One of the best University's in the Deva sector of the Union is located on the planet of Shang-hi, a highly developed cityscaped world, home not only to said hub of education, but also to headquarters of several large businesses.  And if the headquarters were not located on world, there would most definitely be a regional office.  Shang-hi itself, was also popular for the reason that it could be considered near central in location within it's sector of space, thus accessible to many inhabited worlds, a shuttle-bus flight away and the fairs were not expensive.

Adjacent to the University and close to several towering skyscrapers and smaller blocks of offices and apartments, is a landscaped park, a small lung of green, providing fresh rather than recycled air.  The ornamental trees that offered shade were all chosen for they were aesthetically pleasing, with blossoms upon their brown branches in the spring, lush verdant leaves in the summer altering to colours of fire and earth before the approach of winter.  The gardens were a mix of seasonal and hardy plants, providing colour and interest all year round in a very tame environment.

It was not a place that Dominic usually came to take pictures and relax.  However, he had felt the eyes upon him had intensified of late, so like a good little tool, he could only escape the confines of his 'home' to appear busy in his nominal office.  Occasionally, he would even aid his brother with a little screen-work before returning to that cold house.  All the while waiting for the eyes to glance away for a brief moment.  But despite his promises to himself, he had broken routine and had not left the planet the previous night.

The reason was a simple one.  His limit had been reached and his wife was one push away from sending him beyond it.  Why the fuck could the woman not be rational and accept that their marriage was nothing more than a sham?  What was with giving his family even more false expectation and hinting at a pregnancy that was frankly impossible unless she had another man donate sperm?  I dare you too, Destiny, he inwardly thought, give me the most perfect reason to divorce you that neither of our families could refute!

They had argued about it, of course.  It was probably a good thing that modern houses were so well soundproofed with shielding that would even prevent voices travelling beyond a metre from open windows, else their neighbours would likely be entertained deliciously most evenings of late.  Their screams and shouts could have easily traversed the half-acre to the property boundaries.

"Stop with your lies!" He had yelled.  "We are not happily married, we are not blissful or content and we are not having a child!"

"Lies, what lies?" She had screamed in return.  "We could be happily married if you would stop acting so foolishly and we could easily have a child in the future as well!"

"I'm acting foolishly?" He had retorted with a harsh laugh.  "I am not the one spouting bullshit to the half the Galaxy!  Won't the journalists have a field day if they ever found out the truth!"

Her eyes had narrowed and her voice had lowered.  "You've changed," she had stated.  "We used to be happy before... we were the perfect couple.  Everyone was envious of us.  You asked me to marry you, surely you wouldn't have done that if you didn't love me?!"

"Maybe I have changed," he had agreed.  "I'm no longer blind to the person you are.  And as for being happy, let me enlighten you to a fact.  I haven't been happy for a long time, much longer than you realise."  She had slapped him then and stormed off to her room.  He was of the view that he had probably deserved that, but it didn't mean that he was going to stick around and suffer more.  Just an hour ago, he had completed a purchase of an apartment near his office.  Originally, he had wanted to use the context that it was a place to stay if he happened to work late.  After the night prior to last, he didn't care what others thought.

Yet, having grown a little attached to the ornamental garden beside the University, he still found himself drawn there that morning, choosing to linger there rather than go into the office to face a new sonata of music.  After all, it was likely that those eyes had long since learned from Destiny that he no longer intended on returning to that house.

He lifted his camera, scanning over the numerous individuals, businessmen and women, university students, general workers and not a few small bots collecting rubbish and clearing weeds.  Occasionally, he captured a scene, a group of girls giggling around a personal holo-device, pigeons scattering to the sky as a stern faced man stormed through their path, a youth with the craziest, rainbow coloured hair.

Dominic returned to this image, feeling suddenly old due to this vibrant youth, who dared be different by dying his hair such an insane way before dressing it with feathers and coloured clips...

"How do I look?" A beautiful youth with lilac bobbed hair twirled in front of him, the white skirt of his dress flaring as he did so.  His laughter echoed around them and warmed his heart... he?

Dominic shook the vision from his mind, his pulse suddenly racing and his trembling fingers struggling to maintain grip on the camera.  These 'scenes', these strange apparitions that danced before his eyes were becoming more frequent, not only in his dreams, but while he was awake as well.  But they were so disconnected, making no sense to him and he seldom was able to see the faces of those in them.  Sometimes he was passive to them, some made him wish to weep or wish to laugh.  And yet that haunting laughter that he always reached for, that sang to him, why could he never grab its source?

He swallowed and buried the remnants of the vision that had shaken him and focused on the image upon the camera, suddenly realising that the tall, vibrant youth was not alone in the image.  He was accompanied by another boy, one with hair that ranged in deep brown tones to blond highlights.  He was a bit shorter than the other, did not stand out as much, thanks to his choice of clothing, which is why Dominic may not have noticed him at first.  However, his eyes...

Dominic enlarged the image, wanting to see more of those pale eyes and his heart once more began to beat loudly in his chest.  The picture blurred, not giving him the detail he desired.  He leapt to his feet, scanning the crowd, hoping to find that vibrant haired boy or more specifically, his friend.  But the pair were no where to be found.

He placed one foot in front of the other, his eyes wide with hope, his camera clutched to his chest as if it had suddenly become more precious than water in the desert.  He was not able to find what he sought as he left the park, he could assume that the youths were from the University, but they also might have worked in one of the numerous coffee shops or catering departments on world.  They might have been here on a trip for something entirely different.

So he headed to his office, not noticing the receptionist, who warmly greeted him, nor the office worker, who travelled in the elevator with him.  He entered the office without word of acknowledgment to anyone.

Dominic wirelessly connected his camera to his HCU and downloaded that single image that had caught his attentions.  He instructed it to enlarge and enhance the smaller boy's image and then just the face of the boy, cutting out completely his vibrant haired friend.  The photographic printer began to replicate the images numerous times, producing small prints at first, until instructed to produce a larger one.  Eventually, the images coated his desk.

This was the scene his older brother and Artem's assistant walked into, pausing midsentence, for he was about to provide Dominic with a few tasks to complete.  As Artem witnessed Dominic gently stroking the lines of a youthful face, his heart sank in his gut.  He inwardly sighed.  He had hoped that Dominic had finally accepted who he was, of his place within the family.  He had been reporting back to his father that Dominic was slowly investing himself in the company and things were looking promising.

However, Artem now realised that this was not true at all.  Dominic had been merely putting on a show for them all.  His eyes were drawn to one of the prints of the boy on the cusp of manhood.  He noticed that the boy had pale eyes.  Seeing as the image had been reproduced so heavily, Artem wondered if this boy had been someone Dominic had been seeking; his brother certainly looked upon him with gentle affection and warmth, startling as he had not witness such an expression upon Dominic's face... probably ever.

"Who is that?" Artem asked.

Dominic looked up at him, his warm eyes shining with a brilliant light and he laughed, a light, unburdened laugh.  "I have no idea," he admitted, his gaze fell back upon the picture in hand.  "But I have a feeling that he may just be the most special person in the universe."

*****

A neatly manicure hand ended the call that had interrupted her session in makeup.  No fucking way! The woman thought.  There is no fucking way I will let him win away my man again!

Destiny had hoped that the little house breaker had been an illusion, a product of software within that blasted hell of that so-called Archive.  To discover that he had been the same as them, a person from reality stuck traversing worlds.  The System has not told her much about him, just that the System wanted him and seeing as he always seemed to find and steal her man, Destiny had been happy to help try remove the little shit from the picture.  Only she had failed. 

Finding out that what had truly happened, that the System has actually been holding them hostage and that she was the fiancée of a wealthy businessman's son had been a shock.  Her memories from prior to her time in the Archive had awakened over the next few days and then she had made plans to meet with her fiancé, perhaps even break their engagement due to her broken heart.  However, the moment she had laid eyes on him, she knew that he had been the man she had been chasing all along.  That little shit had been keeping her from her own fiancé all along!

It didn't take much to convince the elders in Dominic's family to secure their marriage, especially following that tense time where she almost lost him for real.  As soon as his disconnection had been confirmed, they had whisked him away to a private hospital for recuperation and the marriage certificate had been signed by proxy as Dominic's greatest wish.

She had thought, partially due to his lack of memories within the Archive and their previously harmonious relationship, that she had him back, that he was finally hers for good.  But Dominic would not let her near him, would not open up to her nor let her touch him.  He had used the excuse, at first, that he wished to concentrate on his rehabilitation first, so she had stepped back graciously.  However nothing had improved.

And now that little husband stealer was back?  There was no way she could let them meet, ever.

Decision made, she placed a secure phone call.  "Daddy, I need someone removed..."