Chapter 279 - Borrowed Time to Live on

Jade was pacing back and forth on the porch outside the backdoor of the mansion. It was the wee hours of the morning and everyone was asleep so he was alone, left with his thoughts. Something worrying was haunting him.

Last night, while he was prowling around the mansion, anxious for news on KJ's performance, something strange happened. For a few seconds, his whole body was paralyzed. He could not breathe nor move as the paralysis gripped his body. His consciousness was also blacking out as he felt his very soul being pulled at as if he was about to die.

He panicked as his heart raced, fearing what was going to happen. It was a sudden near death experience which he could not put in words. Jade never felt any such phenomenon before in his short ten years of life and the whole thing shook him to his very core. He did not know what to make of it.

The body he was reborn in was not going to survive for long anyway. But he did not know how much time he actually had left. If he died he was not sure if he would be reborn again. After all, he was living on borrowed time, transferred through a wormhole to a wholly different reality. The timeline he was living in was not his and at one point, he would cease to live. 

Should I tell KJ? He thought. Immediately, he dismissed the thought. Jade himself was not sure of what happened. Maybe it was simple anxiety but do cats get paralyzed like that? Or was his energy waning due to the timeline finally starting to reject him?

"I must finish my task," he promised. It was not his time to die. Not until he made sure KJ and Mirae were completely safe.

….

Mirae woke up only to find that KJ was not there. In her groggy state, she peered around when her eyes fell on the wall clock. It was neary 11 am. Her eyes snapped open.

She had overslept thanks to KJ's continued 'exercise' after they returned home. By the time they were done, she was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open. He must have left for the studio in the morning for the remaining promotions of the album. 

In her sleepy state, she picked up the t-shirt KJ was wearing last night on the stage. Unfortunately, her own panties were left behind under that same stage so she had to wear his boxers as well. Whoever will go under the stage to clean up in the morning, would be shocked. The very thought of it embarrassed her. 

Promising not to get swayed by KJ's seductive techniques again, she began to head downstairs towards the kitchen.

Sejong was probably out for grocery shopping and the kitchen staff usually arrived after three o'clock. Except for the security guards stationed outside, she had the entire house to herself. Maybe, I'll do some cleaning today, she thought. 

Texting Psycho that she was taking a day off from work, she poured herself a bowl of cereal and milk. She was about to take a bite off her food when she noticed that Jade was on the porch outside. 

The cat had been unusually quiet over the past few days. Mirae had noticed it but she was so engrossed with KJ's comeback that she could not think much of it until now. 

"Jade?"

He looked up to see Mirae standing there, holding his cat bowl. His green eyes looked very sad and broken. There was a certain innocence in the cat which reminded her of that of a child, as if he was forced to grow up too quickly. He looked very adorable yet, his sad demeanor was tugging at her heartstrings.

She placed the cat bowl near him. It was full of water. She believed that whenever someone was sad, they needed water to refresh their minds for a brief time before they could talk about their troubles.

"Thanks," he muttered and drank the water. He did not realize how fast time had passed by and he was extremely thirsty. Mirae watched as he drank the entire bowl. There's definitely something bothering him, she thought.

"What happened Jade?" she finally asked. "Why are you so sad?"

"I'm not sad," he lied.

"Liar."

Jade stared at his feet, unsure of what to say. Mirae waited patiently as he tried to express his feelings.

"I don't belong here," he confessed.

"What do you mean?" she frowned. "This is your home! You're part of our family. Why would you think like that?"

"No no it's not that," he said. "I meant, I don't belong here in this timeline. Ah, it's so complicated to explain."

"Timeline…" Mirae trailed off. Jade had mentioned this before. KJ���s life altering decision which created Jade. She did not understand any of it but would rather wait and let KJ reveal this to her himself. But seeing Jade's predicament, she could not help but wonder what sort of decision he had to make.

"I wasn't supposed to survive," he went on. "KJ's decision only prolonged my life but I don't know how long I can hold up."

He kept on staring at his paws, trying not to cry. His mind was replaying the past decade like a long movie. The time he spent with KJ and his friends. No matter how hard their lives were, KJ always made him feel like a family member. Even after knowing that his body held the soul of KJ's son, the latter kept on treating him like a friend and as an equal. 

Mirae's heart went out to the cat. She knew the importance it held in KJ's life and if anything happened to Jade, KJ would be devastated. 

"You're a good friend, Jade," she said, stroking his head. The cat had been a true companion to KJ and even saved his life. If it was not for him, Mirae would have never reached KJ on time at Sunny Daze. Despite the bizarre circ.u.mstances, the cat bonded with them in a special way. He was irreplaceable in their household and losing him was a terrifying thought.

"I don't know about all this timeline and shaman stuff," she said. "But I know that the fates can't be this cruel to us. Running from the Cartel, seeing our loved ones die and now it wants to take you away...I won't let it happen."

She picked him up and placed him on her thighs. Jade settled into her lap as she caressed his fur in an assuring manner. Her touch felt warm and soothing, easing his troubled heart. For once, he felt like a child being coddled by his mother.

"We won't let you go," she promised. "If KJ defied timelines then surely, there is a way to keep you with us."

And Mirae meant her words. Even if she did not understand what was going on, she must find out the whole story from KJ. If what Jade said was true, then his time with them was limited. She must find a way to help him.

But how?