Beginning of the Nightmare

A Little Moon Talk here~ hey I'm sorry, I was unable to update these weeks due to my health issues. I tried my best to complete the chapters for updating as soon as I could. hope readers can understand.....

Enjoy.

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Walking back into the art studio, WooHyun suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he had forgotten something. That's when he remembered, eyes widened he turned around in speed and looked around for any sign of her.

Seeing her still standing there in a daze, he breathed out in relief. Smiling slightly he stepped towards where Seo Hee was standing.

Glancing over his shoulders he stopped the girls, "Any of you wanna grab a bite?" Looking at their blank expressions he adds while pointing at the cafe in front, "At the nearby cafe. Of course, if you want. We can go all together... yea?"

The three girls stopped while looking at each other. Nuwa shared a look with XuanLu and lightly nodded. The girl with them immediately chimed in, "I'm in. I kinda feel hungry."

The two best friends internally rolled their eyes at her and joined them silently, "You're waiting for someone," asked Nuwa seeing him walking towards Seo Hee. Nodding, he smiled slightly and pat Seo Hee's head from the back which was slightly lower than usual.

"Let's go! We're heading out to eat something." Whispered WooHyun in her ears softly. Stunned at her spot, she slowly turned her head to have a better look at his face. 'Is he joking with me, acting like nothing happened.' But the opportunity was one of a kind, why waste it? Shrugging off she smiled. Oblivious of the three joining them too.

Nuwa just shakes her head while looking at them, wanted to eat and go home early. XuanLu huffed, not in the mood to join the alpha girl from the cafe. She grumbled, "And why are we going with him. It's not like we're hungry," she wasn't able to complete her sentence when her stomach growled loudly in hunger. What a timing.

She looked around her surroundings awkwardly making sure no one heard it, Nuwa grinned at her and wiggled her eyebrows in a teasing manner.

WooHyun who heard her, chuckled at this. Seo Hee looked at him confusedly and turned around only to find the three others following them, halting in her steps she crossed her arms over her chest and hissed after making sure WooHyun was far enough not able to hear them, "The hell are you doing by following us. Leave us alone now, will you. We have a date," trailing the last sentence smugly.

The girl with them rolled her eyes at that. Nuwa and XuanLu narrowed their eyes at her and pressed her lips in a straight line, not wanting to be loud, Nuwa scoffed while getting close to her, "Too bad, that lover boy of yours himself invited us," she bent down to her eye level and continued in her provoking tone while singing, "on your exclusive date." Snickering she straightened herself, she huffed, and walked past her with a winning look on her face.

Anger, Humiliation, and hurt, that was what Seo Hee was feeling all at once after hearing this. Growling, she closed her eyes in total rage. Clenching and unclenching her fist she took a deep breath and stomped her way towards the said boy.

"Hey! What did you say to her? She's looking as if she'll be on a killing spree any minute," whispered XuanLu while curiously looking at Lee Seo Hee all red in anger, releasing angry pheromones while taking large steps towards WooHyun.

Nuwa smiled innocently, "Nothing! I just cracked her little bubble. Who would've thought she was so desperate." Checking her phone in the middle, she continued with her teasing smile, "Are you free after lunch? Wanna go with me somewhere?"

Getting a teasing smile from her, XuanLu gave a lopsided smile in return, "And who am I to say no? Where?"

"Secret," she winked at her and continued her walk to the café.

They settled at the farther corner near the window side table in the cafe.

The atmosphere around them was awkward, and their seating arrangement wasn't helping either. Nuwa was sitting between WooHyun and XuanLu on one side of the table while the girl with them was beside Seo Hee on the other side.

Squinting her eyes at them Lee Seo Hee scoffed, couldn't believe how she was behaving like an immature person in their presence.

She didn't like the sitting position how Nuwa was sitting just beside WooHyun. 'Love can make you feel different emotions indeed', she thought to herself and turned her face away.

While waiting for their orders, they start to scroll their phones or explore the view around the cafe. Coughing, WooHyun tried to reduce the embarrassment.

"You're not from here, are you?" asked him tilting his head.

XuanLu and others looked at him confusedly for a second and made an 'oh' movement from their lips after following his gaze.

"Anyone can tell from her way of talking that she's not from here," answered XuanLu in her deadpanned tone, as if she was stating the matter of fact. 

"No, but my family and I moved here when I was very young. So, yeah." Nuwa replied, recollecting her past with enough intensity to stir pain in her heart. 

The girl seated with them attempted to grasp snippets of their conversation, but it eluded her. In frustration, she retrieved her phone and began capturing moments to share online.

WooHyun, intrigued by the two girls, sought to learn more about them, further fueling Lee SeoHee's growing resentment toward their increasing presence with each passing minute. 

Departing from the cafe, Nuwa and XuanLu breath a sigh of relief. Eating with those girls even the taste palate refuse to recognize the tasty dishes. 

Looking at each other, they both hold their stomach laughing at the situation at the cafe. 

As they both were going for their 'secret' destination as Nuwa stated, they sensed a sudden shift in the atmosphere. With heightened awareness, Nuwa gently grasped Xuan Lu's wrists, pulling her close gently in response. 

Despite scanning their surroundings and finding no apparent threat, they continued to stroll past the expansive shops. 

Sensing her friend's sudden discomfort and the tension in her expression, Nuwa instinctively reached for her dagger, only to find an empty space. In a frantic search, she checked her waist and rummaged through her bag, only to recall leaving it behind in her room in haste.

Exchanging an alarmed glance, both girls nodded in unison, attempting to refocus on their surroundings. XuanLu, attempting to calm herself, gently tapped on her heart, but a silent gasp from her friend caught her attention. With a hitch in her breath, XuanLu furrowed her brows, only to realize that Nuwa was slowly and quietly retracing her steps.

Nuwa!" XuanLu breathed in a hushed tone, her heart pounding within her chest, unsettled by her friend's peculiar demeanor. Not appreciating the unusual behavior, she shot Nuwa a questioning look.

Catching the subtle motion from XuanLu, Nuwa turned to her with a glance, signaling her to keep silent. The air grew tense as low, ominous growls and deliberate footsteps reached their ears.

Without hesitation, both girls clutched each other tightly and bolted in the opposite direction.

Under the moonlit sky, the deserted surroundings gave an eerie impression, as if all other beings had vanished from the face of the earth. 

Stopping suddenly at the center of the road, they both breathed heavily, checking their surroundings again for any potential threat. Convinced that no one was following them, XuanLu relaxed a little, only to be startled by the sight of two fiery red eyes in the distance. On high alert, she bit her lip, and Nuwa immediately shook her hand to grab her attention. Sensing XuanLu's trembling figure, 

Nuwa turned around to see a shadow rushing toward them, emitting menacing growls. They both tried to react, but before they could,the shadow pounced on them, sinking its claws into their bodies.

"Ahhh!.."

With a startled gasp, Nuwa jolted awake in her bed, drenched in sweat. She breathed heavily, surveying her surroundings, patting her chest and mumbling incoherent words as the remnants of the vivid and unsettling dream lingered in her mind.