When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)-Chapter 693: Exit

The whole world disappeared in that timeless moment.

The shrill blare of horns, the driver’s foul curses, the rising screams and shocked exclamations, the cameras pointing at him— everything faded to the background, and all that remained was the small hands holding his own and the warmth emanated from them.

Ba-thump, ba-thump.

From the depths of his chilling numbness, something seemed to crack open, allowing him to feel his heartbeat once more.

Strong, rapid, and unmistakably alive.

"Who... who are you...?" Shen Nianzu struggled to ask through his chattering teeth. He had not felt anything earlier, and it wasn’t until this tiny warmth seeped into his skin through his palms that he came to realize how cold he had been. Bone chillingly cold. So cold he could feel the tears and blood solidifying on his skin, as if encasing him in a layer of ice. So cold he could feel each breath scraping against his throat, his windpipe frozen with every shallow inhale.

Granted, he had rushed out dressed only in a thin sleeping gown while everyone else was bundled up from head to toe, with no shoes to boot!

Shen Nianzu tried to blink away the haziness on his eyes to no avail. He could not see who had taken his hands and rescued him from the maw of death, yet somehow he could tell they were not one— but two. Two children.

Twins.

"Nian’er."

They called him again, fondly—sadly. "Don’t be afraid, Nian’er. Sorry, we’re a little late."

For some inexplicable reason, tears washed over Shen Nianzu’s face once more. He had no idea why he was crying again— but one thing for sure, it was not out of fear and despair this time, but relief. A relief so overwhelming that it shook him down to the core, shattering the fragile pretense of bravado he had been desperately trying to maintain like protective armor. It was as though he had finally found an outlet to all the emotions accumulating on his chest, as if he had finally regained something that was once lost.

"Do you... do you know me?" Despite crying so hard he could barely breathe, he still insisted on asking, "D-Do I know you two...? I feel like I should... I should know you..."

"You do. You just forget for a while," they said. "Come, Nian’er. We will bring you away."

—Bring you away.

Oh, how much had he longed to hear this one sentence... how fervently had he been waiting for this salvation.

Yet never had he expected to hear it coming from two children who had appeared mysteriously out of nowhere, let alone his own reaction to it. He couldn’t seem to muster even an ounce of wariness toward these two strangers, obediently allowing himself to be led to somewhere unknown.

"Let’s run, Nian’er!" they urged, laughing.

His first step was tentative, his knees almost giving out under the sheer weight of exhaustion and emotional rollercoaster. But these warm hands, albeit small, supported him firmly, compelling him to take the next step... then another. And another.

Until at one point, Shen Nianzu broke into a run.

He didn’t ask where they were going; he did not care. All he wanted was to leave this place, the farther the better.

The wind lashed at his face and tangled in his hair. He ran so hard that his lungs burned from the exertion, but he didn’t stop. With each step he took, his body seemed to become lighter and lighter, as if a pair of invisible wings had sprouted behind his back, carrying him forward.

The stench of blood still clung to his senses, and the disbelieving and resentful gazes of the people he killed were still haunting him—and yet, none of them managed to hold him back anymore. Maybe it was his imagination, or it could be the tears filling his eyes, but the scenery around him seemed to melt away slowly, becoming blobs of colors that swirled in a chaotic pattern akin to overturned buckets of paint.

Ephemeral, iridescent.

The endless nightmare had, at this moment, turned into a daydream.

Shen Nianzu felt the twins slowing down, bringing him out of his reverie. He squeezed his eyes shut once before opening them again, asking in a hoarse voice, "...Where are we?"

A packed residential area stretched out before him, brimming with old apartment buildings and antique storefronts. Shen Nianzu could swear he had never stepped foot into such a place in his life, but somehow there was a sense of déjà vu tugging at the back of his mind, telling him that he had been here before.

Without a word, the twins led him to a certain building. They climbed the creaky stairs, step by step, until they reached the rooftop. The scenery opened up in an instant, displaying an endless sweep of overcast sky overhead and a panoramic view of the whole district below.

"Go, Nian’er." A gentle push landed on his back, nudging him toward the small rooftop room.

Shen Nianzu paused, hesitant. "Is this... the exit? Will I be able to wake up if I go there?"

He turned toward them, but even in such proximity, he still couldn’t make out their features. Turns out it wasn’t the tears obscuring his vision. It felt like an invisible hand had swiped over their faces, not allowing him to see. Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of frustration and disappointment, for reasons unknown to himself.

"Yes," they told him cheerfully, hand in hand. "Go, Nian’er, and don’t look back."

Shen Nianzu suddenly felt anxious. "W-What about you two—" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"We will meet you on the other side."

That one sentence sent a surge of relief coursing through him, and the last burden in his heart was lifted. He shifted his gaze toward the door once more— old, unremarkable, almost decrepit. It was hard to believe that the exit to this nightmare lay beyond that door.

And yet, Shen Nianzu was willing to believe them.

For he knew, they would never harm him.

"I’ll see you on the other side... right?" He asked once more to confirm, and when they nodded, he suddenly bent down to hug them, his face buried into their small shoulders. They felt soft to the touch, warm and light, almost like cotton candy. As if they were going to melt away and disappear upon contact with water. Maybe that was why Shen Nianzu tried his best to hold back his tears as he told them, "Thank you... for ending this nightmare, thank you so much..." he rasped, his voice thick with emotions.

Shen Nianzu heard them giggle—such a lovely, precious sound to hear—before a fleeting kiss landed on both sides of his cheek.

"Nian’er," they called him again, softly, affectionately, their demeanor sticky and full of love toward him. Shen Nianzu felt a corner of his heart collapsing, brimming with a familiar yet foreign feeling of fondness.

"See you again, Nian’er."

Taking a deep breath, Shen Nianzu stood up and faced the door with his fists clenched in determination.

Then he pushed the door open and stepped into the light, while the twins’ last words echoed past his ears, as tender and light as the kisses they bestowed upon him. "Don’t worry, Nian’er. With us here, the Nightmare can’t touch you."

A brilliant light exploded, sending a jolt of shock through him and forcing him to screw his eyes shut. And when he opened them again, he was greeted with a very, extremely familiar face. A face that was so dear to him.

"Nian’er," he whispered, brushing a hand gently across his wet cheeks.

The twins didn’t lie. They were indeed waiting for him on the other side.

Shen Nianzu smiled through his tears. "I’m back," he said.