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"If the enemy is the shadow, would you blame the being that shields the light or the light itself? Just like man and earth, shadows and light exist together. Blaming one is wishing for the other to cease to exist."

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Somewhere between the overwhelm of watching my mom getting attacked and my turmoil after witnessing how I was like when I first came in to the view of her bloody form, I fall to my knees, my vision blurs and my palms fist against the floor as my head hangs down. Hurt. Pain. Everything is falling.

"It doesn't end here, JaeHee."

My head snaps up at the voice I grow to hold so much hatred for, all of them, I hate them three. "My mom, mom," I mutter as I hold up my broken self to stand and call my dad. She must not be alone.

"Hi, Yoonbi, are you okay babygirl?"

"Dad?" I say shakily, "dad, where are you?"

"Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

"Where are you, dad?" I repeat, my voice coming out desperate.

"I'm- I'm closing up my office and going right back to stay with your mom in a while, can you tell me what's wrong now?"

I was already pulling on shoes and rushing out of the house, there is no time, they must be still after her. This is not happening, I'm not going to let this happen, "dad I'll meet you in the hospital."

I hang up, my legs march the streets, the rush of anxiety almost covering up my physical pain. I always watched protagonists run for something so vital, but running for my mother now, I see the difference between being the bystander and the participant.

Time is ticking, pulling my fears closer, I run into the hospital and rush past the people with no second glance, I keep going, knowing that no one can even see me with my current speed. In my haste I skip the busy elevator and run up the stairs, taking even less time than some slow elevator.

My phone rings in my hand and I swipe it answered without looking who it is, "faster, something is not right."

I furrow my brows and look at my screen to see Suga's name, my paranoia comes undone and my heart leaps, "I- I'm here." I look at his back as he holds the phone. Stopping in my silent tracks behind his figure, I hang up and stand beside him.

"What are you still doing here?" I ask with semi-ragged breath. Suga turns to me calmly and suddenly pulls me against the wall beside him so we stand behind a corner in the hallway.

"I was going to leave, but something was wrong in the air, so I hung around for a while."

"Something?" I lean against the wall, casually making our shoulders brush, he leans closer to my ear and replies.

"I think someone wants to do something to the woman staying in room 630," my eyes go round and I disappear into the room he just mentioned, my mom's room, after I hear his last words, "your mom, I feel danger encompassing her."

They're still after her, I was right. Those suckers, I move in a blink of an eye, leaving Suga behind and entering room 630 to see my mom sleeping soundly on the bed, no one else in the room.

I furrow my eyebrows and walk forth till my hands hold my mom's hand, I pick it up and put it against my hammering heart, "you're okay, mommy." I fight the lump in my throat.

I hear a scornful laugh from behind me, near the window, my head snaps up as my lips lose contact with the back of my mom's hand and I slowly turn around.

The laugh is familiar, but I still couldn't recognize it, when I turn around and see who it is, I get why. The boy who stands in front of me, in all black instead of the usual look of a school boy I'm used to see, let's his lips stretch in something I never thought they are capable of, for one thing, the only thing I imagined his kind face to do is smile.

His brown hair hangs at the top of his head, brushed upwards instead of covering his forehead, his skin complements him like it always does but his aura is different, bad different, "I hoped it wasn't you, but I guess the world is too small to hide."

He steps forward while I instinctively take a step back, fighting to let a word out of my mouth, I don't remember the last time shock took over me like this, how didn't I know! Why didn't I feel him!

Because we're just the same, Yoonbi.
We both can utilize mental manipulation, you know. His voice echoes in my head, so loud and clear, so sinister and intimidating. I shake my head.

"No," I refuse, "this is impossible."

"It's a shame you don't even know what you're capable of-" I'm suddenly slammed against the wall, my front pressed against his as he holds my wrists beside my head, "all the better for me, isn't it?"

Our brown eyes lock and I fall into the chocolate river he owns. I see the past, and the present, as clear as crystal, feeding all my doubts.

19 Years Ago

After the JJ-couple was destroyed, Junghan blamed who for it? Chaewon. She was the one who seduced him, it was all her fault! He didn't want to lose his JaeHee.

What would that make Chaewon think about him? about the feelings that she thought would now be reserved only for her that JaeHee left? It's all fake.

He was just using her as a distraction, an entertainment that wanted him more than he wanted her, the real jewel was what he already had under his arm, and it wouldn't hurt to play around. But one thing he missed, while he was playing around, Chaewon took everything seriously.

After the conflict, a faker was discovered and a heartbreak was caused. Two in fact, both girls had their hearts crumbled to pieces at different odds, little did they know. One character is left out, the one character who would act as the amender to gain the one thing he never thought he would succeed to have one day. Chaewon.

Hyungmin always wanted her, but Junghan had everything. More strength and instead of a girl, two. Everything about Junghan made Hyungmin feel lacking, so it was more than easy for him to believe he can't, he can't do anything.

But when the chance is as clear as the moon in the sky, he had to see it, Chaewon is broken, all alone. He can fix her and take her for himself.

Did he succeed in that, now?

18 Years Ago

Hyungmin waits for his bride at one side of the aisle while she walks to him from the other, so beautiful even for the ugly friend she proved herself to be a year ago.

That year was enough for her to get over herself, forget about the guilt she once felt the symptoms of, and get over the love she once thought was real. It was also enough for her to find the real one.

She looks into his eyes through the sheer fabric over her face, her smile reaches him and he smiles back, delighted. Chaewon blushes through her make up and looks away more than happy to stand in front of the man she loves on her wedding day.

17 Years Ago

Hyungmin waits outside a hospital room as the screams of a woman in labor touch the deep wounds of his heart, when the cries of a baby boy pass through the door replacing the painful screens, his tears dry off and he runs into the room.

He regrets not being by Chaewon's side as she drowns in pain but he couldn't just say no when she begged him to stay out, the parents cry side by side as they hold their newborn boy.

"What should we name him?" Hyungmin's sparkling eyes glance at Chaewon's pale face.

"My little boy is Hyunwoo."

Hyunwoo turns out to be the son of Hyungmin and Chaewon. The son of a coward man and a cunning, narcissistic woman. What would that make him?

Present

"Impressive, your memory reading is quite vivid and professional." Hyunwoo smirks at me and leans his face closer to mine. I attempt to vibrate out of his hold but he reads my mind way faster than I'd want him to and holds me in place as he tsks.

"You can't run away from me." He whispers to me.

"What do you want." I grit my teeth, deep inside sadness and disappointment overtake my emotions.

"You feel bad for me now? Do you think I'm pitiful? Why? Is it because a man chose your mom over mine someday? Or is it because you believe my dad is a coward man." I wince at his hard hold on my wrist and look away from his angry eyes.

"It's not what I believe, it's the truth. And you aren't any different-" from who your father is. Before I could continue one of his hands leaves my wrist and chokes my neck, hard. I can't breathe.

I suffocate as he glares down at me with eyes so crude and avenging, what does he want, what did my mom and I ever do to him. "I'm here to kill your mother, to end her once and for all. Too bad you came in the way."

My eyes go round and I shake my head, no no! You can't. I try shaking myself out of his grip but to no avail. "Watch me, Yoonbi." He lifts me up from my neck till my feet lose contact with the floor, my free hands try scratching his away from me but everything is getting hazy.

Dad... I want my dad. My eyes start getting teary, blurring my vision even mors. "Poor little girl, daddy isn't coming anytime soon." No no, he said he's coming! He said he'll be here soon! "Well, guess not."

What does he mean? I watch, horrified as he reaches for the machines beside my mom and almost touches something I know would turn my life into the disaster I barely managed to thwart.

Don't don't! You can't! What did I ever do! What did my mom ever do to you! It's your parents' fault! Your mom was the one who started it! Don't do this, we have nothing to do with that hatred between them, Hyunwoo.

I know he can hear me, I know he feels, I can feel the true self his mom head with false stories that even his mutant powers failed to clarify. His hands freeze inches away from pressing a button I can barely recognize.

His grip softens and I immediately push him away from my mom to slam him against the wall of the other side of the room, I'm being faster, he didn't catch on what I will do soon enough, "don't come near her, I'll hunt you down." I threat.

He scoffs in reply and looks down at my fingers that crumble his black shirt, "the best you got?"

"Not even close." We glare at one another and I see something I didn't know of.

"Hyunwoo yah, my son, you'll do just as I tell you right? She's a bad person, she hurt your mommy, kill her. Kill her. Kill them all."

I hear Chaewon's voice drowning his thoughts, just like she is mentally controlling him. The boy I saw back at school was real, this boy is not Hyunwoo, this is a mere doll in the hands of a witch.

I can't hurt Hyunwoo.
What am I going to do?

//thank you so much for reading!
I will be focusing more on this book from now on. New updates will be every Saturday! I may update sooner if we reach our goal for the week!
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I still have so much more up my sleeve for this book, so stay tuned! 💜✨