I quickly sent a text to Xueya to let her know I was alright.
More sweat dripped from my face, and I wiped it off with the sleeves of my borrowed , my hair leaving white stains from my hair dye.
The shirt quickly got drenched and clung to my body like glue as I scrambled on my knees and out the bedroom door. Not even sparing another glance at the peacefully sleeping stranger.
Outside the bedroom, the corridor was lined with a few abstract paintings, but I was too distracted to even focus on any of them.
I was getting weaker .
My breaths started to come out uneven, and my limbs wobbled under my weight.
My head felt like a train was running on it over and over again.
The back pain from earlier was still very prominent.
I paused for a second to make sure the owner of the house hadn't woken up yet. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so I continued
Just a little bit now.
If the layout of this place was anything like mine, I just needed to come out the corridor, and I'd be in the main area, then out in no time—
Argh! Why the fuck am I seeing stairs?!
Someone up there was really messing with me.
"Fuck. Shit. Ouch. Shit. Fuck. Fuck.Fucking curses of the gods of Olympus!"
My hands clung to the stair rails as I took slow snail-like steps down the stairs, sliding my foot on one step and easily lowering it down onto the next.
The corners of my eyes stung with tears, and I let them fall. I couldn't hold back any longer.
By the time I was at the bottom of the staircase, my nose was leaking with snot, white sweat trickled down my face from my hair, the bottom of my feet felt like I had walked through a pool of water and the clothes I wore felt like a second skin.
The lavender scent on my body was faint, but still there, nonetheless.
Hopefully, I'd reach home before it faded completely.
I let out a shaky breath as I took out my phone to order a ride. The phone shook in my hand and I had to use both hands to support the weight.
I hoped Xueya and her father had an idea what the hell was happening to me.
I let out a deep breath, heading to the kitchen for some water for my parched throat.
I tried to pull open the door to the fridge, but it didn't budge. My hands were both too sweaty and too weak. In the end, I resorted to tap water.
I picked a glass from one of the cupboards, filling it with some water from the kitchen sink.
After a few gulps, i heated the sizzling sound as the water burned my tongue.
What the fuck? I thought in horror
I spat out the rest of the water. Dropping the half full glass of water on the island. I was so confused.
The phone showed that my ride was ten minutes away. I sighed in gratitude as I took steady steps towards the front door.
I was too busy trying to stand straight to even notice to my surroundings, but from the few details I gathered, it seemed tk be some kind of luxurious apartment building.
Around me, the earth spun. The floor wobbled.
Every torture was heightened.
As I stumbled outside the building after an excruciating elevator ride, the sun blinded my eyes. I didn't know until now that it was possible to feel chilling cold and burning heat at the same time.
I received a lot of weird and concerned looks from strangers. On the elevator, at the reception, outside the building… And I didn't blame them. I'd also stare at a profusely sweating man, stumbling on his feet with eyes steaming with tears if I saw one.
When my ride finally arrived, I was a trembling mess, fully bent over because I couldn't stand up straight. The clothes felt like pins on my skin. Every breath I took burned my sides.
"Err…Are you okay?" The driver asked in concern, his wide wondered if it was safe to give me the ride.
From his face, he seemed like a nice middle aged man. A beta. Probably in his forties.
I nodded my head to let him know that I was fine then tried opening the door, but just like the case with the fridge, the handle just slipped off my hand.
"Open" I breathed out, the word barely audible "door". I pointed at the door for visual explanation. That was when he understood what I meant.
He quickly got out of his seat, coming to open the back door for me. He extended his hand, in at attempt to help me in my seat.
"Here, let's get you in there." The moment his hand touched my back, he quickly retracted it, frantically waving it, like he just got burned.
"Should I drive you to the hospital? You're burning up--"
"No! No hospital." I said, relaxing in the seat when I finally got in the car.
The hospital was the last place I wanted to go.
"Just take me to the destination I entered."
The driver gave me a long look through his rear view mirror as if deep in thought, but soon drove off without a word.
My skin burned
The sun, my eyes!
I shut my eyes from the blinding light
I need air!
I writhed in my seat. "Can you turn on the AC?!" I whispered.
I heard the sound of the windows going up, soon followed by the whir of the car's AC.
I swallowed and my throat felt parched.
So hot…
I began to unbutton my shirt. The ringing in my ears intensified. I couldn't hear anything over the noise.
I want this shirt off…
I peeled off the shirt from my skin, wincing from the pain each scrape of the fabric sent through my body.
It still didn't help. My body felt weak, like I was carrying a hundred tonne weight. My eyes flitted in and out of consciousness.
What's this? What—I couldn't take any more of it.
Darkness engulfed me until,
"Sir!" My eyes shot open and fell on the wide eyed driver at the side of my open door. I looked at the familiar area we were parked.
I crept out the car, stumbling on the smooth uneven tarmac. My shirt flew loosely around my body.
I was in front of an old apartment building, it's walls darkened by years of rain and neglect.
It was the place I called home. My sanctuary.
Children's voices echoed somewhere down the street and the air smelled a mixture of gasoline and cheap fast
This was my first time coming here at daytime. It was quite the scenery; the little convenient store at the front was open, not locked shut likt it usually was. I finally saw the pothole drivers liked to avoid.
"Are you sure you're okay, son?" The driver asked, snatching me from my reverie and I quickly nodded.
He didn't seem convinced though. He continued to look at me with worry, so I gestured toward my bag.
He frowned in confusion initially, but after turning my side with the bag to him, he finally understood. Carefully, he took off the black accessory, sending me another confused look.
"Brown envelope" I whispered, coughing hoarsely when my throat scratched.
He quickly fished out the envelope, and I saw his eyes widen when he saw its content. He gave me a look like he was wondering why I was going around with all that cash, lookg the way I was, But he said nothing.
He took out one of the crisp red notes, putting the envelope back into the bag and carefully slinging it around my arm.
"Wait, let me go get your change." He turned to move to his driver's side but I just waved him of.
"Are are your sure."
I sent him a raised thumb, and without a word, stumbled my way towards the old apartment building.
My fist pounded on the old, dented, green door. But it made no sound.
I heard no sound over the single stretched flatline beep in my ears. My body collapsed on the door.
Darkness.
Eyes open.
Two surprised familiar faces. One old A-Gen M-Alpha and one Z-gen F-Omega, same age as me. Alarmed eyes going over my bare chest. Hands immediately moving up to cover scrunched up noses. Harsh uncontrollable coughs in discomfort.
My breath scraped my chest.
"Oh shit! Wutao!"
"Wutao!"
Darkness.
Eyes open.
The beeping of machines in a familiar dark lab. The blue glow of numbers on screens in the dark room. The transparent plastic partitions. The frantic sound of panic.
I wanted to tear off my skin.
Darkness.
Eyes open.
Dark ceilings.
I was in a pool of larva.
"Pour in more ice! The water is boiling up!"
Darkness.
Eyes open.
I floated in agony.
"Dad, what's happening to him?!"
"He's in heat."
Impossible.
Darkness.