Chapter 4: The Times Are Changing

"So are we just gonna pretend that all this is normal?"

"Well if you want to go search for an explanation, be my guest." Ivy's pace was fast as she walked along the crudely paved sidewalk. She could hear and audible groan just behind her. "I don't have to follow me, ya know." She huffed, glancing over her shoulder.

Cilian narrowed his gaze. "Seeing as I have no idea what's going on, I kinda do."

The pair made their way down Gerrard street. To their left were old convenience stores with signs hanging by threads, abandoned buildings with graffiti painting the outsides and the occasional homeless person curled up in the alleyways. Across the street wasn't much different. Though, the area visibly got worse the further they got. "This way," Ivy stopped at the end of the street and turned the corner. A three story apartment complex stood at the end. The burgundy coloured paint was scantily spread over the reinforced concrete, with flakes peeling off at random places to reveal shades of grey beneath.

"Home sweet home," she swallowed the words despite their bitter taste. Cilian stepped to her side and tilted his chin towards her. "What's your plan going in there?" He quietly asked.

Ivy's shoulders stiffened. Truth be told, she didn't have much of one. All she knew for sure in this crazy situation was her anger towards Yuri. She held onto it like a lifeline. It was the only sure thing she could grasp in this world.

"Well for starters, I want to see if the bastard remembers what he did to us. If this really is the past, then he should be sleeping 'cause of his night job."

Ivy could see Cilian's jaw tighten out the corner of her eye. Seems he also carried less than pleasant feelings towards the boss who left him to die as well.

"Fine, let's go in."

The pair stepped inside and headed up the stairwells. Cobwebs filled every corner while the railings seemed close to falling off. When they reached Ivy's front door, she paused and took in a shallow breath.

"I'll stay out here." Cilian said, stepping to the side of the door. "If it's 2015, we technically haven't met yet." He pressed his back against the hickory coloured wall and ran a hand through his hair. His biceps caused the fitted white shirt to crease and tighten. "Don't take too long."

Agreeing with his choice, Ivy nodded and reached into her cardigan pocket to retrieve her house key. Thankfully it was there. The door creaked open with the weariness of an old man, barely clinging onto its hinges. Ivy sucked in a deep breath and was hit with the scent of damp wood. Ah yes, that annoying leak in the roof. She quietly closed the door behind her and continued through the front hallway while running her fingers along the beige coloured walls, too stained to call white.

"Ivy?"

She quickly froze as her brother stepped from around the corner. For a moment, seeing his face again caught her off guard. He too looked different in this timeline. His groggy eyes were softer, less hardened by the stress of being a leader. Ivy…missed those eyes. She remembered watching the slow change from the Yuri that stood before, to the Yuri overcome with greed and paranoia.

"What are you doing back here? Why aren't you in high school?" His voice was deep with a vibrato that tingled in Ivy's ear. His chestnut brown hair was also tussled, like the nest of a bird.

"I forgot my bookbag. You just woke up?" She questioned, stifling back a few curse words.

Yuri nodded before rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't be skipping too many days cause I'm not gonna pretend to be dad and bail you out." He said, snorting at that last part. He then stepped over, and Ivy's muscles tensed. Her eyes instinctively fell to the ground. She scolded herself for holding back the words that begged to be released. Why wasn't she screaming? She deserved to make Yuri feel small, to cry and ask why he would leave her to die? What had she done to deserve that?

"Hey," A warm hand was suddenly placed on top of Ivy's head. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "The rent is gonna be due next week, and you know how hard it is for me to find a job. So you're gonna have the money by then, right?"

Ah, there it was.

Ivy swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly shifted her gaze up. Her eyes locked with Yuri's, and for a split second the softness in them had all but disappeared, replaced with a frigid coldness she recognized all too well.

This was the Yuri who would soon leave her to die.