Xiao Yan knows the consequences that follow after his decision, but he knows even better, that he could never forget Lily’s gaze for the rest of his life until guilt devours him whole.
He remembers his father once told him. We can be afraid of death because no matter how much we fear for it, it will fall upon us someday. However, we mustn’t have the seedling of guilt buried within our heart, as it will outgrow our forbearance one day and overshadows the rest of our lives. Something that is more unbearable than death.
It may be a foolish choice to make, but Xiao Yan did not turn back to Heine.
He ran towards where Lily sat, curled up by the wall, trembling, while a zombie came rushing to her.
Xiao Yan went forward and tugged her off the ground, “Get up!” he shouted at her in vexation.
The latter gaped at him in disbelief, she never thought he would be back for her.
Xiao Yan would rather run until his last breath than to go through the dread of waiting for death to come.
Countless zombies pounced on them. They stumbled to the ground when some of the zombies grabbed got hold of them.
They held their breath, and closed their eyes in desperation, waiting for their most painful moment to come.
Yet, what greeted them was not the expected pain, but a cold tingling blow by his ear. Instinctively, Xiao Yan lifted his head and saw the tip of a blade.
“Stand up. I won’t stop again if you failed to keep up this time.” the man’s voice was filled with suppressed anger.
Xiao Yan stared at the man in surprise. He never thought Heine Burton would turn back for them, an action that is no different than compromise. And a strong feeling of resentment was conveyed through his gaze without concealment.
Lily went frigid in fear when her eyes met Heine’s.
Whereas Xiao Yan saw something different in the ice-blue gaze, his unwavering resolution. This man would never give up until his very last breath.
“How could I give up so early,” Xiao Yan thought in a pique of himself.
They began running once again. And when they came across a cracked pa.s.sage with another swarm of zombies tailing behind, Heine stood behind Xiao Yan and urged them to move on as he takes the back.
Xiao Yan looked back and stared at Heine, who stood there with great determination, unwavering and strong. He knows, no matter what happens, this man will survive.
Xiao Yan went on, pulling Lily with him.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them started to incline slowly. Xiao Yan frowned, he has a bad feeling about this.
Every flooring in their base pa.s.sageways are joined with a T-shaped node, and he suspects that this node has been destroyed by the missile earlier……
Just as he realised the problem, the whole pa.s.sage fell apart. Xiao Yan and Lily slammed onto the ground and slid down with the sudden inclination.
It all happened too fast for them to react and just before they slide off the end, Xiao Yan hooked onto the metal surface that stuck up from the floor, the sharp metal pierced through his fingers.
Lily, however, slid off the surface but she caught hold of Xiao Yan’s leg before she falls.
Beneath them was the second level of the base, swarmed with zombies, with their hands waving in the air and leaping up and down in hope to grab hold of them.
Xiao Yan was flushed red from the pain, his fingers went pale white as blood trailed across his arm, dyeing his shoulder in red.
“ Lily—— You have to hold on! Hold on, do you hear me!”
Lily gazed at Xiao Yan’s shoulder that was trembling from pain. She gulped and spoke solemnly: “I’m going to let go Xiao Yan, get ready and climb up!”
“No! If you let go, so will I! Don’t give up! I can still bear this!”
Lily smiled, “Death is quick, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
With that, she let go of Xiao Yan’s heel and fell.
“Lily——” Xiao Yan felt his heart was about to burst.
In split second, a wire shot pa.s.sed Xiao Yan, tangled onto Lily’s waist and dragged her up before the zombies could reach her.
Xiao Yan looked up and saw a figure standing above him, bathed in blood.
Lily was then flung onto the ground.
A hand clutched Xiao Yan’s before he was drained of energy and pulled him up.
When Xiao Yan crushed into Heine’s embrace, he had a strange feeling as though all these happened by fate.
Without a word, Heine sheathed his blade, carried both of them by his shoulders and took a few steps back.
By the time Lily realised what Heine plans to do, she shrieked.
Xiao Yan, however, was surprisingly calm.
Heine ran in a speed that Xiao Yan had never once experienced, and the moment he leaps into the air, it reminds Xiao Yan of the sound of wind that brushes across him when he once felt the ocean.
The feeling of freedom.
He knows, this man would never fail him.
Heine landed safely on the other side of the fallen pa.s.sage and dropped Xiao Yan and Lily onto the ground.lily staggered to stand. She can’t believe that Heine Burton actually leaped a 5 meters distance while carrying two persons.
We have to get to the evacuation tunnel before you die from blood loss,” Heine glanced at Xiao Yan’s bleeding arms and stalked on.
When the first hatch leading to the evacuation tunnel opens, they darted in. Several zombies slipped through the opening but were killed off by Heine in split seconds.
The man gave a brisk swing with his blade and sheathed it.
Xiao Yan stared at Heine’s upright posture from the back, filled with pride and resolution, just as he saw him for the first time.
The internal hatch was then opened, as Reeve and Mark barged out.
“Boss!”
Heine replied with a nod and tugged Xiao Yan over to Reeve, “Treat his wounds.”
Mark took a glance at Xiao Yan and revealed a look of disbelief, “Boss…… So it was because if this dumb rookie, y-”
Reeve gave Mark a nudged, “Mark, enough!”
“Treat his wounds? How? Give him a kiss or-”
Before Mark could finish, Reeve gave him a good kick at the back of his knee, which the big fellow nearly fell on his knees.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and walked into the underground base.
I’m still alive……
I’m breathing, my brain is still working, and… I can still see his back clearly.
Xiao Yan was a bit wobbly on feet and before him are countless officers bustling over the attack.
Shen Bing was giving prompt commands despite the wound on his head.
Heine began plotting for their next strategy the moment he stepped into the room.
Meanwhile, Reeve brought Xiao Yan to a chair and started treating his wounds with disinfectant and bandages.
“Still hurts?” Reeve asked with a warm smile.
“The most painful moment has pa.s.sed,” Xiao Yan replied with an upturn at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ve never thought that Boss would turn back to save you. His duty is to ensure the safety of the base commander when danger falls.”
Xiao Yan was stunned.
“Don’t give me that look. Boss would do the same for me or Mark.”
So, you’re telling me not to get complacent over it…?
“So, this means that, to Boss, you’re not someone that can be easily given up for.”
Xiao Yan felt a loud thump in his heart.
Reeve continued treating his wounds quietly after that.
From the conversations around him, Xiao Yan had a brief understanding of the current situation.
From now onwards, Base 14 would forsake the upperground sections and start enlarging their base underground. Charles will be sending out reinforcements to provide them provisions and set up the biological circular system. Meanwhile, Heine and his unit will be patrolling around the base.
When his wound was done tending, Reeve gave Xiao Yan a tap on his cheek. Only then he realised his face was stained with zombie’s blood.
“There’s a disinfection chamber over there, go ahead and have a good wash. Their fluids are acidic, don’t have it stay on your skin for too long.”
“Thanks.”
Xiao Yan entered the disinfection chamber that was covered in fog. The whole process was easy and straightforward, all he had to do was to walk in and wait for the disinfectant in the fog to sterilized all harmful substances.
Eventually, the p.r.i.c.kling sensation on his cheek lessen. Xiao Yan shut his eyes in thought, but the only thing that pops into his mind is the image of zombies swarming towards him, as well as the image of Heine Burton looking back at him.
His fingers were still trembling. Frustrated, he clutched his hand into a fist and gave a thump on his chest.
He took a step forward and without warning, he b.u.mped into someone.
“Oh, I’m sorry, brother! I never thought someone was here.”
Xiao Yan was rubbing his forehead when the person turned back slowly.
The sculptured features and elegant linings, such person was no other than Heine Burton.
Xiao Yan froze, “…… Colonel Burton……”
Heine looked unrealistically gentle within the fog, but his piercing cold gaze has Xiao Yan certain that this man is, indeed, Heine Burton.
“I’m sorry…… Colonel!” despite his oppressing presence, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but utter the words that have been troubling him.
“What are you sorry for?” Heine’s voice was plain and blatant, as though Xiao Yan’s apology means nothing.
All of a sudden, Xiao Yan found himself speechless.
‘Sorry that I’ve chosen Lily.’ Xiao Yan finds this too stupid an answer. Whoever he chooses has got nothing to do with Heine.
Or should it be ‘Sorry for wasting your time and effort for coming back to save me?’ Or ‘Sorry for causing you trouble and doubting your capability in rescuing me?’
While Xiao Yan was lost in thoughts, Heine had turned around and disappearing into the fog.
Xiao Yan smiles wryly as a strong desire began to grow in him.
He wants to be stronger, until, one day, he would no longer be a burden to Heine Burton, but as a true comrade that stands by his side.
Suddenly, the man stops in his tracks.
“If I hadn’t caught hold of you, were you going to let go of your hands?” his voice as emotionless as always.
“No one wishes to die……” Xiao Yan was taken aback by his question.
Heine came closer and circled his Xiao Yan’s neck with his slender fingers.
“Then, keep this in mind. You’re not allowed to die in anyone else’s hands, aside from mine.”
A blatant and simple sentence, but it was seared into Xiao Yan’s mind, uncontrollably.
“And, the next time you call me to let you, I will wring off your neck.”
Vaguely, Xiao Yan felt something unspeakable hidden beneath Heine’s aloofness. He could see his own reflection clearly within the man’s eyes.
“So don’t get all contented and self-satisfied,” his voice of really low when saying this, until Xiao Yan can hardly understand what he means.
“You might die,” Xiao Yan wanted to have a good look at the man’s expression but the oppressing aura coming from a Heine Burton was too much to bear.
If you see everything indifferently, why did you went to save me?
“We will all die, sooner or later.”
Nothing in this world seems to terrify this man, not even death.
Yet Xiao Yan could not help but stare at the man before him, despite knowing the man’s fury could burn him into ashes.
Heine let go of Xiao Yan’s neck and turned to caress his cheek, gentle and with a hint of affection in his touch.
The man leaned closer. He knew he should move away, but as his eyes met the icy-blue gaze, he felt something burning intensely within.
He caught a glimpse of the tip of Heine’s tongue before it touches Xiao Yan’s upper lip and slips through his parted lips.
Xiao Yan gasped and tried to back away but Heine locks his fingers into his hair, forcing him into place.
Gradually, Heine covered his mouth with his and brought him into the swirl of ocean waves, an endless kiss, invading his mouth and taking away his breath. Xiao Yan felt the increasing pain from where Heine held him, yet the latter seems to have no intention to stop, instead, the kiss deepens and towards the direction of going berserk.
I’m gonna die!
The joke Reeve once told him rang in his ears, and just as lifted his hand to push Heine away, all he touched was thin air.
Xiao Yan staggered a few steps back while gasping for air. Only then he realised a Heine had left the chamber without him knowing.
He buried his face in his hands.
s.h.i.t… the delusions again……
Xiao Yan plodded to the exit and placed his palm on the sliding door, the images of Heine swing his blade to save him was replaying in his mind.
All seemed like his delusion, a delusion of his being exceptionally important to that cold and powerful man.
Xiao Yan let out a long sigh, before stepping out of the door, mind cleared.
As he understands fairly well that he could never stop his desire for chasing after this man. So, there is only one thing he can do: To be stronger!
Xiao Yan and some of the cadets are practically useless during this situation. Everyone is working in their own positions anxiously and earnestly, except for them, sitting in a corner, remaining silent to prevent trouble.
Perhaps, it was too quiet to bear, Lily spoked to Xiao Yan in a low voice, “Thank goodness…… your face’s alright. “
“It was just some zombie’s blood.”
Lily continued to fidget her fingers anxiously.
“Everything will be fine now,” Xiao Yan a.s.sured her while covering his hand on hers.
“Thank you……”
No need to thank me. I did it because I’ve been secretly admiring you since Year 1.
Xiao Yan thought to himself but never managed to say it out loud because Lily already has someone, a handsome young man with a promising future — Major Denzel.
“I find Colonel Burton really scary,” Lily glanced at Heine from distance. The person in question was sitting in a corner, adjusting his armory.
“But he saved us,” Xiao Yan a.s.sured her with a smile.
Lily shook her head, “He didn’t come to save ‘us’, he came to save you.”