Chapter 2: Dark

Despair washed over me as I faced my imminent end. "Your eyes would make a perfect dessert," the old woman cackled. She spun around, and within a blink, her appearance transformed. She looked younger, stunning me into silence.

I mustered all my strength and courage. "You're a witch!" I shouted, pushing myself to stand up against her. Her response was only a chuckle of amusement.

She lifted her right hand, ready to touch my face, when suddenly, a voice echoed from above.

"Hey! Bitch!"

The voice belonged to the same boy who had warned me at our school. He was still garbed in his tattered clothes, his eerie mask concealing his face. He dove in front of me, and instantly, my limbs broke free of their stiffness. I took a sharp intake of breath.

The old woman retreated, her eyes sharpening at the sight of the boy. "Stand back!" he commanded. A weapon materialised at his side; a red scythe.

"What are you planning to do with that? Trim the grass?" I asked, confusion overwhelming me amidst the chaos.

"What? No! Just let me do my job!" he retorted, gripping his scythe tightly. "Stay back! You might get hurt," he warned.

"Tsk! A Trendion!" the old lady commented dismissively, attempting to escape into a swirling mist. But the boy was swift. He lunged forward, his scythe set to strike, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

He tried to break through, attack after attack proving futile. Then suddenly, the tides turned in our favor. The lady spat blood, crumbling to her knees. "What is this?" she wondered aloud, her voice weakened.

"You get that for blocking Yan!" the boy laughed, jubilant.

Without wasting a moment, he charged again. The old woman tried to shield herself, but it was pointless as the scythe pierced her.

I expected a flood of blood, instead, she began to disintegrate, turning to dust. The boy sat down, silently uttering a prayer, then stood up, pointing his middle finger in defiance.

"Deserved it, ugly bitch! Ha-ha! I won!" He crowded, jumping with glee.

His words left me stunned. Was this surreal reality even plausible?

"You're lucky you weren't on the menu!" he remarked. "What?"

"You didn't know? The old lady consumes girls to keep her youthful appearance. Girls who are eaten by her are forgotten, like they never existed." His words stabbed my heart.

Realization struck me, and I fell silent. Was this my reality?

I stopped talking, overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness that swept over me once again.

Then, he turned to me. "Are you okay?" he gently asked.

"No! I'm not okay! I just lost my cousin!" I shouted, my voice breaking as I fell apart. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. Suddenly, he spoke up.

"She's not dead. If she was, you would forget about her. But you didn't, which means she's still alive and kicking!" he explained, his words piercing through my sorrow. I paused, taking in his words.

"Then where is she?" I asked, my frustration mounting as I stood up and grabbed him by the collar.

"Secret!" he quickly replied.

"I'm not in the mood for this right now!" I shouted at him, my emotions spiraling out of control.

"Your cousins are fine, and so are the other students. Don't worry," he reassured me, his words offering a glimmer of hope. He pointed towards the back of the building.

"This street is abandoned because of that lady!" he added, rolling his eyes from east to west. We walked towards the back of the building, and there I saw my cousins lying next to each other, along with a few other students. Relief washed over me. Nothing had happened to them.

"Thank you?" I turned to him, but he had vanished. I shrugged off the puzzling encounter and woke Ron and Ren. Gradually, each student began to wake up, yet they seemed to have forgotten why they were in here in the first place.

I questioned Ron and Ren, only to receive the same responses. They had forgotten what had happened. Strangely, it didn't disturb me as much as the fact that I was the only one who remembered everything.

Not only that, but their parents had also forgotten. Even the police had no recollection of the missing girls. It hurt to see everyone forgetting about the other girls, as if they had never existed.

***

"It was a bad day, wasn't it?" Grandma began. I turned to her, seeking solace, and hugged her tightly. "Yes, it was," I admitted, unable to stop the tears from falling. I clung onto her, finding comfort in her presence.

"You're lucky, aren't you, my darling?" Grandma remarked with a giggle. Confused, I asked, "Why are you giggling, Grandma?" She chuckled and motioned for me to sit down beside her, near our front door.

"Is the twin asleep?" Grandma inquired, and I nodded before taking a seat in front of her. "That's good. I think it's time to tell you the truth," Grandma said. I locked my eyes onto hers, anticipation building up inside me.

"The truth?" I said, my voice filled with curiosity.

"Am I not your granddaughter?" I asked, my voice trembling as tears welled up in my eyes. Grandma burst into laughter. "Of course, you're my granddaughter," she simply replied.

"You were just a baby when your parents died," Grandma continued. "Yes, I know. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father was in an accident along with Ron and Ren's parents," I stated, recalling the story I had been told. Grandma smiled at me.

"That's what everyone thought. But the truth is, it never actually happened," Grandma revealed, causing me to fall silent, intrigued. I trusted Grandma implicitly, for she was not one to lie without a reason.

"You seem surprisingly calm," Grandma remarked.

"You see, my dear, your mother never actually died while giving birth to you. Similarly, your father, uncle, and aunt did not perish in an accident. When you were a baby, you were weak," Grandma chuckled, and in that moment, a flicker of laughter escaped me.

"The truth is, your mother became involved in something beyond human comprehension. A 'being' wanted to devour her and you. Your mother prayed fervently, hoping to keep you safe. On the night she gave birth to you amidst a raging storm and the darkest of nights, an unknown force paid us a visit. That 'being' sought to consume you, but your mother shielded you with all her might. Then, out of nowhere, a strange masked boy appeared," Grandma's story unfolded.

"A masked boy?" I asked, my memory shifting to that peculiar boy.

"Yes, my dear. In exchange for your mother's soul, that boy vowed to protect you until your dying day. He wielded a scythe, cutting the 'being' in half, but it remained undamaged. The 'being' managed to escape, and since that day, the boy always stood by your side. He even babysat you whenever I was busy with your twin," Grandma explained, her tale stretching on and on.

"Why?! Mom? There are so many people outside! Why did that 'thing' choose to attack my mom?" I shouted, my voice filled with anguish. "What about Dad? Uncle and Aunt? What happened to them?" I bombarded Grandma with my barrage of questions.

"I don't know, my dear. It seems that people have forgotten about them. But I will never forget. I tried asking the boy, but even he had no answers about them," Grandma responded, tears streaming down her face.

"That boy! What is his name?" I asked, desperate for any shred of information. "I don't know either. He never spoke to me about himself. It's better if you ask him," Grandma suggested, wiping away her tears slowly with her trembling hands.

I rushed back to my room, feeling utterly helpless and exhausted. The weight of everything that had transpired overwhelmed me. Then an idea struck me, and I mustered the last bit of energy within me.

I stood up, locked the door, and opened my window. Taking a deep breath, I called out, "Come out!" There was no response. Another idea crossed my mind. "If you don't come out, I'll jump from here!" I shouted, preparing myself to leap. Still, there was no sign of him. I swallowed hard, my gaze fixating on the ground far below. If I were to hit that, it could mean my end. It was a choice of whether I wanted to see him or not. With determination, I closed my eyes, ready to take the plunge.

But then, I felt a touch. I cautiously reopened my eyes, only to find that the same boy who had come to my aid earlier had caught me in his arms.

"You really are an idiot!" he said, his tone cold and distant. Our bodies levitated in thin air as he gently placed me down.

"I overheard your conversation with your grandma. I'll tell you this much: my name is Dark Thoreau. Yun and Yan. I'm only here to protect you because of a contract.

Next time you make such foolish threats, don't expect me to save you. You brought that upon yourself. If you were to die, I might finally be free. Just a gentle reminder: I am not your bodyguard," he stated, his voice devoid of warmth.

"You're so mean!" I retorted, glaring at him as he met my gaze with a steely expression.

"Yeah, I am," he simply replied, causing me to gasp in shock.

"Isn't it rude to keep your face covered while talking to someone?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.

"It's not," he replied curtly, shutting down any further inquiry.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***