The Bloodline of Ru

As Ru settled onto the couch, Claude knelt in front of him, his sharp gaze locking onto Ru's bandaged wrist. His fingers moved with a practiced precision, carefully unwrapping the fabric.

The moment the bloodied wound was exposed, Claude's expression darkened. "Lirui." His voice was low and tense. "When did this happen?"

Ru sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "Last night."

Claude inhaled sharply, glancing at Ru's tired face before focusing back on the cut. It wasn't just a scratch—it was deep, deliberate. His stomach twisted. "Were you trying to—" He swallowed the rest of the question, his fingers tightening around Ru's wrist. "Lirui, were you trying to hurt yourself?"

Ru blinked, taken aback. Then, realizing the misunderstanding, he let out a short laugh. "No. It wasn't like that."

Claude's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then explain it to me."

Ru hesitated. He could sense that Claude was struggling to maintain composure, his medical instincts urging him to act. Finally, he muttered, "I fed my vampire girlfriend."

Claude froze. "You what?"

Ru lifted his wrist slightly. "She needed blood. I gave it to her."

Claude let out a slow, measured breath. "You cut yourself this deep... to feed a vampire?"

Ru shrugged. "It wasn't that bad."

Claude shut his eyes for a moment, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Lirui, this looks very bad." His voice was laced with frustration, but there was no mistaking the worry beneath it. He opened his eyes, his expression softer. "Listen. If anyone sees this, they're going to think you—"

Ru cut him off. "My aunt did it." His voice was firm. "Not me."

Claude's breath hitched. "Your aunt?"

Ru nodded. "She's a witch. She's been sacrificing people, Claude." He gestured to his wrist. "You wanted proof? Use this."

Claude stared at him for a long moment, his jaw clenching. Then, with a sharp nod, he reached for his phone and snapped a picture of the wound. "I'm documenting this." His voice was quiet but steady. "For evidence."

He set the phone down and grabbed his medical bag. "Now hold still," he muttered, carefully disinfecting the wound. His touch was gentle, but his hands trembled slightly. "You can't just—" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "Does it still hurt?"

Ru smirked faintly. "Not as much as everything else."

Claude shot him a look but didn't argue. Instead, he wrapped the wound again, this time with fresh, professional bandages. When he was done, he exhaled slowly.

"I don't like this," he admitted.

Ru gave him a tired smile. "Yeah. Me neither."

With determination in his eyes, Claude said, "I'll definitely save you from your aunt."

"Yes, please."

"Now I'll prepare a hot soup and a comfortable bed for you," Claude said, smiling warmly. "In the meantime, you can watch TV if you wish."

"No need for soup. I just want to sleep," Ru said, holding her head.

"So how about milk and pain medication?" Claude suggested.

"Okay," Ru said, looking away.

Following Claude's medical procedures, Ru dressed in fresh clothing. Finally, he tried relaxing by lying down on a cozy bed and closing his eyes.

The dim glow of the streetlights seeped through the blinds, casting soft, golden slashes across the walls. He wasn't used to this kind of quiet. It felt almost unnatural, like a pause in a song that stretched too long.

No one had ever shown him any love before. Although Jenna's mother was an exception... for the first time, someone directly cared about Ru.

"I like this," he whispered.

It wasn't just attraction—it was something deeper, something that made his stomach twist uncomfortably, like an old wound itching under the skin. Lying here, in someone else's home, under someone else's care, felt foreign. His life had never made room for comfort, and yet... Claude had given it to him without asking for anything in return.

His fingers curled into the fabric of the blanket. Could he stay?

No. He already knew the answer.

Morning came too soon. The scent of coffee drifted through the air, followed by the faint clatter of dishes. Ru sat up, rubbing his eyes, just as Claude walked in, balancing a breakfast tray.

"Didn't think you'd be awake," Claude said with a small smile. He set the tray down—a plate of toast, eggs, and a cup of tea. "Figured you'd be half-dead after everything."

Ru eyed the food, then looked at Claude. "I don't usually eat breakfast."

Claude shrugged. "Try."

Ru hesitated, then picked up a piece of toast, biting into it slowly. It was simple, warm. It tasted... safe.

Claude sat across from him, his expression serious. "Lirui, I need to talk to you about something."

Ru stilled. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to report your aunt to social services."

The words landed like a sharp note in a silent room. Ru's fingers tightened around the toast, but he didn't speak.

"She's abusive," Claude continued. "You know that. You can't go back there."

Ru let out a slow breath. "I know."

"Then stay here." Claude leaned forward, his rainbow eyes steady. "Stay at my house."

Ru's throat felt tight. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to pretend, just for a little longer, that he had a place like this to return to. But he couldn't.

"Drop me at Vaelan's house."

Claude frowned. "Liru—"

"Please." Ru forced a smirk, even though it felt like his heart was being scraped raw. "You don't want to deal with me long-term. Trust me."

Claude sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible."

Ru just smiled, but this time, it didn't reach his eyes.

Claude pulled up in front of the worn-down apartment building, the engine humming softly in the quiet morning air. Ru stared at the entrance, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. The place hadn't changed—same cracked steps, same flickering light above the door.

"Are you sure about this?" Claude asked.

Ru nodded. "Yeah."

Claude exhaled through his nose but didn't push further. "Call me if you need anything."

Ru didn't answer. He just slipped out of the car, the cold air biting at his skin. The door groaned as he knocked, and for a long moment, there was nothing. Then, footsteps.

The door swung open. Vaelan stood there, dark curls messy, his blue eyes still heavy with sleep. His gaze flickered over Ru—his bandaged arms, the tired lines under his eyes—then to Claude's car idling in the street.

He didn't ask questions. Instead, he stepped aside and muttered, "Come in, dude."

When Ru stumbled inside, Vaelan held him tightly. "Dude, are you okay?"

"Not bad," Ru replied.

Vaelan led Ru inside, guiding him toward the worn-out couch in the living room. The place was cluttered but familiar—old movie posters on the walls, a baseball bat leaning against the doorframe, and a blanket thrown haphazardly over the couch. He pushed Ru down gently.

"What happened, man?" Vaelan asked, crouching in front of him. His blue eyes searched Ru's face for answers.

Ru leaned back, exhaling sharply. "This is crazy, man."

Vaelan raised an eyebrow. "You don't say?"

"My aunt..." Ru started, rubbing his temple. "She's a witch."

Vaelan blinked. "Like, metaphorically?"

Ru let out a short, humorless laugh. "No. Literally. She sacrificed a cop to a genie. And that genie turned my vampire girlfriend to ashes."

Vaelan whistled low. "Dude. That's like... a fantasy movie."

Ru pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. "Yeah. A really shitty one."

Vaelan frowned and reached out, pressing a hand against Ru's forehead. "You're burning up." His brows furrowed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Before Ru could answer, Vaelan's body tensed. His breath hitched, and his pupils dilated, turning a deep, eerie red. The air in the room thickened, charged with something unseen.

Then, from Vaelan's lips, a voice that wasn't his own spoke. Soft, playful.

"Dad."

Ru stiffened. The voice was unmistakable.

Clockmaker had awakened.

Vaelan's lips curled into a knowing smile, though it wasn't his expression anymore. The mischievous glint in his glowing red eyes belonged to Clockmaker, who shared his body.

"Did you miss me, Dad?" She teased, tilting Vaelan's head to the side.

"Finally, someone who will believe me," Ru murmured. With happiness, he hugged Vaelan. Tears flowed from his eyes.

"Dad, are you crying?" said the little girl, feeling the wetness falling on Vaelan's shoulder.

This question caused Ru to cry uncontrollably.

Clockmaker allowed him to weep on Vaelan's shoulder for a time. She gently patted his back, reminiscent of soothing a baby. Although Ru desired to pull away, she held on tightly. And she enveloped him in all her affection.

Once Ru found his calm, he opened up to her about everything he had experienced. As Ru anticipated, Clockmaker possessed knowledge regarding the golden palace, the witch, and the genie.

First she told about the witch—

"The Almighty Ru summoned the witch from the forgotten world to care for you and protect you. All my sisters died to bring the witch Anaxarete to earth.

Unfortunately, that woman is unreliable, even for The Almighty Ru. As far as I know, the witch sold our father to genies in the past. But hey, he had to. He had to make a deal with the witch. Because our father has to protect his last clone, you."

Then the Almighty Ru—

"He is our father, your original. An ancient king imprisoned in a crystal tower. He needs the energy to be released at the time of the apocalypse to break free from the prison. That's why he created you."

And the genie—

"Our father's ancient enemy, whom he defeated by stealing his name. The Almighty Ru was his slave for many years. He eventually trapped him and escaped from the golden palace. That's why you should stay away from him. And you shouldn't collect the memories about the genie."

Thanking her with a box of bonbons, Ru earned some time to collect himself and reflect while Clockmaker filled Vaelan's mouth with bonbons.

Ru thought, out loud. "Okay, the genie is blacklisted, and the witch is blacklisted again because she sold me to him." Ru paused and took a bonbon that Clockmaker held out in his mouth. Then he continued with some questions. "But I need to know, how many clones of The Almighty Ru did he have before me? And what does all this have to do with demons?"

"You are the twelfth clone," Clockmaker said, and waited a moment for Ru's reaction. She saw that Ru was not expressing his feelings, so she continued to explain. "Our father stole a heart from the demons and combined its energy with his own seeds to create a pearl. We girls make a human baby swallow our father's unique pearl and turn it into Ru, that is, a clone."

“Hmm,” Ru said and nodded as if he understood.

Clockmaker took a deep breath and made her final point. "As for the demons, they sense the clones and attack the clones to get the heart back."

"The heart?” Ru inquired, resting his hand upon his chest. "To whom does this heart belong?"

One of Vaelan's eyes became blue. Clockmaker and Vaelan spoke at the same time, their voices intertwining. "Their father's, their king's."