*Trigger Warning*

Before I start this chapter, I thought it's best to give a fair warning. Though nothing is explicit, but yet it doesn't make the pain any less.

Remember you're loved.

Wang Yibo's POV:

Carrying him out of that hell hole, I pray he shouldn't remember his past, but my soul knows it's to no avail. He remembers me. He remembers everything.

"Boss?" Jun looked concerned and I give my orders. I still am their Boss. I should not forget my duty even if my heart is shredding into pieces.

"Seal this place ASAP. Place our officers here. Contact Dr. Suk and get the Forensic Team ready".

Chief's eyes widen when he sees an unconcious Zhan in my arms and he quickly jumps into the driver's seat ready to drive us away from the danger.

"Sean, you and Drew deal with every single details here and then meet me back at stake house. Do you need Jun here?" I enquire and he shakes his head "Alright, Jun go back to the Precinct and secretly wipe out every single details of ours without a trail, create a fake one if you can and then meet us back at stake house. Adrian, Chief and I will take Zhan" turning to Dre, I command "Call JC. He'd want to know" with a nod he brings out his phone and Jun opens the rear door for me. Carefully placing Zhan on the seat, I take the seat next to him and place his head on my lap.

Once Adrian joins us, Chief drives away and I hope with all my heart that Zhan regains his consciousness soon.

Zhan, please wake up.

Gently placing him on the bed and covering him with a soft comforter, remembering that he hates sleeping with lights off, I dim the light to his liking and join Adrian in the living room.

"Hey" his voice is soft and it reminds me of how much I owe him in my life. If not for Dre, my life would have been stuck in a loop with no light to help me heal.

"Hey" ambling my way towards the window, the twinkling lights of the city below me does nothing to soothe my troubled mind as my soul can feel the darkness creeping in.

"I am sorry for before" Adrian joins me by the window and my eyebrows scrunch as to question him. Giving me a pained smile he continues "I shouldn't have snapped at you, but I was worried for you Wang. You were zoning out and..." he trails off. A moment later he envelopes me into a warm embrace and my eyes widen. Having known Adrian for all these years, he has seldom shown me any sadness. He has been my constant. The guy who shared the burden of my pain and emotional outburst. Today, I could feel him silently shaking in my arms.

"You've" he pauses "you've always told me about that place. You've shared your pain but never in my life did I think we'd enter that hell again" his clasp tightens against me "Wang" he clears his voice "you have me buddy" with a pat he moves away and subtly wipes his tears.

"I know" my voice is a whisper and he nods.

A motion at our peripheral makes us turn to see Zhan standing by the door.

He's awake.

His piercing gaze was on us but they were filled with warmth.

"I'll leave you two alone" walking past Zhan, with a small bow he leaves us and I look away from those piercing gaze.

He remembers.

"Here" he hands me a cup of coffee. With a small nod of thanks, I welcome the warm sip entering my body.

"How long have you been wearing lenses?" was his first question and I close my eyes. Breathing out evenly, I answer "Zhan, for the longest time, I hated seeing those eyes staring back at me in the mirror. With the permission of my doctor, I started wearing lenses the day this soul turned 18".

He was quiet and I knew he had lots of questions for me.

"Do you wish to talk about those days?" I ask with heavy contemplation. Was I ready to answer them?

Turning to face me, his smile was small "Only if you are in the right frame of mind. I don't want to burden you, Bo Bo" at his nickname for me, a genuine smile plays on my lips.

"Do you remember everything?" I enquire softly. A moment later his back slides against the window as he takes a seat on the cold hard ground. Taking a sip of his own coffee, he nods slowly "Yes, I do remember everything. There are few discrepancies, but on the whole it seems, I have regained my memories".

His eyes seek mine "You've always known right from the start that it was me, haven't you?".

I nod.

He sighs and takes another sip "How long have you known about me?".

"I never lost track of you. I..." how do I say the next part without seeming like a creep? "I have known it's you forever. My main intention to join the force was to help and protect children like you and me. Dre and I have always kept tabs on you to see if you're safe" at that he turns to look at me.

Did I say something wrong?

But his grin made my heart falter.

"So you have been checking up on me?" he chuckles "should I feel flattered or bothered?" he sighs and looks away.

The room is plunged into absolute silence and a moment later he opens up "I had just turned 5, that night Mom and Dad took me to my favourite food joint. Funny thing is even after all these years, I don't remember my last words to them. All I remember is a masked man pointing his gun at my parents and they were trying to protect me" his eyes were glazed.

"Even today, everynight I wake up with nightmares to the sound of those two gunshots. I remember it being cold. Don't know if they're a part of my vivid imagination or reality. The next thing that I do recollect was me being tied and gagged. His stench. His cold touch. His words" turning to face me he enquires "Do you remember his face?"

I shake my head.

"He used to wear a mask" I reply and Zhan sighs again.

"Thank you" his words were soft and warm "I was safe because of you. Every time he tried something... you were always there to protect me".

His touch. Reminiscing the past make me want to purge the bile within me.

"You remember" I smile at him.

"Yes, I do" was his reply "but" he pauses looking unsure as to if he should continue. When I nod, he does "In my memories, I remember you screaming. Did he...?" He is unable to complete the question and I look away.

Placing my forehead against the cool glass, my memories play with the darkness in me.

5 year old Yibo:

Tied, gaged and naked on the bed, my mind raced back to the boy in the next room. Is he safe? The man had whipped his skin out. He tried something funny when the boy passed out. My thoughts halt when I hear his footsteps.

I was blindfolded.

What is going to do? I felt a rod on my skin and that's when I screamed. Current passed through me.

When it stopped, I was gasping for air.

I screamed again.

He had inserted something cold down there.

Pain.

Immense pain.

I gasp.

"Bo Bo" I look at Zhan who was on his feet and just a breath away from me "you're not alone. You were never alone. I am here. I was there. I am sorry to have not been able to remember those days but here I am. You have me" his voice was soothing an ache inside me.

"Please don't ask me anymore questions today" I plead and when he places his palms on my face, I gasp.

"I won't. I will never question you unless you're ready to talk" he moves his hand away and I start to miss his warmth.

"You called me Lan Zhan. Was I him in my past?". He grins at my question and I was perplexed "Who is he?".

"He was you. You were him. He was Wei Wuxian's soulmate" there was a mischievous glint playing in his eyes.

"Who is Wei Wuxian?" I enquire and after a moment he answers "Me".

"So... You and I were soulmates in our past life?" I probe and he grins.

Turning to face the window, we welcome the first beautiful rays of dawn. Instead of answering me directly, he recites a quote as if knowing that maybe my soul needed to hear them.

Innocence is the untouched part of one's soul and mind. They're pure, they're yours. The taint or condemnation by the society, should never eliminate your self-esteem.

For the first time in all these years, my heart beats for another soul.