Chapter 170 - A Fire!

"Who the f*ck is playing with us?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as if she was sure that someone was listening to her, and it seemed like somebody really was listening to her at this moment. 

LeiLei looked around for clues and her eyes caught a glimpse of a family photo that contained a picture of her with her parents. 

She squinted as she tried to take a closer look at her father's face but before she could get a good look, her father's face started burning. The fire started out small and it seemed to have come out of nowhere. 

LeiLei flinched as she stepped back from the photo and saw the fire spreading. 

First, it was just her father's face that was burning, but then it became her mother and even her... The entire photo burned and the fire continued to spread without any direction. 

Before she knew it, the entire room was burning and it was as if she would also be burned alive in here if she didn't try to save herself. 

She needed to get out, but... Her legs refused to move. She continued to look at her childhood room that was now engulfed in a sea of flames. It was slowly being destroyed right in front of her eyes. The things she used to once treasure were now turning into ashes and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Unknowingly, a few drops of tears started falling down her eyes and she felt a stinging pain in her heart. 

She coughed a few times as she took in all the poisonous smoke. 

"I have to get out," LeiLei muttered underneath her breath as she tried to convince herself, "This is not real. It can't be."

The girl walked towards the door and tried to open it but the lock was jammed. 

She could very well use her ability to get herself outside without needing the door, but at such a moment, where her mind was in a complete mess, the girl couldn't think of such an easy way out. 

She banged her fist on the door and tried to call out for help but it was only natural that there was nobody there. 

Eventually, LeiLei realized that only she could help herself at a moment like this, and with this in mind, the girl moved a few steps back before running forward and kicking the door open. 

Since the door was pretty old, it broke off easily and she was saved from the fumes. 

LeiLei let out a few curses and coughed in between them as she kneeled to the ground and tried to catch her breath. 

Somebody was definitely messing with her... And she decided to find that person. 

However, before she could say or do anything, a soft female voice called out to her, "Lara..." 

LeiLei felt her entire body go tense as she heard the familiar voice calling the familiar name. She would be a fool not to have recognized it. 

"Mother..." LeiLei muttered as her eyes widened slowly and she reluctantly lifted her head to look up at the woman. 

"Lara, what are you doing on the floor?" Her mother asked with worry as she moved closer to the girl and tried to make sure whether she was okay or not. 

"M-mother," LeiLei flinched and moved away from her touch in fear. 

"Eh? What happened to you?" Her mother frowned as she asked. 

LeiLei gulped and although the girl was clearly confused, there was one part of her that was aware of the fact that this could not be true. 

It would simply not make sense for it to be true.

Her mother was already dead. There was no way she could be here in front of her like this. 

"Mom, you're dead," LeiLei spoke as she looked at the woman. 

Her mother looked to be surprised as she heard this and with a short sigh, the woman shook her head as she spoke, "Don't joke around like this. I am still alive and well." 

Her mother tried to move closer to LeiLei but LeiLei once again jerked back as she continued to claim, "You're dead, mother. This can't be you."

"Honey, I already warned you once. Don't joke around like this," The woman scolded her as she tried to control her anger and forcefully pulled LeiLei up to her feet. 

LeiLei immediately tried to make a run for it but the woman had her hands clutching tightly onto LeiLei's wrist and she was definitely not letting the girl run away just like that. 

"Lara, stop trying to run away from me," The woman gritted out as she glared at the girl. 

Tears could be seen continuously rolling down LeiLei's cheeks as she shook her head and refused, "No. You're not my mom. Stop it."

LeiLei tried to struggle out of the woman's grip but it seemed that this woman was abnormally strong. A bit too strong for LeiLei. 

"Lara, what are you talking about?" Her so-called mother asked with worry evident on her face and it almost looked a bit too believable. 

"Stop it!" LeiLei shouted as she shut her eyes tightly and refused to hear or see this woman anymore. 

A minute passed in silence and the woman let go of LeiLei's hand. 

"I see how it is..." Her mother muttered under her breath, "You also want to leave me. Just like your father..." 

LeiLei opened her eyes slightly to peek at the woman only to see that she was cautiously stepping back. 

"I get it," The woman nodded her head as she spoke to herself, "If that's what you both want... I'll leave on my own." 

LeiLei tilted her head in confusion but before she could say or ask anything, she saw the woman running back and opening the door to the burning room. 

LeiLei's eyes widened in horror as she saw her mother going inside the room and locking it. 

"Mother, No!" LeiLei exclaimed anxiously as she moved forward and banged her hands on the door, trying to get it to open, "Stop this! Open the door!" 

She clearly knew that this was nothing more than a trick. She knew that this was not her real mother. She was well aware of her mother's death, however, when faced with such a situation, her rationality had gone on a vacation. 

The woman didn't open the door and LeiLei was suddenly pulled back by someone. 

"No! Stop!" LeiLei shouted as she struggled out of the man's hold. 

Marvin sighed as he spun LeiLei around and met her eyes, "LeiLei, wake up. This is not real." 

She knew that the boy was right, but it didn't change her resolve. 

"M-my mother is inside...! She's going to die in there!" LeiLei tried to fight the boy as she exclaimed and Marvin frowned as he heard this. 

With no other choice left with him, Marvin did the only thing he could to get immediate results. He punched her. 

The punch was not too hard but it was not light either. It was just enough to wake her up from the illusion. 

LeiLei gasped as she opened her eyes in shock and Marvin sighed in relief as he saw this. 

LeiLei continued to breathe heavily as she looked around and found herself lying on the floor with Marvin sitting right beside her head. 

"W-where's the fire...?" LeiLei asked in confusion as she looked around in search of the burning room. 

Marvin shook his head as he looked down at the ground and explained, "It wasn't real. You were having an illusion."

LeiLei looked to be even more shocked as she heard this. 

"Then what about my mother?" LeiLei asked anxiously as she grabbed Marvin's collar threateningly. 

Marvin pursed his lips into a thin line and looked at the girl with pity as he met her eyes and responded, "She's already dead and you know that." 

LeiLei's frown deepened as she heard this but the girl said nothing. 

"Snap out of it," Marvin sighed. 

The girl gulped as she let go of Marvin's collar and looked down at the ground. 

They were still inside that house and LeiLei could not remember when she had passed out. 

"How can this be...?" LeiLei muttered a question to herself as she wondered how everything was made possible. 

If it was just her subconscious creating a nightmare for her, it wouldn't have been that vivid and if it was staged by someone else then the person wouldn't have known her real name. 

"This doesn't make sense..." LeiLei muttered out loud and Marvin nodded his head with a sigh as he agreed with her. 

"I know it doesn't make sense," Marvin spoke as he patted her back, "After all, I just killed my father's illusion." 

LeiLei looked to be shocked as she heard this.

It seemed that she was not the only one who had been trapped inside a nightmarish illusion.. Marvin had also fallen victim to it, but unlike LeiLei, he was able to break the illusion on his own.