Endless Chasing

"You can not get away from me! You will always be a crane! You belong to my cage! A bird that couldn't and shouldn't be flying!" a fierce man shouts, that's the emperor.

"They say a crane and serpent can harmonize but only if they are a man and a woman," the voice shattered, he's the lover of the emperor. A man. The man continues, "The world is against us. A man is only for a woman. You should not be with a man too. You're an emperor think of your people and the future of the empire. We already fight enough. It's time for us to rest. There are battles that we can't win even we want to," a shaky voice said.

"Call me wicked but I can't allow it! Jail him!" Emperor said with dark eyes and a deep voice. The two guards assist the other person to the cell. Before the frantic man leaves, his lover talks, "You're not awful for not letting me go because I am the happiest person when I am with you. You're cruel because you don't wish us to be happy. This is the only way I know how to love you. Tell you to leave and let go. Let's meet in our next life and I yearn the wait will be short, and meaningful like a poet. For now, let me savor each letter that I wrote to the pages of the story that we used to be the main characters," the emperor stop and replied, "I won't let you leave this cage even you despise me. If this will be the only way I can keep you? Then live it.", after that, he left.

A month has passed, and the emperor married a woman, and his lover in the prison commit suicide. The emperor got miserable and vanished. No one knows where he is at now.

Grayson Ramey opens his eyes and whispered, "What a dream."

When Grayson was young, a woman asked while slowly caressing his hair, "Child. Do you know why I named you Grayson?"

"Hmmm? Why mother? I wanted to know too, I'm intending to ask you back then but I lost it in my mind?" from lying down, the man suddenly gets up and sits. He faces his mother with curiosity in his eyes. His mother displays a gentle smile and responds, "A man wrote a short story titled, A struggle of Our life, her daughter complained that she's tired of fighting and struggling. Like a normal life of a middle-class family. It seemed when one problem has solved, another soon followed."

The mother stopped talking, so Grayson asked, "What's next mother?" the lady extends her hand and holds her child's hand, "her father, a chef, placed three pots and put water on them. After, he placed them on the three-made clay stove. When the water is boiling, the father puts the potato on the first pot, the egg on the second, and the coffee beans on the last. The last thing he did is remove what the pot contains. The daughter asked what he's doing; the father invited his daughter to press the potato, peel the shell of the egg and observe what happened to the bean. The potato was hard, but because of boiling water it became soft and weak, the fragile egg became hard. However, the coffee bean is unique, it created something new. He asked her, "Which one are you?"

"Grayson my child, the meaning behind your name is a desire to understand. I want you to possess the loving truth of life, to understand that life isn't about all happiness. One day, you will be glad that you didn't give up because it leads you to where you at in the future. You need to know that it's not always the stormy day but what will have after the rain and thunder."

Tears drop run down into Grayson's cheek, reminiscing his mother. He's 23 years old now but his mother's memory is still fresh to his mind. Today is his mother's funeral. She died from brain cancer, they discovered her illness when it's already severe. They thought that the constant headache is just because of the lack of sleep.

This is where Grayson Ramey's life started to change.

People often dream that maybe in a hot spotlight; at someone's eyes, the movements of their foot, the swing of their hands, and the glow of their eyes are captivating.

Grayson wore the dragon robe, this type of dress was the emperor's robe in ancient times. It suits him because he is Chinese, and has white skin, neither of his height is small nor tall, just fine. Pink lips and long eyelashes, brown eyes, and pure black hair. He's the type of man that you will surely look back to twice because even he is a man, his thin skin, soft face, and the exact size of his body occurs like a woman. He is wearing it as an outfit because he will be performing in a moment now. They are no longer in historical time, technologies have been developed and expand. So wearing that kind of robes is no longer the case.

The light dimmed and that is the indication that he needs to start. He slowly walks on the stage and the spotlight turned to him, and all spectators have become silent. The piano started to play, he closed his eyes and slowly swing his hands, and move his foot. He also moves his head and you can see the gentleness of the dance, and it feels like he's performing for a movie. He is like a gem that shines in the dark.

After he finished dancing and opens his eyes, he met someone's eyes, staring at him carefully and deeply. It made his heart jump one beat. He turned around and left but couldn't remove to his mind the man that glances at him a while ago. The man has piercing and tattoos on his arm, broad chest, and brown skin but cold eyes.

"Prepare your things and change your clothes so we can go home and rest," he only came back to his senses when someone lectures. He just disregarded the thought about the man he noticed a while ago.

Soon after: Grayson had already forgotten it. Not until when he came to visit a shop where he usually come to rent a costume; he saw the man standing firmly and brushing the emperor's robe with his hand, and that robe was the one he used when they first met. He froze and when the man turned to him, he can't help but his heart started beating fast and loud.

Again and again and again. Just like when they first met.

It feels that he recognized the man.

"You betrayed me! AaaAaHHHh!" Grayson woke up from his dream and was chasing his breath.

Full of sweat even the aircon is ON. He fears about his dream but couldn't see well the face of someone that crying in wrath and hatred. All he remembers, the man's rage is strong.

He was startled by the thunder along with the lightning. He thinks that heaven is syncing to the rage of the man in his dream. After he saw the man with tattoos in the store, that holding the emperor's robe, he started having dreams as he had now. The last time was the man in prison who was screaming for an unknown reason, he has a hunch that the man in jail is just the same person as he always dreams of every night. He just dismissed all of it in his mind because maybe, it's a coincidence.

He stands up and gets the towel; he will take a bath and leave because of the dancing practice today. While showering he closes his eyes and abruptly remembers the scene in the store.

He approaches the man surprised by his sudden appearance. Grayson smiles and raised a question, "Do you remember me?" The man stares at him blankly and answers. "Um".

Grayson felt awkward and ask again, "Do you like the robe?" the man didn't answer, so Grayson continues, "This is the Dragon robe. In the time of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor was wearing it because it signifies the dignity of an emperor who was considered to be the ruler of the world."

The person is just listening and seems like, Grayson got his attention, so he asked him, "By the way, what's your name?" The man withdraws his gaze to Grayson and answers, "Elijah Rover."

A long silence approached, Bingwen is just observing Elijah and saw that he is caressing the dragon symbols of the robe.

"Why do you seem so interested in the robe? Is there anything with it?" Elijah shook his head and said, "Nothing. But the first time I saw it there's familiarity, not only with the dragon robe but also with the person who wears it too."

Grayson was stunned by the sudden spit words of the man. He laughs awkwardly and raises his hand to look at his watch.

"It's almost time, I have to go now, " Elijah just nods and Grayson waved his hand.

Grayson turns off the shower and got annoyed, after thinking about it. He whispers to himself, "That man didn't even dare to ask my name. How dare him?" he took the towel and wipe his body. After minutes, he is ready to go.

He locked the door and click his key to the car. The car automatically opens and he gets in. Because of advanced technology, they don't need to manually drive anymore because they can just click on the monitor near the air condition, the car will move on its own. Cellphones aren't recommended anymore for communication, nor other gadgets because the Automatic light will do it for you, even putting the software information or when need to search. The card is necessary when paying to the store. Everything and everyone depends on Automatic light, it's a small chip that places in a watch on your wrist, and you have to do is click it, and a hologram would appear in front of you.

Before coming, Grayson called his trainer and update him that he's on his way. When he arrived and got out of the car, he directly went to the locker and changes clothes. While rehearsing the Trainor gets irritated and stopped him from dancing.

"Grayson Ramey! Your movement is too fast," the woman said in a cold tone. It's Acalan Miller, Grayson's Trainor, the person who has been with him since his mother's death. He met Acalan at his mother's funeral and offered him to train the Chinese dance who used to dance way back in history. He scans his surroundings and saw that all the members he's with are staring at him.

"The members cannot keep up to you," the Trainor explained but in a worried tone now.

"I'm sorry," Grayson apologized and released a short sigh. Acalan Miller stares at him for thirty seconds and turns to other members, he claps his hands three times and shouts, so other members from the side could hear, "Alright! That's all for today! You're all dismissed!"

After everyone left, he crossed his arms and approach Grayson. "What's the matter with you? I'm watching you for the whole time and you seemed to drown in your thoughts. This is the first time I saw you like this."

Grayson looks down while playing with his nails and said, "It's nothing, nothing to worry about." Acalan was unsatisfied with his answer and ask again, "Really? I know you." Grayson raised his head and was hesitant to talk but still spit the words, "I've been thinking the man name Elijah Rover, he said when he saw me for the first time, there is familiarity. I felt that too," he paused.

"What did you feel?" Acalan responded. Grayson talks slowly like savoring every word.

"My heart shakes a little bit... along with the small pang on my chest. I don't know where the pain or excitement came from when that's the first time I saw him."

Acalan shows him a boring reaction, teasingly nod, and grinned, "Hmm. Maybe you met him in the past then fought with the useless thing."

"I don't know about that because, after that, we met again in the store and saw him staring at the dragon robe, that I wore on my last performance day. And after we have a conversation, that is the first night I dream about someone. A person who is full of hatred and anger. I shrugged it off, assuming it was just a normal dream like I watched on TV dramas but I dream about it again. That man was in prison but I can't see his face I just saw his eyes, crying..."

Acalan was shocked at what he listened, and open his Automatic light, and went to the search bar. Grayson ignored him and release a long sigh, "Reincarnation is defined as being reborn or the rebirth of the soul." Acalan read it slowly. Confused expression, Grayson asks, "What does it mean?" Acalan bites his lips, "When you die and then your soul comes back in a new body."

"There are many cases about this matter too, some are slaves from their previous life, others commit suicide and most of them died from the accident," Acalan told him.

"But how did they know?" the one replied. "I don't know, you find out." Acalan said and continues, "I will leave first I need to go somewhere."

Before finally leaving he turns his head and added, "There is a province name Pinyin far from here. Xia City is advance in technology but it can't show all the information that is written in books by the people in Pinyin province. Lock the gate after you leave." The man finally left.

He is living in a building named Wayne Tower Condominium, and because he's on the 45th floor, the sun often hits his room.

Grayson went home, close the window, and lay on his bed. He stretches his eyes, when he closes them, a voice with a whimpering tone appeared, "You betrayed me!" he gets up quickly with scared eyes, he turns his head left and right to check who talked but he did now see anyone. He assumed that he's just exhausted and lay again, his eyelids slowly closing until he finally fell asleep.

Grayson is awakened by the sound of a piano. He gives interest in it and went outside to see where it comes from. By the time he opens the door, Elijah appeared wearing white long sleeves and black pants next to his door. He greeted and bow, "Hello." Grayson blush and flushes, he smiles and did the same, "Hello. Where will you going? Are you the one playing piano?" he asked.

"I'm planning to eat dinner outside, want to come? And I am not the one playing the piano it's next to my room," Elijah replied.

Grayson flinch and stammered, "Oh! I can? I will just change, can you wait?" the other party didn't answer, so Grayson hurriedly runs to his closet and grab the bag and black long sleeve. He just bought it in the online market a week ago. Wearing black sleeves, black pants, and black boots with a small bag on his shoulder, he runs towards the door.

Because of the rush, Grayson stumbled in front of the door, he closes his eyes ready to fall but nothing happened. He opens his eyes and saw Elijah holding his small waist and arrange his posture.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

When they are ready to let go of their hand, a memory quickly flickers. Grayson quickly looks up to Elijah with his widened eyes. The other party has confused eyes so he asked, "What's the matter?" Grayson quickly withdraws his hand and has still widened eyes and replied. "Nothing."

While in the car, Grayson couldn't stop thinking about earlier, "I'm can not be wrong. I saw him, hugging a man, but why are the clothes are so much different? "

In the end, Grayson refrains from thinking about it.

The car stopped in front of a big restaurant. They came out of the vehicle and the restaurant name

Shuttershock appeared. As they walk to the door, one of the waiters waited and approach them.

"Are you Elijah Rover?" The waiter asks with a smile. Elijah runs his eyes around the restaurant and answered, "Yes, please."

"I didn't know this place, and I didn't know you're living to my next door!" Grayson enthusiastically commented.

"This is the first place I went to eat when I arrived here," He responded but Grayson didn't hear the last part because they were interrupted by the waiter, "This way sir."

While they are stepping, Grayson notices that all the eyes in the restaurant are diverted to Elijah. They caught the attention, so he becomes anxious and moves one step to Elijah, his arms brush against him. The man's eyes went to him as if know the reason, he scopes his arm and head, he leaned Grayson to his chest and they continue.

When they reach the table, Elijah pulled the chair and let go of Grayson.

"Are you alright?" The man asked. Grayson nod and answered, "I'm sorry. I'm fine. I'm not used to people's attention and when their eyes are on me. Thank you."

Even he knows that the attention is not for him, but Elijah, he is still anxious.

"But more people are watching you on stage," Elijah stated in confuse expression.

"That's why I am closing my eyes whenever I'm dancing. I chose it because whenever I perform, there is no need to meet the eyes of spectators. The light is close," he explained. Elijah understands now.

The waiter delivered the menu and two water in a glass. Grayson craves when he saw the name, "British classic slow-cooked spaghetti bolognese."

He leaned closer to Elijah and cover his mouth with the menu and ask, "What is this? Does it taste good?"

Reading the menu Elijah lift his head and chuckled, "Yes, it has ingredients of chopped steak, bacon, and tomatoes."

Grayson's ear goes red and his face becomes hot when he saw Elijah laugh, his small dimple appeared.

Elijah called the waiter and said what they ordered and picked.

Leaving them behind, they felt awkward so Grayson asked, "When you told me, you felt familiar to me. I felt it too. The first time I saw you on my performance day."

Elijah didn't react nor surprise.

Elijah put his elbow on the table and put his hand together. "How can you say?"

A long silence before Grayson answers, "The first time I saw you, there is something in my head that tells me. At the same time, a pang on my chest awakened." He saw Elijah attentively listening and he continues, "The day after I saw you on store and explained that you felt the same thing. I started having nightmares."

"Such us?" the man replied and stared at him deeply.

"The man in prison... Crying and screaming," By the time Grayson answered, Elijah, crouched to his chair. Ready to talk but interrupted by the waiter. Telling them the food is ready.

Grayson opens the food and the aroma made his stomach hungry. He picks up the fork, scoops the food, and puts it in his mouth. He giggled when he tastes it. Elijah just chuckles and does the same. While they are eating and talking about the food, a woman came.

Slowly walking, the woman stops at their table. They both lift their head and saw the person wearing black stilettos, a tight-fitting black dress, brown long hair, and red lips. She even has eyeglasses on the top of her hair.

The moment Grayson Ramey saw her, he screams.

Covering his two ears, Grayson screams in panic. People that eating quickly turn into them. Elijah doesn't know what to do, he's torn between asking why the woman is there or stop Grayson from being agitated. In the end, he holds Grayson and asked, "What is the matter?" Still gripping his ears, he climbs and clenches Elijah's arms with wet and red eyes.

"I don't know! I don't want her here!" Grayson's mind is in chaos and doesn't know too, why he wants the woman to leave. The waiters come up to them. Elijah exchange words with the waiters and gesture the woman to leave first. The woman left gritting her teeth and gripping his hand.

The manager that is standing and watching the scene offers them water. The crew accommodates them. Elijah hands the water to Grayson who is still trembling in fear and drowning in thoughts. The lively and bright face of Grayson a while ago is now living in space.

"Are you steady now? Can you explain what happened?" Elijah's eyes are gentle afraid to frighten Grayson. No enthusiasm in his voice and pale face, he said, "After I saw her, many vaguely memories flickering to my sense. But I saw her, in the depth of despair within the abyss of darkness; vividly view of dreadful and motionless life was the memories of the unarmed and horrified man with no one but only that woman with him."

People who heard them, hold their laugh. Even the manager and waiters who assist them.

Elijah browses the place with his cold eyes and examines the observer in each of the tables. The uproar a while ago has lessened. Some of them go back to their businesses. He turns his attention to Grayson, "Let's go home and continue to my condo."

The other man has no energy and because his height and weight are just enough, Elijah scooped his legs and lift him. Grayson was startled by the sudden act, he is embarrassed and hid his face in Elijah's chest.

Elijah got irritated with the waiters, so he ignores them when they offer help. He gritted his teeth and his jawline was shown.

Elijah put Grayson in the car and turn to the driver's seat. His mood has changed. Everyone is silent. No one dares to talk. Grayson is just playing his hand preventing himself to speak because afraid that Elijah is mad at him, for the way he acted a while ago. Even after they arrived and get to the elevator, no one has dared to mention what happened.

When the elevator stop on the right floor, Grayson is the first one to step outside and walk. He picks up his card for the door in his bag, ready to swipe, when someone blocked the card and grabs his arm. In a snap, he is now in someone's room. Elijah put him behind the door. The man is facing Grayson with no expression, and because he is tall, the light has been blocked by him. Grayson just kept his head down.

"After I saw her, my head became blank, and just want to scream. Memories keep coming to my mind. It's like I'm losing my sanity," this time, Grayson lifts his head and talks with begging eyes. He wants Elijah to believe him for no reason.

"I believe you," after Grayson heard that, he releases a sigh of relief. Elijah continues, "There are still plenty of phenomena that science can't explain yet."

"The woman you saw, her name is Abriella Johnson. We both have an unknown background, no idea what is the connection between us. We woke up four years ago, in a forest, next to gold and jewelry. Wearing nothing," Elijah litany.

Grayson is stunned by the revelation and can not process it. A long silence before Elijah speaks again, "I don't know how old I am, all the things I have now came from the gold and jewelry we sell. I fake my identity. Invested in different companies so I can continue to live here. I invested in this company too. Everything is a mystery until now. I had no idea where to seek information about my background or what life I had before I went here. After years, I get used to and adapted to living here. All I know is I'm not from this world. I don't know the connection between us, or why you're reacting to Abriella and me."

Elijah turns around and walks to the sofa. Only then did Grayson snap back to reality.

"Then where is Abriella?" Something pinch to his heart, thinking they are leaving to the same roof.

"We split up the money. She is doing her research about our cases. She lives at a different hotel. We only pick hotels and chose not to build a house because we have a feeling that we won't be staying long here," after Elijah's answer. Grayson's mind assured.

"I have a suggestion!" Grayson Ramey raised his hand as if he was in a classroom ready for the question in recitation.

"What?" Elijah chuckle.

A little embarrassed Grayson step forward and sat beside Elijah, "Why don't you join me? Let's find out this weird thing that happens to us?!"

"That's a good idea but like what I have said earlier, we don't know where part of this world we will gather information. I don't even know how or where to start," Elijah explained.

Grayson shows depress look, "Then how can we solve this mystery that happening to us?"

"Sometimes we need to wait and see what destiny plan for us. It's a matter of time," Elijah said while crossing his legs. He combined his two hands and put it in his knee.

Grayson observing his moves and replied, "Destiny is not written for us, it must write by us. We are the writer. Time cannot always wait. We will be bones in few years if we depend on it." He shrugged his shoulder and stand up. Ready to leave.

Grayson scans the whole house and saw that there is many furniture, complete with a refrigerator and other necessities but there are no tools for cooking. Only a pan, stove, and spatula. He even lacked kitchen utensils! He said to his mind.

"Are you even cooking?" Grayson asked.

Elijah did a short peek before he answered, "The last time I cooked I burnt the food and half of my kitchen. I didn't worry to try again."

"Then how you passed your everyday food? Don't tell me you are just eating at restaurants?" the man asked with widened eyes. Elijah just replied. "Um."

"I'll cook tomorrow and give you some. If you want, you can come over tomorrow morning, our room is just next to each other," Grayson said and a little shy. "Anyway, I need to leave now," He added with a red face and run towards the door.

Grayson swipes his card and rushes to open the door. He closed and leaned to it, touched his loud chest with his right hand while his left hand slapping his head and whisper, "What are you saying idiot! Why did you say that?!" after seconds of slapping his head, he stopped. Put two hands on his face. "Ah! My face is hot, even the ears! What's going on with this body?!"

After he calms himself, Acalan suddenly comes up to his head and remembered the word about reincarnation. He raised his hand and click the chip to his hand. The Automatic light appears. He goes to the search bar and types the word reincarnation.

Slowly reading it, one result steals his eyes, "An easy way to detect a reincarnated soul is similar gestures such as body language, laugh, physical expressions, etc. Personality traits may carry over as well, like stubbornness, boldness, curiosity, or other distinct qualities of the late person." He became silent about the result after a couple of minutes he realized that; you need a dead person for evidence that you're the reincarnation of her/him.

Grayson closed the Automatic light, remove his shoes, and lay back on the bed. "What a day," he said, because of tiredness, he forgot to wash before falling asleep.

Grayson woke up by the sound of the doorbell. It's already morning, he stands up and opens the door without fixing himself, "So early in the morning. I didn't ask for cleaning today!" he said with half-closed eyes and messy hair.

The person to the door fakes his cough. "Ahem." That's when Grayson opens his two eyes. He quickly closes the door and yells, "Wait a minute!" After five minutes, he opens it again, "You can come in now. Sorry for the wait." He got conscious of his room, open the TV, and talk again, "I haven't cooked yet, you can sit on the sofa, I will just prepare. Sorry, my room is still kinda messy."

Grayson steps to the kitchen and opens the fridge. He takes all the ingredients that are needed for his recipe. He decided to cook wonton soup, steamed eggs, and stuffed sticky rice rolls.

After one and a half hours he comes and called Elijah who is watching the TV. Elijah follows him. You haven't seen ordinary food that is homemade. He pointed to the wonton soup and said, "Tasty filling wrapped with slippery skin and served in chicken stock, wonton soup is such a warming and comforting dish to have in the morning."

Elijah is just listening to him and saw the yellow food in the bowl and asks, "What is this?"

"Oh! That's a steamed egg. It's nutritious, smooth, slippery, and heavenly soft, Chinese steamed eggs require minimum ingredients yet delivers a delicate look and great flavor. You can try it!"

Grayson put the sticky rice in Elijah's bowl and said, "A delicious mixture of taste and flavor, stuffed sticky rice rolls are sticky rice filled with Chinese doughnut sticks, pork floss, preserved vegetable, and formed into an oblong shape."

Elijah just nodded and picks up the chopsticks. Only the sound of plates can hear, finally, Elijah broke the silence, "Have you heard that province of Pinyin?"

Elijah's words stopped Grayson from eating, "My trainer mentioned it to me when I told him the weird things that kept happening to me. Why?"

"I will take the suggestion you offered. To join with you and find information. I did my research and saw that Pinyin province has the largest bookshelves in the world that contain all the information of past and present," Elijah firmly said and hem.

"But that province is too far to the city of Xia," Grayson said while his eyebrows meet.

"That's why we will act like a tourist and pretend that we are on vacation. I already booked two tickets," Elijah revealed the tickets from his pocket, put them on the table, he pushes the other one-piece towards Grayson.

Grayson picks it up and lifts his head quickly, "It scheduled next week?! That's too fast. My trainer needs to know first. I'll inform you after he agrees."

"I will pick up you next week at noon. Pack up your things and be sure you are ready," the man said steadily.

Grayson just sigh and said "Okay..."

After Elijah left, Grayson called Acalan Miller. He explained what happened, Acalan agrees and even told him, "Don't worry about it. Take it as a serious vacation. We don't know, maybe you're just stressed, that's why you are feeling those things," call has ended.

The time of their departure has come.

The doorbell rang and Grayson stands up and takes his suitcase. He opened the door and the man wearing a modern gray Tang suit of Chinese clothes pair with black pants and black shoes appears.

Elijah extends his hand to picks up Grayson's suitcase and talked.

"Let's go..."