The Dawn of the New World

1437 A good dog

"The laws of nature don't apply here," he muttered under his breath and then heard his own voice whispering those words back into his ears.

After carefully balancing himself Hao Xuan stood up to get a better look at the river of time. The coffin was moving up the current of its own accord and he had no way to control either the speed or the trajectory.

His previously somber expression was suddenly replaced by an austere look, not unlike a mask that had been taken off.

Hao Xuan closed his eyes before gently tapping the spot between his eyebrows with his middle finger five times, three in succession and two after a brief pause. As a result, accompanied by a cascading crescendo of white and blue lights, Mr. Hyde's ethereal figure materialized out of the void in front of him.

He looked vastly different from his previous self which he quickly realized after seeing his reflection in the river of time.

"What is- What have you done?!" he immediately shouted in rage.

Confused, Hao Xuan tilted his head to the side, "I returned you to your original self...before Maymun's wickedness had twisted your mind and body."

"?!"

"How is that even-"

"Do not misunderstand, his hold over you has not broken. I only recreated your form into what it was meant to be," Hao Xuan explained.

Mr. Hyde went silent, his gaze falling to the yellow river to reinspect this new 'form' that had been crafted for him. He looked like a gallant young man in his twenties with perfectly symmetrical facial features and an aura of nobility around him.

"I...haven't looked like this in ages..." he whispered to himself.

"I know," Hao Xuan added, "But this is what you would have looked like today if that demon hadn't gotten his claws in you. It was my fault for pushing you beyond your limits."

Hyde sighed wearily before tearing his gaze away from the reflection to look Hao Xuan in the eye.

"You are not him, you are not my father."

He smiled in return, "I wish that were true. But as time passes and more of his memories come to me, the less I feel like myself. Parts of his soul were merged with mine and although I still don't understand how it will change me in the future...at least for now...for now I can say without hesitation that you were once someone very dear to me."

And despite what he said, Hyde's gaze held a hint of sympathy when he looked at him.

Hao Xuan continued, "I remember when I first picked you up in my arms. How small and frail you were, shivering from the cold and fear of the unknown but still trying to put up a brave front. I had promised not to take in any more children but seeing you...I couldn't help but believe you would be different."

"Those are false memories," Hyde coldly rebutted, "Implanted in your head by a conniving old man as a last resort to make you do his bidding. Don't believe-"

"They aren't false," Hao Xuan cut him off, "Although they are definitely meant to change my perspective of certain things, one thing I will give him credit for is that he did not fabricate any of those memories. That's how he is trying to manipulate me...by showing me the truth," a lazy grin pulled at his mouth, "And he never tried to conceal that fact. Quite arrogant, don't you think?"

Mr. Hyde scoffed, "Are you saying that anyone who has seen what he has seen would naturally come to the same conclusion? That his way of doing things is the RIGHT way?? You are already starting to sound like him, maybe I was wrong and you really are him."

"No, not the right way, not by a longshot. Necessary but not right," Hao Xuan clarified, "He simply believed, and rightly so, that upon receiving his memories and experiencing what he had, I would come to the same conclusion. That is why he chose me...because we were so alike in how we saw the world."

Hyde shook his head dejectedly, "So nothing changes. You will be just like him and make the same mistakes he did-"

"I won't!" Hao Xuan exclaimed, "Not again, not this time. I have seen what he did wrong and have no intention of repeating those mistakes. All I need is a chance, will you not even give me that? If so, strike me down right now and end it! Do what your master couldn't and finish me," Hao Xuan stood proudly with his arms wide open, completely open.

"Kill me before I have the opportunity to go back to the past and bring forth a new future. Because if you don't, I will destroy Maymun one way or another. Be a good dog and follow that demon's command. KILL ME!!"

His roaring cry created waves in the river that continued to get bigger and bigger behind their backs.