Xie Yi-jun

2005 years after The Long Night

Hêi'àn City

Xie Yi-jun was experiencing perhaps the most intense déjà vu of his life, having the sense that he was in a crowded place, unable to move, being hugged rather passionately by someone unknown-

I must be dreaming of the day I woke up in Sanlín City, again...

Frowning and struggling to even so much as open his eyes, the King barely managed to exhale softly;

"Reian?"

What followed was the sound of someone's soft chuckle and then the breathy words-

"Not quite."

Yi-jun's whole body reacted to hearing such a familiar voice, and now he was sure he was asleep. Forcing himself to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was the staggering rays of sunlight, blinding him.

This isn't a dream? Where am I?! The last thing I remember is The Howling Cave... Su Lan, and pushing Reian out of the way-

Then Yi-jun's gaze sharpened, fixating on the figure in front of him who was gently holding the King's shoulders...

Not believing his own eyes, he blankly thought about how beautiful the one before him was. The King's whole body was shaking from the effort to stay standing as he hissed;

"Jin Songcai?!"

A brilliant smile, one that he used to cherish beyond anything else, spread across the man's face, and Xie Yi-jun only realised when he heard the man laugh again that he had suddenly thrown his arms around Songcai's neck.

Tears blurring his vision, Yi-jun could hardly choke through his rapid-fire questions as his lack of balance caused the both of them to fall to the ground.

"What are you, where are we? Have I died?!" The King gasped, clutching onto Songcai like his life depended on it-

"How are you here?! Are you real-"

They were sitting there in the dirt, Yi-jun feeling as if every cell in his entire being had suddenly come back to life the minute he heard the man's voice. And Songcai just hugged him tighter, stroking the King's hair gently as he shook with sobs.

"I'm here, Xie-jun... I'm here. Everything's going to be okay,"

Bursting with confusion and joy, and some other more powerful emotion that felt a little like fear, Yi-jun pulled away only for Songcai to pull him back with a desperate sigh. They held each other, listening to the sounds of both of their breathing; Yi-jun's shallow, until Songcai eventually broke the silence with words that only puzzled the King more.

"I'll explain everything, but first..." he whispered in his ear, "We must find Wen Reian-"

Tearing away, Xie Yi-jun could only blink in astonishment. What is happening, how does-

It was then, the King finally saw where he was.

Tucked away at the center of obsidian peaks that touched the sky, was a small gathering of houses and buildings, a place that he knew like the back of his hand, with everything looking exactly as it did back then. It was Gen Jin, a town at the heart of Hêi'àn City...

And it was real-

Speechless, Xie Yi-jun had to take a few seconds to realise that Songcai had stood already and was reaching out a hand to him. With the shining sun acting as a halo, the King felt his heart thud solidly in his chest at the immeasurable beauty of his lover, a man he never thought he would see again.

"Xie-jun, please I don't know how much time we have."

The King heard the concern as clear as day in Songcai's voice, so without wasting another second he took his hand.

"Songcai," he shook his head as the healer began pulling him off in what felt like a random direction.

"What is going-"

"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate!"

Yi-jun realised that the man had his eyes closed tightly, and that every step of his was towards something that he was merely sensing...

Watching around them as equally confused and fearful villagers stepped out of their homes, the King had nothing to tell them, for at the moment he had no answers.

Jin Songcai was leading them down allies, between buildings, and it wasn't until they neared what looked like an old Inn just before the town's border, that Yi-jun realised he could feel something too.

Like something on the tip of my tongue...

Songcai was already dropping the King's hand and running when Yi-jun finally saw what was lying half-hidden at the back of the Inn; the boy's face as white as the clouds above them and his eyelids sickly grey.

"Wen Reian!"

Yi-jun immediately went to his other side, about to pick him up with no other thoughts, when Songcai stopped him with a firm hand on his wrist and shook his head. Until that moment, Yi-jun had once again forgotten that Jin-cai was here, as his thoughts had been swayed so suddenly by seeing Wen Rei unconscious, covered in leaves, his head lolling to the side as the King tried to lift him.

"Hold on," Songcai muttered, and Yi-jun watched in astonishment as his lover closed his eyes again and quickly pressed two fingers to Reian's pulse point.

Yi-jun had the boy's head in his lap now and kept having to be calmed by Songcai's soft urging to be quiet, as he couldn't stop asking what was wrong with Reian...

It was all too real to be a dream; sitting there staring down at the boy's hollow face while Songcai kneeled over him, sending what the King knew to be pure life-force back into his cold body.

I don't think my imagination is this detailed, to be honest... he thought, biting his tongue again when his panicking was met with a fierce look from Jin-cai.

After far too long Songcai sat back and sighed loudly, Yi-jun immediately perking up.

"What? What is it, is he going to be okay?"

The healer was frowning and was a little pale himself, and that was when Yi-jun realised he had never before seen him heal someone in this way; giving so much of his own energy when the patient was unresponsive...

Jin-cai didn't heal the dead. Which was why until now, Yi-jun hadn't begun to worry if Reian was dead. The fact that Songcai was even trying meant that Wen Rei must be still alive. Now however, watching the way the healer stared down at Reian's face, the clear, bitter sadness behind those blue eyes, Xie Yi-jun felt his blood run cold.

"No-"

"Xie-jun..."

The King was trying again to lift Reian but he was shaking too hard, tears blurring his eyes and finally falling when he heard Songcai practically shout;

"Xie Yi-jun! Stop... put him down."

The King was crying silently, his pain multiplying by a thousand at the way Songcai was looking at him; his face etched with grief. Then the man said two words. Two words Yi-jun had heard before, once, a long time ago on a battlefield.

"I'm sorry-"

The King shook his head, "No... no!"

"Xie-"

"NO!" He cried, fingers gripping Reian's collar so tight he felt his fingernails digging into his palms.

Yi-jun looked deep into Songcai's eyes, and said the words he never thought he'd say.

"He cannot die, you have to save him! No matter what, Jin-cai! Do you understand?!"

I've never begged him for anything like this before, and I never wanted to. It's disgusting, I hate it. I hate that I know he won't refuse. But, Wen Reian must not die-

Songcai knew more of what was happening right now than the King, but all Yi-jun could think about was the fact that Reian might never wake up and in many ways, all the ways that mattered, it would be his own fault.

The last time I see him alive cannot be as he's crying and screaming my name. I will not allow that to happen!

Yi-jun watched as inside Songcai's eyes, a little piece of something beautiful and terrifying grew, larger and brighter until he was sure that it was the man's will. His determination. Because I asked...

The healer nodded, "Okay then... help me take him upstairs. I'm going to have to get a little experimental."

They pulled Reian up together, and then Yi-jun bent and grabbed the boy's legs and waist, carrying him with his face pressed against the King's chest. Songcai didn't say anything more to him until they'd reached the palace infirmary, a long walk, one where every beat of Yi-jun's heart felt like someone was stabbing him.

Along the way, several people approached them, recognising him and asking what was going on. Xie Yi-jun deferred to Songcai's quick mouth then, as the healer simply told people to stay in their homes and that there would be an announcement shortly.

The King couldn't stop to think about announcements or houses, or the spiral staircase to his bedroom that he never thought he'd see again-

Not when Reian wasn't breathing in his arms...

"Right here, perfect-"

Songcai helped him place the boy in the bed, then went about the room, taking what felt like everything off the shelves.

"What's wrong with him?" Yi-jun wiped the tears off his face.

"He expended all his energy, and likely has only a small amount of spiritual power left, if any. No one is supposed to survive doing what he did-"

As Songcai went to reach for Reian's belt, Yi-jun caught his hand. They met eyes...

The King didn't breathe as he said;

"I don't care what he did. I don't need to know what happened yet. Just, tell me what I can do to help save him, Jin-cai... please."

Songcai nodded after drawing in a deep, steadying breath.

"I'm going to transfer a large amount of my own energy into him," he said carefully.

"It will be difficult to tell if it's doing anything for a while, so we have to be patient."

The King pursed his lips and glanced down at the boy.

"Would it help if I did the same?"

His lover grabbed his hand and squeezed it, saying softly;

"No. I worry it would upset his soul to have too much going on at once,"

When Songcai saw that Yi-jun was frowning, he made the King look at him again. Songcai had that expression like he was preparing to go to war. It startled Yi-jun and comforted him at the same time...

"The best thing you can do, my love, is hold his hand."

Yi-jun felt Songcai still gripping his, so the King nodded, "I will hold yours too."

His lover smiled and Yi-jun knew he understood; I will be with you, I will be here...

With Songcai rushing around preparing things that Yi-jun couldn't understand, including taking off his as well as Reian's outer robes, the King stood beside the raised bed and gazed down at the boy, whose lips were purple and cheeks hollow-

You will not die today, I promise. Not when I have someone for you to meet... not when, I never got a chance to tell you what you mean to me.

As Songcai began, the King held onto Reian. He had the thought a couple times that this must have been what it was like for Wen Rei, standing over Jin Yu's bed, not knowing if he'd survive the night.

Much more happened during that trip that changed him but because it scared him, Reian would never tell me-

Xie Yi-jun held his hand, despite everything he didn't know. Despite everything that both Songcai and Reian had kept from him. He held on because it was what you do when you love somebody. You hold on, and you don't let go.

I won't let go. Wen Reian... don't let go.