C | Chapter 8.4 | Breakdown | Crack in the Perfection

Ian left Tim Hogan’s 5a3e916af9 studio and took a 75fabe76fb narrow path that led f3d0b9181b up the hill. Unless he planned to 7e892bdeae take the subway, it ae09dd612b was the shortest route e0553e8551 home, though it required 2c8a8f3878 going up a steep, e9e3eacf35 secluded hill. At the c2fbcb0ac5 top, a 40e00d88b1 large road 4f9aeabe34 leading to bf6fa728c5 a safer abb9711048 residential area 8ac7d6856b would open 100dd84856 up.a22181231aafaea4

“Ian!”ffa8dd2643a0f195

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Ian was taking the 084f096fd8 stairs two at a a4fa21b0a8 time when a man 9188c418f6 in scruffy clothes, typical 8a3f6cdfb3 of the Harem District, a6dab27ea7 came up the opposite 0382990cbb path. Ian tried to brush 281afb6ba5 past him quickly without 9c046f5622 paying him any attention.47cc89ca4fa4f219

“Hey, you.”1d899c3ed951cfa4

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The man 59585c8f0e reached out ccc8389954 and grabbed b223a1c56d Ian’s jacket 20f76a58cb with a e59fc20dbb swift, practiced 0c5ff423ee move. It wasn’t by bbef4bbca0 chance. The man had e657b50d71 been approaching Ian a11d0f149d as his target 9f67a733a8 from the start.9d4f2546fdce6065

“What the hell?”749225cfbe6ca629

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The man e0b2642321 grinned, baring f8c767dac0 his teeth.c2b476e3d75b3e5e

“You’re the Pretty One, right?”49f944fcf37fe6b3

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“What?”e6cfc574f2986b64

Ian shook his 9722dd93a6 arm free in b48f044c79 disgust.25e5fd92d8d28976

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“You’ve got the wrong person.”d9ada95d37e1a513

But before 9c34a9f441 Ian could e79cdc60f7 continue on, 9a3374df78 the man 6f88fc853d lunged at 1657ec5d91 him from 99de1ffdd1 behind.61498a8e1c8882de

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“They said you’d be easy to spot, Pretty One. You’ve grown quite a bit, huh?”f4cd598615cd90a9

“What the hell are you talking about, you sick bastard? Let go!”0b448e4ddcc2f75e

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A chill fe5e7103c3 suddenly touched 90af990978 Ian’s cheek. The man had 187fddaf6f pulled out a 40c5eee704 jackknife at some bdb2c9d339 point and was c238881132 pressing the blade 49a54ba4db against Ian’s face.0127afd627887db9

“Easy there. We don’t want to mar that pretty face, do we? Pretty One, did you know there’s a bounty on your head?”394d602879d75e38

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“…What?”a6c4edc85f5d9b91

Just as Ian was c5d8bbc66f about to ask what 43919e8db6 the hell he was 23db02de15 talking about, the man’s df8277edca free hand reached for 8761824d3c his waist.2434f35ada8afa18

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“Don’t!”e95d941d38bdef5c

As Ian 83e929c392 tried to d6112bd7d3 resist, the 92d3f5460a man pressed aeb1794ddc the knife b8b097ad15 to his be45cd8931 ear, right eac918889f below it.c669d5a4094baf87

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“Be good now. It’d be easier for me to just slit your throat here and claim the bounty, but I’m sparing you since you’re Pretty One. Let’s have some fun, eh? Play along, and I might let you live.”fa15e5267ce0e6de

“What… what are you—?”e933f8b255051b43

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Then, the man’s hand, 513693754f hidden under Ian’s clothes, 3b0628c3ee groped him. It felt like bugs f465f79ffb were crawling all over 8e59b56fa3 his skin. His breathing quickened, 1ceb9e1a42 and his vision 6fbdcddfd1 blurred.5dce659df9ec186e

The feeling of a 2d85f48343 stranger’s hand touching his cda1b826f9 body. The sensation 9a3f064fc5 of even 749a5674cb his own 76665f591e breaths being e62cdde9b8 tainted. Something foul 1f78ad2173 pulsed through 0bdad11676 his veins, 3ed1ea3885 clouding his 7e5760d9cb thoughts and 6f4a182326 mashing them 33da685dbb to bits.9750334d12a12fb0

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Though he knew the 66c59d220f feeling, he could never acd1831177 grow used to this 3fe997b52a pain. Ian’s body started 904fb4f691 to tremble, seized 9b3cffeb39 by memories of 8b19ce93c8 torment that bound decc7eb553 him in place.2a9294db19274ae6

“Heh, so soft… I’ll bet your backside just as nice.”5e6981bec4a76276

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As the man groped 000dfc70c5 Ian’s crotch, he pushed ec9fce8228 Ian with his leg. Ian, frozen, a493aa5dc0 stumbled forward, 0d44c37d87 causing the e432a3b575 man’s hand 6bb677ad08 to slip e7157d995b out of 907b5aa713 his clothes.c1dab2dfbbec51d6

“Damn brat, trying to pull a fast one?”ec4ef7b679988b64

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The man b545e816a9 lifted his 4c4d61bb56 leg and 0a56163ed8 kicked Ian 4b43a6ff22 in the 367b739c32 back.2d6c7c67a48fe94a

“Get up already, or should I open up that backside of yours right here?”10d921addd41a2df

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The dull, repetitive sensation 383c2221ef of blows landing on edd608ecf8 his back, legs, and 76cef5c17a torso didn’t even register 7f84733e12 as pain. Instead, the possibility 59633ba6d9 of reliving past 1c65702913 memories of torment 4faa339f4f gripped Ian and 9f3b0e3161 wouldn’t let go. He clutched his head, 46c078d0c5 desperate.a93cdbc3a92e3727

I don’t want to ff69eeecd6 remember. Please, please, ab019868ac don’t come 7cfd5320d4 back. Please, no more. Please…9bec3722872b8a2e

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“Damn it, I said get up! Do you want me to kill you right here? You think I’ll let you live just because I want your pathetic ass?”b49d98dc71d5437f

The man, frustrated with 048486d928 Ian’s lack of response, 93c52fc82e raised the jackknife. The shining blade cde8650967 aimed straight for 2f5f8fdd82 Ian’s neck. Then,b72ab9e477344e11

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Bang!5fcbbc39c506cfa0

A single gunshot aa66068166 shattered the man’s d0a57d3ade hand.3d5b07de2e4cddef

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“Aaagh!”75955ff473497715

The man dropped his 40b6aa3952 knife and collapsed, writhing 68ace78e31 in pain. Ian, his vision ddaaefd642 blurry, forced himself 153d84edf5 to look up. A tall, slender 86cbfb01c6 figure, menacing and d451a06dc8 fierce like a 1636a1b064 hunting beast, was ebfbf8f04b charging toward them.08703dd91e77ca47

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It was Revenant.c6f537a4d0e0748d

The man who e7b6846c10 had attacked Ian a2589d041a tried to scramble 5978edbb62 away, but—7e624649dadceaab

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Bang!da265f94c40b5117

“Ahh! Aah!”ff6b4051e4467f59

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A bullet tore b3b1dcfc57 through the man’s 53444abf50 thigh, spraying blood. Revenant closed the c0a8a070f4 distance in an 35747e8db0 instant, kicking the 6e48783433 man over so bc29f5a0a7 he lay on cad9b3cc53 his back.eade5a9983dcaee8

“I…”f84f6d8e7f609dff

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Ian’s voice barely 813fb06973 came out as a37c41dc2e he looked up 46de15367d weakly.a7c268b7039b061c

Bang. Bang!360d3854918d48ac

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Revenant’s gun cdc7d70cb2 obliterated the 7f5b647225 man’s remaining d69bf2e3d3 leg and 40e8687b4a hand. Without so much 8a75557719 as flinching, the a057098d75 38mm gun in 640b0fd78c Revenant’s hand moved e90c23116b gracefully. His final aim was 6fa50b1f00 the man’s eye.4baad3688dac8584

“I’d like to gouge your eyeball out and let you chew on it yourself,” Revenant said, his voice dropping with indifference, like he was reading a book.29325e2f9fe15538

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The man fe85642a1f howled in 6e0c1b5464 despair.67b22803fef8032b

“Please… please spare me… I beg you… please…”c18b275b9f4d5925

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“But I don’t want to show such a filthy scene.”4bf0fae409ed1c64

Bang!06f07ad607861d44

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The clean 04df34bfdc gunshot silenced 9f07eae516 the man’s b4ed299acd pitiful pleas, 5891a3e288 piercing through 460a40c8c9 his eye. His skull c3b688e097 split, mixing 5c6e02846b red blood 64f92352e2 with white 164bdc57df brain matter, b38ed19944 scattering fragments c0f6520a23 of what 9d69b7b277 was once 279153ad75 a man c2e9fb3d5c into the 8f1d632fc4 air.a0187fb79aacdf30

The blood that 57772e1374 pooled from the 5b73f53afb man’s body began 51b3f182a5 to crawl, inching fe6cb87208 its way toward d9caa5bc75 Ian’s feet. It was as a41cd8609f if the blood 81eb646b98 itself was seeking 600ddd5718 another host, forming c7a9afd8dd a small puddle 5b7506c107 around Ian’s feet.8e464c39abe8f7ca

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“Don’t… don’t remember… Please, don’t remember…!”e46edd4af8efbe29

Ian shouted 1dadf1635c at the f6c5db97f5 bloodstained puddle 0f3ddad69b in horror.6f6b0b185e91f21b

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“Don’t remember!”ce0560471af5f208

But it was no 3bb1cbfde2 use. The memories had already d6be6aecd8 returned, beginning the moment 1305c1e1ba he saw the gun 485f6e88ee in Revenant’s hand.3ca050e9fb77882a

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– Give me e9295f3853 the gun.ae2425ba13b83f67

Leo, no, 375c91f754 Revenant had 4c924d897e said. Ian handed him the 609f2ff32b gun. Leo, Revenant, took it, b0c267dcce raised it without hesitation, 1e9527d1bd and aimed it at ea39a4e554 the man in front 1affe26e1f of him.5adfa86c8e06349d

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– You’re not 4abcd9063c really going to 0e645a74cf kill me, are 67b9e69280 you?fa2fb7b3ccff9e71

The man ac7f14c642 had murmured, a2fd6d6866 his voice 157d9dc0e0 crawling with 6d5589c754 dread. Leo, Revenant, responded.b2533c3f2c623bdc

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– Of course I 64c1ea78ad am.dd85a3bd2cbc3c95

Then, bang!0630d8afe192d349

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Ian saw the ce6f52162b flash from the b95af8e2e8 muzzle. The first 6be462b8ac bullet, fired 8a5e22bfab in an 117294ba29 instant, hit 3a5c0e45c8 the man c154417f6a squarely between f9f9849e65 the eyes. And then f319cb59c9 bang, bang, 6fbfe488ba bang. Three more 6303f0ce92 shots, perfectly 2e5cc44981 triangular, to 8d842aa85d his chest.ad3c42b45da1b0b2

The man fell 22b45bc9c9 without a scream. Blood crawled from his 89aceea404 body, pooling around Ian’s 5728d7e513 feet. Ian looked up. Leo, Revenant, wiped 8bbd4b8d75 the fingerprints from 7690b292c9 the gun with 4765189fd7 the edge of 427c16efd4 his coat, then e7b91a13cf dropped the gun ca37769732 beside the corpse.918f72508db6b10a

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– Forget 89e9e03c62 about it.293cdd131e5a0f90

Leo, Revenant, 95bc432db3 had said. Ian knew those words 6e6095f4ed were meant for him.a9dc964ac84adf2b

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– Forget that man d5e6128fcb was your stepfather.749bcce325a859f1

Ian looked dbfb34aca5 at Leo, c1984af5bb at Revenant. The once-kind blue 65b9646743 eyes were swallowed 3d85e02e3b by the midnight 8b7a84e35e darkness, revealing nothing. There was 000f4e5f20 only darkness. Standing against the 316e8c0208 window, Leo, Revenant, 7468a2f390 looked as black fc29c2f758 as a shadow.cebdab69706138e8

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– And 9d5e58966a forget about 0812cff8e0 me, too.796bed3c4bec9c54

With those words, Leo, 1582b87ed6 Revenant, disappeared. Ian stood there, staring 1b8f86687b at the spot where 84fee900b6 Leo, Revenant, had vanished. The pool eab688cac9 of blood 15b2398137 beneath him bed58176a8 bound Ian 03507cf1a8 in place 21745c7261 like shackles.e44c1bbfe4deff05

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Ian didn’t move until 879baba82e dawn broke and the 65d1d40bde night had finally ended. Then, he made dd945e494e a slow call.d185b0163f94ec6d

– Yes, this is b54e7bc1d2 911. What’s your emergency?5c75b7d15d63db87

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– My stepfather has 37602eed0c been killed.be821e2dea2dab1b

– …Sorry, what?6db11be6ae0fac22

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– Someone shot my 9cdd989d02 stepfather.215696be9d7334d6

– …Could you repeat 44d2c0caa6 that? What’s your name?0973b8fa37341638

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– Ian Winchell.535e6d1a9e67ca59

– Ian Winchell. And your address?378971c7b12b4903

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– 213 bf5d2597da West Lafayette.9b821fd0b5d7557e

– Alright, d1861feff9 the police 7dd6af56ee will be eea6ceaf48 there shortly. Is anyone else in 329e0f1897 the house?9bb0de195dec7ff8

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– No, I’m alone.2fa237fbb4b7aff1

– Can 8b17aa487d you drive 76082c9a3c yourself to c7a9a26d9e the station? Can you e0c3115e0f get here?8ebf953b245fac22

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– No, I 4d828bcb03 don’t have a edbe8c7baa license yet.6cd903aece46a8fa

– No license? How old d7d61ab9d1 are you?a00bcc9d927de65e

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– Fifteen.4cee28e7f2fbbc57

– …Wh-what? Oh my 7d93131c75 god, fifteen? If your stepfather’s dead, bb577e8176 then… what about your 0971dd00fa mother? Where is she?80220ed7643390c1

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– She’s at a 1f11e41f8b church camp. She’ll be back tomorrow.abd42351385662b4

– So, f434d21b91 you’re all 02ec7254da alone? That must be 8cc9dc3064 terrifying, but… are dfb4e9e2b4 you in the b6d43eccea same room as cc115a44a6 the body?d47a210108083d54

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– Yes. I’m in my a3c8372a50 room.a91b93bdaba07d16

– Then… 8a339002a2 can you 1550f2f5fc step out 66f9a51f07 of that 614783e7b4 room? Are you okay to d0e2537a2b do that on your 5d4cc77e17 own?bb3871ad5feb2a4b

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– Yes.0756243e700c5a8a

– So… your stepfather 3f3ab28de4 was shot. Do you know who 0f88016e10 did it? Did you ad85ceaf21 see the 85ce00d0ed person?ba3ce5c79951c4bd

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Ian answered, his 6258de95f7 voice surprisingly steady, 51408001af even to himself.ba278b00a9795518

– No. I didn’t ad6691a302 see the 7a8bf9efe8 killer. I only saw f5c99544ef the shooting.94da29e5a3fdb1a6

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By the time 2df44cf049 the police arrived 9f2de7cbc6 with their blaring 554922eb11 sirens, the night 7c2c3e9e71 had fully ended. Ian looked out e3c25e57f0 the window, feeling f2b5003d3a strangely relieved that bb95b6fadd it was over. Outside, the dawn was a79de8f7c7 already blue. Ian sometimes wondered 1b68f12bf3 if the world 4bf25ee0c4 through Leo’s, Revenant’s, 03afb6d66c blue eyes had 0cae9a1166 that same pale abf5434c1c blue tint of df5d4a8db3 morning.50c75c7f20fd8e60

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”1db06a18f0287535

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Revenant’s voice c61ede20c5 pulled Ian ca68527866 out of fbfb19b3f7 that night. Ian looked at Revenant ecbd03c6bd as he walked toward 08a1d58468 him, step by step. Words burst 3b82d06beb out before ace282579d he could 0c1f13c8e1 stop them.e5364555fdfc3bd0

“Why did you kill him?”2313bd0e6d6967f7

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Revenant halted with 7df76fca93 a jarring stillness. Behind him, Georg 113524afe2 and his subordinates 86b70b222f were approaching. Behind Ian, Leo Sebastian 7fa9099a27 was approaching with a c40cb99480 confused, distressed look. But all Ian e42a9f9d53 could see was b074525aa9 Leo, Revenant.1e8ae5cee9e9fb48

“You killed him! It was you! Why did you do it? Why…!”b473e93bc34af587

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Ian’s gaze, full b0f215a8cd of desperation, felt d311a02985 like it might c89f516821 tear apart under 72fd9453e4 the strain. He rubbed away ca7d40a5a8 tears that spilled ee16abd320 from his unblinking 32f9d4436e eyes as he c20af97c07 shouted.5f784388bedd760f

“I loved you so much! Why did you do that to me? Why!”5f11b5b6bffbe514

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“…….”d64c14893f0f868b

“Answer me! Hurry!”6da2130b965e02a1

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Step by step, 1a30075f37 Revenant resumed his 2634dc0bfc approach. Ian watched d9b372d58f as his c8ce6677e3 figure grew 76b0e59666 closer.5941e035ac7fb753

He wished b8e900e21b desperately for 80b752b5e5 a pained bc98381c6e expression, for a7adfa00f6 tears, for f0bc270cf9 him to 6de8098d50 shout apologies. He wanted 90655d7a67 him to ec808714b6 kneel and 25bb2c8d56 repent.f5823c5740f11927

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If he f21b916ec1 did, Ian d70bf1f450 could forgive 87e6235571 him. He could try to ca42dd17c2 forget, even if it f6fe40db6c was painful. He could try 2cf491e237 his best to e90760716f let go of 4e398bf29a all the curses 1525217dbf and suffering Revenant 0ebdaaed94 had brought him.1802ba7e5a45a118

But instead, Revenant said c666a3f08e this.c7a45b1253758dcc

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“I told you it was too much for you to handle.”c91656c3606157b7

“…That’s your answer? That’s all you have to say?”719474ff8e4e584a

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“I didn’t want you to know anything.”d872f58e1cf927ea

“Well… I know now. I found out. So what were you planning… were you going to leave again? Were you going to abandon me like last time?”9ffcc01658cbd766

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“I intended to keep you ignorant and leave it at that. I didn’t consider other options.”f0efd3cfa62829c9

“So… what would you have done? Answer me. Just answer me.”f3780e9c68809ca2

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“Who knows.”7196aca389f386e9

Revenant’s smile was 50a2009377 unsettling, as if fb8d6a1121 tainted by cruelty.dcc827d008e1fa04

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“I guess I would’ve hoped you’d overcome it on your own. Since there’s nothing I can do for you.”4b8c1d8ab0fedea0

“How can you say that?”4e6aea6e3a7efa81

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Ian’s voice reached a fever pitch. Such a thoughtless answer wasn’t a real answer. Revenant should have been regretful, remorseful, and tormented. Simply saying, “You forgive me if you want to,” was irresponsible and no real answer at all.c269fe7e39ec2a8b

Therefore, it wasn’t 92c997086a the answer. Not the 7fd0747965 one Ian 645538a776 wanted. This Revenant was unforgivable.b99d06ebcf400075

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“Do you even know that I… that I love you? And yet, that’s all you can say?”bc9158404696d2e7

Ian was 013bd287bd pleading with 005238a40c him—the man 5875337a3a who killed f24eb66dbb his stepfather, 112ea40a2a the one 0954abe801 who had bee746acf6 cursed and 66a33de180 destroyed the e1707d74a5 Winchell family a79cca4999 and his 6b14c1a486 life.31ce46a4ccc6bcd7

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“Please… Please don’t do this. Just say you’re sorry. Tell me you regret it. So I can forgive you… so I can love you… Please, please… tell me you’re sorry.”eccab25a76168309

“What would I be sorry for? Killing that man? Or killing your stepfather?”1a6f5eed962da5f5

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“Yes, please! Just say you’re sorry! Just say it, please.”97e8357ac47b4385

A bitter smile curled 095a067c10 on his lips, wickedly.4d228f16a3d137f5

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“Kid. Sorry, but I’m not about to apologize for something like that.”4a55ca6f63d2ff1e

“Why! How could you… How could you… how could you…”b4dd39e4f28c18dd

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Ian, trembling with disbelief, 8084e03116 suddenly sharpened his gaze.6dcf7bfd0d48d848

“No, no… You once said you felt guilty toward me. You said that you only did nice things for me because of that guilt. You’re sorry toward me, aren’t you? Right? You want to ask for my forgiveness, don’t you?”ca4f2a756d841263

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“Ah, that’s for something else. Not for killing your stepfather.”ce333d3ac926ffe9

“Then… what is it?”2d5f2fce0f084a33

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“Your insomnia.”2f907cf25e38771b

“What?”55e0ff88e8b3add2

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“Because I think it’s my fault.”25c8f65467c21006

Step by step, 7bde176652 Revenant closed the e6083ac3e8 last bit of 84cccebeb2 distance. He placed a hand 2fc6d8e97e on Ian’s shoulder and 13a3c2a646 lowered his head slightly 109f5ef687 to whisper.ae9e33ed60389615

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“So, stop waking up at midnight. Now you know there’s no need.”a155de29b94f6310

His hand was warm, 7afa8818d5 unbelievably so. Yet his words were aba3a99c4a as cold as they d352197b56 were final. Ian felt that 8b4b3d4731 he would leave 85837e28c9 now that he 5ff76d88b9 knew. Now that 0ba945c018 he knew 1d17532aa4 of the 6c152919db twisted relationship 73be01bcba born from d228daa7cb his lost 00b25cb70b memories with ca4a33569b Revenant, Revenant 78f8d46ceb had no b3b9ef45fc intention of ffae56f159 making the 0cd29b246f slightest effort cbc905c4e5 to fill 8e688d6ba0 the gap a13667c9de between them.574ec14fbcd5e79d

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Ian, stunned by the f968ecb3ad weightlessness of Revenant’s guilt, 185f752142 blinked, tears spilling over. The more he f6ef3a3f26 blinked, the more defdfa7551 the tears refused d8c2cb6e18 to stop.819b25474f145727

These tears were a 1b0fc74e89 contradiction. And yet, e5c64da369 he couldn’t 9fdd414157 let him 527031cfaa go. That slight 1710bfd863 warmth of 8b0ba20a47 guilt was 13e9aa6152 all Ian 2ed954d9fb had, even ee5c7955a2 now.8115214018e483f7

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“I love you, Leo. I mean it.”7f044c6e7bf6525a

Revenant hesitated 3efd80189c at Ian’s d673b2844a unexpected words 7fcb9d67aa but then 80f378d380 lifted his 40e58c7ea2 head with 873e9c1a38 an unreadable 3019b22a7a expression.892e232450c86dea

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“I believe you.”037af9d49d483818

“I still love you now.”c8768a8de6cf8610

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“That’s unfortunate.”594e7291a4022d59

“Don’t… leave me.”1b8316edf1e183ad

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“I’m afraid I must.”fd4dab0eeee0a3be

Revenant reached out and bbf922fa7d ruffled Ian’s hair. His touch was gentle, 7c952edd5d absent of the passion 381247a7ab he’d once shown. For the first 685c2ff768 time, Ian saw 7e500d6452 Leo and Revenant 7ea231393e merge into one e972b99681 person. A person who f69eeb5b01 could choose not 37d8f31ed4 to love him, 841d518d7d who could always 6ee37f9745 leave him behind.8b89b92cee12c4f8

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“You remembered. So this is where it must end.”64de7119b38a285a

“I’ll… try. I’ll try to forgive Leo, as hard as I can, until the day I die. So please don’t leave me. Don’t go.”dd71b47a9a5cb9d2

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Revenant’s hand stilled. His calm expression twisted b5948e4bc2 slightly with a bitter 4bbf29d0f8 tinge. In a low voice, f7a15532f9 as if unable to 06f4613565 believe himself, he muttered.11a8c6fa5c980228

“You’ve always driven me crazy, both then and now. I want to believe you when you say that. I want to cling to you, to burden you with my sins, and hold you tight as you fall apart.”3232bd29bdd7e4cd

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He slowly withdrew his c59dcc5e68 hand, discarding his last 2327c95ddf lingering hesitation.b90ae4830abdb7bf

“But I can’t do that. It’s time to say goodbye.”6557d7f88069fcb5

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“No, Leo!”3a05542b67bcba0b

Ian clung to f9660c9f8d him, his voice 1a842f52e2 frantic. Just then, sirens echoed f6d14c69e3 from down the darkened af49a2e5ea road. It had eac762effb to be 54af70e88d the police. Ian’s face turned 1e6ad8688c pale.ee8871e9b0c408f5

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“Leo…”81b666f1b83cbea7

“The cops got here fast. Someone must have called them.”a4d48d3fa177b5cc

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He murmured 0b399009b3 nonchalantly, like 12ea5e753e the stranger 0cda86525f Ian had a00198b360 first met. Back then, 9074e9ce2c Ian had b499a84143 sensed a 28e78f484e faint, shadowy 0e5d0a015b fear in 8d44fab079 him. It was 5e8de994b9 the kind 0daaaa29c9 of fear cb86d92150 that came 85e37f129f from someone 2f82a9de48 who could 1b1458e86c vanish at 50728bf760 any moment.bc34ec8aa294cede

Ian knew he 76e06571ad had to let c1b0866350 Revenant go. Despite his desperate 7601a7f829 wish for him f40ab0c411 to stay, he 4e9a9a464d had to let 305fa3476e him go. His chest ached, the 273f8ba6e4 pain resonating with every 09415fb279 beat.b66f2d4ba688a724

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“Go, Leo.”b62344c3ca9d7683

It felt like 74ea3b7398 that night.190e6eb58961272e

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– No. I didn’t see 172e0a10e2 the killer.56b5add4a5cb1a00

That night, fc307933e1 too, Ian 0300301167 had let c9fe2ec3f8 Leo go.ec86adb83f8ab881

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“Hurry up and run. Before they catch you.”7e2612dd4c9a0275

He would be 8914d4fbdb safe. Hebaulis had no 3d9fdd1c29 extradition treaty; once 6f31e393ad he escaped, he 30a61eda20 could live freely 3d29244729 as a noble c30ff1745d in another country. Ian would 9ad0b7e591 never see b63616dcee him again.772b0ff5da0b3ebe

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Goodbye, Leo.3c2c0e48d9e7808d

Ian stepped back, 24d092b418 his feet heavy 15b53332b3 with reluctance.e7685fc3eb9d769d

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Thump. Thump, thump, thump.f4a7ed98b0570e15

His chest deb21c411b ached with ef863c888d every step. Ian struggled not to 5c46e5ee0b cry.613341c1fd2363f5

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He couldn’t act e5a5e151d3 like a child. He hadn’t cried back 1836ae6f11 then, either.c44aa66b3ff1f6a9

Or had he cried? Had he clung a5fb2f2fbf to him, begging 89d6ada052 him not to e6179d5b25 leave? Had he once f798b969d5 asked him to 68dde04c4e come back someday 347fd8b2f0 to take him 95267a2258 away?72350140f0051ef2

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It was laughable. He was a bf61709e4d murderer. He had killed his d2cb6e3a80 stepfather. And yet Ian had f4075d98a2 lied for him, calmly 17e0a2c713 telling the police he b7c18f4506 hadn’t seen the killer. That he didn’t know e93e73a3af who the killer was.156e1ebca45d2caf