Fragments Of You(LAD BL FANFIC)

Rowan paced the living room, glancing now and then at the system screen floating near him. He had spent the last hour trying to squeeze answers out of the system with little success.

"Alright, system," Rowan muttered. "You're supposed to help me, right? So why does it feel like pulling teeth to get anything useful from you?"

The screen displayed its usual cold response:

[User request: Invalid parameters.]

"What parameters? Rafayel's obviously not okay, and I need to know how to help him!" Rowan hissed, his frustration mounting.

[Assistance limited due to insufficient data.]

"Of course," Rowan grumbled, rubbing his temples.

As he turned to think of another approach, a loud bang shook the house. Rowan froze, his heart pounding. Slowly, he moved toward the door. Peeking outside, he saw Rafayel kneeling on the ground. His hands were clenched tightly against the dirt, and his usually composed face was contorted in pain.

"Rafayel?" Rowan stepped outside cautiously. "What's going on?"

"Stay inside," Rafayel growled without looking up, his voice low and rough.

Rowan hesitated. He had never seen Rafayel like this before vulnerable, struggling. His instincts screamed at him to help.

Ignoring the warning, Rowan moved closer. "You're clearly not okay. Just let me—"

"Don't!" Rafayel snapped, glaring at him. "You don't understand. It's dangerous!"

Rowan folded his arms, unyielding. "I'm not just going to stand here and watch you suffer alone. You need help."

Before either of them could say more, a guttural screech pierced the night. Both men looked up as a monstrous, shadowy figure emerged from the trees. Its glowing red eyes locked onto them, and its twisted, skeletal wings stretched out as it lunged toward them.

"Get back!" Rafayel barked, pushing Rowan behind him.

The creature swooped low, its talons aimed for Rafayel. Rowan instinctively braced himself for the worst, but just as the monster was about to strike, a shimmering field of light erupted around them, deflecting the attack.

The system chimed:

[Emergency Protocol Activated: Shield Deployed.]

"What the—" Rowan stared at the barrier in shock. "You're telling me you had this feature all along and didn't think to use it earlier?"

The system ignored him, displaying only:

[Parameters met. Additional functions unlocked.]

Rowan groaned, his frustration boiling over. "Great timing, you glorified toaster. Couldn't activate your precious shield when the thing started charging us, huh? Real hero move."

Meanwhile, Rafayel was staring at the barrier, his expression unreadable. But there was no time to question it further the monster roared, circling them, looking for an opening.

As the shield flickered, Rafayel staggered to his feet. His breathing was labored, but his gaze burned with determination.

"Stay back, Rowan," Rafayel said firmly. "This is my fight."

"Are you serious right now?" Rowan shot back. "You can barely stand—"

Before he could finish, Rafayel raised his hand. A surge of energy erupted around him, golden and fierce, crackling like fire. The monster lunged again, but this time, Rafayel struck back.

A fiery blast shot from his palm, engulfing the creature mid-air. It let out an earsplitting screech as it disintegrated into ash.

Rowan stared, wide-eyed. "Okay... that's cool."

Rafayel swayed, the energy fading from his body. He turned to Rowan, his expression a mixture of confusion and exhaustion.

Then, without warning, his knees buckled. Rowan darted forward, catching him before he hit the ground.

"Rafayel!" Rowan shook him gently, panic rising in his chest. "Hey, stay with me!"

The system chimed again:

[User compatibility confirmed. Advanced features now accessible.]

Rowan glared at the floating screen. "You know what? Screw you, system. You wait until he's half-dead to pull this out? What kind of backward logic is that?"

The system remained silent

Rowan groaned, lifting Rafayel into his arms. "Sure. Great. Leave me with all the work, why don't you?"

As he carried Rafayel back into the house, he couldn't help but glance at the now-unconscious man in his arms. Whatever had just happened, it was clear that their lives were about to get even more complicated.

--

Rowan carefully laid Rafayel on the bed, his heart pounding as he tried to figure out what to do. His knowledge of the game didn't help he wasn't sure where the nearest hospital was, and the system wasn't offering any answers.

"C'mon, help me out here," Rowan muttered under his breath. "This isn't a good time to go silent."

As if mocking him, the system stayed quiet. Rowan sighed and rubbed his face in frustration.

A sudden creak at the door made him freeze. He turned sharply to see a man stepping into the room. The stranger had soft features, warm brown hair, and a calm yet alert demeanor.

The man's gaze locked on Rafayel, and his eyes widened in alarm. "Who are you?" he asked, his tone wary.

"I—" Rowan started, but the man cut him off, striding toward the bed.

"Never mind," he said quickly, checking Rafayel's pulse with practiced ease. "I'll help him first."

Before Rowan could react, the man scooped Rafayel up effortlessly. "Follow me," he instructed, heading for the door without hesitation.

Rowan trailed after him, his mind racing. "Wait, who are you?" he called out, trying to keep up.

"Thomas," the man replied without turning around.

"Rowan," he said, half out of breath.

The walk to the hospital was tense, Rowan struggling to process what was happening. He stayed close behind Thomas, whose determined stride made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing.

At the hospital, the staff immediately sprang into action, recognizing Thomas and taking Rafayel from his arms. Rowan hovered near the edge of the room, feeling a mix of relief and nervousness.

When things settled down, Thomas turned to Rowan, his expression suspicious but composed.

"All right," he said, crossing his arms. "I've done my part. Now it's your turn who are you, and why you were in Rafayel's room?