Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 17. Fever

The bedsheets and the pajamas drenched in sweat stuck to his body like a second skin, making Misha feel sticky from head to toes. He tried to push the blankets aside, but they seemed to weigh a ton today, and lifting them took all of his strength. It was by no means an easy feat.

When Misha finally succeeded in tossing the blankets aside, his body shivered and goosebumps spread on his skin, thanks to the cold air. Thus he immediately crawled back under the blankets. He tried to find a comfortable position but to no avail; it was always too hot or too cold.

Misha groaned and buried his dizzy head in the pillows. The damned fever was about to get the better of him. It was to the point where he thought of giving up and letting himself fall into a deep slumber. But he was afraid that unpleasant dreams would hunt him if he were to close his eyes, memories he'd rather forget lurking in the depths of his mind.

Since his return from the amusement park a few days ago, Misha had been stuck in bed with a fever, his consciousness hanging by a thread. Within those days, nightmares often came by to say hi, and he woke up in panic more often than not.

The worst nightmare appeared on the first day, and even now, Misha still couldn't get rid of its shadow. Whenever he closed his eyes, it popped into his mind.

The following day after returning from their trip, Misha was bedridden, unable to even move his pinkies. Thus, Masha took care of him. He could not help but remember how his smiling sister had walked into his room, holding a big glass of water. She bent over to put the glass on the night table, and the necklace Gabriel had given her slipped from the collar of her t-shirt. Then, the heart-shaped leaf pendant swayed before the boy's eyes with a slow, constant rhythm—almost as if to mock him.

As soon as Misha saw it, his heart skipped a beat, and he forgot to breathe.

That necklace... his sister deeply cherished it in their past life, and even when she took her life, she was still wearing it around her neck. Back then, the ominous glint of the pendant, which was hanging over the edge of the bloody bathtub, seemed to taunt him. That pendant was supposed to be Gabriel's proof of love, yet it became the witness of his cold-blooded heart.

Misha took a deep breath and gripped the sheet under the blankets. He didn't want to think of such things. His sister wasn't dead; she was living fine. That scene would never repeat itself, no matter what. In this timeline, he swore Gabriel would never break his sister.

Even if Misha was now in the body of a nine-year-old kid, he wasn't depressed. It wouldn't stop him from changing his loved ones' fate. Again, Misha thought of this, trying to comfort himself. The watch, which was lost somewhere between his bed and the wall, gave him a second chance. This time around, he wouldn't grow up to be a man consumed by grief and regrets.

The only annoying thing was this weak body of his. They had just walked around a little, yet it had been enough to bedridden him. That was already three days ago, and his body was still showing no signs of recovery.

So, how was he supposed to protect his family? Despite his broad fighting experience, he couldn't do anything against an adult with this young body of his. Right now, it was frailer than a porcelain doll! If he were to hit someone, he was afraid he'd break his wrist.

To make matters worse, Misha had always used brute force to flatten his opponents, throwing punch after punch without thinking; fighting smart was not in his dictionary. Although it seemed that some of his skills remained after transmigrating, Misha wouldn't be able to go very far if all he could do was throw darts. It wasn't like his father would stay still and wait for him to riddle his body with holes.

Taking Aikido lessons was also probably out of the question. After running a few laps, wouldn't he be so out of breath that he'd collapse? Where the hell did his youthful energy run off to?!