Bitter Place in a Broken Dream C3
A/N: This story is a little rushed in the updates because it was already finished before it was uploaded, and I won't be free to slowly upload them one by one in the next few weeks. So any readers will be able to enjoy the end of this story soon enough ~
"Promise me you will message me! Or I'll come to school right now." Alfred demanded loudly. Wang Yao holds the phone a little away from his ears to prevent Alfred from bursting his eardrums.
"Yes, I will, I will. Just rest and stop being so annoying." Wang Yao replied lethargically. "I am beginning to suspect if you're really sick at all…."
"Actually, I am already feeling much better. But my mom refused to let me go to school. She said that I should be considerate and not spread my germs."
"She's right you know. Just shut up and go to sleep or something. I think I'm falling sick from talking this long with you on the phone. Just hang up."
"Fine. Remember to call me!"
"Yeah, yeah, bye." Yao replied, and hastily hang up the phone. He slide down on his chair closing his eyes to soothe the burning pain from the lack of sleep, the relentless nightmares he had after he came back home from Ivan have been nothing but tiring, and the glaring lights above the lecture hall shining against his eyelids are the only thing keeping him from slipping back into the nightmares. The dull aches and pain all over his body have become gradually harder to ignore, and Yao wonder why he even came to school if he felt this horrible.
"Alright, thank you everybody and see you next week. Remember that your assignments will be due by the end of this month, it is not an easy task so I suggest that you lots can start tackling them now." The lecturer below announced to the leaving crowds of students.
Right… I had a few questions to asked her. That's why I came. Yao thought in his mind as he look on, body felt too heavy to move. It took a while, but he finally gather enough energy to keep his stationaries into the bag and left the lecture hall.
The aches and pain from his stomach area are making him break out in cold sweat, he went in into a single rest room and close the door behind him. Slowly he lift up his shirt and pull it up to the chest, looking into the mirror, he found large, dark purple bruising that cover his left waist and most of his stomach area. Lightly, he brush the tip of his fore finger on the skin, it felt sore. He gradually added pressure onto the purple skin and the dull pain exploded through him.
Biting his lips, he endure till the pain passes. Wang Yao pull his shirt back down and sat on the toilet bowl, brooding over if he should let his parents know, to let Alfred know, or to try and wait this thing out. I mean.. It does look like a bad bruise that would probably just take longer to heal. Yao thought. Yeah, I guess I'll see how it goes.
Yao walk out of the building and towards the gate, and from a distance outside the school, he could already see a figure standing underneath the shade of a tree. His eyes widen a little and he look away, hoping that if he pretends he didn't see the figure, it won't notice him.
"Hey." He heard the person calling him out in a distance, but Yao continue looking at his phone, though his unwitting hastened pace blew his cover away.
"Yao, please look at me." Ivan called out again, finally reaching up to Yao and grabbing his wrist.
"What do you want?" Yao turned back around, pulling his arms from Ivan's grip, and accidentally hit himself where the purple bruises are. His face drained of blood immediately and cold sweat formed on his forehead again.
"Come with me. I need your help."
"No…" Yao replied, he exhale each breath out with some trouble from the pain.
"You're in pain. Let me help you." Ivan said, covering his palm with a film of magic with bright green energy, he edge in closer to Yao. And before Yao could have any reaction, he wrapped his arms around him.
Wang Yao stiffened his body from the unexpected contact, yet from the deepest part of him, Ivan's hug strike a chord of familiarity within him, he felt strangely comforted in this person's arms. Warm soothing energy gradually fill his body, the throbbing, aching pain from his body dissipate. Wang Yao felt his energy coming back to him, just then, Ivan loosen his grip.
Looking up, he found Ivan staring down at him, his strange purple eyes look soft. "T-Thanks…" Yao managed to say it, awkwardness seeps in as he took a step away from Ivan.
"Can you help me?"
"With what?"
"I need your help to kill a monster. We will go back in time, but you will need to be the one that kill the monster." Ivan explains.
"I refused."
"Why?"
"I don't want to kill anything. And why can't you kill it yourself."
"There are…. Reasons why I can't do that but the simple one is that the monster simply won't die that easily, but with your help, we can."
"But I refused. I don't want to kill anything."
Ivan's lips pursed together, words that want to insist and words that want to convince otherwise stay stuck at his throat. "I understand. That's a pity." Ivan replied with a sigh, then he turned around and started walking away.
"Hey!" Yao called out. He was expecting Ivan to be pushier, but he didn't, it cast a little doubt to Yao. "What are you going to do?"
Ivan turned around and said: "I'll just.. try to create another phoenix…"
"You're going to burn more people? I'm calling the police on you." Yao retorted.
"That's fine, they can never catch me."
"You're just going to keep killing people? Why do you do that?"
Ivan stop, he stood still with his back facing Yao. Then he turn around and said: "For the people whose life I have taken and will continue to take."
"W-What do you mean?" Yao shouted after Ivan as he continue to walk. "Hey… I'm talking to you." He ran after Ivan.
"It means I will stop bothering you, so you can go and live your remaining life in peace." Ivan replied.
"Wait, wait… You're going to kill more people?" Yao asked, this time pulling on Ivan's arms to stop him. Slight frustration surface on Ivan's face as he stopped and face Yao, "Yes. I'm going to burn more people. I'm going to kill everybody, now please let me go."
"No…"
"Goodbye." Ivan said, after a few second.
"I-If I help you are you going to tell me everything?" Yao blurted out after him.
Ivan stopped. Then he turned around, "You're going to help me?"
"Are you going to tell me everything then?"
"I could."
"Fine. I'll help you… I guess…."
"Great.. Let's go to my place."
"Must… we … go to your place."
Ivan started walking again and Yao quickly follow suit. They walk together and this time round, Yao noticed that they are walking a different route, and they came to a blue house. He knitted his brow, doubting his memories that the colour should be green, but still he followed Ivan into it and found the layout is exactly the same as his recollection.
"It's magic. I created another dimension that move the space." Ivan answered, seemingly reading his mind.
"I didn't ask…" Yao replied, pouting.
"The question is written all over your face, my dear." Ivan smile.
Wang Yao thought it was a pretty nice looking smile.
Ivan quickly went into the room and slam the door, as he turned around, he suddenly twitched and clutched his throat. Trembling, he held onto the wall and chairs to keep his footing. Then his head lifted and scan around the room urgently.
"What's wrong with you? What do you want?" Yao asked in shock.
"Drawer. Beside bed, bring the syringes to me. Quick." Ivan instructed, large amount of black, gooey reddish black liquid pour out of his mouth, it covered his chin and stained the whole front of his shirt. He slide down onto the floor against the wall, veins popped up on his temple, Yao quickly bring to him a few syringes with black liquid in it. Tearing it open, Ivan pulled up his trench coat and Yao could see the bruises and scars from all the needle wounds. Steadying his fingers as much as he could, Ivan press the needle in, then realizing that its off, he pulled it down and poke it in again. Then desperation seems to eat him up, and realizing that its off again, he begin pushing the needle from left to right, searching for the vein.
"Stop. Stop. Stop. Don't do that." Yao quickly said, and he slapped Ivan's hands away. Gently, he pulled the needle out, the enlarged wound seep out droplets after droplets of blood. Ivan trembled, the blackish fluid continued pouring, from his mouth and nose.
Wang Yao push the needle cleanly into a newfound vein and push the fluids in, Ivan's trembling lessens, and a few seconds later he said: "One more." And Yao followed. "Again."
"You sure?" Yao asked.
"Yes…" Ivan replied.
Wang Yao push in another syringe of the black liquid in. Ivan finally look visibly better, though worn out. He slide his whole body onto the floor and closed his eyes. Yao sat there on the floor looking at him, not really knowing what he should he do, he picked up all the syringes and threw it away. Then, looking down at the man laid curled up onto the floor with his stomach matters all over him, Yao decided to clean him up.
"Wake up." Yao gently tapped Ivan's shoulder. Sleepy, purple eyes open staring at the floor in a daze. "Come, sit up. I'll help you." Yao continued, pushing Ivan up to a sitting position.
Ivan's eyes continue to be in a daze, like he is still in a half asleep mode.
Wetting a clean cloth with the pail of water, he wipe the Ivan's face and chin, his throat, and his chest. "Why are you so cold?" Yao asked. Ivan look back up at him with his sleepy eyes and replied: "Yes I am cold." Wang Yao gave a roll of his eyes inside his heart. "No, I'm asking why you are so cold?"
"Yes." Ivan nodded earnestly. His eyes gradually closing as he nodded off to sleep.
Then Yao tried pulling Ivan's shirt up, but his hands was immediately caught by Ivan's. "Why are you doing this to me?" Ivan cried.
"I'm just trying to change you out of your dirty clothes." Yao replied.
"No.. But it's cold. It's very cold. It will be very cold if you take it away." Ivan whined, shaking his head as his eyes closed again, the grip on Yao's hands loosen and slide away. Wang Yao let out a sigh as he realized that Ivan is actually still asleep and everything he said are sleep talking.
Wang Yao pulled the trench coat and shirt out from Ivan and wiped his body with the clean cloth, the fabric run through the pale, almost white skin, overlaid with pink scars and wounds. There was a large indent of scars, an especially ugly and grotesque one that lay symmetrically on both of his shoulder blades. Looks painful, Yao can't help but silently cringed at it. He look at Ivan's face, his eye lashes are beautifully long, and his eyes, when opened are large as well; Ivan's brows are knitted, and Yao's fingers couldn't resist the urge to touch the raised ridges, soothing it.
"Well, luckily all those time volunteered at the old folk's home for extra credit was not in vain." Yao muttered to himself, as he changed out everything from Ivan. Then tapping on his arms again, he guide Ivan like a little child. "Come on, let's get onto the bed. I'll tuck you in." Yao baby-talked. Ivan stood up on his own and followed Yao to the bed, then without a single word, he plopped onto the bed.
Yao lifted Ivan's legs onto the bed and covered him with the blankets.
He took out his phone and look at the screen; tons of Alfred's message, all different forms of 'where are you'. Without much thought, he replied: "I'm already home." And kept his phone back into his pocket.
"You're awake." Yao called out as he bring out a bowl of porridge from the kitchen into the room. Ivan's eyes are wide open and staring at the ceiling, he look at Yao when he called him.
"Yeah…"
"Your house have literally nothing. I took the money from the second drawer beside your bed, the receipts are on top. You can check it." Yao continued, placing the food on the small table at the corner.
Letting out a long breath, Ivan replied: "That's fine. I trust you."
"No, you shouldn't trust me. Count your money and come over and have some food."
Ivan sat up onto the bed and look over at Yao; he is setting up the utensils on the table. Everything was cleaned up and in order, his clothes that was stack up in a corner of the sofa was gone, the floor no longer feel dusty on the feet. He look down on himself and commented: "You changed my clothes?"
"Yeah. You puke those nasty black stuff all over yourself. I can't put you in bed with them." Yao replied, looking back at Ivan.
"You…" He stuttered. "You took off my clothes? And.." Ivan pulled his pants and peek in. "You changed m-my underwear!?"
"What's wrong?" Yao asked, face full of bewilderment. Then it quickly changed to understanding followed by a casual shrug, "There's no need for embarrassment. I have whatever you have. Besides, I've seen loads when I volunteered at the old folk's home."
"Old.. Old folk's home?" Ivan looked back at Yao, looking slightly offended. "I'm not old.. You can't compare me with them." He muttered indignantly.
"That's true, yours was pretty impressive." Yao muttered, then he quickly add on before Ivan catches on: "How old are you then?"
"22."
Wang Yao knitted his brow in response before saying: "Food is getting cold. Come over."
Ivan went over, pulling his thick blanket along on his shoulder as he do and sat at the table, there's a clear looking soup that seems bland, a steamed fish with chopped ginger and tomatoes, stir-fry vegetables, and a plate of stir fried meat with sauce. A bowl of porridge in front of Ivan and a bowl of rice in front of Yao. "These are for me. And that is yours." Yao explains, as he circle all the dishes on the table to himself and pointed at the porridge for Ivan.
"Why do I only get porridge." Ivan whined.
"You just puked." Yao replied, putting a piece of meat in his mouth.
"Well, you spent my money. You should share it."
"If you like.." Yao shrugged.
Ivan smile cheekily at his victory and place a piece in his mouth as well. The sweet and sour sauce exploded in his mouth, and it tasted weird and delicious. Then he pick another and place it in his mouth with happiness as well.
"You're only 22?"
"Yeah… I told you I'm not that old." Ivan replied pouting as he put more food into his mouth.
"No… I'm just surprised I'm older than you."
"How old are you then?"
"I'm 23."
"It's only one year apart."
"Yeah. But you seem to have went through so much more than me." Yao commented absentmindedly.
Ivan look back at Yao, chewing his food. Then after a few moment, he gave a little shrug and said: "It's okay, I'm used to it."
"Don't say that…" Yao replied slowly, feeling even more sorry for him now. "Tell me what happened." he demanded.
"Hmm.. It's such a long story, and it's just family stuff."
"You said you will tell me everything if I help you. And now I have cooked for you, I have cleaned you and you want to eat your words." Yao added.
"It's really long though…." Ivan whined. "You don't have to guilt-trip me like this."
"I did not."
"You can ask me anything else."
Just then, Yao's phone facing upwards on the dining table lit up. A message from Alfred asking his whereabouts again. Wang Yao knitted his brows and closed the screen. A few more message pops up, drawing his attention to it.
"You're not going home tonight?" Ivan asked, tentatively, with a little expectations glistening in his eyes.
"I am. I'll be going off after dinner."
"Oh.." Ivan let out, his disappointing face so hilariously obvious that Yao let out a snicker.
"What?" Ivan retorted.
"You're not a baby, why can't you sleep alone?" Yao asked.
"Well, it's not because I am like a baby or anything. But I can't get warm through normal means, and after so many years, I am still not used to this cold." Ivan explains.
"You can always find somebody else to share their body heat with you, if that's the kind of excuse you are giving." Yao replied without much thought.
Ivan's face darken. His eyes look away from Yao.
Wang Yao knew something is wrong and he move his face to where Ivan's gaze are and ask: "Angry?"
"No.." Ivan turn away, but Yao followed after and ask: "No. You're obviously angry." Then he pinch Ivan's cheek and teased, "Why are you angry?"
Ivan glance back at Yao, pouting. Yao's face is uncomfortably close to his own, and his fingers pinching his cheek is warming up his face. Redness surface against his skin.
"I-It's not an excuse." He explains quietly.
"Then tell me about it." Yao sat back down on the chair.
"I was taken up by an organization and placed in the assassination department, somewhere. I wanted to take revenge on my house who killed my father and mother, and somewhere along the way I realise that I was wrong. My father and mother was wrong, and my house wanted to kill my family for a very valid reason. My parents have hidden a ticking time bomb within their house, a monster. If I can go back in time and kill this monster before anything happens, every single drop of blood on my hands can finally be cleansed." Ivan said, glancing down at his palm. He closed his fingers into a fist and continued: "And so I took it upon myself to find the black phoenix, we called them the angel in my house, they can see and go through the past, present and future freely. Only an angel should destroy that monster, so that I can live and die a clean person."
"What if you can't?" Yao spoke. "What if everything is just a myth? You have killed so many people for a myth."
"No, my dear. The angel is real, I have seen it with my eyes, I have seen the organization doing experiments on it, I have seen top secret documents during espionage missions about it. There was only a few successful creation, and the angels, or if you would like to call them phoenixes, have prevented the end of the world. How ironic it is, that our myths called them the harbingers of the end of the world, when all they did was preventing it from happening."
"What happened to you earlier on then? You were puking out those really nasty black things, and then injecting black things into yourself." Yao asked.
"They are made from the fluids of corrupted winged people who failed to turn into phoenixes."
"Ew, what?" Yao blurted in disgust. "Those are… winged people bits…"
"Those winged people are corrupted."
"That is still disgusting. Are you going to grind to bits and inject me in you as well…?" Yao retorted. Then changing his tone to wary one, he continued: "Is that why you asked me to your place!?"
"No! Why would I grind you to bits? I stole those syringes from the organization." Ivan quickly added.
"Then why do you need to do that?"
Ivan sigh. "I have the ability to turn back time because of the black stuff, but it comes with a side effect, which is what you have seen earlier. Those black stuff was what made the time turning works. When you use the ability, those black stuff inside of you become useless and they become volatile, twisting, and churning your insides, making you sick, and it comes in waves. The longer you turn, the more waves it comes, each one more violent than ever, and the only thing that alleviates it are those syringes of dead winged people bits that you find it disgusting." Ivan replied, then letting out a sigh as though he is not hoping that Yao would understand it. "I am thankful to them though. The side effect are really horrible. Every single time I puke, I felt a part of myself being puked out of my mouth."
"So those nightmares are real." Yao said absentmindedly, staring at the half eaten dishes on the table.
"Nightmare?"
"I killed my parents."
Ivan look straight into Yao's eyes as he stared back at his.
"So, it's true." Yao mumbled in distress.
"I…. "Ivan started.
"It's alright Ivan." Yao cut off. "Thank you."
The atmosphere in the air turned into a thick, impenetrable ice, as cold as how Ivan have always felt. The two of them continue to polish off the food on the table, but none speak another word. That is until Yao started speaking again: "Will I turn into that again?"
"You won't, I promise. I won't let you go through that again."
"I trust you." Yao replied, giving a faint smile. "Anyway, you haven't told me about why you're always so cold."
"Hmm…" Ivan held his chin, thinking. "It started since I was very young, so I can't quite recall why. But I feel okay for a short while after injecting the syringes of black fluid, so I am giving a wild guess that it is most probably due to that, and also the fact that I can feel your warmth. Especially when your wings surrounds me when I sleep beside you." Ivan let out a genuine smile filled with blissful happiness at the recollection. "It have an unexpected side effect; this cold stricken body can release the fiercest and hottest fire that can break through all magical barriers and resistance, it was cruel, but it helps me replicate the fire created during the experiments the organization have used."
"You sound like a pervert now." Yao commented.
"P-Pervert!?" Ivan blurted. So that's how Yao thinks of me? He thought. "I sound like a pervert?" Repeating it out loudly in horror.
"Yeah." Yao snickered.
"How does that even work?"
"Nobody talks about sleeping with a stranger with such perverted face."
"I…" Ivan was rendered speechless. Maybe I really do look like a pervert while saying that. He thought worriedly.
"Anyway, once we get rid of that monster you are talking about that was hiding in the basement of your parent's place, we can undo everything. Every single thing you have done and every single person you have killed? Am I right?"
"Yes." Ivan look up at Yao and nodded. "The monster is not in the basement though."
Wang Yao look to the side of his table, the messages popping up left and right on his screen is distracting. It's Alfred. He quickly pick up the phone and after scanning through the messages he replied: "I have tried to find the green house again after school today, but it was gone. I am going to sleep now. Talk to you tomorrow. Night."
"You need to leave now?" Ivan asked.
"Yeah… It's about time." Yao nodded, eyes still on the screen. He sneak a glance on Ivan's face. "I'll be back tomorrow anyway. You can brief me on how we can go back in time to kill the monsters then."
"I'll wash the dishes, so go now." Ivan smile, he is afraid that if Yao is here any longer he would want to find some excuses to ask him to stay.
"Are you sure you will wash them? I saw some unwashed dishes in your sink earlier."
"Yes. You should stop nagging. Go on." Ivan urged.
"Alright." Yao said, standing up and keeping his phone in his pocket. He picked up his bag from the corner and slowly walk to the door, hesitating. He turned back to Ivan, silently wondering why he doesn't want to see him off. Feeling annoyed about the next thing he was about to do, he pulled down the left side of his wing, wrapping his fingers around the feather at the tip, he pluck the large feather out. The short, sharp pain lasted only for a moment.
"Ivan." He called out and stretch out his hand with the feather in Ivan's direction.
"Are you sure?" Ivan blurt out in delight as he walk towards the feather.
Yao is not looking at him. "Yeah, just keep it properly."
"I will, thank you." He said, gently taking the feather form Yao's fingers. "It's beautiful." Ivan commented, as he brush his fingertip against the feather.
"Hope it helps."
"It will! I'm going to sleep with it." Ivan replied excitedly.
Wang Yao couldn't help but felt his face burning. "Well, I'm off." He let out as he quickly rush out of the house.