Chapter 269 - Do you believe in time travel?

"F*ck it!" Wren exclaimed as if he had forgotten about his slightly throbbing head and muscle aches. He dashed towards Seraphina like a kid with the intention of getting back at her.

He added,"You want to play? Let's play!" The moment he got his feet in the ocean, he kicked the seawater towards Seraphina's direction, splashing her already doused body. Though she managed to avoid the majority of the strike, some water still spattered on her. Yet, Seraphina grinned even more and without a second's delay, she accepted the war Wren started.

"Oops." Giggling, Seraphina teased Wren even more who was now soaking wet.

"You brat!" Grimacing in annoyance, Wren didn't back down even though he was slower and was being deluged from Seraphina's constant water splashes.

Watching the two play like kids, Rex, on the other hand, observed them with his inexpressive yet exquisite front. Shifting his gaze from Wren's annoyed expression and Seraphina's slightly flushed and bright face -- his tensed shoulders relaxed.

For a moment, he felt he had made the right decision bringing these 'kids' to unwind. Recalling the occurrence last night, both of them were drunk without a thought in the world nor the current danger lurking just around the corner.

[The real occurrence last night]

Though she was drunk, Seraphina was still able to talk to him. He actually never intended to head to the ocean if it wasn't for Seraphina's mumbling.

"Hey…"

Rex: "..."

"Stop talking."

Rex: "I'm not talking." Rex flatly responded without turning his attention from the road.

"Don't shout."

"..." Rex was rendered speechless by Seraphina's drunken state. Alas, he soon understood that she wasn't talking to him but to herself -- or to be precise, to her demons. He understood more than anyone as a former soldier.

"Rex, they kept on shouting… it's tiring to listen."

"I know…" he meekly replied with his creased brows. Of course, he knew that it was tiring… to remember a horrible past, a tragedy that could not be undone nor changed. It already occurred to him in the past -- seeing his comrades he trained with through the years being shot dead, one after another. The chaotic place of the battlefield where, with every passing second, his chance of dying increased.

Screams and bombs.

Flying limbs of his comrades and the enemies.

Even after all these years, he could still hear it vaguely.

His situation was undoubtedly very different from Seraphina's experience; despite that, he clearly knew that it was not any less bad than his--kill or be killed, use or be used. That was the harsh reality of the underworld that they could not neglect. A route that a fragile heart could not--should not-- take or else.

Hence, to him, Seraphina might be one of the bravest individuals he had ever encountered. She was akin to a king that has to look away even when the verdict she announced is against her own will. The very person he admired through the years and swore an oath of loyalty to -- whether she was in Luciano's disguise or not.

"Do you believe in time travel?" Out of nowhere, Seraphina faintly blurted out. Even so, Rex didn't react much. He perceived her words as part of her interest in certain, odd things.

"I don't."

"I do…" Seraphina instantly responded, then she turned her sluggish body that was almost reposing toward Rex's ever inexpressive side profile. She added, "I always thought that it would be cool if I could time travel -- correct the wrongs and all." Pausing, she let out a scoff. Then, a bitter smile formed on the corner of her lips as she resumed, "How naive of me… will you believe me If I told you this is my second life?"

"I will." Rex quickly glanced at her anticipating, beet-red face. He saw her smile a little when he uttered his honest answer. Indeed, despite being hard to believe, if Seraphina said she time traveled or even flew, he would always believe her--albeit rationalizing it in its own way.

"In my first life, after that accident, I lost my memories; I couldn't remember a single thing-- my friends, my gramps… and myself. I should have known back then that I shouldn't wake up because it led everyone to their deaths -- even Uno, for protecting me, his incompetent boss. Alas, that misery didn't stop there. That man… he violated me over and over again, crushing every bit of my dignity. And when he had enough, he shifted his p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e by torturing me…" Seraphina halted as if the memories from the past had happened yesterday. It felt so fresh that she wanted to go berserk that instant. Fortunately, she had too many drinks and could only talk about it.

On the other hand, Rex's grip on the steering wheel stiffened as his jaw tightened upon hearing her story. He didn't know if, when or how this happened and what accident aside from the last one she was talking about. Slowly, rage started to develop inside him without even confirming the facts.

"The odd thing is that I didn't even know I had spent the last four years of my life with that crap, until he finally pulled the trigger that set me free. Huh, I should have died right? Then, why am I back here? Why did I go back 6 years before my death? I thought it was for me to avenge myself, Uno's death, that kid's that I happen to have a brief conversation's death and my gramps' death. But, now that I think about it -- is that really the reason why? Is it really a gift, or is it a curse?"

After Seraphina spat the summary of her story, a stifling silence dawned inside the car as neither of them dared to utter a word.