Through Apocalypse

Huang Jin first met Qiao Bei when he first entered the laboratory after being captured by his stepbrother.

Because of grief and pain, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings. But every day and night, he can always hear noises on the other side of the room. A blood-curdling scream will always wake him up. Then silence, that's what he hears every time someone comes to the door of the other room.

There was a time he was curious, but he didn't want to venture on his curiosity. He doesn't have time, always thinking about how to take revenge on his stepbrother. There was a time that he almost gave up and decided to kill himself.

But every time he thinks about it, something will always pull him through and make him sleepy every time. At first, he didn't know about it, but after a week of feeling that 'something' he wanted to know.

So one day, when he felt killing himself again, that something came back. So he asks in a whisper, but no one answered his questions. He asked again and again, but there was no sound at all. When he wanted to give up, he heard the sound of a bell. He thought it was his hallucination. But the sound of the bell began to spread throughout the room. Then it stops abruptly. It was not deafening, but a kind of music that will make you feel calm and sleepy.

He asked again after feeling the sleepiness, and he wanted to know the person who always makes him feel that way. Then a voice came into his ears.

Because of his torture, he was always delirious; only the sound of the bell can make his heart and mind clear. So he was still thankful to the person who did it.

The voice was a child-like, but he can hear the pain, anger, loneliness in the voice. The voice always talks about how he hates all human beings, how savage and monster they are. Being selfish and thinking about their prestige and their survival.

Every time the voice talks, he always complains about the greediness of the human being. All of them are the same. So Huang Jin asked the voice, " Why do you sound the bell and always help me?"

"Because I can feel your soul, it's pure. You are very angry and hate the person who betrayed you. Much worse because it was your stepbrother. But the majority is hope, waiting for your lover to save you. I can feel how you love him and also explore how he loves you.

After ten years of living my life, all the emotions and soul I've read were many, but the only pure soul I've encountered was less. If you count the babies, I guess they are the purest soul I have ever seen and felt.

But your soul, it's pure even though you have already experience the apocalypse and betrayed by the people you so-called 'family.'

The most dangerous on earth is not the zombies, the mutated animals, and plants. But the heart of human beings, it's terrifying and disappointing. We have all the intelligence, and we know what is wrong and what is right, but because of greed and selfishness. The so-called intelligence gets trampled by that greed.

So I'll give you hope then for you to feel the pain and hurt and greed and selfishness of all the people that surround you.

It's better to kill them all so that no one will survive.

Human beings are selfish and greedy. It's better to destroy their hope and let them suffer from all the pain that they gave to me." Then the voice laughs full of pain and hate.

Huang Jin was silent, only listening to the kid's voice, hearing all his experiences and bitterness because of the people who made him like this made his heart full of pain.

Huang Jin asked how long did the kid was inside the laboratory. The voice told him it was already ten years. Transferred to a different facility all the time and torturing his life. Then going to another laboratory again, until the last two years, the doctors decided to stay in this base.

He asked why he didn't leave or escaped. The only answer was a burst of laughter full of ridicule and pain. "Escaping in this hell hole will only make your life miserable." The voice said to him, "It's better to annoy and kill them one by one until they get tired of you."

So the voice did it all the time until they totally forgot him and thrown him away and locked him up in that room. But they didn't know that his powers were getting stronger and more reliable. Killing the people who go inside his place was smooth with just a snap of his fingers. He was just waiting for an opportunity to escaped and get revenge for all of them.

"Waiting..waiting.." the voice was singing and whispering in a loop.

Huang Jin can feel how obsessed the voice was; his hair stood up every time the voice sings those words. He can only shake his head.

So every day for the months he was inside the laboratory, only the voice keep him company.

He didn't have a choice, and he didn't want to shut out the voice, or it will make him crazy. Every day he was waiting for his lover to save him. Always hoping that he will come and reunite with each other.

Day by day, months after the hope that was blooming was declining, like a flower little by little dies.

The voice was full of resentment and hate, and heart closed from any kindness that may end up killing him.

Huang Jin wanted to help, but in his case, how can he? He was locked up in the room but still a cage for him. Being betrayed made him hate himself, being bind because of some feelings that from the start was just pretense.

He didn't know how long it was, but the day his stepbrother came by and said those words, his whole world collapse.

His world became silent, all the noise even the voice who annoys him all the time, he did not pay attention. He was like a statue, doesn't feel, and doesn't hear anything. He didn't eat and tried to kill himself every time. But for some reason, he always stopped, maybe it was because of the voice. Or because he still hoped that Xun Wei would appear in front of him and save him.

When a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and asked, " Are you okay?"

"I'm good. I was just thinking." Huang Jin let out a long sighed and told about Qiao Bei.

"The first time I saw his face, I knew that he was the voice because after I died, they transferred me into another laboratory, I saw him while he was also put in another place. That was the last time I saw him."

Xun Wei's arms tightened around Huang Jin's arms. He knows that it was still difficult for his husband to think about his death on his last life.

Leaning on Xun Wei's body, Huang Jin turned his body and hugged him. Kissed his lips and nestled on him and whispered, "I'm here, you don't have to worry. And I know that you will always protect me."

"Even though you said things about your past, I'm still afraid. Are you sure you don't want me to do anything with them?"

"No, let them live for a while. From the start, Chen Ai's family survived the apocalypse because my father and Xun Wen were with them. In this life, my father divorced Chen Ai and cut the relationship. Let them suffer for a while" Xun Wei embraced him, hugging him hard.

The couple heard the sounds of footsteps coming from the children's room. Two heads were peaking and watching the two a.d.u.l.ts. They were in pajamas and holding stuffed toys in their arms.

The two a.d.u.l.ts smiled towards the two children and beckoned them.

"Ready to sleep?"

"Can you read a bedtime story?"

"Sure, baby. Let Daddy take inside then. I'll get something on the kitchen first."

Ahbao nodded as Xun Wei took the two children's hands. One on each hand, they walk towards the room.

It took a couple of minutes for Huang Jin to make two glasses of milk for the children. When he went inside the room, the two were already lying down beside Xun Wei.

When the children saw him, Ahbao was excited, while Qiao Bei was still shy and silent. He was holding a tiger in his arms like a treasure.

Huang Jin told the children to drink the milk while listening to his story. After a while, both children fell asleep, the couple arranges the two children's position and places a thick blanket. Kissed both the children's cheeks and closed the door.

The couple made sure that the doors and windows are tightly closed before going inside their room.

"Are you still worried about Qiao Bei?" Xun Wei asked while playing with Huang Jin's hair. They were lying down the bed while trying to sleep.

"Is it okay?" Huang Jin asked, referring to adopting Qiao Bei.

" Yes, I know that your only thinking of the child's safety. I'm not stopping you."

"Thank you. It's just that I'm afraid that the child may end up being experimented by the scientists. I don't want that to happen. It's excruciating, and I feel that meeting the child is a blessing. We can help and not let the child suffer from the things that he experiences in the last life." Huang Jin comfortably places his cheeks in Xun Wei's c.h.e.s.t and listening to the beating heart.

"Whatever you want. I'm here, and you don't need to worry. You just need to do what you like, and I'll make sure to help you all the way." Xun Wei hugged and kissed Huang Jin.

Huang Jin's vision blurred for a second; he's fortunate to meet Xun Wei after his rebirth giving him the chance to be with his husband. Whatever test or trial he will encounter during this life. He will make sure to survive them and live a life with his husband and family. Only in this way can he fulfill his goal and happiness.