Chapter 77. Till My Lungs Burned

Chapter 77: Chapter 77. Till My Lungs Burned

Chapter 77. Till My Lungs Burned

Rosa Lin’s POV

"How the hell did you know that?" I asked, my voice barely holding together. "Does nothing stay hidden in this place?"

He chuckled, leaning in closer while staring straight through me, that same wicked smirk carved onto his face.

Honestly, at this point, I was praying for only one thing: the ability to read minds. It was so damn hard—this guy was an absolute nightmare to figure out. How the hell had he been able to see through all of it? I stared at him as his grin expanded, turning even more wicked and malicious than before. It sent an eerie, bone-deep chill straight down my spine, rattling me to the core.

I clenched my fists tightly, a sudden wave of fear hitting me for reasons I couldn’t even fully decipher. My eyelids fluttered as I watched him. His wicked smirk and intense gaze held mine hostage. Then, without warning, he pushed himself up from his chair with a speed that took me completely off guard.

I blinked in disbelief, my head snapping up to track his movement. I scrambled up from my chair immediately, watching in terror as he slowly walked around the table—casual, calm, like a predator stalking its prey.

Okay, I thought, panic flaring. I am so not doing this.

I began backing away, trying my absolute best to put as much distance between us as possible. But he didn’t stop. He just kept coming closer and closer.

"Look at her, wanting to know how I knew that," he taunted softly, that eerie smirk never wavering. The look on his face was terrifying. I felt sick just looking at him. In fact, I couldn’t even recognize him anymore. Where was the guy who was always casual, teasing, and finding jokes in everything I said? Now he looked like a true monster wrapped in human skin, a beast cornering its prey.

My heart pounded like a heavy stone slamming against my ribs. I felt the violent rhythm vibrating through my entire body. My eyelids trembled as I took another step backward, my throat locking up so tight I couldn’t force out a single word.

It was only when my back hit a solid object that I froze, realizing I was trapped against the far wall of the living room. To my left was the door to the kitchen; to my right, the doorway to the laundry room. Nowhere to run.

I blinked, staring at him. Both of his hands were jammed in his pockets as he stepped closer and closer, stopping only when he was a couple of feet away. He stood with his feet aligned, staring down at me with that same malicious smirk pinned to his face—like his skin was stuck that way, frozen in a twisted mask.

Goodness me, I need to get the hell out of here right now.

I blinked and let out a nervous chuckle, completely dumbfounded and terrified, having no idea what to say. The air in the room suddenly turned thick and heavy, like suffocating smoke. I couldn’t breathe. Taking air into my lungs became an agonizing struggle. My lips trembled, and I began to heave, panting and desperate for oxygen.

He chuckled again and took one final step forward, trapping me. He raised his right hand and slammed his palm against the wall right beside my head, leaning over me. I stared up at him, completely paralyzed by the raw, suffocating aura radiating off him.

He smirked down at me. "How’s my mark doing?"

His voice wasn’t casual anymore. It had transformed into something deep, rumbling, gravelly, and terrifyingly rough.

I blinked, swallowing hard. He lifted his other hand, slowly tracing his finger along my jawline before tilting my head to the side. With his thumb, he pulled down the round neck of the shirt he borrowed me to get a closer look at my skin.

His smile stretched wider—wicked and bitter. He chuckled, nodding his head slowly before letting go of the fabric, allowing it to fall back over the mark.

"That’s good," he murmured. "I can see you’re taking care of it very well."

I couldn’t move. I swear to God, I couldn’t move a single muscle in my body. I was completely paralyzed. The only thought screaming through my mind was to turn around and bolt, but my legs felt like solid steel anchored to the floor.

He pushed himself off the wall and folded his arms across his chest. The space around him felt so dark and heavy it was suffocating. All I could do was stare into his face, my eyes fluttering, my lips hanging slightly apart. I watched his eyes race over my face, inspecting every detail.

Gradually, the wicked smirk faded. His face relaxed, slowly deflating and settling back into that calm, easy expression he usually wore. He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled quietly.

"Oh, goodness me," he murmured softly. "She’s such a cute little thing."

My eyebrows pulled together in utter confusion.

He let out a slow breath and shifted his stance, tucking his arms behind his back. "I see how inquisitive you are to get answers. I know it’s driving you crazy," he said, frowning slightly as he tilted his head. "Although... you weren’t like this before. You were never this inquisitive. You never wanted to figure things out. You were always so naive, so... superstitious, always believing there were certain things that needed to be done just for your life to go smoothly. But this time around, you are completely different. I’m having so much fun figuring you out, understanding this new persona you’ve taken on."

My mind scrambled. What the fucking hell is he uttering? Nothing made sense. He was speaking in cryptic riddles, completely twisting my head around.

He chuckled again. "Keep being inquisitive, Rosa," he said, leaning in close with a smile that proved he was thoroughly enjoying this twisted game. "But keep one thing in mind: this is just the beginning. The rest is about to come, and soon enough, you’ll figure it out. The trauma will definitely continue—the confusion, the frustration, the sheer madness that makes you feel like pulling your hair out. This is just the tip of the iceberg."

My lips shook, unable to form words.

"And it’s going to be the same over and over and over again," he whispered, his tone dropping, "until I am fucking satisfied."

A terrifying mix of pure hatred and dark amusement flared in his eyes. The white corners of his eyes turned bloodshot, looking like a terrifying blend of tears and desperate rage.

He chuckled darkly. "You will try your best to escape this, but there will be no way out for you. There will be no redemption for both of you."

Both of us? I blinked. Both of who? Who was the second person? Mia? Mr. Don? Who?

"You will scream for an escape from this loop, but the escape will never come," he continued, staring straight into my soul. "You will scream for answers anywhere you can find them. It will drive you mad, but you are going to remain lonely in the depths of darkness."

He slowly pulled his head back, looking down at me with twisted satisfaction.

"I’m not going to apologize," he shrugged casually. "You just have to take it as it comes."

All I could do was stare at him, my eyelids blinking rapidly, the corners of my eyes twitching, my lips trembling as I tried to process the horror spilling from his mouth. I tried to force a sentence out, tried to scream, but nothing came out. My entire body was completely locked down. He was doing something to me—some kind of dark hold.

He chuckled, his eyes scanning my helpless expression. "Well, isn’t this such an interesting moment?" he said softly. "I wonder how you’re going to look when you finally realize all of this was just a hallucination."

My mind went blank. What?

"Goodbye now. Till we meet again," he said.

He raised his hand and pressed his index finger against my forehead, tapping it sharply.

Instantly, an incredible force slammed into me, driving me back like a physical blow. I felt myself yanked backward, losing my balance completely. I screamed—or tried to scream—as I was thrust into a violent, swirling vortex of sickening, rainbow-colored light.

The power slammed into me, spinning, twisting, and flinging me through a raging current I couldn’t see or fight. My mind shattered into a thousand tiny fragments, splintering apart and stitching back together only to be crushed again. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t hold onto a single coherent thought. My senses, my sanity, my very soul felt like it was being ripped apart, rearranged, broken, and reassembled as I was dragged through another realm.

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open.

I gasped violently, taking in a sharp, desperate lungful of air. My heart thundered in my chest like a trapped bird.

Panting, breathing hard, and shivering with raw horror, my eyes darted wildly from left to right.

When my vision cleared, I realized I was staring up at the metal roof of Mr. Don’s garage.

My forehead creased in total disbelief. What the fuck?

I blinked rapidly and pushed myself up, pressing a trembling palm against my pounding chest, trying to force my breathing back under control.

I was lying flat on the cold ground of the garage, just outside Mr. Don’s main estate. I looked toward the entrance—the garage doors were still wide open, exactly as they had been last night when I ran here with Tim before he suggested heading to his apartment.

Rain puddles still glistened across the driveway. Outside, the sky was bright, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon in the soft glow of early dawn. I looked across the estate grounds at Mr. Don’s mansion, sitting peacefully right where it belonged.

A wave of sheer confusion flooded my brain. What the hell is going on?

Trembling, I lifted my wrist to check my watch.

The digital display read 7:00 AM on the dot.

My eyes widened. My head spun.

What the fuck? Was all of that a dream?

My mind raced in circles, desperately trying to make sense of the absolute mind-fuck I had just experienced. I squeezed my eyes shut, digging my heels into the concrete.

Oh Lord, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me, I thought, spiraling. Don’t tell me going over to Tim’s place was all just a hallucination.

I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the exact same clothes I had worn when I was with Mr. Don—soaked through, cold and clingy from the heavy rain that had fallen overnight.

I had actually been sleeping outside on the hard garage floor the entire night.

What in the living fuck?! ℯ

I scrambled to my feet, my skin completely numb and my bones feeling like brittle ice ready to snap. A toxic mix of confusion, terror, anxiety, and pure outrage exploded in my chest.

I was losing my mind. I was officially going crazy.

My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached. My body shivered violently, on the verge of convulsing. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I grabbed my head in both hands, tilting my head back toward the morning sky, and screamed until my lungs burned.