[CONTENTID1] Chapter 18 [/CONTENTID1] 

[CONTENTID2] Only in the darkness can you see the stars. [/CONTENTID2] 

[CONTENTID3]  MARTIN LUTHER KING  [/CONTENTID3] 

[CONTENTID4] 

Thud, thud, thud, the soles at the bottom of her shoes made some rhythmic pattern along the clear, hard ground along the corridors, leading her towards her dorm. She barely took any notice where she was going anymore, not like she cared anyway.  

Her head felt ever so heavy as she strolled like a pathetic zombie, her eyelids fluttering as tears dampened the corner of her eyes.  

“ It’s better if you break the connection. “  

Her father’s words sliced through her brain in repeated flashbacks. 

“ Before it’s too late and gets too hard. “  

Cold air bite around her body, sending a wave of shivers down her spine as she paced past a window. The moon is round and clear tonight, it’s light shining like a soft silky curtain that spread upon everywhere it touches. This heavenly light would normally symbolise peace, harmony and freedom but tonight, it felt like devastation and desperation.  

Chaeyoung looked for a source of hope, a spark of idea that may turn the tides, anything just to make this situation even only remotely better, but what is there to do? What can she do?  

“ It’s better for that person as well, you have to do it. “ 

Not paying attention, she suddenly bumped into something hard as a pair of black shoes came into her view, she didn’t even have time to react as she looked up and stared into a pair of glossy, clear eyes. Pair of eyes she would now fear to look at, and completely avoid, out of everyone in the school it just had to be Jeong Jaehyun standing steadily right in front of her, towering over her slumping self and staring straight into her soul.  

Chaeyoung took two steps back in shock as she swallowed hard, feeling the intense burn in her dry throat that had waken every single part of her body. She broke the eye contact immediately, looking down again and remained silent.  

“ It’s been a long time since we last talked properly, Chaeyoung. “ Jaehyun was the first one to finally speak up, breaking the extremely uncomfortable atmosphere. 

“ You knew about this... you knew ages ago, and you didn’t tell me? “ Chaeyoung whispered, her voice breaking a little every time she speaks. Trying to calm herself down but at the same time struggling to breath. “ You kept this a secret from me every time we see each other? How could you Jaehyun? “ She finally looked into his eyes again, her own tears filled; glistening eyes came in contact with a pair of stone-cold eyes.  

“ So your father had already told you everything. “ He answered coldly, not even a trace of emotions in his voice. His eyes are fixed on her but it was dull and dark, “ So be it, Chaeyoung. Don’t be childish. You would know it eventually, your father said himself that he’ll explain everything to you sooner or later. “  

Utter shock would still be an underestimate of the emotions she’s feeling right now. The Jaehyun she’d known for all these years are nothing like this, it’s like the person standing in front of her is a complete stranger. He’s currently giving off a total opposite persona to the Jaehyun she’d last spoken to before she came to this school. His voice ever so monotone and his expression blank. 

What happened?  

Chaeyoung tries to look, searching for the old Jaehyun desperately, trying to look for a single piece of evidence that he might be joking, just a stupid little prank, but there was nothing.  

“ Why are you talking like this? “ She pressed down the anxiety and fear running though her blood as she tried to stare at him bravely, completely oblivious to the dangerous glint now taking over his eyes. 

Jaehyun didn’t respond, he slowly took a few steps forward while Chaeyoung backed down, looking at him in bewilderment as her back finally pressed against the cold wall, his arm stretched against the wall beside her head while his face gradually got closer and closer. He whispered beside her ear, no sense of distance whatsoever.  

“ Accept it Chaeyoung. That’s your future. I mean, that’s our future. You will marry me as soon as we graduate from the Magisterium. “ Every word stabbing her like a knife going over fresh wounds.  

She violently pushed his arm away as her expressions darkened, she began to pace away quickly but stopped when he opened his mouth again: “ Remember to break any romantic relationship strings if you’ve got any, now that you are my fiancé. “  

Chaeyoung shook both physically and internally after hearing those words, the strange word fiancé trapped her like a stupid prisoner behind filthy bars. Unwillingly, she turned around and approached Jaehyun again, this time staring firmly into his eyes with her raging ones. 

“ Jaehyun please. I know you can change this entire situation, please talk to your father and break this stupid marriage contract; we don’t have feelings for each other and I’m sure you don’t want to spend the rest of your life stuck with me. “  

The boy returned her pleadings with a disgusting smirk: “ Don’t just put random assumptions on me Chaeyoung, I completely agree to this marriage because I know it benefits my father, therefore benefits my family. If you think it’s that easy to convin