Nathalia sat herself down on the cold floor, turned around, her back leaning against the door, and saw Dr. Keating walking towards her. He took off his glasses and stared at Nathalia like a predator at a prey.

She could feel her limbs going numb, but she didn't show a hint of fear on her face. "Who are you? What do you want?" she asked calmly. I've been so careful. I've even had the bodyguards with me, but still, I've fallen into a trap. Is this fate? Can it not be changed?

​​

But it's not my birthday yet. I should still have some more days. Why? Am I to die earlier in this life?

Dr. Keating was taken aback by Nathalia's calmness and strong will. She should have fainted by now.

"Hahaha. The clever and calculating Nathalia Carter has fallen into my trap."

Nathalia fought back the sickening feeling. She pinched the tip of her fingers with her nails to keep herself awake. "Did Frank Carter send you? How much is he paying you? I will pay you to double.���

"I'm not after money." Dr. Keating was impressed by Nathalia's wit.

When she felt she was about to faint, Nathalia took out the pocket knife she always carried with her and sliced her arm. The pain kept her awake. "What are you after? Tell me what you want, I will offer it." Is this a set up by Frank Carter?! She wondered.

"I have to say that I'm really impressed, Miss Carter, by how calmly and tactfully you are reacting. However, it's useless. You know what? I've always been wondering what it's like to dissect a human body. ALIVE. You know, to skin the body. It must be interesting. You have such a pretty face." Dr. Keating gazed at Nathalia, his pupils dilated with excitement.

It terrified Nathalia. The back of her clothes was drenched with cold sweat. He's a pervert.

Dr. Keating saw the fear in Nathalia's eyes, and it delighted him tremendously. A sneer appeared on his face as he approached Nathalia slowly and steadily.

"Hahaha," Nathalia laughed out suddenly and clearly. It sounded fearless. Dr. Keating was startled. He stopped, "What are you laughing about? Your life's going to end soon. You should be crying!"

I can surely see the fear in her eyes. She should have fainted long ago. She would rather cut herself than beg me. What a strange girl!

Nathalia tried to hide her fear as best as she could. She kept reminding herself that she had to live, for herself and for Spencer.

She put on a disdainful smile and mocked, "You are expecting me to beg you, aren't you? Ha. You are just a pathetic creep, staying in the dark, living like a rat. I don't think you ever have friends or anyone that loves you, do you? Of course not. Look how twisted your mind is. So you want to skin me alive. Go on then."

A dim light flashed on the sharp knife-like lightning, sudden and fast. Blood gushed out of Nathalia's face. She sliced herself again, mercilessly.

Her face looked pale and weak, but the mockery smile remained at the corner of her lips, as a challenge to the dark and evil of the world.

"I'm afraid you can't have my skin intact now." Her smile was brighter than ever.

Dr. Keating was shocked to see someone even crazier than himself. She's cutting herself again! Doesn't it hurt? I didn't expect her to be this brave at all.

"Are you insane? You will bleed to death." He exclaimed, but as soon as he heard himself say it, he realized the irony in it. Well, I'm going to kill her anyway.

There was a peculiar, ghostly beauty on Nathalia's face, with the bright red color of blood on her pale skin, her hair down. "I'm going to die anyway, and it doesn't matter whichever way I die. Dying is just a matter of a short moment. It's painful. It's suffocating. You will never understand as you've never experienced it, but I do it because I have. You want to know what death really is?"

Her voice was so weak that it sounded like it traveled from a different dimension.

Dr. Keating shivered, from fear, for the first time in his life, though he pretended to be calm. "Huh. You are talking like you have actually experienced death before." This girl is too odd. Why am I feeling scared? Something's not right here.

Nathalia glared at Dr. Keating and replied with the same sneer on her face, "I have experienced death. Don't you know that this body is possessed by my spirit... Can't you feel the chills behind your back? You know why? A headless ghost is standing right behind you...I'm friends with him and other spirits here."

Dr. Keating shivered, his arms covered with goosebumps. "Shut up! Don't you try to scare me? I don't believe you..." he snapped. Ghosts don't exist. Ghosts don't exist. But, wait, I've once chopped off someone's head. Can it be him?!

"Go on then. Kill me. I will follow you around as a ghost all day and all night. I will push you when you cross the road and get you run over; I will put poison in your drinks; I will strangle you when you are asleep. I will make you suffer all your life and live like you are in hell." Nathalia laughed. Her abnormal calmness frightened Dr. Keating. Her words and her laughter stabbed his mind like sharp icicles.

His hands were trembling; his body felt chilled, but he was sweating. "Enough! Nathalia Carter, I'm going to kill you. Stop laughing! I said, stop laughing!" He screamed.

And he screamed louder as he saw the consistent calmness on Nathalia's face. He wanted to hear her beg; he wanted to see her fear. She offered neither. "It's not the first time I've died anyway. Remember my name, Nathalia Carter. Remember it. I, Nathalia Carter, will haunt you for the rest of your life, in your dreams, when you are awake, day and night."

Like the darkest curse, it penetrated through Dr. Keating's ears into his mind. He had never felt such intense fear. Terror has driven, he rushed towards Nathalia and stabbed her mercilessly. "Shut up! Shut up!"

Nathalia felt like something drained her energy all of a sudden. She could not move. She watched the knife flying towards her and was blinded by the light on the tip of the knife.