New chapter^^

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Tao is lounging on his bed. Yitao is taking his mid-day nap. Usually, Tao would be going to his Wushu class at this time, but there are no lessons today. So he just reads.

Around six o'clock, Tao hears giggles and thumping noises. He peeks out his door and sees Tiffany walking to her bedroom. And she's not alone.

She's in the arms of a man. Her arms are around the guy, while he kisses her neck. Tao can tell that the two of them are drunk.

The man begins to  undress Tao's stepmother, kissing every piece of skin revealed. " Are there kids here?" Tao wants to shout yes. He didn't want to see them and he didn't want Yitao to hear them. But he stayed quiet. Tao couldn't believe the words that came out of Tiffany's mouth.

"No. I don't have any kids. I would never want to take care of brats." The man continues with removing clothes and they finally go into Tiffany's room, locking the door behind them.

Tao can't hold in his tears. He knew...he had always known. He had known that Tiffany never cared about him. About Yitao, her own son.

He had known all along, but it still hurts. It hurts to hear it come from her own mouth. It also hurts that she's already moved on from his father. Did she ever really love him? Tao doubts it.

Tao turns on his music to drown out the noises the couple makes. After a certain moan was heard over the music, all noises from the other room ceases. When a few minutes pass by, Tao hears Yitao crying. He's guessing that Tiffany and the man are sleping, since he hears nothing coming from them.

Tao goes to the door and makes his way to Yitao's room. As soon as he reaches the door, Yitao's cries stop. Tao only hears dead silence. He quietly opens the door.

"Yitao? You okay, buddy?" Tao tries to turn on the lights, but the power won't work. He walks slowly to the crib. He reaches his hand out and pulls the covers back, only to show an empty bed.

 Tao knows that Yitao can walk, but the baby is not strong enough to get out of the crib by himself. Someone took him?! Tao is about to go get the phone -to call the police- but he gets distracted.

A noise and laughter causes Tao to look around the room. Creatures pop out of drawers of the chest and desk. But they disappear before Tao sees them.

A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder allows Tao to realize that it's raining outside. Tao jumps at the sound of something hitting glass. He turns to face the doors that leads to a balcony.

Tao is surprised to see an owl flying on the other side of the doors.  The owl is pure white, with dark eyes. It keeps flapping its wings, and it occasionally hits its beak against the glass.

Suddenly, along with another flash of lightning, the doors fly open and the owl comes flying in. The owl flies around Tao, sometimes hitting him with its wings. He covers his head and ducks, so he wouldn't be harmed. When he looks up again, what he see nearly scares him out of his wits.

A man is standing right in front of Tao, in between him and the balcony doors. At first glance, the man looks strange. He's wearing black clothing, like the outfit of a Count. He has shoulder length hair that is a mixture of blonde and light brown. 

"W-Who are you?" Tao finally finds his voice. The man stare at him.

"You don't know who I am?" Tao shakes his head. The man stares at Tao so intensely, but that's not why he shivers. Okay, it is partly, but he shivers also because of the deep voice the man speaks with. Tao's thoughts are interrupted when the man sighs and says," Of course, you don't know me. I'm the Goblin King, Yifan."

"Well, Goblin King. Why are you here?" Goblin? Does he think I'm crazy enough to believe that? It seems like Yifan knows what he's thinking and caught the sarcasm in his voice. 

"Goblins are real. Just as real as you and I." Tao nearly laughs.

"Hey, I could be dreaming right now. Yeah, I'm dreaming. Yitao is safe and you aren't really here.This isn't real, I'm dreaming that he's missing and imagining you're here." Tao gets startled when Yifan suddenly starts laughing. He stares at him, like he's crazy.

"You are not dreaming. I am really here and your brother is missing." Tao frowns. 

"How do you know he's missing?" Yifan chuckles and moves closer to Tao.

"I know because I'm the one who took him." At first, Tao is distracted by Yifan's eyes, but then the words bring him back to reality. 

"You took him?" At Yifan's nod, he continues. "Why? Give him back! Give my baby brother back to me!" Yifan walks toward him. Tao moves backward, not stopping till his back hits the bedroom door, which is directly across the room from the balcony.

Yifan stops right in front of Tao, placing his hands against the door on both sides of Tao's head. If Tao thought Yifan's eyes were mesmerizing from far away, then they are hypnotizing up close. They are dark gray, like a storm brewing.

They are so close...close enough that if Tao wanted, he could raise his head the tiniest bit and— Tao shakes his head a little. What am I thinking?!

Yifan smirks, like he knows what Tao is thinking. He leans his head closer, effectively placing his lips only a few centimeters away from Tao's. "I can't give him back. You have to go get him yourself."

Tao struggles to concentrate on Yifan's words and not on the warm breath hitting his mouth. When the words do register in his brain, he glares at the King. "Why? Where is he?"

Yifan walks back to the balcony, finally allowing Tao to breathe normally. He points out the doors and turns to Tao. "He's there, in my castle."

Tao frowns and walks to the doors. He stares outside and his eyes widen in surprise. There is really a castle out in the distance. Tao shakes his head and pinches himself. Just like Yifan said, he's not dreaming.

Tao can't believe his eyes. He knows for a fact that the castle was never there before. He had stared out of these doors many times over the years. It's like magic.

Tao finally takes his eyes off the castle and turns to stare at Yifan. But he freezes before he looks at him. Tao looks around. He sees no walls or ceiling, only open space and the sky. Instead of floorboards, it's dirt. There are few trees. "Where are we? "Tao nearly jumps when Yifan leans his head over his shoulder, close to his neck.

"We are at the beginning of the Labyrinth. Before you ask how we got here, I'll tell you. I teleported us here.

Now, my castle is in the center of the Labyrinth. You must solve the Labyrinth and its obstacles before you can save your brother. If you fail, I will keep Yitao and turn him into a goblin.

You will then go back to your terrible life, but without your only happiness. If you overcome the trials, then you will get Yitao back. But you must first succeed in the Labyrinth."

Tao didn't notice, but as Yifan speaks his voice gets softer, like it is fading. When Tao turns to Yifan, he's shocked. Yifan is nowhere to be seen. Tao stares at the castle again and walks to the wall of the Labyrinth.

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How was it?^^

Yifan is introduced! Who do you think is the next one?

Here's the Goblin King from the movie. Just picture Kris' face^^

Anyone like David Bowie?

Comments and subscribers are appreciated :) 

Until the next chapter xD