A/N: the pacing here is is faster compared to the previous chapters because things are progressing dramatically. Hope everyone can keep up. Another 'WARNING' chapter. I think it's safe to say the remaining chapters will be dark too bar the last one which should be nicer :)


-

Seryung’s eyelids felt heavy. She groaned, feeling sick. It was then that she stopped to notice that her arms weren’t moving. Groaning louder than before she forced her hazy vision to come to. However things were a blur; she failed to recognize that her surroundings had changed.

“You’re awake?” A gruff male asked.

Squinting, she was surprised to make out the shape of a teacher. She nodded to answer the question, trying to hold back her grimace, as the fire rippled through her. Now steadily regaining her senses she noted some new things that made turn dry. One, she was tied. Two, she was in a large dirty, abandoned room. And three, this teacher no longer taught as school. However these findings didn’t give her the answer she wanted. ‘What’s going on?’

“Sorry for the rough handling. The hooligans were excited.”

She gulped recalling who these ‘hooligans’ were. Trembling, she tried to grasp onto reasoning, but the moment was short lived because the teacher slapped her back, and made a spine-chilling scream erupt through her. Tears tumbled down her cheeks as an electric pain made her want to shrivel up.

“Looks like the painkillers wore off,” he informed no one in particular. Choking on her own saliva she flinched as a needle pierced her skin. Its immediate effect made her sink into a slumber.

-

Miyoung pursed her lips. It was boring to be alone now that MAMA has Tao to play with. As someone who seemed to have all the time in the world, she needed someone to waste time with too, but that person was absent. The seconds ticked by painfully slow. Still she waited for the sound of a car that would tell her life had returned to the Oh household. However when that time came the car was empty. Puzzled by this she hung around hoping that the driver would at least exchange some words with another worker but nothing.

Had the siblings gone off to have some fun on their own without her? The idea made her mad. If that were true she would make sure to scream like a banshee all night to teach them a lesson. She was annoyed. It was at times like this that she focused her mind on a person, and closed her eyes.

Appearing at a barren location, inside a warehouse, was not what she’d expected. Another thing she didn’t predict was what her eyes were seeing. A haggard looking male was stabbing himself with an injection shouting uncomprehending sentences. His movements were eerie, and his expression was contorted atypically. His head lolled to the side making his tongue fall out. Hazy, distant eyes met hers, and she was gone.

She held a hand to where her heart should have been. If she was alive, she reckoned it would have exploded through her rib cage. Her shaking spirit caught the attention of an owl making its owner glance at her too. She lunged towards them shouting for help, but Tao only appeared confused; he couldn’t hear her. No matter how hard she screamed; he wasn’t fazed. Holding her head she tried something else and infiltrated the body of the owl.

Possessing humans was something ghosts weren’t allowed to do, but birds were different, or so she hoped, either way she couldn’t waste time. Stealing the nearest pen into MAMA’s beak she spelt the word ‘DANGER.’ This only made Tao furrow his brows. The alertness was there, but the urgency remained absent. A tug pulled at her, letting her know her time in control was decreasing. Using all her might she scribbled ‘Seryung’ as best as she could before she was thrown out of the owls vessel. MAMA screeched at her as if she’d done something horrendous, but that was not of concern to her. She pointed towards the door and motioned for him to hurry.

-

Sehun stared blankly ahead. He raised his weighty arm to ring the bell. The back of his mind nagged at him to reconsider the idea of reconciliation. He shut his eyes, the voice grew louder making him drop his arm to his side and groan. He was divided between two options that pulled him like a magnet until he thought he might split into two. If he rang the bell the chances of speaking to Hana would grow. If not, he would remain tormented. It seemed like an easy feat however the voice spat daggers at him hitting all his weak points at once. It was as if the darker side of love was raising its head to laugh at him saying he’d been happy for too long and now it was time to quit. His problem was that he didn’t want that, hence why he fought with himself at Hana’s doorstep.

“She lied to you. You’d be stupid to fall into her trap. She’s cunning. You missed that part because you wish it wasn’t true. She’s a fox who lured you. Did you forget everything while you played Romeo to her tune?”

Sehun clenched his fists tightly.

“She was clever enough to hoodwink your parents. Then she came after you. Don’t you remember?”

It was painful to hear.

“She used Raemi on purpose! She lied to you this whole time! Nothing about her was real! The Hana you fell for doesn’t exist!”

The idea made his throat burn with rage at himself for appearing so pathetic. He’d been used like a tool for a game. Everything had been fabricated on her part and he was still strung. Even now he was here like a rejected puppet hoping for something.

“Go home Oh Sehun. There’s nothing left here.”

He nodded emptily. His heart felt hollow as if it were a shell. Surprisingly he was alive and healthy, however numb.

“Don’t slouch, you idiot. She’s not worth it! She was never worth your time. She approached with a motive. Aren’t you lucky you caught her early? You can move on. You can do it. I know you can. You’re stronger than this.”

He sighed heavily. It confused him and left him dazed. He continued to stand there but didn’t dare to act.

-

Light painted the room like a dusty, worn brush while darkness overpowered it. The curtains were drawn and books spilled a desk on which a lamp sat quietly. The bed was a mess of untidy sheets; a discarded pillow lay on the floor; and shards of glass, that’d once belonged to mirrors, littered the ground. The bin was overflowing with garbage and the room was at the mercy of strong, unlit, scented candles.

Hana’s bedroom remained relatively at peace during the day. Night was different. Night brought dreams, and with them came screams of all variety. The continuous absence of brightness was what differentiated the room from the bathroom. Unlike the bedroom, the bathroom lights were always on. It was where she spent an awful lot of time ‘cleansing’ herself.

She sat hunched over the toilet clutching onto the toilet bowel as she retched.

“What are you doing to yourself?” She coughed vehemently and threw up again reaching for the toilet roll. She wiped and flushed the toilet before scrambling to her feet and slamming the lid shut. A voice made her shiver and hug herself. It was as if she was plagued by a demon. On instinct she covered her ears not wanting it to take command. Her heart ached defenselessly as she wondered why she was sinking into an abyss of no return. It was spiraling confusion within her and she wanted it to stop. Her empty stomach churned as she rubbed at her eyes furiously. A part of her wanted to die. However she was too much of a coward.

“You’re living like a mess. Then again, you deserve it.” A pallid ghost wrinkled his nose in disgust. The place was spooky, but she, with her sunken eyes and tangled hair, was spookier. She no longer resembled a human. He snickered at her state.

“It’s karma for lying,” he chided knowingly. She couldn’t hear him; he didn’t want her to hear.

“What did Sehun see in this witch?” He muttered to himself as he inspected her ‘cave.’ She cried silently as she sat down at her desk and flipped a book open.

“If you want to die that badly then just do it,” he goaded, sitting on her table to inspect her. Her thoughts were a platter of depression. He found it funny that she wanted to die. A part of him wanted her to taste it.

“You’re miserable. No one cares about you. What’s the point of living like you do? Will anything change? No! The tunnel won’t end unless you end it. That light you’re hoping to see won’t shine… Die! Put an end to it all, and die.” He felt his soul chill to the brim until he was no longer where he’d been seated.

“That’s quite enough, Kim Joonmyun,” something barked at him. Joonmyun frowned at the creature before him. It was something with the appearance of a human, dressed in long gloomy attire, supporting a high, round-collared cloak whose hood concealed his face.

His eyes narrowed. “Are you the Grim Reaper?”

“I am but the Angel of Death, here to sentence thee into expiration.”

Joonmyun snickered despite the cold. “I’m dead. How can I ‘expire’ when I’m f***in’ dead? I shouldn’t be dead in the first place! If you’re a Death Angel then bring me back to life!”

“Tis but unfortunate, thy time hath ended.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not fair!”

“Thou must face punishment, for indoctrination is but forbidden.”

Joonmyun’s eyes widened as iciness gripped him. “You’re not even going to listen to me? What kind of angel are you? Aren’t you meant to be kind? How can you do this to me?”

“It is not I who paves paths. Tis but your causing.”

“My ‘causing?’ My causing?! I didn’t kill myself. I was murdered! It’s not fair! I was perfectly healthy. I had a whole future ahead of me. I planned out everything from what major I wanted, to what age I would get married at, all the way until where I would live after I retired! I could have lived till at least eighty! Why is it me who has to die? I did nothing to deserve this! I did nothing wrong!

“I-I was only trying to help. I did everything I could. I was trying to save Sehun from Seo Kangjun. It was me who tried to keep his lackeys away! It was me who noticed Hana approach Sehun after Seo Kangjun inquired about him. It was me who knew something was wrong! It was me who tried to keep Tao away from Seryung. It was me who found out Hana was keeping her connections a secret.

“I was the one who figured it out! I was just trying to save my friend.  I was trying to put things back to the way they were! How could you take my life away, and tell me I’m dead? There are things I still want to do! I shouldn’t be dead! It can’t end like this! Give me my life back!”

The Angel of Death was someone who had seen plenty of breakdowns and tearful pleas. “It is not I who decides ‘cause’ or ‘time.’ Death is ‘fated.’”

Joonmyun continued to yammer in a panicked frenzy on his knees with his hands clasped together. “I was murdered! I was killed because I knew things they didn’t want me to know! They beat me up after I was found out! I got injured. Was sent to hospital. I remember… s-someone took away my oxygen mask! I wouldn’t have died if that didn’t happen. I was dependent on that thing, but I was improving. I was getting better! You have to believe me! I really was that’s why they killed me. I knew their plan. I’d have told-”

“Enough! Thy time hath ended, so now thou doth harm others. That is but unforgiveable,” the Angel of Death echoed angrily.

Joonmyun’s mouth trembled. There was still plenty he wanted to say but the angel was against him. He stared scornfully at the angel and spat, “Do your worst. Do you think I’m afraid? I’m dead. I’ve got nothing else to lose!”

“I do as I am asked, but what about thee? Are thou willing?” The Angel wagered.

-

Someone knocked on Hana’s door disturbing her tranquility. She scoffed, and ignored it by throwing the shower on to pretend she was busy, while she rinsed , wondering how much more she could take.

The desire to lose herself and destroy everything grew. She defied it but that made her weep unconditionally. An urge to claw or rip something apart tore at her. It was ‘animalistic’ and ‘illogical,’ she told herself, but the notion only made her sad as if she was losing everything. And then that memory resurfaced making her cover her head, crouch under the sink, and scream until her lungs emptied. Angry, anguished, hot beads fell from her eyes. Feeling defeated she crawled away from there before she further sunk into depression.

She raced for her books in hope that they would take her away; she needed something to pull her out of her state. More incessant banging on her door ensured she didn’t get the peace she required. Growling, she threw a book, she’d picked up, across the room and headed for the door. Before opening it, she ran a hand over her head to made sure her hair was in place and straightened out her clothes. The effort of smiling seemed too great, so she refrained.

“What?” She demanded rudely.

“Miss Hana, a phone call.”

 “I’m not home,” she pronounced ready to slam the door shut.

“But Miss, it’s your mother!”

“Can’t you even get rid of one lousy person?” She snapped irritably.

“S-sorry, Miss?”

 “Get back to work!” She slammed the door.

-

Seryung’s eyes fluttered, refusing to focus on anything, and instead preferred to leave a bunch of blurs for her to recognize. She frowned wanting to rub them, but her arms refused to move. There was no time to dwell on ‘why’ because she heard laughter. It wasn’t pleasant; it sounded delirious. She pursed her lips wondering if it was all a dream. Struggling in her seat, she realized that she was tied up. If that wasn’t strange, there were a bunch of discarded wrappings strewn amuck a cackling figure whom looked like a schoolteacher. It was the strangest dream she’d ever had; what was the possibility of being kidnapped by a teacher who was high? She tried to roll her eyes but her drumming head hindered her attempt to joke at herself.

“You’re up? She’s up!” He clucked merrily grabbing a fistful of powder, falling over himself as he did. The action caused his mood to fluctuate. He was suddenly infuriated. Punching the ground he took to his feet, and lashed his arms around calling names before she caught his attention again.

“Sehun’s sister, that’s you.” He pointed at her, accusingly narrowing his eyes. “You ruined everything, Sehun. You slandered me. I’ll kill you!”

She flinched as he lunged towards her with a maddening look in his eyes. His wrath was cut short by the ringing of a gunshot. Her scream caught in when his blood splattered on her. He stumbled forward before falling stone cold at her feet. She shut her eyes and shuddered. Her teeth began to chatter and a film of perspiration spread across her skin; she felt feverish.

Clanking footsteps came her way making her lift her head. She saw his face, but failed to recognize him as pain spread across her back. He shook his head and tutted mockingly, as he whipped out a handkerchief to pat her face with, while he tapped a gun against her temples.

“If you want things done you have to do it yourself,” he sighed heavily as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His eyes met hers and he grinned slyly, “Did he drug you? The imbecile was so excited when his narcotics arrived… The bunch, really are stupid! They get so hyped over minor things. That’s why they end up like him. They forget who I am, and think they can do whatever the hell they want.”

She shut her eyes, and groaned as fever aches multiplied. Hearing his voice only added to her discomfort. Exhausted she grieved to lie in her bed, and shut everything off.

“There, there,” he coaxed, clicking his fingers. On cue she was forced to take medicine. Watching him carefully as he nursed her she couldn’t help feel as if he were indifferent to her trouble. The gun never left sight, and when he was done he traced her face affectionately with the muzzle. Her eyes flickered from it to him, trying to figure out the correlation.

“Don’t worry, my dear. This isn’t meant for you. It would be rude of me to shoot you just like that, especially after the awful treatment. I’d rather you were well enough to see the full extent of my brilliance, but how regrettable!” His gaze shifted to the entrance and he smirked. “Our ‘Guest of Honor’ should be arriving shortly. This,” he waved the gun, “Is waiting to greet him.”

“Guest of Honor?” She mumbled anomalously.

“Indeed. A party cannot commence without its guests.”

She fumbled with the ropes trying to unravel them, and when that didn’t work she pouted. “What kind of dream is this?” She groaned irritated.

“A dream, you say? Do I appear often in your dreams?” He chuckled rather pleased at the idea.

She shook her head. “Not often, just… sometimes.”

“As a villain, I presume.”

“Not really.”

“I’d rather I did… Then what about Tao? He must pop up more.”

She pressed her lips together not wanting to offend him.

“It seems I’m correct! How ungrateful of you, to not even dream of me, when it’s I who took you in. It’s a shame. We would have made a good couple. If only you’d allowed it.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“You should be! It seems, even in your dreams you turn me down. It hurts my pride. I was hoping for something more dramatic than this. But our dear, Guest of Honor, whisked you off your feet before I had a chance to demonstrate.”

Seryung scowled. This wasn’t a dream. It was turning into a nightmare. She prayed she would wake up before her imagination killed Tao.

-

Sehun grimaced at the ordeal. On his way home he’d bumped shoulders with a wary fellow who was now demanding ‘compensation.’ It appeared as if he was having a bad day, but his gut feeling told him it wasn’t so. Perhaps he watched too many movies that now he felt as if he were living his own.

“Yah, you little brat, how dare you disrespect your elders?” The thug shoved him as if he were a rag doll. It ignited his temper, but he remained still hoping to reach some kind of agreement. However, the antagonist looked as if he were determined to remain passive.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry? You don’t even sound like you mean it, snot nose!”

He ducked in time to save himself from the flying fist. His opponent only took this as an invitation to fight with him. He tried to dodge as best as he could, shocked that someone would openly show hostility without reason. Sehun couldn’t engage in combat, however he was somewhat fast on his feet so he did what was best and ran. The lout came after him yelling derogatory comments. It made Sehun nervous. What if the guy continued to follow him? The idea was strange, but not farfetched.

‘Strange’ was an understatement to what happened after he was tripped. Someone grabbed him and hit him out of the blue. Spluttering, he clutched his cheek and stumbled to grasp balance.

“Yah, this b*****d!” A kick attacked the back of his knees, making him topple to the ground. Before he had time to pick himself up, hoards of stomps joined forces against him. The shock was great and compassion low. The torture of hooves made him feel like he’d been caught in a stampede. Sehun curled up, as he was terrorized. His hands were beginning to turn raw, and his ribs could only take so much.

He wondered if he would die.

Each knock left him breathless. He was sure he was bleeding too, but the tingling numbness left him with little sensation, instead he was flooded with memories that encouraged weakness. How many times had he turned a blind eye at school? Had he really afflicted something similar upon Hana? The reality made him cry. It made him think ‘revenge’ was just. He deserved at least this much. He’s stick through it, or at least try to.

He was yanked up by a fistful of hair. Coughing, and choking he clutched his sides. “Yah, let’s make the boss proud and mess up his face.” Raucous cheering followed the suggestion. His arms were twisted behind his back unnaturally making him shriek. His injured legs quaked refusing to let him stand. He braced himself for the worst with morbid thoughts bleeding into his mind.

“Stop it.”

Sehun thought he was hallucinating. Maybe he was already on the verge of death, and imagining things because someone had just come to his aid, or rather thrown a rock at his would-be offender. He felt relieved until the goons let him crumble to the concrete, and turned to the anarchist. His heart beat like a drum, thundering a beat that overshadowed all other sounds. He didn’t want to bear witness to gangsters beating her. He wouldn’t stand for it. Why had she come?

Hana’s nostrils flared furiously. The only emotion left in her was utmost rage. She was itching to kill them all. Tightening her grasp around a couple of stones she threatened to throw another.

“Ah here, look at the little girly,” one pointed slapping his knee laughing. His pals joined him as they closed in on her, humored.

She narrowed her eyes at them, silently damning them to hell as they inched towards her after losing interest in Sehun. Pursing her lips together Hana prayed silently as she threw stones at them to gather their attention. Backing away, she hoped they would forget Sehun’s existence for a while. Her head was telling her to run and for once, she obeyed.

This chapter is so action-packed dramatic! I think this is the craziest one so far... How was the Suho revelation? I love how readers suspected him to be Sinister. But Sinister killed Suho (and the teacher).

That guy really lives up to the title of 'sinister,' makes you wonder what he'll do next.

Sadly the hate-able villain will have a back-story as to why he's mental. I wonder if anyone will like him.

Does anyone like him?

He is the reason Sehun got beaten black and blue. Do you think Hana will be okay, after all that? While readers worry about her there's also Tao to think about. Sinister wields a gun. And Seryung too. Basically fear for everyone's lives. The angst I promised is here.

So I reaaaaally hope everyone's figured out Sinister's identity. He's not Suho, or Kai. Suho was killed by him and Kai was... You'll find out later.