CHAPTER 308: COME BACK, SHIAO YI

Dominic returned to Shiao Yi’s side.

No matter who came with messages or orders, he would not leave and go to the castle.

While combing Shiao Yi’s hair gently with his fingers, Dominic spoke again, making sure Shiao Yi could hear him even if he slept.

"You still haven’t woken up, so I haven’t gone to the castle. I haven’t sent in the report to Lord Quintus, and I haven’t answered any of the king’s repeated summons. As long as you keep sleeping like this, I will stay here and never leave your side."

Suddenly, Shiao Yi’s eyes opened wide.

"Don’t slack off!"

He shouted.

"What?!"

He woke up?

Shiao Yi actually woke up?

And the first thing he did was yell at him?

The sudden shock, with no warning at all, froze Dominic in place.

Shiao Yi stared back at him, studying his face.

They stayed like that for a moment, looking at each other.

Then a fierce joy rose up inside Dominic, overflowing uncontrollably.

"Shiao Yi! You woke up! Shiao Yi!"

Dominic immediately grabbed Shiao Yi and lifted him up in both arms while rubbing his cheek against Shiao Yi’s soft cheek.

He didn’t know how to express this joy.

All he could do was hold Shiao Yi and rub their cheeks together again and again, wanting to feel him, confirm he was real.

"Ow! Dominic, that hurts!"

Shiao Yi weakly pushed at him with his arms, trying to resist, but Dominic’s ears completely ignored such complaints.

Shiao Yi had come back!

Ah... it wasn’t enough.

He needed more of Shiao Yi.

Smack!

A sharp, unapologetic sound echoed.

Shiao Yi had smacked Dominic on the head with real force.

...

"Shiao Yi! You finally came. Everyone has been waiting for you."

"Welcome back, Shiao Yi! From now on, we’ll always be together."

"Let’s all go together!"

Voices echoed in this endless dark space.

Before he realized it, the members of the B.O.W were standing there.

There was the beautiful Susu, cheerful Jingyan, and kind Maozhen who loved books.

They were all there.

The familiar faces waved at him with bright smiles.

What was this? They were alive? Was the war not over yet?

Was being sent to the front lines just a dream?

Shiao Yi started to run toward them, but then he stopped.

Go back? No.

The ones he should go with were not them.

Someone important wasn’t there.

That place wasn’t where he belonged.

In an instant, everyone from the B.O.W unit dissolved into tiny glowing particles and vanished.

A sudden fear pushed Shiao Yi forward and he turned on his heel and ran.

Then, a girl appeared in his path.

It was Lia.

"Brother Shiao Yi. I’ve been waiting. I... I liked you. I wanted to be your wife. I’m scared. I don’t want my officer to touch me! I don’t want to die! I’m so scared. Please... go with me. Please take me with you."

Her fluffy brown hair, big blue eyes, and the little freckles on her nose make her look so cute.

He remembered how she begged him to take her first time and how he held her.

But, he was sorry.

She was not the one he wanted to stay with.

The one he wanted to be with forever was someone else.

That person was waiting for him.

Goodbye, Lia.

Lia’s figure dissolved into sparkling particles and fading away together with the tears falling from her eyes.

Shiao Yi walked forward through the pure black emptiness.

There was no ground under his feet, yet somehow, with every step he took, he felt himself moving.

It was strange.

Huh?

A house suddenly appeared.

It was a small house in the suburbs, without a yard.

That was his childhood home, the place where he was born.

He felt a sudden warmth.

He remembered more than he thought.

The front door opened and a woman stepped out.

It was his mother.

His young mother looked exactly the same as she had been when they were separated when he was four years old.

She saw him and reached out with both arms.

"Shiao Yi! Welcome home! You came back! I’ve been waiting for you! I knew you would return. My sweet child. Come here!"

Mom!

He had only been four, but he still remembered her.

Tears began to rose in his eyes, filled with deep love and aching nostalgia.

Mom... I wanted to see you again.

I wanted you to hold me in your warm arms.

Mom, were you doing well?

While everyone else had looked at him with fear and calling him a monster, she always protected him, always loved him.

When the authorities came to take him away, she had fought the soldiers even though she was scared.

He wanted to be held in his mother’s arms again.

Step by step, Shiao Yi moved forward little by little.

However, at some point his feet stopped.

No... that wasn’t it.

His home was no longer there.

His place to return to was no longer with his mother.

The place he needed to go back to was the place where that person was.

That was the only place he belonged now.

His mother’s figure and the familiar house vanished in a soft sweep of light.

Only the black empty space remained.

He felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It felt like this had happened before.

Was he dying?

Or had he already died?

No, he didn’t have time to get lost.

He had to go back.

Back to that person.

Wait... who was that person?

He couldn’t remember.

But he knew it very clearly that this person was extremely, extremely important to him.

Being in this black emptiness made everything feel blurry and uncertain.

It’s make him scared.

But he would never let go.

That person was one of his most important memories.

He would never forget.

Guhh!!

Suddenly, a crushing pressure smashed down on him and Shiao Yi felt himself pressed flat against an invisible space.