Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Warm Night

It hurts.

Why is–

Why is everything burning..?

All I see is a red field. A burning field, where as I stood in the middle, encircled by the scorching blazing flame that kept inched on. No matter where I turned, it’s all on fire. And I can’t–

I can’t run. I can’t move. I can’t do anything but watch.

The huge glaring fire towered over by the seconds. The flames are intensely bright, but I can’t close my eyes. All my visuals are swarmed by these damned burning seas!

What is happening right now?!

The scorching heat kept creeping on, and soon I will be devoured by the searing and violent inferno. 

This has never happened before!

The heat– The heat is starting to get to me! I felt a blistering pain on my skin, and felt like some part of me was peeling and melted off.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much!

“Love is an abstruse thing. It’s incomprehensible, mystifying, bizarre and.. weird. A weird concept.. or feeling.”

A sudden voice echoes through the burning scenery. A cold silky, almost mocking, tone, but with no face to put on.

What are you–

“It’s weird, you know.. Someone just love you so much, sacrificing everything for you, doing anything to the point of–”

I don’t understand. What this –man or woman or whatever it is– is trying to say?! The trickling pain dulled my senses, and I couldn’t think of anything but pain right now!

“–Just to be with you. But you, that person, might not reciprocate that feeling. So all that is left to that someone is.. pain. Pain. That’s why–”

To hell with you! I don’t want to hear anything! It hurts so much! I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe..!

 

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

 

“–Told you so.”

 

*♬•°♩°•♪*✦*♪•°♩°•♬*

 

Aiden woke up in a burning sensation. Articus was at his side, checking on him with a worried face.

“Are you okay, Ai? You seem to be having a bad nightmare, so I woke you up. Sorry, but you’ve been jostling around for some time. So I had to wake you up.”

Aiden didn’t answer him, but he acknowledged the concern in the man’s voice. He sat up on the mattress, still light in the head.

His body was hot all over, and sweat poured like crazy. It feels like he had been roasting inside a blazing fire.

All Aiden could remember was that there were fires everywhere. There’s a person saying something near the end, but he paid no mind to it as he couldn’t make sense of their gibberish words. All he could think of are those fires. It clouded his vision, and the burning pain felt so real. It felt like his skin was scroched, and his flesh was melting.

‘Those dreams.. had become somewhat vicious,’ Aiden thought anxiously, eyebrows furrowed deeply.

He has never dreamt that sort of thing. Even with the most gruesome of nightmare, he has never dreamt something terrifying as burning alive or the sort. What makes it worse is the fact that he could feel the burning pain. He could feel the burning pain as if he were really there.

‘What is happening to me..?’ The ravenette pondered to no one but his quick beating hearts.

A cold hand swept his bang to the back, and then it laid on his forehead making the frown go away.

“You’re burning up,” Articus said, feeling the rising temperature of the ravenette and noting his flushed face. “I think you have a fever.”

Then, he touched their forehead together.

Aiden was taken aback by that gesture. Their faces were inches from each other.

The olive haired man had his eyes closed, while Aiden was staring wide at him. Articus is an affectionate man, but they never were this close in proximity with each other before.

‘This is too close..’ Somehow, Aiden could feel his temperature rising even more.

They stayed like that for what seems like eternity, before Articus pulled back.

“You definitely have a fever. Stay in bed today, and rest. I will pick up some medicine at the sick bay later.” Sudden realization hit him. “Oh, it’s Saturday.. I hope the staff left it open again today. For now, eat some paracetamol and sleep.”

Articus went to grab the tablet from his medicine box. He always kept one on his single book shelf above his study desk.

“It’s fine, Articus. I feel like this is only a mild fever.” Aiden feels his forehead with his own palm, feeling the heat emanating from it. “I will be better after I take one pill, and sleep. You don’t have to go to the sick bay for other medicine. I mean, do you know what medicine to take?”

“I could search for it on the ‘net.”

“It’s fine. I will just go there tomorrow after class.”

“If you’re not feeling good tomorrow, just ditch class, and I will bring you to the sick bay when they’re open.”

“You don’t have to bring me, I could just walk there..”

“I’m worried, Ai. You fainted yesterday. What if you faint again?”

“Fainted?” That caught Aiden off guard. Then, everything that happened yesterday came back to him in a whoosh.

The shadow hound thing! The black fire! The fire wings! The new students!

‘I thought I was also dreaming about that! Wait, it can’t be real! It’s impossible! I need to go out and confirm!’

“Image my surprise when– Hey, where are you going?!” Articus was in the middle of getting a cup of water, when he caught the ravenette with his two feet already on the ground.

“I need to.. uh.. be somewhere.”

“No, you don’t need to. Just stay in bed.” This time, the older man’s tone became firm. The type of tone he always used to reprimanded his committee members if they screwed up.

“But I–“

“Just stay in bed today, Ai. Here, take this.” The olive haired man gave him a tablet and a glass of water. 

Aiden had no choice but to accept it. Then, he gingerly popped one pill in and drank the water. He calmed down a bit. But still.. what had happened?

“What happened yesterday, Articus? You said.. I fainted?”

There’s a crease between the olive haired man’s eyebrows. “You.. fainted after the tour. One of the new guys brought you back to the dorm. Image my surprise when they informed me about it. I almost called the ambulance, but they told me to wait until you wake up. Thank goodness it was nothing serious.”

“Oh.. I’m sorry for making you worry.” At this, Aiden just now noticed Articus’s desk chair was beside his bed. Did he stay by his side all this time? Honestly this dramatic ass man. Though.

“I’m really sorry for making you worry.”

“It’s not that, Ai.” Articus placates the ravenette. “But you’ve been acting weird lately. I mean you always been weird. But not like this.”

“I’m always what–?”

“–If you are sick, or tired you should have told me. Then, I would never make you do.. the tour.” His green eyes casted downward. Articus had thought that it was all his fault for forcing Aiden to do the tour, which led to the ravenette to faint after. “The weather was quite hot too yesterday..”

Aiden could hear the regret in his voice, and immediately felt culpable for the older man’s effort in just wanting him to make friends.

“Articus.. I.. I fainted because.. uh.. You’re right, it was quite hot. And I not..” The ravenette struggled to find words to appease his roommate’s feeling. “It was not because of the tour.. I.. uh.. just fainted.”

“It’s okay, Ai. Just stay in bed. It’s the weekend. So, just rest well.” Articus then smiled gently as one of his hands ruffled the black haired.

It felt soft in his hand. Then, that hand moves to cup the side of the ravenette’s face.

Aiden was once again surprised by the action. “Articus..?”

Articus had his hand pulled back. “Oh, I’m just checking your temperature.”

He then stood up. “I need to go to the committee office to do some work. I will bring lunch later. So just stay in bed, and don’t go anywhere unless it’s important, okay?”

And Aiden meekly nodded, and went back to lay down on the bed.

 

*♬•°♩°•♪*✦*♪•°♩°•♬*

 

Aiden sneaked out.

He pretended to be asleep or playing with his smartphone, as the olive haired man also pretended to believe him, but kept on checking on him.

When Articus brought him lunch, and immediately went out after a sudden important meeting, Aiden quickly went out too.

He left a dummy on his bed, incase the olive haired man suddenly came back.

‘This is important.. for my sanity.’ Aiden tries to convince himself. He felt like a convict suddenly being out in the open like this. ‘Also, it will only be a quick look around.’

His mind was hazy, but he can still remember seeing the shadow hound thing and what the new students did to it. At least he thought they did something. It was near the Abandoned Forest too!

‘Maybe I should stay in bed.’ Aiden thought after some time walking. 

The Abandon Forest’s fenced area was not too far from his residence, but because the ravenette was sick, his movement had become somewhat slow and heavy.

After some time, he managed to arrive there. Immediately went to check the fence area, the ravenette was floored on what he discovered.

The fences were still intact!

Infact, there are no signs of fighting or burns from the surrounding area. Everything looks like it always was.

‘But..’ Aiden starred on the fences that barred the Abandoned Forest. ‘So, it was just a dream..’

The ravenette frowned in disbelief. Something felt cold at the back of his head. ‘Then, what is this dream? Why am I dreaming something like this? Or is this actually a hallucination? Am I..’ 

The thought of having a mental problem makes him terrified. What if it’s something that can’t be treated? Does he have to live the rest of his life with this ‘problem’?

Aiden felt like he didn’t even want to know anymore. It terrified him greatly. Those dreams used to be a mere fairytale–like happy dreams, but then it evolved into a weird adventure–esque dreams. After that, it started to become a nightmare.

But the sooner he identifies it, the sooner he can get treatment. Maybe all of this will stop then.

The weary Aiden was just about to leave, when something caught the corner of his eyes.

‘What is he..?’

It was Azur. He was inside the Abandoned Forest!

‘What is he doing there?!’

~0~

Azur or Decimus was not the only one there.

The other Overlords pretended to be a student were also there. They are currently regrouping at a certain marked claw tree after scouting the whole forest area for the whole day.

After yesterday’s event, they went back to check on the forest after Lias or Helios took their tour guy back to the dorm.

Lelang or Len fixed up the broken fences with his illusion. The spell might break if the Overlord of the Eastdom returns back to their own world.

George or Gelaro, who chased the shadow hound, told them that he lost it halfway through the forest.

However, just like today, there are no anomalies detected inside the forest, except for the claws and marks on some of the trees. But it can be a wild monster or animal that did it.

After all, they don’t know what type of monsters roamed this alternate dimension world. The general knowledge bestowed to them by the Witch of Wisdom could only go to some extent.

Even so, the shadow hound –They had mutually agreed to refer to it as such– from yesterday was definitely not of this world’s dwellers. The aura of that monster was almost the same they once felt during their ‘fight’ back then.

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Eerily evil.

It was how the other three Overlords apart from Lias, who was with Aiden at the time, manage to sense it in the first place.

Azurl was the one who discerned it at first. Having abandoned the tour to go check on something he finds suspicious only to detect an unusual heavy aura.

Following it, he encountered the shadow hound roaming around, in which it then attacked him first. Then, the other two Overlords came after sensing the same as they all are actually in the same area. The rest are as follow.

As of now, they had nothing else to look for, and just lounging around that area, trying to collect their thoughts.

What happened yesterday shocked them heavily. Helios even thought of calling the Witch Council, but the others stopped him, fear of them cancelling the search of their beloved’s soul.

“But for that shadow hound to be here.. means that someone had summoned it,” Helios had voiced his thoughts.

No one said anything as they also thought the same.

“And those ruby eyes.. I hope it was not–“

“–What are you guys doing here?”

All of the Overlords turned to look at the person emerging from the bushes.

It was their tour guide from yesterday.

“What are you guys doing here?” Aiden asked again, “Didn’t I tell you guys yesterday that this place is off-limits?”

They just stare at him. Dumbfounded to say the least, finding him there. Since when did he follow them?

“You guys need to get away before–“

“–Shut up.”

“Huh?”

The one who said this is Gelaro or George. He uncrossed his arm, and stalked toward Aiden. His face was stone cold.

“Why are you following us here?”

“What? I did not–“ Aiden effectively stepped back as the man closed their distance. “Wait–!”

But the man kept walking forward until Aiden felt his back hit a tree trunk. Then, a hand hit the bole of the tree by the side of his head.

By then, Aiden realizes their height difference as the man towered over him.

“Why are you following us here?” George asked again. Dark fiery eyes glowered on the clear gray eyes.

“I– I did not follow you here! Wait, I technically am. But that’s because I saw one of you walking around here!” Aiden tried to defend himself, “Look, I’m not looking for trouble, I just want to warn you guys about this place. This place is off–limit to the students. You could get in trouble if the DC members catch you here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

A blush crept unto the ravenette’s cheeks as George leaned forward, staring straight into his eyes. Apart from earlier, he had never been this close in proximity with a stranger.

✧

✦

✧

The stare was so intense that it felt so long.

✦

✧

✦

“Bah.” Then the dark brown haired man had the gall to snort. He pulled back but still keeping his hand on the side of the ravenette’s head, smirked down on him.

“If this place is off-limits so much.. then why are you here? Why not just call the DC– whatever that is on us?”

“Look, I’m just trying to warn you guys..”

“Oh, so you’re like this.. institution goody-two shoes that always take concern in other creatures’ affairs?”

Aiden frowned. “What? I’m not..”

“Such a cute little busybody. Should we call him, ‘Nosy Rosy’, ‘Pokey Poke’, or ‘Meddle Mettle’?”

“That’s enough, Ge– George!” Helios or Lias interferes, nearly stuttering his peer’s real name, as he strides to break them apart. “This guy was only trying to help! Let it go!”

“‘Nosy Rosy’ suits this little bitch better. Should we call him that from now on? Little Rosy.”

“Oi, stop it!” Helios tried to physically stop Gelaro from making fun of Aiden, but the man still gave him snide remarks.

The others just stood around with disapproving looks, while wondering what the hell their resident snow brain colleague is picking a fight for? What did he see in the ravenette’s eyes that he was so furious for?

All the while Aiden couldn’t say anything to that mocking. I mean, it really was his fault for being a ‘busybody’ in the first place. Maybe he should just stay to himself after all.

That is when someone yelled from the other side of the forest. “OI, YOU THERE! What are you all doing there?!”

It was Caelum, looking a tad bit mad at them.

“Eh? You are?” Len asked in confusion at the new arrival.

“Damn, we’ve been meeting for several times now, and I even had introduced myself countless times, but you all still don’t know me? Where are you guys from, and what was the latest statistic of scatterbrained people there?”

No one said anything to that. Len even shrugged at it.

“Didn’t I warn you guys before, that this forest is inaccessible to the student body?! There have been reports of wild animals being spotted here! This place is dangerous!”

Len got up infront of him before the man became angrier. 

“We deeply apologize. The reason we came in here was because one of us saw a.. feline creature. We thought of searching for it, as you had said this place is dangerous, and we feared for that animal’s safety. One of us had grown quite attached to it.” Len lied as he breathed. His face was all smiling innocently and shits.

The other Overlords immediately got assaulted by some bad memories of that sly being.

Caelum on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow. “What feline creature? You mean.. a cat?”

“Yes, a cat. That animal.” He finger-gunned that guy. Where did he learn that?

“That..” Caelum wanted to argue that it was the most bullshit excuse he ever got, but could not find any other reason for them to be there.

So he just heaved a sigh. “What a load of crap. Just get the hell out of here, and never come into this forest again.”

Then, with a glare. “I don’t know if you have any disciplinary committee at your old university. But here, we abide by rules. And if you want to stay, you will also have to obey the law here. This is your guy’s first warning.”

The new students just nodded in their own way, except George who opted to glare instead. Caelum caught that, and returned the glare.

Caelum’s eyes then shifted to Aiden, and was like bewildered for a second. “What are you doing here too, Vyce?! Some students saw you staggering over here! Are you trying to convert these guys into your forest-dweller cult?! I swear to god!”

“Wait, Rivers, I can explain–“

“–I don’t want to hear any of your preach! And aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”

Aiden then was like, “Who told you that?”

Caelum brought out his smartphone. “Go back to your room, Vyce. Or else I tell Mr President.” His thumbs were ready to message Articus if Aiden dared to refuse.

But Aiden ran away.

Caelum huffed, turned back to the staring new students.

“What the hell are you all still doing here? Scram!”

They also ran away.

 

*♬•°♩°•♪*✦*♪•°♩°•♬*

 

When Articus came back that late evening, he saw Aiden playing with his smartphone on the bed.

He smiled seeing the man was so engrossed in playing whatever mobile game that he did not even realize the door was open.

In actuality, Aiden was pretending to not notice him as to give an air that he never left the room, and had been on the bed all day.

Articus brought back with him their dinner. “Let’s eat, Ai. I went downtown and got us chicken noodle soups with some spring rolls, and sweet and sour pork! There’s also some white rice!”

“From that restaurant at the far end?”

“With that cute server? That one, haha.”

Both roommates love that restaurant. It mostly serves Chinese cuisine but they have other varieties as well. Once in a blue moon they will make Mapo Tofu, which is very spicy, but delicious. Though, it always sold out quickly.

Though, Aiden rarely goes downtown, as he usually brought his food inside their university. Their cafeteria it’s quite okay, but can’t be compared with the food brought from downtown. Or anywhere for that matter.

The downtown was like a mini town, with a grocery store, general store, restaurants, stalls. and they even have a convenience store. Once a week, there will be a night market that sells a wide selection of food and drinks, and other stuff.

It is located several meters away from the main gate, and Aiden usually travels there by bike or by bus for 15 to 20 minutes. Or by car with Articus when they felt like eating well.

Right now, the olive haired man was cutting some bird's eye chilies to put into a saucer of soy sauce. Aiden was boiling some water to make tea, eventhough the older man told him to just stay in bed.

“How is your fever? Did it go down? Do you have any headache?” asked Articus amidst his cutting.

“I still feel light headed, but I think my temperature has gone down a bit.”

“If you still not feeling okay tomorrow, just hola me, okay.”

“Hm.” Aiden just hummed, as he finished making their tea.

Their room was not spacious, but it had some ample space between the middle of their bed where they usually set up a short folding table and eat while sitting on the carpeted floor.

All the foods brought had been set on the table, and the two roommates began eating in peace. The windows are opened to let the air in a bit.

“There’re extra noodles in this plastic here, if you want second. There’re also some rice to go with that pork. Or you can put the rice in the soup, and make it into a porridge. I was thinking about getting dumplings too but the line was too long.”

“It’s fine. This is too much food already.” Aiden said, munching some spring rolls. “This is quite good.”

“They also have spicy ones too, but I didn’t order it because you can’t eat spicy food right now. Nope, this is not for you.” Articus put the saucer of soy sauce mixed with chilies away from Aiden’s spring roll.

He dumped some of the content inside his soup, and stirred it. Turning the clear broth into gray, before digging in.

That night actually, Aiden wanted to complain to Articus about the new students. To say he was not affected by what happened earlier was an understatement, he was really hurt by what the dark brown haired student had said earlier.

He was only trying to help, but instead he got mocked for it. See if he cares after this. The ravenette was about to open his mouth, when Articus unintentionally cut him.

“How was the tour yesterday?”

“Huh? Oh.. It’s..” Should he tell him the truth?

But before Aiden could reply, the olive haired man continued.

“How were the new guys? They transferred here as second years.. third semester I think. I heard that their former university had to shut down so they had no choice but to further their studies here. Poor those guys.. I wonder what happened?”

“Where are they from?”

“Hmm, I don’t quite remember. From an island or something.” Articus felt like something slipping through his mind, but didn’t bother to think too deeply. “Well, anyway, how was it? How were the guys?”

And with hesitation undertone. “Did you make friends with them?”

Aiden was silent for a moment, before answering. “.. The tour was okay. It was just a quick look around though. They are alright. I befriended.. some of them.”

“Oh, that’s good! They transfer here so sudden. So I was hoping some seniors can help them get accustomed to how we do things here.”

‘You liar.’ Aiden’s mouth quirked gently. ‘You just wanted me to make friends.’

Whatever he wanted to complain about that night got tossed into the night sky. Seeing the olive haired man’s smile make the corner of his mouth wider.

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