Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 28.1 - Side story 3 : Lucid Dream

A cold wind brushed past. With eyes closed, Aeroc fumbled for the warmth beside him. The bed was flat. The sheets weren’t even ruffled.
Doubt made him open his eyes. The soft yet cold silk touch deepened the loneliness. And at the same time, Aeroc wondered where Kloff had gone. Surely not…
Before bad thoughts could take hold, Aeroc’s night-accustomed vision found the answer. On the armrest of a large single-person sofa, a little way from the end of the bed, a faintly glowing shirt was visible. Had he perhaps not been able to sleep?
Due to the angle, Kloff’s figure wasn’t clearly visible. His hands, neatly placed on the armrest, didn’t stir. Aeroc wanted to go closer but hesitated. He didn’t want to disturb his private thoughts. Then Aeroc changed his mind. If he was sleeping while sitting, wouldn’t it be better to lead him to the bed? Aeroc cautiously approached the sofa.
The carelessly loosened curtains half-revealed the large balcony window. Bright moonlight poured into the room. Kloff, sitting in the pale, shimmering light, was surprisingly awake. He was merely staring blankly out the window. Beyond it, a rose garden was visible.
Ah, this room was originally Aeroc’s mother’s room. That’s why the garden was best seen from here.
Following Kloff’s gaze, Aeroc also quietly looked out the window. A taxidermied hut, as if enchanted, and the thorny garden surrounding it. Within it, Aeroc had spent a terrible life. It was a terrifying and painful place, so much so that he would rather end his own life than go back in there. How was Kloff looking at it?
With joy, seeing a sinner paying for their sins? Or with a sneer and a look of contempt? Aeroc didn’t want to know, but his feet moved unconsciously. Slowly, like a shadow, Aeroc turned to face the sofa. And then he faced the man, stiff as a statue.
Kloff was rigid, like a bronze statue whose life was fading. Determination flowed from his tightly closed lips, and solitude from his half-open eyes. The moonlight breaking on his firm shoulders made him even colder. Aeroc reached out to him. His gaze, which had been fixed on some distant point, slowly turned towards the sorrowful person. No life could be felt in his steel-like eyes. Aeroc’s heart sank.
“Kloff.”
Aeroc called his name without realizing it. Aeroc reached out and caressed his large hand, where veins protruded. His seemingly cold hand was still warm. His plaster-like rigid fingers suddenly twitched. After a slight hesitation, his long fingers wrapped around Aeroc’s cold fingertips.
“…Aeroc?”
A very rough voice emerged. The deep emotion contained within it gave Aeroc a familiar fear. His slowly widening eyes were filled with shock. His firmly closed jaw loosened little by little, and once again, a terrible voice was heard.
“Aeroc? Is it really you?”
Something was wrong. Instinctively, Aeroc stepped back. The moment he tried to create distance, a strong grip seized his wrist. The heavy chair rattled and slid back. Aeroc tried to pull his hand free, but it was impossible. The opponent’s strength far exceeded his.
“It hurts.”
“Aeroc. Aeroc.”
Kloff didn’t listen to anything Aeroc said. Instead, he pulled Aeroc into his arms. No, it was more accurate to say he trapped Aeroc in his embrace. His arms coiled around Aeroc’s body like shackles.
His heavy head dropped onto Aeroc’s nape. His hot breath burned Aeroc’s skin. Aeroc’s spine stiffened. Kloff’s heels lifted without Aeroc realizing it. As Aeroc’s balance faltered, Kloff’s firm stance completely supported Aeroc’s weight. Aeroc’s posture collapsed further, making escape impossible. Kloff held Aeroc’s breath silently, unable to make a sound. Aeroc’s shoulder became damp.
“Haha… I knew it was a dream after all. It was a terrible nightmare. You, how dare you leave me. That can’t be. You still owe me something.”
A sharp, ice-cold blade pierced the crown of Aeroc’s head. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. He knew this day would come someday. But he didn’t know it would be today.
Is this happy illusion finally over? Will everything return to its place, and will Aeroc also return to his place? Into that cold garden far away.
Kloff carefully caressed Aeroc’s stiff body. A low laugh escaped him.
“I have no intention of letting you go. And you shouldn’t abandon me either. You made me into a terrible monster.”
Then he raised his head. The infinitely gentle gaze was gone. In its place were dark eyes boiling with all sorts of emotions. One arm held Aeroc’s trembling waist firmly, and the other wrapped around Aeroc’s slender neck. Aeroc’s vocal cords seemed to be frozen, unable to even let out a moan. The cruel man’s expression was more ecstatic than ever.
Dry lips met. It wasn’t a deep kiss, but a superficial one. After a few contacts, as if exchanging breaths, Kloff pressed his forehead against Aeroc’s. And with the hand that had been caressing Aeroc’s neck, he stroked Aeroc’s fear-trembling cheek. His warm thumb brushed Aeroc’s cheekbone.
“You won. You terrible human. You won.”
A small laugh followed again. Even as Aeroc declared his defeat, he seemed extremely happy. He seemed utterly delighted as he pressed his lips against mine once more. Deeper than before. His hot mucous membranes, hidden within his dry lips, brushed against Aeroc’s. He inhaled Aeroc’s breath. It was a silent kiss, without even a whisper of a breath. All that could be heard was the pounding of Aeroc’s heart, as if it had been beaten.
“Don’t go anywhere now. You don’t need to go to the garden. Stay by my side. Right here.”
He never waited for an answer. With an attitude that tolerated no objections or disagreements, he lifted Aeroc into his arms. Although Aeroc wasn’t originally slender, and had gained quite a bit of weight after becoming pregnant, he showed no signs of difficulty. Aeroc suddenly felt dizzy as he was lifted. His mind was already spinning before that.
“You’re cold.”
Saying Aeroc should be warm, Kloff moved Aeroc to the bed. Gently, he pulled back the sheets and laid Aeroc down with meticulous care, as if handling a cracked glass doll. And then he sat by the bed. The insane tyrant, with an infinitely gentle demeanor, touched Aeroc’s cold hand.
“It’s not even winter, and you’re this cold. Should I wear gloves?”
Then he started to get up. Muttering about needing to light the fireplace. But Aeroc couldn’t let him go. What if he went outside and woke someone else? What if the distorted magic shattered completely and lost its order? The thought of what would happen was too terrifying to imagine.
With numb hands, Aeroc grabbed Kloff’s sleeve. Kloff looked back. Swallowing the lump that rose in Aeroc’s throat, he managed to open his mouth.
“Don’t… go.”
“But.”
“Stay by my side.”
Kloff, who had been silent for a moment, laughed again.
“As expected, you’re cunning. Is this a tantrum as soon as you gain the upper hand? Your personality hasn’t changed.”
Regardless of how he interpreted Aeroc’s intentions, Kloff sat back down on the bed. He looked at Aeroc for a moment, then soon got beside him. He patted the pillow and straightened the sheets, then pulled the blank Aeroc into his arms. Through his slightly loosened shirt, his neck, encased in firm muscles, was revealed. Aeroc buried his face in it. Aeroc felt the touch of his two hands embracing his back.
“It’s late. It’s better to go to sleep early for your health.”
Aeroc reached out and grabbed Kloff’s collar. One of the hands that had been embracing his back came closer and covered his prominent knuckles. Hot tears flowed from the gently tickling touch. Was it regret? Or disappointment? Perhaps sadness or relief. Aeroc didn’t know why he was crying.
“Yes, even a devil had tears.”
Aeroc closed his eyes. Tears trickled down the bridge of his nose. Kloff’s hand, which had once left blue bruises, came closer and brushed his cheek. Even though he was just wiping away tears, Aeroc flinched. The arms wrapped around his body tightened again. With a low sigh, Kloff kissed Aeroc’s sweating forehead.
“And I love that devil.”
What?
“Isn’t it a fitting end for me, who has become a monster that cannot even be called the worst?”
What did he say?
Aeroc looked up at Kloff, unable to hide his shock. He knew Kloff was imprinted. But imprinting wasn’t love. Aeroc was angry when he heard that Kloff, who was imprinted on someone he didn’t love, was dying in agony. Aeroc wished Kloff had ended it before the imprinting. Why did he do such a foolish thing?
When they reunited, Aeroc thought Kloff’s unnecessary provocations and his courtship of Aeroc, even though he liked someone else, were all due to the imprinting. One part of Aeroc’s heart crumbled, while another danced with joy. Because Kloff, like a satellite captured by a star, was destined to orbit Aeroc forever. But he loved Aeroc before the imprinting? Aeroc himself?
To Aeroc’s unspoken question, Kloff gave an answer.
“Just because you committed a sin, it doesn’t mean I have to do that. The reason I did what I did, when it could have been resolved with a trial, must be because I couldn’t forgive my own betraying heart. You can blame me. You can do whatever you want until your anger is appeased. But I have no intention of begging for forgiveness. And I have no intention of forgiving you.”
“…I don’t… want it.”
A hollow laugh escaped him. Deep breaths repeated. Aeroc shed hot tears. Kloff no longer wiped away the tears. Instead, he continuously kissed Aeroc’s forehead and hair.
“You should sleep now. Tomorrow will be busy. Ray, Jester, Seth, Blaine, and Yon, Ivid. I have to introduce you to all of them. It will be hectic, so it’s better to get enough sleep.”
Aeroc heard for the first time. The names of the jewel-like children. Introduce him to those children?
The man who called himself a monster gently brushed the hair clinging to Aeroc’s forehead.
“That’s enough now.”
A slightly tired voice. Had he intended to stop before? If Aeroc hadn’t run out in despair that day, would the ending have been a little different? Imagining the impossible, Aeroc held his breath.
“A devil suits a monster best. I knew it would end up like this. You won, Aeroc. It’s my defeat.”
Even though he declared defeat, he seemed somehow pleased. Or perhaps happy. Kloff, grateful that the terrible ending was a dream, pulled Aeroc closer. He wouldn’t let Aeroc go now. He repeated it countless times until Aeroc fell asleep.
“Poor man. To be imprinted on someone like me and finally fall in love.”
Imprinting, which appeared only in romantic novels, was a remnant of an instinct that had almost disappeared. It was a hormonal disturbance developed by pregnant omegas to ensure an alpha’s care. Although there were some difficulties, imprinting gradually disappeared a few hundred years ago, as it became not entirely impossible to raise a child alone, and instead, love connected alphas and omegas. Instinct blurred between reason and emotion.
Often, those who spent a long time with an omega would unconsciously become imprinted. Thus, most imprinted alphas were old men who had spent their entire lives with one omega. It was rare for someone to be imprinted at a relatively young age, but not unheard of. There were recent records of those with pure bloodlines, weak to genetics, who were exceptionally sensitive and became imprinted in a fleeting moment. But at least Kloff, he wasn’t imprinted at first sight. It must have happened because he continued the relationship without healing his severe mental pain.
An imprinted person, like someone under a powerful hypnosis, became obsessed with a specific individual. If their desires were not met, they would exhibit severe violent tendencies and sometimes even self-harm. That’s why he committed a sin he didn’t need to. As he judged himself, he became a monster. Aeroc’s heart ached.
Amidst the sadness and pity, joy slowly grew. It was selfish and cowardly. How many innocent lives had been sacrificed? And yet, Aeroc found himself happy to have finally gained Kloff’s love.
A devil who couldn’t shed tears, and didn’t deserve to.
That was the description of Aeroc Teiwind.