A severe headache was the first thing that greeted Cheng when he opened his tired eyes. His head throbbed, his limbs ached and for a few seconds, he didn't know where he was. Then the memory overtook him. The man with the hat. The bunker. The white smoke. Cheng immediately sat up, but the hasty movement caused his vision to blur briefly.
"Damn it, where on earth am I...?" the boy whispered, rubbing his head. Only now did he realize that he was on a sofa. The teenager looked around and realized he was no longer in the abandoned bunker but a spacious apartment. Bright sunshine shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows and a clock ticked quietly in the corner. Cheng recognized a person in an armchair.
The man with the hat.
"You've finally woken up. That's good," the man said in a tired voice. He took a quick look at his digital wristwatch. "You even woke up on time. From what I've seen," he added. Cheng narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to me and the others?" he wanted to know immediately. "Nothing. I just took you to safety. I don't have much time, I-" a heavy cough interrupted the man, his eyes bloodshot. "It would take too long to convince you all, that's why," the man stood up and straightened his coat, "I had to keep things quiet. Now we can talk." The stranger took a step towards the window and watched the clouds in the sky. "So you can... see the future?" the boy with blond hair asked and stood up.
"Yes, that's right, just like you. I expected that you wouldn't believe me, that's why I let you fall asleep through the gas. Here we can talk in peace. Now you know the source of your power, you have everything you need to save Lu," the man explained. Cheng stood behind the man, but he wasn't watching the clouds, he was watching the stranger's reflection. His eyes still glowed orange.
Not blue. Not like Cheng's.
"I still don't understand two things, though," Cheng interjected. "You say you've seen countless visions and variations of the future... you know what I seem to need to do to save Lu... but why aren't you helping us yourself? Why don't you save Lu?" the boy wanted to know. The stranger laughed dryly. "If only it were that simple. I wish I could save Lu in this..." the man fell silent. "I can't do it. Only you can, Cheng," the stranger emphasized, now turning to the blond. The gleam in his eyes frightened Cheng.
"Why not...? Why me? I didn't get to see my vision of his death in full," the boy replied in a panic. "Yes, you have, you've seen everything you need to. You just need to understand it. But I will help you with that. My knowledge is your future knowledge. You will know what you have to do," said the man and handed Cheng a notebook. It was thick and full of small sticky notes. "This is my diary. Read it through. Then you'll understand everything. What you did, why you did it - and above all, what you're still going to do," the man finished his explanation. Cheng took the diary, but he still didn't believe the stranger. His eyes didn't glow blue. They were orange. Why?
"Your eyes... they glow orange, and not blue... why? That's the second thing I don't understand," Cheng confessed. The man turned his hat upwards, now his face was clearly visible. "You already know the answer," said the stranger, voicing the suspicion that Cheng didn't want to admit. The man took off his hat, revealing his platinum blonde hair. Then the stranger took off his glasses. Now it was as if Cheng was looking in a mirror.
"I am you, Cheng. I'm from the future. I am the future Cheng," the man revealed and sighed. The Cheng from the present lost the ability to reply. It all made sense now... The man with the hat in the past... the visions, the requests to do certain things... The stranger had been the Cheng from the future from the beginning, who just wanted to save Lu in the past. "This is madness," Cheng whispered and had to sit down. "It's crazy, I agree. But you have a chance to save Lu," explained the future Cheng. "How do I do that?" he wanted to know. "I don't know. So far, I've failed every time... but... I've never tried to make direct contact with a Cheng from the past and Lu had never survived this long..." the future Cheng coughed violently. "I need to go back to my time, to my body. I've been using the power for far too long," the man from the future gasped and closed his eyes.
"You've inherited Lu's powers," Cheng understood. "Yes. And I will use them to change the past," replied Future Cheng."Now the fate..." the man from the future nodded slowly, 'is in your hands,' he explained. Then he turned around and in the next blink of an eye, he was gone. Only Cheng and the diary were left in the room.
"I will not give up. I won't fail..." Cheng's fingers tightened around the notebook. "I will save Lu," he whispered.
Cheng was startled by a sudden noise. He turned around slowly and watched as a panicked-looking Taji Zhen rushed into the room. Breathless, he looked at Cheng. "Where... where did the man with the hat go... where did my "friend" go...?" he wanted to know, panting. "You were still talking... I heard," he said. Cheng swallowed. What should he tell Taji? "He had to go. He couldn't stay any longer," the blond replied. "What...but...but..." Taji held on to the wall. "He promised me that he would help me to... save... my sister," Taji gasped, closing his eyes.
Cheng was overcome by a sad feeling.
He knew that his future self, Taji, would not help save his sister. Then the boy with the red eyes said what Cheng was thinking:"The man with the hat... he just used me... he just...", Taji's voice trailed off."Lied to me," Cheng finished the sentence and averted his eyes.
That wouldn't be the last lie Cheng would tell.He would have to lie again and again - he knew that.
YOU ARE READING
The Fate in your Eyes
Misteri / 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...
