Past

*Seventy Years before YiJun meets Wei Xian for the first time (the 1950s)*

After Xiaohui's incident, YiJun falls into depression. He stops hunting; he stops going out; he stops looking for Xian. He stops; just stops.

He keeps reliving the day he had spent with Xiaohui and keeps remembering Xian's smile. 

Even though Xian had told him to find him sooner, his belief that Xian would only return to his old body had strengthened.

As years pass by, he keeps staring at Xian's unmoving form and taking care of Xian's body. The only time he smiles, or talks, is at dusk and dawn. And every day, his words are the same, his actions are the same, "I love you, Xian, come back to your Jun."

Shen doesn't understand how to bring YiJun back from the depths of darkness that seem to consume him.

Initially, YiJun refuses to drink even the blood that Shen brings for him, but after Shen reminds him of the consequences, YiJun starts drinking it again. Unlike before, though, he doesn't ask Shen how or from where he was getting it.

In the meanwhile, China has had a bad century full of wars and foreign invasions. YiJun doesn't experience any of it. He keeps himself away from anything that isn't his Xian. 

Until one day, Shen decides that he too couldn't go on anymore. Looking at two lifeless individuals, one by fate and the other by choice, had taken a toll on him and his wolf; he stops getting blood for his nephew. Without blood to keep YiJun sane, the immortal's urge to kill and drink kicks in.

YiJun tries to stop breathing. Xian's blood has always been his weakness; it calls to the immortal now. Afraid of losing control, YiJun leaves the house, first time in thirty years.

His eyes take in the new world he has stepped into; there are scents he doesn't recognize; the smell of gasoline lingers in the air; the roads are different. The new things all around YiJun, confuse him, but it's night time and his need for blood clouds his mind. He runs here and there aimlessly till his eyes fall on a Red Cross on top of a building. 

He enters it, and the smell of sickness and blood threatens to break his already shaken resolve: not take a human life.

He walks past people dressed in white and further inside the facility. He finds a woman carrying a tray with what looks like a bag of blood on it.

"Excuse me?" He calls out to the woman; she stops to look at him. Walking towards her, he smiles; it's weak, but serves its purpose. She smiles back, "How may I help you, sir?" She asks.

"Look into my eyes... " The immortal says, catching her eyes and the woman's eyes meet at stay on YiJun's. 

"Once I leave, you will remember nothing."

She nods.

"What is this?" He asks, pointing at the bag of blood.

"Blood for transfusion."

"Are you taking it for someone?"

The woman nods again and steps closer. "I want you... " She says as the tray falls off her hands.

YiJun catches it and steps away, "Where can I find more of it?" He enquires, and the woman points towards a room.

"Take it where it is needed." He says and proceeds to the room the woman had pointed at.

What he sees there, surprises the immortal; he takes a bag and smells it before drinking from it. He empties the bag and starts feeling like himself again.

Deciding to explore, YiJun is taking a look around the hospital, when his eyes land on a small girl being brought in. She is bleeding from between her legs. He follows the people dressed in white and listens to their conversation. 

"How could anyone do such a thing to a child?" A woman, dressed in white, asks a man. 

"Check if she is hurt anywhere else. She is a brave one." The man points to the girl's nails, "She even scratched him and drew blood." He observers and leaves the room; YiJun enters. 

"You are not allowed here, Mister." the woman says.

"It's fine, I am a doctor," YiJun replies, walking closer, and persuades her to leave.

YiJun immediately checks the girl's wounds. He smells semen on her and realizes what the child of barely seven must have gone through. 

He checks her nails. 'I can find out who did this to her.'

The smell makes him throw up; it's the unmistakable scent of the Bai bloodline. 'How low has the Bai bloodline has fallen, do such a grotesque thing!?' He wonders and heals the child with his blood; she wakes up. 

"Tell me everything." He asks, and the girl tells him all that she remembers.

"He pushed me and held me down. Then I felt pain there. I closed my eyes." She points between her legs. She sobs, recalling the incident. 

"Then he got off for a second. He held my face and told me to relax, and that he will take care of me." 

She shakes her head, "I was in pain, so when he lifted me, I scratched him. I heard him gasp, and then I remember waking up here."

YiJun strokes her face, "You will feel no pain. You will forget what happened to you. You will live a happy life."

With that, he leaves to find the culprit. The scent of blood leads him to a place that looks like an abandoned warehouse. As YiJun enters, the stench of blood becomes stronger, 'Bai bloodline.' YiJun is sure of it.

He walks closer without being seen. The man's face is covered. This close, he can smell saltwater. 'He is crying.' YiJun realizes.

'He deserves to die.' YiJun tells himself, and yet, he can't bring himself to kill this sinner, who is sitting with his back to him.

YiJun walks closer, and the man lifts his hand; blue sparks rise from it.

'Magic!...but that's impossible...unless' YiJun had not seen anyone do magic in the past three hundred centuries, "Who are you?" YiJun asks, and the man turns to face him.

The man's eyes widen, "Night creature!" He says and directs the blue sparks at YiJun, but he stops just before he throws it; he narrows his eyes, "Part wolf." He adds, removing his mask.

Xian's face stares back at him. An older Xian. Probably in his early thirties.

'Is my Xian a child rapist!?' YiJun shakes his head and steps back.

"Wait!" The man with Xian's face says, and YiJun stops. Not because he wants to, but because he finds it impossible to disobey.

The man walks closer. YiJun's eyes finally release unshed tears.

"You have a soul. Part of your soul joined with another." The man contemplates, walking closer to YiJun.

'Strong magic.' YiJun thinks, while looking at the marks on the man's neck. YiJun's face clouds with anger, but before he can act on it, 

the man sighs, "I couldn't protect her. I was too late." He says, turning his back to YiJun. "The night creatures, they have no compassion or morals."

"Mn?"

"You smelled me on the girl and followed me here, didn't you? I didn't hurt her." He faces YiJun once more. "I have a daughter the same age as her. It was a night creature. I have come across a few. Their lust for sex and blood makes them do it. I killed him."

He sits next to YiJun, "Who are you?"

'Not my Xian.' YiJun realizes. His face falls. "No one."

"Liar. You are special. But you don't want to live anymore." The man takes his hand, "One day, you will find what you are looking for. Till then, protect as many innocent souls as you can. Never stop. If we stop, they win."

"I promise." YiJun doesn't understand why he makes a promise like this to the man; the man stands up and starts walking away. 

"Wait, what is your name?" YiJun asks.

"It doesn't matter. You will never see me again." The man answers without turning back and walks away. 

YiJun doesn't feel it, neither does the other man, but there is someone who has witnessed the entire conversation.

Present 

Fear grips Wangji's heart. He pulls Xian towards him, 'Stay here. Don't come out. Don't hurt yourself. I belong to you, remember that. Believe nothing to the contrary.'

Wangji picks up the gift he had brought and unwrapped it; tt's the jade dagger. He hands it to Xian, 'Protect yourself. Cut off their heads.' He instructs. 

Wangji had thought that switching their clothes would help hide Xian's scent. But now it was too late; he has no option but to step out. He changes his mind and wears his clothes. He knows that he can't afford to have Xian's scent on him.

Wangji turns to leave, but Xian hugs him, 'Don't go. Please. I will protect you.'

Wangji turns and captures Xian's lips between his and kisses him passionately. He pours his love and emotions into it. 'I love you. Please remember that. Live. Survive. Please.'

Xian feels like Wangji is trying to bid him goodbye. He tightens his grip on the immortal and deepens the kiss, 'I have been waiting for you all this time. I just found you. Please don't.'

Wangji breaks the kiss and looks deep into Xian's dark orbs, 'The life of everyone you know and love is at stake. If I go, then there is a chance that they will let you live. I promised someone that I will protect innocent souls. That I will never stop.'

Tears make their way down Xian's cheeks; Wangji wipes them away, and with one last kiss on Xian's forehead, he walks out of Jiang residence.

He finds Shen already standing at the gate. Wangji realizes that his uncle has heard the voice too.

"If I had known that my sister's dog is still alive and well, I would have come and fetched you sooner." A clear voice drifts towards them from a hundred or so meters away.  

The duo walk towards the voice and come face to face with Jin Gayo; XiChen stands next to him with his eyes to the floor.

"XiChen!" Wangji exclaims. He had never expected his security guard to be involved. 'He is perhaps being controlled.' Wangji reasons.

Jin Gayo smirks, "Lan, I know what you are thinking. But, you are wrong, for XiChen is not under my control. He does this of his own free will. He does it because... "

"Master, Shin is waiting." XiChen interrupts;

Gayo pats XiChen's back, "You are right as usual, my boy." He turns to look at Wangji, "So, the mighty Lan is a night creature."

Wangji's eyes turn red; he tries to fang out, but winces in pain and falls to his knees instead. Shen shifts halfway through and shields Wangji.

Gayo smirks, and a dark shadow falls over his features, "Who are you to this man? He asks Shen.

"A servant," Shen answers, realizing that Gayo hadn't made the connection yet; he lies to protect his nephew.

"I thought you hated our kind, and yet here you are... " Gayo trails off.

"Oh, I see... " He walks to Shen and the wolf growls. Gayo walks a little closer, "Were you the one who bit Shin?"

Shen knows that Gayo was using his power of persuasion on him. 'If I lie, he will know that I have a protector now.'

Shen nods.

Gayo's eyes turn red, "XiChen, kill this dog. He has lived....."

"Please, don't," Wangji begs, still on his knees.

"What have you done to him?" Shen asks, looking at Wangji, who is in extreme pain.

Gayo chuckles, "XiChen my boy, you were right, Mr. Lan is indeed gay. I wonder how Shin will react to this."

XiChen keeps looking to the ground.

"So the boy Xian is your plaything then," Gayo adds and laughs. It's creepy.

"XiChen, kill him now." Gayo orders, and XiChen takes out his sword.

"Please stop. What do you want?" Wangji asks, trying to get up; he fails.

In the meanwhile, the man and the wolf fight. Shen ducks a few times as XiChen attacks mercilessly and with precision, but in the end, he cuts Shen multiple times. Shen winces and falls to the floor.

"Finish him." Gayo orders, and XiChen plunges the sword into the wolf's heart.

Wangji screams, "Noooooo!"

Shen howls and falls silent. Wangji puts all of his strength into standing up, but fails. he falls unconscious.

"Leave the dog. Bring Lan. Shin is waiting." Meng Yao orders; XiChen nods and picks up Wangji in his arms, before carrying him to a van. As soon as the van leaves, Zhau and Xian run outside.

"Shen...Nooooo!" Zhau yells, running towards Shen's unmoving body. Meanwhile, Xian looks around to see if any night creatures are still lurking around. Once he is sure that they are alone, he goes to where Zhau is holding Shen in his arms and crying. He crouches next to Zhau and puts his hand on his elder brother's shoulder.

{Note:- Word count 2161

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