Their New Future | BOOK 2 OF THE ANOMALY SAGA

CHAPTER 33

[A couple days later. Time: 23:56. Location: Group Dorms.]

Minhyuk yawned as he shuffled around the kitchen, grabbing himself a cold glass of water. He had slept most of the day, being their day off.

'I wonder if anyone else is a awake...' He let out a groan as he scratched his newly dyed blue-green hair, the side of his head itchy as it had recently been shaved.

Pondering around the dorm, he peaked into the room he shared with the two oldest, noticing a dull warm light near the window.

Not much to his surprise, Ryū was awake, Taehee nowhere to be seen. Most of them were out, though he had no idea where.

"Oh... hey, Minhyuk." They quietly whispered, sensing his gaze on them. He looked surprised for a moment, before walking in and sitting next to them, wrapping his robe over his fuzzy pyjamas, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" He looked into their eyes, avoiding prying. Their eyes fluttered before they processed his gaze, looking down at their hands as if giving him permission to look.

"Just... just looking at photos of my son." A small smile teased their lips, their thumb tracing over Tetsurou's messy hair, down to his chubby cheeks.

Minhyuk watched them for a few seconds, taking in the emotions they felt. Fondness, pride but also guilt. His focus went to the photos in their hands.

"He's so adorable. He looks just like you." He chuckled under his breath.

They both stayed in the comfortable silence for a couple moments until Ryū placed the photos on their nightstand, a cold, shaky breath leaving their nose as they stood by the window, looking at the bright lights of the city.

"Listen, Minhyuk-ah... I need to tell you something, but you need to keep it between us."

Ryūjin pleaded with their tired eyes, begging for him to listen to their heavy sorrows, but also help them carry that very burden they couldn't hold any longer.

"Please." Their voice trembled as they lowered their head in weakness.

Minhyuk stood up, concerned. He'd never seen them like this, to him, they didn't seem like the kind of person to tell anybody anything.

"Of course, what is it? You're scaring me." He approached them, stopping once they crossed their arms and rubbed them for comfort.

"I... I don't want anything to come between us."

"Alright." He nodded.

They took a couple breaths, pushing their hair out of their face and instinctively holding their shoulder where it was cut off.

"..."

"I'm a Daemon God. That's probably why if you tried reading my energy, you couldn't place anything." It was difficult for them to say, they hadn't told anyone, at all. And yet, it felt like a small weight on their shoulders was alleviating.

"...Huh?"

He almost laughed, but held back once he saw their serious expression.

"It sounds like I'm making it up, but I-"

"No, no. Wait, are you serious?" They remained quiet, "Ryūjin, this isn't a prank right? Is everything okay?"

They sat back down on their bed, rubbing their shoulder as their eyes closed to recall their memories, an intense emotional pain radiating in their chest as they talked about their past.

"This is my second chance in life. I died a few years ago, after I got Tetsu."

"I was practically living four lives at once, all to protect myself and avoid this group that experimented on me. They... and that monster of a birth giver made me this way." A small amount of distortion came through in their voice as they talked about Aiko, bearing their teeth at even the thought of her, fading as quickly as it appeared.

Minhyuk let them vent, returning to their side, debating something in his own head.

"Hyung... can I?" He held his palms out, inviting Ryū, who only stared at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?" They seemed hesitant, sceptical.

"My power lets me read and feel memories and I have increased physical attributes. Only if you're okay with me doing that... I just thought it may be easier than you explaining everything. I won't go through everything, just what you'll let me."

"..." They nodded in understanding, going through outcomes in their head before their hands trembled over his, scared to even brush by them.

"...I don't want to traumatise you." The words barely left their mouth before he shut them down, lowering his head to look at them with a reassuring smile that made his eyes squeeze shut.

"I'll be okay, you won't feel a thing. Push me out if you feel unsafe. They're just memories."

Letting themself be such an open book was against one of the rules that they made when they were a child, to never let anyone fully come in.

But maybe Minhyuk could be the key for that misunderstood, hidden book.

He tenderly intertwined his hands with theirs, closing his eyes as his breaths synced with theirs, movements mirroring as he let Ryū take him to the complete beginning, carefully watching as to not scare the inner child that they had buried behind a steel wall.

He saw their pain, their torment, their 'curse'. But he also saw their achievements, their strength and their determination to fight for their right to live.

He saw every single part of Kurokawa Ryūjin, he saw the world.

"...Minhyuk?" He opened his eyes, looking up to see Ryūjin, bright yet tired white eyes looking at him. He let go of one of their hands, wiping the trail of tears going down his face, as was theirs.

"It's been a really difficult life for you, hasn't it?" His voice trembled as he pressed both their hands together, a proud smile on his face.

They pressed their lips, eyebrows creased as they tried to understand why he wasn't screaming at them for being an inhumane animal.

"I-I..." Ryū's eyes diverged from his, looking at the ceiling as they shook their head.

"Don't you dare, Eclipse." He let out a teasing laugh in hopes to make them smile, which it did.

"I didn't want you to see that side of me..." They whispered, tears falling without even a second thought.

"It's okay. You did what you had to do-" Minhyuk put his hand on their shoulder, frowning, "-don't blame yourself."

Their lip tremored as their eyes squeezed shut, desperately trying to hold their emotions back, until a warm feeling surrounded them.

"It's okay, let it out. You're safe." Minhyuk had enveloped them in a hug, placing his hands under their arms and on their back. Their body relaxed of its own accord and leaned their whole body weight into him, quiet sobs turning into hyperventilating wails of pain and decades of trauma being released.

"I know, I know... shh, let it out. You're okay. You'll be okay." He gently swayed from side to side, pressing his own head into the side of theirs as he could only run their back in circles.

"I uh... I haven't been hugged in years, haha-" Their tears had calmed down, letting them pull themselves away as their face was red a puffy, eyes barely staying open after the heavy crying.

"Are you okay?" That question alone almost made them break into tears again, shaking their head as a no.

"No, I... yeah. I, uh... I feel a little lighter."

Minhyuk kept his hand on their thigh, his eyes never leaving them.

"Do you wanna get something to eat?"

They huffed out a little laugh.

"I... I'd really love that."

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