Volume 3
144 Hanging On to Life
A feeling of extreme unease enveloped me, and in a second, I realized why it was so.
As a body of consciousness, my MF was already weakened since I did not sleep for days on end. Just like a tightly-strung bow, I was forcing myself to use my MF almost to its breaking point!
Using such a high amount of MF so suddenly pushed it further towards its breaking point, and while I forcefully used what was left of my MF, my consciousness started to crumble!
There was nothing but darkness around me, but I was still able to make out their shadows in this infinite blackness!
I felt Guan Nie's illusion falling apart, and with fresh blood staining his chin, I saw his translucent body looking like a shredded paper man, slowly floating down towards Gaoqin Jiuye.
Gaoqin Jiuye seemed to be trying to reach out to him, but no matter how hard he tried, he could only move a single finger.
Jiao S could not move an inch. She was totally immobilized and could only stare up into the air with her huge eyes as she lay on the rock.
Yu Liang did not give up on his attack even when the illusion was already falling apart. However, a dark shadow suddenly appeared behind him.
That shadow felt familiar, and I tried to remember where I had seen it before. I kept staring at it, but I just could not get a clear focus on it.
I felt a horrible pain at the back of my mind, and I knew at this moment that I had used up all of my energy.
I lost my consciousness at this point.
"This is called a butterfly kiss." I heard a familiar and enchanting voice.
My eyes snapped open.
I was dreaming.
I was not able to participate in this dream probably because too much of my MF had already been used up. I could only look on as an audience.
I was trying to tell myself to wake up from the dream. There was no spare time for me to be dreaming right now. The rest are not able to fight currently, and that dark shadow which appeared, could that have been him…
No…
Wake up…
This did not seem to work at all, and the scene in front of my eyes was clear as day.
This is…
The laboratory.
It was the laboratory at the end of the hallway that Gao Qi had previously brought me to.
The 'me' in the dream was facing Gao Qi, and we were both seated.
Gao Qi took both 'my' hands in his, and I could see that 'I' was about half a head shorter than him. Gao Qi leaned forward, towards 'my' face, with a smile.
'I' had a shy expression on my face, and 'I' looked down. 'My' lashes fluttered, and 'my' eyes finally closed. Gao Qi's thin and cold lips then landed above 'my' right eye.
"This, is called the butterfly kiss," Gao Qi said softly as he kissed 'my' right eye tenderly.
'My' lips trembled slightly as 'I' said, "Senior Gao… Qi…"
"No, don't call me senior, just call me Qi…" His voice was enchanting, and his eyes were shining with an enticing light. Still on 'my' eye, his lips moved as he answered.
"Qi…" 'I' muttered.
Gao Qi finally moved back a little, putting a minor distance between 'my' eye and himself.
"I gave my favorite thing a very nice name."
"What's it called?" 'I' opened my eyes slowly, and it looked like 'I' did not want the previous moment to end.
"Shen Qi…"
I felt a brutal chill from the bottom of my heart, and I tried again to wake myself up…
What kind of dream is this…
All dreams in the Split Zone are memories from when we were alive…
But why did I not remember a single thing…
"I'll show you 'Shen Qi' the next time you come over to the laboratory." Gao Qi promised with a smile.
Wake up…
The scene then changed abruptly.
'I' went back to my room on my own, and I was met with huge red graffiti on my door.
'Go to hell crazy person'
As I was still in shock, the door opened suddenly. The person who opened the door was obviously shocked by me standing there.
"Ah!"
"You scared me!"
She stared at 'me' angrily, and walked away while avoiding 'me', as if afraid 'I' would infect her, only to call out again as she was rudely surprised by the red graffiti on the door as she turned back.
She then walked back towards the door. Another girl came out as she heard all the noise.
"What's happening?"
The girl who came out earlier pointed at the door.
It was now the other girl's turn to be surprised by me.
The girl who came out earlier then pointed at 'me', telling the other girl, "We'd also be seen as lunatics if we keep rooming with this crazy person."
The other girl seemed to have a friendlier demeanor, and she nudged the girl slightly, signaling for her to not be so direct about it in front of 'me'.
The girl who was nudged then got angry. "What're you afraid of? Do you know who she pissed off? Duff, the principal's daughter! I heard that for our class, there's only one vacancy for scholarship applications this year! It's all because of her! We'd be embroiled in this matter sooner or later since we're roommates with her!'"
"How could that be… And why would Duff hate her anyway…"
"It's because this crazy person got together with the most handsome senior in school, the one Duff attempted to pursue but failed. To let others know that Duff, the principal's daughter, isn't even comparable to a crazy person, how embarrassing would that be?"
"But isn't this too much…"
"This isn't too much, look at the words on the door!"
"Ah! What, I didn't even realize it!"
"We should leave this place as soon as we can, to rid ourselves of this bad luck!"
A crowd was beginning to form along the corridor as students started poking their heads out to see what the commotion was all about.
'I' was still standing there expressionless, and 'I' did not say anything either.
Another girl then stepped out of the room suddenly.
'My' expression changed slightly.
It was Pomelo.
Pomelo stared at the two girls coldly. "Nobody is stopping you if you want to leave. She does have a mental illness, but she's still ten thousand times better than the both of you. Look at you two, one looking like a prostitute with that thick make up you put on every day, and the other a bitch who knows nothing about filial piety, ordering her parents around through the phone all day long. What right do the two of you have to talk like this? She has mental issues, but you guys are just rotten to the core."
"What the eff are you saying?" One girl pointed at Pomelo angrily.
Pomelo scoffed. "I'm effing talking about you, prostitute."
The girl was incensed, and using both her hands, she shoved Pomelo back into the room. Though the other girl was not as fierce, it was obvious she was angry with Pomelo, and she walked into the room quickly, as if she wanted to argue with Pomelo.
'I' followed behind them silently, closing the door behind me as I entered the room.
I looked at 'me'. 'My' face was without any expression, and 'my' eyes were on the other three in the room. It looked like I was just a stranger to this situation, as if it was totally not because of me that these girls started arguing.
"Say that again if you dare. I'm telling you, Jiang You, I've had enough of you. You're always together with this mad woman, I'm really effing down on my luck to be rooming with you two! Since we're already at this point, don't blame me for not taking our relationship as roommates into consideration!" (T/n: Jiang You is Pomelo's full name. Li Shen usually refers to her with her nickname, You Zi, which means Pomelo.)
Huh, relationship as roommates.
The other girl chimed in, "That's right, Jiang You. You didn't have to say things like that. We weren't going to do anything to her anyway."
Pomelo smirked. "Since you guys have had enough of me, how about I help you dig your dirty eyeballs out? No need to be in a rush to tell me what to do, I haven't even ripped your faces out yet."
"Fuck you, this bitch is really in need of a beating!" One of the girls was enraged at this point, and she was ready to throw a chair at Pomelo.
Anger usually makes a person stronger. That chair was already light to begin with, and it made a whooshing sound as it was lifted up.
'I' stepped forward to be in front of the girl, shielding Pomelo behind me.
Pomelo looked shocked for a brief moment, but in an instant, cruelty appeared in her eyes.
The chair crashed onto 'my' back, and I let out a muffled cry while 'my' eyes remained cold and calm.
Pomelo pushed 'me' away, and grabbing a thin shirt hanging on the chair to her right, she started walking quickly towards that girl who threw the chair on me.
She pushed the girl onto the floor, and got on top of her in a flash.
The shirt was pulled into a long string, and she was starting to strangle the girl by the neck.
The other girl was so shocked at the scene that she did not even call out.
"Urgh…" The girl was now being strangled by Pomelo, but Pomelo simply looked on coldly, with an evil malice in her eyes.
Her hands were strong, and she continued pulling that shirt in opposite ends while she stepped on that girl's hair, which was now spread on the floor.
After being pushed away, 'I' seemed to be off-kilter for a few moments, but after regaining 'my' balance, 'I' walked over quickly to be by Pomelo's side.
'I' bent down in a half-squat to hold onto Pomelo's arm, saying my first words in this dream, "Leave it."
Pomelo loosened her grip slightly and looked towards 'me'.
A light flashed in her eyes.
*Cough cough* *Cough cough cough* The girl had no strength to push Pomelo away, who was still sitting on her. She could only cough as she held onto her neck.
Pomelo looked at 'me' for a brief moment, before saying, "I'll leave it since you said it."
"Aren't you lucky to have hung on to your dear life because of this crazy person." She stood up, looking down on the girl who was still curled up on the floor, coughing non-stop.