Bright, unpleasant wisps of light grazed the windows of the police car as dusk slowly broke on the horizon. The dark red cast a menacing glow on the tall skyscrapers, the endless streets and the rushing vehicles, while dark clouds moved across the sky. Lu's cloudy and, above all, tired eyes stared aimlessly outside and watched the asphalt of the highway.
Cheng was dead. Dead.
Lu still didn't want to believe it. He just couldn't. The boy closed his eyes for a moment and felt the inner urge to scream, but his body didn't obey. The only thing that moved was his shaking leg and his cramped fingers that wouldn't come away from his sleeves. It was all his fault. Because of him, his best friend had died. Because of him, everything went wrong...if only he hadn't looked for the truth...if only he hadn't jumped back to the time of Scarlet's death...
"Hey, are you okay? Or should I stop for a moment so you can get some fresh air?" the blond police officer wanted to know and looked briefly to the side. Lu slowly opened his eyes and sighed. "No, it's fine...thanks...", then he turned back to the window. There was only one option. He had to jump into the past to save Cheng! The easiest thing would be if Lu used something from Cheng, but in an emergency he would have to put himself in the shoes of any person. The police officer looked at the boy with dark hair skeptically.
"I just realized that I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Officer Xiao Lee's assistant, I'd even say right-hand man. Please call me Hung, okay?" the police officer smiled. Lu just nodded silently, but he seemed to remember Hung. If he wasn't mistaken, he had seen Hung with Xiao Lee at the crime scenes several times, and also at the case of the kidnapped child and Shenja's kidnapping. "I'm Lu...but you probably already know that..." the boy replied bitterly. "You probably think I'm a murderer...or a madman," Lu sighed again. Hung grinned. "What? No, quite the opposite, I believe you. If Xiao Lee trusts you, then I trust you too," said the policeman, running his hand through his spiky blond hair. Lu honestly hadn't expected such a reaction, which is why he just remained silent. Suddenly there was a ringing sound, a cell phone answered. Hung glanced down briefly. "Hey, would you be so kind as to take the call for me? Just put the call on speaker," Hung continued to concentrate on the road. Lu nodded wearily and took the call.
"Well, darling, what's the situation, when are you coming
home?" a young, female voice said. "Hey darling, I have to be honest, I don't know. It could get very late today...if you're already tired, go to bed without me. I'll bring something for breakfast then," suggested Hung. "Hm...okay, but only if you bring your daughter something again...otherwise she'll be offended again," giggled his wife. "I heard that, Mom," a little girl's voice chimed in. "Hellooooo, Dad! Will you bring me my favorite milk rolls? They taste sooooo delicious when they're warm!" said the daughter in a delighted voice. "Of course I will! Then I wish you a good night. I still have to work on the current case here," Hung ended the conversation. "Be careful, OK?" said his wife. "I will, love you," then they both hung up.
"I didn't know you had a daughter," Lu looked at the driver in surprise. Hung smiled. "Well, just because I'm a police officer doesn't mean I can't have a family... yes, my dear little daughter... she'll be five soon, hard to believe, isn't it?" He looked at Lu, who was looking at the photo on the lock screen. "Oh, the photo is from a year ago, we were at the cinema, it was quite funny," he remarked. Lu froze at the time. A year ago? That would be more than enough time... if he could use Hung's memories... Lu bit his lips until they bled. What if, as Hung, he could change everything in the past and make it right? Lu could... save Cheng. Lu's fingers clenched around the display. "How long do we need?" he wanted to know as casually as possible. "We need about ten more minutes, why?" Hung turned off the main road. "Oh..." Lu murmured. Would he have enough time? He looked at the cell phone again. He could just use his powers now and...
If you change the past, you also change the present. Remember one thing Lu: Let the past be the past.
Lu winced at the thought. Cheng would not approve of his plan. The past should not be changed. He would...he would only make everything much worse...or would he? What would Cheng do in his place? "He would probably call me an idiot and emphasize how dangerous it would be to change the timeline...", Lu muttered and closed his eyes. Then he put the cell phone away and shook his head almost imperceptibly. No, he could not change the past. There had to be another way to save Cheng.
"We're here," Hung announced and parked his car in front of a building complex. "Where...where are we?" Lu looked around in confusion. It looked more like a hospital than an autopsy room. A small, green park in the hospital courtyard gave the area a little freshness, while only a few people were out and about at this late hour. Lu and Hung got out of the police car and looked around. The boy with dark hair noticed some elderly people and a few nurses. A girl with blonde hair and a pink streak was sitting by the park tree, and someone was pushing a person in a wheelchair. "Come on, we have to go left here," Hung told the boy. Together they walked through the complex and entered a narrower building. At the entrance, Hung showed his ID to the caretaker. Then the two got into the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. "Before we go to Cheng...here," the police officer handed Lu a paper bag. "What is this?" Lu looked at the bag curiously. "I got you some other clothes...because you shouldn't walk around in
bloody clothes," Hung remarked. Lu only now noticed that Cheng's blood was still on him. The thought of seeing his best friend dead on a bed broke his heart again. His throat burned and he felt himself getting sick. "Thank you," Lu replied sheepishly and changed in a toilet.
There he stared into the mirror for a moment and splashed cold water on his face. Then he looked at the clothes that Hung had picked out for him - they were way too big. They were probably Hung's clothes, because Lu didn't have such broad shoulders. So the boy slipped into the black shirt and brown cargo pants and tucked the shirt into his pants. "I look like I'm wearing pajamas, whatever," grumbled Lu and left the toilet. Hung waited patiently outside and grinned as the boy came out in his clothes. "It suits you well," he said. "Yes, only three sizes too big," agreed Lu. But then he suddenly fell silent when they stopped in front of a hospital room. So Cheng was lying in here. Lu had to swallow several times, tears gathering in his eyes. "Ready...?" asked the policeman cautiously. Lu just remained silent. Then Hung opened the door and went in. Inside, Lu also saw Luana and Officer Xiao Lee at the window, who turned to look at the two of them. But the centerpiece of the room was a pale Cheng in a bed, his eyes closed, the blanket pulled up to his chin.
"Cheng...", Lu sobbed. He fell to his knees next to the hospital bed and grabbed Cheng's hand. "I'm so sorry... I...", Lu gasped. He couldn't bear the sight of seeing his best friend dead. He couldn't... he didn't want to...
But then, in the next second, something happened that turned Lu's world upside down. Frightened, he fell to the floor and gasped. Overwhelmed, delighted, desperate, he looked up at the bed. He couldn't believe it.
Cheng had opened his eyes.
YOU ARE READING
The Fate in your Eyes
Mystère / Thriller"You will die in exactly three days. I saw it in my vision. And I intend to prevent your death. I will change the future" *A paranormal thriller* Cheng, a quiet, grim guy who never talks, is being pulled through the streets by his best friend Lu, wh...
