Chapter 44 - I Want To Reach Deep Into The Hole

Even now, the story of Glasseye still haunts Stein in his dream, although he had long forgotten about the story itself. The different toys on each door appear periodically in his nightmare in twisted ways, but in the morning, he will only wake up in cold sweat and forget about them. He is far too busy developing himself and enriching his knowledge with intellectual books to dwell on such nightly phantasmagoria.

A year had passed, and his mental age now fits his physical one. On a month, he was ten, on a year, he was about in his late 20s.

A bright young man, known to be the butler of the renowned 29-year old scientist and inventor, Franklin Storitz. Who is still strangely a bachelor and never married despite his well-earning job and inherited wealth from his noble-aligned parents.

Stein had grown up to be an inventor himself. He likes making several contraptions and smithed a little bit, trying out different blueprints and testing out different machinery ideas.

Technology is the future of Europe. He even had the feeling that soon, people will develop machines to do idle tasks for them, like sewing, book writing and maybe even breathing itself.

But it still too far in the future for those kinds of concepts. He himself is a miracle, only created because his creator was a genius beyond compare to anyone in the entire world. And nobody at their present time can be as genius as Franklin.

The more he understood science, the more Stein become interested in his own origin. The process, how a man like him was made.

But 'Franklin' would never let him inside the room where he first woke up again.

He would always say. "It is not time yet."

He always does that. But Stein can never be mad with this, only asking why and accepting the answer, "Just trust in me."

What he does dislike of Franklin is that even though he had already acknowledged that they are both equals in intelligence and maturity.....

"Good morning, my dear! Come, eat this porridge I prepared for you, then we'll go give you a nice warm bath to start the day!"

He still treats him like a goddamn child!

Little did he know that this is 'Franklin's' coping mechanism.

Zhe Chouhen is feeling uneasy the more time he spends here. Not too much to truly make him toss and turn at night, but enough to have him constantly on edge.

The more Stein grows up, the more he.....

"I can cook next time, I already learned how from books and I want to try." Stein yawned, wrapping his arms around 'Franklin'. "I want to serve you like how those wives I've read serve their husbands, not the other way around."

And then, he placed a kiss on 'Franklin's' cheek!

The more he grows up, the bolder he becomes and adamant about becoming his lover!

"Er..... That is not needed, Stein. Fire is too dangerous. I cannot let anything happen to your precious, delicate fingers."

"Frank, I've been meddling with fire ever since I made my first prototype of my invention. Which I would not be able to create have you caught me meddling with it. I am not as delicate as you think anymore. I am completely capable of handling a bit of fire."

Zhe Chouhenn frowned. He took his creation's heavy arms away from his shoulders. But to avoid this being an act of OOC, he placed a light kiss on them. "Aren't you already serving me by carrying my heavy bags and the equipment I had cargoed?"

"That is not enough, Franklin. Those jobs are the task of a servant, which is just a cover for our relationship from the outsider's eyes. But here, in our home, you can be more intimate with me, let me take care of you instead........" He reach out for another kiss, this time on the lips, but Zhe Chouhen gently pushed him away!

Changing tactics, Zhe Chouhen said: "Come, don't you like my cooking anymore? I like cooking for you, and seeing your beaming face when I feed you."

This did reach through Stein a little. "I do like your cooking but... All I eat is soft foods, and you too as well. It must be because of me. I once saw you eat steak and enjoy it, but then you decided to settle to having the same diet as I have over time."

"I am really fine and dandy with eating porridge and mashed potatoes my whole life, as long as I eat them with you." 'Franklin' said, pinching his cheeks. "Now come along, Stein dear. Let us not argue any longer and eat. We have an interesting day ahead of us."

"Why is it interesting?" Stein suddenly become curious, putting the argument aside for later since he know how stubborn both he and Franklin can be.

"We are going on a picnic! Out in the park, and no one is around so you do not have to layer too much stuffy clothes in the middle of summer!" 'Franklin exclaimed. "And I just KNOW you will love where we will have our nice little picnic rendezvous."

"Where?"

"Like I said, it is a surprise. You must eat breakfast first." 'Franklin' smiled greatly at him.

Once they were done and started preparing for the trip, riding a carriage pulled by majestic white stallions, Stein couldn't help but grow anticipation, twiddling his Adonis blue butterfly adornment.

Zhe Chouhen likes when he does that because he makes such an adorable curious face. A habit only special to him. You can tell how much he's letting the gears of his mind work as he tries to figure out something while mindlessly fiddling.

"I have guesses now where it will be, Frank." Stein said.

"Where? Pray tell, my dear." 'Franklin' was looking at him dotingly with his hand resting by his chin.

To his surprise, Stein grinned back at him. "I would like to keep my hypothesis a secret too. And to surprise myself."

Zhe Chouhen's raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Cheeky boy."

But there was a shadow over his heart.

This may be the end of his peaceful days with Stein who he raised like a child. After this wonderful picnic........

Stein would no longer be a blind baby bird with haze covering his view of the world and reality. The veil will soon uncover just a little bit, until it is eventually just as thin as paper, and this observant MC will make out the shadows.

Still, he decided he would relish this day for a while. Let the wheels of fate turn into a 20,000 leagues cliff, just waiting for the destruction that awaits.

Stein noticed this momentary change in 'Franklin's' face, but though he was inquisitive, he did not ask any questions.

Only when it comes to 'Franklin's' mood does he never ask questions. Because to him, he would rather let his creator and lover open everything to him, and recognize that he is ready to listen.

If he would just let him. If he would just speak the truth to him.

The carriage stopped, and Stein carried the bags outside.

His hunch was right. They were indeed in a park filled with all kinds of species from the order Lepidoptera. Papillons, mariposas, farfallas, schemetterlings....

"They're beautiful, Franklin." Stein smiled, letting one perch on his hand.

He had been taught by his creator how to say the creature's name in many languages, but he felt like none of them can truly represent their immense beauty.

"I know how much you love them. I adore them very much as well."

'Franklin' set down their picnic to the fine grass fields. The sun was high up in the sky, and one could feel drench soon, so the boys would have to unbutton a bit and roll up their sleeves.

"But do you know that these frail creatures you cherish so much... Can be easily attracted by blood?"

"I know....." Stein continued being fascinated by these bloodsucking creatures. "I was also quite aware of the reasoning behind it too. Butterflies will intake any liquid with biological components. I think that just makes them even more worth learning about and appreciating."

'Franklin' nodded. "You could lure them in with a pinprick of your own blood..... Truly charming creatures."

As he set down the food, he handed Stein a sandwich.

The giant man blinked. "What is this for?"

"Try it. How silly that earlier we have been arguing about you affecting my diet, yet you never showed you intention of wanting to try these kinds of food too." 'Franklin' smiled. "Now I'm allowing you, I am sure a little bit would not hurt. I am starting with sandwiches because I believe it would be the next easier to swallow after those mush you have grown tired of."

"I.... I am not 'tired' of mushy foods..." Stein scratched his head, befuddled by how well Franklin just knows him without saying it. "But still.... Thank you."

They enjoyed their food under the sun, letting Stein get used to it. There were also grapes, which 'Franklin' hung around over his face, trying to feed him like those Roman emperors.

Stein bit on to the fruit, enjoying the texture of the juice on his mouth. The taste was really new to him, he have not tasted sour food before. And the sweetness is different too from starch, he started to be addicted by the novelty of it all.

Given taste, he suddenly want to taste everything at once. New experiences, new knowledge, he have such strong craving for it that he could just have his second death.

And like the grapes, Franklin is just tantalizing him, only allowing him to take small bites. But he want more.

"Franklin, do you think it's possible to gain every knowledge in the world? To truly know everything?" Stein asked.

"Hmm..... I do not think so. Because there is always the future, and the future is unknown." Zhe Chouhen answered.

"I thought so as well..... But I feel that it must be inherent for man to want to acquire knowledge all at once. Once you gain a small pinprick of it, just a small dot on the wall leaving you to see light, you start to want to dig your fingers through and desperately claw for more. Until the wall crumbles down and you see the whole sun."

"But wouldn't it be dangerous if the wall crumbles down on the person instead, or they become blinded by the sun?" 'Franklin' asked with his eyeglass glinting with interest in Stein's rhetoric.

Stein thought about it, and answered: "Hm, I believe I must be the the kind of individual that will still clamber for the truth of the outside even if the wall crumble on me or I am blinded by the sun."

'Franklin' smiled, rubbing his forehead. "I have deep admiration for people like that. The stronger they want to know the truth, the more courageous their characters are. Especially when the sunlight and the scene that awaits them outside just might ruin them from inside out."

Stein wondered what 'Franklin' could have meant, what he was hinting at, only momentarily being pleased that he was told this creator of his admires him. He was about to ask.....

When something felt like burning on his chest, suffocating him a little.

He started out with a small cough, but then, it exploded into large ones as he covered his mouth.....

He let go, and the butterflies in the quiet, dainty park clamored for his hand.

There was blood on it.

'Franklin' eyes widened, holding on to him. "Stein!"

But as Stein watched his own blood being drank by his favorite beings..........

Someone put a dark blanket over his eyes, and he cannot open them again.