C | Chapter 11.5 | Conclusion | Crack in the Perm

Ian buried his tear-streaked face against the Revenant’s chest, trembling as he wept silently, having poured out so many words to hold on to him. Now, he needed no words. His sobs expressed everything. The Revenant felt the part of him he had left behind with Ian slot back into place.

The Revenant’s hand moved slowly along Ian’s back, and he pulled him close, savoring the warmth of his presence. He whispered softly.

“Could you really… live with a beast your whole life?”

Ian’s answer was the same as always, as if it had never wavered.

“…Take me like a beast.”

The Revenant let out a satisfied, low growl as he tilted Ian’s chin up. Their lips met, and his tongue entered immediately, searching hungrily. Ian parted his lips desperately. A fierce, primal sensation flowed from their lips, surging through him down to his toes, coursing through every inch of his skin and down to the last cell.

Between shallow breaths as their mouths momentarily parted, Ian whispered softly.

“You’re mine. Every inch of you.”

The Revenant laughed.

“Gladly.”

No more words were needed.

The darkness rising from their burnt tragedy wrapped around them both as they melted into each other within it. The darkness was alright. Sometimes Ian’s deep brown eyes seemed like gemstones crafted from the darkest night.

The two only moved after a long while had passed. When Ian turned his head, he saw Leo Sebastian, holding up a slightly dirtied music box, smiling shyly.

“This… doesn’t seem broken. It’s perfectly fine.”

He said with a sheepish grin.

“Hey, I’m saying the pizza’s getting cold! How would you guys feel about eating cold pizza? Ian’s got a picky taste and won’t eat anything that isn’t good. I went all the way over two miles to find another convenience store just to get his favorite soda. What about that?”

When the three of them finally left the mansion, it was deep into the night. The faint stars were scattered across the unremarkable night sky, and the clear, mild weather made it seem even more expansive and peaceful.

“Hey, isn’t that Timmy? Timmy! What are you doing out here?”

Holding an extra-large pizza box in each hand, Leo raised one hand to wave as he noticed Tim Hogan in a heated argument with the Revenant’s bodyguards. A look of relief spread over Tim Hogan’s face.

“Hey! What’s going on? Did you find what you were looking for? I got back here ages ago, but these people… damn it, they wouldn’t let me in. Anyway, is everything sorted out? I see you’re coming out, so I guess it all worked out? Right?”

Everyone could sense the situation both inside and outside the mansion. Sometimes, a clear ending was all that mattered, regardless of the process.

“How’s Ian? Is he alright?”

Ian nodded faintly, smiling.

“Yeah. I’m okay. Thanks for worrying.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. You hungry? Damn, I got three boxes of pizza, but they’re probably all cold now. Do you still want some?”

“Thanks, but I’m not that hungry. I just want to go rest. I’m tired.”

“Ah, right, makes sense. So, are we good to go now? Everything really okay?”

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Despite his words, Tim Hogan seemed a bit disappointed that everything had been handled while he was gone. The pizza boxes in his arms seemed to grow twice as heavy.

“I thought we’d be here all night…”

Muttering to himself, he turned back toward Dr. Hillen’s car, which he’d arrived in.

“Alright, then, let’s head back. We’re going back to that hospital, right?”

“No.”

This time, it wasn’t Ian who answered, but the Revenant. He instinctively pulled Ian close, possessively making it clear he wasn’t about to let go.

“…Ian, who is this guy?”

Tim Hogan felt a bit intimidated by the Revenant’s threatening aura, which seemed directly aimed at him. He still hadn’t resolved his initial doubts about Georg, the first person who had entered his studio.

“Wait, did you borrow money from these guys or something? How much?”

“Hah.”

Leo bit his lip to suppress a laugh, while Ian looked slightly apologetic, and the Revenant’s intimidating presence intensified. His glare, instead of silently watching, seemed to say, “Better to be honest and just say, ‘This is mine, don’t touch,’ rather than giving that ‘who are you’ stare.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then why are you stuck to him? Why haven’t you moved from his side since back there?”

“This…”

Ian chuckled briefly.

“I’m the one holding on.”

“What…?”

Tim Hogan blinked in disbelief. Honestly, anyone would. Not only was it the Revenant’s demeanor but the ever-present sense of threat surrounding him and his bodyguards.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s Leo.”

“Oh… Oh, I see…”

Still, Tim Hogan didn’t let go of his suspicion so easily.

“But… even so. Are you sure you’re alright? These people seem, well… a bit too… Are you sure you’re not in danger?”

“He said I’m not.”

“No, but can you really trust them? After all, given everything… well, with the crimes they’ve committed… the whole murder thing… uh, I mean, my point is… can you trust a criminal like this? Isn’t there a chance of more danger…”

Tim Hogan mustered his courage to ask, even as he faced the Revenant’s increasingly threatening gaze.

Bang, bang, bang, bang…

The suspicious sound echoed through the quiet night air.

“It… it sounds… That noise… it’s coming from the trunk. This guy’s a criminal; he might have someone locked in there…”

Bang! Bang!

As if proving his suspicion, the trunk was being hit from the inside, with a desperate pounding sound. Before the Revenant could speak, Georg explained.

“It’s the lawyer.”

“Who? Lloyd Gillen?”

“Figured you’d left him, so I just put him in the trunk.”

Tim Hogan inhaled sharply and shouted.

“He really did lock someone in the trunk! These people are total criminals! And you’re telling me it’s not dangerous? Ian Winchell, you’re putting your trust in the wrong people!”

The Revenant, glancing at the flustered Tim Hogan, then instructed Georg in a voice meant to be heard.

“That was unnecessary. Let him out. We don’t want to look like criminals.”

Ian nodded silently. Leo patted Tim Hogan’s shoulder reassuringly, saying, “See? They’re not that bad.”

However, Georg’s reaction was a bit different than expected.

“…Here? You want him released right here?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“His ankle’s fine.”

“Still…”

“Don’t argue. Let him out.”

“…You’re ruthless. There are eyes watching, you know.”

Grumbling about how they were bound to look like criminals if they kept this up, Georg opened the trunk, and out stumbled Lloyd Gillen, bloody and battered, collapsing to the ground as he scrambled to escape the car. Tim Hogan, unaware of what had happened inside the mansion, screamed, while Leo patted his shoulder again, explaining, “That guy’s the real criminal. He even ordered a hit on us, tried to kill both me and Ian.”

“Huff… huff!”

Lloyd Gillen began to limp away, uttering incomprehensible sounds. His mind was clouded by fear, leaving him with only one thought—to flee. Despite his condition, he managed to disappear surprisingly quickly into the darkness. Georg muttered toward the direction he had vanished.

“If he’d behaved, I’d have at least driven him to the city.”

The Revenant interrupted coldly.

“He’s a man unworthy of such mercy.”

“If he walks much, he’ll die. Didn’t you leave him alive on purpose?”

“He’ll walk only as much as he can manage to survive.”

Though Lloyd Gillen’s mind wasn’t entirely intact, his wallet and phone were still in his jacket pocket. Once he regained his senses, he could make a call or catch a cab if he had to.

“Let’s go back.”

Georg politely opened the limousine door. The Revenant allowed Ian to enter first before following him inside. Ian craned his neck to look for Leo over the Revenant’s shoulder.

“You’re giving Leo and Tim a ride too, right?”

“If you want.”

“Leo, come on, let’s go together. We’ll give you a ride.”

Leo shook his head.

“Nah, I’d like to, but I need to take the car back. My uncle’s really picky about his stuff. If I leave it, he’ll be furious. He might even tell me to get readmitted to the hospital.”

“Oh, that makes sense. You had the car. Tell Dr. Hillen thank you. And thanks to you too. Be safe.”

“Alright.”

Just as Georg was about to close the door, Leo seemed to remember something and lowered his head, calling out to Ian.

“Oh, Ian! The music box! You have to take it!”

Leo held out the music box urgently, and the Revenant gently took it back.

“Oh…? Why…?”

“I think it should stay with you.”

“Huh?”

“We’re leaving as we are.”

“Where are you going?”

There was no answer. But it was a foolish question. Leo lowered his head, murmuring sadly.

“You’re going to Hebaulis.”

The one who seemed most surprised by that was Ian. He grasped the Revenant’s arm, asking again.

“Oh, really? Right away?”

“Is there something else?”

“No, it’s just… if we leave now, I’ll never be able to come back. But my mother… I feel like I should make a proper grave for her. Lloyd Gillen said he buried her somewhere else, so we could find her, right? I have to find her.”

Once Lloyd Gillen was caught, and the investigation proceeded, he would eventually confess, and a search for the body would begin. Ian didn’t know how long that would take, only that police investigations didn’t wrap up quickly like they did on TV. Even with his stepfather’s case, it had taken so long that the survivors had almost given up. Ian gently squeezed the Revenant’s hand.

“It’ll take time, and we’ll be apart for a while. And I’ll worry… but if I do this, we can be together for good.”

His heart trembled faintly, but with the promise of staying together, it was okay. Ian reluctantly grasped the opposite car door’s handle.

“Go on. I’ll get out.”

As Ian opened the door to get out, the Revenant swiftly wrapped his arm around his waist.

“No.”

“Oh, but I…”

The Revenant turned Ian to face him, his icy blue eyes darkening as if they would tear something apart.

“You’re okay with being apart? Who’s okay with that?”

“I mean, just for a while. And you’re running away… Once I’ve arranged the funeral properly, and once I’ve sorted things out, I can come, and then we’ll…”

“It’s never okay. Close the door.”

Georg quickly circled around to the other side, slamming the half-open door shut. It was a polite but hurried motion. In the meantime, the Revenant took the music box from Leo, who stood there awkwardly.

“Let’s go.”

As the door slammed shut and Georg got into the front seat, the car began to move. Ian, startled, tried to push the Revenant’s hand away.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re staying together.”

“But the situation is…”

The situation wasn’t particularly complicated, though Ian didn’t realize it. The Revenant lowered the screen between the front seat and gave Georg an instruction.

“Call Director Oakley. Tell him to send the pardon, with no strings attached. I don’t care what the debt is.”

“Are you sure?”

“There’s no other choice.”

Ian was the only one who didn’t fully understand the Revenant’s words.

“…Director? A pardon?”

“Yes.”

“No, just explain it properly. Does that mean you won’t have to be on the run anymore?”

“It means there’s no reason for us to be apart. Not even temporarily.”

With a hint of playful spite, the Revenant pulled Ian close, making him sit on his lap. As the screen clicked shut, he didn’t waste any time before sucking on the nape of Ian’s neck.

“Just for a while? How ridiculous.”

“What… what are you…”

“Who says it’s okay?”

The Revenant muttered, “For someone so young, you say the darndest things,” and pressed his lips against Ian’s skin, drawing in deep breaths. When Ian shifted uncomfortably, the Revenant slid a hand under his thigh, parting his legs. His lips worked busily on the edge of Ian’s collar.

“Stop… hold on…”

Ian struggled, pressing his forehead against the Revenant’s, but his protest was weak.

“Who says it’s okay?”

The Revenant muttered irritably, sucking insistently on Ian’s skin. When Ian’s resistance softened, he lowered him into the seat. The weight of the Revenant’s thigh pressed heavily against Ian’s, and his breath brushed over his ear as he whispered.

“If you want to stay here longer, just say so. If you want to hold another funeral, just ask me to prepare it. I’ll do whatever you want. But don’t talk about being apart, even for a while.”

“….”

Ian finally realized that the Revenant was furious about his suggestion of being apart temporarily. Not exactly angry but anxious… maybe even sulking.

“Alright. But if I do everything I want, what will happen to you? I need to know, too.”

“Are you really a kid?”

“I’m not a kid.”

The look in Ian’s eyes seemed to say, “If anyone’s acting childish here, it’s you.” The Revenant brushed his tongue over Ian’s eyelid and eyelashes. In this moment, he was undoubtedly a beast, expressing his emotions physically.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Big words, coming from someone who was going to run away.”

“Stay in your place like a good kid.”

Acting like a mischievous adult, the Revenant grinned and slowly undressed Ian.

“Now, just stay like this.”

I’ll handle everything else. The missing parts of your life, the pieces you lost… I’ll fill them in for you.

With that single sentence came a multitude of unspoken promises. Understanding what he meant, Ian opened his arms and held him close, whispering low.

“Be prepared. I’m a high price to pay.”

The Revenant’s response was the same, as if no other answer could possibly exist.

“Gladly.”

Their smiles intertwined as their lips touched, and their warmth blended together.

Outside the speeding car, a gentle, clear darkness—like Ian’s eyes—settled peacefully around them.