Time we don’t have

"It's time to sleep, Eun-woo."

That answer was enough to make Eun-woo's body tense. He squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the covers even tighter. Since his back was to Rhys, he couldn't see the effort it took for Rhys to stay still, resisting the urge to run over and hold him.

Rhys knew exactly what he had to do: show Eun-woo who he truly was. No masks, no lies — only then could he be certain of what was starting to grow inside him, and offer the bond.

For his part, Eun-woo was getting the wrong idea. He believed Rhys was rejecting him because of his peculiar and strange nature.

Before leaving the Research Center, everything revolved around him and Rhys, Rhys and him, but since his arrival at the glass house, three more components had been added to the equation.

First up was Caelan. Of the group, he seemed closest to Rhys. They talked, joked, and laughed. They had a devastating closeness, and in a way, he understood. Apparently, Rhys's friendship with Caelan went back years, compared to his own, which was relatively new.

Second was Jae. His friendship with Rhys was different from his with Caelan. Rhys teased Jae constantly. Eun-woo surmised that this was his way of showing affection for the boy. Still, he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly bothered him about that dynamic. Jae clearly admired both Rhys and Caelan.

And last but not least, there was Rong Ye. There was a certain air of enmity between Rhys and Rong Ye, and Eun-woo had the feeling it was because of him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt uncomfortable being caught between them.

Eun-woo longed to return to the days when it was just him and Rhys, where their thoughts were directed solely toward each other and nothing that didn't involve them both mattered. At the same time, he felt like that was wrong.

He felt horrible for thinking that way because he knew part of Rhys's happiness lay in his friendship with Caelan and Jae. Taking that away from him would be heartless, so the best thing he could do was get closer to them. Get to know them, learn their mannerisms, their flaws, and their strengths. This way, he'd feel Rhys's closeness to the group, and the bad thoughts would cease.

But for now, he preferred to be a little selfish and hog Rhys's attention.

Let me be selfish. Just a little.

"Rhys," he said, turning to him. "Was it the cell that bound us?"

Rhys stared at him unblinkingly, his heart contracting. He didn't want Eun-woo to feel like their relationship, the one they'd forged inside that damned cell, was the product of a lie. But he also didn't feel ready to tell him the truth.

What would Eun-woo think if he told him he'd been Magnus's favorite toy? And that his original plan was to kill him?

Eun-woo would probably hate it.

"Of course not," Rhys replied seriously. After a few seconds, he sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "You're hurt. I don't want to hurt you. It's best if we sleep separately, at least for tonight."

Rhys's voice was softer than usual, which prompted Eun-woo to lean in and wrap his arms around him. He buried his face in Rhys's neck and breathed in his scent.

Thanks to that gesture, Rhys relaxed, turned around to fully embrace Eun-woo and they lay down with their arms and legs wrapped around each other's bodies.

"Your smell..." Eun-woo whispered without taking his face away from Rhys's neck. "...you still have that fragrance."

"I hate it," Rhys snapped. "If I could, I'd have gotten rid of it already."

Eun-woo looked up and smiled sweetly in an attempt to calm Rhys.

"I read that cats often lick their fur to create a common scent, maybe it works."

Rhys barely had time to be surprised by the strange suggestion; by the time he wanted to react, Eun-woo's velvety tongue was already running along his neck.

"I'm sorry to break your feline aspirations, but..." Rhys faltered, his face coloring. "...we're not cats." He said the last part in a whisper as he looked away.

Such closeness unnerved Rhys. He felt his heart pounding, as if it were trying to burst out of his chest, and a fluttering sensation ran through his stomach. Everything inside him twisted, making him feel strange and vulnerable.

Eun-woo pulled away from Rhys and smiled playfully. He found it amusing to see him like that. He was used to his serious, reserved demeanor, and discovering that sweeter, more adorable side was delightful.

"At least I tried," Eun-woo informed him without wiping the smile off his face.

"I didn't know you liked reading." Rhys decided to change the subject.

Eun-woo nodded.

"When did you learn how to read?" Rhys asked.

Eun-woo thought about it for a minute before answering.

"I'm not sure…"

"Did your parents teach you?"

Eun-woo denied.

"There was a box in my room that showed pictures with things like letters, numbers, syllables, stories... I think that's how I learned."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Why?"

"No reason."

It was very strange. Even before he was locked away in the Research Center, Eun-woo had already lived in isolation, without the company or interaction of other human beings—not even his own family. Rhys found it incomprehensible how anyone could have grown up like that, surrounded by so many absences.

And he also didn't understand why he was isolated from such a young age.

"What do you like to do?" Eun-woo asked in a lower tone, almost asleep.

Rhys's mind went blank. He didn't have a hobby. Or rather, he'd never had time for one. He spent much of his day between the training ground, the battlefield, and the government offices. In his rare free moments, he only managed to sneak into the mess hall for a quick chat with Caelan and Jae, though even that was difficult. Magnus often required him during that time, and it was difficult to see his friends afterward.

"I like being here. With you."

When he was with Eun-woo, Rhys could feel... normal.

Not even with Caelan, his best friend, could he achieve that feeling. What he had with Eun-woo was different. From the way they talked to the things they talked about, everything felt more intimate. More honest.

"I like being with you too."

"More than reading?" Rhys joked.

"More than… everything."

Eun-woo fell asleep after his comment, his expression so serene and genuine that it hurt Rhys to look at him. Eun-woo looked calm and happy. And that only accentuated the remorse gnawing at Rhys's chest.

Yes, Rhys loved Eun-woo.

And he loved him in a way that felt... wrong. Not because there was anything shameful about his affection for him, but because they were both broken, hurt in ways they were only just beginning to understand.

Rhys knew he'd been used and manipulated by Magnus for years. And Eun-woo... Eun-woo was just learning how to exist with another person. Before Rhys, he'd had no one.

The bond forming between them — no matter how real it felt — wasn't meant to be a crutch, a dependency born from emptiness. Rhys wanted something healthy, something that wouldn't hurt when touched. But for that, they needed time.

Time to heal.

Time to discover who they were without being chained to each other's trauma.

But that was exactly what they lacked: time.

Eun-woo needed to bond soon.

Rhys swallowed.

He wasn't even sure why he felt such a strong connection. He wasn't a Guide. He had no hidden power, no secret spark waiting to be awakened.

Rhys let out a dry laugh.

What was next?

Discovering that he was the chosen one of an ancient prophecy?

The whole situation was starting to sound like a cheap story.

And yet, he felt it in his heart: there was something between him and Eun-woo that couldn't be explained by need alone.

Rhys needed answers. About himself. About his past. About what Eun-woo really meant to him.

But that night there would be no answers.

Only the calm breathing of Eun-woo asleep and the weight of a dilemma he didn't know how to solve.