Main Story Ch. 3-16- The Seawaters and The Flames (海水与火焰) | Light and Night 光与夜之恋

Previously in 3-14... (Read it here)

Only seeing him to squat down, and pulling out a small and delicate tool from his pocket, and started to tinkle with the door lock.

As time passes, the movements from the inside has gradually turned louder. My heart is starting to feel a little uneasy too. In this quiet atmosphere, suddenly a click sound could be heard.

The door is opened.

The air was filled with the unspeakable smell of spoilt food, with hemp ropes, capsules, and tiny pieces of orange papers scattered around our feet.

You: This is...

Every piece of paper has a folding trace lingering on it, and some among them are folded into the shapes of butterfly. Paper butterfly, security guard, race car, a girl's figure immediately appeared in my mind.

Osborn: The sound earlier came from that side.

I look towards the corner of the room, there's a row of tall shelves that somewhat covers the person behind it. The rays of light shined from the back of the cabinet, leaving a shadow. I could hear the tearing and wrapping sounds of tape, mixing with the sounds of heavy breathing. The one that is being controlled sounded like they are in great pains.

??: I have no more time to mess around with you anymore!

Osborn turned over and exchanged glances with me. We quietly get closer to that side. Through the slit between the shelves, I can see the man that assaulted me. He's using a hemp rope to tie a woman onto a chair.

The woman whined and tried to struggle, but the angered man kicked the chair over!

You: !

At the moment where the chair falls over, I saw a familiar face. It's Lin Yao's manager?!

My heart felt cold. I gave Osborn a tug, and lowered my voice.

You: I know the one that's kidnapped. She's the mother of celebrity Lin Yao, and also her manager.

Osborn's lowered his gaze a little, then gesture a 'shh'.

Man: You should've think of your end since the very moment you locked her up in the attic and abuse her. Hurry! Sign the agreement... Can you hear?! Else... Else then I'll make you disappear forever!

The manager that's tied up nodded aggressively, holding onto the pen that is forced into her hand, writing with difficulty.

After a moment of silence, the man laughed. The laugh actually sounded a little tragic.

Man: That's right, finally the contract has terminated, she's finally free...

He kidnapped the manager to terminate the contract for Lin Yao and return her freedom that she had? But I wasn't getting in touch with Lin Yao that much, so why did he assault me?

Before I can think it through, there's suddenly a bright knife in the man's hand... Oh no!

The shelf was suddenly kicked off, Osborn agilely threw a few pebbles over, and the knife fell down with a clang sound.

The man angrily stood up and turned over, wanting to know who's behind him, but he's already surrounded by the blue flames! He cried in pain and knelt onto the floor, but his gaze have been fixated towards the direction of the contract that fell towards, crawling as he reaches his arm towards that piece of paper.

It's as if he's laughing, but it's also seemed like he's crying, with those trembling hands fearfully picking up the contract, carefully folding it and place it properly in the inner pocket in his chest.

The manager twisted her body and let out cries for help, the face that was full of pride is now full of scars. I walked forward to tear the tape on her mouth.

Manager: He- Help me! He's a maniac! You're a policeman right? Hurry up and arrest him! Get me out of here! That maniac suddenly caught me here, making me to sign the agreement to terminate my contract with Yaoyao! Quick, tear the agreement for me!

Man: Don't even think about it! I will never let you to manipulate her again even if I had to die.

Manager: Stop dreaming! I'm Lin Yao's mother, whatever I say, she will listen to me.

Man: You aren't even worthy of that!

Hearing what the manager has said, his emotions suddenly became more agitated, with a completely heartbroken expression now written all over his face.

Man: What have you treated her as? Your cash cow?! I should've stopped her from going with you in the orphanage back then! She went to you so happily back then, thinking that she will be having a family from then onward...

Manager: Back then? You're from the orphanage too? You're a child from there!

Man: Not just that, I was so close to being adopted by you, mother.

These pieces of fragments have now connected in my mind, forming an outline of what has happened. Lin Yao is an adopted child from an orphanage, and has known this man since childhood. The racer friend that Lin Yao said she like is probably him. The man has disappeared for a long time due to an unknown reason. After his return, he knew that Lin Yao was being squeezed dry, so he kidnapped the manager and forced her to sign the agreement of contract termination.

The agitated manager stood up, as if she wanted to say something, but her body shook a few times, and fainted on the ground. Osborn picked up the knife that fell onto the ground, and held the sharp blade to the man's neck.

Osborn: From now on, all you need to do is to answer my questions.

Man: Osborn, this does not concern you.

Osborn: Don't talk nonsense. Were the assaults in the past few days of your doing?

Man: ... Yeah.

After a short silence, Osborn took out a bracelet from his pocket-- It's the double-headed patterned nameplate bracelet that I saw on the rooftop on the other day.

Osborn: This is yours, right?

The man's eyes showed shock and sense of desire, and immediately stretched out his hand to snatch it.

Man: My bracelet! Why is it with you!! It's you who put me into trouble!

Osborn: Don't move, explain your words. What does it do?

Man: To suppress us from turning berserk.

Osborn turned the bracelet to another angle, pointing to the back of the nameplate.

Osborn: HCP18407, what is it?

Man: This is, my name.

Osborn: The 'us' that you said, who are 'us'?

The man seemed like he wanted to laugh, but his skin is sticking to the bones as if it's being air-dried, making his movements extremely difficult, leaving with only both of his eyeballs that could turn freely. As he laughs, he shrugged, and started to let out a low cry.

Man: I don't know. We've been prisoned, and our existence and names have been wiped off, everyone has a code. Hearing, taste, sense of touch... All of our senses have been slowly taken away bit by bit, and in the end we become a beast that can only live through bloodsucking. 

He spaces out as he stares onto the floor, with his voice gradually becoming hoarse.

Man: I witnessed my closest partner becoming an empty shell, and I failed the experiment, and is discarded like a scrap. It took me great efforts to escape before I was destroyed, and all this was just to see Yaoyao! But I've lost the daily supplies, and I've lost the suppressing bracelet, that my condition gradually worsened. When it's nighttime, I can't control myself but to assault others...

Osborn: Night? But you've assaulted her during daytime.

Osborn raised an arm and pointed towards me.

Man: I don't know, I just suddenly smelled a very thick smell of blood, it's, it's this smell.

The man raised his head and looked at me, with desires written all over his face. It's as if he's going to pounce over me in a second. However, he struggled as he chokes his neck, forcing himself to take a few steps back.

Man: Her blood has a special attraction, that will make me lose my mind, and by the time my senses have returned to me, I've already assaulted her! I know I'm committing a crime, but I have to live!

Osborn turned silent, and only resumed talking after quite a while.

Osborn: Who locked you guys up?

Man: I don't know... I only know we are the lowest beings that are existing. Not allowed to know any secrets. I only know that all those people who are locking us up are from the Strains.

Osborn: Have you seen a man that is about 40-years old, with a moderate height, wearing a pair of spectacles that has the same pattern as the nameplate? 

The man shook his head with no hesitation.

Man: There are only orphans that are around my age, I've never seen anyone more than 30 years old.

"Dong... Dong..." a few weird sounds came from the glass window above.

I turned over and have a look, it's a purplite bird*, pecking on the window with its sharp beak. Osborn stunned, with a heavy expression on his face that I've never seen, he let go of the man's collar, and immediately turned over and pounced towards me.

Osborn: Get down!

"Bang--!"

The window shattered to the sound, and the shards are scattering everywhere!

A flock of purplite birds* flew in, densely packing the space, and attacking towards us. I am securely shielded under Osborn, he releases the blue flames, turning it into a barrier before us.

The sounds of flapping wings, collisions, and the sharp chirps of the birds filled the entire dark room, making one's hair stand on end. The development of the current situation has completely exceeded our expectations. The sounds of vibration of the footsteps came from all over; the orange shreds of paper have been flying around along with the vibrations, like the butterflies that have their wings snapped off, blocking our sights.

*T/N: Crediting the term Purplite Bird to Ran, you may also refer to her translations here in her blog.

After quite a while, the noises have finally stopped. The man has now disappeared without a trace.

You: Osborn, he...

Osborn: Get out first.

I nodded, bringing the fainted manager along with Osborn, and ran all the way to the exit.

When we reached the outdoors, my eyes suddenly couldn't get used to the sunlight, the abandoned building before my eyes have gotten so unfamiliar, as if they came from another world. I can't help myself but to look at Osborn, he's holding onto a watch very tightly, with his gaze falling onto the double-headed snake pattern on the center of the dial. 

I've finally understood, no matter if it's the search of bracelet on the rooftop, or the time he asked me about the meaning of this image outside the museum, everything is probably related to this watch. He seemed to be asking about a man's whereabouts just now too. 

I wanted to say something to console him, but my gaze was attracted by a shouting sound in front of us. A chubby man is waving his arms as he runs over to us.

??: Big Bro Xiao, I've come over as soon as I received your message, what happened?

Osborn has kept the watch away and looked at me.

Osborn: He's Wen Wan, let him send you home.

You: Then how about you? Aren't you leaving together?

Osborn: I still have some things to do, that I have to make it clear.

You: ...... Are you going back to look for him?

Osborn: Did you forget what I've said again? The more secrets you know, the more you will---

He smirked, and quietly gazed elsewhere.

You: Alright then... Please be careful.

Osborn: These trivial things will not trouble me at all. You're this worried?

You: I feel that things might not be this simple, I'm just worried that there might be other dangers...

Osborn: That's because you have yet to realize how dangerous I am. 

He suddenly leaned a little closer, opened my palm, placed a bunch sweet on it, turned around and suavely walked away.

Osborn: They are all yours.

I look at his figure gradually drifting away, and held onto the lemon-flavored sweets in my palms tightly.