Chapter Text
The sky is raining, just like that day. He has been hating the downpour for as long as he can remember. It makes his clothes wet and damp, uncomfortable to wear and for him to move around with it. The rain also brings the chilly air and the musky earth smell.
Yet above it all, he hates it because it reminded him too much about that day. The memories evoked, a feeling of crimson liquid pooling ghosts his gloved hands.
The blue-haired man trudges under the downpour as if these tiny water droplets were able to force him down. In truth, he's simply tired. He has forgotten when was the last time he had a meal, a proper one. How long and far has he been walking aimlessly. Not that it matters anymore…
For what is the point of living another day if he has no reason to?
His legs wobble and give up from exhaustion, forcing his body to lean against the cream-colored brick walls. The lower part of his face not covered by his mask looks as pale as the snow, the cheeks are hollow from fatigue and malnutrition. The man curses under his ragged breathing, one curse is all that he can muster. He hangs his head down, letting his long, filthy hair dangle down akin to heavy curtains.
I'm tired, he thinks. Maybe this time, it will all end.
His suffering, the seemingly endless torment, his life… that man's life too, and their story.
Two hundred years…finally. Time for the curtain call.
A pair of red eyes that have long lost their lustrousness begin to close. His mind feels light, his once noisy surroundings suddenly becomes quiet, the world turns…meaningless. Is this how death is?
The man breathes a sigh.
Just as he thinks everything is over, footsteps approach. From the way the small puddle ripples and the weight of the stomps, he can tell it belongs to a human without looking. The louder it becomes, the closer the stranger is to him. Maybe just a passerby unaware of his upcoming death, not knowing that they are just a foot away from discovering a dead body lying in the alleys of Liyue Harbor.
The footsteps stop, still, he doesn't bother to look up; but he can feel there is a presence nearby, and a pair of eyes are looking at him. If it were not for his parched throat, the dying man would have retorted harshly because he doesn't like being judged as a pathetic person. So what if he never gains the gods' favor? So what if all he had were his long gone technologies and experiments? So what if all he once had was fake powers impersonating gods' gifts? He's strong, insanely so, there is a reason why he was one of the Harbingers, he's more than befitting to deserve that place among the elite few! He had been there, he had slain gods that once arrogantly ruled from their high Heavens!
The stranger leaves, heading back the same way they came from. The former Harbinger remains silent despite wanting to laugh, maybe this is what the Rooster called 'mellowing down'. Maybe, he has grown senile much like that late old-timer.
Now, he's all alone. Dying alone isn't so bad, is it?
The footsteps return, they are the same from the ones before. The dying doctor cracks his eyes open, seeing a man (judging from the style of Liyuen attire this stranger wears) crouches in front of him. The rain doesn't fall on him anymore, it seems the other's umbrella is wide enough to cover both of them. The hem of the stranger's outfit is wet from absorbing the puddle, but its owner doesn't seem to mind.
"Ah, I was right."
That voice…that silky voice that sounds all too familiar to his ears…
(A wave of nostalgia rushes on him, crashing him with thousands of emotions just like sea waves…)
The Doctor looks up.
Perhaps, it is his life's greatest mistake to face the stranger.
…That man isn't just any stranger.
Steel blue eyes behind a pair of glasses, midnight hair, fair skin…
His chest contorts painfully, his throat tightens, his head feels heavy all of a sudden, like the sky falls on him.
Is this Celestia's revenge for all his atrocities in the past? If it is, then, this is too cruel. Yet, he deserves it, doesn't he?
"Thank Heavens, I'm glad that you're still alive," the man says, sounding worried rather than mocking. It alone throws the dying doctor into confusion, for that man was never worried about him. "Can you hear me? Can you move? If you are too weak to do so, it's alright. I will help you."
He remains silent, concerning the younger man. The young man – Pantalone… no , he's dead , he saw the Regrator's fall with his own two eyes that day…so, he can't be him…can he? – shows him the bag of meat buns and takes one of the warm foods out. "Can you eat these?" It can't be him, it can't be him… "I have some water with me. You should–"
The Doctor blows his eyes wide and pounces forward, his right hand moves and strangles 'Pantalone', slamming the faker onto the wall where he once leaned against. The meat buns unceremoniously fall alongside the umbrella into the dirty puddle of rainwater and dust, while the downpour soaks them thoroughly. His victim yelps loudly due to the pain impacting his head, the poor man suffocates as of the next second. The attacker tightens his hold, sharp nails dangerously trying to sink under the reddening skin.
"You…how dare YOU impersonate him!"
The strangled man grits, his face begins to pale from the lack of air. He looks at the maddened Doctor with one eye, grabbing the doctor's wrist in an attempt to free himself. It is all in vain, of course, for what is a mere mortal's power in front of an enhanced human who once rivaled the gods of old?
The doctor chuckles and laughs maniacally into the air, the roaring thunder swallows his madness whole. The strangled man begins to panic as the madman pulls out a surgery scalpel, its pristine metal glints dangerously under the lightning's glow.
"I will kill you…OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Then, I will just reconstruct you and–!"
A hand touches his cheek, snapping him out of his insanity. The doctor looks into the midnight eyes that have grown hazy, they begin to lose their color as the body grows weaker. The doctor loosens his grip and releases the man, watching as his victim coughs and gasps for air to fill his lungs. He steps back, the scalpel falls with a loud ring piercing the rain as his hands hold the sides of his head. His red eyes quiver, mouth gaping and closing to form incoherent sentences.
"No…I have destroyed it all…! You…you can't be them!" The doctor roars in confusion at the man who's equally as lost as him. "Then… who are you ?"
A pair of gloved hands reaches out for the familiar face, the doctor plods closer.
" Pantalone… ? Is that…really yo–"
He falls onto the wet pavement, the puddle splashes as his body hits. The young man finally stabilizes his breath and looks closer, noticing the man who tried to kill him just now has fallen unconscious. Now is the perfect time to make a run for it and report this assailant who almost took his life to the Millelith. Only then, his life won't be in any danger.
But…
The man inches closer, examining the other's breath and pulse. A sigh of relief escapes his thinly smiling lips. His strange assailant isn't dead yet, but he might be a patient of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor soon if he were to be left in such condition. He carries the unconscious man over his shoulder, bringing him towards the nearest clinic. The smile is still there, solemn.
"I'm sorry," the man whispers, "I am not him."
The Doctor can't hear him under the heavy downpour. A single bead of water streams down his face, dropping onto the rippling puddle. Is it a mourning man's tear, or is it the raindrop? There is no way to tell for sure…it is a secret that no one knows, not even the unconscious Doctor.
He takes back his umbrella while the inedible meat buns lay forgotten under the rain.
[To Be Continued…]