Together 2

66. Regression

A physician was sitting next to Xiao Zhan, who was on the bed, holding onto his final breaths. "Zhan, my son... will he survive?" Xiao Jianmin asked in worry. The entire room was filled with strong pheromones of alphas, suffocating one another, but everyone held on.

Xiao Zhan kept breathing heavily as sweat kept dripping off his forehead. Wang Yibo, Shu Hao and Cao Yuchen were all present in the room, waiting anxiously for Xiao Zhan to wake up. "At this rate... it's highly unlikely that he will pull through." The physician said. "It's such a shallow cut! So how can there be no hope?!" Cao Yuchen shouted. "My apologies Your Highness, but it's a highly concentrated poison." The physician said, turning everyone's face pale with horror. "It's a miracle he's still hanging on."

Wang Yibo was horrified when he heard that while the physician continued. "And seeing that piercing green doesn't have a known antidote yet, at this point-" However, before the physician could continue, Xiao Jianmin grabbed the physician's collar. "Are you really the best physician in the empire?! Do whatever it takes to save him!" "Sir Duke, please calm down." Shu Hao said softly as he placed his hand on Xiao Jianmin's shoulder.

"How can you tell me to calm down?!" Xiao Jianmin shouted as he sniffled. "My poor son escaped death a mere year ago! So why must he...?!" Unable to bear it anymore, Xiao Jianmin fell to his knees next to Xiao Zhan's bed and held his hand. "Zhan...." Shu Hao looked away, unable to say anything as he felt his throat ache with suppressed sobs. 'This is my fault.' Shu Hao thought. 'I got Zhan involved in something dangerous.'

"Zhan..." Wang Yibo said softly as he knelt on Xiao Zhan's other side and held his hand and lifted it. "I'm sorry. I came too late. I'll do anything... whatever it takes... if it means you'll survive. So please..." Wang Yibo begged as he leaned forward and touched Xiao Zhan's forehead. "Open your eyes." "Get away from my son!" Xiao Jianmin shouted as he pushed Wang Yibo away from Xiao Zhan, making him fall backward.

"Third prince, Duke Wang, if anything happens to Zhan... I will stake everything I have to place the blame on your shoulders." Xiao Jianmin said making Shu Hao and Wang Yibo look down, the young duke feeling miserable. "What is this ruckus?" Shen Xiao Hai said as he entered the room. "Father..." Cao Yuchen trailed off, unable to speak.

Shen Xiao Hai sighed before turning to the physician. "How is the omega's state?" "My apologies your majesty..." The physician replied, making Shen Xiao Hai turn towards his sons and Wang Yibo. "A-Chen, Hao and Wang... did all three of you know that the young omega forged his identity to join the knighthood?" The three alphas looked down, unable to respond to the question, making the king sigh. "We will speak more of this later."

"Jianmin..." Shen Xiao Hai walked up to his old friend and placed his hand on Xiao Jianmin's shoulder. "Xiao Hai... this is all my fault..." Xiao Jianmin said as his voice cracked. "I gave him my blessings. Zhan wanted to be a knight... and I allowed it..."

Suddenly, Xiao Zhan coughed, a trail of blood spilling out of the corner of his mouth, making Xiao Jianmin and the physician rush to him. "Zhan?!" Xiao Jianmin exclaimed. "Just now-" The physician quickly held Xiao Zhan's wrist to feel his pulse and sighed before turning to Xiao Jianmin. "My apologies... but the omega has... just passed away."

"THAT CAN'T BE! ZHAN! MY CHILD! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Xiao Jianmin shouted. "ZHAN... PLEASE!!! Your father is calling you. You have to answer!" Tears spilled out of Shu Hao's eyes as he stared at Xiao Zhan's dead body, while Cao Yuchen looked away and covered his mouth, trying to suppress his sobs. Wang Yibo fell down to his knees and shouted out loud, tears streaming out of his eyes like a never-ending waterfall.

***

In the underworld, two people were staring at a scene through a mirror. "So here I am again... before I turned twenty-five." Xiao Zhan said softly. "I just... wanted to grow old with the people I love..." Hua Cheng looked at Xiao Zhan. 'He's always annoyingly cheerful. But this time, he's different.'

Xiao Zhan angrily turned to Hua Cheng before he shouted. "What have I done so bad?! I was reborn four times and even possessed someone, so why can't I even have that one thing?! My father already suffered the pain of loosing a child. And now what?! He's supposed to go through the same?!" Xiao Zhan shouted as he pointed at Xiao Jianmin through the mirror, who was holding his dead body.

"Urgh... Yibo..." Xiao Zhan cried as he saw Wang Yibo crying nonstop, each tear piercing his heart. "I miss you so so much!" Xiao Zhan fell down to his knees and held his chest, the pain of parting with Wang Yibo destroying him. "Just why can't I be with you, either as Wei Wuxian or as Xiao Zhan?!"

"That's enough. It's not over yet." Hua Cheng said making Xiao Zhan burst. "So what?! Even if I'm born again or possess someone else, I'll never live to see 'this' life again... I'd rather turn to dust!" "There is a way to return to your current life." Hua Cheng said as he knelt down next to Xiao Zhan and wiped away his tears.

Hua Cheng then pulled out the locket he gave to Xiao Zhan, revealing one last jewel, the golden one. "This is the last jewel from the necklace that I gave you." Hua Cheng said, making Xiao Zhan stare at it as he felt hope blooming in his heart again. "It will save your life. It's power is... the ability to turn back time, just once."

"Turn back... time..." Xiao Zhan said as he looked at the last golden jewel that was shining in his locket. "Yes. This is what humans call 'regression'." Hua Cheng said. "It will allow you to return to a point in the past, but only once." "T-then..." Xiao Zhan stared at the jewel. "I discovered the reason why you are unable to reach your twenty fifth birthday." Hua Cheng said. "Although the law forbids me to tell you the reason, I swear on my name... the same will NOT happen again. So I ask you, will you use this last jewel?" "Of course!" Xiao Zhan beamed as he drank the liquid in the golden jewel.

"Thank you, Chengzhu." Xiao Zhan said as he hugged Hua Cheng in happiness before disappearing. "I would like it if you were an old man the next time we meet."

Xiao Zhan calmed himself down and closed his eyes as he thought of the moment he wanted to return to. 'The time I want to return to is...'

***

Xiao Zhan opened his eyes and found himself in the final match again.