Wild Young Miss: Mister, Let's Kiss!

"Zoey…" Matthew uttered under his breath.

He watched her, right before his eyes, how Zoey gasped, protecting him. Her gasp — although short and barely made a sound — was louder than the raining bullets firing in the background.

That fleeting second felt eternal. 

His heart sank. His hands reached for her, but her fingers slipped from his reach. The time clocked back to normal.

"Zoey!" Matthew shouted, catching her in his arms.

Zoey gasped for air. Every breath took her great effort to do as her pupils constricted. 

Pain. She could only feel pain and life slipping through her fingers.

"Zoey!" She heard him shout, shaking her awake. But Matthew's voice soon faded amidst the loud ringing sound in her ear. 

"Darling…' Zoey thought internally, trying to get a hold of her vision but to no avail. She had lost too much blood and this last injury just took the remaining energy that kept her conscious.

"Matty, I..." She took another breath, but failed to carry on. Before she knew it, everything went black.

"No, no, no!" Matthew panicked, shaking her violently, along with his trembling hands. "Don't close your eyes, Z. You'll go into shock. Please, please. Please! No!"

Matthew held her small body, pressing on the wound on her back that oozed with blood. He tried to stop the bleeding himself, but the damn liquid kept on slipping past his fingers.

"Master," Owen called, gritting his grit as he choked. He glanced at Carter, who sported a pained expression on his face.

Matthew just grieved for Inigo, whom he insisted to take his body with them. Some of them took Inigo's body to safety, and the rest stayed with Matthew.

They'd searched for Zoey. But Nikolai's men delayed them. Hence, they've been stuck in the lowest deck.

But now that the two met, this happened.

"What are you doing? Help me." Matthew shot them a look. "Zion. Right. Zion. Call him here!" 

His voice was frantic, desperate, as if begging them to listen. No one had seen Matthew in such a distraught and desperate state.

He didn't care about his cold and intimidating image. He didn't care if these men would lose respect for him while showing his weakness.

None of that mattered.

"Master, we --" Carter paused, his grip around his rifle quivered. 

How could they remind him they had lost contact with Ivan's team long ago? And even if they rushed to the upper deck, Nikolai's men were still around. Matter of fact, they were still chasing them.

It would take them time. Matthew knew that — deep down, he was very well-aware of that.

Suddenly, Matthew grabbed Carter's pants tightly. "I don't care. Bring Zion here!" He said through his gritted teeth. "Please."

Matthew's russet eyes had turned bloodshot red. He tugged Carter's pants, nodding encouragingly without batting an eye.

*BANG BANG*

Amidst all that, enemies had caught up to them. Immediately, the other party opened fire. Without waiting for orders, Owen and his colleague fired back, taking down a few of their frontline.

Yet Matthew remained unfazed. His eyes were fixed on Carter.

"She can't die, Carter. I can't let her…" Under his breath, Matthew pleaded before choking. His heart clenched to the point that it was unbearably painful.

He couldn't afford to lose her. No, he couldn't live without her. Not this way. No, never.

"Darling, I'm here…" Zoey whispered, reaching out to him. "I'm here, love."

Zoey choked, watching Matthew hug her body while she was standing in front of them. Tears rolled down from the side of Matthew's eyes, staring up at Carter in silence.

"Darling…" Zoey called out once again, but no one could hear her. She tried to move her feet, but she was stuck there.

She had never seen Matthew in so much pain, and Zoey could only blame herself for putting him through all this. He gritted his teeth, cradling her body tightly as he desperately tried to keep himself together and tried to move.

But Matthew was slowly failing. He couldn't keep it together. His knees were too weak to even stand up. He just couldn't function watching his beloved ones die on him. 

He knew by the time they reach Zion, it'll be too late. Zoey had been losing blood for god knows how long. But that bullet was the last straw. 

How could Matthew accept that? That the last bullet meant for him killed her? Matthew would die once again if that means keeping her alive. 

So, why? Why Zoey? Why them? Why couldn't they live life like normal people? Why couldn't they love without thinking of anyone dying because of a scheme?

Just why?

Zoey bit her lower lip as hard as she could. But she couldn't feel any pain from it. Watching them like this and seeing her body lying there, it was clear to her that it was over.

This was the end of her second life.

"Ready to go, Missy?" Suddenly, a minion voice came from her side. Even without looking, Zoey recognized that familiar voice. 

Churu.

Zoey's eyes remained on Matthew, shedding uncontrollable tears for her. His men were keeping the enemies at bay.

"Why, Chuchu?" Zoey muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Churu tilted her head to the side adorably. She was floating on her side, while a towering man with a huge scythe was standing behind them.

"Why am I even born?" Zoey clarified, confused how to handle these intense emotions surging inside her heart.

If she was born to be toyed with life, giving her heaven and hell, then having to repeat it the second time just to have a tragic ending; why was she even born?

"Uhh… because your mother and father, you know." Churu pursed her lips in a thin line, floating back to a safe distance.

Zoey didn't find it funny. It's not funny.

Churu sighed, shaking her head lightly. "Alright. I don't have the answer for that, alright? I'm not Him. I'm just doing my job!"

Churu fiddled her fingers, staring at Zoey's side profile. Zoey was handling this more calmly than she expected.

"But you know, you have to follow me, regardless." Churu's words came out as muffled. "The Grim reaper is a bit busy at the moment. This is a hell of a war and he had to keep the souls before they flee and become ghosts."

"Can I stay?" Zoey asked, slowly turning her attention to the flying dumpling on her side. "Please?" Her voice came out as a whisper, begging her to listen.

Churu frowned and sighed before looking away.