Mansion in the Forest

SHE'S NOT YOUR SISTER

"Are you out of your mind? Why would we choose to help you go back to that terrifying mansion?" Iris shouted, her eyes were furious, veins popping out on her neck.

"If you don't want to, it's fine. Just look for the exit on your own." Jisu shrugged her shoulders, as if she's not even bothered by how the other teenagers were glaring at her.

She really is. After all, there are more important things she needs to think about, than arguing with them. First, the fact that Sakura is one of them, second, how did Herlie become one of them if she's Lexi's sister? She couldn't tell Lexi what she found out, it's hard to tell her especially if she really believed that it was her sister.

"Of course we will! I would never sacrifice my life just because of one person that I don't even know personally!" Iris said, snapping her head at Siena. "We'll leave tomorrow as soon as the sun rises!"

"But how?" Siena asked.

"I don't know but we will find a way." Iris told her as she sat next to her and rested her head at the rock behind her. "That woman is crazy and so is that couple."

"It's not crazy if you just want to rescue the important person in you." Siena whispered but enough for Iris to hear.

"Important person? She only met Chantelle in that mansion, she didn't even know if she really met her or that was already the monster all along."

"Can you just shut up?" Lexi snapped at Iris. She had enough and couldn't bear it anymore, especially if she's talking against her friend. "Look, I know you're mad and wanted to go home, we all are but can you just respect her decision? She's going to rescue Chantelle and if you want, then stay here till Jisu gets back."

"So you want us to wait for her? Are you sure that she can still get out of there?" Iris asked mockingly.

"She will, just wait!"

"No, I'm not going to wait for her, we'll leave tomorrow." Iris said dismissively so Lexi didn't respond again and just huffed an annoyed sigh.

"You didn't have to argue with her." Jisu whispered to Lexi.

"She's so.." Lexi pursed her lips and couldn't find the perfect synonym to describe Iris being a grumpy and selfish girl. Though she couldn't blame her because if it's not for Herlie, she would choose to go out too. "Sorry." Lexi sighed at the end.

"Thank you for standing up to me." Jisu said, staring at Lexi.

"Okay, that's enough." Jazen chimes in, covering Jisu's eyes with her hand. "I suddenly felt that you are in love with my girlfriend." She added.

"What?" Jisu and Lexi asked in unison and they both laughed.

"That's ridiculous—."

"Yes I am." Jisu admits which cuts off Lexi. "But that was before." She added.

"I know, but sad to say she's too in love with me." Jazen said cockily. Lexi looked at her amusedly but didn't say anything because she's right.

She's so in love with Jazen that she could sacrifice their relationship just to make her safe. She broke up with her so Jazen would go and leave the place. But it didn't go as she planned when she found out that Chantelle was a monster.

She didn't really know that Chantelle was the monster, she just found out when Denver killed the fire at the lantern and she saw Chantelle's eyes glowing in the dark, so she needed to move as quick as possible to take Herlie because she knows she's aiming for her too.

Sakura told her that one of them is pretending to be one of the participants and she's keeping an eye on Lexi. That also explains why out of all the people inside that secret room where they got trapped, she was the only one who still had strength to yell and call for help.

But the question is, why did Sakura want the kid as well? Why does everyone want Herlie?

Lexi wants her because she believed that it was her sister, not aware that her real sister already died at the day when she was born because Sitrus killed her. Uncle Sam knew it and when he saw Herlie in Sitrus room, he assumed that it was his daughter's child so he stole Herlie and hid the kid, not knowing that it is the queen's daughter, a monster, and Sakura's sister.

Sakura wants her because she wanted to take care of her sister and didn't want the monsters to raise the kid like them. She wants Herlie to have a normal life, and she sent the teenagers with good skills to kill all of those monsters, but the problem is, the teenagers did nothing but hide. So she started ordering her people to do something and the teenagers will have no choice but to fight the monsters and kill them all.

That's why Chantelle— the monster, wants the kid, so they could raise her and become their new Queen.

Sakura promised Lexi that she would help her about her dying mother and also wanted to help her raise Herlie, the kid that's not even her real sister, but Lexi didn't know that. Sakura and Uncle Sam were the only ones who knew the truth and Sakura was using Lexi.

As the lights coming from the lantern were out, the fireflies danced in the night as if choreographed by every joyous memory and dream. They watched them and felt a bit of joy. Until Jisu breaks the silence.

"Lex." She called softly and in the middle of the darkness, she searched for Lexi's eyes. "She's not your sister." She said.

"What?" Lexi asked confusedly, forehead furrowing.

"Herlie, she's not your real sister."

"She is Jisu. My father—." Lexi paused, she hesitated whether to tell about her past or not. She looked back at the fireflies still dancing in front of their eyes and sighed. "My father had a relationship with a woman and he impregnated him. He wanted to kill the kid but Uncle Sam stole her and hid her."

"Lex, I don't know. But that monster earlier told me everything."

"She was lying then, because I was there and I witnessed everything."

"So do you even know that Sakura is one of them?" Jisu asked. Lexi snapped her head at Jisu with furrowed eyebrows.

"Are you saying that you really believe that monster?" Lexi chuckled dryly, finding it ridiculous. Because first, Sakura is a fine young woman, who's rich and powerful. Second, she knows that Herlie is really her sister. Third, that monster pretended to be one of them. Why would Jisu believe her if she lies about her true identity?

"Yes." Jisu replied.

"Why? She's a monster, Jisu."

"Why am I still even alive if she was just lying to me?" The girl shrugged her shoulders and looked ahead of them even if all she could see was darkness, inside and outside of the cave where they were hiding. "She told me the way out, she told me that the real Chantelle is inside the mansion, she told me that Sakura is one of them and so is Herlie."

"But did she tell you why Sakura sent all of us here?"

"No." Jisu tells her. "And that's what I need to find out."

"That's ridiculous, Jisu. If she's one of them, why would she want to kill all of her kind?" Lexi chuckled throatily.

"Tell me, Lex." Trevor chimes in, they didn't even notice that he's already sitting next to Lexi while leaning his body behind him to support his body because he's still weak though not totally, but still weak compared to his real strength. "What did Sakura tell you that day?" He asked.

"Trev."

"I need to know, so I could understand your reason to save that girl even if Jisu already told you that she's not your sister."

"Yeah, I'm curious too. I mean, not to be nosey, but you know?" Denver chimes in, who's listening to their conversation since the very start, same goes with the others who Lexi thought was sleeping, but they're not, because they don't want to let their guard down, it's not easy to take sleep especially if they are out of the woods and there's no door that would keep them safe.

Lexi heaved a deep breath and exhaled before she fished out her phone from her pocket and browsed into it to find the message she got from Sakura.

"She told me to find Herlie and Uncle Sam, kill all the monsters and she'll give me money."

"That's it?" Trevor pressed.

"And she told me that one of us was pretending to be a human and I found out that it was Chantelle."

"Bro, if she's also a monster, why would she want them killed?" Denver asked. Lexi looked at Jisu, as if telling her that she asked the same thing.

"Simple, because she wants to hide her real identity, which is a monster, but the question is, why would she ask you to find Herlie?" Blake said, all of them think that he's not really interested in their conversation but he still gives his conclusion. "Unless she also wants Herlie to die."

"You're right—." Jisu stopped talking when they heard shuffling sounds at the entrance of the cave, then they saw a shadow walking cripplingly inside. They all stood up and prepared themselves, Denver lit up the lantern and they were all shocked to see Uncle Sam, covered with blood and severe left arm.

"Uncle Sam!" Lexi exclaimed and she ran to help the old guy. "What happened to you?! Where's Herlie?"

"They took h-her." Uncle Sam said before his body dropped on the ground along with Lexi. "They took t-their Princess." He added.

"What the hell?" Lexi gasped.

"I told you, she's not your sister!"

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