Chapter Text
Meteors sore through the night sky, illuminating it a dark red.
Ivan ran and ran as fast as he could, looking back every so often to see Till, his hand in his, running just as fast. Till's eyes full of delight and his smile wider than Ivan has ever seen it before, his face completely free of the stress and tension he so often wore in the Anakt Garden. The grass tickled his legs as he parted through the field, Ivan had never felt so indescribably sure before in his short life.
Desire and longing sprouted in his chest. He felt it bubble and tears prickle in his eyes. Not only was Till running with him, but freedom for them both was so close. Ivan felt hope bloom right next to desire and longing. It made his chest ache with how much he wanted to be free of the Segyein, of the violence and dehumanization. To be somewhere without being watched. To see Till grow somewhere where doesn't need to fear someone being near means their intent is to hurt him.
Then he felt Till's grip change, just slightly, he did not let go but the loose hold of their hands made doubt and anxiety take over Ivan's entire being, replacing his previous feelings. He readjusted their hands and held Till's hand in a death grip, pulling him again to match his pace which he quickened, as though the faster they ran the less likely Till was to stop.
"Ivan!" He could hear Till yell, trying to gain his attention but Ivan would be damned if he let Till stop now when they were so close.
"Don't stop!" He hardly registered it as his own voice, uncharacteristically emotive and shrill to anyone's ear.
They continued to run, Ivan absentmindedly noting Till trying to dislodge his hand when he finally saw their last step in escaping.
The entrance to the small sewer tunnels that ran under the entire city that surrounded Anakt Garden was so close, he vividly remembered his past disdain for the sewers' stench and grimy texture but seeing it now could make him cry, part of him thinks he is crying.
Then he saw them, human guards running toward them at full speed in the distance through his peripheral vision. Their guns reflecting the light from the falling stars, illuminating them, wreaking of violence and danger. They were far from them still, but approaching faster than Ivan would've preferred.
He couldn't let this happen, he couldn't let them stop him and Till from freedom. He looked back at Till, who no longer sported a wild grin but now looked mortified, clearly having seen the guards too.
When they reached the tunnels, they were blocked off with wood save for a small gap created by deterioration. It was too small to pass by quickly but even then he pushed Till forward, Till having to comply if he didn't want to hit the wooden boards face first.
Ivan pushed and pushed, looking back as the guards got closer. It would take too long for him to squeeze through, longer than Till, who was thinner than Ivan. Even if they tried, neither of them would make it if they caught Ivan while Till tried helping him. They would simply just pull Till out of the sewers.
The choice was, truthfully, an easy one. Despite Ivan's desire for freedom, despite his newfound longing for something he'd never realized he missed, he couldn't risk Till getting taken. Even more now that they attempted to escape and the guards were aware. Till's owner, Urak, would not be kind once notified, Ivan would be surprised if Till even survived his punishment if he were to be caught. On the other hand, Ivan was sure Unsha would not kill him.
Till was hated by the Segyein for his compassion and rebellious nature, they hated him because he held everything he had fiercely, his nails leaving marks, despite how little he possessed. Till was hated because of his unbreakable humanity, because of how much he reminds them of what humans are capable of.
On the contrary, Ivan was adored and favored by the Segyein. His indifference to anything that made contact with him becoming a fascination to them. They often told him his eyes, black as a void with a small speckle of a deep crimson red were windows to humanity's hellish nature. That he was living proof of humanity's worst. He was cherished by the beings he hated. They loved him, what does that say? They say he is representative of humanity and why their mistreatment is justified but he knows that he must reflect the Segyein much more if they adore him so much.
Decidedly, Ivan came to the conclusion that he does not deserve the freedom that awaits him beyond this point. His freedom is not worth risking, not only Till's opportunity for more, but his only chance of life. He would not let his disgusting selfishness for more ruin Till's future. He couldn't.
When Till finally made it inside the tunnel and reached out his hands to help pull Ivan in, he took a step back.
"You need to run. As fast as you can, Till." He told him hurriedly, a small distance away from the gap, far enough that Till couldn't reach him but close enough to see exactly how Till's face shifted from determination to dread.
"What?!" Till exclaimed. His face almost made him forget how he tried letting go of his hand on the way here. Almost made him forget about his decision to let himself be taken. It made his chest ache unfamiliarly, almost made him want to crawl into the tunnel despite the truth that he was significantly worth less than Till.
Instead, he looked away, deciding to stare at the running guards quickly approaching instead of whatever face Till was making.
"Go out there, have freedom. Look for a group called 'The Hounds.' They'll help you."
"I'm not leaving you!" Till's shrill voice cracked out, if Ivan thought too much about how it sounded he'd conclude that Till was crying.
"They're the resistance. They'll give you food and keep you safe. They won't put their hands on you, Till, no one will hurt you."
The guards were only a few yards away from him.
Before Till could respond, Ivan was tackled to the ground, his small body crushed by the much larger one.
"Run! Find them!" He called out as he struggled against the guard, trying to create more time for Till.
The last thing Ivan saw before everything went dark was a different guard quickly reach into the wooden gap towards Till.