Yue was sure that Viktor was relieved that it was nighttime. He didn’t have to try very hard to hide his tears as he carried him back to the teleport pad. Yue wasn’t very relieved though. He wanted to talk to him but the darkness coupled with the slight soreness of his eyes made it difficult to work up the courage.

The followers did as Yue instructed him and didn’t wait for them to get home so Viktor’s silence continued as he carried Yue down the dark hallways. The windows gave a little bit of light, just enough for Yue to make out Viktor’s expression. Yue’s lip trembled and he changed the way Viktor was holding him, hugging his neck. Viktor stopped for a second.

“It’s okay…” Yue’s voice was quiet and a little uncertain. He immediately regretted speaking because of how weak he sounded. Viktor didn’t respond but he continued walking.

He laid down with Yue on the bed. Yue wanted to keep their position the same but Viktor changed it so Yue’s back was to him. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around Yue’s waist, not allowing him to turn around. 

“Can you kiss me?” Yue whispered.

Viktor hesitated and kissed the back of his head.

…

Yue kept his reaction to himself. 

‘Oh.’

…

Yue didn’t sleep at all but Viktor probably thought he did. He closed his eyes whenever Viktor went to check on him. For the rest of the time, he stared at the wall listlessly. 

He didn’t know if he just couldn’t hear the incarnation in his head still or if he was holding back his comments but he was completely alone in his thoughts. 

Viktor left just before Dawn, he was silent but hurried. Yue could guess where he went but he wasn’t keen on following. He just laid in that position for a while.

He stared at the lamp at his bedside for a while. He raised his hand and pushed it over, causing it to shatter on the floor.

He stared at it for a while and then sat up, using magic to fix it.

“It’s fine. It’s okay.” Yue murmured to himself and changed his clothes.

He walked around the temple aimlessly for a bit before settling at the pavilion, watching the lake. Jinghua came to the temple a little while later and noticed him there and seemed concerned.

“Are you alright, My lord?” She asked.

“Yes,” Yue responded after a second, leaning his head on his hand.

“Is his highness not with you?” Jinghua asked.

“He had to go back because of an emergency back in the black tortoise temple.” Yue was lying but it was seamless. Jinghua accepted it at face value.

“Don’t you two have to go to a wedding soon? Will everything be alright?” Jinghua asked.

“It’ll be fine, we’ll meet there if necessary,” Yue murmured.

“Was your outing interrupted?” Jinghua said and sat down beside Yue.

“No, he left a few hours ago,” Yue explained.

Jinghua couldn’t put her finger on it but Yue’s calmness was unsettling.

—

Jinghua seemed to catch on as the week went by. Yue seemed fine when he was doing his work but she would find him staring into nothingness often. 

“Are you tired, my lord?” She asked, she didn’t want to pry.

“Yes.” Yue didn’t elaborate but Jinghua could guess that it was more of a stress thing than a physical tiredness thing.

“Would you like me to set up a warm bath?” Jinghua asked.

Yue stayed silent for a little while.

“Please do.” He murmured.

Jinghua went off to set that up and Yue continued staring at the lake.

“He can’t run from me forever,” Yue murmured and stood, slowly starting to walk to his bedroom.

“So you’re just going to pretend that never happened?” The incarnation finally decided to speak to him again.

‘How wonderful of you to finally join me.’ Yue rolled his eyes, he had been alone in his thoughts for the past week.

“I don’t know what that thing is but you can’t go back to it.” The incarnation scolded.

‘It’s a shame that you don’t run the show.’ Yue taunted and rolled his eyes once again.

“You’re going back to the guy who actively tried to gouge your eyes out?!”

‘No, I’m going back to my fiancé to try and get rid of the guy who tried to gouge my eyes out.’ Yue argued.

“And how will you do that?”

‘Don’t worry about it.’ 

Yue’s lack of a plan did infuriate the incarnation but he knew there was no way he was talking him out of this. 

—-----

“What are you doing here?” Natasha asked with an expression that switched from surprise to confusion as she looked around.

“Being pathetic,” Viktor murmured.

“Where’s Yue?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow at Viktor’s demeanor.

“China.”

Natasha stared at Viktor for a while.

“Did you know what was wrong with me?” Viktor asked and glanced at Natasha. He would’ve been much more passionate or furious about it but he was completely drained.

“Ah. That.” Natasha murmured and winced.

“I know the basics of it… Did Mom and Dad explain it to you?” Natasha asked.

“I didn’t give them a choice,” Viktor murmured.

—

“ Young master! Young master, why are you suddenly back? Where is Lady Yue?” Anya exclaimed as she tried not to run as she chased Viktor down the halls. Viktor wasn’t running but his Brisk steps had surprised her so she was struggling to keep up now that the distance had been set.

Anya didn’t say anything to Viktor about opening the door to Andrei’s office. He wasn’t in a meeting so she assumed it was fine although she could tell that Viktor probably didn’t have any kind words to say to him.

“What the hell is wrong with me and why the hell are you lying to me about it? Why is everyone lying to me?!” Viktor slammed his hands on Andrei’s desk.

Andrei seemed appalled. A shocked look that Viktor could only recall from when he was a child and stopped calling him ‘Daddy’ and switched to ‘Father’ instead.

“What are you talking about Viktor?” Andrei said and stood, he took a good look at Viktor. His appearance was unbecoming. His clothes were wrinkled and messy and his eyes were red from what he could only assume was crying or not sleeping, or both.

“Whatever “curse” I’m under isn’t just an ‘I take in mana and then I feel sick’ curse, it’s an ‘I hear things and try to gouge my fiancée’s eyes out while unable to control myself’ curse!” 

Elena’s office wasn’t too far from Andrei’s. She had heard Anya calling for ‘Young master’ and came to see what was going on. And she had heard everything Viktor said and her face dropped.

“What..?” Andrei was almost speechless.

“Is Yue alright?” Elena asked and quickly grabbed Viktor and looked him over.

“He’s okay now but what the hell is wrong with me?!” Viktor said.

“…Can you just tell us everything? Everything you saw, everything you heard…everything “you” did..” Elena calmed down a little, she had cut Andrei off, she knew that Viktor would listen to her rather than him.

Viktor calmed down a little and recounted everything that happened.

“…He’s trying to mold you into an even better vessel for him by making you think the way he thinks…” Andrei murmured.

“Who? Who is?” Viktor asked.

“You know who it is, Viktor. It seems impossible but it’s him.” Andrei murmured.

—-

“Vikentiy Ivanov,” Viktor told Natasha everything that had happened.

“Yep. Vikentiy Ivanov. The man who no one can understand.” Natasha murmured.

“So the reason he never reached immortality was so he could curse us and take over one of our bodies…What the hell is wrong with this guy?” Viktor murmured.

“...Who knows…Part of me hopes he just wants to finish off the Evanoffs and finally leave you alone but that is definitely not the case. If he wanted that he would’ve done it in his own body.” Natasha murmured.

They were silent for a while.

“You ran away from Yue without telling him anything didn’t you?” Natasha asked.

Viktor was silent and then turned away, “I shouldn’t go back to him.”

“Yes, You should go back to him!” Natasha exclaimed.

“Yue isn’t weak, Viktor. You know that.”

“Just because he’s strong doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try and protect him.”

—

“...” Yue stood silently in front of the tower. 

He didn’t know what would happen inside but he entered it anyway.