The nights in the inner world of Gotham were colder, devoid of the stifling heat of summer prevalent in the material world. Instead, it mirrored the old Gotham, drenched in chilling rains from dusk till dawn. The entire city seemed like a pencil sketch soaked in water, its outlines eroding into oblivion in the wetness.
The pointed tower of Rodriguez College, suspended high in the sky, was enveloped by clusters of dewy fog. Opening the window at midnight, ethereal clouds wafted in like schools of fish.
The dormitory window was ajar, strands of fog surging in incessantly like spectral hands. The fog droplets, clinging onto the glass, resembled eyes constantly opening and closing.
A warm golden glow permeated through the endless white mist, akin to the first ray of light at daybreak. The dense cloud cover gradually dispersed, revealing a sky that was more blue-violet than azure, the clouds being gradually tainted black and arranged into a complex and eerie pattern. Upon second glance, the cloud formations resembled a pair of massive blue eyes.
"Ah!"
A figure sat up on the bed, letting out a terrified scream, followed by intense panting.
Little Bruce clung onto the bed rail with one hand, the other reaching for his forehead that was drenched in cold sweat.
"What was...that?" Little Bruce mumbled to himself, confused. Suddenly, a knock echoed from his room door, compelling him to kick off the tangled blanket and get off the bed to answer it.
"Are you okay? I heard a scream just now." Barry stood in the dark doorway, candlestick in hand, looking worriedly at Little Bruce. However, seeing Little Bruce's face shocked him, and he uttered in surprise, "God, your face is as pale as paper. What happened to you? Do we need to go to the hospital?"
Little Bruce took a deep breath to steady himself and released his hold on the tightly grasped doorknob. "I'm fine. Come in."
Barry seemed rather taken aback that Little Bruce allowed him into his room so readily. As Little Bruce headed back inside, he commented, "Or would you rather blurt out everything in the hallway for the entire grade to hear? It's two in the morning."
Barry watched Little Bruce's retreating figure; under the candlelight, he could clearly see a large wet patch soaking the cotton pajamas on Bruce's back, seeming like the cold sweat of nightmares.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Barry squeezed in through the doorway and gently closed the door, leaving his slippers at the doorstep and stepping onto the soft carpet barefoot.
Every dormitory at Rodriguez College was single occupancy, as serene environments were required for studying and learning. Still, even a magically extended tower couldn't house infinite space within, so the single rooms of students and the office of the dean were designed as two-story lofts.
Unlike traditional duplex apartments, the beds in these single dorms were situated downstairs while upstairs housed bookshelves embedded in the walls and desks for studying.
Each room was bestowed with a massive floor-to-ceiling window stretching from the first floor to the second. Beside the window on the first floor was a small lounge area comprised of two single-seater sofas and a coffee table, perfect for inviting classmates over for study sessions or afternoon tea.
Little Bruce and Barry sat facing each other in front of the window. Little Bruce poured two packets of snacks onto a fruit plate from a side drawer. Barry was surprised; he didn't take Little Bruce as the type to share food with him.
As expected, the moment he sat down, Little Bruce picked up a pumpkin seed and started biting it while sporting a slightly terrified expression on his face. His black, short, curly hair was damp with sweat and reflected a cold, silver light under the moonlit glow that streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.
"What happened, Bruce?" Barry seemed anxious. He was the type who, despite any previous dislike, would still feel upset at someone else's harm.
"I had a nightmare." Little Bruce inhaled deeply. His pale face made him appear brittle and shattered, which also softened his voice. "Since my parents' funeral ended, I haven't had any nightmares."
"You..." Barry opened his mouth but could only manage to say, "May they rest in peace."
"I saw a pair of eyes." Little Bruce chewed the first pumpkin seed until it was full of tooth marks but didn't eat it. Instead, he discarded it and picked up another one.
His tone was much more stable and lower than before, but there was still a touch of uncertain confusion in it.
"A pair of blue eyes, bluer than the sky. And I saw lots of clouds, a complex pattern, and perhaps, the radiance of holy light."
Barry instantly widened his eyes and gasped. Staring at Little Bruce's face intently, he said, "Did you see an angel?!"
"No, there were no characteristic wings, and he didn't say anything to me. But the moment when the clouds dispersed, I saw the golden light shining down. That is the signature divine power of heaven."
"How would you know?"
Little Bruce's face showed a touch of irritation again, yet perhaps shock, fear, and doubt made him slightly more approachable. Unlike his previous outbursts, he explained patiently this time.
"I think any person of average intelligence can figure out that I am not of this universe. I happen to be Bruce Wayne from another cosmos. Do you think the incident that brought me here was ordinary?"
"This..." Barry took a good half minute to recover from the shock of this fact, then he mused: "No wonder... you look exactly like Bruce Wayne, there should be some differences even for an illegitimate child."
"So the fact that Professor Shiller mentioned someone had contact with an angel in class, and your arrival in this universe, are related, right?"
"Obviously."
"Was it that angel that brought you here?"
"I can't be sure." Bruce clearly needed someone to confide in right now, but not because he wanted to vent his emotions, but rather to clarify his own logic through expression.
He simply explained to Barry what happened after he met Constantine, and then added details about the enrollment process.
"When I was going through my father's belongings, I saw a huge bat fly past the attic window. At that moment, I felt something stirring inside me. I don't know if it was fear, but it felt more like an exhilarating anchor."
"Bats, yes, bats. I've often separated myself from the world of idiots, but I didn't fantasise about being a carefree bird like ordinary people, instead I wanted to be a bat."
"When I saw that bat, a thought occurred to me, but before I could ponder it, the bat turned in mid-air and crashed into the attic window, and my fantasy was completely dispelled."
Little Bruce sighed softly, "I didn't expect bats to be so stupid, but when it fell from the glass, I noticed it seemed to be clutching something in its foot. By then, Alfred had already picked it up from downstairs."
"We both read the admission notice it brought. Alfred thought it was very dangerous and that we should destroy the letter immediately. But I had witnessed the wonders of magic and thought we should give it a try."
"Alfred drove me to the agreed location by the Gotham River. I saw a flash of gold, and suddenly, I was in this school."
Barry astutely caught onto a word that was repeated several times in his speech, so he cautiously asked, "Gold?"
"I didn't get a good look, so I can't be sure if the gold light that led me away was the same as what I saw through the magic array that day, or what I saw in my dream today, but they were all golden."
"I think it's highly likely that the angel you saw brought you here, but the question is why."
Little Bruce pursed his lips, obviously lost in thought, while Barry muttered thoughtfully to himself, "Do you remember what Professor Shiller said? All your talents in magic could be an illusion induced by angels or devils, so you initially understood the divine power of runes..."
"Which means I was chosen by an angel, but why me?"
Both fell silent, as neither could provide an answer. To break the silence, Barry changed the topic, saying, "You said you saw a pair of blue eyes. What kind of blue eyes?"
"Hard to describe." Little Bruce's tone was somewhat vague. He paused for a moment and said, "I can't remember the details, but I remember that they were very blue."
"As blue as your eyes?"
Little Bruce was shocked; it felt like he was on the verge of grasping something but couldn't pinpoint it. He reached out and touched one of his eyes with his fingertip, then remained silent for a long time.
"I won't let him manipulate me." Little Bruce drew a deep breath and said, "Devil or angel, they're both idiots. Whatever their plan is for me, it won't work."
Suddenly, Little Bruce stiffened on the spot, his body jerked back uncontrollably, and he let out a short "uh."
Barry could see that in less than two seconds of his stupor, his thick cotton pajamas were soaked with sweat. It even flowed through his veins. Little Bruce held tightly to the chair handle in fear and started to tremble.
Barry immediately rushed over to hold him, and after Little Bruce regained his composure, he was drenched as if he had just been pulled out of water. Barry anxiously grabbed his arm and asked, "What happened? What did you see?"
Little Bruce took a few quick breaths and managed to answer in a trembling tone, "...Beneath the gorgeous thrones of devils and angels lie piles of human remains."
Little Bruce's grip on the armrest tightened, and he trembled as if he was about to faint. Barry had to pat his back to console him. After a while, Little Bruce managed to squeeze a few words through his clenched teeth.
"They extract human souls, grind their bones into dust, use their skulls as fire bowls, and exploit and torture humans ruthlessly."
"And beneath that throne made up of human skulls, I saw... my parents."