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Chapter 18 - An axe cuts off a head.

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Si-eun asked her in a voice full of concern: "What happened to you? Is everything alright?"

Yuna was a little surprised by his question. Her relationship with Si-eun was superficial; it could even be said he barely knew her. She didn't expect this attention from him.

She answered with her usual coldness: "Yes. They were just asking about what happened."

But her eyes were wandering around the place, looking for something... or someone. Suddenly, she noticed a familiar face standing in the corner of the hallway.

Ji-hoon.

He was standing there, looking at her with those eyes she couldn't understand. Eyes carrying a mysterious concern, as if he felt something she couldn't explain.

Ji-hoon said in his calm voice: "Yuna... are you okay now?"

She looked at him for a moment, then answered: "Yes."

But she wasn't okay. She was never okay.

At the Kim Family Mansion

Meanwhile, the mansion was experiencing unusual chaos. From the head of the family's room, the sound of breaking things filled the place. Shattering glass, overturned furniture, muffled screams.

Mr. Kim stood in the middle of the destroyed room, his carefully styled hair now disheveled. His handsome face, which everyone was used to seeing calm and composed, was distorted with anger.

He shouted in a trembling voice: "How? Why is she doing this now? Didn't she want me to care about her? So what happened now? What changed?"

He was talking about Yuna. About his daughter whom he had ignored for years. About that girl he left crying behind closed doors. Now, after she almost died, he felt something strange. Something like regret. Something like the fear of losing her.

Suddenly, Damian approached him. His face was pale. His eyes carried a tiredness that hadn't been there before. He said in a calm but shaky voice:

"Father... stop. She must have been in shock. Nothing more. Surely she will come to her senses soon. You know Yuna, Father... more than anyone else. Surely she will come back to us in the end."

But Damian's eyes said something else. They resembled someone waiting for false hope. He knew deep down that Yuna had changed. He knew that the submissive girl who used to beg him to stay with her no longer existed.

Mr. Kim looked at his son. Then he said in a tired voice: "Damian... tell the driver we're going to the hospital."

Damian replied in a submissive voice:

"Very well."

At the Hospital

Inside Yuna's room. The atmosphere was relatively calm. Han Si-eul sat on the chair beside the bed. She said with feigned enthusiasm:

"So, Yuna... do you want any kind of food or anything like that?"

Yuna answered indifferently: "I don't know."

At that moment, the door opened and Mr. Kim entered. Yuna felt immediate annoyance. Her face frowned and she said in a cold voice:

"I told you not to come."

Mr. Kim stood in his place for a moment, as if the words were piercing his chest. Then he said in a surprisingly calm voice:

"I came only to give you your jacket. Your clothes were changed."

Yuna suddenly remembered. The jacket... that thing the masked man put in her pocket. She said quickly:

"Right. Give it to me."

Mr. Kim handed her the jacket, and Yuna took it from him coldly. She began checking the pockets carefully. Suddenly, her fingers felt something hard. She took it out and saw...

A recording tape. A video.

Ji-hoon approached and looked curiously: "What is this? Is this music?"

Han Si-eul put her head close and said: "Is this a movie?"

Yuna examined the tape and said: "No... I don't know."

Si-eun interjected with surprise: "But how can you not know when it's in your pocket?"

Yuna looked at the tape for a long moment, then said in a faint voice: "It's something the person who hit me put in my pocket."

Everyone was shocked. A terrifying silence prevailed for a moment.

Mr. Kim said seriously: "Let me check it. Maybe there's something dangerous in it."

Damian added: "Right. Father is right. Maybe..."

Yuna suddenly exploded. She turned to them with eyes blazing with anger and said sharply:

"This doesn't concern you! So don't interfere! If you want to stay, just be quiet!"

Everyone looked at Yuna in shock. Then she turned to Han Si-eul and said: "I need a screen."

After a few minutes, a nurse came with a small screen. Since Yuna was in the VIP section of the hospital, getting such requests was easy.

Everyone gathered around the screen. Everyone was anxious. Everyone worried.

Yuna inserted the tape, and the video began.

At first, there was static. The sound of a man whistling a strange melody. Then a blurry image appeared on the screen.

And suddenly...

Yuna's eyes widened immensely. It seemed as if her soul would leave her body. Her face paled, and she began trembling uncontrollably.

Everyone was confused. What did this mean?

Han Si-eul said nervously: "What is this supposed to mean?"

Then a voice came from the video. A woman's voice rising and falling, but there was music screaming in the background:

"Yes... the world... she doesn't care about the world... let's do what we want... the axe will cut the head..."

The song was terrible. Confused lyrics, annoying music, and sounds that pierced the soul.

Yuna whispered in a trembling voice: "The axe will cut the head..."

Han Si-eul said: "Despite my experience with music, this is the first time I've heard this song. Even among terrible songs, it seems its owner is an amateur."

And suddenly...

Yuna screamed.

A loud, echoing scream that shook the hospital walls. A scream that came from the depths of her soul, carrying all the pain and horror she had lived through. She couldn't control herself. Every doubt was now confirmed.

Everyone looked toward the room in shock. Doctors in the hallway stopped working. Nurses froze in place. Patients came out of their rooms to see what happened.

Suddenly, Yuna hugged Ji-hoon, who was beside her. She hugged him tightly, as if he were the only lifeline in a raging ocean. She was terribly frightened. Trembling, crying, completely collapsed.

Inside Yuna's Mind

Inside Yuna's mind, the world was collapsing.

The same song repeated itself loudly. The same annoying music. A woman screaming in the background: "Stop! Stop!"

But the music covered her voice. It blocked everything.

Behind a curtain of fog, there was a man. A man carrying an axe on his back. The curtain hid his features, but the axe was very clear.

And there was blood. Blood everywhere.

Yuna screamed in her mind: "Stop! Stop!"

But no one heard.

Chaos Ensues

Mr. Kim shouted loudly: "Doctors! Get a doctor quickly!"

Doctors rushed toward the room. But one of them, a woman standing behind the door, didn't move. Instead, she quickly typed something on her phone. She was smiling. A terrible smile, full of malicious satisfaction. Then she disappeared into the crowded hallway.

After minutes of chaos, the doctors managed to calm Yuna down a little. The lead doctor came out to face the waiting family.

Inside the Doctor's Office

The doctor said in a serious voice: "It seems she is suffering from psychological trauma as a result of the incident. I cannot pinpoint the source exactly, but it seems to be related to the song. Perhaps she heard it while seeing something terrible in the past, most likely."

He paused for a moment, then added: "She needs to overcome this trauma. But I can say that her reaction is not normal. It is one of very strong psychological traumas. I have dealt with many patients, and I am certain that this girl has seen something terrible in her life."

Mr. Kim looked at the doctor with wide eyes. He said in a choked voice:

"Impossible. I'm sure she..."

But he suddenly stopped.

He remembered.

That night. The rain. The sound of thunder. The little girl standing behind the door crying. He knew she was afraid. He knew she was alone. Yet, he left her there.

Was that enough to create all this pain?

The doctor said with annoyance: "Mr. Kim, are you doubting my abilities?"

Theo had just arrived at the hospital. He heard the doctor's words and saw his father and Damian there. He didn't like what he saw.

He muttered angrily: "That wretch... Yuna. Is she acting now? Is she trying to attract my father and brother's attention in this cheap way?"

Anger boiled inside him. He decided to confront her. He walked through the hallways searching for her room. When he found it, he entered without permission.

What he saw made him stop for a moment.

Yuna was sitting on the bed. Hugging her head between her knees. Trembling like a small bird in a snowstorm. Han Si-eul and Ji-hoon were trying to comfort her, but without success.

But Theo didn't care. He shouted loudly:

"Yuna! You wretch! Are you now trying to attract Father's attention this way? Do you know what you're doing?"

Before he could finish, something unexpected happened.

Si-eun Gets Angry

Si-eun suddenly exploded. He grabbed Theo by the collar firmly. And said in a voice full of anger:

"Don't you dare mess around here!"

Theo looked at him with contempt: "Si-eun? What are you doing here? Do you want to fight?"

Si-eun didn't wait for a reply. He raised his fist and punched Theo hard in the face. Then another. And another.

Si-eun said in a sharp voice while continuing to punch: "Stop your childish behavior, you loser!"

Theo got angry and tried to fight back, but Si-eun was stronger. They exchanged blows violently, amidst the stunned onlookers.

The Breaking Point

Suddenly, Damian shouted as he arrived: "Stop!"

He rushed to separate them. At that moment, everyone heard a loud sound.

Shattering glass.

They all looked toward Yuna.

She was standing by the broken window. Her hands were bleeding from the broken glass. And her eyes... her eyes were completely empty. Dead. As if the soul had already left the body.

[To be continued...]

Chapter Summary and Note

Of course, most of you are shocked why I made Yuna in this state. But everyone knows that Yuna has psychological trauma and doesn't trust anyone, even in previous chapters. But there needed to be an event where Yuna trusts her companions, and this event is good for the story to continue with beautiful moments. Hopefully you will see more positive chapters.

Of course, the haters of the family are happy about Yuna ignoring them now, right?

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