18- The night visitor (4)

Raihle eyebrows twitched.

Does that mean he made contracts with others before him?

Putting that question in Raihle's mind made him satisfied; he moved away from him and turned his back.

"Ah, I forgot to suggest one more thing."

He turned his head and asked calmly, "Do you wish to know the person who killed your parents?"

Raihle flinched for an instant but remained the same.

That offer was for Raihle, not the person who is inside his body now.

Perhaps Raihle wanted so, but whatever he wanted, it doesn't matter now since he no longer here.

The silence gave the man his answer.

"Well then, I hope you have." he paused when he looked at the wall, as if he were seeing something beyond it. 

“It’s a shame.”

Raihle was about to breathe when he seemed to be leaving  but held his breath back in his chest.

"What?"

"That young sorcerer…"

Raihle got up swiftly, his eyes turned colder, and his voice became harsher.

"You don't have anything to do with that child anymore."

"Yes, you are right." He said, "that’s why it’s a shame. He turned out the best one from among the others."

"Others_"

He managed to disappear into the darkness the same way he emerged from it. 

Raihle voice faded with him.

'Others? He means other children had been turned to Sorcerers as well?'

His eyes were shaking slightly, and he clenched and unclenched his hand repeatedly.

"Hah." He let go of the heavy breath he had been holding from the beginning.

He sat back on the seat and held his head while covering his eyes.

"Is he the one?"

His voice echoed in the room.

"Is he the one you want me to deal with?"

He thought finding out the truth about the Bell Temple would give him some clarity. But the more he learned, the more he felt lost.

“Exactly what do you want me to do?”

Real Raihle no longer seemed like a stupid prince who just wanted to escape his reality.

He was involved in something bigger, and now it’s Hyun Wa's job to deal with it. 

He didn't try to sleep after the meeting he just had.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed.

How How many days passed now without getting any proper sleep? 

At first, he thought it was the new surroundings, but he will get over it in a short time but now he realizes that it wasn't the only reason. His mind was alert and busy all the time, leaving him no time to feel any ease, which  resulted in making his body tense all day. Laying down under the sun helps a little but he knew it wasn't a solution for his problem.

'It's tiring.'

He I didn't know for how long he can hang on like this.

He turned his head and his eyes stopped at the direction the skull man was looking and started to frown.

"That man, he wouldn't dare try to retrieve him, would he?"

Raven was a mere part of his failed plan; however, he mentioned he was the best one. It didn’t only indicate that Raven is special but it also meant there were others beside him.

‘Just how many?’

How How many children are being tortured to achieve that man’s twisted plans?

He hadn’t the slightest idea about his identity and motives, but for now he decided to ask Lain to go through other temples in case something similar happened.

He assumed that the sorcerer-turning process had some kind of relationship with temples, otherwise that skull head wouldn’t choose the Bell Temple other than safer places.

Since he gave up on sleeping; he decided to go and check on Raven.

It was a long time past midnight so he didn't expect him to be awake and didn't want to disturb him so he didn't knock and opened the door slowly.

He I walked in without making a noise and stopped by the bed.

Half the blanket was on the ground and the other part was on Raven's foot.

His His chest was raising and falling in unnatural way, his face was flushed and frowning.

"Ha..ah..ha.."

His heavy breathing was the only sound in the room.

Raihle said in a sigh, "That is what I was afraid of."

He expected something like this would happen, especially when he took him in a different environment all of sudden and some of his wounds were also fresh. He suspected he might get sick because of that.

He leaned over and lifted him to correct his position, Raven's head rested on his chest helplessly.

Raven's lashes shivered, he let out a heavy breath, and his eyes opened slightly.

His His eyes were moist and blurry while he looked at Raihle.

He got surprised, even though he thought it was just a hallucination.

'Why are you here?'

He wanted to ask, but his throat was sore and dry.

Raihle gently put his hand on his forehead and then started to caress his hair.

"Don't worry, it's just a fever." He patted his head with a soft tap.

His His voice was calming and relaxing; it made him close his eyes, even though he was still trying to speak.

Everything was dark but he kept hearing small sounds around him. 

He could sense Raihle covered him with the blanket, and then he heard him walk away.

'Yes go away; I don't need you.' He thought with his eyes closed.

It was so silly and childish to imagine Raihle taking care of him.

Is it because he was still embarrassed about the shower?

No wait, first of all, it was weird because the two of them are still strangers.

Raven is merely a homeless orphan who got in a situation where he was transformed into a Sorcerer.

On On the other hand, Raihle was the only prince of this country.

Raven himself knew how stupid they looked just by standing next to each other.

That's probably why he previously fell asleep while kicking the blanket every time he remembered how Raihle treated him like a baby.

And now, for some reason, he ended up imagining him coming to his room and covering him up.

He wanted the hallucination to be gone; however, strangely, his body burned hotter just by thinking of that.

His His chest ached, his harsh breathing hurt his throat, his nose was blocked and he couldn't breathe.

'It's fine.'

It's actually better than the pain he used to feel—much better.

'I'm used to this.'

He kept repeating to himself when something cold touched his forehead.

"Eh..!"

The surprising coldness made him wake up again to see Raihle's nonchalant expression.

'Why?!'

The small towel on his head helped relieve his raised heat a little, and he was able open his eyes and see clearly for for a moment.

He realized that he wasn't seeing a hallucination; it was really Raihle.

'Why is he here?'

Raihle let the towel on his head and used another one to softly wipe his face and neck.

It wasn't too cold, but Raven kept shivering whenever he touched him.

"You..." Raven was finally able to speak, "why are you doing this?"

Raihle stopped to soak the towel again "You are sick."

"Then call a doctor."

"Then you will send him flying again." 

Raven's brow twitched.

'Is Is the doctor the one you are worried about?'

Raihle wasn't finished, he squeezed the water of the towel and put it on his forehead.

"It's not good for you to push yourself too hard, especially when you are sick."

Raven flinched, not because of the cold touch of the towel. It was the gaze Raihle had while stroking his hair and wiping his face.

His eyes were the prettiest pair he had ever seen; he refused to admit it at first but seeing them closely made him confess.

They were a mixture of jade green and dark navy, both bright and dark, deep and shiny. 

But they were also emotionless.

Raven saw many adults from the moment he was born.

He was born in the street, and the street was full of all kinds of people.

When they looked at him, and he saw various of feelings and thoughts going inside their heads.

Some were angry and kicked him, some were disgusted and walked away, and there were also who showed him empathy and kindness once awhile, and after being taken by the temple, he was looked at like a worthless piece of meat for experiences.

But he had never seen someone like Raihle—someone without of any emotion.

No, perhaps there was one emotion.

He didn't understand why but looking at him put a heavy weight on his chest.

It was sadness; the only emotion he made out of his quiet gaze was sadness.