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The flame was quietly flickering in the fireplace. Fresh air flowed into the room through the open window and gently moved Yuuri's hair. He stood behind an armchair, holding a red book in his hand. He opened it and flipped through it hastily. Other than the introduction, nothing else was written inside. It looked like they were back to the beginning.
He looked around the room and glanced at the door. Should he go and look for Wolfram or wait for him here? Is there that ballroom downstairs again? What will happen if Wolfram stays surrounded by these dolls for longer? Yuuri wanted to go and get him out of there, but that would probably end the same way as last time. He didn't want to create a situation where Wolfram would have to die again.
However, he waited and waited, and there was no sign of his fiancé. Finally, he lost patience and went to the door. He pushed it open, and the first sight he saw was Wolfram's surprised face. Just how long had he been standing there?
"What are you doing?" Yuuri asked, stepping aside to make way.
Wolfram hesitated for a moment, with a guilty expression on his face. When he finally entered the room, his body tense and fist clenched, Yuuri felt like hugging him again. But they needed to talk first.
"Why didn't you just tell me everything right away?"
"It wouldn't make any difference," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Really? I really don't know if you are that stupid or just too stubborn."
"Hey!" He shouted, taking a step forward and punching the air with his fists. "I keep trying to get you out of here. Or do you call that stupidity, too?"
"I'm calling you stupid because if you had decided to speak up instead of taking it all in, we would have gotten out of here right away."
"What are you talking about again." He stuck his gaze to the floor and lowered his voice. "You don't even know how this thing works. No matter what you do, it will not succeed in destroying it. That's why..." He spoke in a quieter and quieter, increasingly trembling voice. He was already close to breaking down, and Yuuri decided this might be enough talk.
Now it's time for a hug.
Wolfram's body tensed all over when Yuuri embraced him. So before he did anything else, he simply stroked his back, waiting for him to relax.
He wondered if there was any point in talking to him at all. After all this time, Wolfram might have been too stressed to even understand what he meant. He was too set on getting Yuuri out of there and couldn't even see other options anymore.
When the boy finally surrendered to his embrace and relaxed, Yuuri ran his hand over his head, first stroking his hair and then running his fingers down along his cheek to his chin. Finally, he lifted his head and leaned forward, bringing their lips together in a kiss.
The green eyes widened, and Wolfram's body tensed all over again. But when Yuuri deepened the kiss, he relaxed back and closed his eyes.
The feeling was much better than Yuuri had imagined. Wolfram's lips, even if chapped and slightly cracked, were still soft and delicate. Yuuri felt like it was the right place for his lips to be and didn't want to take them away. However, he pulled back for a moment to take a few quick breaths.
Wolfram looked at him from under fluttering eyelids and sighed slightly as their lips met again. This time he carefully put his arms around his neck, and Yuuri put his hand on the back of his head, pushing him closer with the other hand held on his back.
Even if their bodies were touching each other, it still wasn't enough for him. He needed more Wolfram. His warmth and that wonderful feeling when his body clung to his.
He ran his hand down his back, enjoying the gentle shivers his touch evoked, and pressed his other hand lightly on his hair, feeling the golden strands between his fingers. He savored every sigh from his lips. However, this was still not enough. He wanted to touch it even more. Get even more sounds out of him. To see his face turn red and…
Wolfram moved away from him abruptly, overwhelmed by a coughing fit. Yuuri grabbed him by the shoulders, feeling like the bubble of pleasure burst and was replaced by panic. He wanted to help somehow but had no idea what to do. Instead, he watched in horror as blood appeared on Wolfram's hand, his breathing became heavier, and his coughing worse. Finally, he sank to the floor, gripping his chest tightly.
And the whole house trembled then. A rumbling and thumping sound reached them as if something had collapsed. And the moment the noises calmed down, Wolfram's coughing fit also passed.
Yuuri pulled him close and rested his head on his chest. He concentrated, deciding to see if he would now be able to summon healing magic. But his concentration was interrupted by other sounds.
Screams and the sound of heavy footsteps came from outside the window. Someone was approaching the building. So they made it, right? They destroyed the artifact and can now leave this residence.
Yuuri stroked Wolfram's head reassuringly. He hoped whoever was heading here had a medic with them.
Wolfram stirred restlessly in his sleep, and Yuuri was instantly at his side, grabbing his hand. This was already his habit, but he wasn't sure who it calmed more.
It's been a week since they managed to get out of that cursed mansion. His mind was still unable to grasp what had happened. They were trapped inside, and no matter what people outside tried to do, they couldn't even get into the garden. No other artifact or Anissina's invention worked. Attempts were made to burn all the vegetation or even dig underground, and all to no avail. Just how much power did it possess, and why did it suddenly appear there? No one was able to answer him. But he hoped the artifact had been destroyed and would not reappear.
Wolfram lost consciousness shortly after Conrad ran into the room. Gisela examined him closely and said his lungs were badly damaged. When Yuuri told her what caused it, they decided to perform surgery to ensure nothing was left inside his body. They found dried twigs and flower buds in his lungs, but that was all. After thoroughly removing everything, Wolfram slept the entire time.
He was often plagued by nightmares. That's why there was always someone in the room to calm him down.
After all this, Yuuri felt a slight twinge of guilt. Wolfram had to go through all this, being alone almost all the time. Even when Yuuri appeared by his side from time to time, it was only to bring them to another bad ending, traumatizing Wolfram even more. He was not surprised that Wolfram preferred to die with him. After wandering around this residence for six months, Yuuri would have preferred to die immediately, too.
This part was the hardest for him to comprehend. At first, he thought they were simply going back in time. And maybe they did in the first cases because Conrad didn't remember anything about Yuuri and Wolfram getting out of there.
However, he had no idea what happened after Wolfram agreed to make a deal with the artifact. He couldn't find any logic in it. But should he even expect it from some inhuman artifact?
It would be better if he stopped thinking about it, or his head might explode.
Wolfram's breathing calmed down, and Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. He brushed back the hair that clung to his forehead and smiled slightly at seeing a pair of green eyes watching his movements. Wolfram awoke from time to time. Usually, only for a few minutes. He still didn't speak or respond to anything, and Yuuri wasn't sure if he had fully regained consciousness.
Yuuri sat on the bed next to him and gently stroked his head until Wolfram fell back asleep. Then, he returned to his desk, which he ordered himself to bring to their bedroom, and continued his work. He had six months of work to catch up on. Actually, Gwendal and Gunter said they would take care of everything, and he should also rest. However, he needed something down-to-earth to focus his attention and divert his thoughts from unnecessary pondering of past events. Doing paperwork was a great way to return to reality.
The light breaking through his closed eyelids was hurting his eyes, and his head was spinning as if he had drunk a whole barrel of wine. He tried to twist around and get more comfortable, and someone almost immediately grabbed his hand.
He opened his eyes slowly but was unable to see anything clearly. Only blurry, colorful shapes. He blinked a few times, hoping his vision would focus, but it didn't help much.
The black shape leaned over and covered him with a blanket, which fell off him when he began to squirm. The bed squeaked slightly as someone sat down next to him.
Wolfram snuggled into his pillow, not having enough strength to do anything other than watch. He felt like he was in a strange dream. Everything seemed strangely distant as if some kind of barrier surrounded him.
Several colorful shapes walked around him and even sometimes said something. Everything sounded like it was muffled, and he rarely managed to understand anything. A black figure appeared beside him every time he opened his eyes, saying the most among the shapes around him.
He sometimes tried to think about where he was and what had happened. He felt strangely safe as if he had suddenly returned home. But he found it hard to believe that this was true. Instead, he was more inclined to think that it was some strange vision sent by the artifact, only to torment him again. Then it would pull him back to reality and laugh as he slowly died, saying how pathetic he is to believe in something like that.
When he opened his eyes again, someone else stood beside him. This time he was able to distinguish parts of the face. He could see the eyes, nose, and mouth. Eyebrows furrowed in an expression of concern. But everything was greenish in color and looked as if someone had smeared paint on a still-drying painting.
The person standing over him put a hand on his chest, and the pain he had not realized he felt until now began to ease. He took a deep breath, and his mind cleared slightly. The sounds became clearer, and there were more of them. Some rustling and footsteps.
Someone was moving from left to right and back again. From left to right. From right to left. Wolfram felt like returning to a state where he could barely hear anything because the sound was too annoying. So much so that when the figure leaning over him moved away, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at the source of the footsteps.
In response, he heard a surprised gasp and quiet laughter. He slumped back against the rest of the cushions, satisfied that the annoying footsteps had quieted, and soon after, someone grabbed his hand again. The warmth coming from it was pleasant, so he did not protest against it. He took a few more deep breaths and closed his eyes again.
He was awakened by the sound of a hushed conversation. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see that his eyesight had improved considerably. He could recognize Conrad sitting in a chair next to his bed and looking uninterested in the direction from which the conversation was coming.
After focusing on it, Wolfram realized that it concerned taxes and covered his head with the blanket, displeased. He didn't feel like hearing about such things. The sounds faded away as he fell asleep, and darkness still surrounded him when he opened his eyes again.
He was a little concerned because he felt that the cover had already been removed from his head and someone was lying next to him. The warmth he had so far only felt on his hand was now spreading throughout his body. He didn't mind it, but he didn't like being too confused to know what was going on. He tried to somehow move and twist, but the arms holding him held him even tighter. And when he tried to move away from them, a hand appeared on his head and pushed it closer to that person's chest.
He could hear the peaceful beating of the heart and calmed down, listening to it and slowly falling asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he could see everything clearly again. This time someone even lifted him to a sitting position and rested him on a pile of pillows. Before Wolfram realized what was happening, a tray with a piece of strawberry cake appeared on his lap. He raised his head, still uncertain and confused, and met Yuuri's anticipating gaze. Behind him, he spotted his brothers with similar expressions on their faces.
He had no idea what they were after, but if someone gave him a cake, he wasn't about to refuse it. So he brought a piece to his mouth and chewed slowly. At first, he couldn't tell the taste except that it was sweet. It felt like it had been ages since he had eaten anything. He was surprised that he hadn't starved to death yet.
When he looked at the plate again, it was already empty. Where had it disappeared to? But he didn't have to worry about it for long, because someone had put a new piece of cake in front of him. This one also quickly disappeared.
Wolfram didn't know how much he had eaten, but when he felt full, he lay back on the pillows, satisfied for the first time in he didn't know how long. He realized that it had been a very long time since he had seen anything to indicate that he had returned to that residence, and he was beginning to get his hopes up that he had indeed made it home.
When he lifted his gaze back to Yuuri, he looked delighted, although Wolfram had no idea what could have been the reason.
"Give him a rest." Gisela's sharp voice reached him after Yuuri took the tray and sat very close to him. Wolfram turned toward her to see her placing something wrapped in a white paper on the bedside table. "And try to give it to him later."
"What is it?" Wolfram asked, which brought an expression of surprise to Gisela's face.
She was silent for a moment, staring at him intently, then grunted.
"Medicine. You should feel better after this."
"I can't believe we just needed to feed you a cake." Yuuri groaned.
"Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best," Conrad responded to his complaints.
Wolfram tilted his head, having no clue what they were talking about. Yuuri smiled and stroked his hair.
"Never mind, just rest."
At first, Wolfram complied with the request and simply watched Yuuri and Conrad, who talked and occasionally said something to him, although his brain let go of registering their words. Then Gwendal entered the room and watched him for a long moment, then put something on his lap and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room, which Wolfram only now noticed. Yuuri groaned and joined him; now, only Conrad remained by the bed.
A white stuffed animal was lying on the bed sheets, but no matter how long Wolfram looked at it, he couldn't tell what it was. However, it was pleasant to the touch, so he began to play with it, squeezing it in his hands. At least he had something to occupy him since he was slowly starting to get bored.
Eventually, however, he got bored with that and began wriggling in bed, for which he received an amused look from Conrad. Actually, why should he merely rest? He felt as if he had slept for a very long time and was now hardly tired. And if he wasn't tired, he had no reason to rest. So he tried to get out of bed, but his brother quickly stopped him.
Several more attempts failed as well, so Wolfram finally gave up and merely glared at Conrad. But his brother only seemed to be amused by the whole situation. So he hid under the covers, resigned. If that's the case, he might as well go to sleep.
Upon waking up again, he saw a vase of red flowers standing on his bedside table, and as soon as he saw it, he knocked it down.
He didn't even want to look at them. That alone brought back memories that he was trying hard to bury. To hide them deep in his subconscious and not return to them. Not to acknowledge that it had happened at all.
"Wolf." Someone put a hand on his shoulder. He raised his head and looked at the floor, but the vase and flowers had already disappeared. "It's all right now." A familiar voice whispered. Yuuri sat next to him, squeezing his hand. His other hand went from Wolfram's shoulder to his head and began slowly stroking him.
"What happened?" He asked, looking around. They were back in the castle, in their bedroom. It had changed only slightly. There was additional furniture there, a desk and a few chairs.
"We have successfully destroyed this artifact."
"What? How?"
Yuuri opened his mouth but held back his answer. Instead, he scratched his head in embarrassment, and his face turned red.
Wolfram's thoughts began to run as he tried to recall recent events. He woke up in that overgrown corridor after it became apparent that there was no exit in the garden, and his curse caught up with him before he could do anything. He then stood in front of the door for a very long time, afraid to go inside and look Yuuri in the eye. He felt hopeless and powerless. He didn't know what to say to him. But then Yuuri opened the door and yelled at him for not telling him anything right away. And then...
Wolfram put his fingers to his lips as the memory of the kiss revived in his mind. He still remembered the feeling perfectly and couldn't even deny it had happened.
He looked at Yuuri, who smiled shyly at him.
"After that, you were unconscious for several weeks. You woke up from time to time, but it was only a few days ago that your consciousness began to return."
Wolfram lowered his hand down and stared at the bedsheets. For some reason, he felt very foolish now. However, he didn't have time to pay more attention to this feeling because Yuuri put his arms around him and pulled him close, hugging him tightly.
"You don't even know how worried I was. I already thought you wouldn't come back to us."
"I'm sorry," he muttered, not knowing what to say. He felt Yuuri shake his head.
"It's not your fault. That thing is a parasite. It manipulated your feelings, making you feel the way it wanted you to feel. However, it was unlucky." He pulled back slightly and smiled at him. "Reality didn't look at all like it assumed."
Wolfram opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Something about how someone like him shouldn't let himself be manipulated so easily. That he should know better. But he didn't manage to say any of his thoughts out loud because Yuuri's mouth silenced him.
The pleasant warmth spreading through his body made him instantly forget about anything, and his only concern now was what to do with his hands. He finally placed them on Yuuri's shoulders, embracing them lightly, and sighed when he felt hands trailing over his hips and waist.
Finally, Yuuri broke the kiss but remained close, resting her forehead against his. Wolfram did not speak and only stared at him, black irises being the only thing he could see now. He felt a slight, pleasant sensation in his stomach and did not want the moment to end. However, Yuuri sighed heavily and moved away, and Wolfram felt a sudden coldness in the places he had touched before.
"There are guards outside who overhear everything and snitch to your brothers, so I'd better leave you and get back to work." He said and laughed softly as Wolfram tilted his head, not understanding. "You are to rest and nothing else. So you'd better go back to sleep."
"I don't want to sleep," Wolfram said, feeling like a child when Yuuri began to put him to sleep.
"Then, at least be good and don't disturb me at work." He laughed at the unsatisfied expression on Wolfram's face. "Get back to yourself quickly, okay?" He stroked his head one last time and got out of bed.
Wolfram vented his frustration on a pillow, but it quickly passed, and he simply lay back, watching Yuuri. He listened to the scraping of the pen and the muted sounds coming from outside the window. Warm sunlight illuminated the room with a pleasant white light. It seemed it was still morning, and Wolfram felt like he had just woken up from a long nightmare. However, he was now able to believe that all was well. And maybe even better.