11 7

*PRESENT DAY*

Calibri stared at Haochen. How did he get stuck in such a situation? He blinked a few times. Haochen didn't look very different from his past self, and if Calibri didn't know better, he'd assume Haochen was still around 20 to 21 years old. There were minor changes, such as his hair being a little longer than before, he had dark circles around his eyes, and he looked paler. Actually, he took it back, Haochen looked very unwell.

His brows knotted. Were those now permanent features of the Grandmaster or was he genuinely ill?

Haochen tilted his head, watching Calibri observe him. He didn't mind, after all, he could finally get a clear look at the Verbatian prince's face. Calibri didn't look older at all but to be fair, he didn't look a day over 21 either. Calibri's lashes were thick and dark as they fluttered every time he blinked with that confused expression on his face.

Haochen wished he could laugh, or smile at it, but he wasn't sure if Calibri would be irritated and call his actions pretentious. Slowly he sat down on the floor, facing the silver-haired man, and gauging his reaction.

They hadn't parted on the best of terms after all…at least, in his opinion, they didn't, so like the careful consideration of his facial expressions, he wasn't sure how Calibri would react to the action of being approached by him. Calibri looked back down at the ground, snapping Haochen out of his daze.

"I'll get you something to cover yourself." He said, getting up and moving to the walk-in closet on the opposite end of the large room. Calibri's eyes followed his back.

'Why did he bring me back to this realm?' He thought as he watched Haochen try to find something that would fit him.

"I used to have a spare change of robes for you here in your size, but after the first few summoning attempts, I'd somehow find them covered in blood the next evening when I woke up. They were white so they were stained quite badly. So I got rid of them. I didn't get any more made because I assumed you'd grow and fit into mine while we got you new ones, but…" He looked out at Calibri who clearly did not grow even a millimeter, and if anything, had shrunk in size. "…That wasn't a good call."

'He's talking an awful lot today.' Calibri thought to himself. 'He must be trying to fill the silence.'

"It's really cold on this mountain so you should wear this thick set of robes. You get sick when it's too cold, so I'll give you another layer to put on too. This will probably be a little large on you, but you won't have to wear it long anyway." Haochen said, stepping out of the closet with a dark set of robes and other articles of clothing . He took a quick glance at it, and then his eyes trailed back to Calibri. "You can wear these, until I we find something that you feel more comfortable in." He said, moving his index finger so that the robes levitated over to the other man

Calibri watched the robes fall into a neat pile in front of him. He pursed his lips and looked back at to Haochen with his eerily demonic-looking eyes. It was a deadpan stare, filled with helpless exasperation.

"Ah, I'll turn around so you can dress." Haochen said, rubbing the back of his neck, turning and sitting down on the floor again to face the wall. Calibri pursed his lips and continued to stare at the back of Haochen's head.

A great part of him wanted to start yanking his own hair out because he was utterly confused at Haochen's behavior, another part wanted to throw something heavy at the ebony-haired man, and the last part of him wanted to find out how he'd been, if his life had been lonely or difficult in the last few years, if he was in good health, if he had a family of his own, if he'd gotten married and if he was happier.

But it was not something he could do, because it was not his place, and he most definitely did not have the right. From what he remembered, in his last moments in the living realm all those years ago, Haochen made it extremely clear that he loathed him, and that he wanted nothing to do with him. Whatever was happening at that present moment probably had a valid explanation.

Yes. That had to be it.

Why was his heart fluttering so much? It wasn't as if anything good would come of meeting him again. Why was he such a naïve fool? Why was he embarrassed about his appearance in front of this person? None of it mattered. He needed to remember that Zhang Haochen loathed him.

"Haochen."

Haochen stayed completely still. He could hear the raindrops starting to fall outside the castle. Clearly, Calibri was less than pleased. "Yes?" He answered as evenly as he could.

"You said we're on a mountain. Where are we?"

Haochen could vaguely hear Calibri getting up, and putting the robes on, as quietly as he used to. He cleared his throat. "In the Zhang Sect."

Calibri was quiet for a moment. "I'd like to go back now, if I may." Haochen frowned. "To the underworld?"

"Yes."

Haochen remained silent for a while. Calibri was normally extremely talkative, but it looked like he wasn't willing to exchange more words with Haochen than necessary and to be completely honest, Haochen didn't blame him in the slightest.

"I'd like to talk to you about that after you're done dressing."

Calibri fastened the sash around his waist. He was practically drowning in Haochen's robes, but at that moment, the only thing on his mind was getting back to the Underworld. He didn't trust himself, especially his silly mouth that always blurted everything out, and his lovesickness. Him remaining there would not be good for anyone.

Haochen turned to see if he was done putting on his robes but was met with Calibri's cold stare.

"It's a little big on you." He said, ignoring the chilling look from Calibri that he was quite unused to. "I can look for something else."

"Haochen. You need to send me back."

Haochen opened his mouth to speak but the words caught in his throat. He looked at the ground as if it could tell him what to say. The young Grandmaster was beyond annoyed at himself. There was so much that he needed to say, and explain, but all he could do was stand there like someone with destroyed vocal cords.

How was he lame? He'd played the explanation in his head billions of times, yet when the moment came for him to clarify everything, he had no idea how to proceed.

"I can't do that." He said eventually. Calibri narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you can. He's already eaten a piece of your soul, so he has to come if you ask him to. Call him back and tell him you want to break the contract."

Haochen stared at him. "I don't want to do that." Calibri was beyond irritated. "Fine." He turned around and started looking for the door. Haochen's eyes widened. "Wait." He said, quickly running to catch Calibri before he made a run for it. In his experience, he knew Calibri was incredibly agile on his feet. As he did so, however, Calibri spun around to say that it wasn't actually 'fine' and that he was very irritated, because of course, he couldn't lie that something was 'fine' when it wasn't. That left him almost face to face with Haochen who skidded to a halt mere inches in front of him.

Calibri's eyes widened. 'Calibri, you complete imbecile. Look what you've done.' He berated himself. 'And now you're inches away from his face, staring. All you need to do is look away. Stop looking at his face.'

Haochen was frozen himself. He knew Calibri wasn't comfortable around him anymore, but at the same time, he didn't want to step back, or rather, he couldn't. He was transfixed.

Calibri unconsciously tilted his head, 'He looks very pale. Has he not been eating? He does look thinner… And how does he have such dark circles? He makes sure to sleep eight hours every night. When did he get that small slice scar on his right cheekbone? He's too good of a swordsman to get hurt…His clothes are quite disheveled too, that's odd. He doesn't like messiness. And he doesn't smell like fragrant iris, snowflakes, and cinnamon like he normally does, he smells like…like…"

Calibri started to sniff.

"Haochen, are you…" His eyes glanced down to the closest region of the smell which was Haochen's left wrist, and then towards the most potent region of the smell in the room, which was the enormous puddle of blood in the summoning circle. Calibri's eyes snapped towards Haochen and then to his wrist.

"Don't tell me you-" He started, but at that moment, Haochen's body conveniently reached it's limit. He began to fall forward, right onto Calibri.

"Oh no. Wait, wait, Haochen, nonononononono - Oof!" Calibri said, catching him, but immediately falling to the floor himself with the weight of Haochen and his tall frame. They both fell into a pile on the floor. Calibri blinked rapidly, his nose turning red as he felt Haochen's shallow breaths on his neck.

He groaned and began to roll the unconscious man off of him, with much difficulty.

"What did this man do to himself now?" Calibri muttered to himself, as he did so. "Anyhow, what perfect timing. This way, I can quickly administer some medication while he's unconscious and get back home to the Underworld and give that conniving King a good talking to." He said, finally getting Haochen onto his back.

"Besides, now you can't stop me from leaving, can you?" Calibri said quite sassily to Haochen's unconscious face, poking his cheek. His hair was draped over his face and splayed across the floor in black swirls.

Calibri stopped talking and his eyes trained Haochen's face for a minute. "Look at me, flattering myself. You want me to tell your wife that you're only into her, don't you? She must have heard a bad rumor about me." He said laughing, almost bitterly for a while till his laughs dissolved into silence.

Calibri sighed, irritated at being overrun by emotions, and then moved the sleeves of Haochen's dark robes to a look at the incisions on his left wrist. "Stop it now, Calibri. You're being very rude. It's unkind of you to talk like that. He's unwell and his wife must be a lovely lady." He paused as he saw Haochen's wrist.

This was partly because the incisions were quite deep and haphazard, but also because beneath them was what looked like very messily healed skin. It looked sensitive, like it hadn't been given time to heal properly before it was cut open again and again. It looked like years of scarring making the skin look quite uneven and ugly.

Calibri's expression changed slowly, and he looked back at the puddle of blood along with the summoning circle and all the offering for him within it. He swallowed and looked back at Haochen's face, reaching out to his cheek to see if his skin was cold. Sure enough, it was cold to the touch. Haochen must have been losing too much blood. It was an easy fix if he had access to his medicine cabinets in Verbatium, but he did not. If he left him alone and his blood pressure dropped any further it wouldn't be good. And he didn't know if he could really leave him in that state.

With a sigh, Calibri brushed the hair out of Haochen's face. "You're not being fair." He said quietly, moving Haochen into his arms to he could half carry, and half drag him to the bed. He looked exhausted. His blue veins could be seen clearly underneath his bloodless skin.

As much as Calibri knew it was a terrible idea, and that he needed to leave, he couldn't find it in him to leave him there alone. So, he sighed, covered Haochen with the blankets, adjusted his pillows, stepped away from the bed , tucked his own long hair behind his ears, stared at Haochen for a moment longer than could be considered friendly, then began to look around the room for anything that he could use to make Haochen feel better.