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A child sat within the corner of the cave's floor.
It wasn't Isaac. It was him but it wasn't. Being more like his father, due from the fact this entity was birthed from the desire to be like his father. The polar opposite that stood by Magdalene.
She was what good Isaac saw in his mother. The part of him that wanted to be like her.
Cain wasn't really like that.
Well, that would be harsh wouldn't it. But it was obvious that maybe Isaac's view of his father was..
Tainted, maybe.
It was beginning to settle on Cain of what he was.
"You know this won't matter." One of the many thems said. Another fragment of Isaac who represented one of the many bits of their mind.
The boy had been so caught off guard by this. Leaning upwards after just shoving his hand up into the slot machine as if he could possibly cheat it.
"What?" He said. With bit of a scoff within his tone. Especially near the end of his word. His mouth cracking bit of a 'did I hear that crap right?' as he turned to face the other boy.
Judas stood before him. His expression lacking anything other then a stern stare. Almost inching towards more of the description of a glare.
The boy's posture was stiff. His arms crossed and his lip tugged into an frown.
God, why did Cain ever even bother with 'em.
"Oh" Cain breathed out. Almost attempting a laugh, but it held no punch. "You ain't gonna repeat yourself."
The fez hatted boy's eyes seemed to only sharpen. He'd ask how was that possible, but, this was Judas he was faced with.
"Why are you going to the Chest." It wasn't exactly a question Cain noted. Judas was commanding the answer out from him.
Cain's one good eye squinted. He was puzzled by the other boy. A lot of the time, it was like this. The hostility from Judas. But this time.. There was something different. He wasn't just questioning his intelligence or his brash nature.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" His mouth was more so in an off straightened line.
His placement shifted. Now fully facing his body away from the machine and to the other boy. His hands curled. His brow furrowed over his good eye.
It was obvious by his expression he was feeling two things. Questioning the other boy within his mind, trying to solve it like a pick meaning to unlock. And.. His stomach.
It had an uncomfortable turn within it. He didn't know where this was going, but he didn't quite like it.
Cain's lip twisted. As it curled downward, his teeth begun to peek through. His grimace showed a bit of that brash nature of his. Teeth uneven and chipped. Despite the nature of his being, he still had imperfections like something that was real.
It was just how this reality shaped him he guesses.
When it became obvious that the other boy wasn't going to elaborate. He begun to try to turn away from him. "I need you to stop saying odd shit.."
As the brief interaction seemed to end. Cain heard Judas's voice from behind. Just when he had turned his back.
He should of knew better. Turning his back to the deceiver of all people.
That's exactly what Judas wanted it seemed. His voice, louder as he turned his chin up from Cain. His expression and movement froze upon hearing his words. He wanted to get a dollar.
Instead he was being interrogated by a boy who looked exactly like him but still managed to be shorter.
His breath was held in his throat. Judas didn't have a knife on him to his knowledge. But, he could cut.
He didn't really like knives. Despite often dashing head on and bashing heads with monsters. He didn't wanna get hurt without the adrenaline. Especially not from someone who could use this. Who would this against him.
"There isn't a point in going up. You won't reach anything beyond a corpse." Judas spoke. And for the time being, it's all Cain heard other then the light buzzing of the arcade.
Cain glanced back to him. Making sure his good eye was on him. But given the chance, he was just going to go back to wasting his money. Gambling it away.
"Are we still talking about the Chest?" Cain's furrowed look didn't fade when he took the silence as an answer. "Thought so."
He unintentionally begun to face Judas again. His expression turning sour as the ordeal continued. It was stressing him out.
"Look, no clue what you're on about hat boy. But I'm going to just get the completion mark." Cain emphasized on this, by pointing a thumb up to his chest.
Judas's neck swiftly arched his head downward. His eyes, now glaring up to Cain like that of an angry toad. "You won't be satisfied after what you saw last."
Cain now stepped away from the arcade. The uncomfortable feeling was everlasting, but now was overshadowed by the burning within his chest. He stepped forward. Inches away from Judas as he huffed through a sneer.
Their expressions almost matched. But instead of a glare. His eye was wide. Something furious behind it and the clinch in his jaw.
"I don't know what you're alluding to, but I'm not exactly likin' it. You don't talk about my bizz like that." His voice was gruff now. His shoulders tensed. But he didn't allow the other boy to respond. The feeling becoming overwhelming, and a sudden guilt crashing over him.
He turned past Judas. Almost nearly budding his shoulder into him if he hadn't been so smooth on his feet.
He didn't want to touch him. He didn't want to be touched at all. And least of all, he didn't want to start crying in front of the damned child. Wasn't like he could fight him. It would just be out right embarrassing.
As the one eyed boy stormed out. Judas followed his departure by turning his body. The malice within his face, dropping as suddenly as Cain's outburst. His eyes were vacant of anything it held. Now holding more of a 'hm' then anything.
Cain walking soon sped as he stepped through rooms that they had already completed.
His throat burned. His body felt hot. And he felt like poop.
He didn't want to face anyone right now. Not like Judas would ever go after him. They may of.. Begrudgingly been working together on this run. But they were not partners.
He sort of longed for someone like Magdalene to materialized before him. But that was wishful hoping. Something he knew was just plain dumb.
There was no point of wishing in this place. He was alone.
And that's how it would be for a while. Until he eventually caught up to whatever Judas was doing, which to be fair if he just went without him to the next floor.. He wouldn't of cared that much.
Judas would probably leave him behind. That's what he expected from the other boy. But why did his eye burn..?
He swiftly wiped his wrist over his eyes. His steps where locked like a marching soldier. His fists balled. Eye glaring into the cave's floor. That was, until something caught his eye.
The room he was inside, was quite bare. To the point he almost didn't see it. But he remembered when they first came in.
A golden chest was blocked off by some rocks.. And at the time being. He didn't have anything to get to it. Although he was mostly broke now because of the slot machine. He did win, a lot. Luckily for his favor.
Until the damn thing got stuck and didn't even give him anything! How is that even possible.
..That would be fine. He may of not gotten the dollar bill. But a golden chest could turn his sour opinion around.
Maybe being away from Judas for a bit was what he needed. He'll back track and meet back up with him. Hopefully in a better mood too. And it wasn't like Judas to continue something like that.
He always found something else to complain about.
Rolling his eye. He pushed the thought away as he took a bomb out from his inventory. It lit on it's own. Before it went off, he gave it a swift kick.
He always felt proud of that. It was always something the other kids eyed when they realized what he was doing.
Either because they were awe by his rad speed or.. Were warry to what he was doing.
Or, the blue one. Who never seemed phased by anything.
The glow in his eye faltered. The thought of that thing- Kid? He couldn't.. Really be sure what he could call it.
"Why are you going to the Chest." He felt his breath sink away from him.
He watched as the bomb exploded without much of an expression as the thought crossed his mind. He was ruining his own mood, but just how could he just forget it.
The paperclip met a lot of things to the boy. He could hoard keys while opening chests without any problem to then probably hoard more keys. Although he had about 15 now.. He wasn't going to get rid of the trinket any time soon.
It was useful. And.. Cain wasn't one to really, rid of things. Ever.
Like a dragon and their gold. Everything that sparkled Cain wanted it. Even if it met his run might fail, he would not leave anything behind. Not even crummy items like-
The corners of his mouth perked up a bit once he heard the lock of the chest opening. The paperclip coming in use once again.
But when his eye laid back to see his award. He was met with the head of Abe-
He fell back.
His breath catching and the world around him seemed to blur. The item was common for golden chests and he had somehow narrowly avoided it until now.
He didn't realize when he had pushed himself back, into the corner of the room. Sitting on the cool cave's floor with his legs drawn close to himself. A breath strained through and choked its way out from his mouth. He felt, unbearably clammy.
His teeth clinched into a small grimace as he bumped his head into the cave's wall. Pushing himself as furthest as he can away from- from-
Although he attempted to strain himself into being quiet. A whimper soon found its way bypassing his throat.
He was breathing heavily now and he didn't known how to stop other than to suffocate himself to stop making so much noise.
It wasn't- he knew it wasn't really his brother because he knew his existence was based on something he didn't quite understand.
So why did the guilt run through him colder than ice.
His voice choked through him in wheezes that must of sounded like the monsters they've encountered. Pained as he would not allow himself to just cry. For it would be too loud.
But it didn't seem to matter, as he was found anyway.
"..Cain?" The voice was hesitant. He recognized it, and his eye snapped toward the direction it came from.
Standing within the entrance to the room, was Judas. The boy in the fez he had just ran from.
The Satan worshipper. The one who dug into wounds he shouldn't dare approach but he would anyway. Digging his dagger right were it would begin to bleed back up again.
All sound, all movement from Cain stopped. Eerily still as he watched Judas blankly. Staring at his eyes. One of the things in appearance he could not share with any of them.
Beaten and bruised, Abel laid underneath him.
His blood running from his mouth and splattering up onto his face as he choked desperately for life to come back to him.
Cain was choking him. Strangling his brother with his own hands.
Over his eye was a deep, bloody mark. Leaving it battered and utterly useless. As he couldn't see as blood filled over it and poured out from his face.
He held the small rock within his hands before smashing it downwards into his prey. Killing him instantly.
He stepped away before his own blood loss overtook him and threw him into the ground. Plummeting down once his body gave out. Bleeding there until maybe death took him too.
But it didn't. He was here. But did it happen or was just a memory he held. How much of him was ... Really here.
Was it just explanation of his appearance. A story told again and again. For someone's enjoyment.
For Isaac's fantasy.
Judas looked.. Unsure. He didn't move from where he stood. Barely in the room at all. As if he was unsure if he was welcomed at all.
It wasn't as if he was a demon beckoning Cain to let him inside. It was.. Unusual for the boy.
He looked cautious as if he didn't want to bother the other boy. Almost aware of the consequences of his words.
"Why are you going to the Chest." Cain didn't know now. To complete one last thing he supposed.
His reality slipped. Or what could be called a reality when they are all drawn to life. And Judas seemed to be aware of this.
"I.." He started. It was breathy. His hesitation obvious as opening up.. Wasn't something he was entirely capable of usually.
He didn't bite his tongue for nothing was there. His eyes wondered away from Cain, and settling on the chest with the item still floating above within it.
"Oh."
They were silent for a moment. Neither moving or talking. Depsite how he felt, he listened keenly on what was occurring around him. The soft sound of Judas's feet against the cave's floor. He stepped out from the location he was previously glued to.
Cain didn't react to when the other boy sat down next to him. His position comparable to his own. Neither looked at peace. Something lingering on the both of their minds.
Judas's throat rung as he tried to manage the courage to just speak. He felt as tho it wasn't his place.
His apathetic nature is why the two of them were just sitting instead of moving on to the next floor. He did not keep track of time, but he guessed if he did they must of been there for almost an hour. Wasting away on this floor.
So early within their run too. It was almost funny how quickly it went to shit.
"What do you think is going to happen when we are finally done?" He asked. His voice void of the previous cold malice it did in the arcade.
It was soft, dry, vulnerable.
Cain did not often see Judas like this. So stuck up on himself and his anger. Catching him like this.. It was unusual for the two to just talk without bickering.
Judas let out a shaky laugh when Cain did not respond. "The thought terrifies me."
He sunk down, resting the side of his head onto his knees. His eyes were tired. Any bit of flare from them previously was extinguished.
Now it was just two tired kids sitting alone with one another. Trapped within the depths.
They've never known nothing outside of it. But sometimes Judas wondered what it would be like if he was truly a person. With guilt that was his own instead of placed upon him by his creator.
"Magdalene completed everything." Cain finally spoke. The sound of his voice causing Judas to snap his head over towards him.
There was a pause. Hesitation. Before Judas spoke. "Have you seen her.. Magdalene. Since then?"
"No." Was Cain's blunt answer. Harsh behind the fact he missed his friend. His counterpart.
She was made from the better things in Isaac's life. Unlike himself. And without her...
"Are you going to do it?" Judas stared at him from the corner of his eye. Watching the others boy face cautiously. Trying to decipher emotion out from Cain's fixed expression.
"Why are you going to the Chest."
Cain was silent. His face unreadable as he thought of what to say. What he wanted.
"No."
Judas seemed satisfied with this. Turning his head away to cast his gaze in the same direction Cain was. To the opened golden chest. "Good. I would suggest you wouldn't."
Now Cain had to laugh at that. Just a bit. "Seriously? Thought you hated me."
"Oh." Judas's voice was uncharacteristically soft. Before his tone narrowed in the way that was much more him. "I do. I would much rather have you then nobody."
"Thanks." Cain scoffed. Before giving Judas a questioning brow. "What do you mean nobody?"
"Eve, Bethany, Azazel." Judas begun. "Samson, Lazarus.." His voice trailed off, turning back to a faint breath. "They're all gone."
Something struck through Cain. A cold realization. He sat up. Quickly pushing himself off from the ground and away from Judas.
There was panic in his eye. A horrible, terrifying feeling clinching within his chest. Judas watched, his eyes still tired, dry.
"Are-" Cain pulled down at his head. Clinching his teeth as his breath became uneven. "Are you sure?"
"There's no reason to play with them anymore, Cain." Judas said calmly. His eyes trailing away from the other boy. "They've done everything already. Now it's our turn to join them."
"Are you?" It was now Cain's turn to ask it. The thought haven't even crossed his mind.
Judas seemed like he long excepted it.. Maybe this is why he was such in a pissy mood.
He was the deceiver and he couldn't do any more than to be a puppet.
The end was inevitable. But Judas had seem to be avoiding it from the very beginning. Because unlike them, he knew.
He knew and Cain was beginning to realize too.
Judas laid his head back down onto his knees. "No." He said. "I was just going to go back to the Dark Room."
Cain almost could laughed because- who the heck does the Negative path more then once. Before he realized.
He needed to go to the Chest as well.
"Um, well.. Let's do that." Cain suggested. His words making the other boys head pop back up.
"I'm not... I'm not gonna to be placed to the side. When they're done playin' with us." He spoke carefully. "I don't really want that. That sounds like it sucks."
"I don't really want to stop existing." Judas said. Utterly quiet.
He didn't like this. He wanted Judas to yell at him. To call him an idiot. Not.. Be engulfed by the thoughts of what happens when they're finally done.
"Yeah." Cain's voice did not avoid the fear that pinged in his chest. "Yeah, I don't think anyone really wants that."
Cain reached his hand out, placing it on top of one of Judas's. They stared into each other eyes, something that was obvious to point was their difference.
Cain's stomach clinched. Maybe it did not exactly show in his eye, but he wanted to brush past this.
He was always the faster one out of the bunch for a reason.
"C'mon, I'll- I'll grab the item and we can try get to Mom. Together." Cain said. "Promise."
Judas stared at him. His face was mostly vacant, making it difficult for Cain to judge what he could be feeling. But staring at the boy, he noticed they did not hold the same face.
Despite their body's always resetting and healing from their previous run. Judas looked permanently tired.
"We're not gonna make boss rush.." Judas uttered, causing Cain to almost choke.
"Now who cares 'bout that- we're way past that." Mostly due to the shock, he spoke with haste. Panic flooding his senses.
It must of been obvious. From the way his face dropped and his eye widened. Because that breif bit of vulnerability was gone. Judas's lips curled into a coil smile.
Cain's mouth dropped. His hand almost slipping away from Judas. But he quick. Slapping his other hand over his. He held it firm into between his hands. Not allowing Cain to go far.
He used this to prop himself up. "That's what you were offering. Your hand?" His eyes held something smug within them. His head tilted to the side. His smile soft but something dangerous underlying it. "I don't know why you're acting like I'm taking advantage of it."
Cain's brow narrowed. "Now just how much of that was even genuine? Were you just messin' with me this whole time." He said, his voice accusatory.
"I don't want to sink down any further." Judas says, leaning toward the other boy's face. There's an odd, snake like calmness about it. "Or his voice will begin to get too loud."
Before Cain can muster a response or even think of something good to say back, Judas turns on his heel. And for a moment he thinks he's going to leave him.
"Wh- Huh?? The Devil?" Cain fumbles. Spitting out his words as they come to his mind.
Judas snaps back to him. Looking back with a familiar annoyance. So much so the thought of it being permanently stuck had definitely crossed Cain's mind a few times.
"Are going to get your item or what. It's stronger with you anyway." A smile flickered across Judas's face. "I wonder why."
Cain gritted his teeth. Narrowing his eye at him. "Thanks for making it weird in front of my brother." He hadn't moved despite Judas's coaxing him to. Standing firmly in place. Anger filling his chest almost unwarranted. "Sorry I ever tried bein' nice to you."
Judas's face dropped. Something had processed within the boy's mind. "I was just trying to brighten the mood."
An almost offended gasp escaped Cain, but he cut it off before it could further. Ending up mostly choked. "You're terrible at brightening things up."
Judas cracked a grin. A small laugh escaping him until he clamped his teeth shut. "Was it the dead brother comment."
Cain stepped forward. Pushing Judas out from his path even tho he wasn't directly in it. The other boy staggered on his feet, but he didn't look too offended by the action. Probably knowing it was deserved.
"You're terrible ya know that?" Cain sneered. Grabbing the item as he glared at Judas. Mostly ignoring the item spawning across from him, focusing his eye's line of sight into Judas.
"If it makes you feel better I do feel like crap over thinking about it too." Judas said, as if Cain was a mind reader.
Noticing the other's confusion. His eyes flicked, rolling them before looking back to Cain somehow appearing bored. "The guilt that was placed upon us."
Cain's anger stifled. His face dropping as he quietly uttered a small 'oh.'
Turning on his heel, Judas begun to walk out from the room. But slower this time. He wanted Cain to follow him, and he did.
"It's rather stupid, don't you think?" He asked. He now seemed to be watching Cain thoughtfully.
"M... Yeah." Cain glanced down toward the ground. Maybe to avoid Judas's gaze, or the rottened baby that was supposed to he his brother.
Abel only existed as a person in his memory. It made him uncomfortable if he dwelled on it. He was trying to get that to stop, wasn't he.
"We can stop talking about it if you want." The eyes that bore into him suddenly flickered away. Staring ahead of them now.
It caught Cain off guard. That Judas wasn't prying. Speaking of what he wanted to. Digging his dagger where it didn't belong. Just because someone had their back turned, showed a weak point for him to strike.
It was almost humanizing. Something they weren't.
Cain was thinking he was gonna begin making himself sick. Is this why Judas looked so tired? If so, he didn't like it.
After a bit of a pause, Judas spoke again. Noticing where they would soon approach.
"I didn't beat the boss by the way."
Cain's sympathy and trying to understand why the boy was the way he was vanished. Annoyance overcoming him.
Judas did not let him speak tho. Stopping in his tracks to give him one of the poorest attempts at a sincere smile. "I was saving it- for us to do it together!"
Cain squinted at him. "Let's just get this over with."