Chapter 910

Awakening

I remembered.

The last thing that happened,
before my eyes closed.
Before they opened again,
together in our room,
bare and disheveled.

He had said he would help us.

"Airu."

I gingerly nudged the door open.

She smiled and wrapped herself around me,
as if she had waited too long already.

I caught her.

"Hold on."

"What was the last thing you remembered?"

Chapter 911

Awakening

"Huh?"

She fumbled for an answer,
tendrils of memories escaped from her clutch.
Confusion clouded her eyes.

"Why?"

"Just think."

She must have noticed the frustration in my voice.

"Um..."

Suddenly her eyes grew wide.

"It was the drink. I was tired and just closed my eyes for a bit."

"Yes, the drink."

She stared hard at me, weighing my words.

"You can't mean..."

I grabbed her hand.

"It was that. Wasn't it?"

Chapter 912

Awakening

"Takashi said your friend gave us some drinks and we passed out."

"George?"

"Exactly."

"Who told them..."

"Damn it."

She stopped in her tracks pulling me back.

We were at the door now.

"What?"

She shook her head.
"Wait, aren't we just making things up now?"
"Are you sure it was that?"

I paused.

Was I being too impulsive?

How did I know?

I just had a feeling.

It was just a feeling.

Chapter 913

Awakening

"Seiji, we can't just blame someone."

A wave of exasperation from her.

I let go of her hand.

"Maybe you're right..."

But, it was Akira.

If it was him.

If it was him.

Knowing him.

"I'm going to ask him."

"What?"

"I'll go ask him first kay?"

"Don't go..." She pleaded.
"You guys will argue again."

"I'm okay with this, Seiji."
She wrapped her arms around my waist.
"I have no regrets...I'm completely yours now."

I hugged her back.
My thoughts disappearing into her embrace.

Chapter 914

Awakening

She smiled a careful smile.
Half argument, half comfort.
Watching my reaction,
wondering if her touch
had done the trick.

I gave her a reassuring look.

"I'll be back."

She pouted with her candy lips.
Tempting my taste buds.

I swallowed her lips without hesitation,
too accustomed to feeding my desires for her,
fire leaping up from every little movement
between our ravenous, wrestling lips.

"Mmm." She said.
But no matter what she did,
my heart was not satisfied.

"I'll be back." I repeated.

Chapter 915

Awakening

If we were falsely accused,
if we were innocent,
if we were tricked...
Did it make a difference?
Was I free from blame?
Was I free from guilt?
If I could prove our innocence,
Would anything change?

No. I told myself.
This must have been my answer.

But Akira must be stopped.
My fists trembled with anger.
He had no right to do this.

"Then I'll come with you." She took my hand.

Chapter 916

Awakening

Together,
we marched down the
dim blanched hall
in a grim procession,
Airu at my heels,
trying to match my
long-legged pace.

I was too eager,
too furious,
too confused
to think straight.

Against Akira's cunning devices,
impulse was not a friend.
It took time and time again
to teach my stubborn mind
to see Akira in a different light.

Yes, he was not as simple as I had thought.
I hadn't expected him to do anything.

Did our history run that deep?
That his vengeance surpassed my imagination?
What had I done to him?

Chapter 917

Awakening

This time, I had had enough.
His meddling did not belong in
the affairs between Airu and I.

But the same question reappeared.
If it was really because of him,
should I accept this answer?

"Seiji..."

"Do you really have to ask him?"

Chapter 918

Awakening

"Is it better off not to know?"

She slowed her steps.
"I don't know."

I stopped.

Was it better to move on?

The storm wasn't worth it
to be tangled up and torn apart.

Yet,
it was too late.

"Akira!"

Chapter 919

Awakening

"Oi, wait up."

I started towards him but
he had already disappeared
into the elevator.

Where was he going without the others?

"Damn it."

Airu came up beside me hesitantly.

"Airu, you wait for the next elevator, I'm taking the stairs."

"Wait-"

Without another word,
I threw open the emergency stairwell
and tore down the steps.

I wasn't letting him get away with this.
Murder was in my eyes.

Chapter 920

Awakening

From the fifth floor,
it didn't take too long
to descend spiralling circles
swooping down on my prey.

Akira had answers.
I would get them.
No matter what it meant.

The black metal door to the first floor
swam in front of me, it's number one
in sharp contrasting crimson red.

I nearly collided with it
before wrenching the door off its hinges.

Chapter 921

Awakening

He was already heading out of the revolving doors.

Going, going, gone.

His frail form disappeared behind the lobby's glass facades and headed down the street.

Where was Airu?

I swore under my breath and dodged through the lobby,
startling half a dozen American tourists,
an idling flock of monstrous suitcases.

There was no time to think.
No time to feel.

Every passing moment,
my fist clenched tighter,
aching to rid his face of his eternal smirk.

Chapter 922

Awakening

"Akira!"

He was down a side street now,
stopping in his tracks,
right underneath a bright orange sign
weathered down and spotted with age.

A couple stumbled and twisted to the side to avoid him.

People were scarce here, decrepit matchbox houses
crammed side by side, on top of quiet shops.

I cast no wary glances.
He was only a few feet in front of me.

Two seconds later,
I had pushed him back against the nearest wall,
breathing hard in his face.

"Seiji."

Despite the force I propelled
his mouth was crooked, snaking into a sneer.

"Good morning. What a pleasant surprise."

Chapter 923

Awakening

"What a surprise indeed."
I scoffed.

My muscles trembled with adrenaline,
but I willed my impulses to step down.
I no longer had any patience left.

These dark desires to strike
were horrifying to me.

My patience had worn thin with time.
And it seemed to get worse.

What seemed like a long time ago,
a far off land separated by the seven seas,
while everything was still summer,
where everything was still simple,
I had been agreeable to all.

Slowly, surely,
things changed
and it was eating me
from the inside out.

I was no longer a pleasant kid.
I was no longer an innocent boy.

Worse, I realized this,
in this moment,
staring into the eyes of the Devil,
I realized my own darkness.

Chapter 924

Awakening

I released him.

He snorted.

I tried to compose myself.

Lowered my tone.

"What did you put in the drink?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"What drink?"

"Oh don't play dumb."

He smiled.

"Not as thick-headed as I thought you were."

"Screw off."

He leaned forward til our noses were nearly touching.
His acrid breath smelt like he hadn't brushed his teeth.

"Nothing."

He said.

Chapter 925

Awakening

I had him pinned against the wall again,
crushing my forearm against his throat.

"Stop messing around with me."

He didn't react and continued.

"Nothing at all. Why would you blame someone else?"

"For what you wanted."

His eyes twinkled dangerously.

"You know what you wanted."

"You know what you wished for."

"Wishes are dangerous."

Chapter 926

Awakening

"I just simply fulfilled your wishes."

"The ones you could've gotten by yourself."

"But you were too much of a coward."

"You were too indecisive."

"You want both. You want it all."

"You greedy pathetic boy."

"I helped you choose."

He flashed a toothy grin.

Full of smug malice.

I was immobile.

Shocked by his indirect confession.

By the evil in his spirit.

I had hoped I was wrong.

I had hoped I was just blaming him.

But I had been right.

Chapter 927

Awakening

I was thrown to the ground, an instant after.
Pushed back with the sheer force of a mutant.
In his thin arms was suddenly tremendous power.
And suddenly I was reduced to a snivelling child.

Under his unmistakeable
diabolical glower,
I had become a coward.

How can someone go to such extents?
Against a former friend?

"I loathe you and your kind."

His voice changed into something deeper,
more authoritative, more sinister.

I recognized it.

"You."