He stopped so suddenly in front of me that I crashed into his back and stumbled together across the dirty concrete floor. The pain throbbing from my previously shot arm caused a groan to escape my careful lips. The unresponsible man entwined his fingers with mine then gave my hand a gent tug. Nodding understandingly, we forced ourselves up and dashed off before anyone could spot us in the vulnerable state.

Tired, like hell but someone was after us and that someone didn't wan't us to escape this abandoned factory alive. We were running for our lives. The road to freedom seemed so far away for the two of us but we couldn't give up. With the girl stamina I possesed, the strength I had left was at a very crictical level so I slowed down a bit. His grip on my hand tightened as he pulled me closer to match his tracks but I just couldn't. Hope was gone and the thought of dying that very moment didn't look so bad.

We turned at dead ends, smashed the blocked windows, kicked every door we could find and still failed to find a way out of this nightmare. Exhausted, we hid behind one of the huge factory machines.

"I don't think I can take it anymore.." I whined between desperate gasps for air.

Caressing my scarred cheek with his own injured hand, "We have to run. You can't give up. I'll protect you even if it meant..." 

I cut him off by placing my forefinger on his lips,"Don't...don't say that. Anything but that.."

I forced a smile on my lips in an effort to hold back the hot tears forming in my eyes.

A sigh came out of his lips,"Look, Keira. I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.." 

I looked at him into those fierce eyes of his,"It's okay. You did nothing wrong" .

Guilt was clear enough to see within those two black pools of ice and the reason remained a mystery to me. Silence trimphed as seconds passed without any of us saying a word to each other. Words were labelled as suicide in the deadly situation we were trapped in. Then, he slowly leaned in, whispered an 'i love you' and pressed his lips against mine ever so gently. 

The tear I was trying so hard to hold back trickled down my cheek as the kiss went deeper. Every second I had to self deny the fact that we had zero chance of getting out of here with our souls intact. Pressure pushed down on me so mercilessly, when will this ever stop? We closed our eyes, together installing hope into each other.

"Come out, come out wherever you are !!" The voiced we never wanted to hear for the rest of our lives boomed into our disgusted eardrums. He broke the kiss almost immediately and grabbed hold of my hand. 

"Shhhh..."

This time it was my turn to tightened my grip onto his hand as constant chills rode down my tired body. I was afraid of what could happen to me and the man I loved with all my heart. He felt my trembeling hands and whispered under his slowest breath,"It's gonna be okay.." But he's a bad liar, I could detect his fear just by looking at his worry stained face. 

He was just about to pull me off somewhere safer when one of the voice's men caught me by the neck, almost choking me. With a satisfied smirk, he said,"Gotcha!"

"Keira!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he lunged forward in an attack towards the wretched man but he was quite small compared to the man's huge and bulky body. The man punched the poor guy in the face and sent him flying towards another huge but broken machine. He crashed brutally into the machine, denting the hardcore metal.

He struggled to get back on his feet but I had to stop him before he gets hurt again,"Don't! Go save yourself!"

The man wrapped his arms tighter around my hostage neck, probably to silence me but it could never stop my flaming anger after he just injured the guy I loved so much.

"How sweet.. This adds the fun when I let you watch as I kill your precious boyfriend." The owner of the menacing voice finally showed himself up and took a step closer towards me.

I screamed for freedom,"Let us go Kim Himchan!!"

He cupped my cheeks and shot a hateful glare,"He didn't tell you why he dated you in first place, did he?"

I glared back and mustered all the strength I had left into a powerful bite into his dirty hand. He let me go and yowled in great pain as blood rushed out of the wound. Provoked, he laid a slap onto my face causing me to face the ground. I smirked in satisfaction although my cheek stung with heat. Then, he walked casually towards the helpless man lying on the floor. Without a sense of gulit, he sent a furious kick into his empty stomach. Dark red liquid sprayed out of his mouth.

"Yongguk!!" I yelled and struggled harder out of the man's grasp but he didn't give up either.

The violent show Himchan put up sparked something from inside of me but I managed to control it. "Ugh..." I groaned in pain as a drop of crimson red blood escaped my lips. My vision was starting darken when the grasp of the man having me hostage disappeared sudden and replaced by a warm embrace. A hot breath brushed my neck. 

"Breathe, Keira.. breathe slowly.." A deep voice pierced into my ears. Once again, he managed to install another safe feeling inside me with a simple touch of his. He used a thumb to wipe off the blood on my chin before it stains another part of my face and made me forget about the real situation we were in. He edged his face closer to mine and locked his black eyes with mine, parting his lips to say,"I love y---"

BAM! A gunshot bounced off the dirty walls of the abandoned factory. Yongguk's eyes widened in an instant while his body shook uncontrollably. The simple white shirt he had on from the first day we were kidnapped absorbed the dark red liquid in a very fast speed. 

Despite the bullet nested in his bleeding stoamch, he struggled the mutter his last words to me,"Keira...I-i.. ughhh... I l-l-love you. Remember that, okay?" He rested his dying body against mine, coughing up more blood every ticking second. I was paralysed, I couldn't cry. 

He used my shoulders as a boost and forced himself on his feet once again. Step by step, he limped his way closer towards the person who shot him from behind. Smirking, he voiced,"You know what, Himchan? I don't care if I die now.. 'cause I know you will to.." His words threatened the armed guy so he shot countless bullets at the already injured Yongguk. One pierced his shoulder, another resulted a hole in his hip and the last one scratched his face. He couldn't take the pain and fell, defeated.

Realizing what just happened to Yongguk, I shrieked as he fell to the ground. "Yongguk! No!" I shot up and ran for the bleeding body of the man I loved. I kneeled next to him and rested his head on my lap, sensing for any possible sound, movement, anything. Anything that could me believe he was alive. To my relief, he lifted his hand up and placed a thumb at the corner of my right eye as if he was expecting a tear for him to wipe off. Opening his blood stained mouth, he voiced ever so painfully,"Kei.. Keira..."

"Shut up! Shut up!" I yelled out of a sudden and cut him off, shaking my head in denial to the grim reaper's arrival. A tear dropped onto his cheeks as his lips curved into the fake smile he always wore since we were kidnapped. Truth be told, I felt like slapping him so hard.

"It's okay... " he muttered. "You'll be okay, believe me."

"But---"

"Shhh... you love me, right?" 

I nodded slowly, holding his weakening hand against my face,"I love you, Bang Yongguk and no one else!" For one last time, he entwined his fingers with mine and kept his smile. One, two, three seconds passed and the hand finally lost its grip. I watched as it fell to the ground. The few moments were quiet but I couldn't give up just yet.

I gripped his wrist, hoping for the weakest pulse. Nothing, still nothing. "Yongguk, please. Not yet..." My voice creaked helplessly as tears started to pool up again,"You can't be..." In the end, I pulled him into an embrace and dived my face into his bloody chest. I sobbed and wept as it was the only thing I could do that moment, nothing could save him then. Bang Yongguk was dead.

You knew this would happen, Keira..

The nightmare that haunted me one night before the day we were kidnapped was now a reality I had to face. I never told him about that, I just couldn't let him know that his own death was near, my own boyfriend. He was the guy that took my hand when all the others deserted me. The abandoned factory was booming with my pathetic wails.

I was right, I'm always right. 

"Cut the drama will you?!" Himchan stepped up from behind and butted in shamelessly. He killed the only person I had in this world and he dared to mess me with me again? I spun a leg across the floor, knocking the murderer down as I wept my tear drenched face. I got up to my feet, the wobbling didn't help much and glared at him.

"He's dead already!" Himchan snapped with his gun occupying me while trying to get up from the blood-stained concrete floor. As armless as I was, he was satisfied with the fact that I could do nothing to him. His insane cackling started horrifyingly and said,"Now, do as I say and this bullet won't go through that thick skull of yours."

Keira, let me out. I'll take care of him, you know I can.

A powerful energy invaded my veins, flowing so rapidly. The energy I was holding back for the last few minutes which was completely useless. If I had gained my senses sooner enough, Yongguk wouldn't have to face death. It was all my fault, I could have stopped it from happening. Why did I had to deny the vision? She was always right, how could I have doubted her? At last, I surrendered myself in the fight for dominance.

Believe me, you won't regret this.

I looked up and pierced his eyes,"Shut up, Himchan." 

Detecting a shadow of fear behind those evil pair of eyes, I smirked and walked towards him. He took a step back and pointed his gun straight at me as his arms shook with angst. "Don't.. don't move!" He screamed. Keeping our eyes locked, I advanced further without taking a heed to his warning. "I told you. Stop!" Another bullet was fired but as I expected, it failed to hit its target. Instead, it flew right past me, slightly cutting my short hair.

"Why shoot so soon? Scared already?" I smirked in satisfaction to see the killer losing himself right in front of me. His face then darkened with fury, obviously provoked with that simple taunt. Getting himself back into his little game, his lips curved into a smile and said,"You're mine now, Keira and your boyfriend isn't here to save you. He never loved you anyway, freak. Oh wait, I forgot, you're not Keira, are you?"

His words sent a sensational tingle throughout my body, not that I was thinking he didn't notice the fact that Keira was long gone for the moment. I admired his guts, challenging someone like me in a very interesting way. It was always these kind of people that I enjoy as they were not easy to manipulate like the others.

I laughed in response,"Haha.. Good to know that you are aware of my existence, Kim Himchan. Shall we start the game now?"

His expression was unreadable but by the looks of it, he wasn't in the mood for playing with me,"I don't play games. What should I call you,hmm?"

"Aww.. that's too bad. It's been a long time since I had any fun." I started walking towards him again,"I always liked the name Scarlet instead of Keira. It kind of reminds me of blood." I said, trailing a finger on the cold metal surface of a pipe before pulling it off the system. Focusing my energy into the metal, the pipe reformed itself into a deadly blade. 

I touched its edge with a finger, cutting my own flesh. Blood from my cut finger dripped down the sword and finally stained the floor. Drop by drop. I knew I was getting a little too dramatic but it wasn't every day that I could show off. 

"You don't want to anger me, Scarlet.." He said, backing away a bit but still held on to his cold expression.

I smirked, ignoring the guy's warning for the second time,"You neither. I do want to see your worth, bu not now. Just for Keira, what do you mean by Yongguk not loving her?" His previous words shot an arrow into the girl's heart but I didn't know how she felt because unlike her, I was heartless. I couldn't even describe it. I would not deny how I longed for a heart like hers. That was why I invaded her body, to gain a little warmth from her big heart.

"I didn't know someone like you has a soft spot." he said with a smug.

I responded with a small smile,"I'm considering it as a rent to my hostess. I like her, you know." Then, seriousness made its way into my face as I continued,"Enough chit chat, it's getting boring. Now, tell me before this sword strikes your chest."

"You want the truth? You surrender then I'll talk."

Rolling my eyes, I said,"Whatever." I dropped the blade and put my hands up. The typical code for defeat and as the bad guy, Himchan understood it very well. Actually, the truth was insignificant to me but living a part of my life with Keira, I couldn't help guessing how sad it is to lose the only person you in your life. Her own family threw her out, her friends abandoned her and people ignored her. Yongguk was the only person who held his hand out for her. It was all my fault, really. I was the reason people called her a freak and this was my way of apologizing for her loss of everything.

He twirled his gun with a glint in his eyes as he won the game,"I sent him for her. Dating her and making her fall in love with him is something that can trigger the real her inside. You know what I want,right? I want you to control, the power that decided to nest inside her body. Why didn't you choose someone better, like me? He's a useless liar but look at how close I am to owning you."

I couldn't help blurting,"You monster..."

He chuckled,"Look who's talking.."

"I don't think he's a liar though. A traitor, yes. But he's leaning to the good side, that's for sure." I voiced out an opinion. 

Arching his eyebrow, he said,"So, you really believe in his love for that freak? I mean, who would ever love someone as dangerous as her?"

Enraged, I dashed forward and grabbed him by his collars,"Keira is not a freak and she's not dangerous! I'm dangerous! You hear me?" I yelled into his face and threw his body away. Grabbing his only chance, he shot me in the shoulder before his head hit the concrete floor. But, pain was nothing to me but I had to avoid as many injuries as I could because Keira could feel pain when I couldn't. She was the owner of this body and I had to respect that.

"I told you don't want me mad.." He smirked on his way up. "So, which is it Scar? Join me, or him." He said while averting his glance towards the lifeless body on the floor. I followed his eyes and only stared at Yongguk's carcass. 

How do you feel, dear? What does love make you feel?

Himchan was getting on my nerves so I crossed my arms and spat,"I'm not in the mood for joining anyone. It's my life." I turned around and walked away. As stupid as it was, I hated the guy's smug face. Although entertaining, I was already bored of him. 

Clenching his fists, Himchan yelled,"You agreed to surrender!"

"I never keep promises." I retorted lazily.

Click! The sound of a gun's opening safety lock pricked my ears. Damn, I forgot about the gun. The thought crossed my mind at the worst possible moment. Still on my steps, I focused my ears for the sound of a gunshot that was sure to be heard. Himchan let out a chuckle,"You asked for it." At one point, the bullet escaped the gun.

I didn't  have the time to dodge  the bullet as it pierced my back, went through my heart and finally came out of my chest. Blood sprayed out of the recently made hole, soaking my shirt. I gripped the wound slightly to lessen my bleeding but it didn't help. "Ugh.." I covered my mouth with another hand as blood spurted out of my mouth and losing to gravity, I fell to the ground.

A stream of crimson liquid from my chest trailed its way to Yongguk's face. I looked up and gazed into his face, just for Keira for it would be her last. It was painless but death was something even I couldn't avoid because I was just borrowing someone's body. It was God's law and there was nothing I could do to change that. 

Then, a heavy foot laid its weight on my bleeding chest,"Surrender now." I widened my eyes in rage and disbelief. I was on the verge of death and he still tried to make an alliance with a traitor like me, is he that stupid? I scowled and spat onto his shoes, staining them with saliva and blood. "I'm dying already.." I voiced tiredly.

He didn't give up and with a crooked smile on his face, he pushed his heavy foot into my bleeding chest causing more blood to come out of the wound. "Arghhhhh!!" I screamed in frustration as Keira's ending was getting nearer. He smirked in satisfaction,"So?"

Who knows what was up his freaking sleeves, but I had to surrender. I had to make sure Keira stayed alive,"Alright..." I panted.

That smug never left his pretty but devilish face, I yelled,"Get off already, you son of a !"

He smirked again at my pathetic plead,"Good girl.. that's more like it."

A mini syringe emerged from his pockets, its point shone mockingly. His foot was still on my bleeding chest but I took no notice of that as I was too focused on the sharp point,"W-wait, what's that?" I asked, blood rushing through my vein at the sight of it. "Hush now, Scar." He placed his forefinger on my trembling lips and forced the syringe into the flesh of my bare shoulder.

"Ah!" I flinched as he pressed its contents into my blood vessels. He chuckled to see me frustrated with Keira's pain,"You're a favourite. You know that, Scar? Scared of syringes and not bullets.."

Ignoring him, I coughed up more blood as the antidote of some kind started to fix my injuries. Scratches from before closed by themselves, the hole through my heart covered up on its own and energy made its way back into me. At the same time, all the power I owned came back to me. 

"Better?" He lifted an eyebrow in a smirk. The answer was a yes but I wouldn't want a guy like him to know, would I? Instead, I retorted,"What did you just do to me?!"

He didn't answer my question and responded with,"Stop your whining and get up.." He lifted his foot from hurting me anymore. As I was struggling up on my feet, he went on,"Now, do you or do you not understand the consequences of turning your back on me, Scar?" Swallowing my own saliva in defeat, I muttered,"Yea.. whatever.."

"Follow me.." He motioned his finger for me to follow in his steps. As I passed Yongguk's body, visions of Keira's sweet past with him flashed into my mind, invading my conscience;

"Keira, right?"

"Keira-shii, no. I mean, Keira-yah.."

"Are you hurt? Oh no, your knees are bleeding.."

"Damn it, Keira. I love you."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Look, Keira. I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay, trust me."

"I love you. Remember that, okay?"

"You love me, right?"

 

---

Darkness engulfed me once again. Did Keira just...

Scarlet, you want to know how I'm feeling right now, right?

Yeah..

Let me tell you. Take this as a sign of gratitude for looking after my body.

His face, the scratches on it. The warmth in his fierce black eyes. His every touch installs a new feeling inside me, a safe feeling. His beautiful yet caring gaze was something I'd die for. The hope I lost  came back every time he stares into my tearful eyes and says,"It's okay, I'm here."  Even though like Himchan told you, his real intention was to get you for him, he was the only one there for me while everybody else glances away. He was the one who made me fight for my own life. He made me feel like I'm worth something. You know it, I tried killing myself  before and yea, I owe you one for slowing me down that time so he could stop me on time. I miss his embrace, his kiss. The memories hurt, you know. After all my life surrendering myself to that one guy, this love of lies hurt so much. Do you get it now, Scarlet?

Stupid. You're one foolish, idiotic imbecile, you know that? Love is pathetic form of weakness in mere humans like you. That insane, warm and caring feeling that you call love. Can you imagine the lies emerged from this kind of feeling? This is bull, Keira. Love made you vulnerable and I can't have that. I know nesting inside someone else's body is something but I like you and your big heart. But, your irrationally big heart is what makes you stupid until I have to look after you. Still, it's natural for humans like you to fall in love. Believe it or not, I want to experience the feeling too. I'll let this slip away this time. Just be careful next time.

Will there be a next time?

I'll make sure there will.

 

---

The first sight I saw after the darkness unfolded itself was unbelievable. The previous sword went through his chest and it was dripping with his blood. He coughed up more blood and stained my face which was just an inch away from his. Realization struck me, Keira must have used my curiosity to distract me while she attacked Himchan with the blade I left when he told me to surrender. 

The poor guy stammered in exaggerating pain,"We..we had a deal." 

"It wasn't me. Keira did it." I said gazing upon him. A wisp of pity flew past me as I went on,"An eye for an eye, Himchan. You really should think before you kill somebody." With a shaking hand, he gripped the collar of my shirt and pulled me closer to him as he whispered,"Yongguk was a softie. He actually fell for Keira and wouldn't give her in. That was why I killed him. I'm just telling this because...." Blood sprayed out of his mouth again but he still struggled to continue,"I like you, Scarlet." For once, Keira and I shared a mutual feeling, he deserved it.

I laid the dying man carefully onto the floor to lessen the pain he was experiencing. After one last gaze, I stood up and began to walk away from him but he caught my foot and made me fall down with him. He muttered,"I-I d-die....y-you die.." In his hand was a remote and if he pressed the red button on it, the result would be fatal. Whether I wanted to or not, that was not my problem. I kicked his hand hard and made him groan in pain until he let go of my hostage foot. 

His strong will was something I would admire if it just didn't cost me my, no, Keira's life as he pushed the red button. BOOM! At the end of the factory, something blew up into furious flames so without wasting a second, I ran to keep my distance from the raging blaze. One by one, the old but explosive machines blew up into pieces, sending sharp deadly bits and pieces towards me. The fire began to eat everything up on its way as if it was chasing me. I began to pick up my speed and took a glance back to see Himchan being fried in the doom he created himself.

I ran and ran until I spotted an unblocked window at located high in the walls. Wasting no time, I jumped on a machine and leapt my way out of the abandoned factory with my arms protecting my face. The glass broke into small but sharp pieces and scratched my skin all over again. I fell into the pool of shattered glass. Thank goodness I can't feel any pain, sorry for Keira though. There had to be a main bomb, I was sure so I crawled further away from the building but I was too late. The explosion happened right behind me and sent me flying away. In the end, I hit the ground, face first and bled helplessly through my cuts and scratches. 

I closed my eyes despite the panic from passersby. A scream from the other side of the road rang into my ears. Then, the sound of a police siren came, the ambulance next. Whatever. Finally, freedom is ours.