Mr Love Dream Date Chap 26 Evolution’s End Point

The chapter continues right after your little spat when you refused to forgive Lucien for his actions. You retired to your room to sleep but kept tossing and turning. You couldn’t let your day end like this and Lucien had yet to come find you. You decided to make the first move, leaving your room to find him sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. You went up to him and asked for an explanation of his behaviour. Citing that the Lucien you know, good or bad, always had an explanation for his behavior.

With that out of your chest, you returned to your room again and laid on your bed to get some rest. Not too long after, you noticed faint light entering your room. Lucien walked towards the bed and you hurriedly pretended to sleep. When he thought you were asleep, he sat down next to your bed and started speaking.

“Perhaps you’ll never know how I felt the moment I knew you’d returned. Perhaps from my very first decision, all of this was destined to take place. I will never regret my choice, but when you disappeared, I began to hesitate. You were right. I didn’t think you were coming back. I was… even more certain than anyone that you’d died… And just when I’d begun to get used to everything around me losing its color, you go and show up again. Even though, that isn’t really you. I know you’re just my obsession, but I just can’t let you go. You have made me understand the fears of a normal person. I’m afraid of losing you. Because I now know that this is a price I cannot bear. I must keep you.”

You cracked open your eyes to look at Lucien’s silhouette in the moonlight. His shoulders slumped as if he was bearing a great weight. You continued to gaze at him until you finally fell asleep with some calmness in your heart. When you woke up the next morning, you saw a blanket folded on the floor. Apparently Lucien must have stayed here the whole night. As you got out of bed to find him, you hear the name Ares coming from the other side of the door.

You crept towards it and peeped through the crack in the door. Lucien was talking to another man, supposedly a Black Swan agent. He reported that STF would be making public their plans for the evolution accelerator in three days and he wanted to know what Lucien plans to do. Lucien commented about the progress the STF had made with the machine but also that they had underestimated the presence of an unexpected factor, which points to the Queen. Without further engaging him, Lucien told him to focus on his task and that the plan is always under control.

The man added that the STF were still hunting for the Black Swan executives – Hades had appeared but Helios was still nowhere to be found. Lucien told the man he wasn’t interested in this matter and that he shouldn’t waste his time on this.

After the man left, Lucien saw that you had awoken. He didn’t say anything else and invited you to have breakfast with him. The feeling of sitting across him for a meal felt so surreal after all that had happened between you two and you ate in silence. When both of you attempted to break the awkwardness at the same time, you smiled at Lucien and suggested taking a walk together.

You got onto the familiar bus with Lucien and sat at the back seat with him. You told him to sit back and relax as it would be a rather long journey and he said he didn’t mind. In fact he hoped that time would pass by much more slowly. When you finally alighted the bus after an hour, you took in the fresh spring air of countryside and took Lucien’s hand gently to guide him to the place you wanted to go. I guess you’re going to make sure he fulfills that promise he broke a year ago.

Both of you finally made it to the large camphor tree on the hill overflowing with lush vitality. This was where your fate had intertwined with his all this many years ago. When Lucien asked you why you had wanted to come here, you directed him to sit next to you under the tree. You opened the notebook you brought along and he guessed that you wanted to draw together with him. You suggested a drawing activity where both of you would take turn to complete a drawing.

The end product was a seedling growing out of the ground with a protective cover over it, save for a small gap in the cover where there is a butterfly and door. When the picture was completed, both of you look at each other gently as Lucien ran his hand through your hair, this moment dedicated to just the both of you. You put your hand over his and closed your eyes to let go of all your doubts and misgivings about him.

You said, “Even though I can’t see what’ll happen tomorrow anymore, I still know you’ll be there. As will I. I will not leave. Ever. This time it’s my turn to be your arm to lean on. Do you trust me?”

Lucien held up your hand and replied that you were the one who taught him how to trust, and you returned his hold, clutching this promise that belonged only to the two of you. Aww… I wish that they would just kiss already. After this, Lucien returned you the key to your apartment and both of you parted ways so that you might continue on with your duties of saving this world.

When you return to Loveland City on your own, you’re more confident than ever that you would be able to turn things around. You tried calling Anna to no avail as her phone number was no longer available. As you continued walking, you came across a store that looked the same as the one you had seen in the other world. When you tried to enter the shop to check it, Shaw appeared out of nowhere. You were surprised to see him in this world as well. He dragged you into the back of the shop and asked why you wandering around as the STF could catch you to experiment on you.

When you asked him if this had anything to do with the evolution accelerator, he told you that the machine can cause an Evol gene to evolve to it’s final form, bringing an Evolver to his/her final evolution within 15 minutes. The STF were currently ‘recruiting’ human test subjects for their experiments. Shaw suggested that you consider enrolling as one so that you can figure out what they are up to. When you expressed anger over using human test subjects, Shaw added that STF was using the pretext of helping Evolvers who are unstable and threat to society to arrest Black Swan operatives or supporters of Evolver organisations.

Seeing that you may want to play hero again, Shaw volunteered information of a center that you could check out to find out more. As he wrote down the details on a paper, you asked him inquisitively if he recalled coming to this store with you previously. He didn’t answer but he obviously did remember as he smacked the paper on your forehead. In feigned annoyance, you took the paper and left the shop.

You made your way to the address that Shaw gave you which led to some kind of warehouse. You bumped into Litton as he was busy shuffling through some confidential documents. Through the corner of your eyes, you saw that one of the documents on his hand was a profile sheet with the familiar face of Gavin. When you went up to ask him about it, you learnt that Gavin had been detained at the STF’s observation center for excessive evolution and was a confirmed human test subject for the evolution accelerator. You pleaded with Litton to bring you to where Gavin was housed so that you can save him.

Litton agreed to help you but you had to pass off as a man since male and female test subjects were confined separately. Thankfully as an undercover agent, Litton had all the necessary equipment for your disguise as well as a fake identity. Once you were ready, you boarded an armored vehicle which transported you to the barren outskirts of the city. The observation center soon loomed into sight and it looked like some kind of maximum security prison. You steeled your nerves at your dangerous rendezvous but felt that it was time for you to save Gavin after all he had done for you.

After you completed the necessary identification procedures, you were made to wear a Evol suppressor around your neck. The staff explained that a high-voltage electric current would be triggered in the event of an irregular surge in Evol rendering you unconscious, and that all your activities would adhere to a tight schedule. After you completed your briefing you were led to your dormitory where you would be staying during the course of the experiment.

You were greeted by your dorm mate, a young teenager who had been brought in after his Evol went haywire several months ago. You explained that your Evol enables you to see a thousand miles away, as silly as it sounds. You decided to ask if the boy might have seen or heard about Gavin. Unfortunately, all the test subjects were all known by their code numbers so it is going to be hard for you to find him. Also Evolvers who had successfully undergone the therapy and have stabilised were periodically released. Thinking back about how out of control Gavin was when you last saw him, you wondered if his Evol could really be suppressed.

Before you could inquire further about the therapy, you were summoned for your first examination. As you lined up along the corridor awaiting for your examination and scanning your surroundings, you collided into a person who had crossed your path. You lost your balance momentarily but was quickly held steady by the person’s strong arms. When you opened your eyes, you found yourself staring into Gavin’s stunned face. His amber eyes froze for a moment but quickly flashed a glimmer of knowing, as a flood of emotions came over you.

Before you could celebrate your reconciliation, Gavin was forced back into line as he shuffled away under the watchful instructions of the observers who appeared rather intimidated by him. You learnt that Gavin has a bad reputation within the observation center as he is even more terrifying than the observers themselves. He tended to stick by himself like a lone wolf and dealt with anyone who crossed him.

It was soon your turn for the examination. You were asked to sit inside a booth as red laser lights swept down from the top of your head, sending prickles of electric current through your body. These were targeted at triggering Evol genes but since you had no Evol currently, the discomfort was tolerable. When you completed your examination without so much as flinching, the observer commented that you had quite the tolerance. You cannot imagine how painful this experience must be for Gavin. You can just make out the scream of pain from the young man who had gone in after you.

As you slowly make your way back to your dorm, you were pulled into a dark room. Before you could recollect your senses, you were pulled into a smoldering embrace by familiar arms. In that dark moment, all that you could hear was the sound of your heartbeats and heavy breathing moving in tandem with one another as you held Gavin’s hand. After Gavin confirmed that you had indeed returned safe and sound, he quickly checked if you were feeling alright from the examinations. You told him that he needn’t need to worry as you have somehow lost your Evol.

You didn’t think you have time to explain everything that transpired in the other world so you simply asked if he had memories of your time together in the Black Cabin. He affirmed that he had seen those memories but was more concerned about how you’ve lost your Evol and your presence at the center. You told him your suspicion that the evolution accelerator could have something to do with your Evol and also to find him. Gavin told you he was here on a mission but refused to speak more about it, as usual.

Suddenly, through a modified ear stud, Gavin received communications that an explosion had just taken place in a crowded district in the city. The STF had claimed that this was an act from Black Swan though it was likely far from the case. Gavin said that he would update you on the complexities of the current state when both of you have more time. He promised not to keep you in the dark in future having remembered all the stuff that had happened and how you are more than capable to handle your own.

He shared that his mission is to find the entrance to the evolution accelerator. The plans to use the machine had moved up in recent times and this could be due to the discovery of the evolution core (which they extracted from the Queen?). Since your agendas were similar, you came up with a plan to aid Gavin in his mission. During the next lunch break, Gavin purposely caused a distraction by starting up a fight with one of the test subjects, someone who had smuggled drugs into the center. During the commotion, you quickly snug into the changing room to don a nurse uniform. Using your disguise you entered the examination room to search around for a potential secret door to no avail.

After that you returned the uniform and returned back to the cafeteria, signalling to Gavin that you found nothing. That evening you returned back to your bunk and asked the your bunkmate if he ever thought of escaping. He sounded defeated that there was no way to escape and besides with all the backlash against Evolvers now, he didn’t feel safe being out there. You started to ponder over why STF would be keen to develop and pursue the evolution accelerator and for to what end. When you asked aloud whether Evolvers and normal people would ever get along, your bunkmate told you that there was one such place but left it as that.

You fall into a fitful and restless sleep. When you next open your eyes in the middle of the night, you found that the door to your room was open and your bunkmate nowhere in sight. Wondering what the young man could be up to, you crept out of the room and followed after him to the examination room. The door behind you closed giving you away and in his fear, the young man tied you up in restraints before proceeding to trash the room and breaking into the computer system. You offered to help him escape but he seemed delirious with fears.

Soon his hacking attempt triggered a series of warning alerts as alarms started to sound. The young man cursed and ran out of the room leaving you behind. You hear footsteps running towards the room and quickly struggled to free yourself before hiding inside a closet. After the observers discovered what had happened, they quickly retraced their steps to find the culprit. You left the closet and picked up a ball of paper that the youngster had left. Then you returned to your room to sleep. Not long after, the door to your room slid open again and a pair of observers informed you that you would be switching rooms – to none other than Gavin’s room!

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After that rather bittersweet reconciliation with Lucien, it was quite a change in pace to catch up with whatever was going wrong in your world, and the various conspiracies around the evolution accelerator. I am glad that Gavin has toned down a bit on his overprotective stance and is finally willing to trust you to fend for yourself and let you in on his mission. The set up for the observation center reminds of another X-men movie where mutants were being tested on to remove their mutant genes so that they could be normal human again. I’ve always hated it that Rogue chose to undergo that treatment so that she could love and be loved.