Chapter 110 - The Clashing of Fates

Ziko had spotted the couple in front of their apartment building. Quietly, he slid behind a pole, hiding in the darkness. Unbeknownst to him, Mirae had spotted him. 

"I aborted the baby!" he heard the girl lie. Ziko frowned. Why did she lie? To stop Kwon Jiwon from pursuing them?

"The girl is smart," he grinned. 

"What did you say?" Jiwon held her shoulders and shook her violently. "Mirae, what's wrong with you? Why are you saying-"

"I aborted it," she lied flatly. "I didn't want it anymore."

Jiwon could not believe her words. It was impossible. She said she wanted the baby.

"Let's go inside and talk," he said shortly. He grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ziko was still standing behind the pole. 

I must keep up with this lie, she decided. As long as Ziko is around, I can't tell the truth to Jiwon. Otherwise…

Cherry's words echoed in her head. "He is destined to die tonight…"

She let him drag her towards their apartment. 

"Tell me, this isn't true!" he fumed. "You were lying down there."

Mirae looked up and stared right into his eyes. "It's true," she said loudly. "I aborted our child."

"Why did you do it?" Jiwon demanded. He shook her hard. "Why did you abort our child?"

Mirae stood there, unable to say anything.

"Answer me!"

"I just felt like it," she whispered. She kept her tone emotionless. She wanted to tell him the truth that their child was safe but what if Jiwon was still being bugged? And what if Ziko found out too? No, she could not risk telling Jiwon the truth.

Jiwon felt disgusted by her words. He pushed her away from him in anger. Mirae stumbled backwards, barely managing to protect her stomach but her head hit the floor. She felt a bump forming on it but Jiwon did not seem to care. He did not care about her anymore.

"I can't stay with you anymore," Jiwon declared. "I'm leaving."

Mirae could not hear him. Her head was dizzy by the fall. She dimly heard the door slamming.

Clutching her head, she managed to get up after a few minutes.

"Jiwon?" she called out. "Jiwon?"

But he was not home. She looked everywhere in the apartment but he was not there. Panic rose in her chest. Where was he?

Still feeling dizzy, she went out to search for him.

"Jiwon!" she called. "Jiwon!" 

But he was not to be found anywhere. Mirae limped forward when a hand grabbed her from behind.

"Jiwon-"

She turned around to find a tall grey haired man standing there, grinning at her. 

"Y-you…" Mirae gasped.

"You lied, girlie," he commented. "That you aborted whereas we were the ones who ripped your fetus apart."

Mirae gulped but kept her head cool.

"But," Ziko looked at her from top to bottom. "You don't look like someone who just had an abortion. In fact, you look very healthy and spirited right now. Aren't mothers supposed to be distraught and sad when their child dies?"

Mirae was starting to back off. He knows! She thought frantically. 

"You didn't escape after the abortion," he stated in a sinister tone. "You escaped before we could abort that fetus! And you lied to your husband so that he will blame you instead and won't be stupid enough to come after us. What true love."

He added the last part with a mock sweetness. All her attempts to protect her child were futile. 

"How about we turn your lie into the truth…" he said, reaching out for her. But Mirae ran for it. She kept on running but the grey haired man got into his car and sped after her.

Mirae dashed through the walkway, pushing away anyone who came in her way.

"Out of my way!" she shouted at some startled pedestrians. She glanced back to see the grey haired man was following her with his car. Mirae darted forward, when she saw Jiwon's familiar figure, walking on the opposite side of the main road.

"Jiwon!" she called out. But he did not listen to her. She ran after him, towards the busy road.

"Jiwon!" she cried but her husband did not hear her. In his anger, Jiwon paid no attention to his surroundings. He just wanted to get away.

The pedestrian signal was flashing red but Mirae dashed towards the crossing. 

"Jiwon stop!" she cried, as cars sped by her. She glanced back to see Ziko was still following her, almost catching up. Turning around, she saw Jiwon was almost at the other side…

A flash of light blinded her. Mirae spun around only to be hit in the stomach by a heavy vehicle. In a slow motion, she was thrown aback and fell on the hard ground with a loud thud. Red blood began to ooze out of her head as she lay on the ground, unable to move.

From her daze, she saw the retreating back of her husband, who was slipping away from her.

"J-Jiwon…" she moaned. But her cries did not reach him. It was truly over…

No! She told herself. I have to save my child. She sensed people gathering around her, frantically calling the ambulance. But she knew it was of no use. She will die that night. 

My child, she thought desperately. Someone save my child.

The jade locket was lying next to her, still attached to her neck. Mustering every inch of her willpower, she touched it with her fingers.

I wish that you save my child, she begged. Even if I die, please save my child!

A sudden wind gushed by. The people surrounding Mirae, froze. They were as unmoving as statues. The cars stopped honking and stopped mid way as if someone had pressed the pause button. 

Only the whimpers of the injured girl were heard in the unmoving world. Loud heels clanked on the road. From her fading consciousness, Mirae barely managed to make out a red figure approaching her.

Cherry kneeled down beside her. "So you used up the second wish," she commented. The girl will not live, she realized. She was fated to die. If there was something Cherry cannot do, it was prevent what was fated to happen. 

That night, the fates played a cruel trick. If Mirae lived, Jiwon would have died. If Jiwon lived, Mirae would die. 

"Seems like the latter is happening," she said softly. 

"P-please…" Mirae begged. "S-save...my...child…"

"I can save your child," Cherry said. "But it will cost you your life. And I'm guessing you are prepared to take that plunge."

She sighed. "Changing your fates is a challenge," she went on. "Either one of you is destined to die in this timeline...But what if I can change this timeline…"

An idea struck in her head. If the idiot couple dies tonight, her mission will fail. But if she can aid in tweaking the timeline…

She must act fast. The girl was already falling unconscious. She touched Mirae's stomach and closed her eyes. A blue light emerged from it.

"I can't physically save your child," she said, holding up the ball of light. "But I can save its soul. Don't worry. You'll meet your child soon."

"T-thank...you… you...are...kind" 

Despite her injuries, Mirae gave the red lady a small smile.

Jiwon...she thought. Is this the end for us? 

Their life together began to flash in front of her eyes. His smile, his caring side everything rushed through her head. As she lay there, unable to hold on to life, Mirae desperately wanted to live. We still did not go on that date...she pondered. Is this truly the end for us?

If it is the end, then I'm glad I met you in this life…

Gradually, the life in her eyes began to dim. Cherry patted her head as Mirae began to lose her grip on life until finally her green eyes lost the light within it. 

The red lady gently closed Mirae's eyes. 

"Just try to survive in the next timeline," she said. Her usually snarky tone had a touch of sadness in it. She looked at the ball of light in her palm.

Cherry closed her eyes and chanted an incantation under her breath. The light began to revolve rapidly on her palm, glowing brighter and brighter. Cherry put it on the ground as it spun around like a top. It circled around until it took the shape of an orange tabby cat with green eyes. 

"Hi," Cherry greeted. "I'm assuming you can talk."

"What's going on?" the cat demanded. It looked at the side to see the motionless body of a woman lying on the ground. 

"I know her…" the cat whispered. "That's-"

"Your mother," Cherry said calmly. "But now she is dead."

"Dead?" the cat repeated. "No…"

"Yes," Cherry repled. "Unless you want to save her?"

The cat rushed towards his mother. He was gently nudging the still woman.

"Wake up, mommy…" he pleaded. "It's me! Your son! Please wake up…"

"You're in the body of a cat!" Cherry rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Even if she was alive, she'd have died of a heart attack after seeing you."

"I must save her!" the cat exclaimed.

"And you will," Cherry shot back. "If you listen to me carefully."

"What do I have to do?" the cat demanded. 

Cherry smirked. "Turn the hands of time," she revealed. "Follow me."

With the cane in her hand, she elegantly strutted away. The cat looked at its mother's body, still willing her to wake up.

"You can't do anything about it," Cherry said as she turned back. "Once she managed to thwart off Jiwon's death, Mirae was destined to die. Let's see what the other timeline has in store for them. Now follow me."

She once again turned on her heels and started to walk. The cat looked back at its mother.

"I will save you," he promised, stroking her lifeless cheek with his paws before running after the red lady.