Chapter 14 – Awake but Not Free
Yuji didn't move when he woke.
The subway room was quiet, dimly lit by the beam of Ren's flashlight propped in the corner.
Ren was awake.
Of course he was. Sitting cross-legged by the door, like always, his gaze distant — but Yuji felt it. That faint pulse in the bond, the quiet awareness of him.
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"How long have you been doing that?"
Ren didn't look at him. "Doing what?"
"Invading my dreams."
Finally, Ren turned his head, his expression unreadable. "You think I wanted that?"
Yuji sat up sharply. "You didn't stop it."
Ren's jaw tightened. "It doesn't work like that."
"Then how does it work, Ren?" Yuji snapped. "Because I can't tell where I end and you begin anymore!"
---
The silence stretched.
Ren leaned back against the wall, rubbing his temple. "If I could cut it off, I would."
Yuji froze.
He almost asked why — why he sounded so certain, so tired — but bit it back.
Instead, he said quietly, "Then what are we supposed to do?"
Ren looked at him, and for once, there was no calm, no control in his eyes.
Only exhaustion.
"Survive."
---
The word hung in the air, heavier than any explanation could have been.
Yuji hugged his knees, pressing his forehead against them.
He didn't know what scared him more — the dream… or how much he wanted it to happen again.