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Mydei swore he wasn't going insane.
Mydei was currently in the Exotale. After the fight with Irontomb and saving Amphoreus, all the Heirs had woken up here (with the exception of their dear Deliverer, Phainon, who had woken up later). The trailblazer had explained to them that they were currently in the As I've Written and unfortunately, still weren't real. Although, unlike Amphoreus, they would (hopefully, at least) become real eventually with the passage of time. They also learned during this the damage Phaino had sustained and Cyrene's sacrifice.
The place was gorgeous in Mydei's opinion. The bright pinks, blues and purples made a nice colour combination and was pleasing to the eyes, unlike a certain someone's fashion sense. Castorice had even once mentioned wanting to try painting the area since it was so pretty. Although right now the colours were more of a dark blue and purple, and the normally blue sky was currently dark, indicating that it was Evernight (or night, as the ones from beyond the sky called it).
The Heirs were safe now, for the most part. A few of them sustained minor damages. Phainon, having sacrificed his own sanity for 33 million cycles and having his mind and body taken over by Irontomb during the fight, had sustained the most injuries when he awoke in the Exotale.
Mydei could still remember the state Phainon was in when he appeared, much to his displeasure. Hyacine had reported nerve damage all over his body which had been burned by the coreflames, injuries all the way from his head to his legs, severe blindness in both eyes, and brain damage. Thankfully, the pink haired nurse had also said that these weren't going to be permanent, thanks to the nature of the Exotale.
It had been a week since then. Phainon had since gotten better, even if he was still wracked by guilt and nightmares from the cycles. He could see better, could start walking again, and the feathers in his wings were starting to grow back slowly. He still had remnants of the brain damage and tended to have trouble keeping up and responding to conversations if they were too fast or complex, but he could still talk with the Heirs, which was enough for Mydei.
Surely, this should have meant that everything was fine. That even if there were lingering scars from the cycles, everything should've been getting better.
Unfortunately, that was not the case, at least not for Mydei. Because for the past week, he swears he's been seeing shadows, more shadows then there should be.
Sometimes it was near the trees, other times at the corner of a building or behind a wall. It had always been out of the corner of his eye, barely even visible if it weren't for his quick sense, and too fast for him to ever catch proper proof of its existence. Everytime he tried to tell someone else about it, they wouldn’t believe him or they would say that they hadn't seen it.
It was driving him mad.
At one point, he started to think he was simply going insane. That he was simply too paranoid from it all, and his brain had just started conjuring you fake images in a fit of madness.
That was until one day, where the shadow had lingered around longer than usual, and he managed to catch it ever so slightly before it ran off. He hadn't actually caught it, but he did manage to tear off a piece from its clothing- it was a small black piece of cloth. It was proof of its existence, proof that he wasn't going insane
So that's how he ended up here, in the centre of the garden during the wee hours of Evernight. The shadow rarely showed itself when there were people, more often showing up when he was alone with no one to see it.
Now that Mydei was here, he realised that he didn't have any… real plan to catch the shadow. Sure, he knew it appeared more when he was alone, and that it liked to cling to him. But besides that he really didn't know anything else about it. It wasn't like he could force it to linger longer around either
Mydei let out a sigh. This was stupid. He didn't have any idea how to catch the thing, had no way of knowing more about it, and couldn’t force it out. Plus, it wasn't like it was posing any real danger either, so it wasn’t even like he really NEEDED to catch it.This was dumb. He shouldn’t have bothered.
Running a hand through his hair, Mydei was about to start walking back when-
“Awooo!!”
His instincts flared before his thoughts did, and Mydei turned around to the sound, hands raised in a defensive stance, thinking that someone had tried to take advantage of when he had his back turned and aimed for him-
“Awo…?”
-only to find two small Chimeras, one having its head tilted in confusion at Mydei’s alertness.
Ah. It’s Beagle Glowfire and Beagle Night. No need to overact.
Mydei let out a sigh of relief at that. Sure, he realistically knew there isn’t anyone in the Exotale who would be out to get him, but years of battles and fighting has made it hard to not immediately resort to his instincts.
Beagle Glowfire and Beagle Night were rather…strang Chimeras, to say the least. Anaxa had guessed they were creations by the Trailblazers, as they only appeared in the Exotale and none of the heirs remembered ever seeing them in Amphorues.
Beagle Glowfire had yellow, white and dark purple fur, supposedly to resemble Khaslana. It was a rather temperamental Chimera, seemingly untrusting of those around it and less playful than most Chimeras.
When the heirs had first found it, it was incredibly feisty and tried to bite at everything and everyone, and had minor scratches on its body. It stood as if defending something, and had ears and tails down as it tried to make itself bigger. When they had finally managed to see what it was defending, they had found three separate dolls, similar to the ones the Tribios’s previously were. They were ones of Mydei, Phainon, and Castorice, all hand sown by the former Maiden of Death.
Beagle Night on the other hand, had black, white and purple fur, more akin to the Flame Reaver. It was calmer than Beagle, instead being more quiet and reserved. It tended to hide between the trees and shadows, and seemed to prefer to make itself appear smaller.
Mydei and Castorice had found it lying near a field of flowers, its breath shallow and a large crack over its eye. Similar to Beagle Glowfire, minor scratches were found on it as well, although fewer than the other Chimera. After being rushed to Hyacine, she had said that the Chimera was, for now at least, in safe conditions, despite the giant gaping crack in its head. He was confused at how such a large and obviously concerning crack wasn’t causing any issues, but Hyacine was the doctor here, not him, so he was going to take her word over his.
Both Chimeras tended to follow Mydei around more, although Mydei found he didn’t mind, since he thought they were rather sweet Chimeras. They also rarely appeared out in the open in the Exotale, appearing at night instead when there were fewer people and it was darker outside.
“What are you two doing out here?” Mydei asked, quickly crouching down to pet the Chimeras. They always seemed to calm down significantly around him, he noticed. Glowfire had leaned into his hand, but Night had looked at someone in the distance. Curious, Mydei had looked up to where Night was facing, but found nothing.
“What are you looking at, Night?” Mydei had asked. The chimera didn’t respond (of course it couldn’t, it was a Chimera), rather it started walking off in…the direction of the Garden of Life. Glowfire had looked up at Mydei, tilted it’s head in the same direction before following after it too, as if asking Mydei to follow its fellow companion. And Mydei wasn’t going to deny them.
Arriving near the Garden of Life, it was- predictably- empty. Night had gone to sit in front of the tree, but Glowfire had stayed behind near the entrance. Mydei had initially continued following Night, but Glowfire had tugged on and even tried to bite his leg when he did so, which Mydei had interpreted as asking him to stay.
Mydei was confused. Really confused. He couldn’t find anything within the Garden of Life at this point in time. Most people had gone to sleep by now, and no other Chimeras were within the Garden. He didn’t leave though, trusting the judgment of the Chimeras. Even if they were just- well, Chimeras, he found them to be pretty smart, so screw him if he placed his faith in them.
Looking back at Night, the chimera seemed to be calling out to… someone? behind the tree. It let out a few mewls, before the thing it was searching for seemingly appeared. Thanks to the darkness of the night, Mydei tried his best to get a better look while still staying hidden, finally being able to notice what the chimera had been looking for-
“Found you.” Almost immediately, Mydei lunged out towards the shadow. It seemed to have noticed him, based on the way it tried to get back, but it was too slow. Mydei reached a hand out, grabbing it by the hood before pulling it down on the ground with a hand on its neck. He put a knee on its chest, preventing it from running away.
With the shadow finally stuck and unable to run away, Mydei could finally get a good look at it. A giant crack ran across its eye, its skin so pale it almost looked like marble. It had white hair that ran longer than most. It almost looked like-
“Flame…Reaver?”
-the Flame Reaver. The very one that had killed the heirs and him millions of times. Although, now with the knowledge of the cruelty and suffering he had gone through, Mydei couldn’t find it in himself to hate him. Not at all, not when he knew the pain the man had endured. Fuck his deaths, he couldn’t care less about that
The Flame Reaver brows furrowed at that response, though it continued squirming, trying again and again to run away despite Mydei continuing to press down on him. Mydei tightened his hold on his throat.
“Let…me go…” He rasped out, reaching out a hand onto the wrist holding his neck, trying to pull it away. The Flame Reaver had opened his eyes by now. There seemed to be something akin to fear in them. Maybe at the fact that he was currently pinned down right now he had killed across every single cycle. Not like Mydei was bothered by that.
Mydei only pushed down harder against the Flame Reaver, if only to get him to stop trying to escape. He tried to kick him off, but that didn't work either.
Finally, after a few minutes of thrashing and Mydei repeatedly telling him to “stop wasting energy, I'm not going to hurt you.”, the Flame Raver finally stopped. Maybe he finally realised he wasn’t getting out of this situation, or maybe he had simply run out of energy to continue fighting.
Now that he had stopped squirming, Mydei could get a better look at him. There was a bone deep exhaustion in his eyes (or, well, eye) that could only come from several lifetimes. His hair was longer than Phainon’s and it was matted and dirty, telling him it probably hadn’t been taken care of for a few days already. His breathing seemed shallow, like it was difficult to take in hair. Mydei pulled up his knee and loosened his hand a bit when he noticed that.
He was wearing a black hood and coat. There still seemed to be a giant hole in his chest- Mydei would need Hyacine to check that out later- and he still wore the claws he had back in the cycles.
“What…are you doing?”
Hm?
“Are you not…angry?”
Ah.
He remembers having a similar conversation with Phainon- being questioned why he didn't hate the man, and having to get it through his thick skull that none of them hated him and that he meant what he said about entrusting his weakness a billion more times if needed.
Maybe if he were any weaker person, he would've gotten tired of repeating himself and given up. Unfortunately for everyone else, Mydei had far more patience than the average person. He didn't spend lifetimes enduring Phainon and the Kremnoan detachments' weird shenanigans for nothing, after all.
“You helped bring in the new dawn, did you not? We couldn’t be here without you.” Mydei said.
“But…I killed you all…I’m…a monster…” He responded, eyes vacant, as if staring off at something Mydei couldn’t see.
“You did what you had to, Flame Reaver. You had no other choice. If you truly were a monster, you wouldn’t have endured so long just to save us. That was the purpose of the cycles and why you kept going, no?” Mydei had started running a hand through the other’s hair, the grip on the cracking man loosening more and more.
“Back in the prison you made, did you hear what I said to you about entrusting my weakness?” The other man slowly nodded at that, “I meant it, Flame Reaver. I did back then, and I do now. I would give up my weakness in a heartbeat if I needed to. There is none more deserving of it.”
“But I…betrayed you. I- you told me you’re weak spot and I- I had…killed you. You- you should… hate me.” Tears were starting to build up in his eyes now.
“Indeed you had killed me. And you were a worthy opponent. I had told you about my weak spot because I trusted you would be able to stand up to me, and you did. You had promised me that, if the day where I opposed the Flame Chase ever came, you would end me. And you did.”
“I’ll say it as many times as I need to, but I forgive you, Flame Reaver. You don't have to fight us anymore, and neither will I hurt you for what you had to do. You deserve a chance at life now, without needing to hide in the dark or away from everyone.” Mydei declared.
After a long silence, he finally responded.
“...You don’t mean it.” He should’ve expected that response. All the Phainon, across every cycle, were stubborn people. Oftentimes, it was admirable to Mydei, the way he refused to back down when fighting for what he believed was right. Right now though, it wasn't as helpful.
He figured a speech wasn’t going to help much right now. So, potentially in a fit of madness or delirious, he did the next best thing he could to convince the white haired man of his love.
He kissed him.
Perhaps if Mydei were more like any other person, he would've hesitated; maybe he wouldn't have kissed him at all, unsure on whether the man before him was the same one he fell in love with. Not that Mydei was going to let that stop him. For titans sake, he fell in love with this very man across 33 million cycles, even when he wasn’t there.
His hands moved from his neck to his face, pulling the other up as he crashed his lips against the other, though it quickly turned soft. The Flame Reaver clearly didn't anticipate that, based on the way his iris shrunk. It wasn't long before he had reciprocated the kiss himself though. His hands which were initially in the air moved to his wrist.
He pulled away when he noticed the Flame Reaver started having difficulty breathing. He'd definitely need to get Hyacine to check that later. He kept a hand on the other’s check though, the other hand moving to his waist
He looked up to see the Flame Reaver face, a flush traveling from his checks to his neck. A smirk appeared on Mydei’s face.
“Oh? You embarrassed this easily, Deliverer? It's unlike you to appear so flustered.” That only made the man more flustered, looking away as he attempted to hide the blush on his face behind his arm. It didn't work very well, to the misfortune of the Flame Reaver and the fortune of Mydei.
They sat there for a while in silence. It wasn't suffocating, or awkward, or anything. It was a comfortable silence. They had moved off each other at some point, instead choosing to sit beside each other.
The Flame Reaver’s breath still seemed rather shallow, and Mydei couldn’t stop himself from noticing the worrying amount of cracks on his body, but it was an otherwise peaceful moment for the two.
The silence was broken by a question from Mydei.
“Do you…know why you are here?” The Flame Reaver seemed to consider it for a minute. Strange, he seems to take really long to respond. Eventually, after another bout of silence, he finally answered.
“I’m…don’t know. I remember…painful, and then I…woke up here. It still kinda…hurts. I- shouldn’t be here, I…think.” His sentence was spaced out, as if he had to physically think about each word. Mydei grew worried at that, though it made sense.
The Flame Reaver was Phainon at his worst. When his mind was the most broken and his body had cracked under all the coreflames. It’s no wonder he was still injured. It was probably even a miracle he was alive and coherent
Even ignoring all the physical cracks on his body, which must’ve caused him major pain already, there were still plenty of other issues. He had already picked up on how the Flame Reaver struggled to breath. His sentences were garbled, and he took a long time to process whatever words was said. Brain damage most likely, if Phainon’s own symptoms were anything to follow.
“If…it makes it any better, I'm glad you’re here. We should go to Hyacine later, though.” Mydei suggested. Fear flashed through the white haired man’s eye at the mention of Hyacine, though it quickly went away, replaced by a vacant look.
“I- we…shouldn’t. She’s busy. I’m…sure.” Mydei had to stop himself from letting out a sigh at that. Even now, he was still wracked with guilt and afraid to seek help.
“HKS, don’t worry about that. You’re in pain right now, you need help, just let Hyac-“
Suddenly, a yelp came from a nearby tree. Both men whipped their heads around to the source of the noise, only to find-
Night and Glowfire had gotten stuck in the tree. Or, rather, Night had gotten stuck in the tree branches, whereas Glowfire was trying and failing to reach it. The Flame Reaver seemed to have panicked at that, getting up and quickly moving to get Beagle Night down.
He let out a sigh of relief seeing how the two Chimeras were unscathed, before sitting down crossed legged at the base of the tree. Beagle Night had even begun rubbing itself against his hand, which he responded to by petting it
Cute. Mydei thought. He really wanted to kiss him again.
So he did. He gave him a quick kiss on the lips again, which made the Flame Reaver, once again, blush and let out an unintelligible noise. He laughed at that.
“The Chimeras seem rather fond to you. Have you been hanging out with them?” Mydei asked.
“…I have. We’re all similar, somewhat. I don’t think…any of us were…supposed to be here.” The Flame Reaver answered. “And…they are quiet. Easier to keep up with.” Mydei let out a hum at that.
Beagle Night and Glowfire were on the quieter side between most Chimeras, which meant the Flame Reaver would have to focus on much less when it came to those two. He wasn’t wrong about them being similar either. And it probably wasn't a coincidence either that the Flame Reaver had gotten close to the chimeras which resembled Khaslana and himself.
Plus, all of them tended to follow Mydei around. Although they would do so silently, as if Mydei would be angry knowing how he was followed.
“It’s late right now. Do you wanna head back to my place? It shouldn’t be far.” He reached out and squeezed Flame Reaver’s hand. His eyebrows furrowed at the question, a look of uncertainty in his eyes.
“Am I…allowed?” Hah! What a ridiculous question. Of course he was. He would always be, whether as Khaslana, Flame Reaver, or Phainon. He could never possibly lock him out from his own home. That would entail locking him out from his very heart. Something that would kill him to do.
“HKS. Of course you are, I wouldn’t have offered it if you weren’t.” The Flame Reaver still seemed doubtful, but he followed him regardless. Mydei had made sure to slow his steps down, just so his beloved and the Chimeras could keep up.
This was nice. Walking with the Flame Reaver towards his own house, the night sky shining above them as stars twinkled. The moonlight shone down on the two, making for a rather pleasant sight. When the Flame Reaver had paused to look up at the stars, Mydei had looked back at him instead.
He looked radiant right now. Moonlight shone on him, highlighting his white hair and making it glow softly. A small smile played on his lips. He seemed to blend in well with the night. If Mydei were more experienced in arts, he would’ve painted it. Put it up on his wall maybe. Help preserve the memory with the beauty and effort it deserved.
They continued walking after that. Mydei couldn’t help but how Flame Reaver’s hands were cold. Phainon normally ran cold, though after the coreflames he typically ran hotter, but the Flame Reaver ran even colder. Chilling even. Still, he held on. He had bathed in the hottest waters in Kremnoans- held onto Phainon even as his own skin burned and his gauntlets melted. A little chill wasn’t concerning
“Hey, do you think you like another name?” Mydei asked. While Mydei didn’t particularly mind the name Flame Reaver, it'd probably be better if they had gotten him a name, instead of a title. The Flame Reaver debated for a moment, and seemed to agree, giving a slow nod.
“Okay. Do you have any ideas?” He seemed to think for a moment, various expressions flashing across his face as he debated his options, before eventually responding.
“…Neikos?” Mydei had paused at that, shocked and surprised. He didn’t think that Flame Reaver would choose that name of all things. Sure, Neikos wasn’t a bad name by itself. But that wasn’t the problem. The issue lied in its meaning; it had been the name Lygus used, and one that was used derogatory. It was the name of his code, something he wasn’t. Something that was used to dehumanise him, something to remove what made him human and rude him to mere pieces of code in an equation.
He sent a look at the Flame Reaver, asking: Are you sure?
“I want to…reclaim it from…him.” He spoke the last word with venom. “Khaos would be…too similar to his. And…I like to…give it new- meaning.” He said quietly. Mydei smiled at that response. Such a sweet reasoning. He couldn’t possibly refuse that- not like he would to begin with anyway. It was his name, not Mydei’s. And his comfort would always come first, no matter what.
“Alright then, come with me to my house, Neikos.” He reached his hand out to Flame Reaver- no, Neikos. A smile appeared on his lips again, pleased to see how this name was being given new meaning. He took the hand as they started walking back to Mydei’s house.