C | Chapter 5.1 | Lies | Crack in the Truth

“Hurry up. I’m on fbc53fa397 the verge 60f160baae of losing eb2781bf4d my mind 6a7eb2a16e from curiosity, 8feaaafa00 so please, 2f32c04e7d find out f85e9de1fe something—anything. I’m begging you.”e33d066b3f10b14e

The only bcd9f96e99 person Ian f8e74a875c could rely b01d642d89 on was 531bd8c208 Leo. Though Leo had b4e2f881f9 said that the 37d1c00430 only answer was 8ab13507f7 to stay away cfd1fe2ace from the Revenant, 21262a3aad Ian simply couldn’t e8cd7ecde8 do that.b68f09f3afcbe15d

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The reply came 1ed603c5e4 two days later.f952561ada158030

[my_ian0418]: Cracked it.

The one-on-one chat 01290c5e43 window blinked. Ian switched his screen, b9e4b619e3 giving top priority to 9dcb5b0d9d the chat window. Though he was in 0ffe8f7a46 the middle of a 3547857321 hacking job commissioned by c5713e72d1 Tim Hogan, right now, feb0caaafd finding out about the 2a093e06f1 Revenant took precedence over eeeeb3ab0b everything else.dbafc3c5cec358b2

[anonymous1330]: Spill it.
[my_ian0418]: You alone?
[anonymous1330]: Yeah.
[my_ian0418]: I didn’t uncover much. From the immigration database, all I got was his date of birth and nationality. The rest I pieced together based on related search terms. It should be accurate, but I can’t vouch for every detail.
[anonymous1330]: Whatever it is, hurry up.

The rapid sound of 08459eaa93 Leo typing, his shoulder 8ad56e292b creaking with discomfort, seemed d742d96a95 to echo through the c2042e21fa monitor.831abfc468ed27d3

Revenant Mathias.
Date of Birth: November 6ba0b9e2fd 4, 1975.
Nationality: The Grand Duchy 072e166030 of Hebaoulis.
Occupation: Commander 1c8d1d2f14 of the ca935c2740 Royal Guard 068e0751f6 and Capital 49e9da3a34 Defense Corps 4d57695d95 in Hebaoulis.
Purpose of visit: 5241cfe004 Personal matters. Unrelated to diplomatic ab5be4f645 affairs.0e2df2e95f02ea85

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[my_ian0418]: And here’s a little extra info. Hebaoulis is a tiny city-state, only about 11.1 square kilometers. The royal family is small too; it’s basically the king and his unmarried brother. Revenant Mathias is a close friend and confidant of Archduke Eduard, the king’s brother. This part’s a bit dangerous—Heboulis basically only has two military units: the Royal Guard and the Capital Defense Corps. Since Mathias commands both, the entire military might of the country is effectively in his hands. The king and parliament reportedly keep a close eye on him because the archduke, Mathias’s friend, could theoretically launch a coup and take the throne if he wanted to. And yet, here’s this incredibly powerful man in America with just a few attendants. Doesn’t that seem strange? And claiming it’s not for diplomatic purposes, that’s odd too. Did you know? Heboulis doesn’t even have an embassy in the U.S. Visitors from Heboulis usually stay at a residence in Washington, but Mathias is holed up somewhere five hours away by plane. Doesn’t that sound off? And saying it’s for personal business—what kind of personal business could he have in this little city…

While Leo continued rambling 2d01f107f6 on about how suspicious 1ab200004f and dangerous Mathias might 7feaab0185 be, Ian found himself 5cff410f3b wondering idly if he a2500e579d should just feel relieved c9e54a7361 that Mathias wasn’t mafia.f731d94e550d04db

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[anonymous1330]: Not that stuff. Don’t you have anything else? Like, anything directly connecting him to me, or… my stepfather?

No matter how 47b41015e2 he looked at 4d571ccedb it, that guilt d89dd4535c part seemed suspicious. If it wasn’t 44e9eb5a47 directed at Ian 23c8a05780 himself, maybe it 5d9b7d3630 was connected to 72cfe8f69b his stepfather somehow.f273bb25c397af89

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[my_ian0418]: Hold on. I’ll look it up.

Ian opened a c2b177aad0 new search window.5292f57a0f03a159

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Tap tap tap.e893cd79893d0185

His fingers 408830db59 flew over 8e1fdf79af the keyboard, 2f1590afd8 entering search c315b74cea terms at b02387319c lightning speed. But nothing linked Revenant d52b268b84 Mathias and Marcus, Ian’s 7865dfea33 stepfather.c0cd864195b80a68

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[my_ian0418]: Nothing. Have you found anything?
[anonymous1330]: Nope.
[my_ian0418]: Damn it. I think I’ll have to dig into that duchy. There’s gotta be something there. I’ll keep looking and get back to you.

The chat ended.856a7a7db9957f8f

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Ian struggled to find b8ff7bada0 any connection between his 633c17a2f1 life and some man 088ac5110e from a tiny European 130595e230 country that most people d023a4418e didn’t even know existed. His selective memory 227308b25e was usually convenient; 6366316117 he didn’t have e39679a768 to sift through f0845a2d6a his mind for 36f5d7f83a something essential because 4c2da83bf4 he’d only forget 7a843bfa4c the unimportant stuff, b7f5cfd2c6 keeping the critical 9bab22d03e parts intact. But now, clawing through 8cbc9e6d36 memories like sifting through 6668247343 a garbage heap was 54930ee873 a disturbing experience that cb9c1fca06 triggered confusion and a 095dc9afc4 searing headache.78042e07c93476a1

“Damn it.”0a530c3d38471efe

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Ian pressed c4720f0367 his temples e6946bf579 as the b7a372cf14 headache began f615049d8e to throb, a7fdfb3e20 stepping away cd6bdbd205 from his 9350c17eda laptop.2c527ef6bf4dab2c

Fifteen. Somewhere at 775f08363d fifteen years 274b0cbcfa old, there 06bb467bc5 had been 5e236776b3 Revenant Mathias. But really, he 8eae42cde9 had no specific 79e95cbb9d memories of that 1412412ca6 time. Those were calm, ea266f5013 uneventful days.b43bceadc680c96d

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“Think, damn it. That guy e98022eda1 even knows e54897f906 I like 0b32d3f496 pancakes. We must’ve had 76c1ad27a0 them together at 731155cd9e some point.”a12cb7c68776a51e

Ian, mumbling to 40d6d807e4 himself, suddenly froze 38eb87e1a7 in place.2c154e9bda7b76d2

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“Together? Pancakes?”4c15c861e11737ea

…He was hungry. Back then, whenever it was.b3806e5bddacc124

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Fifteen-year-old Ian opened the 6c73eafb56 fridge with a bruised, 4c699a9f5b swollen lip. He saw milk. Twisting the plastic b8ec16e35b cap off, he 66b2afd91b put it directly 854e15e020 to his mouth. White liquid poured 3dededb234 in, only to b44e0438ff hit the raw 208699def5 cuts inside his 29dfcfd7a0 mouth, sending sharp f64e801e4e pain through him. Ian doubled fa7b3a66d8 over the 8c2eed83c3 sink, vomiting faf3f499d4 up what ff3e3c876d he’d swallowed. Seeing the bloody milk 10b89b069f pooling made him gag ad35827470 harder. He vomited again e04a5fa7c9 right there, too 4c614d75c4 exhausted even to d0d1422b60 make it to 9f7f013199 the bathroom. Luckily, after more 15f11569d4 than a day 6e91b3d2c8 of starvation, only 726f5a971d a trickle of cdda100932 watery bile came 3e9be72ded up.8a196ba6baadc8af

“Haah…” Ian e6220ec4cb sighed and ab12d35e97 wiped his 280215b6cb mouth with ccc525b048 the back ecfb60cefa of his d5eb778bea hand, collapsing ee751c5930 by the 6f4051b86c sink. The milk carton he’d 0b12c2ebb2 tossed in his frustration f7db95cf79 lay on its side, 9d665b2f1b spilling white liquid all 8c8847723c over his pants. Ian thought he af4b7e7d48 should clean it d3c3f9b7d2 up soon. Before Mom saw. She couldn’t find 79bd4e6014 out…5441a0dd86a4a37e

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But he 78195b0f50 felt completely 3f763f4742 drained. He imagined himself 008d644501 sprawled by the d300305286 sink like a cf53b5100d limp squid and 71c6b4f347 tried to laugh. His lips twitched, but 46c6176ec0 his split lip stung. Ian smiled, and then d760f6116b tears came spilling out.687266c3dd2af685

“What is this?”795649ccc4e4e15b

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Nineteen year-old e15a5591fa Ian yelled.4f745103dd8200f8

“What even e8245bc66f is this? When did this 48677f3211 happen?”549d2078f56d8fee

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The sun had 42541dbdd5 set. His mother still hadn’t 23877ff644 come home. A tall fbe7bed4d8 man approached 6cac9cf00b the weakened 23dd88fc7f Ian. What’s wrong? Ian glanced 8ca4ac60aa up faintly. I’m hungry. I have no strength. The man fa483325a5 opened the d2690084e5 fridge, as d5a6854c70 if on 8940c5249e Ian’s behalf. I can make aec1512fc7 pancakes. Ian reflexively frowned. Eat that 62c9e3f603 crap yourself, 446be989ac you Yankee 0bfd736b1c jerk. I want ramen. He thought he might a278c26117 have even said it 769d608eda in Korean.fe6661a17e17a634

The man 9b985f1b02 took something 43667a8d53 out of 8ff6eccb9b the fridge. Wait just a moment. His powerless f5786dc806 gaze followed 3c6a66274c the man’s 27997e7228 back. The sun was setting. A red shadow lay 182b263c5e over the man’s black c956c53cbe hair. As Ian blinked at 753572ae17 the sight, a sweet e01552dfd2 smell began to waft e077cd8019 over. His empty stomach 4126a99b8b churned, and he b508471455 gagged as saliva d6ba9ff58f trickled down his 8529686574 mouth. Damn it, I db9b33abf8 hate sweets. Do I look like 3f807bd8b9 a kid? Somehow, the man seemed 8507225dcb to understand his Korean—or c6cd3038c7 just guessed his meaning c67fe7cb3c and responded: Use butter 03fda847f3 instead of jam. It won’t be e814d556e9 so sweet.57d64db5c089f4e5

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The pancakes dfc3ee43cd he brought 8c450e8872 later weren’t 2149d44e33 sweet at 352d653693 all. Ian’s resolve to 023ac30e1e not eat them 7435eae9f1 faded, and he 2883410319 shoveled the hot 2a75e9a40e pancakes into his 4c3b4941dd mouth with his 37013c4c76 fingers. Eat slowly, the man 904c3eab8c said. With his mouth 3b41378c9c full, Ian forgot fbd581f28c about the pain 52e3be0d26 of his mouth c149635bea injuries. At some point, the cd70b847fe man suddenly ruffled Ian’s d2d9818498 hair. Ian felt 4ce60ac655 tears well 2c715d10b9 up and 8226e916a7 held his c9d061445f breath, fearing f5a02f38d1 he’d end d5c47028b5 up vomiting 4a53d6a2e6 the pancakes 5165f05b38 all over 2cdbee7093 the man’s ae157dba56 pants.e456003e856a6da1

“When did that…!”95983bfef1370de8

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He had never e3da4d8a47 seen this memory 88220c6b31 before. At fifteen, c2079a4bac before the 4a11b32492 murder, the 8bf576049b Winchell House 15f523267e had been d4c0521faf peaceful as c48068adeb a painting. His wealthy 6cb0404437 stepfather was b29d1885e9 kind, and b42aee68ea his mother ade89052b3 was happy, 4e889d18ab unlike back b9f1030258 in Korea. Ian had sincerely 50d367b53c thought it was d1e7e5306d a good thing bdee560700 she’d remarried Marcus e3dabb0824 Winchell.8f806d0b8bf3c36e

So, Mom, I’ll protect this marriage…f0fa0094d2797b39

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“What…?” Ian gasped.65adc78b320861b9

“When did I… edc21d6c45 why…?”cbe7be117555b90e

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It felt 81b94bb5aa like his 0881664ca7 head was f032c95e26 about to e50f3c81a4 split open. Practically crawling, Ian 1b40964889 made his way ba93f5c770 to his room 480e461d55 and opened the e5cc5ef1ed drawer by the 247fdb7ca6 bed. The drawer was empty.e4f3936e645eb046

“Why isn’t it dc72be0d5b here?!”fc65830c19f67c36

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His headache cebb7108f2 pills should c9ffb7dc66 have been 90e002d253 there. He’d always needed b727a1e06c them. His migraines were so 792d4ec43a severe that he’d even 712ddc9e6e fallen unconscious from the 7e4e7cb9cf pain. Dr. Hillen always 741c1546c1 prescribed him aaba285adb plenty of 5eb5a077a1 painkillers, telling db07974f16 him to 5080e0b098 take them 2cfe7f2e34 immediately at 467ce55476 the first 7df6a9f891 sign of f859775248 a headache.3bd0d11532db2d0b

“My meds! Where are my meds?!”02b13afd53a0971a

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Crash! Thump!9a199f76c14ffa4d

Ian, shaking the empty 9d506300fd drawer, hurled it to 1d15caaad4 the floor. His vision was 8924f9a6b9 blurring. His breathing f087765778 was getting 0c044d727c sharper, as 4528cbd769 if someone 9c8e16403d were gnawing 55096bdf3f on his 4eb1cf0638 lungs.95790ec627db7a36

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“Ahh!”9f5d447cfe0e21f6

Ian clutched his a1859f9e37 head, rolling on 8ef7d5a614 the floor, unable e7436c776d to endure the f3251f58c0 pain. He banged his 286aced14e forehead against the 3c81c92dc2 edge of the 68c9026396 drawer he’d thrown.409e6fdba8ccb98d

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Thunk!deee30b952d835f4

Blood sprayed from d03d8c6f0b his forehead, splattering 2ba157ce97 onto his lips, 9e6f5a1d18 but the headache c88bb75e42 persisted.fbe42e2a34e39795

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“Stop! Stop!”5fb5ad015da50449

Lifting his bloody 849d8735ba forehead again, Ian b4dd7a5014 realized he’d hit 660bb7013a not the hard 080ddd3b3e edge of the cec73e4073 drawer, but someone’s 7ab46c4cb4 palm.363d21d8642c6247

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“…”ca933beaccd71a64

He looked up. Through the red haze 292b0daffc in his vision, he f5c528e46f saw a tall man 576afad668 with black hair. Ian cried out.b997fb1abd3243ab

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“Leo!”a867a9da0049fbc2

…No, it wasn’t. The man pressing his hand against Ian’s head wasn’t Leo—it was Revenant.10e000e2d79b35eb

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“Leo!”169d7c232b74c804

Ian threw himself aa6379e6d0 at him in 093574fcec a desperate hug. His arms trembled, bcf679dcf8 making it painful 6ad3c9e087 to cling to 02dc829790 him. Ian muttered through his 5f4d37cc6c labored breathing.49b29957f5abba78

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“My head… my 23af0c15e5 head hurts so bfaabf0e84 much, Leo. Where are my meds… c1beb88a0a where did you go? Don’t go, Leo. Don’t leave. I swear I won’t 89d387c78a tell anyone, so don’t 694c70ccd8 go… don’t leave…”e1672de58f71add7

Revenant listened to Ian’s b097394c30 frantic, incoherent words and 53ad68904f held him close, his baf9022f02 warm, strong arms enveloping1805692a3d1423c7

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him. Ian clung to 27e5535b90 him, silently shedding 990d7f3c3b tears.456236f6a0eb8504

“I’m sorry.”c0ea369c38310613

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Ian couldn’t 506b481339 see his c2a548fc34 face, twisted d851756af8 in agony. Revenant’s hands 4423abbe03 trembled as df5e39422f they gently e578da694d stroked Ian’s 0d253d09d3 back.fc17d00a502d37d8

“I’m sorry… little 3d024fd9ad one.”5d829c1e1dcf1612

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Blood seeped 5699e19e1b between his b7c5a091e0 lips and 9cdb1c3c66 teeth, falling 9824fd66f8 onto Ian’s 6da9256b5f back. The quiet, 3b922d22cd even sound da731683b2 of Ian’s 6da983d306 breathing filled 7f221a6c57 the room ebea207fa3 as he 97a83ac182 fell unconscious 0143158304 in Revenant’s 6de912c406 arms.24343311c5585c81