Go Into the Night

Back at the diner…

Ainsley started to choke as he tried to cough out the powder that he inhaled. He grew very scared after remembering what Sinclair had said earlier. The symptoms were that of a drug… this powder that looked like confectionary sugar couldn't be it, right? Else, he's doomed!

A woman came to his rescue. She held onto him and rubbed his back. He didn't know who she was, but her hushing voice simply made his body calm down. He also felt like something inside him was pulsing over his body. Every cell in his body burned like he was having a fever, but it was simply being put out by a wave of cold wind. He didn't know what was happening, but he felt very safe despite his thoughts.

"There, there, what a troublesome young man. Rosen surely knew how to keep himself entertained." The woman hovered her hand over the tub and around their place. The powder seemed to have crystallized and was placed back inside the broken tub and on the table on its own. She then pulled Ainsley away. "Come on, let's get you checked. I know a good place."

"Who are you?" Ainsley frowned, but his consciousness was failing him. He was passing out, but the thought of crushing a middle-aged woman underneath him was keeping him awake.

"No need to know for now. I don't have a name to give you yet at all." The woman chuckled as she pushed him inside her car's backseat. From the view over her shoulders, he watched as people ran away from the diner. Even the staff were as if being chased out.

The woman fastened his seatbelt against him and did hers after. The driver received a cue and drove away from the place. As Ainsley fought his slumber, he watched the diner move away from his view… only for it to suddenly blow up into a huge flame.

Raging flames were the last thing Ainsley saw before passing out completely.

…

It felt like floating. Within the darkness of his slumber, Ainsley could see lights waving from above as if he was under the night sky. The cold chill embraced his body, and the slow stir in the water helped him feel himself. When his eyes opened fully, he saw the full moon shining down at him. The light was yellow, cold, and indifferent. However, the air he breathed felt like it was nourishing him.

'Am I hallucinating?' The man mouthed his words. There was no voice or any kind of sound in here. He was only left with his thoughts… and the magnanimity of the full moon.

Ainsley tried to move his body, but he was motionless. Even his eyes couldn't look around, as if he was stuck in this frozen time. The moonlight continued to shine down, making Ainsley recall the memory of Sinclair's transformation. 'Was he really… the one who saved me? How did he save me?'

Thump, thump. He then heard his heart pounding against his chest. Ta-thump! Ta-thump! Soon, there was another heartbeat, as if there were two of them inside his chest. When he closed his eyes to feel the two hearts, the darkness before him showed him quite an interesting sight.

A human heart that seemed to be dead was moving along with a green swirling mist. The parts were moving normally, but there was a second sound. Soon enough, he could see the green mist solidify into a strange look—like a scaled version of a heart. However, there was only half of it.

'Leo…' Sinclair's voice echoed in his head.

Ainsley opened his eyes again, but the indifferent full moon continued to shine down on him. His body remained to sway along with the water.

However, he was starting to feel warmer. The warmth was causing him to fall asleep again, albeit with comfort this time. This comfort, moreover, felt so familiar.

"…"

"…o…? Leo?" Ainsley stirred in his sleep when he heard Sinclair's voice next to him. This time, it was louder and less of a faint afterthought. His eyes opened and saw a bright ceiling as if he was in the hospital again. However, the ceiling was too close, as if the room was undeniably smaller.

He put his hand to block out the light, but it was held by Sinclair with two hands. Ainsley was even surprised that he held onto it quite tightly. Sinclair then spoke slowly as if making sure Ainsley could understand him, "Leo, can you hear me?"

That was his cue to move his eyes to stare at Sinclair. Those gray eyes had always been looking at him, but they didn't seem to be there when he's in trouble. What a strange notion.

"Sinco, tell me this is just the dentist's…?"

"Why would I take you to the dentist? Did you pass out from toothache?" Sinclair, however, chuckled in relief. It was good that Ainsley was awake and aware of his surroundings.

He then pulled back and sat properly on the bed. Earlier, he was kneeling as if praying to the god of humans. "Does anywhere hurt? What do you last remember?"

"I was dragged into the car by some beautiful lady." Ainsley moved to sit up, and Sinclair helped him. "Yeah, wait, Ms. Jenkins made me inhale some powder."

Sinclair only nodded, resuming his normal attitude. "I heard about it. It seemed that whoever asked her to do so had no mercy. Ms. Jenkins and her entire family is found dead just now, albeit that Ms. Jenkins was found in an alleyway."

He then smiled and reached out to stroke at Ainsley's head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. Sigh, how many times do I have to say that?"

As if remembering his thoughts from earlier, Ainsley took a hold of Sinclair's hand. His green eyes then locked onto those coal-colored ones. "Sinclair, what did you do to me? Back then? There's no way miracles happen to someone so unlucky, like me. You're not human, so… you're certainly capable of something."

"For context, I am from the clan of dragons called moonlight dragons. We get reborn again and again, and we never truly die." The dragon still curled his lips in a small smile. "Our dragon's hearts made it possible, but it is far more powerful than that.

"Leo…"—he moved his hand to flatten his palm on Ainsley's chest—"half of my dragon's heart is inside you. It is keeping you alive, but that means I won't get reborn anymore. I will age until my body breaks down, and I will never return as a moonlight dragon again."

His eyes had followed his hand, and so he flicked them back to those green ones. "I'm sorry… I can't let you go into the night just like that…"