I tried to speak, but not even a faint sound can surpass my lips.
I tried to scream, yet my throat feels dry, making it difficult to form the words.
I tried and I tried for a few more times, until I finally succumbed to the feeling of helplessness.
My head is throbbing from so much pain, and my heart is filled with nothing but fear.
I tried to save myself. I tried to hold on to something, but all I can see is how the windows of my room are slowly getting farther away from my grasp.
I can feel my eyes wet from unshed tears as I watch as the world forms into a distorted mess. I can feel my body falling deeper and deeper into the abyss, into this dark void filled with nothingness.
If this is his way of claiming me.
If this is how I will know the truth, then maybe, I can accept that this is the face of my withdraw.
Maybe he will have my soul, in exchange for what my family has done to him, and maybe, if I die this way, his battered soul may finally be at peace.
But what about me?
Will I be the one to take his place?
Is that why I can't feel him anymore? Is that the reason why I can't see him anymore? Have I really taken his place?
As I slowly feel the end getting closer, and closer, I close my eyes shut. I am finally ready to give up. Suddenly life holds no meaning to me, for I know that I have failed him, and somehow, I understand the things that have pushed him to do every single thing he has done to me.
If this is my purpose, then I will gladly accept it.
I waited and waited,
And yet…
I can still feel my heart beating. I can still feel blood coursing through every vein in my body.
How is it that I'm still breathing?
My head spun for a second, before I allowed my eyes to flutter open. The moment I open my eyes, I am welcomed with blurry visions of colors and shapes, and somehow, I am no longer falling. I close my eyes and open them repeatedly, trying to have a better look around me. By this time, my vision has returned, and I am finally able to study my surroundings. I squint my eyes, the afternoon sun getting in the way of my vision. I have no idea how I'm suddenly lying down on the green grass, when I didn't even feel myself land on the ground.
I sat up, my brows furrowing in confusion.
How I'm still alive, I have no idea. I must have entered the delirium, and this is nothing but my mind playing tricks on me.
"Do you plan to make the deal with the Kims, sir?"
"Yes. In fact, I plan to meet them this afternoon."
Hearing voices talking, I stand up carefully to follow where the voices will lead me. I haven't got a clue who the voices belong to, but one voice in particular piqued my interest. With careful steps, I walk closer to where the voices are, and when I hear them talking again, I hide behind the nearest tree, afraid to get caught.
"Be careful when you do, there have been rumors going on about the town."
"It's just rumors, Park. We need to have this deal sealed. You know how important this was for my father."
I was welcomed with the view of two tall men facing each other. The other is a tad taller than the other, and he has this worried look painted on his face, his big pair of eyes swimming with torment, which I can only understand as a form of perplexity on his part.
I averted my eyes from them, and looked up at the clear blue sky, my mind a little hazy, and then I looked around me, my eyes looking to find some answers.
I have no idea why I'm here, and how I came to be here. I remember Sehun pushing me down the window, but that doesn't answer how I got here. I can't figure out what's happening, perhaps we only notice things when the time comes for us to see them. I just hope when that time comes, it wouldn't be too late for me to realize.
I study the place, my gaze instinctively traveling to the big mansion in front of me. There were bushes of sizes, big and small. There were trees and flowers, and structural enhancements of different sorts surrounding the mansion. The place looks like a scene from an old movie, and it is so foreign to me, yet so very familiar.
"Our men have been talking."
I hear a deep voice of the man.
"They say that Mr. Kim will do his best to fool you, just so he can get away from the situation." He heaves a heavy sigh. "You see sir, he's not very keen on that deal he has with the late master."
The other male only let out a throaty chuckle, while waving a dismissing hand.
"We both know how to play this game." He replied. "I'm only pushing this through, because it was father's last wish."
I watch as the male shakes his head.
"Don't worry about me, Park. I only intend to do business with him, and I'll do my best to stay cautious."
I chew on my bottom lip. Something about that voice makes me feel so anxious.
"If he ever wishes to harm me, then I will do everything in my power to have him face the consequences."
I move a little to take a peak of the two. There's just something so oddly familiar about the other guy. But what is it?
"Be careful Mr. Oh."
I watch closely as the man facing the other way pats the taller male's back reassuringly. They talked for a while longer, their voices a little unclear to me, but when the other man slowly turns towards my direction, I feel my breath getting caught between my throat.
"S-Sehun?"
I gasp, seeing that familiar face.
Questions were swimming inside my head, and when I saw him smiling a genuine smile, his eyes looking towards my direction, I felt like my system started to go on overdrive. I watch in shock and utter confusion as he walks towards me.
"Oh, and,"
He turned around to look at the male.
"Take care of the house while I'm gone."
"Hasn't that been my job ever since Mr. Oh?"
The male smiled at Sehun, and then he bowed, as Sehun turned and walked away.
That house.
It is so familiar. How is it so familiar?
I failed to see how Sehun had walked past me. All I have in mind is the mansion in front of me. Every crevice, every nook and cranny looks oddly familiar.
And then, it hit me.
It was the same house I've always looked at, the house that fed my curiosity.
It was the old mansion on top of the hill, the same mansion where my grandmother told me to be haunted, only this time, it doesn't look old and abandoned.
"This will bring me luck, you say?"
Hearing Sehun's voice once again has put me back to consciousness. I turn around and see him talking to an older man, who seems to be the gardener. He is wearing an old straw hat that covers almost half of his face, and in his hands, lies a flower.
A white rose.
"Yes. I'm sure you'll find luck with your endeavors."
Sehun takes the rose from the older man, his eyes shining with admiration at how beautiful the petals seem to be, and then he continues to head outside.
Panic struck me at the sight of that rose. I was reminded of the vision that I had, of how he was lying on the ground, looking at me with utter disgust, while that white rose is swimming in his own blood.
"No Sehun! Wait!"
I called for him, and yet, no matter how loud my voice is, he didn't even look my way. I know something bad is about to happen to him. I know that I must do something.
I have to save him.
I need to save him.
"Don't go! Please!"
I plead, and I plead, but he is slowly vanishing from my sight.
I tried to walk, I tried to run, but my feet are frozen in place. I can't seem to move.
How is it that I can't move my feet?
Suddenly, I hear a dark throaty laugh ringing inside my ears, and for whatever reason, I felt chills crawling down my spine.
I turned around only to see that it was the gardener. I can see a smirk hovering on his lips, as he slowly removes his straw hat.
I gasp as terror slowly consumes my body.
"M-minseok?"
My lips are quivering as I stare at him. It couldn't be him. How could it possibly be him?
I gape at his features, and it is so disturbing how the man looks so much like our gardener's son. But as I stare and stare, I witness how his body is slowly fading away, and before I knew it, he disappeared, right before my very eyes.
I tried to run away, afraid of the scenes that are slowly unfolding right in front of me. I sigh in relief when I feel my legs moving again. I'm running as fast as I can, moving farther away from the mansion. I didn't know how long I was running, all I know is that I have to get out of here and find Sehun.
When I saw a familiar view, I stopped running. The sight of this house in front of me made me stop on my tracks. This is all too familiar to me, except the land looks barren and lifeless. There is no garden in the front porch, no trees surrounding the house, no nothing. I didn't know that grandma's old house can look this way.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kim."
I hear Sehun's voice again. I start looking for him as I enter the front porch, my feet sinking in the overgrown grass.
"Pleasure's all mine, Mr. Oh."
I stare at the male beside Sehun, and I gasp in horror.
The only time that I have seen that face was when I was looking at the old photos that are stacked inside our old library. Never in my life have I thought that I will actually see him in the flesh.
"Why don't you sit down, before we drown ourselves with work, hmm?"
I watch as the man offers a seat to Sehun, and just like in the photos, he holds this aura of intimidation.
Sehun waves a dismissing hand, not bothering to accept the man's offer.
"I have yet to start the day Kim, I best be on my way."
I hear Sehun say, and watch closely how the other man looks at him with a face filled with great contempt. It will take an idiot not to see how he hated Sehun's guts, but for whatever reason, he tried to conceal that from him.
Seeing Sehun walking away, I notice that he's got the rose placed on the pocket of his chest. He looked at it for a second, then later removed it to take the handkerchief from the same pocket, his right hand grasping the rose.
I suddenly got chills.
I desperately called out to him. I want him to throw away that damned flower, but he can't even hear me. It was a warning that I desperately wanted him to hear. A warning that came, only when it was far too late.
I closed my eyes shut as I saw how the older male was walking towards him in big strides. When I open them, he's already grabbing Sehun by the shoulder, turning him around in an abrupt manner. Every scene feels like something foreboding is about to happen. In the corner of my eye, I suddenly witness how a dark cloud is lingering beside him, forming into the shape of a man.
Instantly, I feel dread consuming me. I tried again to warn Sehun. I tried to move, to hopefully take his hand and take him away from this place, yet I was again frozen in place.
I can see the figure hovering over the other male, whispering things to him, and when I noticed how the older male grabs hold of the knife from the garden table beside them, I am almost out of breath. His hands are firmly wrapped around the object, as he gets closer, and closer to Sehun.
"Put the knife down Kim."
I can see dark clouds forming inside the man's eyes, like he is bewitched. He quirks his head, and moves closer to Sehun, while the latter keeps himself in place.
"What are you doing Sehun?! Run!" I screamed, yet my screams fell on deaf ears.
"I said put the knife down, Kim!"
Yet the older male only gave him a satisfied grin. I can tell from the looks of Sehun, that he is trying to move away, but for some reason, he is, just like me, frozen.
"No! No please, don't kill him!"
I have no idea how I can save him, when I can't even force myself to move. Tears welled up in my eyes, and when I witnessed the figure beside him laughing, his face bathed in darkness, my body shook in terror.
It was the same man I saw earlier.
The same man who gave Sehun the white rose.
It was Minseok.
It seems to me that he is the one controlling both of the male's actions.
"I'll see you in hell, Oh."
Sehun tried to fight with what little energy he had left. He tried dodging the attack, but he is too frozen in place to even save himself. Right before my very eyes, I witnessed how the knife the man is grasping on his hands turned to aim at Sehun. He is aiming the thing on his heart, and by some miracle, Sehun is able to push him, yet he isn't able to deflect his attack. Now, the knife is buried deep inside Sehun's lower torso. I gasped, realizing that it was the same spot where I saw his scar. Sehun is now slowly falling on the ground, and he lays there, unmoving, his body swimming in his own blood, while his hand is grasping the white rose so tightly.
This is the very same thing that I saw. This was my vision, and somehow, I can understand things a little clearer now.
His every word, his hatred towards me, his anger.
All of it was fueled by one thing, and one thing only.
I get him now, I understand why he is the way he is.
He was here for vengeance. He did those things to me, because he died in the hands of none other than my great grandfather.
My body is weakened by the revelation. There are a lot of things in my mind, but what has got me reeling, is the fact that none of the two men saw the dark figure. I don't really understand who he is, but I can tell that he is the reason behind all of this.
I gather my arms and let the information sink in, and as every second passes by, I notice how everything went dark again. I was afraid that I might get lost, and that the man I saw will take me, but as the darkness disappeared, I only saw him.
Sehun lies in front of me, staring at me with a face filled with animosity.
"Do you understand now, Eunji?"
He asked, his voice holds so much sadness in them.
I didn't respond. I am still quite in shock by the scenes that have unfolded.
"When I was at the brink of death." He says with a start. "I promised myself that I would get even. I promised myself that I will take something back from him."
"Is that why you hate me so much?" I asked in a whisper-like voice, still feeling out of breath.
"I don't hate you Eunji." His lips quirks into a smile.
"Then why me, Sehun?"
Suddenly, I feel so lost. Should I apologize for what my great grandfather had done?
"I was cursed, and the only way I can get out is to take you. The only way I can save myself is to break you."
"B-break me?"
More questions spring into mind, but I choose to keep my thoughts to myself.
"Yes." He nods his head, a dark look lingering on his face.
"The night you were born, your grandfather planted a single bud of rose, the same rose that I had with me that day. Little did he know that by doing so will cause him his life."
"What do you mean?" Confusion fills me as I listen to his every word.
"In order for me to have my revenge, lives must be taken, and when he planted that rose, I found my way back to the place I died." Sehun says in a brooding manner.
"The very first day that you came here, was the day that I woke up, and I knew right that moment that you are the only thing that can break this curse."
It took me a moment before I could conjure up the courage to talk back to him. There are just so many things that are filling my head, so many revelations.
"If I break the curse, then what will happen to you?" I ask, and when I see him walking my way, his eyes filled with nothing but rage and fury, I take a step back.
"It's simple Eunji." I witness how a grin forms on his lips.
"I'll live."
"And you'll die."