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Thunder rumbled across the dark, clouded night sky. Distant lightning illuminated the area, heavy rain pelting down Quixis’ neck. They didn’t care–they couldn’t care– about it. That wasn’t the major worry. The bigger issue was getting to Kayraen before time ran out.
Tik tik tik went the clock inside their head.
Tik tik tik went the dreadful feeling of being late. The primordials of this world have fallen–this was news to all who lived here.
The gods that once resided in the town they ran through were all gone–including their houses. Flames licked up each individual item and material it could, burning bright and orange. This storm didn’t help it, with wind whipping at it the fires seemed to be fueled further from the evaporating, salty droplets that were rushing in more hailstone-sized downpours.
There was a yell. A scream for help that Quixis recognised. Kayraen , they thought. Panic swelled in their chest, tight and painful that seemed to force their legs to move faster throughout the hard-to-see town.
“Quixis!” He yelled out again, a pained and scratchy voice that was either outused or not used enough. They kept running in the direction of their brother, a tremor rumbling the whole ground that made them stumble a little, before catching sight of their brother.
He was limping around, desperately trying to find his brother. Kayraen was clutching the side of his torso, mainly his ribcage that seemed to have magenta blood running out from it and down his pale finger.
Something flickered in the look Kayraen gave Quixis when he saw them, something that ignited Quixis to run over and catch him. His legs gave way, caving in on themselves, barely touching the ground before Quixis got to him.
“Kayraen?” Quixis asked, a fretting voice that swelled with fear of losing their brother. They placed a hand over his own, applying pressure to the constant flow of magenta blood from a large, open wound.
“Quixis-” He coughed, splattering blood onto Quixis’ purple and yellow trench coat, lined with black and white swirls around the edges. “Quixis- They- They’re coming.” He managed out.
“They’re coming for you and Artemis next. You have to run. You have-” He was interrupted by a wave of wet and dry coughs, filled with that same magenta blood that now pooled beneath Quixis’ hand.
“But- Kayraen, I can’t- I can’t leave you.” They said, a softer tone that was gentle to the dying brother.
He offered a weak smile, pain behind his green slit eyes. He lifted a shaky, pale hand and reached to cup Quixis’ face. “You won’t leave me. I will forever be with you.” He spoke softly, barely audible from the crackle of thunderbolts and lightning hitting the ground roughly, this time a small tremor joining it.
The light from the continuous flashes illuminated Kayraens face to be less sad, despite the expression that was plastered along his face. Quixis felt a tear prick in their eyes, before it slid down their cheek and dropped onto his cheek, mingling with the raindrops.
“I- I can help- I can fix this- I can fix this wound” Quixis said, desperately trying to find a way to properly help their brother. Kayraen let his arm drop from Quixis’ cheek, only to have it held by them with their other free hand.
“Don’t- Don’t bother, Quixis.” Kayraen strained out, a weak voice. “I won’t be able to stay for long. If you tried, it would be too late. No one has the power anymore to heal me. That’s too much of an ask from even the primordials.” Quixis frowned, still trying to make attempts in their mind to try fix this.
“I caused this…I can fix it. I caused this to happen. I caused the primordials to fall, I caused the issue. I should be the one to fix it.” Quixis said, this time a more determined tone.
“Don’t- Please Quixis. You’re going to burn out your powers and you will fall like all the others. I can’t live that way, living that you fell to try to help me.” Kayraen said, coughing slightly.
Quixis stared at him for a moment, before dropping it. “Fine. But- please, what happened to cause this?” They asked, nodding their head to the open wound.
Kayraen’s breath hitched, a thin line forming on his face. “The gods. In anger of me being your brother, they stripped my powers and struck me with the scythe.” Quixis shifted their gaze back to their brother, as lightning flashed in the clouds, they saw the dullness and the life that was stripped from him behind his eyes. It sent an unsettled cold shiver down their spine, mixed with the ice-cold droplets of rain caught from their brown hair that was now drenched.
Kayraen’s breathing slowed, causing Quixis to return the reality that lay before them. Their heart ached at the knowledge that he was going to die. Instead, Quixis help his hand close, cradling him in their lap.
Another bolt of lightning flashed, thunder rumbling too close for comfort, scorching the ground. Then that ground shook below the two, causing Kayraen to cough more and more, a rattling sound that echoed dully throughout the open area.
“Take care of Artemis, Quixis…” He croaked out, head drooping to one side. Quixis stared, tears falling as his hand went limp in theirs, his breathing stopping. For once, Kayraen looked content in his state. The bleeding had slowed, and his dull eyes grew lifeless, finally free of the pain he endured just mere moments ago.
Choking out a sob, Quixis leaned down to hold Kayraen closer, shaking sobs escaping them, rattling their frame. Rain only fell harder. Something Quixis never fathomed before had just happened. Something that wasn’t possible happened the entire week. A whole week.
There was a rumbling in the ground, a shaking that caused Quixis to look up through tear-blind eyes. There was rumbling and shaking, before the sound of cracking. Sure, the ground had been splitting previously, but now it was getting awfully close.
Quixis stared in horror, watching it creep closer and closer, the ground opening to swallow them home. Maybe this was what they deserved. No, no it wasn’t. They weren’t supposed to end this way.
Crack.
The ground split, just away from Kayraen so that he didn’t fall.vAlthough Quixis did. They fell, being torn from the company of their brother’s cold, limp body. There was a flash right as they fell, a flash of lightning that singed Kayraen’s body, igniting his clothing on fire, flames engulfing him and licking up each inch of him.
They stared in horror, reaching up at the edge in hopes to catch it, before they were too far from the top. They were falling. Gravity was pulling them down like a hand choking them. They couldn’t control what was going on. The air whipped at their exposed neck, flying their coat around them.
It felt like eons they were falling. I can’t die like this. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Panic started to swell in them again as they continued falling. They weren’t stopping nor slowing. The world was darkness. That slither of light that was illuminating the area was gone. That unsettled them the most.
Then they fell. They landed hard on the ground. But, it was cold. It wasn’t the regular soft green grass they were used to. No. There was an endless void around them, and the ground was much brighter.
Everything was bright. The ground was quartz, quite clearly, and their trench coat…it was bleached white, along with their hair, which was odd. They lifted themself up from the cold flooring, noticing it was a corridor that went on for ages. They began to walk down it, noticing how each hallway branched off to a dead end.
The ends were large enough for a doorway–a portal. They could try to recreate one from their old home, and get Artemis safe.
They took a breath, closing their eyes to focus properly. Slowly, they made gestures to conjure that portal, projecting it to the wall. Only, when they opened their eyes they noticed it was wrong.
They hadn’t known the colour of their homeworld, but gold didn’t seem right. Shrugging with a small blink, they walked up to it, touching the portal before they recoiled, being zapped by something.
The void became dark, and a voice boomed throughout the area. “What are you doing.” It was more of a demand than a question, and Quixis was taken aback slightly.
“I- I’m just trying to get back home.” Quixis responded, turning around to the source of the voice.
“This is your homeworld?” The voice asked again, suspicion in its tone.
“Yes. Yes it is.” They nodded in response, turning back to the golden doorway opened.
Then there was silence. It was a silence that reminded Quixis of the waiting for a position on the courts. Then the booming voice spoke again. “Don’t go through that portal.”
Quixis’ brows furrowed, confusion striking them. “Why? I need to get Artemis back.”
“That portal- I don’t think it'll lead you to your homeworld. You won’t find who you’re looking for there.”
“But- My powers, they’re supposed to create things- portals that take me where I want them to go. That’s part of the reason I have them” Quixis protested, staring at their hands.
“You’re powers- They got a little muddled when you fell. This portal isn’t where you want to go.”
Quixis fell silent, a dark gaze washing over them, eyes filled with determination. “I don’t believe you.”
“Quixis. You must rid this portal. It is unsafe for everyone here, including yourself.” The voice said, a more cautious tone than normal. Quixis sighed, lowering their head.
“Fine. I’ll get rid of it. If my powers are messed up, it will be difficult. I can’t promise you it will go.” They said, backing up and shutting their eyes. The voice went silent, and Quixis made more gestures to rid the portal.
They opened their eyes. It didn’t work. The portal was there, swirling as per usual. “Well then. I told you it wouldn’t work.But I have an idea.”
Quixis fell silent for a moment, before continuing. “If you allow me to place the other end of my portal inside a mortal, I will cause no harm to your universe. That, I can promise.” Quixis said, staring up.
The voice was silent, clearly contemplating it before speaking again, a booming voice Quixis wasn’t quite ready for once again. “Fine. I trust you not to cause any more harm.”
Quixis smiled, nodding in agreement. “Just remember, all actions have a cost.” And with that, the voice disappeared. Quixis redirected their end of the portal to a mortal’s soul, and it worked. They only noticed one different thing. It was a child, and their eye was bleeding and different–purple.
They didn’t mean for this to happen. Shit . They thought, noticing the other child approaching. He looked like Kayraen. The same hair, and something else. He seemed to have that same energy that Kayraen had, along with the dullness of the ability to soon sprout of seeing the auras.
All actions have a cost. Those words echoed throughout Quixis’ mind, making them slightly unsettled from it. Merely shaking it off, they turned to leave that hallway, alone, with no way home.
They can’t return now.
That world is gone.
This is their world now. They have to monitor the portals they open, and cause no harm. Easy right?