The yacht was still there, untouched, just as Etienne had left it.
"Well," Jared said, feeling relieved that it was still here. Cezar had sometimes asked him about the yacht, but Jared had always pretended he knew nothing.
When he looked at Etienne, the man winked at him. "See? You're not as evil as you think you are. Come on, let's get this ship moving."
Jared examined the yacht, trying to figure out how to get it back into the water. His mind raced with possibilities, but before he could form a plan, Etienne stepped up to the helm.
He took the key from his pocket, slipped it into the ignition, and turned it. The key fit perfectly. As he switched the power on, the engine hummed to life with a smooth, reassuring sound.
"Cutie, hop in! Let's get out of here!" Etienne waved from the yacht.
"It's stuck between the corals," Jared pointed at the bottom of the ship.
"No worries, I think it has some tools to support it from getting stuck like this. Hold on..." Etienne fiddled with the controls, trying to figure out which button he had used before.
While he worked, Jared climbed onto the yacht, drifting behind Etienne, unsure of how he felt. He was approaching the point of no return. He was about to leave everything he had ever known and step into something completely unknown. How he would survive, and what awaited him on the horizon, terrified him. A shiver ran down his spine, and a feverish heat crept up his neck. However, he would rather feel this discomfort than live a life without Etienne. He had tried that for months, and it had felt like hell. He didn't want to turn that experience into a lifetime.
Etienne gave up trying to figure out which button he had pressed to make a couple of small wheels stick out from the bottom of the yacht to help it unstuck from the coral. He sat beside Jared.
"I can feel the gears in your brain heating up..." Etienne teased, nudging Jared lightly.
Jared shrugs. "I mean, I didn't plan all this. I just wanted to give you the key and then return to the bunker. But... looking into your eyes, I just realized how much I missed you. Apparently, I ended up here...I feel good, really, just, ... nervous."
Etienne placed his hand on Jared's. "you'll be alright. We'll made it, to the new world, new horizon, new life!"
Jared nods. The more he feeling Etienne's vibes, the more he is ready to leave the past behind.
"By the way, did you figure out how to get unstuck?" Jared asked.
"I don't know. I kind of forgot... I don't remember what I pressed back then..." Etienne scratched his head.
"Let me check...." Jared walked over to the helm and examined the buttons and controls. Everything was new to him, but then he saw a button with a circle icon and pressed it. A beeping sound rang out, the ship sounding as if it were in trouble.
Jared jumped off the yacht and looked beneath. The small wheels under the yacht were trying to release but got caught in some seaweed. He tore the seaweed apart, and finally, the beeping stopped, the wheels smoothly released.
"Jared, that's brilliant! What did you do?" Etienne sounded thrilled.
But before they could celebrate, a gunshot cracked through the air.
A sharp pain tore through Jared's shoulder. He screamed, staggering as blood splattered onto the sand.
"Jared!!" Etienne's voice broke with panic as he jump off the yacht and grabbed Jared, eyes wide with horror. His head snapped toward the edge of the beach, where the dense forest met the shore.
There—standing just beyond the tree line—was Cezar.
He emerged with his men, their weapons raised, the muzzles glinting as the sky began to shed its darkness.
"Thank you, Jared. Your plan worked." Cezar grinned, his voice mocking. "We finally figured out where the yacht is."
Jared's breath was ragged, pain pulsing through his shoulder, but it was nothing compared to the sheer fury boiling inside him. Because when he looked into Cezar's face, it wasn't just the man standing before him—it was every mistake he had made, every reckless decision that had led him here.
"What?!" Etienne gasped, his whole body tensing as his terrified gaze darted from Jared to Cezar. His heart pounded against his ribs.
"No! Etienne, he's lying! I know nothing about this! I swear!" His voice was raw, desperate, but Etienne didn't answer.
Instead, Etienne's hands slipped from Jared's arms, his warmth retreating like the tide pulling away from the shore. Jared could see it in his eyes—that flicker of hesitation, of doubt creeping in, poisoning everything.
Jared felt his chest tighten, a different kind of pain gnawing at him now—one far worse than the bullet wound.
Cezar's laughter rang in his ears, sharp and mocking. "Why do you think the boy was looking for you? He had a boyfriend—Charles, wasn't it? But all of a sudden, he's all over you. Isn't that strange? You really think this wasn't planned from the start?"
Jared clenched his fists, causing more blood to drip. "Don't listen to him! He's trying to mess with us!" His voice was urgent, his body moving instinctively forward—toward Etienne, the one person he couldn't bear to lose.
But Etienne stepped back, his body trembling with the weight of his uncertainty. Conflicted emotions flickered across his face, his green eyes clouded with hesitation. He wasn't pulling away in anger, but in fear. Fear of being deceived. Fear that Jared was no different from Cezar—that he, too, was only there to hurt him.
Etienne was truly unsure. He wanted to trust Jared, but he couldn't bear to risk being hurt again. What if Cezar was right, that Jared was only pretending to win his trust, so he could sabotage his path to freedom? But the kiss, the embrace during his mental breakdown... it all felt so genuine.
Jared's voice broke through his swirling thoughts. "It's okay," he said softly, stepping back, his blood still dripping. "If you can't trust me, it's okay. But at least... go climb that yacht. Leave. Find your freedom. I want you to be free."
When Etienne turned his back to re-enter the yacht, Cezar's voice cut through the tense moment like a knife.
"Shoot him! Kill them both, and destroy the ship too!" Cezar barked.
His men opened fire, the sound of bullets slicing through the air, the rhythmic barrage of gunfire echoing against the stillness of the night.
"No!!" Jared screamed, the desperation in his voice drowning out everything else. His hand shot forward instinctively, as if to block the bullets himself.
But something happened—the dragon tattoo on his chest began to glow, faint at first, then growing brighter with each passing second. It was a pulsating black light, almost like the heart of the creature itself had awakened within him.
The majestic power of the Divine Black Dragon surged through Jared in an overwhelming rush, and as his eyes narrowed, the black dragon inside him lent its strength. With a single, forceful glare, the bullets froze midair. The air around them seemed to hum with energy, the sound of the oncoming gunfire now completely silenced.
Jared's chest heaved with the intensity of the moment, but he didn't hesitate. In that same split second, he commanded the bullets, redirecting them with precision, as if the world itself bent to his will.
One by one, the bullets shifted direction, heading back toward their senders. They slammed into the soldiers who had fired upon them, piercing them with their own weapons. The screams of the men filled the air as they crumpled to the ground, one by one, their blood staining the sand.
Cezar, ever the strategist, reacted immediately. His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could even process the power Jared had just unleashed, he grabbed the nearest soldier by the collar, pulling him close as a human shield.
The lifeless soldier dangled for a moment before Cezar let the body drop, discarded like trash. The corpse landed with a dull thud against the bloodstained sand, forgotten in an instant.
Jared barely noticed. His entire body burned, not from pain but from something far greater—power. The Black Dragon fully immersed itself into his being, its energy flooding through his veins like liquid fire. His body pulsed with raw strength, muscles tightening as the bullet lodged in his shoulder was forcefully expelled. The wound sealed itself in mere seconds, leaving nothing but the faintest scar—a reminder that he was no longer just a man.
Cezar watched the transformation unfold, but instead of fear, amusement curled on his lips. His grin stretched wider as something dark flickered in his expression. Then, his body responded in kind. His crimson eyes gleamed with an unnatural glow, and a deep, burning insignia of a demon scorched itself into his forehead.
"You want to fight me, boy?" Cezar's voice carried a cruel, mocking edge, filled with fiery laughter.
He grabbed the edges of his military jacket and ripped it from his body, tossing it aside like a shed skin. Underneath, his well-chiseled muscles bulged with raw might, thick veins snaking over his arms and torso like a roadmap of power. His mere presence now carried an unnatural intensity, the heat of his energy warping the air around him.
Jared didn't waste a second. His blood surged with the dragon's primal instincts, and he lunged, charging straight at Cezar.
Like titans colliding, they met in the middle of the beach, fists swinging with devastating force. Sand exploded beneath their feet with every impact, the force of their blows shaking the very earth.
No guns. No tricks.
Just two monsters, fighting like lions in the heart of the battlefield.
"You really think you matter to him?" Cezar snarled, lunging with brutal punches aimed at Jared's face. "He's just using you to escape. You're a placeholder—weak, easy. He'll leave you the second he gets bored."
Jared ducked, his reflexes sharp, and when he get the chance, he drove his fist hard into Cezar's gut. The impact sent Cezar stumbling back, air rushing from his lungs. Jared didn't let up.
"You expect me to believe that?" Jared spat, stalking forward. "You're just a hypocrite—pretending to protect women while sleeping with anyone you want behind your wife's back."
Cezar's grin faltered, rage flickering beneath the cracks. Blood smeared his lip as he wiped it, trying to hold onto his smugness.
"What is this? Wife talk?! Haha! Leave my wife out of this!" Cezar lunged at Jared, and they both struggled on the sand.
They collided again, fists and fury, leaving no room for words.
However, Cezar, with his demonic power, managed to overpower Jared. To be honest, experience mattered. As Jared took blow after blow, the Black Dragon's power within him began to fade, leaving behind only a bloodied 18-year-old with nothing but sheer determination to keep fighting.
Enduring hit after hit, Jared waited for a chance to strike back, but the pain was excruciating, crushing his defense. After taking numerous blows, he collapsed onto the sand, blood spitting from his mouth.
Thinking Jared was done, Cezar walked past him to get to Etienne. However, Jared wouldn't let him. With a surge of will, he grabbed Cezar's leg and clung to it.
"Etienne, run!! Ride your freedom and get the hell out of here!" Jared screamed, veins bulging in his face.
"Get off me, you little runt!" Cezar tried to swing his leg, but Jared wouldn't let go. In desperation, he bit into Cezar's calf, forcing the General to yank off his leg and land a brutal knuckle punch to Jared's face.
Then, with a devilish grin, Cezar lifted Jared by the collar and whispered, "You need to hear him moan like a slut when my big dick loosens up his ass...he actually loves it."
Jared's rage boiled over. Despite the pain coursing through his entire body, he swiped his hands through the air, desperately trying to strike Cezar in the face. But it was futile. His target was out of reach, and with no footing beneath him, his swings were nothing but powerless gestures.
Cezar laughed hard at Jared's powerlessness, then slammed his body into the sand. The grains of sand dug into Jared's eyes, and some scraped into his open wounds. It was excruciating, but the real pain came from the knowledge that he couldn't even return a single hit to this demon.
"It's over, boy. Etienne is mine!" Cezar taunted, gaining the upper hand. He locked Jared into a painful position, then grabbed his arm with intent to break the bone.
But before Cezar could succeed, Etienne fired the rifle he'd been carrying since the night watch. The bullet tore through Cezar's eye, saving Jared from having his arm broken.
"Fuck! you will r---" before Cezar finish his words, Etienne shots his mouth, crushing 5 of his front teeth.
Etienne who had been watching the fight all along, now he knows who was lying and who was genuine. He kneels in front of Jared and help him walk.
"My hero," he praised with gentle voice, a little teasing on Jared, but half of it, it's genuine gratitude.
"Why did you still here? You should've left while I'm holding him off...." Jared limped as he walk to the yacht.
"If I did that, means he was right; I'm only using you," then Etienne look back at Jared with gentle smile, "but have to be honest, it's hard to see you endures those hits."
Jared is feeling ashamed, he wish he was stronger so it doesn't looked embarrassing in front of the one who mean the world to him.
To ensure their escape was secure, as Jared started the yacht to sail away, Etienne aimed at Cezar, who was struggling to move and growling at them. With a calm precision, Etienne fired a shot that struck Cezar's forehead. The impact sent him crashing to the sand, lifeless. Blood spilling in a gruesome bath.
He is stop moving at all.
The yacht sailed away in peace.
Once inside the cabin, Etienne tended to Jared's wounds, carefully cleansing them from sand with warm water and alcohol, before stitching up the torn skin.
"You really wore your body out. You'll die out of love if you keep this up. You're lucky it was me. What if someone you were protecting was actually using you? I don't get why you think sacrificing yourself for love is romantic. Do you want me to die so you can live?" Etienne nagged as he tend Jared's bruises.
"No," Jared responded briefly.
"Think about yourself a little," Etienne continued, still nagging. "I don't need you to sacrifice for me. I want to be happy with you, exploring the world together as two curious souls."
Jared grinned, placing his finger on Etienne's chin and gently lifting it so their eyes met. "Look where I am now?"
There was no burden, no hardship, no stress—just freedom, as free as Jared's smile.
"I'm right by your side, with you caring about me..... It's worth all the broken ribs," Jared murmured softly, his gaze filled with love as he stared into Etienne's eyes.
Etienne caressed Jared's hair before leaning in to kiss his lips.
"I must be dreaming," Jared smiled, his happiness evident.
"What if you are?"
"Then don't wake me up," Jared shook his head, tracing Etienne's cheek with his finger.
"Why not? You have to wake up, Jacques," Etienne leaned back on the sofa beside Jared, relaxing.
"I don't want to. If I wake up, you won't be there," Jared pressed his lips together, forming a straight line as his words faltered.
"Who says I'm not there?"
"What do you mean? Are you saying you're not just a dream?" Jared tilted his head, curiosity lighting his eyes, now tinged with excitement.
Etienne gently took Jared's hand and placed it on his face. "Feel it. Can you feel it?"
Jared could sense the smoothness of Etienne's skin and the wetness of his lips when he kissed Jared's fingertips.
"What the...?" Jared was stunned. But then, warmth spread through his chest—relief, happiness, something indescribable. This wasn't just a dream. Somewhere out there, someone this perfect existed. He just had to find him!
"How am I going to find you? Where are you? Tell me!" he asked, his voice thick with urgency and hope.
Etienne smiled softly, pressing a finger against Jared's chest, right where his heart beat the strongest. "Follow your heart... it knows where to go."
"What do you mean?"
Before he could get an answer, Jared can feel the dream world becomes heavier, as his consciousness felt like returning to his body.
"No! Don't wake up! Tell me where to find you!!"
"Etienne!!"
***
**
*
Jacques Durant blinked his eyes open, his body jolting from the shock of waking up from a coma.
He found himself in a small, sterile room. There was a bed, a side table, a desk with a chair, and a small cabinet—no windows.
For a few moments, he tried to comprehend what had happened. Why am I here? Where is the beach? Where is the yacht?
His thoughts faltered, and then a strange, almost unsettling feeling crept in. Where is…
Who was his name?
Jacques winced, a sharp sting in his head as he tried to recall the name. It had been there in his dream, echoing like a sweet jingle, but now it was slipping away. He could almost hear it, but the sound didn't make it past his mind's grasp.
More troubling than that, Jacques had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was racing down the road, the wind in his hair, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He remembered the flyover, deliver him closer to the sky, who were calling out his name...
And then, he had left Charles.
But how had he ended up here?
Jacques stood up shakily, reaching for the door. It was locked, the cold metal of the handle offering no escape.
Soon, the door opened, and a doctor and a nurse appeared. Jacques could read the name tag—the doctor's name was Zhicotte.
He stood in front of Jacques and gave an uneasy smirk. "After three years... finally, you're awake."
"Where am I?" Jacques asked suspiciously.
"Son, you are here on an important mission as a hero who will save the universe," the doctor declared.