Chapter 96–Happy Birthday

by Bocchan13

New Era Calender—May 5th 22 years after the Fall

Song Yu woke up with a gasp, everything spinning in his wake. The walls of his bunker were swirling. Song Yu was disoriented, the vicissitudes of the dream fading away becoming blurry in his memories. However, the deep seated fear and ultimate doom still loomed over him. 

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, and realised that he was clutching Lan Zhou in his sleep. Lan Zhou hadn’t woken up from his squirming, but aimed to snuggle closer to him. Song Yu could only let him, aiming to mask his anxiety.

Xiao Zi was on a cot near them snoring, signalling that it was still nighttime. Song Yu for a brief moment didn't feel tired. The exercise with his spatial blade was considered a success. He nimbly let Lan Zhou off and got up from the bed. Sighing deeply, the spatial blade slowly manifested from his fingertips, almost to the size of a standard sword. Its brilliant blue aura shed the room with light. 

“You were sleeping for a while.” Song Yu turned to see Xiao Zi who propped himself up.

“How long was I sleeping this time?”

“A few days.”

“What's the day today?”

“By the new calendar, it should be…May 5th.”

Song Yu sighed in relief. His birthday had not passed yet.

Xiao Zi looked at him before fixing his glasses.

“Have you thought about what we said? We really don’t want to experiment on you or anything like that. I remember that’s what happened before.”

Song Yu stalted, the spatial blade elongating even more, becoming fiercer.

“Yes…I spent months in there…being tortured and hurt.”

Xiao Zi coughed lightly in awkwardness, “As a fellow scientist, what those bastards did was wrong. They should have never thought of human experimentation. People were scared, greedy and helpless, but that doesn't negate that.”

Song Yu listened to him briefly, but didn’t comment. 

“If I leave with you, what's gonna happen to Paradise? Ye Zhou and my colleagues are relying on me to help them. If I just up and left, what kind of loyalty would I have? Even though I suffer now, even though he might just be using me…they were there for me. Through everything. I can’t.”

That feeling of suffocation came back. But this time, it wasn’t fear or anxiety…it was guilt. Guilt that if Song Yu left with them…the Paradise he built would collapse. Guilt towards Ye Zhou who despite his own downfalls, was able to pick up his pieces and work hard. Guilt towards the people living within the walls. 

Even though he was  barely alive…he was still alive. If one day Ye Zhou asked him to merge himself into the walls of Paradise Base, he would do it. 

If it was for the greater good, he would do it. 

If it meant sacrificing his happiness, he would do it.

If it meant letting Lan Zhou go… he would do it.

The spatial blade dissipated until it was nothing, causing the lit room to darken once again.

“You and Lan Zhou should go…I can give you my blood, some DNA or whatever you need…but you guys should leave.”

Xiao Zi nodded slowly, his eyes briefly looking towards the back of Song Yu. Song Yu vaguely felt that Lan Zhou’s breathing was irregular. He was awake.

Song Yu mustered up the courage to turn behind and explain. Explain why he was staying, explain why he was willing to suffer. That even though he dreamed of that beautiful image of him and Lan Zhou holding hands in the sunlight, it was still a dream.

He was old. He was a coward. He didn’t deserve him at all. And most of all…he was tired. 

Tired. Tired. Tired. 

“I see. Then please let us procure the necessary samples.” 

Song Yu nodded.

Xiao Zi got up from his cot and went to his backpack. Song Yu stood there numbly, not even breathing as the shadow behind him rustled and a warm body held his waist.

“It’s okay.”

No other words. It was okay.

Song Yu wanted to see Lan Zhou’s expression in that moment, but like the coward he was, he didn’t deign to look. He felt Lan Zhou shudder slightly and something wet touched his neck, but Song Yu still stubbornly looked in front.

If he was twenty years younger, when he was not bitter with the world, and the horribleness of his circumstances had not happened…maybe they would have fallen in love. Maybe he would have been able to witness that wonderful dream.

Xiao came back with a few disposable needs, scissors and scalpel. Song Yu wanted to stray far away from it, but held it back. Patting Lan Zhou’s hands, he sighed.

“Let me go. He needs space to work.” The arms circling his waist slackened, and Lan Zhou pitifully moved back, trying to hold back his tears.

Song Yu rolled up his sleeves, showing his emancipated arms. Xiao Zi and Lan Zhou both took in a breath at the sheer amount of scars on his body. As an ability user, most injuries healed better than normal people. But harsh injuries like Lan Zhou’s face scar was done with powerful might and would not heal properly. Taking into account the scars…they were decades old. 

Xiao Zi quickly got to work, prepping the needle.

“This might sting a bit.” 

Song Yu nodded, the noise in his ear was ringing. He felt Lan Zhou hold his hand, his anxiety fading away.

“Go ahead. I’m ready.”

Xiao Zi didn't have a rubber tube, so he had Lan Zhou’s lard hands circle his upper arms. Song Yu opted to close his eyes. There was a pinch, the feeling of cold metal and the suctioning of the tube. Song Yu took another deep inhale and the deed was over.

“Finished.”

Song Yu opened his eyes to see the vials containing his blood. It looked like everyone else's, but it had the secrets to purification. There were five vials stacked neatly in a row. 

“Next, I’ll need hair samples, fingernails and skin.”

Song Yu obliged. Xiao Zi meticulously cut off a few inches of hair, while Lan Zhou took an old nail clipper. Seeing it, Song Yu held it and purified it to its best point. The old rusty nail clippers immediately shed its rust, showing the gleaming metal.

“Here you go.”

Lan Zhou thanked him and cut off his fingernails. It tickled a little, but Song Yu felt a little bit happy at  how precious he is treating him.  

Xiao Zi wasted no time, and immediately took  off layers of both dead and alive skin. Song Yu was slightly scared but closed his eyes again. When everything was done, Song Yu wass exhausted even though he didn't do anything.

“We will leave tomorrow. I scouted yesterday and apparently, every year around this time there is a party. When everyone is there, we will go.”

Song Yu pursed his lips. Every year there was a big party in his honour. This was the day that all of the people of Paradise Base didn’t work and just relax. Ye Zhou had suggested it when they erected the base, as a small holiday to those who needed rest. 

“Ye Zhou will come down to pick me up on that day. I’m going to be a part of it, so you will have to leave before that.”

Xiao Zi and Lan Zhou both nodded. “Okay then, when does that guy usually come to get you?”

“The celebration is at night, but preparation is early morning. You can stay in the bunker while I can go meet him outside. That way, you guys can leave easier.”

Song Yu almost choked on the ‘leaving’. Xiao Zi understandably agreed. Lan Zhou just kept staring at Song Yu. 

“Then it's settled…you guys will leave during the celebration.”

.

.

.

The next day

Xiao Zi had gotten up early to scout. Leaving the bunker, he made sure that he would come back in an hour. The only people was Song Yu and Lan Zhou.

Song Yu felt someone lay down next to him. The familiar breath made his stiffness dissipate. 

“Song Yu…are you awake?”

Song Yu nodded slowly.

“Song Yu…can you change your mind?”

“Song Yu…”

“Song Yu…”

“Please change your mind.”

Song Yu felt that familiar wetness. The trembling…the hurt.

Song Yu’s own tears fell shortly afterwards.

“Please.”

The two curled into each other, holding each other like they didn't want to let go. Lan Zhou sobbing into his back, while Song Yu cried on the pillow. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Song Yu…Happy Birthday.”

Bocchan13

You might not agree with Song Yu, but I think this is what makes us human. The feeling of change. The guilt. The self-sacrifice. Song Yu does subconciously know that Ye Zhou is hurting him. But he still chose to do it. Cause thats what heroes do.