Intertwined: Two fates | Book:-1 | Jikook | ✔

78 - Who are you?

Seoul Hospital Center~

Inside the Pheromones Department's isolation room, Ruan sprawled motionlessly on the bed, his vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling.

It had been more than forty hours since he first showed signs of manifestation and his gland was fully developed by now. He could feel a tender lump forming on the back of his neck where his gland was supposed to be, still throbbing and too raw to be touched.

The thick and smoky pheromones belonging to an Alpha occupied every corner of the room. And everything would have been fine if his body did not feel utterly drained of strength right now.

Doctor Nam had dropped by earlier to examine his unusual state. Going by the usual routine, a newly manifested person should not have been sapped of strength or attacked by episodes of vertigo and nausea like Ruan. Instead, they would be filled with energy and their inner perception would open up, their senses sharpened like a dull knife tempered under high pressure.

Ruan had heard it from a few classmates before. Quoting them, it would feel like they were 'born anew'.

But Ruan did not feel anything like that, not even a fraction of similarity. And all of this could be attributed to one cruel fact—the traces of AX-03 and other drugs in his body.

Confined in this room where he was left alone to deal with the suffocating thoughts that seemed to tear him apart from within, Ruan had had a lot of time to think. He had endured past the period of depression and self-misery, and now he had been numb. Utterly, completely numb.

He could not even feel sad anymore at the possibility of what might happen to him from hereon. Perhaps he might be sent to a rehabilitation center, perhaps he might be tried and sent to jail for the crime of killing his father... but none of them mattered to him anymore. Either way, his future was already ruined, so why should he continue to care?

He only felt guilty for dragging Teacher Jeon into his own mess...

Whenever he thought of the warm and gentle teacher, the back of his eyes stung and he had a strong urge to cry. Teacher Jeon had been nothing but kind and supportive to him, but in the end, he had to let him down. He had betrayed his teacher's hope and expectation on him.

Ruan-ah, what a disappointment you are...

He rolled on his side and buried his face into the pillow, muffling the whimper that escaped through his throat. Just like a wild abandoned cub, he could only grit his teeth, endure the pain and lick his wounds silently. He cherished this short moment of silence and desolation. Because from now on, he could only rely on himself. From now on... he had to stand up on his own feet and face the cruel world all by himself.

Alas... he was feeling so, so tired. Rage and grief clawed on him and threatened to break him apart. And sometimes, the thought of giving up slipped into his mind and took root there, growing into a tall crooked tree.

It was so tempting. The mere notion of giving up and leaving all of this burden behind was so tempting.

But was he really such a coward? Would he really be willing to give up without putting up a fight?

He closed his eyes and intended to use the ever growing exhaustion to rest his body and mind. However, before he could fall asleep, he suddenly sensed the bed lamp on the nightstand going off with a crisp snap.

He opened his eyes amidst the pitch-black darkness, his pupils dilating rapidly to adjust with the lack of light. He propped himself up on the elbow and perked up his ears. His senses, which had grown sharper due to the manifestation, picked up a faint commotion outside.