The dangerous combination of his voice, the beautifully gentle lilt to it, his countenance, and enchanting words ascended Uriel's heart into an unreachable altitude, thumping away on a cloud of longing. Eyes clouded by this unfamiliar emotion, Uriel complied to Erin's request. Yearned for it. He captured Erin's lips between his. It was safe to say that the younger was moonstruck. Totally, utterly drowning in the deep blue sea that was Erin, yet soaring in the sky that was his mere touch. He was everything with Erin, and nothing without him. Nostrils flaring, Uriel breathed in Erin's sweet rosy aroma, wanting nothing more than to get drenched in his scent. He can see it in Erin's eyes. They're full of wonder, they razzle and dazzle under the blanket of twilight, they smile without prompt. He could see the haze that used to coat his irises when he was smiling or crying or both, he could see the light in them when the two of them got into

Uriel's father's voice resonated loud and clear through his ears, but he felt as if he couldn't hear, ending the call with an empty mind. They were spewed like a foreign language, which he's never been more elated he didn't understand. He turned his phone off and faced the TV. "...urge utmost caution. Reports of another casualty with similar symptoms has appeared within the central hospital-" Uriel turned the TV off. Mind wandering back to his other half, he began to wonder if he was doing okay. Was he eating well? Sleeping well? Making new friends? Looking down on him? It shattered his very being knowing that the first touch was his last. He wanted to eat mochi with him, tell him he started liking it a lot. Wanted to visit Angel Falls, and chuck him in the same way he chucked Uriel into a lake, he wanted to go to university together, visit the Japanese caves and witness the dazzling quartz caves in person. Abov

The red almost drowned Uriel in its drunken tang of delusion, and Dionysus could only slur scraps of a sentence Uriel longed to hear. His limbs ached so terribly. And oddly enough, all he can begin to remember is being slumped against a tree with the redness of raw meat thrown at him. Could almost feel the glimmer of something that shouldn't have a physical sensation, the greenish glimmer, tingling and healing. It took the scrape of something against the balcony floor to snap him back to the present. He scoffed, shook his head, and walked up. His steps were quiet, feathery, almost as if he wasn't there: walked as if he entered a room full of nails with no shoes. He didn't know why he was being so mute, but figured it had something to do with the fact that this person could be armed. He couldn't help the nth scoff he released at his own stupidity. "Hey, the fuck do you think you're doing in my pent

"Several news reports have amassed over the last eight months regarding the virtual headset. It has broken all barriers humanity had believed could never be broken, but has some extremely grave consequences. A total of 52 patients have developed psychotic symptoms after extensive use of the headset, and even catalysing brain malfuction and death in one young patient named Park Erin. Park Erin passed away upon turning 20, and post-mortems show extreme levels of plasticity in his brain, as his parts of his somatosensory cortex severely decreased in volume."   "Thank you, Ms Byun. For what reason were the reports delayed?"   "In all actuality, speculation was always made regarding the headset as more and more cases of psychosis, and even neurosis, emerged. Officials deemed it too early to take this case to court and further examine the reports. However, as of two days ago, data regarding the origins and maintenance of the

A week before Erin's birthday. "At least I could say that I tried," he played with Rae's paws. "I really did, you know? It's not like I wanted this." He gnawed at his lip, a twisted red. "I...I mean I did want it. Of course I did, but I tried not to, Mr Blue. I really did." he wistfully looked out the window. "I didn't want to love him, because now I'm stuck up here," he jabbed a finger at his skull. "God damnit, I'm stuck here. God damnit!"  Fingers knotted deeply into his hair, pulling at his roots. "I don't want him alone, please, please," he silently pleaded to no one in particular.  His cacophanous whispers were carried by the breeze and crumbled into ashes.  Because, from the very beginning, Erin knew he shouldn't. Shouldn't get involved and create something only to leave it unfinished, forever. He knew, and yet