The Last Esper [BL]
Chapter 46: Arrow

Chapter 46: Arrow

The tent was set up among the trees. The rain pounded steadily against the roof, marking a steady rhythm. The wind whistled through the branches, making the treetops rustle. It was cold and damp, but at least they had shelter.

Thanks to the food they’d managed to warm over the small fire Caelan had lit, Jae fell asleep quickly, curled up under a blanket with his eyes closed and his face serene. He was breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling slowly.

Rong Ye, on the other hand, did not sleep.

He lay awake, his back against one of the tent’s inner walls, the blanket pulled up to his chin, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, following the shadows the storm cast. He had always been a light sleeper, but that night, neither fatigue nor shelter were enough to quell the restlessness that kept him awake.

Caelan moved gently, sitting nearby but keeping a respectful distance. He watched him for a moment in silence before speaking.

"Aren’t you going to sleep?"

Rong Ye didn’t reply. He just looked away.

"I don’t mean to upset you," Caelan added. "I just wanted to... apologize."

Rong Ye tightened his lips, not looking at him.

"I know I was a jerk to you," Caelan continued. "I judged you without knowing. I pushed you too far, and I know you didn’t deserve it. I don’t always know when to stop... but this time, it was too much."

Rong Ye closed his eyes for a moment, hoping not to hear, hoping not to feel anything. But something in Caelan’s tone, in his low, sincere voice, kept him grounded.

"I just want to know," Caelan said carefully, "why you hid from us the fact that you were a Guide."

Rong Ye hesitated. His first thought was to feign indifference, but when he looked to the side and saw Jae asleep, so peacefully between them, he knew he couldn’t continue carrying everything alone. Maybe... just maybe, he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

He sighed.

"I wasn’t born like this," Rong Ye murmured, not looking at him. "I wasn’t born a Guide."

Caelan frowned.

"My half-siblings..." Rong Ye continued. "They... modified my body. Reprogrammed it, I guess. Turned me into this. To the point where I don’t know what part of me really belongs to me anymore."

Caelan swallowed.

Rong Ye shifted his gaze towards the entrance of the tent, where the glow of some distant lightning filtered through.

"No one else knows," he added, even more quietly. "If they found out... my mother would be in danger. And so would I."

Caelan watched him silently for several seconds. Then he moved a little closer, without invading his space.

"I’m sorry," he said. "I had no idea..."

"No one does," Rong Ye cut in.

"We’re going to get your mother safe," Caelan said. "I promise. You too."

Rong Ye lowered his gaze, not responding. He wanted to tell him it was too late, that Blackwood already had his mother, that nothing they did would change that. But he didn’t.

Because even if it wasn’t possible, a part of Rong Ye needed to believe that he could still rescue his mother.

They remained silent. Outside, the rain continued to fall heavily, and the wind crackled the branches.

After a while, Rong Ye turned his head towards Caelan.

"Are you really interested in me?" he asked suspiciously. "Or is this just another one of your sick jokes?"

Rong Ye had seen Caelan flirt with anything that breathed, regardless of whether it was male or female. He always had a ready smile, a cheeky comment, a date with someone different every week. Nothing much seemed to matter to him other than the moment.

That’s why he couldn’t trust what he said he felt for him.

Because if for Caelan it was just another game, one more distraction among many, then he preferred to be left alone rather than be fooled.

Caelan smirked, amused.

"Why? Do you want to know so you can reciprocate?"

Rong Ye frowned, annoyed.

"If you’re not going to say anything serious, you’d better shut up."

Caelan let out a low, soft laugh, barely audible over the storm.

"It’s not a joke, Rong Ye. I really like you." He paused. "Although, to be honest... I haven’t done a damned thing to win you over, have I?"

"No," Rong Ye growled irritably. "You didn’t."

"Then get ready," Caelan said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "because I’m going to start doing it."

Rong Ye looked at him in disbelief.

"I don’t understand why you like me. It doesn’t make sense."

At the Research Center, many people said Rong Ye was there just because he had a pretty face. They mocked his way of speaking, his way of carrying himself, his ambiguous appearance. Some had even gone further, crossing boundaries they should never have crossed.

No matter how hard Rong Ye tried, how much he knew, or how much he did, to many, he was nothing more than that: an androgynous figure, easy to look at, easy to ignore. An ornament that didn’t deserve respect.

Rong Ye glanced at Caelan, holding his breath. He expected the same thing as always. For Caelan to confirm what everyone else was seeing. For him to say he liked his face and body. For him to be like everyone else.

"Years ago," Caelan said quietly, "I saw you without that cold mask you wear. Only for a second, but it was enough. I saw the real Rong Ye... and I couldn’t help liking him."

Rong Ye’s heart began to pound, betraying the control he was trying to maintain. He felt heat rise to his face, a part of him shudder at the thought of being seen.

But the fear was still there. As deep-rooted as ever. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Not now. Not with someone like Caelan.

So he pretended to be indifferent, as if those words hadn’t moved him at all, even though in reality he was clinging to them to keep from collapsing.

"What are you talking about?"

Caelan didn’t respond right away. Instead, he smiled, rolled onto his side, and settled on the floor with the blanket over his shoulders. Then he patted the empty space next to him.

"Come. Lie down here."

Rong Ye looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I’m fine where I am."

"It’s so cold," Caelan replied. "If we don’t sleep together, we’ll freeze."

Rong Ye snorted in exasperation, but his body was already aching from exhaustion, and the damp floor wasn’t helping. Reluctantly, he slid into the space next to Caelan and lay down, facing away from him. They weren’t touching, but the closeness was warm. And even if he didn’t say it out loud, he felt strangely safe that way.

They said nothing more. Little by little, their bodies gave way to fatigue, and sleep enveloped them without them realizing it.

***

By morning, the sky was still gray, but the storm had passed. Caelan took charge of packing up the tent, carefully folding the tarp. Meanwhile, Jae and Rong Ye walked to the river with their empty bottles, fetching water.

Jae walked ahead, talking about how, if they ever made it out of this alive, he was going to buy himself the biggest, most comfortable bed in the world. He said he’d sleep for a whole week, without anyone waking him, not even to eat. Rong Ye didn’t respond, but he listened.

Then, Jae took a step, and suddenly, the ground beneath him creaked.

"Jae!" Rong Ye shouted, reaching out his hand.

Too late.

A trap sprang, and a net woven from thick rope closed around him, lifting him suddenly into the air. Jae screamed, dangling by his legs between the trees, spinning slowly with the momentum.

"What the hell?! Rong Ye?! Help!"

Rong Ye ran up to him.

"Don’t move! I’m going to put you down!"

From afar, Caelan looked up, listening to the commotion.

"What the hell did you guys do now!?"

Jae sighed, hanging upside down as the leaves got into his clothes.

"It’s not my fault! I stepped on something weird and this happened!"

Rong Ye was crouching down, quickly scanning the roots and ropes hidden in the undergrowth, looking for the mechanism holding the trap. His brows were furrowed, and his movements were jerky.

Caelan appeared between the trees, his expression curious, almost amused.

"Well, at least that’s a good sign," he commented, crossing his arms as he looked at Jae hanging.

"A GOOD SIGN?!" Jae squealed, spinning in the air like a pendulum. "I’m hanging from a tree like a damn Christmas ornament!"

Caelan smiled.

"If there are traps, it means we’re close to the witch’s lair."

Rong Ye raised his head, looking at him in annoyance. Jae looked at him too, his cheeks flushed with indignation.

"Just what we wanted," Rong Ye muttered. "To walk straight into the territory of a woman known for being dangerously unhinged."

"Exciting, isn’t it?" Caelan raised his eyebrows, as if it really was.

Rong Ye snorted and turned his attention back to the mechanism. A few seconds later, he managed to locate the main knot and untied it with a single stroke.

"I found it!" he shouted.

The net gave way, and Jae dropped.

"Aaaah, no, no, no!"

But before he hit the ground, Caelan moved swiftly and caught him in midair, holding him tightly by the waist. The impact was soft, and although Jae froze for a few seconds, at least he didn’t end up with his face buried in the mud.

"You’re lighter than you look," Caelan joked as he set him down.

"Ugh! Get these leaves off me!" Jae growled, shaking his hair and clothes as he huffed indignantly.

But as soon as he managed to get up, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

¡Zzzzz!

An arrow whizzed past his ear, grazing it just enough to draw blood. The arrow embedded itself firmly in the trunk of a tree behind him.

Jae froze, his hand still raised to pull a branch out of his hair. Only when he felt the damp warmth of blood trickling down his ear did he react.

"What was that?"

Rong Ye had already turned towards the forest, his eyes narrowed.

Caelan grabbed both of them and pulled them behind a tree.

"That," he said, "was a warning. And I doubt we’ll get another."