The Man He Love and The Man He Can't Have

Claude got out the serum needle, gave Ru's hand a gentle wipe with a cotton pad, and put a bandage on it.

Ru first looked at the bandage, then at him, smiling, "You're fired," he said.

"Oh, I should leave the room then," Claude replied, returning the smile.

"Yes, please," Ru said seriously.

Claude was surprised. The color seemed to leave his eyes as he nodded slightly and started to walk away.

As he was about to leave, Ru grabbed his hand and, with a warm smile and an encouraging voice, said, "The doctor's left. You don't have to go."

Claude froze, his back still turned to Ru. His breathing hitched, and Ru could feel the faint tremble in his wrist. Ru leaned forward slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of Claude’s face, but the man kept his head down, his free hand gripping the strap of his bag tightly.

"Why don't you sit beside me?" Ru asked, his voice gentle, almost pleading. He patted the space next to him on the bed, his smile warm and inviting.

Claude hesitated, his shoulders rising and falling with a deep, shaky breath. "Sure," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned slowly, his movements cautious, as if he were stepping into uncharted territory. He perched on the edge of the bed, his posture rigid, his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

"You're sitting too far away," Ru said, his tone playful but laced with a hint of frustration. He shifted slightly, making room and patting the spot closer to him. "Come sit closer to me."

Claude’s eyes flickered to Ru’s face, then away just as quickly. He hesitated, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. "Okay," he said softly, scooting a little closer but still keeping a careful distance.

Ru sighed, his smile fading slightly. He leaned back against the pillows, his gaze fixed on Claude’s profile. "I've never been in a relationship either," he admitted, his voice quiet but steady. He hoped the confession would ease the tension, but instead, Claude shot to his feet, his bag slipping from his shoulder and hitting the floor with a soft thud.

"What? Why are you running away from me now?" Ru asked, his voice rising in confusion and frustration. He reached out again, but Claude stepped back, his eyes wide and panicked.

"I... I..." Claude stammered, his voice trembling. He bent down to grab his bag, his movements hurried and clumsy.

"You what?" Ru pressed, sitting up straighter, his brow furrowed.

"I need to think," Claude muttered, his voice barely audible. He didn’t look back as he bolted for the door, his footsteps echoing down the hallway before the door clicked shut behind him.

Ru stared at the closed door, his hand still outstretched. For a moment, he was frozen, his mind racing. Then, he slumped back against the pillows, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Alter Ru burst into laughter, his cackling voice echoing in Ru’s mind. "Ahahahah! Oh, how funny! We got straight-up rejected here."

Ru’s shadow writhed on the floor, its form flickering with glee. Ru glared at it, his cheeks burning. "Oh, how funny! Shut up!" he snapped, his voice sharp.

"Ahahah, idiot! Idiot!" Alter Ru’s voice crackled, his laughter growing louder.

"Listen up! I'll tear you apart like paper. Stop laughing," Ru shouted, his face turning red as he clenched his fists.

"Alright, I'm done. But it's hilarious, hahaha," Alter Ru said, his form collapsing into a puddle of shadowy laughter.

"I get it. You know something about Claude, and you're not telling me because you want to mess with me," Ru fumed, his voice low and dangerous.

Alter Ru’s laughter subsided, and he rose from the floor, his glowing eyes narrowing. "All I know about Claude is what you know. But now I've learned something new," he said, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Go ahead, share it with me," Ru said, his tone bitter as he glanced at the bandage on his hand.

"He's got high intuition. He sensed that you don't truly love him," Alter Ru said, pacing around the room, his shadowy form flickering with each step.

"What do you mean, high intuition? And what do you mean, I don't love him? I truly like him," Ru said, his voice softening as he stroked the bandage absently.

"Having a liking isn't enough for someone like Claude. You saw his aura. He's from the eternal love crowd. You're an idiot if you think you can just hop into bed with Claude that easily," Alter Ru crackled.

"You're the idiot, and that wasn't my intention. I need love and affection," Ru said, his voice breaking slightly as sadness crept into his tone.

"You want more support characters on your side, don't you? Your feelings aren't genuine. You're not in love; you're just self-centered. In other words, I'm you," Alter Ru boasted, his form swelling with pride.

"Fine, but how did Claude read my intentions?" Ru asked, almost defeated.

"He might have a strong intuitive sense. Besides, he's a psychiatrist," Alter Ru said, his glowing eyes scanning Ru with a knowing look.

"I think Claude just got scared, and he'll be back," Ru said, lowering his head and smiling slightly, though his voice lacked conviction.

"He might've been scared of your heart," Alter Ru whispered.

"You meant to say Seneca's heart," Ru said, placing his hand over his chest.

"The demon king's heart," Alter Ru growled, his image flickering dangerously. "Seneca is something else... He is actually a strange thing..."

“Don't talk like you've met Seneca,” Ru said, his voice sharp, but then he paused. He saw the dancing lights that wove the image of Alter Ru, and his eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute, you..."

“Seneca is the new king of the demons, and he is so… how shall I put it?” Alter Ru’s voice took on a dreamy quality, his form shimmering with excitement.

"Don't tell me you're in love!" Ru almost screamed, his hands flying to his head in disbelief.

"Nice guy. Super impressive. And he desires me," Alter Ru purred, his shadowy form swaying as if lost in thought.

"And he joins the game, and you definitely want him," Ru said, his voice rising in exasperation.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Alter Ru’s voice crackled with glee, his form dancing around the room.

"Oh, come on! I can't be with a demon," Ru groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"He is a half-demon. And I've already been with him, although not physically," Alter Ru said, his tone smug.

"Oh, fuck you!" Ru shouted, his face red with anger and embarrassment.

"I've been alone for centuries. And I was never loved. I feel tenderness in this man's touches. Although my seventh clone is... well..." Alter Ru’s voice trailed off, his form flickering as if lost in thought.

"I gotcha! You are a horny gay," Ru mocked.

"So says my latest clone, who just tried to get a man into bed," Alter Ru shot back.

"I care about the heart. I'm not like you," Ru said, his voice softening as he placed a hand over his chest.

"With what heart?" Alter Ru sneered, his glowing eyes narrowing.

"My stolen heart... It's a good man's heart. He's in pain, he's longing, and he loves Misha," Ru stated, his voice trembling as he listened to his own quickening heartbeat.

Alter Ru opened his mouth wide, light spilling out, and said, "You love Misha too."

Now it was Ru's turn to laugh. "Hahaha! Joke of the century! Didn't you see what she did to Vaelan?"

"Anyway, the sorcerer's around. We'll talk later," Alter Ru said hurriedly.

"What's your problem with the sorcerer?" Ru asked. "You're so scared of him. If only you were not as scared of..." But he stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the flickers in his shadow dimming.

Ru was drawn to the balcony door by the voice of branches tapping on the glass. He listened to the wind howling and melodically processed it in his brain.

He whistled a tune, humming "hmm... mmm... hmmm" under his breath.

While he was busy composing, he felt less stressed, and his body relaxed. He wasn't sure if he fell sleep; he was startled by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he called out, still groggy.

The door creaked open, and Amunet stepped into the room.

"I thought you were dead," Ru said, rubbing his eyes and looking at her.

"My lord sent you this," Amunet said, handing a tablet. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and added, "He also sent me for your questions, but I'm not happy about it."

"It's good that you came. I couldn't thank you," Ru sighed. "After all, you stopped that gargantuan demon."

Amunet remained unresponsive.

"So who assigned you to save me?" Ru asked, glancing at Amunet from the corner of his eye as he opened the tablet like a book. "Misha, Jasper? Or..."

Amunet gave the shortest answer: "Lord Dekaris Zarqasti."

"Your lord has somehow turned into my guardian angel," Ru said, randomly pressing the keys to activate the hologram.

Amunet reached for the tablet and made the 'give.'

Ru listened to her silent words. "Why is Lord Dekaris covering my ass? Is it just because of this mysterious, important guest or is there something else I don't know about?"

"Lord Dekaris is only protecting his sister," Amunet said, and without getting up from her seat, she reached for the balcony door. Her shadow grabbed the curtains and pulled them.

"So he has a sister," Ru said, seemingly deep in thought.

"Our Lord sees his sister only once every thousand years. The house is the only place and only time he can see her. So he has to organize this show," Amunet said. Then she raised her hand and snapped her fingers, and the chandelier lights went out. The room grew darker.

"Is it magic or technology?" Ru asked, surprised.

"Both," Amunet said as her fingers danced rapidly across the touchscreen.

Ru stared at the tablet. Many complex symbols and icons appeared on the screen.

"So your lord loves his sister," Ru murmured.

Amunet nodded.

"And who wants me on that show?" Ru asked.

"More than one person," Amunet said and unlocked The House screenshot.

At that point, a life-size holographic representation of the mansion filled the room, revealing the enigmatic structure in detail.

The house was a gothic structure embroidered with runic symbols of ancient times. It was wildly lit up like a circus venue from dark fairy tales, had a lot of gardens, dozens of towers, and nearly thirty other buildings on the grounds.

Ru gazed at the exaggerated structure, reminiscent of surrealist paintings. The sheer scale and complexity made it difficult to grasp the overall picture.

He could see more doors and windows than he could count. The walls were covered in flashing magical symbols. The most striking thing was that the château and its gardens were built on rock fragments floating in the air. These fragments appeared to be standing in a vacuum of space, surrounded by stars and galaxies.

As Amunet continued to control the holographic display, she said, "Lord Dekaris has placed this area under special protection. This protection includes powerful spells."

Ru was studying the hologram closely while asking whatever came to mind: "What's going on in this area? Are the dimensional doors inside?"

Amunet said, "This place is right in the middle of where different dimensions meet. Time is dispersed throughout this place. So, it'd be more accurate to say the house works like an interdimensional portal."

"Will we have to die to get into The House?" Ru asked, chewing on his nail polish.

"All the players will have to die, which is my favorite part," Amunet replied with a beaming smile.

"Incredible, you're such a sadist," Ru said, pulling back a little.

Ru's eyes got lost in the details as the hologram continued to show the plans of the building, trying to memorize the symbols while also trying to understand why his original was eager to enter the house.

Meanwhile, Amunet was watching his futile efforts with secret smiles.