Chapter Text
"Nobody- nobody leaves here,"
Karl, or rather Isaac, held onto Charles as fear racked them both.
This was Karl's first time being in a foreign body for one of the tales, and he found that his and Isaac's traits combined in a way. While Karl still retained his love language of physical touch, fondness over Charles and the rest of the group also bloomed within him. And this wasn't just from the trip he's had with them; he had distinct memories and feelings towards them, much like those with Karl's friends in the present. It was surreal- surprising to say the least.
Karl clasped Charles' jacket tight between his fingers as Ranbob readied his diamond sword. He had seen hi-Isaac's friends die in front of him, and the grief hit him like a truck.
"What do you mean nobody leaves here?" He asks, his voice sounding somewhat steady despite the situation.
Ranbob looks between the two fishermen, bearing the weapon in his hands. Charles mumbles something of the same meaning, but is cut off by Ranbob rushing towards them. He rips Karl away from Charles, shoving him to the side.
"No, no, no- plEAS-" Charles gets cut off once again, but in a much crueler way. Karl's eyes go wide at the sight of Ranbob's sword plunged into Charles' chest.
"NO! CHARLES!" He screams as he watches Charles pinch his eyes shut in pain. Blood begins to sleep from the wound and through Charles' clothes.
Ranbob rips the sword from Charles' body, Charles falling to the floor with a sickening thump.
Ranbob charges Karl.
"Charles! Charles! NO-" Karl's screams stop. His chest feels like it's been plunged into freezing water, as liquid and air assault his body. The pain starts not too long after, screaming, scorching pain ripping through every fiber of his body.
Ranbob pulls out the sword, Karl limply falling to the ground. He couldn't move, his body enveloped in pain and liquid pouring out his chest and mouth.
"Is… Isaac…" He barely makes out Charles' voice, his ears ringing sharply.
He tries to respond back, say Charles' name, but all that comes out of his mouth are coughs, thick and brutal. The pain increases for a second, but then it muffles, and dies away. His vision becomes blurry and he doesn't see Charles reaching out for him. He's left with a second of peace, then everything goes black.
What happens now? Was he dead or was Isaac dead? Or both? He realized he was thinking, here in this void. He shouldn't be able to think if he's dead.
Suddenly he feels something deep within his chest, insignificant at first. Then it tugs a little. Then it yanks. It turns from a feeling to actual pain, similar to the pain of the way he died. It pulls at him, and he begins to scream at the way it hurts, how it feels like his soul is being ripped out of him. It finally stops when he's separated from the body he resided in, and he feels himself form into his human body. Once he was fully himself again, he looked back to see Isaac's body lying dead on the ground. He gasps and looks away quickly, wanting, needing to get away from that terrible city and its terrible story.
He focuses on his power, concentrating on a portal back home. His hair whips against his face and his sweatshirt ruffles in the power of the time portal as it forms. Once he finishes, he begins to step toward the portal. Getting away from here was… he hesitates. Thoughts swirl in his mind about Mizu and Ranbob but he shakes his head before jumping through the portal.
Traveling through the timeline, swirls of green and purple followed his path. He felt his body glitch same as it did last time, fizzling in and out of his natural form. Karl didn't particularly dislike his natural form, but he knew nobody back home found it pleasant. He most likely looked like a freak to them. He pushed the negative thoughts away and closed his eyes as he peacefully traveled through time. Soon he found himself hitting the solid ground, back home. He glanced at the portal behind him before opening the chest to his right. Two journals and a picture lay waiting for him. He wanted to forget all of Mizu and the things he experienced, but he couldn't. Not yet.
He had a tale to write after all.