V took a careful look at the place that would be his temporary home. The living room was bathed in the muted colors of autumn. Paintings depicting landscapes and sceneries of everyday life hung on the walls. Right away, he knew that the dotted painting of a bustling seaside marketplace was one of his favorites. It was second only to the watercolor painting of a hummingbird perched atop of a branch on a snowy day.
On one side, a dark console table was littered with photos in golden frames. From a distance, V couldn’t see clearly, but he guessed that the four people huddled closely in the centerpiece were Echo’s family.
He still had the same impression of the place as when his brisk steps carried him on the white floors: huge but cozy. Unlike the monotone celebrity homes he saw on TV or the gaudy mansions of corporate executives shown in magazines, the place breathed life—crumpled blankets on the sofa, open book on the coffee table, plush pillows on the floor.
If it wasn’t for the antique trinkets strewn here and there, V would have almost forgotten that he was standing inside the home of someone from Nysus City’s upper tax bracket.
Almost. The giant flat-screen TV, the grandfather clock, and the luxurious furniture all screamed money to him.
It was a pretty picture but none of this mattered to him right now. He needed to see those damned records the Alpha kept talking about.
"So, where is it?" He sent a steely gaze at the man standing stoic on one side. "Don't tell me you're going to make me sign another fucking NDA before I get to know how I can stop seeing people die."
V wouldn’t be this pressed for answers if it wasn’t for the scene he made while leaving the train station.
They were waiting for Echo’s driver to pick them up when he made eye contact with an old lady waiting for the green light to cross the street. He realized how big of a mistake that was when he saw a car approaching fast as the old lady took a step, sending her flying by several meters.
Even though he knew it was too late, blood already pooling underneath the unmoving body, he still rushed forward to help the lady. When his feet dashed for the crosswalk, the scene suddenly vanished and he was left running diagonally across a busy road. If it wasn’t for Echo quickly bolting after him to pull him back, he had no doubt it would have been him instead of the old lady.
The mob of people by their side was surprised by his actions, freezing them in place. None of them moved even after the light turned green.
Adrenaline was rushing through his veins, chest heaving up and down in big motions. He was so rattled by how lifelike the vision was that he only had the mind to check if the old lady was safe after Echo shook him back to reality.
Even now, standing in the warmth of his new dwelling, he shuddered when thinking about how his family would receive the news of his accident, or worse—his death.
He would rather forget about it, thank you very much, so he redirected his fear into something familiar, something he can control.
Anger, maybe. Anger might be good at this moment.
He barked at the Alpha to move, if only it was just to distract himself. Nothing but a show of false bravado, his back was still in cold sweats as he followed Echo through hallways and stairs.
They reached a dead end, an empty wall in maroon that left V confused.
Did this guy just got lost in his own house? He mocked in his head, but his thoughts were interrupted when Echo waved a hand at the wall, and the air—he couldn’t believe this either—actually wobbled.
It shook side to side for several seconds before a wooden, circular door appeared at the previously bare wall. The door was engraved with strange markings that moved in a spiral, curling in on itself. If his knowledge gained in fantasy novels and movies were to be trusted, V was certain that the markings were some enchantment that kept the place invisible.
Without warning, Echo vanished as he walked through the closed door, leaving V staring in awe. He tried to blink the illusion away, not quite believing his eyes as it had not been the most reliable lately.
For a moment, V wondered if this was all a dream, that maybe he was passed out again somewhere. His thoughts dispersed when Echo’s detached head peeked through the door, earning a surprised yelp from the Omega.
“Sorry,” Echo said as the rest of his body appeared. “I forgot that you don’t know how to pass yet.” Head lowered, he reached out a hand to V. “Here.”
V stared at Echo, the itch to smack the Alpha tingling in his skin. How could he forget? He lowered his eyes to the hand that was asking to be grabbed and he couldn’t help but hesitate. The feverish touches whenever they made contact flashed through his mind.
It's just a hand, he told himself. There's no need to be fussy about it.
Calming down his nerves, he clasped the hand fully on his palm. He expected the Alpha’s skin to be warm over his, but the way it blazed from his palm to his toes got him pulling back.
The Omega’s reaction had Echo staring at his empty hand with a look of confusion on his face. The Alpha was reminded of their conversation on the train.
Rule number one, V said with a finger pointed upwards, don’t get unnecessarily close to me.
Thinking of how the Omega hated physical contact, Echo sighed. “If you don’t hold my hand, you can’t go through. It’s the only way to grant temporary access. We don’t usually allow outsiders in.” He beckoned again and resumed the persuasion. “It’s just this one time. I’ll teach you how to do it once we’re inside.”
With that, V gritted his teeth and ignored how his body temperature rose while holding the Alpha’s hand. He was pulled through and for a moment, it felt like his soul was pulsing, beating against the entirety of the universe. He was pulled and pulled until it faded into a dull throb, only a tad bit louder than his own heartbeat.
He tried to let go when he saw that he successfully passed through, but the Alpha gripped harder.
“Don’t,” Echo said. “It’s not over yet. You might get lost.”
V was dumbfounded at the Alpha’s words but as he looked around, his confusion only increased. He saw nothing. He wanted to say that it was pitch-black darkness, like outer space, but the place was more like a void. It was full but empty, colorful but bleak, loud but quiet. It was nothing and everything all at once.
His stomach lurched. It was too much.
--
“I’m here, it’s okay,” Echo rubbed his thumb over the hand he was holding to try and soothe the Omega once he saw the tell-tale signs of disorientation: wobbly knees from not knowing which way is up and down, hitching breaths from not knowing if there is still air, and rattled eyes not knowing where to look.
“It’s okay. You’re good,” he said again for good measure, this time taking a step closer to make his presence bigger than the shock V was feeling.
Echo had only done this once so he was not confident in how he was doing. His sister reacted better than V did too, needing only a few minutes to compose herself. She was up and running after she regained her senses. V, on the other hand, looked like he was close to dying.
He moved his hand to rub circles on his back, aware that warping for the first time might cause stomach problems. There was nothing much he could do as it was a problem that has been plaguing them for generations. Anyone who wasn’t used to traveling through the gate can only bear with it. It wasn’t like they could call a doctor to the place now, could they?
Echo used both hands to grab V by the shoulder and tried to make the suffering Omega focus on him instead. They inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, patient in coaxing the other man to stability.
Thankfully, it seemed like it was working.
When he saw the clarity slowly returning to the Omega’s eyes, he asked, “What do you see?”
“You,” V replied, voice a whisper.
Echo felt something within him stir at the earnest answer, but he had to keep his priorities straight. “What else do you see?”
V tried to look somewhere else but Echo saw his eyes were still unfocused so he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
“I see … books.” V finally said. “A mural that’s … shifting. It’s moving, like a drawing brought to life.”
“Good,” Echo released a sigh in relief. “Anything else?”
“Yeah,” V was looking at a distance. “Is that a waterfall?”
Echo didn’t need to look back to know where V was staring. He could hear the rushing of water from here, undeniably loud.
He nodded. “Hanatad’s water.”
“It’s so cool how it’s changing colors.” V’s eyes were sparkling at the sight and Echo’s guilt grew exponentially.
Still, he knew he needed to break the news to him, especially if V was to come here again.
He gulped, swallowing the apprehension that threatened to spill from his throat. “V, you need to bathe in that water with me.”
