Ahh . . . finally . . . I'm free . . .

A distant voice echoed when I opened my eyes.

I glanced at my surroundings.

There was nothing in here. All I see were hues of white. Blindingly bright white. It was like I was floating. I couldn't feel any sensation at all!

Am I in heaven?

I glanced towards that cheerful, bubbly voice, and found . . .

Me . . . ?

My eyes widened in disbelief. I thought I was seeing a mirror and dumbly waved my hand at it.

A girl was standing a meter in front of me who had the same face and body as me, but was more . . .

Confident and . . . cruel?

"W-who . . . who are you?"

All my fine hairs rose when the other girl smile as she cocked her head to the side while she pointed a finger at her lips, looking all cute.

"Me? I'm you. Only . . . I'm the mature, confident, and evil one while you are the naive, innocent, little girl I killed years ago to survive in this world."

My jaw dropped, looking at her in bewilderment. I think she's crazy.

"K-killed . . . ? I-I'm . . . d-dead?"

My head swayed back and forth as I everything twirled around me. I wanted to grab something for support, yet all I did was stumble and caught the girl.

She just giggled as she stroked my back in slow rhythm as if to comfort me.

"That's right. But with that accident, you materialized, and I took the opportunity to lock myself inside you. Never to come out again."

She chuckled while I was shaking my head in her embrace. I wanted to pull away, but there seemed to be an invincible, extremely strong force pulling me closer to her. Like a whirlpool sucking me in –– deeper.

"Maybe the reason why you materialized because somewhere in me wanted to go back to that time when I was still a kid surrounded by castles, rainbows, rays of sunshine, and flowers." She giggled again and I was convinced that she was crazy.

"And also because the man I love prefers that innocent and pure girl that is you than me who was tainted by the cruelty of this world."

After a short paused, she sighed and gripped me by the shoulders and stared me in the eyes.

"But when we got stuck on that island and Zhander explained everything . . . I felt extremely . . . regretful and love at the same time. I was so stupid to run away and locked myself without hearing him first."

She seemed to read my expression as she nodded her head while smiling.

"Yes, I know everything that's been happening."

Her eyes shone with a sinister glint as a devil's grin spread across her face. "So you better give my body back to me. Zhander needs me."

I pushed her away, but her nails were digging deeper into my shoulders. I was being sucked by her, unable to get away.

"N-no!"

"Don't make me kill you the second time," she threatened.

I fought the urge to close my eyes. I tried desperately to cling to my consciousness, for I know if I didn't –– I'll be forever gone.

"You . . . can't . . . I'm . . . you . . . ," I choked. In her eyes, I saw I was disappearing.

Slowly disappearing.

Ahahahaha!

She sneered. "I don't need my weak, naïve self."

"Y-you . . . mo . . . monster . . ."

Her grin widened. "My dear . . . that's the tragedy of living."

I felt any warmth dissipating from me, and tears escaped my eyes before I shattered and disappeared, leaving sparkles of dust.

"Goodbye, my innocent self. You'll only suffer in this cruel world."