同章对照

He found Livia waiting for him at the Deadland motel.

Ryan drove to the meeting spot in his Plymouth Fury, having repaired his car after the Land wrecked it; though he had to drown it with perfume to hide the Junkyard’s stench. The courier himself had switched from his normal clothes to an elegant black jacket with a purple polo shirt underneath, with no bright color to be seen; Darkling would have loved it.

A pity he couldn’t raid Dynamis’ cashmere factory without putting the company on high alert or starting a war with the Augusti. Neither could he use Mechron’s matter replicator without Alchemo jailbreaking the mainframe first.

Of course, Ryan could have always spent money, but a cashmere suit wasn’t bought. It was taken, by either strength or wits.

Livia had put a lot of effort into her appearance too, more than Ryan had ever seen her do. She wore an elegant sleeveless dress and golden bracelets, but also black stockings, red high heels, and golden earrings. She had put a lovely crimson rose in her hair, black linings around her eyes; it contrasted well with her sapphire eyes and the silver hair flowing on her back. Though she couldn’t compare with her best friend Fortuna in the beauty department, Ryan found Livia quite lovely. A true princess.

She hadn’t seen him yet due to the ambient darkness, so he watched her from afar for a short while. Livia waited in the parking lot, with her hands joined. She fidgeted in place, and let out a long, heavy breath as if to calm herself.

She hadn’t seen how the date would end, and it made her nervous.

Ryan drove to her side, ending her silent agony. Livia immediately corrected her expression upon noticing him, smiling warmly at his arrival. “Did you order a pumpkin carriage, princess?” the courier asked, upon stopping in front of her.

“Will your car turn into a vegetable at midnight?” she teased him, while sitting at his side. Her perfume smelled of rose and strawberry. “This only leaves three hours.”

“Livia, I can time travel. I can make three hours last a lifetime.”

“I don’t doubt that,” she said, closing the car’s door behind her. “But I would prefer it if you could bring me home before two in the morning, or my father might get upset.”

“You’ve never had a sleepless night out in town?” Ryan asked, amused, as he drove away through New Rome’s streets. “My, it was about time I came into your life.”

Livia blushed a little, embarrassed. “I wasn’t that sheltered,” she protested. “With my power, I could experience wild moments by proxy, with none of the hangovers, drowsiness, and side-effects that came with it.”

“Watching is not the same as living.”

“No, but I don’t enjoy parties that much,” she admitted. “I prefer simpler moments with just a few friends. The more people surround me, the more my power goes into overdrive. Too many interactions at once.”

“Cancel blocks your visions?” Ryan asked, his date answering with a short nod. “You could always hang out with her then.”

Livia shook her head. “I don’t like Greta. That woman is capable of anything. She could be just as hideously violent as Adam the Ogre, if she had any motivation.” Lightning Butt’s daughter frowned, as they approached the highway where Ryan and Felix once engaged her aunt Pluto in a car chase. “Where are we going?”

“Away,” Ryan replied.

She blinked in surprise. “Away from the city?”

“Well, I figured you probably visited all of New Rome’s restaurants, either directly or with your power. But there is one place I’m sure you’ve never been to before.”

“Within an hour’s drive of New Rome?” Livia asked with skepticism, before grinning wickedly. “I doubt so. Unless… unless, you intend to take me out of the city to ravish me in the wilderness?”

“Did you bring a chastity belt? It has been a while since I unlocked one.”

Livia’s smile turned coy and playful. The young woman wasn’t as innocent as she let it seem. “If my father heard you, he would have you struck down.”

“I have a lightning rod in the car boot. Does your father even know you’re in a car with a dashing courier?” His date’s mischievous smile was an answer in itself. “Would he let you date anyone?”

“Only an Augusti. My father mistrusts anyone outside of our clan. He wouldn’t let Felix anywhere near me again, even if…” Her bashful smile turned sour.

“So you’re disobeying him even as we speak?” Ryan mused, trying to distract her from her bad memories. “You live a dangerous life.”

His date chuckled in response, which Ryan took as a good sign. “Not as much as yours. To be fair, you’re the first who dared to ask me out at all. Most men are simply too frightened to try.” She looked at him warmly. “That’s one of the things I like about you, Ryan. You dare it all.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” he replied, a foot on the accelerator. “Is your seatbelt tightly on?”

“Yes, it i—”

She gasped in surprise, as the Plymouth Fury raced on the highway. One hundred kph turned into one hundred and fifty, while Ryan switched the Chronoradio to Mad Max 2’s main theme. They passed by two cars, violating all road safety laws as they went.

“Stop!” Livia pleaded as the speed kept climbing, a hand on his arm. She screamed as they passed by a car so closely that they nearly brushed against it; though she could sense the cars coming, she couldn’t foresee how Ryan would react to them, if he did. “Stop, you madman!”

“Don’t try this at home, kids!” The courier said, using brief bursts of time-stop to avoid colliding with other vehicles.

Livia’s scream of fear transformed into laughter, as the adrenaline pumped through her veins and the Plymouth Fury reached its maximum velocity. Ryan had modified his car to reach over three hundred kph, and at this speed, the world around them turned into a blur. Other cars became spots of color, the highway ahead became a tunnel of light.

If only Ryan could have driven his Plymouth Fury rather than the Pandamobile when Pluto came for his head. Cruella would never have come within an inch of his car.

Once he sensed they were close to their destination, Ryan activated a hidden button. The car hood opened to reveal a Genius device, the tip of a particle accelerator. Tiny light spheres came out of it, stretching reality apart.

“Have you watched Back to the Future?” Ryan grinned at Livia.

She answered with a panicked, exhilarated scream, as particles swallowed the Plymouth Fury. The stars above fell down in a rain of light, reality itself shifting around them.

Space stretched on until it shattered, and the car emerged on the other side.

Ryan hit the brakes and the device deactivated. The Plymouth Fury emerged from a particle cloud to slow down beneath alien skies, on a highway without cars.

Livia let out a heavy breath, as she recovered from the adrenaline rush. Only then did Ryan notice that her left hand held his right tightly; she must have seized it instinctively when they reached maximum speed.

Ryan’s thumb brushed against her warm fingers, and Livia squeezed tighter in return.

“You okay?” The courier asked her. Instead of answering, she broke the hand contact and slapped him behind the head in response. “Ouch!”

“You madman...” Livia let out a nervous laugh, as the tension went down. “That was insane, Ryan.”

“We’ll have to do it again, on the way back.”

“Oh, God.” She smiled, catching her breath. “Did you ever get a driver’s license?”

“Now, don’t ask too much.”

Livia giggled, and glanced outside her window. Her eyes widened upon seeing the world around them.

While they were still on the highway, purple auroras had taken over the night sky above them. The northern lights shone with the brilliance of stars, and within them one could glimpse images of strange places. Seas of mercury, clouds of floating ice, green lightning coursing through black, empty space.

The highway was deserted except for the Plymouth Fury, and seemed to stretch on forever. The land around the road had turned into a red desert, though one could see another highway in the distance. Even the temperature had increased, from chilly to warm and comforting.

“What is this place?” Livia asked as they exited the car, astonished.

“A thin place. A natural space anomaly, if you will.” Ryan moved to the car boot, where he kept the dinner. “I nicknamed it the Midnight Road.”

“I see other people,” Livia said, pointing at two silhouettes on the second highway.

“That’s us.” Ryan raised his hand, and the silhouette on the distant highway imitated him. “Do you see?”

“No.” The Augusti Princess had tears at the edge of her eyes. “No, I can’t see anything.”

She wasn’t talking about her eyes.

In the end, they sat at the highway’s edge, their feet dangling about the desert. Ryan offered Livia a sushi box, and chopsticks to go with it. “Space folds back?” his date asked after wiping away the tears, looking at the other highway in the distance.

“Yep,” Ryan replied, his mouth full of fish. “The highway stretches for thirty kilometers, and then loops back. It’s shorter on the sides.”

“Did you make this place?” Livia asked, tasting a Futomaki with a curious frown. “Or did another Genome build it?”

Ryan shook his head. “It’s a natural phenomenon, though you need Genius tech to access it. The colored dimensions are above our realities, beyond space and time as most humans understand it, but there are other realms sideways too. They follow the same timestream as our own.”

“So this is an alternate universe?”

“I wouldn't say that. It’s… it’s more like a cave inside a mountain, except the mountain is Earth’s reality. A place where space-time folds due to gravitational or electromagnetic anomalies.” Ryan glanced at the purple auroras above their heads. “I think this place is close to the Purple World. Like a border realm between our universe and the big crossroads of all space and time.”

“I cannot observe anything within the colors dimensions, except the Blue one,” Livia guessed. “That is why I can’t detect you either, since you exist in two dimensions at once.”

Ryan nodded, before noticing that his date didn’t seem enthusiastic about finishing her plate. “You don’t like the food?”

“I’m sorry…” She made an embarrassed smile. “I hate it.”

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. “You hate Japanese food?”

“I don’t like sushi, no.” Livia sheepishly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

Goddamn it, he knew he should have picked French food! Nobody disliked French food, except the British and the truly wicked.

“But I love the place, and the gesture,” Livia immediately reassured him, when she saw his dejected face. “It more than makes up for the food.”

“I will have to reload now,” Ryan grumbled. “The date is not perfect.”

“No, Ryan, no,” Livia protested, instantly serious. She put a hand on his arm and squeezed it tight. “No, don’t, please. It’s because this moment is genuine that I enjoy it so much.”

“Relax, I was kidding,” Ryan teased her, his index finger brushing against her cheek. She blushed so much that a scarlet streak had formed beneath her eyes. “Though you’ve got a smile to die for.”

Livia exploded into laughter, almost spitting out her food. The sound of her voice warmed Ryan’s old, weary heart. “Does that pick-up line ever work?” she asked with a wide grin on her face.

“More than you think.”

“But not on me,” she said, as he removed his hand. “You will have to do better.”

“You might regret it. I invented lines so powerful, that a few countries made them illegal.”

His date rolled her eyes, and dared to put his boast to the test. “Then prove me wrong.”

Instead of answering with words, Ryan put the sushi plates aside, and grabbed Livia by the waist. His date let out a squeal of surprise as he quickly lifted and put her on his lap. She weighed almost nothing, their feet dangling into the void.

“Ryan!” Livia laughed, so red the courier wondered if she might faint from the embarrassment. “You’re going too far this time!”

“Come on, my lap feels better than the interdimensional highway’s concrete.” He put his arms around Livia and held her tight, her head resting against his shoulder. “Unless Your Majesty would prefer a nobler seat?”

“I ought to have you whipped for your insolence, but I have the feeling you might enjoy it.”

“You would be right, mistress.”

The mafia princess laughed heartily, accepted the Throne of Romano as her seat, and made herself comfortable. Her back rested against the courier’s chest, and he sensed her hastening heartbeat beneath her skin. Though the scarlet streak across Livia’s face had transformed into a light blush, Ryan could tell the situation was new to her. She had only ever dated Felix, who had never been as comfortable with physical contact as the courier was.

“Can you reach these places?” Livia pointed a finger at the alien mirages in the skies, pictures of alien worlds, unlike Earth.

“Some,” Ryan confirmed. “Others I plan to visit one day.”

“Take me with you when you do,” she all but ordered him, sounding like a true queen. “To make up for your bold transgression.”

“And what if I commit crime after crime?” he teased her.

“Maybe I will punish you, or maybe not,” Livia replied coyly, putting her hands on his own. They felt warm and comforting to the touch, like Jasmine’s had been. “How did you even find out about these thin places? Did you stumble into one by accident?”

“I learned of them while researching particle physics in Switzerland.” Ryan shuddered. “Don’t go to Monaco.”

“What is happening in that place?” she asked, curious. “My power will not show me. I heard nobody that goes there come back, but you said you lived a full life there?”

“Shrimps, and caviar,” Ryan replied darkly. Even now both gave him PTSD. “It’s shrimps and caviar, until you can’t take it anymore.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.” Livia frowned, sensing his unease. “Something happened in this place. Something that hurt you deeply.”

Ryan’s first instinct was to deny the truth, but her firm gaze dissuaded him. “I…” the courier trailed off, having lived with this secret like a boulder around his ankle like a ball and chain. He had never told anyone, carrying that cross across time. Nobody would have understood.

But she would.

He could see it in her eyes. Livia had watched whole lifetimes through her power, from what she had told him. She couldn’t comprehend the sheer weight he carried, but she could imagine it.

“I told you I stayed there a full life,” Ryan unburdened himself. “I meant a full life.”

Livia guessed the truth. Her expression shifted into one of horror, as she covered her mouth with a hand. “No.”

Ryan looked away at the otherworldly desert beneath the highway, without uttering a word.

“Is that why you always say you’re immortal?” Livia’s eyes softened in compassion. “Does Len know?”

“No.” Shortie already had enough burdens on her frail shoulders, and ghosts of her own. “You’re the only one.”

“Did you…” The seer bit her lower lips, as if afraid to go on. At that moment, Livia reminded Ryan of Len so much. They shared the same kind heart, beneath all the hardships. “Did you have… a family?”

“I… I never dared to,” he confessed. “If… if my timing was even slightly off during the conception, then a different child would be born from loop to loop. I wouldn’t have survived it. Not mentally.”

“I’m sorry I asked that,” Livia apologized. She turned her head, and her hand touched his chin to make him look up at her. “I’m…”

The seer struggled to find the right words to comfort him, until she did.

“I’ve seen other lives I could have lived with Felix,” Livia confessed, her gaze sad and regretful. “Growing old together, having children. I saw these possibilities, but I couldn’t make them true. I won’t pretend I understand what you went through, because…” She let out a brief sigh. “Because watching is not living.”

“But you know how deep the pain goes.”

“Yes, I do.” Her hand brushed against his cheek. “You don’t have to suffer alone, Ryan. Now… now you don’t have to suffer anymore. I will help you with your burden, I swear.”

“Thanks.” He took her left hand and kissed it gallantly. Now that he had her, Ryan could carry others through time. He could build lasting friendships, maybe even a family. The courier could finally create a future he was happy with. “I will return the favor.”

“You already did,” Livia admitted, sounding as tired as he was. “I’ve had this power for nearly a decade and a half, Ryan. Truthfully, I’ve never gone on without it for so long since I was a child. It’s… it’s refreshing, but scary too.”

“I get it. I feel that way whenever Cancel enters the picture. My power can be a pain, but it’s reassuring.” In the end, Ryan’s Elixir had tried to help. The entity had remained at its human’s side for centuries, sharing his hardships and victories. “I’ve figured the best thing I could offer you… was the unexpected.”

“It was a wonderful gift.” Livia fell silent, gazing at the alien horizon. Something weighed on her mind too.

Ryan guessed what. “You’ve seen your father wage war in the future.”

“Ryan, this is a blissful moment. Let us not ruin it with my sorrows.”

“I thought I already beat you to the gloomy confessions?” he asked, tightening his hold on her waist, his cheek brushing against her neck. “Let’s be honest, we’ll never find better therapists than each other.”

Livia chuckled, though it sounded bittersweet. “Yes, I’ve seen it,” she admitted with a heavy heart. “One night, I dreamt that Felix would barge into my room riding a white stallion, and carry me away from this city. It was a little girl’s foolish dream, but I hoped it would come true one day.”

“Would you settle for a knight in power armor?” Ryan jested. “Lasers are the new swords.”

“Do you know Dynamis has lightsabers?” Livia asked him playfully. “Perhaps you should grab one. A blue one.”

“And you take the red, Queen Crimson?”

“I love the dark side,” his accomplice joked back. “But I prefer you on the side of the angels.”

“Come on, we had the most fun in our Meta run.” Though the end was a lot grimmer than expected.

“Yes, but no matter how much you try to hide it, Ryan, your true self shines through. Your good, gentle self.” Her smile faltered. “What father plans to do… I will stop it, you have my word.”

“I will help.”

“You already did, more than you know. More than you should have.” Livia looked into his eyes. “You don’t have to go further, Ryan.”

“No, I don’t,” he agreed, meeting her gaze with a determined one of his own. “But I want to.”

They locked eyes for minutes afterward, Ryan seeing multiple emotions flash through Livia’s blue eyes. Surprise, compassion, joy, gratitude… and something else. Something deeper, and more intense.

“We should go,” Ryan said. “It’s past midnight.”

“Not yet,” his date replied, staring at the skies. “Let us stay a little longer.”

They sat there in a comfortable silence, watching the auroras.

---

In the end, Ryan brought Livia back to Mount Augustus. He stopped before the fortified fence circling the hill, right as the clock struck two in the morning. “Right on time, princess,” the courier said, glancing at his fellow Genome. “So, what’s my date review? Ten out of ten, twelve and a half without factoring in the food?”

She didn’t answer. Livia had spent the whole return trip without saying a word, her head resting against the palm of her hand, her eyes gazing beyond the window. Perhaps she regretted that her Blue power now worked again.

Ryan cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed by the silence. “Livia?”

“I need to show you something,” she shook her head, peeking out of the car’s window and at the entrance portal’s camera. After a minute of waiting, the doors opened for them. “If you want to.”

Ryan had a pretty good idea of what awaited him, but he needed to be sure. “You understand that your father will know?”

Livia looked into his eyes, and he understood.

She had made that choice because of her father, knowing the consequences.

It was an act of rebellion.

Ryan drove the Plymouth Fury upward, towards the villa at Mount Augustus’ summit. He glimpsed guards protecting the property, but paid them no mind. Eventually, he parked his car near the house’s entrance, exiting it with Livia.

The Augusti princess led him into the villa through the front door, none of them saying a word. Though it was dark inside, she knew the place like the back of her hand and guided them through whitened corridors. Lightning Butt had devised his home like a true Roman villa, showcasing an obsession with marble deity statues and pillars that bordered on the pathological.

Ryan didn’t pay his surroundings much attention. His eyes remained firmly focused on Livia’s back, as he followed her. He could see shivers along her naked shoulders, her body rife with anxiety and tension.

Eventually, she led him to a room with a large red door. The seer froze for a few seconds, let out a heavy breath, and opened it.

Ryan walked into a bedroom almost as large as his luxury apartments, back when he worked for Il Migliore. Unlike the rest of the villa, it had been decorated in a more modern style. Paintings of cities, of smiling families, and natural wonders covered the walls, next to shelves full of dusty books. A reinforced window provided a direct view onto a beautiful terrace outside, and a king-sized bed lined up against a wall.

Livia wordlessly sat on the mattress after closing the door behind them, and joined her hands together. She didn’t face Ryan, her eyes looking down at the ground. Her face was red, her breathing short, and she seemed terrified of asking him a single question.

Ryan cleared his throat. “Livia…”

“Do you want to kiss me?” she asked meekly while looking up at him, afraid of his reaction.

His lips met her own, and she didn’t say another word for the rest of the night.

Neither of them did.

他在死地汽车旅馆找到了等候他的莉维娅。

瑞恩开着他的普利茅斯“狂怒”来到碰面地点。大地毁了他的车之后，他已经修好了它，只不过为了掩盖废料场的臭味，不得不用香水把车里里外外浇了个遍。信使本人也换下了平时的衣服，穿上一件雅致的黑色外套，里面搭着紫色马球衫，通身不见一点亮色。暗灵一定会喜欢。

可惜，他要是去洗劫迪纳米斯的羊绒工厂，不是惹得公司高度戒备，就是挑起它与奥古斯蒂的战争。而在阿尔凯莫破解主机之前，他也用不了梅克隆的物质复制器。

当然，瑞恩大可以花钱，可羊绒西装不是买来的，而是靠武力或智谋夺来的。

莉维娅也在打扮上花了不少心思，比瑞恩以往见过的任何一次都要用心。她穿着一袭优雅的无袖连衣裙，戴着金手镯，还配了黑色丝袜、红色高跟鞋和金耳环。一朵娇艳的深红玫瑰别在她发间，双眼勾着黑色眼线，与蓝宝石般的眼眸和垂落背后的银发相映成趣。虽然论美貌，她比不上最好的朋友福尔图娜，瑞恩仍觉得莉维娅十分动人。是个真正的公主。

四周昏暗，她还没有看见他，于是他远远地望了她片刻。莉维娅双手交握，等在停车场里。她在原地不安地动了动，长长地、沉沉地吐出一口气，像是在努力让自己镇定下来。

她没能看见这场约会会如何结束，这让她很紧张。

瑞恩把车开到她身边，结束了她无声的煎熬。一发现他，莉维娅就立刻调整好表情，用温暖的笑容迎接他的到来。“是你叫的南瓜马车吗，公主？”信使在她面前停下车，问道。

“你的车到了午夜会变成蔬菜吗？”她一边打趣，一边坐到他身旁。她身上的香水带着玫瑰与草莓的气息。“那可就只剩三个小时了。”

“莉维娅，我能穿越时间。我可以让三个小时持续一辈子。”

“这点我毫不怀疑。”她说着，关上了车门。“不过我还是希望你能在凌晨两点前送我回家，不然我父亲可能会不高兴。”

“你从来没在外面玩过通宵？”瑞恩觉得有趣，开着车穿行在新罗马的街道上。“天哪，我早就该走进你的生活了。”

莉维娅有些难为情，脸颊微微泛红。“我也没那么不谙世事。”她抗议道，“有我的能力在，我可以间接体验那些疯狂时刻，还不用承受随之而来的宿醉、困倦和其他副作用。”

“看见和亲身经历不是一回事。”

“是不一样，不过我本来也不太喜欢派对。”她承认，“比起那个，我更喜欢跟三两个朋友安安静静地相处。周围的人越多，我的能力就越是超负荷运转。同时发生的互动太多了。”

“消除者能屏蔽你的预知？”瑞恩问。见约会对象轻轻点头，他又说：“那你可以找她一起玩啊。”

莉维娅摇了摇头。“我不喜欢格蕾塔。那个女人什么事都做得出来。只要有动机，她就能变得和食人魔亚当一样凶残暴戾。”车子驶近高速公路，瑞恩和菲利克斯曾在这里与她的姑姑普鲁托展开过一场追车大战。闪电屁股的女儿皱起眉头。“我们要去哪儿？”

“远方。”瑞恩回答。

她惊讶地眨了眨眼。“离开城里？”

“嗯，我想新罗马所有的餐厅，你大概不是亲自去过，就是用能力看过。但有一个地方，我敢肯定你从来没去过。”

“就在离新罗马不到一小时车程的地方？”莉维娅怀疑地问，随即露出一抹坏笑。“我可不信。除非……除非你是想把我带出城，在荒郊野外非礼我？”

“你带贞操带了吗？我有阵子没撬过那种锁了。”

莉维娅的笑容变得羞怯而俏皮。这个年轻女人并没有表现出来的那么天真。“要是让我父亲听见，他会一雷劈死你。”

“我在后备厢里放了根避雷针。你父亲知道你正和一位风度翩翩的信使坐在同一辆车里吗？”约会对象那狡黠的笑容本身就是答案。“他会允许你跟别人约会吗？”

“只能是奥古斯蒂的人。我父亲不信任家族以外的任何人。他再也不会允许菲利克斯靠近我，哪怕……”她腼腆的笑容变得苦涩。

“这么说，我们聊天的这会儿，你就在违抗他？”瑞恩故作沉吟，想让她从不快的回忆中抽身。“你的生活真危险。”

他的约会对象轻笑着回应，瑞恩将此视作好兆头。“比起你还差得远呢。说真的，你是第一个敢主动约我的人。大多数男人都吓得根本不敢试。”她温柔地看着他。“这也是我喜欢你的原因之一，瑞恩。你什么都敢。”

“你还没见识到真正厉害的呢。”他把脚放上油门，“安全带系紧了吗？”

“嗯，系——”

普利茅斯“狂怒”在高速公路上飞驰起来，她惊得倒抽一口气。时速从一百公里飙升到一百五十公里，瑞恩则把时空收音机调到了《疯狂的麦克斯2》的主题曲。他们接连超过两辆车，沿途把交通安全法规违了个遍。

“停下！”车速还在攀升，莉维娅一只手抓着他的胳膊，哀求道。他们紧挨着另一辆车掠过，近得几乎要擦上，她不由尖叫起来。虽然她能感知那些车会驶来，却无法预知瑞恩会如何应对，甚至不知道他会不会应对。“停下，你这个疯子！”

“小朋友们，请勿模仿！”信使说着，接连短暂地暂停时间，避开其他车辆。

肾上腺素在血管里奔涌，普利茅斯“狂怒”也达到了极速，莉维娅惊恐的尖叫渐渐变成了笑声。瑞恩改装过这辆车，能让它跑出超过三百公里的时速。在这个速度下，周围的世界成了一片模糊的残影。其他车辆化作一个个色块，前方的高速公路则变成了一条光的隧道。

要是普鲁托来取他项上人头时，瑞恩开的是普利茅斯“狂怒”，而不是熊猫战车就好了。库伊拉休想碰到他的车分毫。

感觉离目的地已经不远，瑞恩按下了一个隐藏按钮。引擎盖打开，露出一件天才装置——粒子加速器的前端。微小的光球从中涌出，将现实向两边撑开。

“你看过《回到未来》吗？”瑞恩咧嘴对莉维娅笑道。

粒子吞没普利茅斯“狂怒”的瞬间，她用一声惊恐又兴奋的尖叫回答了他。头顶繁星化作光雨坠落，现实本身也在他们四周移形换位。

空间不断拉伸，直至破碎，汽车从另一端冲了出来。

瑞恩踩下刹车，装置随之关闭。普利茅斯“狂怒”驶出粒子云，在异样的苍穹下缓缓减速。脚下是一条空无一车的高速公路。

莉维娅从肾上腺素激增的亢奋中缓过神，长长地吐了一口气。这时瑞恩才发现，她的左手正紧紧握着他的右手；想必是在车子达到极速时，本能地抓住了他。

瑞恩用拇指轻轻抚过她温暖的手指，莉维娅则把他的手握得更紧。

“你还好吗？”信使问。她没有回答，而是松开手，一巴掌拍在了他后脑勺上。“哎哟！”

“你这个疯子……”紧绷的神经放松下来，莉维娅有些心有余悸地笑了。“刚才太疯狂了，瑞恩。”

“回去的时候，我们还得再来一遍。”

“天哪。”她笑着，努力喘匀气息。“你到底考过驾照没有？”

“好了，别问得太多。”

莉维娅咯咯笑起来，扭头望向窗外。看清周围的世界后，她睁大了眼睛。

他们仍在高速公路上，头顶的夜空却已被紫色极光占据。极光如繁星般璀璨，其间隐约可见种种奇异之地的景象：水银汇成的海洋，浮冰聚成的云团，绿色闪电穿行于漆黑空旷的太空。

高速公路上除了普利茅斯“狂怒”别无他物，仿佛无穷无尽地延伸着。道路四周的土地变成了红色沙漠，不过远处还能看见另一条高速公路。连气温也升高了，从微寒转为舒适的温暖。

“这是什么地方？”两人下车时，莉维娅惊叹着问。

“一处薄弱之地。也可以说，是天然的空间异常区。”瑞恩走向放着晚餐的后备厢。“我给它起了个名字，叫午夜之路。”

“我看见其他人了。”莉维娅指着第二条高速公路上的两道人影。

“那是我们。”瑞恩抬起手，远处高速公路上的人影也照做了。“看见了吗？”

“没有。”奥古斯蒂公主的眼角噙着泪水。“没有，我什么都看不见。”

她说的不是她的眼睛。

最后，他们坐在了高速公路边缘，双脚悬垂在沙漠上方。瑞恩递给莉维娅一盒寿司，还有一双筷子。“空间折回来了？”他的约会对象擦去泪水，望着远处那条高速公路问。

“对。”瑞恩满嘴都是鱼肉。“高速公路延伸三十公里，然后就绕回原处。从两侧绕的话，距离还要短一些。”

“这地方是你造的吗？”莉维娅尝了一口太卷，疑惑地皱了皱眉。“还是别的基因者造的？”

瑞恩摇头。“这是自然现象，只不过需要天才科技才能进来。那些颜色维度凌驾于我们的现实之上，超越了大多数人所理解的时空；但在现实的侧面，也存在其他领域。它们跟我们处在同一条时间流里。”

“所以这是个平行宇宙？”

“不能这么说。它……它更像是山里的一处洞穴，只不过那座山是地球所处的现实。这里是引力或电磁异常导致时空折叠形成的地方。”瑞恩望向头顶的紫色极光。“我想这里离紫色世界很近。就像一片边境，夹在我们的宇宙与所有时空交汇的大十字路口之间。”

“除了蓝色维度，我无法观测其他颜色维度里的任何事物。”莉维娅推测道，“所以我也探测不到你，因为你同时存在于两个维度之中。”

瑞恩点点头，随即发现约会对象似乎不太想吃完盘子里的东西。“不喜欢这些吃的？”

“对不起……”她露出一个难为情的笑容。“我讨厌这个。”

瑞恩的心漏跳了一拍。“你讨厌日本料理？”

“嗯，我不喜欢寿司。”莉维娅不好意思地摇摇头。“对不起。”

该死，他就知道该选法国菜！除了英国人和真正的恶棍，没人会不喜欢法国菜。

“但我很喜欢这个地方，也很喜欢你这份心意。”看到他垂头丧气的样子，莉维娅立刻安慰道，“这些早就足够弥补食物的问题了。”

“看来我得读档了。”瑞恩嘟囔道，“这场约会不完美。”

“别，瑞恩，别。”莉维娅立刻严肃起来，出声反对。她伸手紧紧抓住了他的胳膊。“不，别这么做，求你了。我这么喜欢这一刻，恰恰是因为它是真的。”

“放松，我开玩笑的。”瑞恩逗她，食指轻轻拂过她的脸颊。她羞得满脸通红，双眼下方连成了一道绯红。“不过你这笑容，倒真能让人甘愿去死。”

莉维娅一下子笑出了声，差点把嘴里的食物喷出来。她的笑声温暖了瑞恩那颗苍老而疲惫的心。“这套搭讪词真的管用过吗？”她满脸笑意地问。

“比你想象的次数多。”

“可对我没用。”他收回手时，她说，“你得拿出点更好的来。”

“你可能会后悔的。我发明过一些威力太强的搭讪词，强到有几个国家立法把它们禁了。”

约会对象翻了个白眼，大胆地向他的豪言发起挑战。“那就证明我错了。”

瑞恩没有用语言回答，而是把寿司盘放到一边，搂住莉维娅的腰。他飞快地将她抱起，放到自己腿上，惹得她惊叫了一声。她轻得几乎没有重量，两人的脚都悬在空中。

“瑞恩！”莉维娅笑道。她的脸红得让信使怀疑，她会不会羞得晕过去。“你这次太过分了！”

“得了，我的腿可比跨维度高速公路的混凝土舒服。”他用双臂紧紧环住莉维娅，让她的头靠在自己肩上。“还是说，陛下想要更尊贵的座位？”

“就凭你这份无礼，我真该叫人鞭打你。不过我总觉得，你可能会乐在其中。”

“您猜得没错，女主人。”

黑手党公主开怀大笑，接受了罗马诺宝座，舒舒服服地坐了下来。她的后背贴着信使的胸口，他能感觉到她肌肤之下加快的心跳。虽然莉维娅脸上那一大片绯红已退成浅浅的红晕，瑞恩仍能看出，这种情形对她来说十分陌生。她只跟菲利克斯交往过，而菲利克斯在身体接触上，向来不如信使这么自在。

“这些地方，你能到达吗？”莉维娅伸手指向天空中奇异的幻景，那些画面里的异世界与地球截然不同。

“有些能。”瑞恩肯定道，“其他的，我也打算有朝一日去看看。”

“去的时候带上我。”她几乎是在命令他，听上去真像一位女王。“就当弥补你刚才大胆的冒犯。”

“那我要是不断犯下新的罪行呢？”他打趣道。

“也许我会惩罚你，也许不会。”莉维娅故作矜持地回答，把双手覆在他的手上。她的手触感温暖，令人安心，就像贾丝敏曾给他的感觉。“你到底是怎么知道这些薄弱之地的？偶然闯进去过？”

“我在瑞士研究粒子物理的时候听说了它们。”瑞恩打了个寒战。“别去摩纳哥。”

“那个地方到底发生了什么？”她好奇地问，“我的能力看不到。我听说去了那里的人，没有一个回来，可你说过，你在那里过了完整的一生？”

“虾，还有鱼子酱。”瑞恩阴沉地回答。直到现在，这两样东西还会诱发他的创伤后应激反应。“只有虾和鱼子酱，直到你再也受不了为止。”

“这什么也没解释。”莉维娅察觉到他的不安，皱起眉头。“那里发生过什么事。一件深深伤害了你的事。”

瑞恩的第一反应是否认，可她坚定的目光让他打消了念头。“我……”信使欲言又止。这个秘密如同锁在脚踝上的巨石，又像沉重的镣铐，多年来始终伴随着他。他从未告诉过任何人，只是独自背着这副十字架穿行于时间之中。不会有人理解。

可她会。

他从她眼里看得出来。莉维娅告诉过他，她曾凭借能力看完一段段完整的人生。她无法真正理解他肩上的重担究竟有多沉，却能够想象。

“我告诉过你，我在那里待了完整的一生。”瑞恩终于卸下心防。“我说的就是完整的一生。”

莉维娅猜到了真相。她的神情变得惊恐，一只手捂住了嘴。“不。”

瑞恩移开目光，望向高速公路下方那片异世界的沙漠，一言不发。

“所以你才总说自己是不死之身？”莉维娅的眼神柔和下来，满是怜惜。“蕾恩知道吗？”

“不知道。”小矮个纤弱的肩头已经背负了太多，她也有自己的幽魂要面对。“只有你知道。”

“你有没有……”预知者咬住下唇，仿佛不敢再问下去。那一刻，莉维娅让瑞恩无比强烈地想起了蕾恩。经历种种苦难，她们依然有着同样善良的心。“你有没有……成家？”

“我……我一直没敢。”他坦白道，“如果……如果受孕的时机哪怕偏差一点，每轮循环里出生的孩子就会不一样。我受不了。精神上受不了。”

“对不起，我不该问这个。”莉维娅道歉。她转过头，伸手轻触他的下巴，让他抬眼看向自己。“我……”

预知者苦苦寻找着合适的话语来安慰他，终于找到了。

“我看过自己本可能和菲利克斯共度的其他人生。”莉维娅坦白道，眼神悲伤而遗憾。“一起老去，生儿育女。我看见过这些可能，却没能让它们成真。我不会假装自己能理解你的遭遇，因为……”她轻轻叹了一口气。“因为看见和亲身经历不是一回事。”

“但你知道，那种痛能有多深。”

“是，我知道。”她的手抚过他的脸颊。“你不用独自承受痛苦，瑞恩。现在……现在你再也不用受这种苦了。我会帮你分担，我发誓。”

“谢谢。”他捧起她的左手，彬彬有礼地吻了一下。如今有她在，瑞恩就能带着别人穿越时间。他可以建立长久的友谊，甚至组建一个家庭。信使终于能创造一个令自己幸福的未来。“我也会为你做同样的事。”

“你已经做到了。”莉维娅承认，听上去和他一样疲惫。“瑞恩，我拥有这种能力，已经快十五年了。说实话，自从小时候得到它以来，我还从没这么久不靠它生活过。这……这感觉很新鲜，但也很吓人。”

“我明白。每次消除者一出现，我就会有这种感觉。我的能力有时很折磨人，但也让人安心。”说到底，瑞恩的灵药一直都在试着帮他。几个世纪以来，那个存在始终陪伴在自己的人类身边，与他共历苦难，共享胜利。“我想，我能给你最好的东西……就是意想不到。”

“这是一份很美好的礼物。”莉维娅沉默下来，凝望着异世界的地平线。她也有心事。

瑞恩猜到了。“你看见你父亲在未来发动战争了。”

“瑞恩，现在这么幸福。别让我的烦恼毁了这一刻。”

“说起倒苦水，我不是已经抢在你前头了吗？”他问着，收紧搂住她腰的双臂，脸颊轻蹭她的脖颈。“说实话，我们再也找不到比彼此更合适的心理医生了。”

莉维娅轻笑了一声，笑意却有些苦涩。“是，我看见了。”她沉重地承认，“有一天晚上，我梦见菲利克斯骑着一匹白马闯进我的房间，带我离开这座城市。那只是小女孩傻乎乎的幻想，但我曾希望，有一天它能成真。”

“换成穿动力装甲的骑士，你愿意将就一下吗？”瑞恩开玩笑道，“如今都用激光代替剑了。”

“你知道迪纳米斯有光剑吗？”莉维娅俏皮地问，“也许你该去弄一把。蓝色的。”

“然后你拿红色的，绯红女王？”

“我喜欢黑暗面。”他的同谋也开起了玩笑，“不过，我更希望你站在天使那一边。”

“得了吧，我们走超能帮路线的那一轮才玩得最开心。”尽管结局远比预想的惨淡。

“是啊，但不管你怎么掩饰，瑞恩，真正的你总会流露出来。那个善良、温柔的你。”她的笑容淡了下去。“父亲打算做的事……我会阻止，我向你保证。”

“我会帮你。”

“你已经帮了，帮得比你自己知道的还多，也比你本该付出的更多。”莉维娅望进他的眼睛。“你不必再做下去了，瑞恩。”

“对，我不必。”他承认，用坚定的目光回望她。“但我想。”

接下来的几分钟里，他们一直凝视着彼此。瑞恩看见莉维娅蓝色的眼眸中掠过种种情绪。惊讶、怜惜、喜悦、感激……还有别的什么。某种更深、更浓烈的情感。

“我们该走了。”瑞恩说，“已经过午夜了。”

“再等等。”他的约会对象仰望着天空，回答道，“让我们再待一会儿。”

他们就这样坐着，在舒心的静默中欣赏极光。

---

最终，瑞恩把莉维娅送回了奥古斯都山。车停在环绕山丘的坚固围栏前时，时间正好走到凌晨两点。“准时送达，公主。”信使瞥了眼身边同为基因者的女孩。“所以，这次约会给我打几分？满分十分，你给十分？要是不算吃的，就给十二点五分？”

她没有回答。整个返程途中，莉维娅一句话也没说，只是用手掌托着头，望着窗外。也许她正为自己的蓝色能力又能运作而遗憾。

瑞恩清了清嗓子，这片沉默让他有些尴尬。“莉维娅？”

“我有样东西想让你看看。”她摇了摇头，探头望向车窗外，看向大门处的摄像头。等了一分钟，大门为他们打开了。“如果你愿意的话。”

瑞恩已经大致猜到接下来会发生什么，但他还需要确认。“你明白，你父亲会知道的？”

莉维娅直视着他的眼睛，他明白了。

她明知后果，而她做出这个选择，正是因为她的父亲。

这是一次反抗。

瑞恩开着普利茅斯“狂怒”沿路向上，驶向奥古斯都山顶的别墅。他瞥见了守卫宅邸的人，但没去理会。最后，他在房屋入口附近停下车，和莉维娅一起走了出来。

奥古斯蒂公主领着他从正门进入别墅，两人都没说话。屋里虽然昏暗，她却对这里了如指掌，带着他穿过一条条粉白的走廊。闪电屁股把自己的家设计成了真正的罗马式别墅，其中展现出的对大理石神像和立柱的痴迷，几乎到了病态的地步。

瑞恩没怎么留意周围。他跟在莉维娅身后，目光始终牢牢落在她背上。他看得见她裸露的双肩微微发颤，整个身体都透着不安与紧张。

最后，她把他带到一扇宽大的红色房门前。预知者僵立了几秒，重重吐出一口气，推开了门。

瑞恩走进一间卧室，面积几乎和他效力于至优者时住的豪华公寓一样大。不同于别墅其他地方，这里采用了更现代的装潢。墙上挂满了画作，画中有城市、笑容满面的家庭，也有大自然的奇景，旁边则是一排排书架，放满蒙尘的书籍。透过一扇加固的窗户，可以直接看见外面漂亮的露台，靠墙摆着一张特大号床。

莉维娅关上身后的门，一言不发地坐到床垫上，双手交握。她没有看瑞恩，只是垂眼望着地面。她满脸通红，呼吸短促，仿佛连问他一个问题都怕得要命。

瑞恩清了清嗓子。“莉维娅……”

“你想吻我吗？”她抬眼望着他，怯怯地问，害怕他的回应。

他的唇贴上了她的唇。那一夜剩下的时光里，她再没说过一句话。

他们都没有。