651: 10.46 Good Night, Pandora

10.46 Good Night, Pandora

As they flew across the sky, Lu Yizhou tightened his hold around Pandora and dropped a lingering kiss on his forehead. "Go," he murmured. "It's time for you to wake up."0

"Huh?" Pandora whipped his head up in confusion. But before he could ask what Lu Yizhou meant by that, their bodies crossed the gate of Nightingale Prison. In an instant, something unimaginable and shocking happened.

The scenery around them froze as if someone had pressed a pause button. The loud siren in the air, the red lights from the watchtower, the ruckus from the prison building as well as Christian and Percy who were yelling and shouting for them… all of them stopped and the atmosphere turned deathly still.

The beautiful night sky cracked, and small pieces of fragments drifted down. It reminded Lu Yizhou of the ash-colored snow he saw when he entered Nightingale Prison for the first time. His feet gently landed on the ground as the scenery around him started to distort.

Pandora was shocked by the sudden changes in front of his eyes and his body tensed in reflex. He had no idea why but… his heart tightened in fear when he saw this scene. As if something deep within him was trying to prevent it from happening. Panic surged up his chest and his breathing quickened in pace. No… He should not… This should not happen…

"Don't be afraid," Lu Yizhou's calm and soothing voice came above him, drawing all of Pandora's attention. 

He raised his head to see Lu Yizhou smiling gently at him. It was so strange. Clearly, the world around them had started to blur and lose its color, and everything disintegrated into pieces bit by bit as if doom had descended. Yet only this person's face was reflected in his eyes with vivid clarity. Under the night sky, his silver eyes glowed as if a flame had been ignited within. "This time, you will not be alone. You will always have me by your side…"

As soon as Pandora heard this, the traces of fear and apprehension in his heart melted away just like magic. Following the relief was a strike of intense drowsiness, it dragged behind his eyelids and began to pull his consciousness under. "Hmm?" He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "I have just slept just now so… why am I feeling so sleepy…?"

"Sleep well," Lu Yizhou pressed another kiss onto his forehead. Soft and gentle, filled with the utmost affection of a devoted lover. "Good night, Pandora."

Pandora mumbled something under his breath, but Lu Yizhou could no longer hear him. The very second Pandora's eyelids fluttered shut, the ground beneath Lu Yizhou's feet disappeared as well and he plunged down into the abyss. This should be the rift connecting both time and space. After experiencing this twice, he had gotten accustomed to it and hence, he patiently waited for the fall to end. However, the same could not be applied to 666, the weak and delicate system.

[666: 666 is so dizzy! Help…! *blergh*]

Lu Yizhou jolted awake and his eyes abruptly snapped open. The ceiling illuminated by a deep blue glow entered his fuzzy sight. As his consciousness gathered, his senses grew alert and he immediately perceived the existence of others around him. 

The familiar space, the familiar sight of researchers in white lab coats and the nutrient cabin beside him… he had succeeded! He had brought Pandora out of the prison and in exchange, triggered 55's awakening!

Dr. Benjamin was the first to notice Lu Yizhou's movement. He cried out in surprise and delight. "Look, 52 is up! Oh God, how is it inside 55's mind? Have you determined the cause of his illness?!" 

The researchers instantly flocked around him, asking about the details of his experience down to the seconds. However, Lu Yizhou could not afford to care about them right now. He stumbled down from the nutrient cabin they put him in — presumably having been prepared that he would be unconscious for days or months — toward where 55 was. 

The long-haired teenager was still laying there, unconscious like a sleeping princess. His dense lashes were unmoved and his breathing was smooth and even. Lu Yizhou's pupils trembled. He did not see any signs of his lover waking up. Why…? Had he done something wrong in the process?

No sooner than the doubt emerged in Lu Yizhou's heart, the computers which monitored 55's vital signs suddenly issued a piercing siren. 

"Oh my God…" the researchers stood with their mouths agape, eyes shining in wonder as they took in the miracle in front of them. "We… We did it! 55 is awake! 55 is finally awake!" Crying with tears of joy, they hugged each other and rejoiced from the bottom of their hearts, totally unaware that this would be the prelude for their demise.

The teenager's lashes trembled and his eyelids slowly fluttered open. Lu Yizhou did not even realize he was holding their breath as he witnessed this miraculous feat. He finally saw a pair of bright golden eyes which had been submerged in the dark for the last sixteen years, dazed and misty. They were filled with purity and innocence, like a blank canvas that had not been tainted by colors. 

Later on, this pair of beautiful eyes would see nothing but death, blood and despair. Later on, this pair of dazzling eyes would gradually lose their luster and be filled with nothing but bone-chilling coldness.

However, Lu Yizhou would not let it happen. As long as he still had a breath left in him, he would not let this 'later on' become 'reality'.

The teenager's eyes gradually regained focus. Almost in an instant, they fell on Lu Yizhou's face, round and unblinking, just like a baby that had seen wonders for the first time. And it was the truth, wasn't it? Right now, 55 was no different than a baby. Even though he had already developed 72% brain power, he had not learned how to talk, to smile, to eat, to walk. Just like a big little baby. His baby.

Lu Yizhou bit the inside of his cheeks to suppress a smile. He reached out to brush the wet strand of hair away from 55's forehead. "Hi," he said with a shaky exhale, strangely nervous for some reason he could not comprehend. "Nice to meet you. Can you… hear me?"

55 gave him a slow blink as he watched the way Lu Yizhou's lips moved with dazed curiosity.

The joyous occasion was abruptly shattered by the emergence of bad news one after another. The researchers' communicators were filled with many flustered and panicked messages, all indicating the same problem. They had no idea why, but the experimental subjects suddenly went berserk at the same time! 

"W–What happened?!" The researchers were utterly aghast. "How could this be?!" 

They had no leisure time to check on experimental subject 55 anymore. Rushing toward the elevator, they scrambled to salvage the emergency situation. They had to bring the experimental subjects under control as soon as possible before they could do any notable damage!

That left Lu Yizhou and 55 alone in level Z5. 

Lu Yizhou carefully tried to help 55 to sit up, smiling at how adorable his confused look was. He grasped 55's cold hand in his broad one, trying to offer him some warmth. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Any discomfort?"

Once again, 55 was intently watching how his lips moved. He cocked his head to the side, then tried to open his own mouth. "A… A…" a scratchy and weak voice called out. 

Lu Yizhou was akin to a supportive parent as he guided 55 to control his breathing and feel the vibration of his vocal cord. 55 sucked in everything around him like a sponge. After all, every experimental subject was born a genius. It did not take long for him to form some simple words.

"I… know…" He stared at Lu Yizhou unblinkingly. "I know… you…"

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