Heaven's Shadow

Chapter 18 | Train to Forget

Remigius invaded Yun's thoughts every waking second. He couldn't focus on anything, school being a major one—not that he ever spent much time studying—but painting being the more concerning one. 

Holding a paintbrush filled him with images of Remigius's face so he tossed it aside. 

Even in the seconds he spent asleep, Remigius floated through his dreams. They didn't do much. Only sat and talked to each other from their windows. Yun would smirk down from his room on 554 Nightwood Street, leaning against the windowsill as Remigius explained a new book he had read. Everett Atwaters would then bang his fist against his door and drag him by his throat. A howling gust of wind would slam the window shut right before Yun could see the first punch.

Yun jerked awake each time, heart pounding and in a cold sweat. He would then crawl under Remigius's bedsheets, pretending the other lay next to him.

Yun never spent much time alone, but the nights in his dorm grew longer every passing day. Maven busied herself studying, seeming just as anxious, and the Estelle twins were just as bookish. He could tell that Maven noticed his jittery behaviour and stopped by to spend time with him, though Yun could see right through her too. The Estelle twins hung out with him as well, clearly with questions but too kind to press them. Yet, it wasn't exactly the same with one member missing. 

He would see Remigius in the halls sometimes, walking with Eugene or Malachi, sometimes the both of them, sometimes just one. He no longer wore his mask, face devoid of bruises. Unlike the last day Yun saw him, he appeared normal. Same brisk walk, concentrated gaze, and prim appearance.

Yun kept his promise and gave him his space, not letting the other spot him in case it would make him uncomfortable, but still—

Did Remigius not think of him? 

He scolded himself for thinking that. Remigius had more things to worry about than Yun, yet it still hurt to see him and feel like it was only him missing the other. 

His mind always did the same cycle. What happened to Remigius? Why was he with Eugene? Why was he acting that way? Why was his face bruised up? Did his father do that to him? His father definitely did. He was going to kill Everett Atwaters. Remigius wouldn't like that.

No one knew about their confrontation. Not even Maven. Maven would write to their dad about Remigius if she knew about the bruises. Remigius would never talk to them again if his dad knew. He would shut himself away from the world.

The one thing that kept his mind busy was sparring. And he did a lot of it. He spent hours after classes to just fight. It was funny how different people treated him. His peers seemed to love the opportunity to duel the great almighty Chosen, so it worked out. Yun got some steam out of his system and his classmates squealed with delight from rather winning or getting their ass kicked. 

It worked out a bit too well to the point where Combat and Defence professor, Ms. Felicity, sought him out to join her joint program with Mr. Ochet on fighting demons. Yun denied the invitation, realizing later that he had no choice since Pastor Dolion and Angelo pressed him for some progress. What progress exactly? Yun didn't know either.

He successfully dragged Maven and the Estelle twins into the program. He expected more resilience, but Maven and Sonya wanted to learn to defend themselves from the new threat arising. Aston, on the other hand, simply liked to fight too and now that his arm was healed, he was ready to jump right back into it.  

By the middle of January, they were the top dogs in the program. A mixture of lessons about demons and practicing combat fuelled Yun's desire for revenge. Revenge for the damn demons that almost killed his dad.