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When Khun opened his eyes, it was to a vast and empty void. No, that wasn’t right. He felt surrounded. A pulsing, familiar power saturated the otherwise empty space around him.
That wasn’t quite right either. The power was present, but it was missing the usual accompanying pressure of shinzu. Would he be able to move without shinzu? No, there had to be shinzu if he could breath.
Oh wait, he died.
That realization would have put a lesser man into hysterics, but Aguero Agnes was a Khun. Khuns plan, not panic. Assess, strategize, implement. If a plan fails, start again at step one. There’s no room for distractions, Baam needed him.
Assess. He needed to get up and assess his surroundings. Could he get up? Khun, although grateful for the lack of pain, found himself disturbed by the overall lack of sensation. Wait, was he already up? Pushing his arms backwards proved effortless, as there was nothing to stop them.
The tightness in his chest began shift like a pot of water that finally reached it’s boiling point. He couldn’t get his bearings. He couldn't assess anything. Frantic, Khun began to whip his head around, hoping desperately for any tiny hint of information he could use to ground himself.
Khun felt as though he could see for miles, which was an odd belief considering he was surrounded by nothing but darkness. He twisted and turned with ease, despite there being nothing to push against. The steadily building panic bubbled over into manic laughter.
“So this is death, huh?”
Nothing but silence answered him. Not that Khun had been expecting someone to respond. He was dead after all.
“Damn.”
A humming, gurgling, grinding sound startled him into a defensive position—As though he could die any further. Khun rolled his eyes at himself and straightened, but could not dispel his wariness. Had the noise not sounded so monstrous, he could have sworn it was a chuckle.
Something appeared in the distance. Well, that was an over-exaggeration from an over-eager mind. More accurately: Khun felt a general awareness that there must be something far to his left. Unfortunately, the more he focused on it, the more his instincts screamed for him to run the opposite way.
The familiar mind-clearing race of adrenaline hit him like an addict’s first taste of a relapse. A sane person shouldn't find the feeling of terror so comforting, but no Khun ever claimed to be sane.
The sensation slowly, but steadily increased. Was he getting better at sensing it (imagining it), or was there something dangerous approaching him? Khun wished he at least had his Sweetfish for company.
Wait.
Khun called forth said fish, the action short-circuiting his brain when it actually worked. Why would he still have his fish in death? The fish swirled around him as though nothing were amiss.
Was he actually dead?
There was now a distant light in the direction of the dangerous energy, and the fish began to swim toward it. If he’s not dead yet, would heading towards the light do the trick? It looked as warm and inviting as he’d imagine Zahard’s front porch light.
Khun hesitated to follow—his instincts at war with his mind. He knew finding answers to his questions would require he go investigate. Also, If there was anyone he could trust, it was Baam, and that fish.
This is a bad idea.
One deep, mentally necessary breath later, and Khun was floating toward the monstrous, rumbling, red flag of information in the distance.
What he found was worse than he’d imagined.
A humanoid creature with grey skin and blue fire instead of hair cackled and screamed at a demon without skin to cover it’s muscles and sinew. It’s blood pulsed and oosed, making the creature a vibrant red. One large horn protruded from it’s forehead, in a way that would have quickly given Khun a neck-ache. He was grateful for the lack of smell in death(?).
Then came the same noise as before—definitely monstrous laughter, and Khun spun around to see a large serpent with a mouth large enough to swallow a floating station. It was the one they’d helped baam store inside himself.
Was he inside Baam?!
If so, when and how did he consume the other two monsters? And what was that ball of light…
“Stay far away from the light if you want to continue to exist.” The snake suggested, rather calm considering his situation.
“Right. Don’t go towards the light.”
The subtle background screaming picked up a notch, distracting the two monsters from their argument.
“Burn up or shut up! We’re talking here!” The blue one screamed at what looked to be a lump of souls.
“What the hell have you been eating, Baam.” Baam has been literally eating monsters this whole time. How would have been the better question, but Khun’s brain was close to being overwhelmed for once in his life.
Possibly had something to do with the lack of anything to stand on, or, really any sensation to ground him. Hanging out with terrifying sentient monsters might also just be anyone’s limit. Unless they’re Baam, then they’re apparently just a nice snack.
“Anything he get’s his hands on. He’s a bottomless pit.” Leviathan answered in a tone that was no longer furious like Kuhn had remembered, but more of a resigned melodic melancholy. It was actually quite soothing.
“What the hell is this?” The red creature gurgled threateningly. “Why would our captor collect such a weak specimen?”
If Khun had his sweetfish, did that also mean he had his Shinsu? Would he be strong enough to protect himself?
“What do you mean ‘what is this?’ You simpleton! This is the Khun Aguero Agnis!”
The two start bickering again, allowing Khun to piece together that The blue creature apparently watched Baam’s life like a soap opera. Apparently, he was ‘The Love of Baam’s Life’ and motivation for going forward.
Huh. A little late, but good to know.
Khun was thrown off the mental foundation he’d been building when they started making bets on what Baam would do next.
“Wait. How do you get to see what’s going on outside…Baam?”
“When he calls upon our power, it brings us closer to the surface of his consciousness, and we get to touch what he’s experiencing.” Laviathan explained smoothly.
“It doesn’t happen too often. He hates us.” The disgusting red creature hissed.
“Speak for yourselves! He used me as soon as he got me. He even let me fight my arch nemesis.” Liviathan countered smugly.
“Yeah, he just hates you. I’m his go-to guy and get to hang out right within reach almost all the time.” The blue one was starting to sound like more of a fanboy than a monstrously powerful creature.
“That’s how you know about me?”
“Yup. The dude is obsessive about his friends. He’s always ‘save my friends’ this and ‘my friends are in danger’ that. Pathetic if you ask me. Well, normally. You’ve always make him stronger, and aren't afraid to kill. You’re an acceptable and useful fixation.”
“Can we talk to him from in here.”
“Absolutely. Yelling at him to kill people is my favorite hobby. You should feel how riled up he gets!”
“That is quite entertaining. He always tells us ‘no’ though. That part is disheartening.”
“He didn’t tell me no about killing my nemesis.”
“Because he knew you couldn’t. Might as well let you have your fun.”
“You weren't there, so stop assuming! Unlike you mongrels, he knows my worth and value!”
“Did you kill the dude?”
“No, he—“
“Well there you go.”
“Oooh, he’s calling me! Time to go play! Blood, blood, please be bloody!”
“I’m going to go watch.”
“What about me? He WILL allow me to help.”
And then Khun was alone again. It felt weirder than the first time.
So he wasn’t… dead. But what was he?
He wanted desperately to try and reach out to Baam, but he was worried about messing the man up if he was in the middle of a fight. Which would make sense that he would be given how Khun died (didn’t die?).
He would ask the creatures when they got back, deciding that some meditation was overdue. Asses. He had I formation to assess now.
“Khun.”
It was Baam’s voice.
khun opened his eyes. It was also Baam’s face. Without thought, Khun stood and embraced the man. It was Baam’s body.
Khun wasn’t going to acknowledge the tears falling down his own face. Or the ache in his chest. And he would especially ignore the stirring in his groin.
“I’m sorry.” Baam offered, hugging his friend back. “Hwarin. I was told I would loose you forever this time. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t just let you die. Im sorry, it was selfish of me.”
“The creatures told me they can talk to you and see what’s happening. Tell me how. Let me see so I can keep helping you.”
“You’d…want that?”
“To finally get to know what you’re thinking and always be with you? I’ve always wanted that.”
The only thing that felt right to follow up such a statement was a kiss, and Kuhn couldn’t help but think how it made Baam’s life a lot like a soap opera after all. Baam was kissing him back though, and stressing about being on display could wait until later.
“Hah, told you. I get to take your spot for a week.”
“You know that’s ultimately our captors choice.”
“Hey Baam! I’m your go to dude for the next week! Don’t call on this poncy arse-hole okay!”
“Ok! Fine! Can we at least get the illusion of privacy?!”
“Deal!”
And then it was empty again, except that overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by power—of being surrounded by Baam.
“You don’t mind do you Khun? They get itchy if I try to suppress them too much.”
“Have you been dealing with this the whole time?”
“Ah, not entirely…they’ve just kind of accumulated over time… they’re really quite nice now. Though it is still a bit disturbing to constantly hear voices in the back of my head telling me to kill everyone, it almost sounds…loving?…now. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”
“None at all, but I’m sure I have plenty time to get used to it. now tell me how this brain of yours works, because I will go insane if I have to sit around and wait for you to pop in without being able to do anything.”