The Devil who devoured Snow White

(Present)

The scent of rain entered her nostrils. It was dark, only a single light coming from a nearby bonfire. She could feel someone holding her down. She felt the cold rough floor against her skin… she was naked.

Her face was wet. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out.

Her hands were pinned down on the side of her head by what seemed to be the strong man that was... on top of her

She couldn't see the man on top of her, her gaze was hazy. It was cold and yet, his body heat was keeping her warm. Her body was weak, she didn't have an ounce of strength left. She closed her eyes, wanting to drift off to sleep.

"Don't kill her. We need her."

She snapped her eyes open and soon found out that she was in a strange room. It was dark but she could feel the presence of other people. She was lying on the mattress, her movements restricted since both her hands and legs were tied.

Help!

She couldn't scream. The gag, a clean piece of cloth was bunched up in the middle to prevent her from making any noise beyond what she could manage in the back of her throat. She whimpered.

There was someone else in the room. Watching her. Watching fear devour her. She couldn't see their faces. Not the slightest. She could only feel their eyes on her.

What had she ever done? Were they actually trying to grab her father for some reason, but settled for her instead? Why were they doing this? 

Stop! Stop! She begged but only a muffled whimper came out. She could feel his disgusting hands against her cheek.

She shut her eyes, hoping that it was just a nightmare. A nightmare that she wanted to forget the moment she woke up.

Wake up, Mengjie! Wake up! She shouted at herself. But soon her thoughts became hazy, there was this disgusting smell near her. Blood. Someone's dead body was on the floor.

The moment he lowered the cloth from her mouth, she breathed in sharply but at the same time, it was covered by a pair of lips.

She turned her head away, rejecting him. She was trying her best to resist him.

"GET OFF ME!!!" She glared at his shadowy figure.

The man didn't listen. Instead, she was kissed on her neck.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her heart was wretched. Her body gave up from resisting. She couldn't fight him. She couldn't anymore.

"Please…" She lost her will to fight. She was at a disadvantage. She was helpless. The man broke her to pieces by his betrayal. Soon after, he left the room without saying a single word.

"Help…" she whispered weakly. Praying for someone to help her. To hear her. Anyone.

She shut her eyes, her tears never stopped from flowing. She wanted to forget everything. Forget the cruelness that happened. 

"Someone… please… dad… papa..."

"Mengjie?"

"Help…"

"Wake up, Mengjie!"

She slowly opened her eyes, her face was wet with tears. She immediately saw Yong Liwei's face, his eyes filled with worry and concern. He even reached out just to wipe her cheeks gently with his thumb, "I'm here princess, I'm here."

"L-Liwei…" She remembered who he was. How much this man meant to him. "Yong Liwei…" she whispered again. "Liwei!" This time she raised her voice as she got up, slipping off her hand from his hold just to hug him. She began crying. She didn't know why. She has no recollection of the nightmare that caused her to cry in her sleep. All she knew was the feeling of relief, of security the moment she saw him.

Yong Liwei was surprised by the sudden hug but soon recovered. His eyes softened as he carefully, gently wrapped his arms around her trembling figure. He lightly rubbed her back to comfort her. "I'm here now, baby. I'm here."

For some reason, the impact of his words hit differently. It was as if she had longed so long to hear those words. Her heart yearned to hear. His words provided grace. It was as if it was just what she needed: his reassurance. 

Why was his simple words affecting her this much? For some reason, she felt like it was giving her the energy to hang on and keep fighting.

She remembered every memory she had with him, until the night where he left her in the garden because of his mother. She couldn't remember what happened next or what her nightmare was about. It was as if her brain was trying to keep it hidden away from her. As if her own mind was trying to protect her by not remembering, as if it was deliberately choosing memories that would be beneficial for her state.

When she finally calmed down, it was then she noticed that she was inside a VIP patient room. It looked more like a small apartment. Cabinet, TV, refrigerator, microwave. It felt comfortable but the place was no home. Once again, she woke up in a hospital. A place she never liked.

"How long was I unconscious?" She asked as she watched him walk towards the table in the room. He poured water in a glass before he went back to her.

"Here, have a drink first." He offered her a glass of water to which she accepted.

After taking a sip, she stared at the man for a while, wait. His perfect features were unearthly as she remembered. From his nose, to his lips, to his strong jawline. She looked up into his eyes. They were shimmering, looking as if there was a whole galaxy in them and something behind them seemed to pull at her. It wasn't just magical, but something that felt serious yet mysterious at the same time.

"You've been unconscious for almost 24 hours. Your friend told me that you lost your memories from an accident," he said as he stared back at her. "You remembered me."

She released him from her gaze and looked at the glass of water she was holding. "I don't know how… but meeting you triggered my memories."

He was quietly looking at her for a while. He was conflicted earlier when Tian Ruyi told him about her condition. He seemed to be thinking about something else though.

"How did you know that… I'm here?"

"A lucky guess. I remember you talking about Switzerland so I decided to fly here, in hope that I can see you again." Not once did she disappear from his thoughts after learning that she disappeared without a trace. "And here you are."