CHAPTER 24
Doyoung
I watched as all the master leave even the servants to go in that sickening cabin again where the ceremony always held. I sighed harshly. I don't want to go but we need to, that's our job. The ceremony is only a few days and we need to prepare for that day. I don't want to go and leave Sunoo behind. I don't know but someone is telling me not to leave him. He seems his nearly to give birth. I can't believe until now that master Yangs and master Hwang can impregnate a man. I sigh and decided to have a little chat with Sunoo before we leave.
I caught him writing something. A letter? I heard Sunoo is a journalist? Is he writing a story? I would love to read it but he seems writing on only one sheet of paper. Once he noticed me, he hurriedly folded the paper.
"What are you writing at?" I asked and Sunoo only shook his head. "Nothing? So, you just doodling?"
"You can tell..." He said, his voice being low and unable. I can see bags under his eyes- he looks so exhausted. He looks just as normal but I can sense something different in him that I couldn't explain but I know this is bad.
"You studying journalist right? You know, if I had a chance to go to college I would like to take education or arts." I said, trying to lighten his mood, my eyes connected with him. I stayed silent and watched as he pursed his lips, looking at me with sad eyes. He still hurting. Did he love master Hwang that much? Oh, I heard that he having amnesia and now that it has all come back-- It was not a surprise that he fell hard on master Hwang. And seeing his loved one died in front of him is just too cruel and hurt.
"You're not even smart enough to take education class!" I heard Jaemen say and I only rolled my eyes. I heard Sunoo laugh and somehow, that lightened the uneasy feeling I have right now. "That stupid fungus!" I hissed but smiled.
"Hey, Doyoung," He called softly and I immediately looked at him. He hand me a paper that was folded into four. I confusedly look at it. "Can you do me a favor?"
The uneasy feeling grew larger as I heard what he said. He's asking me a favor. Isn't that bad or not? I don't know but that feel like something will gonna happen. "Anything," I said.
He smiled. His smile is seriously comforting. He looks adorable when he smiles and how his eyes turn small when he smiled is just so cute!
"Promise me that when Junhyuk and Hyeop were born, I want you to take care of them. I want you to take them far away from this place."
"Hey, why are you asking me that? You and master Junghwan is the only one who'll do that! You're their parents." I calmly said.
Sunoo smiled even more but his tears didn't save from my eyes. It rolled aimlessly down his face. My heart clenched after seeing him crying with a soft smile. "Just promise me to be there for them, please." He pleads as more tears escape from his eyes. "If anything happens, you and the others will be there for them, can you promise that? Please?"
I can feel my heart sink after hearing that, fear swallowing me up. Why was he saying this? What does he mean by that? Why he's asking me like he's saying goodbye? What does he think is going to happen to him? I was about to speak before he cut me off, holding my hands with his trembling hands.
"Can you promise that?" He asked again and I slowly nod my head. He smiled again and I could sense his pain.
We hear a soft knock and see Xion quietly open master Junghwan's door and poked his head through. "It's time to go," He said and I sighs.
"It's time for us to go now. Take care and keep safe," I said and stood up without even looking at him. But before I could leave, though, Sunoo managed to grab me by my arm. I looked down at him and I could see the pain in his features. "Anything wants you to say?" I asked.
He didn't say anything and just stared straight at me as he was waiting on me to do, or say something. His bottom lip quivered before he sighs and pulled me into his arms, lightly sobbing on my shoulder. I didn't know what was wrong, but I could feel the pain pooling out of her and the uneasy feeling only getting stronger. Why do I feel like he was saying goodbye? No, that's only in my imagination. This weird feeling will soon fade away. Sunoo will be alright after we leave and when we arrive, he still likes the same.
I hugged him back, letting him lean on me. He was sobbing and shaking and it scared me. Something is not right.
We heard Xion calling me out again but Sunoo didn't let me go not until I moved away from him. He seems so out of space as if he still wants to lean onto me. "Sorry," he apologized, wiping the tears off his face and smiling at me. He jokingly shoos me away. "Go now, the masters are impatient you know." He said and chuckled.
I looked at him for a while before stepping out of master Junghwan's room. Before I closed the door, I looked back at him again and see him waving his hand at me as if saying goodbye with a peaceful smile. My heart unknowingly sank as I closed the door.
Something is not right.
-
As we prepared the table and put the white clean sheet on the table my thoughts about Sunoo didn't stop hunting me. I still remember his last words before I leave and the uneasy feeling is still here. I looked upon the masters that watching all of us. I noticed master Junghwan acting like I was. Did he sense it too?
"What's wrong with you? You're trembling." I heard Sichen say. Maybe I can tell this uneasy feeling to someone to somewhat ease my heavy feeling a bit?
"I felt uneasy," I answered as I placed the wine glasses on the table.
"Why?" He asked, placing the knives down beside the wine glass.
"Since before we leave the mansion, I have a little talk to Sunoo,"
"And? It's normal to have a little talk to--"
Before he could speak longer, I quickly cut him off. "No, it's different. I felt uneasy like something wrong was going to happen and the way Sunoo spoke. He seems--"
My words immediately cut off when we heard the people scream and when we look in the front, we see master Leelex was laying on the ground, coughing with blood. The masters hurriedly to his side to help him and I noticed master Park paled up for an unknown reason. We watched in horror as the masters help him up to the cabin. The whole atmosphere was filled with horror. I caught Juyeon running to the window where he can see what was going on inside. I run after Juyeon and peeped through the window. Seulji and Jaemen do the same.
We see master Leelex continue to cough with blood and even puke with more and more blood. He yelped, as his body broke out in a line of spasms and twitching. He gasped as tears flooded through his eyes, more blood flowing out from his mouth soaking his white button-up shirt with blood. Master Lee was beside his brother, holding his hands as he said words to him.
Soon, master Leelex stops moving. But we can't tell if he's already dead because his eyes are still open and was looking straight at the ceiling.
"He's out," Seulji mumbled.
Master Lee sighs painfully and brings his hands-on master Leelex's eyes. He closed it and soon he began crying on his brother's bloodied chest. Master Leelex just died?! How?!
We caught master Junghwan hurriedly running out of the cabin and out of the forest. We quickly followed him back home even the masters will get mad at us for suddenly leaving. Just when we step inside the mansion, all I could feel was emptiness. The mansion was quiet and the only thing I can hear was our breaths but aside from that, we can hear the muffled cries of two-person. I heard Xion gasp and before he could say it the cries along with the footsteps got louder.
From the darkness, we see the two pairs of black-blooded high heels. She walked to the light and we were all shocked to see Barbie carrying the two children and her arms were covered in blood. My eyes widen in horror thinking those two babies are Sunoo's. The baby was wrapped in a blanket.
"Look at them, aren't they look like their fathers?" Barbie said with a giggle. "This one is more like master Hwang."
"That's Sunoo's sons! Give them to us you witch!" Seulji shouted but Barbie only looked at her, and when she saw master Junghwan he form a sluty smile. "I can't believe the youngest master has the guts to lie to his elders, and master Hwang to cheat on me." She broke in a small chuckle.
"Where's Sunie," Master Junghwan asked, his voice was stern and his eyes sharpened while looking at Barbie.
"Why I would tell you? He's a bad person anyway. He killed my husband and my daughter. You know," She start moving softly the two-child in her arms when they began squirming. "It's not fair for me to let his two sons live. But I forgot that this one looks like the youngest master and that psycho." She laughed like a witch. "No one deserves to live! All of you will die! But first, I'll end this poor little--"
We jump in shock when he heard a loud gunshot. We watched as Barbie stared at us with shock and from her forehead, there's a hole. Master Junghwan runs with his incredible speed to Barbie and hurriedly gets the two babies. Barbie falls limp, blood flowing down on the floor. Master Junghwan hush the two babies as he softly hums. Once the two stop crying master Junghwan hand the babies to Seulji and Xion. He run upstairs to his room to check if Sunoo was still there. We quickly followed him behind and see him standing in the hallway while looking down on the floor. Just when we noticed the traces of blood that coming out from the attic. We hurriedly run to the attic, the stairs weren't pulled up and assumed Barbie pulled it down.
We climbed onto the stairs to the attic and I could feel all the blood drain from my face. My body went limp and I fell to the floor. Not a breath could enter me, and all I could do was watch and stare at the scene in absolute horror and the others were as shocked as me. I could feel tears fall out of my eyes and my heart clenched. Sunie was lying dead in the corner of the room. His stomach was torn apart with so much blood coming out from it, we can his body organs inside and he's covered in his blood. From his hand, I noticed the scissor while the other was a folded paper.
Master Junghwan slump down in front of Sunoo as he stared at him in horror. He began to cry, afraid to touch him, hands shaking. He eventually pulled him close, afraid to look at his torn stomach, but even so, he move his hands to put Sunoo's skin to its original place. Juyeon walked to Sunoo and covered his stomach, afraid that it might get infected even though Sunoo was already dead.
Master Junghwan stared at Sunoo's lifeless eyes that are still open until now.
He hugged him and screamed his name in agony. He looked as though he didn't want to believe that Sunoo was already gone and he kept on talking to him, hoping that Sunoo would move to look at him but no. He cried and cried, hugging close Sunoo and even kissing his forehead. I could see how much he love Sunoo and the fear that he's gone felt like killing him. He loved him, and master Junghwan would do anything for him. He loved Sunoo and their child- even master Hwang's child- more than anything.
It hurts to hear master Junghwan cried out like this in pain, in agony, and grief. The memory from earlier run through my mind before I leave. He is still alive a moment ago and now, my heart clenched even more just when I realized that he will be having a hard time delivering the two babies especially since he's a guy. Sunoo cut his stomach open to get the two children out of him but since no one is there to help him, Barbie went up here and completely tore Sunoo's stomach to extent that he'll lose so much blood. Sunoo didn't die in blood loss but he died in Barbie's hands. That bitch! It's good that she is already dead. But who the heck shot her?
I began to regret how I left earlier, not just me but all of us. I regret how I pushed him away when he was hugging me. How I tried to leave when I was about to get in a hurry. I wish I could've been up there longer. If I just listened to my instinct then this will not happen. We would've given anything for another hug, another moment with him. He's a tough guy, kind, and even he's sassy and impulsive in his plan sometimes I knew, we knew that he cared for us. He wants us to get out of here. He tried that so many times.
I noticed the folded paper on his hands. I crawled and took it. I shakily opened the paper and my heartache more. I sob. It's a letter from him. I stood up, my legs are shaking but I manage to walk away from the attic, holding Sunoo's letter.
I walked to our old room where I still shared a room with him. Back when master Han raped him. I sat on my bed and read the letter.
'If any of you reading this, please take care of Hyeop and Junhyuk. Master Junghwan please take of them or any of you, Doyoung, please. I can't hold it anymore, how funny. I'll die without fullfilling my goal. I love you all especially you master Junghwan. It hurt to think I'm leaving you alone but don't worry, just what Hyunsung said, I'll be waiting. We'll always be waiting for you. I love you so much. San, Sichen, Jaemen, Beom, Doyoung, Yeonjun, Juyeon, Xion, and Seulji. Can you promise me that you will escape from here and take care of my two lights? I hope you will. Thank you for everything. I'll miss you.
If you escape, please tell Jinki that I'm sorry.'
I flip the paper and see the map of how to escape from here. On top of the drawing, there's something written as if it was an instruction.
'#1 Kill the guards. #2 Kill the caretaker. #3 Kill the cook. #4 Kill Mr. Lawrence. #5 Kill the butlers. #6 Kill the conductors.
When the masters get hungry make sure to escape. They may be aggressive but they are just normal monsters without magic once I died.'
How did you know Sunoo?! How?! I folded the paper and held my head. This is it. I know Sunoo knows something that we don't and now he's sharing it with us so we can escape and end this nightmare.
I jump once I heard the angry scream from downstairs. My face paled up upon realizing that it was master Lee's voice. I hid the letter behind the belt I was wearing and run to the hallway where I spotted Seulji and Xion running into with Sunoo's children. I run to that room and I already see them placing the two-child inside of a huge box before putting them inside of the old closet.
"We need to hide them away from the masters. If they found them, they'll surely kill them." Seulji said and we heard another angry voice from the attic. Xion takes on guard of Hyeop and Junhyuk while I and Seulji run to the attic only to see master Junghwan thrown away to the corner with his brother master Yang. Master Junghwan was crying nonstop as he tried to reach Sunoo but master Han and master Park carried him down with the white sheet covering his body. We both hurriedly run to hide.
We see them carrying Sunoo's body with faint tears on their faces but I can notice the pale of their faces as if they've been poisoned. Now that Sunoo is gone, the masters are now just a monsters without magic. That magic from Mr. Lawrence is useless since we believe that their magic is somewhat connected to Sunoo's life. I don't get it but when Barbie tried to kill him before he then back to life and master Junghwan died. Then they both live, is because their lives were all connected to that magic and Sunoo is the end and start of that confusing cycle of life?
No, master Leelex died after Sunoo's death. His life is somewhat connected to Sunoo's life and now he's gone, master Leelex can die. And Sunoo's life was connected to master Han? Maybe, and master Junghwan's life was connected to Sunoo and since Sunoo was still alive back then, he can't die. But now that he was gone--
My thought snaps out when I see master Han suddenly fall on the floor after placing Sunoo in his room. Master Kim run to his side and asked him the obvious question. While master Park leaned on the wall. He look weak and his skin turned gray. Are they affecting because of Sunoo's death?
Wait, is my theory about their lives is wrong?
Master Han groans lowly, he's coughing blood just like master Leelex.
Or master Han's life was connected to master Leelex and master Park's life was connected to master Han? This is like a cycle of life. And Sunoo's life was connected to master Hwang. That's why Sunoo looks more lifeless every day has passed. He always cried because he knew he will die soon. He didn't die early after master Hwang's because he fight to stay alive, to give birth to Hyeop and Junhyuk.
Now, it's all clear to me. The masters will die one by one, sooner or later. Not in hunger...wait, is this letter is a puzzle? Kill the guards, kill the other servants, and so on until the masters starve and took that opportunity to escape. I gasp, getting all the confusing puzzle of this mansion. Is this the reason why Sunoo told me to take their children? Because master Junghwan will die soon.
Right, it's time to get out of here.
I held Seulji's arm making her flinch and looked at me. I looked down on her with determination in my eyes.
"We will get out of here tonight," I said while looking at her sternly.