3 Chapter 3

SURREAL

Bella's Point of View

I'm tired.

Will they miss me if I disappear?

Will they cuss me at my funeral?

I took a deep breath and my sides heaved as I panted for air. My eyes were clouded with tears, as if they were a river flowing constantly. I don't know what to do with my life. I am a shadow, living to please everyone's eyes... including my parents. I'm still breathing but it seems like I live to die everyday. How ironic. This bridge and that river feels like home.

I could hear my own heartbeat but I couldn't see anything—any way to escape. I wiped my tears using my fingers like a child looking for her parents, abandoned and lost in wilderness.

I started to climb up. There's no way out but to die peacefully in here."You don't have to go like this. You're still young, you can do something...unlike me,"a woman probably my mom's age said while looking at the river, smiling bitterly. I can't clearly see her face, her hair was covering it. I stared at her in confusion. What is she doing here?

I quivered in fear and at the same time shocked, seeing blood all over her body. She started to move forward and tried reaching my hand. I moved backwards but she's still trying to reach me."H-Help me...please,"she pleaded but I covered my ears. I don't want to hear her voice, it suffocates me."Please...h-help,"she pleaded again and again. My eyes widened when she lost her balance and fell into the river...no, almost.

My heart began palpitating, my tears were falling and I am still trembling in trauma. She is about to fall and her right hand is still trying to reach for my hands while the other one gripped the steel, preventing herself from falling. No one was around, except for the both of us."I-I need to live...please,"she begged. Her white shirt were now covered with bloodstains.

I grab her hand and tried to pull her up."T-Thank you,"she whispered, crying. We need to get out of here, alive. She's right, I can do something. It's my life after all. "You deserve to live. Don't let them control you...be peculiar,"she uttered like it's her last words to a stranger like me.

She pulled her necklace and gave it to me. "If I die today, please give it to my son." I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't know who's your son. You need to live and give it to him personally,"I mumbled trying to stop her negativity. "I'll save you. D-Don't worry,"I added, starting to cry again.

My eyes bulged and I feel like losing all of my blood when I saw her hand slipped from mine."No, please!"I exclaimed. She threw her necklace onto the bridge and shouted her last words,"Please take care of Khai for me!" I froze and saw how she fell into the raging water of this freakin' river. Having a weak smile written on her bloody face.

I killed someone...

I didn't save her.

I am worthless.

"No, don't die!"I shouted and my heart started to palpitate again. I'm sweating despite of the cold temperature in this room. I sighed when I realized that it was all a dream, a nightmare. I brush my hair using my fingers and got out of the bed, still trying to calm myself. "Nightmares, I'm dreaming about it again." I sighed and drank the glass of water I got from the kitchen.

It's four in the morning, still early for school but I can't sleep. I'm terrified that I might dream about that woman again. I thought I escaped from my past, my problems but I was wrong. It haunts me every night. Will I be able to forget it? What am I supposed to do?

I touched the necklace I was wearing and stared at it for seconds. It has a sky-blue cresent pendant finely crafted, so beautiful. This is the necklace she gave me before she dies. I don't know where to find her son but I'm hoping to fulfill her wish. I'm hoping to find Khai soon and give this to him...his the rightful owner. I'd like to know everything from his son. It seems like she's not there to end her life, someone was after her and maybe her son too. I need to find him as soon as possible. If fate let us.

CASTELVANIA UNIVERSITY

"Why did you left the classroom yesterday?"Ms. Kris asked, pissed at the same time. "I'm sorry, I can't bear their words,"I answered frankly in front of everyone. Some gave me a threatening look and some rolled their eyes on me. I look at them coldly, raising my eyebrow. I rolled my eyes towards them.

"You're a transferee. Learn to ignore things like that. It's normal in Castelvania University,"Ms. Kris added that made me look at her. "So? Should I accept everything then even if it was hurtin'?"I asked sarcastically looking at the maggots—my classmates. "Watch your mouth, I'm your teacher!"she shouted that echoed again in our classroom. "I'm mean, I'm sarcastic. If you don't want me to act like this then make them stop, excuse me,"I walked towards my seat. I saw Vanessa and my classmates paused in incredulity.

Their eyes threw daggers on me. It was painful to see that everyone hated me. They think I'm a spoiled brat, a b*tch that needs to learn her lesson. "Ahm, can we have lunch together?"I asked, Vanessa. "I'm sorry, I have things to do. I can't." I sighed and watch her walk away from me. I thought we will be friends.

Instead of going into the cafeteria, I went somewhere, at the back of the school. Somewhere unfamiliar yet peaceful. "Tss." I heard someone hissed. I look up at the mango tree and there I saw the beast. Resting on the branch like it's his room or some sort of territory. He's wearing earphones while his eyes were shut. I rolled my eyes upon realizing that I was staring at him for seconds. I hope you'll fall, arrogant!

I ignored him and walk towards the tree next to me. I sat and started to eat my lunch. I look for part-time jobs too while enjoying my peaceful lunch. I need to earn money from now on.

After eating, I decided to go back to our classroom. As I was walking, someone jumped in front of me. He stood up and stared at me blankly. His dark and cold brown eyes met mine. He then brushed his messed up hair using his fingers and put the other hand inside his jean's pocket.

Three of his polo's buttons were unbuttoned, revealing his chiseled chest. I stared at his soft red lips when he licked it. I shook my head when I remembered the shallow kiss he gave me yesterday. He arched his thick black brows upon seeing my reaction and ignored my presence.

I even tried to stop myself from breathing, stop myself from swallowing and tried to stop my heart from throbbing...as if. He might hear it—Go back to your senses, Bella! What are you thinking? "Stunned? Tss,"he said, walking confidently away from me. I closed my eyes thinking how I look earlier. What a shame!

FAST FORWARD

The class ended well, they did not bothered me anymore but I'm the one who's bothered. Vanessa was still on her cold treatment towards me. Did I really upset her because of that beast?

As I glanced at the street, my eyes remained to a child walking slowly, trying to cross the street. What is he doin'? Where's his mom? That was what I'm thinking right now and hurried, ran as fast as I could to save him from the danger he's in. I embraced him as we are about to bumped by a car. I closed my eyes. I won't let anyone die, not again.

I heard a loud, high-pitched sound coming right in front of us. I opened my eyes when I realized that we're still alive and breathing fine. My eyes widened upon seeing a black Mercedes-Benz—car blocking us, causing it to be hitted by that red car instead of us. It saved our lives from the danger we're in. Its glass window shatter and the back of the car flattened. I was even more surprised to see the man shaking his head, as if dizzy. I paused in great shock when I recognized who just saved us. "B-Beast,"I whispered out of nowhere, still surprised.

"My boy!"a woman shouted from afar and ran towards us. He hushed his crying son. She thanked me for saving her child but I wasn't listening because my attention was on the beast. I ran towards his direction and knocked on his car window.

I saw blood flowing from his head as well as from his nose and lips. He also had bruises and small cuts on his face. He breathe heavily and unexpectedly, his eyes met mine. I got goosebumps and I could hear my heart beating so fast again. The coldness of his stare seeped through my bone down to my marrow. I was stunned when he suddenly came down and wiped the blood on the side of his lip with the back of his right hand.

He glared at me wickedly and coldly. He gazed at his flattened and wrecked car disappointedly. I was relieved to see him breathing—alive tho'. "W-Why did you do that?"I asked, puzzled by his actions. Even if he's my enemy, I wouldn't curse him to death. "Tss, why ask when you do the same thing?" I stared at him confused and speechless. "My car,"he sighed, still looking at his wrecked car.

It was unbelievable that this beast had a heart to save other people,  even if he knew that he's in danger.

It was completely surreal.