The world felt like it was ending—at least that is how it was for Lien. His reality had shifted into something dark and twisted. He had killed the man who raped and beat him in that house of horrors. As he sat in the bath with Vitya washing the blood off of his face and hands, he was becoming addicted to this comfort. What bothered him most was that he didn't know how he could live without it, the guilt inside of him from killing another person—even if it was justified—was causing an internal struggle that lent itself to codependency on Vitya's affections. He looked up at Vitya who cared for Lien like a doting lover and had even kissed Lien's knuckles after they were clean.

"Is that better, kotenok?" Vitya asked and Lien lifted up out of the bath and hugged him around the shoulders. The man hummed and grabbed the towel, wrapping it over Lien's body and captured him in a kiss. They continued to kiss and it was like time melted into one moment over into the next. Now, he was in bed on a personal yacht and Vitya was hovering over him, "Is this okay, my Lien?" Vitya asked and Lien nodded. The ship rocking on the waves no longer made him feel sick; in fact, nothing could ail him if Vitya was giving him the attention he wanted. Hot kisses peppered down his neck like a remedy for chills, calloused hands against the skin over his hips and the man had made a bath of velvet blossoms down Lien's chest to his abdomen.

"I see you are quite eager, aren't you?" Vitya's warm breath provoked Lien to sharply inhale, "Yes, my God. You are every thought in my mind." Lien admitted as the man had parted his lips to take in the throbbing member and give pleasure rather than tests and pains. Lien's arms lifted and tucked under the pillow beneath his head, the sheets cool and relaxing. His knees lifted and his eyes closed. Moans escaped him like the scent honeysuckles in a summer breeze. The tongue that wrapped around him made him weak and without composure. All innocence was lost and Lien felt no shame to give into desire, nor did he feel the need to keep Vitya guessing. Everything was straight forward and he brought his hand down to run through the long inky hair and pulled him up to kiss, exchanging wetted gloss between them.

"What're you doing, kotenok?" Vitya mused as Lien guided the bigger man to lay down, pressing his hand into Vitya's chest. Lien's eyes became squinted like a siren's and a curved lip expressed his fury. "I'm loving you." It was this display of want from Lien that made Vitya excited, but he wouldn't let the other take control. The man stood up from the bed, the red blanket ruffled. "I want you to do something for me, yes?" Vitya moved across to the foot of the bed and Lien sat in the middle, looking confused.

"Of course, anything for you." Lien responded quickly and Vitya chuckled, "Lay down on your side and bring your knee up." The Russian responded and licked his lips watching as Lien did exactly as he was told to do. As Lien did so Vitya had grinned, "Put a finger inside your mouth for me." He requested and Lien did as he was told. Bringing up the slender digit between his lips, keeping eye contact with the man standing at the foot of the bed. Nothing about this seemed strange and indeed it was the most erotic of moments he shared with the man. It was something more profound than sex. It was about power.

Vitya turned away and opened the door to the bedroom, Sasha had been standing outside and looked immediately jealous and red in the face. "Would you like to join or do you two still hate each other?" He asked and Sasha looked at Lien on the bed. He swallowed dryly and looked rather apprehensive. "No, it's not...we are approaching the port to Yantai." Sasha replied and was started to get upset while Vitya groaned, "Sorry my pets. Play with each other, I'll be back." He said and would carelessly move past Sasha and nudged him into the room. The door closed and Lien sat up on the bed, taking his finger out of his mouth.

He stood up and approached Sasha, looking at him with a glare. "Did you come to drug me again?" Lien spat and his eyes glinted like daggers. Sasha's expression changed to that of determination mixed with realization. "Can you just be original? Your fiery and bratty self? The role of a whore is taken, don't you remember." Sasha expelled those words like he'd been waiting to say them. It wasn't a jab at Lien, no. It was actually his way of saying that he didn't want Lien to become like him.

There was a moment of silence that filled the room and Lien held an unimpressed gaze. "I love him. I'm sorry you're confusing it for something else." He remarked and grabbed his clothes, starting to get dressed and Sasha grabbed his shoulders. "That isn't love! I know you can see it. There's still time for you to get out...to do what...what." Sasha begged, trying to find the right words.

"To what? Exactly. You don't know me and you never will. You aren't strong enough or loyal enough. Vitya loves me and he wants me. He doesn't want you." Lien shoved Sasha away from himself and pushed past him. When he reached for the door, Sasha yelled out. "He's the reason you ended up at the garden!" Sasha exasperatedly explained. It was evident that he was still trying to cope with the truth.

Lien paused and turned to look at the other. "You..." He began and would move towards Sasha, clenching his fist and then swinging. Lien hit Sasha several times until they were on the bed wrestling back and forth. "I begged you to open this door! It's your fault you fucking Russian bitch!" He screamed and Sasha tried to fend him off. Lien had truly become an animal devoid of any restrictions. Sasha was starting to recall how Lien relentlessly mangled Feng.

"I-I had no choice! Stop and listen to me!" Sasha begged and managed to pin Lien down against the bed, his blond hair that was tied back becoming frayed and loose. "Get off of me! It's your fault and you deserve to hurt! You fucking monster!" Lien writhed and screamed out. "It was Vitya! It was always Vitya you fool. Can't you see that? He's the whole reason you ended up there. He was breaking you down so he could make you think that you're safe with him." Sasha screamed in Lien's face. However, the boat they were on had come to a stop, evident by the back and forth rocking.

The door to the bedroom opened and Vitya had been dressed, tugging at the tie of his suit. He looked over at the bed with Sasha on top of Lien and the both of them panting. "Look at the two of you bonding. Sorry, but the fun is over. We have arrived." The man said and Sasha slowly got off of Lien who would get dressed too. He shook his head, there was no world in which he would believe Sasha. Nothing that he said could be true, right?

Lien watched Sasha leave the room in a hurry and Vitya walked up, handing Lien a hat and a face mask. "Put these on, you'll be safer this way." Vitya handed them to Lien, who took them without hesitation and nodded his head. It was strange how Lien took to being obedient so quickly, it wasn't in his nature but Vitya had a way of convincing him. As the ship docked and Vitya and Lien stepped onto the deck, Lien immediately recognized they were in China. He hadn't asked why they were here or why Vitya was keeping that information from him, he just continued on with Sasha walking behind them.

There was another ship that was docked nearby and people getting off of it. Lien thought how rich and lavish they looked, and how foreign they were. It was a Japanese ship based on the flag that was hanging from the hull. A woman with a shaved head and a slender frame had left the boat and another woman followed behind her. Both of them looked familiar, but being this far away Lien couldn't make out who they could be.

It didn't seem that question would linger on much longer due to the fact that Vitya, Lien, and Sasha would inevitably run into these two women through the same entry zone and it seemed they had. Vitya was standing in front, Sasha in the middle, and Lien in the back. The woman with the shaved head behind him had tapped on his shoulder. Lien turned around and the woman stepped to the side as Hana appeared from behind her. He was stunned and thought that his sister had recognized him, she didn't. "Hi kid, do you know what the port of entry requires? I've not been in China for years." Hana laughed and Mei Mei next to her kept staring at Lien.

"Hana?" Lien muttered and went to pull down his mask, that was until Vitya had grabbed his arm and pulled him back over to himself and Sasha, it was their time to go through the port of entry and Hana stood there with an expression of shock.