56 I have become a monster

The ground is wet and cold.  Wakana rolls on her side, furrowing her brows. The air smells like damp moss, cool earth after the rain, and sweet fragrance of wildflowers. A cold breeze caresses her hair, making her shiver. She blinks her eyes, wondering how did she end up in a forest. 

She closes her eyes again. It must be a dream.

After five minutes, she sits up. It's hard to sleep on a cold hard ground. Wakana lets out a pronounced sigh. This dream is too realistic. 

"Is this what they call lucid dreaming?" Wakana looks around. It looks like she's on a mountain. Where is this mountain though? Did she get kidnapped in sleep? Who would kidnap her from the hotel room? Sei was with her before she went to sleep. 

Next, she looks for her phone. As usual, her pockets are empty. But then, who would sleep with their phone in their pocket?

"I am not going to panic," She mutters under her breath. It's probably a super realistic dream because it doesn't make sense that she would end up in a forest like this. Also, her clothes are too clean. 

She can't stay here for long. Wakana strolls through the forest until she realizes that she can't see anything through the mist. Is it just her or the mist seems to be getting thicker? 

All of a sudden, sound of laughter pierces through the mist. She sees a small shadow running toward her. Frightened, Wakana bites her lower lip. 

A small hand grabs her hand. She looks down at the boy. He smiles at her. "Brother, I was looking for you everywhere."

Brother? Wakana widens her eyes. Is this a memory? Whose memory is this?

"I thought that you ran away" The boy pulls her along with him. He mumbles with a soft voice, "Father and Mother are worried. Why did you leave like that?"

By now, Wakana is sure that she's inside someone's memory. But she can't figure out who this person is. Is it the hotel room? This boy is not Sei. She must be inside this boy's brother's memory. 

She has the urge to jerk this boy's hand away and run in the other direction. Seeing stranger's traumatic memory is the last thing that she wants to do right now. However, her body isn't listening to her will.

"Hyung, why are you not speaking?" The boy raises his head and meets her eyes. Wakana sees a different reflection in his dark eyes -- a teenager with dark hair and similar features. The boy adds, "If you don't speak, I will not know."

She realizes that the boy isn't speaking Japanese. Is it Korean? She purses her lips. It sounds like Korean to her. But how could she understand this? She had never learned Korean in her lifetime. 

The boy sighs. "Hyung, I know that it's difficult. Father can't understand. But He doesn't hate us. There are times when he's just..."

Her fingers curl around the boy's small hand. "He hates us."

"That's not true." The boy's voice quiver a little. He gives her an uneasy smile. That smile… She realizes. It looks familiar to her. Where had she seen it? "Hyung, Father is just… afraid sometimes."

A large house comes into Wakana's view. The boy drags her toward the entrance. Her each step feels reluctant. A surge of excitement runs through her veins. At the same time, her body feels like it's being washed with dread. A cold sweat breaks on her back while the corner of her lips curls up. Wakana prepares herself for what is going to come.

A girl with long light brown hair and dark brown eyes runs toward them. The boy grins at her and says, "Noona, Hyung is --"

The girl grabs the boy's hand and pushes him away from Wakana. The boy falls on the ground, looking at her with confusion in his eyes. 

"Min Jae, don't do this." The girl reaches for Wakana with trembling hands. "If you can't bear it, then leave this place with me. We will go to a faraway place."

A low chuckle escapes Wakana's lips. Her hand moves on its own. She covers the girl's eyes. In the next instant, the girl hollers in pain as the tears of blood rolls down on her cheeks. Wakana wants to retract her hand. But she knows that it's impossible. This is someone's memory. Nothing would change. 

"Hyung, what have you done?" The boy shakes in fear. Wakana smiles at him before she pushes the girl away from her. A part of her heart is in pain. She's hurting people she loves. It's also hurting her, but she can't stop. Having warm blood on her hands makes her feel better and worse at the same time. Maybe there's still a trace of humanity inside her. 

But it's not enough.  

She tilts her head slightly. A maniacal smile appears on her lips when she sees her brother turning pale. She takes a step toward him.

Choi Minho doesn't move away from the spot. It's more like he can't move at all. His knees are wobbly. Oh Soomi is lying on the ground. He can't tell whether she's dead or not. His brother takes another step toward him. 

"Hyung, are you going to kill me?" He asks his brother with a small voice. "You can still stop. I know that you can."

He doesn't hear any answer. His brother stops right in front of him. Minho wants to use his ability against his brother. But the intense pressure from his brother has frozen his body on the spot. He's afraid of his brother who clearly wants to kill him right now.  

"It's too late." His brother is no longer standing in front of him. The woman with amber eyes reaches for his face with her hands full of Oh Soomi's blood. "I have become a monster."