Chapter 1
…
Haaa… Haa…
Ba-dump… ba-dump…
The sound of heavy breathing along with the faint heartbeat echoed in my ears as I lay on the ground barely breathing.
My body feels cold and everywhere feels painful to the extent that I wanted to just lie down and close my eyes. This way everything would end and I… Xin Wei would finally rest in this cold hard ground.
Everything that has happened to me is just a bad dream, a horrible nightmare that I wanted to wake up from.
It all started when I accidentally met that guy. He was the beginning of the nightmare.
He ruined me, he destroyed my peace, and now he has even about to take my life away from me.
As I lay on the hard ground trying to catch my breath, my slowly becoming blurry vision caught the sight of the young woman on the ground lying next to me.
Deep regret and remorse envelop my heart as I recalled what happened a while ago. I was really regretful that she was involved with me.
Lin Qiao is the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen in my life. She is the sunshine that always makes my day happy. My childhood friend, that becomes the love of my life in secret. Many times I wanted to tell her how I feel, but I was worried that my friendship with her would end, so I kept it to myself.
I was a scaredy-cat, a coward, a fool, and I regretted it.
I regretted not telling her how I felt. I regretted not saying the words I long to say. I regretted not spending more time with her. And now, it was all too late…
Everything is over at the moment when I saw her slowly closing her eyes. Though she tried to smile at that time, I could still see the fear and reluctance in them.
I wanted to rage, but my body now feels numb and I can't even feel anything anymore as the pain numbed and assaulted my whole being.
My mind suddenly recalls the time that morning.
"Hey, Wei… I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me the most. But I swear, I will never leave you, okay?" she said while looking at my eyes and grabbing the edge of my shirt.
I feel the warmth inside of my heart as I forced myself to smile.
At that time, I was covered with bruises.
I was beaten black and blue by a group of bullies in our school yesterday. But I never hid it because I already had enough, I reported the bullying to the authorities and after an investigation, the group was called with their parents. But I did not expect that later that day, while I and Lin Qiao happily walk home, our tragedy would start.
I found myself suddenly covered with sackcloth and was forcefully thrown into a vehicle. Beside me, Lin Qiao screams in fear as she too was taken.
Everything was dark and I did not know where these people are taking us. I wanted to beg, but every time I tried to open my mouth or utter a word, these people would beat me up.
We arrive inside an abandoned building from out of nowhere. I did not know where we are as when the sackcloth was removed from my head all I saw was a bright light. And when my vision clears up, a few people are surrounding me and Lin Qiao.
At this time, a few of them are showing sinister smiles on their faces. Most of them are eyeing Lin Qiao who is beside me. I could see that her hands are also tied.
Both of us were suddenly gagged and were dragged towards a room.
I tried to remove the gag on my mouth after the door was closed.
"Are you okay?" I asked after freeing my mouth from the cloth covering it.
"Umph…" Lin Qiao whimpered as I could see tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
My heart throbs in pain seeing the woman that I like suffers this fate. I swore at that instant that I would do all I can to protect her even at the cost of my life.
Lin Qiao seems to see the determination in my expression as she looks at me with her teary eyes.
However, both of us knew that this situation is hopeless and that we would die soon, just like those we have heard from the rumors. But still, a slight hope in our hearts keeps us from despair.
We did not know how long it was but the two of us were nervous. The door suddenly swung open and we were once again dragged out from it. The two of us are thrown to the ground like some pile of trash. And we found ourselves laying in front of some teenagers whom we were familiar with.
"You guys… how? Why?" I blurted but then a punch answered my query making my vision blurs at the strong impact.
The pain in my face made me clenched my teeth as I almost fainted.
"Haha… Xin Wei, Oh Xin Wei… you did this to yourself, you know. You humiliated us in front of many people and even our families… Do you know the price for being such a dick?" a young man shouted while pointing at my face as I lay on the ground, it was Lin Ting.
Then he spits at me as he suddenly sent a kick at my stomach. Everyone around him laughed in glee as they saw me struggle to breathe. Their laugher was drowned by the pain I feel in my body. At that instant, I knew that one of my ribs is cracked.
"Hehe… Alright, let us pour out our pent-up anger to this fool!…" shouted a familiar voice.
I knew that this voice came from the leader of the group. The young master of the Yu clan, a very strong young man who could fight against adults and has the moniker "Dragon fist". He is the leader of this group of bullies whom I reported to the authorities, Yu Bai.
Yu Bai was the cause of all of this suffering I am experiencing right now. Just because he accidentally hit the tray I was holding while it was lunchtime, he suddenly had me in his sight ever since.
That was the time when the bullying starts. When I could not take it anymore, I reported them.
As each blow I received gave me strong numbing pain, I memorize those maniacal faces who is beating me while laughing.
I tried to defend myself, but what can I do with my tied hands and feet. I could not even cover my head as I was trampled to the ground. As a strong impact hit my head, I lost consciousness.
Suddenly, one of the goons raised me which made me woke up from the sudden pain coursing through my body. Then I noticed that Lin Qiao was suddenly being held up and one of my classmates, Jin Lin Mae, is facing her.
"Hihi… look at what we have here… the pretty school beauty, Lin Qiao. They said that you are prettier than me... then how about we do this…" Jin Lin Mae suddenly grabs a knife from one of the thugs on the side and without hesitation slashes the face of Lin Qiao.
Eaarrgghhh!!!
Lin Qiao cried in pain as her face became bloody as gash appears on her soft skin.
"No! Stop! Please stop! You only have enmity with me, just me… don't involve her, she has nothing to do with this!" I shouted while gritting my teeth in pain.
I could not let them hurt Lin Qiao.
"Hehe… Lin Mae, why don't I taste that bitch first before you get carried away…" suddenly Long Tao who is standing on the side said while walking towards Lin Qiao.
With a smirk, Jin Lin Mae handed the blade to the thug who is holding Lin Qiao. The thug pointed the knife on Lin Qiao's neck while removing the cloth on her mouth.
"No! Don't'!" I shouted as I ran towards the approaching figure of Long Tao.
However, my approach was blocked by Yu Bai who is already holding a knife in his hand. Then without hesitation, he stabs it directly towards my stomach.
"Arrgghh!!!" I flinch upon feeling something entering my body.
Then with assign of his hand, a goon held me up and prevent me from falling and the rest of the people glaring at me suddenly grabs a knife and also began stabbing me.
I feel my body slowly getting weak as I could not think of anything anymore, all I could feel is like those people are punching my helpless body.
"No! Stop!" suddenly Lin Qiao shouted as she forcefully runs towards me.
Through her struggling, the thug holding her accidentally drags the knife from his hand and it accidentally slices through her throat.
"Shit! You shit head asshole! Why did you that!" shouted Long Tao as he saw the figure of Lin Qiao falling to the ground with her throat slit open and a pool of blood flowing out which slowly covered her body.
"Sorry... she struggled." the thug said with a shrug.
"Damn it!" Long Tao curses out as he suddenly sent the goon flying to the side.
"What a waste!"
Everyone kept silent as they saw me weakly crawling towards Lin Qiao dragging my body which is slowly getting cold. Our eyes met and she weakly smiles at me as her eyes slowly close. I reached out and touches her hand. But all I could feel is the coldness.
"Let's get out of here! Clean off our traces in this area…" shouted Yu Bai.
The group left and silence pervades the air as I slowly feel my life ebbing out. But I did not close my eyes, I did not let go of Lin Qiao's image on my mind as I burn everything that happened in this place deep within my heart. Anger and resentment filled my heart as I wanted to exact revenge on those who did this to us.
Though I know that I was stabbed many times, I still did not want to give up.
"I… I will get… my revenge…" I muttered as blood spurted out of my mouth.
Though the mind is strong, the body is weak. I wanted to fight, to live, but I knew that it was too late. As I was about to close my eyes, I suddenly feel a warm sensation invading my body. The warmth seems to take away the pain and numbness I was feeling. It is giving me and my desire the flame it needed to continue. I struggled to not let my consciousness drifted into the darkness.
It is said that when you are about to die, your life flashes in front of your eyes. That was true, I know that now. And then, they also say that you should not go to the light which would appear in the darkness. And so, I tried to look for that light within this void... and then... I saw it.
It was a faint light that attracted my consciousness. As I look at it, I feel strange, it's warm. I did not want to go to that light. But something is strange with that light.
I knew at that instant that this is the light that has filled my body with warmth when I was about to die.
I knew that this light is the light of hope and life.