needed to open that door before it’s too late…

“Lila! Lila! Please Lila!”

Clara was knocking frenetically the door. Lila was too precious, Lila knew everything. Lila was the only one who could understand her, who could be with her when crisis happened. Lila was the only one who knew.

“Open that door! Open it! I’m begging you! I’m sorry! I don’t why but I’m sorry, okay? LILA!!”

The red hair girl was fighting with Gabriel but he was stronger. She could hear her friend sobbing, begging but was helpless and her flat mate wouldn’t hear anything. He was even smiling at what he was doing.

Suddenly the loud sound on the door stopped and Gabriel seemed satisfied.

“Great! See she learned something new today. – He almost sang to Lila.

-I’m not sure – Said Lila with a trembling voice”

Silence evaded the room until a shrill scream broke it. Gabriel jumped of fear but Lila didn’t.

“What’s that? It scared me! – Yelled the red hair boy.

-Clara – Lila answered calmly. – I knew it…”

The knocking sounds were echoing in Clara’s head, they were echoing in her painful past…

*~*

 The day she went back to school after a month of isolation and mutism wasn’t really what she expected.

“Why only you?”

 “Why you and not my friend?”

 “You should be dead like the others, it’s not fair”

Those were the whispers behind her back.  Everyone hated her because she survived. Why was it unfair? Why did she survive and not die? She didn’t know either. It wasn’t her fault after all. Her friends were there, her friends died in front of her eyes. She was just a little girl., she was scared, she couldn’t do anything.

“The teacher sacrificed herself to save you. I always knew you were her favorite but why?”

“Give me back my son!”

“Why didn’t you run out to alert the school?”

Those were what all the mothers were saying at the only 8 years old girl. She was hated because she lived. Wasn’t it a paradox?

She had been transfer in a new class but no one was talking to her. When she opened to answer the teacher everyone was laughing at her. She was ignored, laughed at, and hated. What was her crime? What justified all this hate?

One day an elder student pushed her in the corridor and blocked her beside a wall.

“Why are you doing that? – She asked

-Because you deserve it. Why are you still breathing while my brother doesn’t anymore? You know what my mom told me?

-… Wh… what?

-That some of them could have survived. You could have saved some of them but you hide like a coward.”

His eyes set on Clara scared her. She could see what hell surely looked like. He expected her to be hero, but she wasn’t aware of what was happening before it was too late.

“I… - She tried to argue.

-Don’t talk with your ugly mouth. – He said while slapping her lips – My little brother died BECAUSE of you! He would have lived if the doctors came earlier!

-…

-Yes just shut up! Never talk anymore!”

The he left her there with all the guilt falling over her shoulders. “He could have live…” she repeated in a murmur.

The day after and even after, she hide in the smallest space of her home, into the shoes cupboard, ashamed to go to school. Her mother was knocking furiously on that door for her to open. It was scaring the already frightened girl, resulting in her screaming until her mother went to the father. Her father would found the key and opened the door from the outside and found his daughter all curled up covering her ears crying, screaming and trembling like no tomorrow. But the last day the mom pushed him and dragged Clara out.

“Stop screaming! I beg you stop that! – Her mother was shaking her like a baby toy – Stop screaming!! I’m tired! Mom is tired! Do you understand!? I can’t anymore! I’m going crazy! Just. Go. To. School!”

But Clara couldn’t calm done. She needed someone to tell her that it was alright, that she was secured, that she was loved but no one offered her this and she was alone in her fear. Even her mother was giving her up. What did she do that was so horrible? She was crying but she had no more tears to afford.

Her mother stood up and looked at with the same eyes than the boy at school, making Clara falls backward. She stayed like this few minutes; Clara thought that her mom would slap her.

“Mom! Please don’t do pain to big sister!”

Her little brother no bigger than 3 apples saved her, while hugging her.

“No cry. Am here sister. Gonna be ok”

With his poor vocabulary he was trying to comfort her. He was showing her the warmth of the family. This made her heart calm down a bit. She looked at her mother still furious at her. She wasn’t saying a word but Clara knew what her thoughts were.

“Mom”

She looked disgusted by Clara’s call. “Don’t touch me! Let me free!”

Clara who was walking to her stopped in the middle. The last memory she had of her mother was her back, her back leaving the house with only her blue coat and her handbag. This coat she loved and played with to play mother and father with her little brother.

*~*

“You should have let me open! – Lila said angrily to her flat mate.

-What happened? What is it?”

Gabriel was shocked and Lila took profit of this state to rush to the door. She opened it and there she found her friend squat in ball covering her ears, screaming of fear.

Clara could hear the scream of her mother again. She could hear her strong knocking. She could hear all the hates toward her. She could see all the faces of the students laughing at her, blaming her.

“Clara! Clara calm down. Clara it’s Lila. – She said while doing a sudden hug.

Clara was crying trembling between her arms.

“It’s ok Clara, it’s not your fault. It wasn’t your fault…”

Clara grabbed Lila’s arms and cried in her arms.

“Let’s go inside.”

The writer helped her friend to stand up and sat her at a kitchen chair. She took a plastic glass and poured water inside.

“Here, drink a bit.”

She knew her friend wasn’t back from the past and it was dangerous.

Clara took the glass and looked at the wall in front of her with empty eyes. Gabriel who had witness all approached the girl he loved slowly and worried. He softly touched her shoulder to show comfort. Lila who was in her room doing the bed didn’t see him walking to her and when she came back it was too late.

“Gabriel no!”

Clara saw the face of the big brother losing his sibling and his hell look. She saw back how he evilly laughed at her when he walked away; she remembered how he threatened her days after. How he bullied her for something she couldn’t have do anyway. She suddenly stood up and threw the glass on the wall in front, splashing water all around.

“It’s not my fault! It’s not! It can… not…” She cried then fell on her knees missing the table only by miracle.

“Gabriel – whispered Lila to him – just stay in your room, please. Come Clara, come with me.

-It’s not my fault, right…

-No it’s not. It was never. You need to rest cupcake. Come.”

Clara stood up and followed her friend in her room. This room was a bedroom and an office where she was writing and doing her researchs for her books. There was only one window covered by dark curtains, Lila was writing better in the dark. Next to the window a wardrobe which was hiding a desk and several shelfs full of books and trinkets.  The one place bed was on the opposite wall, parallel with the window. On the floor many soft toys were used as ornaments. They were the memory of her happy childhood.

Lila sat the brown hair girl on her bed and sat next to her.

“Lila…

-Yes Clara?

-I’m sorry.

-You should rest. Go sleep. You didn’t have a proper sleep since a while now. I’m guarding you don’t worry.

-I am so sorry my friend – She said while lying done.”

Clara didn’t hear her friend answer since she fell asleep as soon as her head met the pillow. Lila covered her and went out. There she almost stepped on her mate.

“Oh my god! Gabriel you scared me.

-What’s wrong with Clara? – He questioned without even looking at her.

-I can’t tell you.

-You’re not going to tell me? Me, your old friend?”

The word friend hurt her but she walked in the room as if she wasn’t. She took the glass on the floor and whipped the water away.

“Yes even though you’re my… friend. But this is the reason why I had only plastic glasses when I moved to live with you. You got at least an answer to your old question.

-So you know this since long ago and you still didn’t tell me anything? – Gab was getting angry and jealous.

-Since the first day I met her. This is the reason why she accepted me as friend when she was avoiding all contact. Now if you would excuse me, I’m going to stay with her.

-No, no, no, no. Oh no you’re not going back WITHOUT telling me. – He was truly jealous and furious now.

-I can’t Gabriel!”

Clara was living something hard but he wasn’t aware of it? And more it wasn’t the first time? What Lila knew but never told him? It was a betraying! Him who stayed with her and protected her when they were children. He knew everything about Clara, he even investigate her family and knew everyone and every happening. Present, past all. Why wasn’t he aware of Clara sickness? This wasn’t possible. He needed to know! He grabbed Lila’s wrist strongly when she passed next to him.

“You TELL ME NOW!”

Lila swallowed hardly, her old friend was scary, he was someone she never met before. He was hurting her without any regrets, he was scary as hell.

“What happened to you?”

After days with no signs of Clara, Key got worried. Maybe that man named Gabriel did something to her? He brought the book everywhere with him just in case it would open a bridge again. But the book stayed close and silent.

Tired of waiting for both, Clara and the book, he decided then to meet that shaman he met a month ago. After the comeback performance at Mnet he told his team and his manager that he wanted to go home directly before the next appointment. He rushed out and took a taxi.

“Aren’t you… - The driver started.

-No, I’m not, bring me there. – Kibum cut him giving him a paper with the address.

The driver apologized and drove him to the shaman place.

“Thank you. – Kibum said while giving him more money than needed.

-Sir, your change?

-Keep it. Do a present to your daughter.”

He smiled and left after a last look at the family picture on the car board. Once out he faced that old building again and sighed with the book in his hand then entered.

“Kim Kibum, sit, I was waiting for you. Want some tea?”

He sighed a second time.

“Then can you help me? No tea thanks. – He responded

-It’s going to be full moon soon, right? – She questioned back.

-Eh?

-Take these. Give one to Clara before it happens. Limbs travels can be dangerous as inside a maze. You can lose yourself.”

She gave him two bracelets that looked really old. They were made of white and red jade. Once inside Kibum’s hand, the red one shined brightly.

“Red chose you. Wear it. Never leave it. It’s going to be your only shield against the limb dust.

-O..kay, but what about…

-The book? I don’t know. You should be the one knowing what opens it or how to open it.

-Don’t you have any idea?

-Just ask your…”

Suddenly the atmosphere became cold and her voice changed, followed then by her eyes changing to pure white and her lips to bloody red. She murmured thing in an unknown language and the room changed into a Londoner landscape.

“Where, where are we?”

The teller didn’t answer him because she wasn’t there. He was alone in the middle of nowhere. A man of about 50 years old passed by him. He was looking down only avoiding every eye contacts.

“Excuse me, where am I?         

-Center of London. I have some urgent matter so bye.”

That man strangely walked away almost running as if he was doing some stressful errand. It intrigued Kibum but something more important was knocking in his mind. He was in London. Why was he in London? What had this place to do with his question? He turned around and the landscape disappeared letting the red velvet room come back.

“What happened? – He yelled

-What did you see? – She returned the question to him while grabbing his shoulders.

-London… - He said surprised

-And that’s all? – You could clearly hear fear in her voice.

-Well yes… By the way why London?

-I felt danger. Kim Kibum you need to protect Clara! Find your key, and protect her. She is in danger!”

The old lady pushed him out as if she chasing some demon.

“What danger? Tell me!

-You saw it. That’s the reason you were there. Go out now.”

Kibum walked out clueless about what happened and without answer about his book.

“I knew it would be strange. I shouldn’t have come.” He rolled his eyes. Then took another taxi and went to the next SHINee appointment.

“Sorry guys I’m late. Let’s rehearse.”

They all looked at him angry. He was different and since a long time now.

At the end of the recording, they all blocked him in the restroom and questioned him.

“Okay, okay, I’m telling you but please, you have to trust me. Because this is only the strange truth.”

Key told s all the story and they fell on the sofas.

“So you have a time-to-time girlfriend. – Concluded Minho

-It’s not my girlfriend – Key answered surprised by this conclusion.

-Well, sorry, but the way you’re talking about Clara sounds like Jinki talking about Adelina. – teased Jonghyun.

-It’s not! We aren’t a couple – Key defended.

-The teller told you it was your soulmate – said Taemin.

-It doesn’t mean we are a couple! And I think she already has someone… - He said lowering his voice as he was talking.

-Oh Kibum, are you disappointed? – Teased Minho.”

Key sighed. It was a lost war with them.

“What danger by the way? – Asked Adelina from the back.

-I don’t know…”

Ham Seong Jin woke up from a deep coma after 5 years. At that moment he had lost most of his abilities. He had even lost part of his memory. Thanks to his family and girlfriend he recovered almost totally his abilities but his way of walking never get back to what it was before.

After another 5 years he was able to live by himself again. He got a job back in a small kindergarten and loved his new life. He always thought that this second chance was a gift from god. He therefore tried to enjoy it as much as possible. He married his girlfriend, became father and upgraded his social status.

But one day everything crumbled. He was watching the TV news, as always, and they showed some anniversary event reports. One of them was about a school tragedy. At first he was shocked by the horrible images of all the small bodies on the floor but when he saw the picture of the only survivor his memory came back.

All the rage he had that day, all the pain that was filling his heart, how he felt the need to do so, how he shot his heart to end it. Everything came back.

“Honey, are you alright? – asked his wife worried.

-Do they know who did this?

-Why? – She knew the whole story and always wished it’d stayed hidden in his brain.

-No, nothing.”

From this day he became choleric. He was never spending time with his family, always busy in his garden’s hut. He was always stressed and absent minded. At a point that his wife asked for divorce, tired of all his secrets.

Ham Seong Jin ended alone blaming the entire world for it, blaming that survivor.

It was her fault. It was like the first time because he was looking for her. Because of her everything was falling apart a second time. It was her. She was the origin of his misery. He looked for her for another 5 years; he needed to get rid of his bad luck generator.

Finally he found her, he found her address and soon he would be safe again.

He wore the most casual clothes and a black cap. He took his best kitchen knife and hide it in the pocket of his trench coat.  He walked and took the subways in direction of that girl’s house. Soeng Jin was unnoticed until a young man stopped him.

“Excuse me, where am I?”

What was that question? This young man looked a bit too clean to be drunk.

-Center of London. I have some urgent matter so bye.”

He needed to talk the less, to be as invisible as possible, so he rushed far away from him. He looked up and found himself in front of his target tenant. He looked at the doorbells to be sure it was the right one. There he found what he was looking for “Clara Adams”. He smirked and waited for someone to come out. After an hour, some girls got out laughing; he caught the door before it closed as they walked away. He climbed the stairs knowing there weren’t video cameras contrary to the guarded lift.

Then he reached the good floor and ended in front of her flat door. He took the knife from inside his pocket and took a long breath. He closed his eyes and visualized how he’ll kill her and how he’ll hide her body after. His peaceful future was near.

He smiled thinking of this and opened the door…  

Hi guys!! 

Yes finally the new chapter !! I know there isn't any romantic moment T_T 

But some danger is coming!! Why was Clara the cause of the first killing? How did Seong Jin survived?

Why isn't he in prison? 

Too many question with no answer x)

There's one more though: Will Key be able to save Clara?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 

Love, comment and subscibe ^^ 

With love, 

Lexie