King

CHAPTER XXXVIII

It was already night time; we all decided that we should rest. Haneul and I also chose to stay in one room while the guys would keep their rooms. I was happy that we were finally back but what I saw in Al’s memories was bothering me.

I went downstairs and took a cup of coffee before going to the garden. I arrived and saw that Al was standing in the middle with a cigarette in his hand.

“You should be resting,” I said as I stood beside him. I felt his turn his gaze towards me before blowing out the smoke.

“I can’t rest,” He answered and pressed the cigar in his hand.

“What’s bothering you?” I asked and took a sip of my coffee. I just realized that I’ve been having this type of conversation lately.

“You saw my memories, right?” He asked and I nodded.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked up and took a deep breath before saying, “I feel so bad,”

“About what?” I asked even though I had an idea of what he’s talking about.

“I can’t believe I took part in such research. I can’t live with myself knowing that we locked up witches to come up with the magic canceling serums. But what I can’t take the most was the fact that we killed them and used their blood. After forcing them to create a spell that would destroy all magic, we killed them. How can I live with that?” He asked while sobbing. It’s hard watching him have a mental break down but it’s better to see him like this rather than having him keeping everything to himself.

I rubbed his back as he sobbed. I can’t do anything to make him feel better about what he did. I was disappointed when I saw it myself but I won’t judge him.

“I think that this would be enough apologies for the witches you killed,” I said. I didn’t want to lie to him and tell him that everything he did was alright.

“I don’t think so,” He whispered and tried his best to stop crying.

I wrapped my arms around him and told him, “It was for Zynrick, you did it for someone,”

“I know that but one life is nothing compared to hundreds,” He said so I asked him, “Then would you sacrifice Zynrick’s life for them?”

I felt him freeze when he heard my question, “No,” He answered after a full minute.

“Let’s rest for now,” I said and walked inside the room. I heard him follow me which was a relief. I wasn’t in the mood to convince him to go inside.

I already knew the answer. I saw how important Zynrick is to him so I hope he’d forgive himself for everything he did.

“Stay with Haneul for tonight,” I said once we were inside.

I turned to look at him and saw his blushing face.

“W-Why would you say that?” He asked in a panicked voice.

“I’m sure she misses you,” I answered.

“How would you know? It’s been a thousand years,” He said and looked at the ground with a sad expression.

I’m starting to miss the mean side of him.

“If you’re saying that then that means you forgot your promise,” I said while looking at him straight in the eyes. His eyes went wide and as if realization had hit him.

“But that was a thousand years ago,” He reasoned so I hit him.

“For f**k’s sake, she was sealed all those times. I doubt that she met another man. Besides, she secluded you from me back when we were at the waterfall. She knew it was you right from the very moment you went to that village,” I said and sighed. “Look, if you don’t want to sleep in the rooms with her tonight then don’t,”

I walked to the room but I felt his grab my arm. “I want to talk to her before I sleep there. I don’t want her to wake up shocked that I was there.” He said and I smiled.

“I knew you’d say that,” I said and ruffled his hair.

I just wanted him to think of something else. Now that he remembers everything from his past life I’m sure he’s just going to brood over all of the horrible things he did in this lifetime.

“I’m off to sleep. You should too,” I said and walked to my room.

I entered and saw that Haneul was still up.

“Hey, I thought you were asleep,” I said and sat on the bed. She looked at me and sat up.

“I was just wondering about Izamu,” She answered and hugged a pillow close to her chest.

“I know but you guys can talk about things tomorrow. So, rest for now,” I said and lied down.

“Do you think he still loves me?” She asked while looking at me, “I mean… You know what? Nevermind,” She said and lies down as well.

“I’m sure he still does,” I answered. I knew she wanted to ask me since she knew that I saw his memories.

“But he lived in this world for years,” She said. I wanted to tell her that she doesn’t need to worry about Al loving someone else other than her but I think it’s best if they were the ones to tell each other.

“You can ask him tomorrow,” I said and turned around. I didn’t hear her say anything so I just closed my eyes and recalled everything that I saw.

--

“Al, meet your new brother, Zynrick,” Al’s mother said as she showed Zynrick. Zynrick had a shy smile on his face but Al didn’t look too happy about it.

“Why is he here?” Al asked and looked at his mother. They were probably around twelve since Al already had an attitude.

“His parents were killed by demons so we adopted him. I thought you’d be happy because you told us that you were lonely,” Al’s mother answered.

Al looked at Zynrick once more but Zyn just avoided his gaze.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Al,” Al said and stretched his hand out to Zynrick.

Zyn looked hesitant but Al’s father told him, “Al looks like he’s mad but that’s just his face. So, don’t be shy,”

Al looked offended by what his father said but he just kept his mum, “I’m Zynrick,” Zynrick said and took Al’s hand.

They were both uncomfortable with each other at first but when Al saw Zynrick struggling with a math equation he went to him and helped him out. That’s how they started to become closer.

I saw how they both had fun together. The games they would play. The clubs they would join and the fights that they had. I smiled when I saw how happy they were. I was having fun seeing them that way but then the day where they got separated came.

I was thrown into a memory of Al talking to his parents.

I was outside the kitchen and I could hear talking in the kitchen so I went inside. It was a memory so I comfortably sat on one of the chairs.

“Al, you’re a qualified candidate to be a test subject for creating an artificial progenitor.” Al’s father said.

The atmosphere was so heavy and I could feel that they didn’t like what was happening.

“What happens if I become one?” Al asked. His parents looked at each other.

“There’s a chance that you might die,” His father answered. His mother couldn’t look at him and I saw how Al’s hands were balled into fists.

“Isn’t there anyone else who can replace me?” Al asked with tears in his eyes.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who can replace you at the moment,” His mother said while caressing his face. He took a deep breath and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll agree to it, as long as you don’t let Zynrick know about it. I want him to live a peaceful life,” He said and his parents nodded.

Al’s memories continued and I saw him going through various tests and drinking random liquids. I also saw how he avoided Zynrick whenever he was home. He acted cold and harsh towards Zynrick but when he was in his room he would quietly sob, “I don’t want you to get too attached and hurt if I die. I don’t want you to go through the pain of losing someone you love again,” He whispered under his breath.

I don’t know how long it took but Al received good news from his parents.

“You’re free, Al! You’re not going to be a progenitor anymore,” His mother announced. Tears filled Al’s eyes as he hugged his mother tightly.

“How?” He asked in excitement. His parents looked at each other before answering him.

“Someone volunteered to be in your place,” They answered in unison.

I looked at Al and I can’t believe the joy in his face when he heard that.

He ran to Zynrick who was reading on the couch in the living room. “Zynrick!” Al yelled and ran to him.

“W-What’s wrong?” Zyn asked in concern and shock.

“I’m sorry for ignoring you,” Al apologized. He was so excited and it was obvious just y looking at him. “I’m not going to be a progenitor anymore.” He said and explained what happened to Zyn.

Zynrick smiled and said, “I’m glad we’re on speaking terms again,”

They became close to each other but after some time Zyn started going to his friends often. Al understood that he wasn’t the only person that Zyn was hanging out with but he can’t help but feel lonely when Zyn would leave more than thrice a week to stay with a friend.

“Hey, Zynrick, you want to play basketball. I asked my friends if you can join us and they said yes,” Al said while Zynrick was lying on his bed. Zynrick turned towards Al and he looked pale.

Zynrick has been sickly as time went by and Al became concerned. “You’ve been looking pretty bad lately,” Al said when Zynrick didn’t answer.

“I know, I’m sorry I can’t,” Zynrick apologized and gave Al a sad smile.

“If you can’t go then let me take care of you,” Al said and went to his room to change.

As he went back to Zynrick’s room, he heard his parents talking.

“Is this an after effect of the first injection?” He heard his father ask. He furrowed his eyebrows when he heard what his dad said.

“It could be,” His mother answered. His mother looked concerned and that’s when he knew something was wrong.

He decided to enter the room when he didn’t hear anyone talking. His parents looked surprised to see him and it just made his suspicion grow even more. But he acted like he didn’t hear anything.

“Mom, dad, Zynrick’s been getting ill as of late, why aren’t we taking him to the hospital?” He asked.

His father smiled and held Al’s shoulder. “That’s a good idea. You stay here and wait for us, okay?” His father said and went out of the room.

“Mom, is Zyn going to be okay?” He asked and his mother nodded. She had a smile on her face but her eyes showed how worried she was. “He’ll be fine,” She said and hugged him. He could feel his mother trembling and it made him feel anxious for what’s about to happen.

“The car’s ready, we should get going,” Al’s father said as he entered the room.

“I want to go with you,” Al said but his father shook his head.

“You can’t come with us,” His father said. He balled his hands into fists and clenched his jaw.

“Why can’t I go?! Is there something you’re hiding?!” He yelled making his parents look at each other.

“A-Al,” Zynrick called out which made everyone look at him.

“What is it, sweetie?” Al’s mother asked and approached Zyn. She ran her hand through her hair and smiled at him.

“I want you to stay here,” Zynrick said and tried his best to sit down. Al’s mom helped him then looked at Al.

“You don’t want to make things worse for Zynrick by stressing him out,” His mom said. He kept quiet and watched as Zyn was assisted by his mother and father to the car.

He went to the car to say something but his father immediately separated him and Zyn by covering the door. “You’re not allowed to go with us,” His father said.

“I know, I just have something I have to say to Zynrick,” Al said and his father moved away and closed the door, “You can talk to him through the window,” His father said making Al roll his eyes.

“Fine,” He said and put his head inside the window, “Hey, Zyn, you better come back and hang out with me or I’ll whoop your ass,” He said which made Zynrick chuckle.

“Sure,” He said before they drove off to the hospital.

Al stood in the garage for a full minute before he took his car with him. He trailed his parent’s car and his heart was beating erratically when he saw the familiar path they were taking.

“Damn it!” He yelled when they were taking the road to the laboratory.

He could feel his blood seething in anger when he realized that Zyn was the substitute for him. He was clutching the steering wheel hard as he followed his parents. He was mad at himself that he didn’t even notice.

“I.D., sir,” The guard at the gate said. Al took out the I.D. his parents gave him when he was still going to the lab for tests.

The guards confirmed his I.D. and allowed him to enter. He parked the car near a few meters away from his parents. They got off and he saw that his father was carrying Zynrick. He could feel himself panic at the sight of Zynrick struggling in his father’s arms.

“s**t! Zynrick, you i***t!” He yelled as he chased his parents.

His parents were walking so fast that it made him feel even more anxious than before.

“Don’t die on me,” He whispered and got on the elevator.

He arrived at the floor where he would usually take his tests. He saw that Zynrick was inside while his parents were waiting outside. They were calming themselves down before entering when they saw Al.

“Alystair, what are you doing?” His father asked in concern when he saw Al staring at them. “Why did you follow us here?” His father asked and shook him.

Al hit his father’s arms and looked at them with anger in his eyes, “Why did you use Zynrick as my replacement?!” He yelled which gathered people’s attention.

“Al, please don’t make a scene,” His mother pleaded but he was too mad to listen to her.

“He shouldn’t be going through all of this!” He yelled but his mother hugged him.

“I know that Al, but I can’t sacrifice my child.” She said before looking at Al. “We’ll save him. I promise we won’t let him die so trust your mom and dad.” She said and they went inside.

Al anxiously waited outside the lab. He kept on glancing at the door. He could hear Zynrick’s screams and the loud crashing of objects. He covered his ears to block off the sound as he prayed that they would all be okay.

“Al,” He heard someone say as the person shake him.

He raised his head and looked at his mother, “You’re okay,” He said and hugged her. His mother hugged him back before sitting beside him.

“Where’s dad and Zyn?” He asked when all he saw was his mother.

“They’re still inside. Your father’s preparing to bring Zynrick in a different room.” She answered and placed her head on Al’s shoulder.

“Please, let mom lay on your shoulder for a while,” She whispered and Al just nodded. “I can’t believe you’re already taller than me,” She said and giggled.

“Well, I’m already eighteen,” Al said and his mom nodded, “Right,” She said as if she was reminded of her son’s age.

They were quietly waiting for Al’s father and Zynrick to come out. Al was starting to feel impatient but a minute passed and his father came out while pushing Zynrick’s wheelchair.

“Al,” Zynrick whispered in shock when he saw Alystair.

Al’s mother stood up and so did Al. “You’re okay,” Al whispered and ruffled Zynrick’s hair.

“Don’t make us worry like that,” He said and smiled at Zynrick.

“How did you know?” Zynrick asked while looking at Al.

Al gave him a sad smile before answering, “I followed you here,”

Zynrick avoided Al’s gaze and looked at the ground, “It would’ve been better if you didn’t know,” He whispered and that didn’t escape Al’s ears.

He grabbed Zynrick’s face and made him look at him. “It’s better that I know. Now, you don’t have to lie to me when you’re going for tests. I’ll also always be with you so you won’t get scared. I’ll know what to do and who to call if you get sick again. I don’t want you to be in this situation but now that it’s here, I want to do everything I can to make things a little easier for you,” He said while looking straight into Zynrick’s eyes.

Zynrick chuckled and removed Al’s hands on his face, “Okay,” He answered.

Al felt relieved and told his dad that he would be the one pushing Zynrick’s wheelchair.

Ever since Al found out that Zynrick was the replacement for him, he became kinder. He would do all of Zynrick’s chores and help him in all of his subjects.

“You’re smart,” Zynrick said as he watched Al teach him what to do.

“Well, I am a prodigy,” Al answered as if it was nothing.

They grew even closer as time passed by but one event changed everything for them.

Zynrick was sick so Al’s parent’s stayed with him while Al went to school. After arriving at the manor he was surprised to see Zynrick standing in the kitchen with his back facing Al.

“Zynrick, what are you doing there?” He asked and walked towards Zynrick.

“What the-“ Al whispered when he saw a pool of blood in front of Zynrick.

Al had a bad feeling so he ran and pushed Zynrick out of the way. His body froze when he saw his parent’s body lying on the floor. It was their blood. He didn’t want to ask but he knew that Zynrick was the reason why they were in this state.

“Please, please, please,” He kept on whispering as he felt for his parent’s pulse.

His eyes were blurred from the tears as he checked if his parents were still alive. He heard growling from behind him and when he turned he saw Zynrick. His mouth had blood dripping from it and his clothes were stained by blood.

“Zynrick! What the f**k! Cut this out!” He yelled but Zynrick didn’t stop. He kept on growling as he approached Al.

Al’s hands were trembling as he took steps backward. “Zynrick! It’s me Alystair!” He yelled, hoping Zynrick would stop but Zynrick lunged at him.

Al was pinned to the ground as the growling Zynrick open his mouth to bite Al. “f*****g i***t!” Al yelled and punched Zynrick.

Zynrick shook his head and that’s when his eyes turned back to its natural color. Zynrick stared at Al before standing up.

“Al, what happened?” He asked and when he saw his blood-stained hands' realization hit him.

“s**t! I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He apologized repeatedly as he cried. Tears were continuously rolling down his cheeks. He turned around and saw Al’s parents lying on the floor, dead.

He ran outside while apologizing and Al was left not knowing what to do.

Al stared at Zynrick run away before he got to his senses and called the lab. He told them everything that happened. He hoped that they would be able to catch Zyn and take care of him.

People from the laboratory arrived at Al’s manor and took away his parent’s corpse. They cleaned the house and held a funeral. Al didn’t hear anything from Zynrick and it pissed him off. He didn’t hear anything from the lab either so he decided to continue going to school.

The lab didn’t want the public to know what happened but news traveled fast and everyone in Al’s school found out.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your parents,” Tyrone said when Al entered the classroom.

“I don’t need your condolence,” Al said and sat down.

“Why don’t we play basketball later or go for a swim at the pool. That might help get things out of your head,” Tyrone said. Al looked at him and nodded.

“I do need that,” He said and Tyrone smiled.

“Okay, let’s go together later, then,” Tyrone said and went to his seat.

The day ended and Tyrone was walking to the pool with Al when Al’s phone started ringing.

“We found him,” The researcher in charge of finding Zynrick said.

Al didn’t know if it was alright to feel relieved but it was what he felt when he heard the news.

“Tyrone, I need to go,” Al said and ran to the parking lot, leaving Tyrone alone.