(PRESENT)
Losing someone is never easy. Losing two people at the same time is a special kind of hell.
For five years Lia searched for Alpha like a dog. But he never lost hope that someday, somewhere, they will meet again.
Then Lia finally founded Alpha…his Will. But the world is a cruel place.
It's not enough that they found each other after a long, long time. They had to suffer more.
Heavy rain poured on them like gunshots as two equally tall and equally broken figures stood in front of each on the roof of the hell called Sunford Academy.
Two lost souls reunited after five years of being separated.
"W-Will..." Lia stuttered out with a voice full of pain while his swollen eyes roamed the face of the love of his life.
But the face that once brought him comfort and happiness, the face that once held nothing but pure love and kindness was now cold and empty.
The eyes that used to twinkle with mischief and love were now a void of darkness.
"You...I can't believe it..." Lia was dying to be recognised, to be held, to be loved again. He had spent so long waiting that he couldn't hide it anymore.
But the figure just stared at him blankly without any reaction even when Lia told him everything about their past.
"I-It's me...Lia! Don't you recognise me? It's Lia! Your Lia! You remember me now, right?!" Lia begged.
However, there was no reaction from the figure, only emptiness. But it's fine, maybe Alpha...his Will is also thinking how to react upon finally recognising his Lia.
It's okay...Lia wasn't in any hurry or so what he was coaxing himself into, indulging himself into fake comfort.
Because he was desperately waiting for Alpha to finally smile and tell him how happy he was to see his Lia again. Hug him and whisper sweet nothings into his ears. Tell him how much Alpha missed him.
But he waited and waited and waited, but Alpha...no, Will wasn't budging.
He didn't even utter a word.
Lia's heart started to break a little, the glassy sheen in his eyes started to turn watery.
"P-please..." His voice cracked and began to shake. "Just say something…anything...Huh...won't you tell me how happy you are to finally meet me? To know that I'm your Lia."
But Alpha didn't even move a muscle, only staring at him like he was a weirdo.
A lone tear finally slid down from Lia's right eye, his vision started to get blurry upon not getting the reaction he expected.
It's karma indeed. Karma for hurting Alpha back then.
"I-I...Will..I'm--" Lia bit his lips as his shoulders started to shake, his knees weak from holding himself back trying not to fall.
"I-" Alpha let out a breath as he stared down at him. Hearing his voice finally, Lia looked up with a hope but that hope was soon crushed by Alpha's next words.
"I don't remember you."
The dam that Lia had built inside himself broke down. The pain he had bottled up inside for the past five years, he couldn't hold it anymore.
Lia saw red. He wanted to die. He already wanted to get rid of this shitty life years ago but only lived this long for the sole purpose of seeing Alpha again. And now that he finally found his Alpha, his love, his whole world...he doesn't even remember Lia.
"FUCKING GODDAMNIT!!!" He screamed as he grabbed Alpha by the collar. "HOW CAN YOU FORGET ME?! FUCK! YOU CAN'T REMEMBER ME AT ALL?! I know you do! I told you everything and you weren't even properly taking those damn drugs. I have fed you the right medicine ever since I came here. Lia was your triggering point and the last memory you had of me. HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU NOT ABLE TO REMEMBER ME EVEN NOW?!?!"
He kept hitting Alpha's chest but there was no reaction from him. No fear or recognition. He just stared blankly at Lia.
The anger in him died down soon and he slumped his head down, still holding onto the front of Alpha's shirt.
He could hear the sound of his heart breaking.
"H-how can you not remember me..." He sobbed as the rain continued to pour down on them. "I fucking did everything to find you. I did everything to protect you both in the past and present. I-I devoted my whole damn life for you."
He sobbed. "Why am I being punished? Why do I have to suffer so much? WHY??!!!" He didn't know what he was saying anymore. "I want to kill you. I want to fucking kill you. Why do you have to fucking come here? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BREAK MY HEART LIKE THIS, WILL?! WHY DID YOU APPEAR IN MY LIFE ONLY TO RUIN MY WHOLE FUCKING LIFE?! WHYYY?? why can't I be selfish in life like everyone else?"
He didn't care if the man didn't remember him.
He doesn't have anything else. He is just tired. Tired of this stupid life. He's the victim of this cruel life where no matter how hard he tries, or how much he suffers, he can never be happy.
"You are nothing but a curse to me." He sobbed as he leaned in, pressing his forehead against Will's chest, his tears mixing with the rainwater.
He was shivering. From cold or from pain, he didn't know.
"I want to die..."
Alpha finally reacted by grabbing Lia's arm that was holding his collar. "You wanna die?"
The voice was devoid of any emotion. It was empty. Empty just like the man himself. Lia pulled his head back and found Alpha pointing at the ledge.
"If you want to die, then die." He pushed Lia back, making him stumble a little and almost fall over the ledge. "Do it. It's not that hard, is it?" Alpha was talking as if he was just asking someone to throw trash away. "What's holding you back?"
Lia felt himself getting mad. He groaned and lunged towards Alpha and punched him straight on the jaw.
Alpha stumbled backwards and hit the wall. "Fuck you!"
Lia was shaking from anger, his hair was all wet and messy, his hands were still clenched tightly. But he finally realises that the person in front of him really doesn't remember him.
"You're right. You're not my Will but the pathetic weapon they created named Alpha. Because my Will isn't like you. He was kind, loving and warm. My Will would never push me off the building. My Will would never hurt me. He was a fucking human. He was better than you."
He wiped the tears off his face, he was too angry to care about how miserable he must have looked right now.
Alpha just stared at him with his soulless eyes. Lia sniffled, the dull throb in his head threatened to drown out his thoughts, his voice trembled as she forced out the words
"But you k-know what's the worst part? I still love you. I love the Alpha before me who's also my Will. I would do anything for you, no matter who or what you are. No matter how many times you push me away, no matter how many times you…reject me, I..I will always love you and will never stop."
Alpha stared at him blankly. "Even when I don't have my memories."
Lia laughed bitterly, his lips curving down into a grimace. "Yeah. Even when you don't have my memories. I would still do anything for you. Anything for the one person I loved the most. Do you want to know how far I can go for you?" He pointed at the ledge and Alpha's eyes followed him. "I can jump right away just because you said so. But I can't because I have to get you out of here first."
They stared at each other for a while. Then Lia walked towards Alpha and grabbed him by the collar, bringing his face close. He pressed his cold lips against Alpha's soft, warm ones.
"I love you. So much."
Alpha clenched his eyes shut but didn't push him away for some reason.
"Lia? Alpha?! Where are you?!" Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots echoed across the rooftop. Emerging from the doors were men dressed in tactical gear—special forces. At their helm was Scout.
Alpha tensed, his instincts screaming at him to fight or flee. His eyes flickered to Lia who tried to calm him without Alpha asking him. It's as if it was natural for Lia to always protect Alpha instinctively.
"Don't worry," Lia said quietly, clutching Alpha's hand tightly. "They're with us."
Scout stopped a few paces away, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two of them before settling on Lia.
"You good?"
Lia gave a curt nod. "Yeah."
Scout's eyes shifted to Alpha. He studied the man's face, the tension in his shoulders, the way he leaned subtly toward Lia as if seeking reassurance. Something was off, but he didn't press—at least not yet.
"My team got here just in time," Scout continued. "But Antonio slipped away before we could catch him. He's gone for now."
Lia sighed in annoyance, but he merely nodded. "Figured as much."
Scout raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay between you…two?"
Instead of answering, Lia walked past him without a word, pulling Alpha along. Scout's frown deepened as he watched them disappear down the stairs.
[ DOWNSTAIRS ]
"The situation's under control for now," Scout informed everyone present in the room. "But Antonio's not done. I'm sure he will come back, and soon. So we need to be ready."
The room was crowded with familiar faces—Alpha, Lia, River, and a few members of Scout's team. The chief of the mission stood at the center.
When the special forces stormed Sunford. Antonio managed to slip away amidst the commotion, vanishing without a trace before they could catch him. The doctors weren't as fortunate though, they were all arrested, except for River, who claimed he had been aware of Scout's plans all along and had even assisted in sedating the students to prevent further harm.
"We've raided several of Wagnar's labs," the chief reported. "Thousands of doctors and employees have been arrested already. The organization has taken a major hit and if we manage to catch Wagnar and Antonio we will be able to shut Sunford and all these experiment centers for good."
Scout leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "For now, the immediate threat is neutralized. Everyone should get some rest tonight. We'll reconvene in the morning to decide what to do with the kids at Sanford."
Alpha was first to stand to leave, but a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. He winced, clutching his side.
"Sit down," Lia ordered within a second. He turned to River. "River, check him."
Alpha grumbled something under his breath but didn't resist as River knelt beside him.
"Let me see," River pulled up Alpha's shirt to reveal the hastily bandaged wound. Blood had seeped through it staining the edges dark red. "Damn, you really know how to take a hit, huh?"
Alpha hissed as River began cleaning the wound. "Just hurry up."
River smirked, eyeing the tension between both of them. "You two and your tragic love story. Really, it's like something out of a K-drama."
Neither Lia nor Alpha responded. Lia's jaw tightened and Alpha's gaze dropped to the floor.
River sighed dramatically. "Fine, don't laugh at my jokes. See if I care." He finished dressing the wound and patted Alpha's shoulder. "You're good. Try not to get yourself killed again, yeah?"
Alpha stood, wincing again but brushing off Lia's attempt to help him. "I don't need your fucking help! Stop treating me like some glass doll!" he snapped and his voice was sharper than intended.
Lia rolled his eyes. "Stop being so stubborn."
"I'm fine," Alpha insisted.
River glanced between them, his brow furrowed. "Okay, what's going on with you two? Did I miss something?"
Lia ignored him, stepping closer to Alpha. "You're not fine, and you're coming with me. End of discussion."