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This day wasn't supposed to be any different from the countless days the survivors spent in Forsaken. It was meant to be like any other, yet since it had started and the last person woke up, Spectre was clearly trying to show that it had a 'wonderful' surprise prepared.
Of course, it didn't straight up write on the wall 'Yo guys be ready for the afternoon I'mma show yall sum crazy shi'. Spectre rarely even used such words, unless it was right after a meeting with Jason.
(He tends to give his guests some of the 'white powder' from his stock.)
Instead, the atmosphere in the cabin appeared tense, uncomfortable, and for some, even suffocating.
For once, even Chance and Shedletsky weren't being immature with their jokes.
The ambience was visibly taking the biggest toll on Two Time. They were on edge for the whole morning, eyes unfocused, tensing up at the smallest sound.
Almost as if they were ready for something to happen, even if they themself had no idea what they were actually waiting for.
Guest 1337 suggested that it might be the stress of the rounds, but no one really seemed to agree.
Additionally, today was just a few days after Two Time agreed (or rather was forced) to open up about their past, due to having an... rather eerie encounter with Noob. That could technically be a reason for their constant fright, except that it only concerned them and the latter.
In short, Noob was trying to get closer to Two Time and 007n7, since the two were clearly being left out of the group. Sadly, even though Two Time actually wanted to befriend them, after getting too close to them, the cultist hallucinated them as Azure - imagining him in Noobs place - which guided them to trying to stab them.
They first ended up tied up by Elliot (who was absolutely sure the poor one got possessed), then had a very profound talk with the other survivors about their backstory - including Azure's sad end.
The others showed understanding, as - let's be honest - everyone in that group had sinned in one way or another.
For example, Shedletsky was a former god (Telamon, to that), who created a vessel for his hatred using the Necrobloxicon and made it suffer until it became what is now known as 1x1x1x1 - The Embodiment of Hatred. But shh, no one knows about that yet.
Basically speaking, since that day Two Time was obliged to leave their dagger in the lobby after rounds, plus a few other rules were made. No blood rituals at 4 a.m., stuff like that.
Coming back to the present, the atmosphere became even more unsettling after no one was teleported to the first round, which usually happened around 2 hours after everyone woke up.
"G-Guys... this is starting t-to look really weird to me" - muttered Noob worriedly.
"What may thou mean by that, young one?" - inquired Dusekkar.
Most of the survivors were sitting in the lobby. Chance, Shedletsky and Noob were sprawled on the couch, Dusekkar was resting in the armchair nearby, Taph and Builderman sat at the table nearby, working on Taph's bombs, Guest 1337 was seated across from them, reading a book, and Elliot was cleaning the kitchen - with a bit of awkward help from 007n7 - whilst Two Time was most likely in their room.
"W-Well... everything! It's like we're waiting f-for something to happen, and it's stressing me out because I have no idea w-what it might be" - they explained defeatedly.
"Yeah, I think all of us are in that state right now. I think it's happened before, actually" - added Guest, putting his book down.
"Ya think so?" - asked Builderman, - "After a thought, ya ain't wrong, Guest. Somethin' like that's already transpired once. Maybe even more than once. What could it've been?"
Just as Shedletsky was about to join the conversation, a slam was heard near the door to the survivors' rooms.
All the attention swiftly turned towards the commotion, where a seemingly unknown person lay on the floor, slowly trying to move upwards.
"W-Where... am I?" - they muttered, getting up.
Something seemed oddly familiar about that one.
They had long, really fluffy hair that barely fit under their witch-like hat, purple eyes and clothing that included a long skirt reaching down to their ankles, a poncho with a spawnpoint symbol in the middle and a utility belt. Their color palette mostly consisted of brown.
"Oh shit, another one?" - asked Chance, looking at the intruder in shock.
"I-I'm sorry, who are you all?" - the person asked, tensing up.
"Oh, my god. Oh my freaking god, guys. That- Isn't that person-" - stuttered Elliot, wide-eyed.
"What do you mean?" - asked Shedletsky, before quickly having the same realisation, - "Ooh. Oh that ain't good."
He paused for a moment, before adding incredulously - "No way. There's just no way."
"H-Hey... sorry for that s-start. We didn't mean to scare you. Um... We'll explain the situation t-to you soon, but I have a few questions" - asked quietly Noob.
"Go on" - agreed the stranger after a moment.
"Is your name Azure? Azurewrath?"
"It is" - he said carefully - "How are you aware of that?"
The lobby went completely quiet.
Builderman cursed out Spectre under his breath.
"Hey, dude... any chance you know somebody called Two Time?" - probed Shedletsky.
Azure's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. No sound came out.
Well, the answer was obvious anyway.
Noob silently made a sign for him to join everyone on the couch, but Azure just shook his head politely and hid his face in his hands for a moment, until he calmed down a bit and looked back up.
"I..." - he paused, "Sorry, I don't really know what to say. First, I get translocated to this cabin, then I meet nine people who apparently all know me, and lastly, you tell me that- that... Two Time... Two Time's here?"
"I get that this is a shock to you, man. It was to all of us. Uh, in short, this place is where you'll probably be staying for eternity. Basically, all we do is survive endless rounds of dying and coming back to life. Nothing fun. Could've been worse, though... at least we have each other in here, that's something positive" - Chance explained.
"You've got to be kidding me" - Azure covered his face again, sounding completely defeated.
"Young one, I need to ask thee something. I am aware that thy situation is quite hard at the moment, but I must inquire, are thou part of that hellish Spawn cult?" - asked Dusekkar.
"No. I'm not" - the retort sounded completely sure, - "Even if my clothes say otherwise. I do not believe in Spawn. Not after what I saw in that damned place."
No one really asked for further explanations, since Azure didn't look like he wanted to talk about whatever he meant. Noob walked up to him and grabbed his hand gently, smiling a bit awkwardly.
"I know that t-the situation isn't the coolest you'd imagine... but, um, if you ever want to talk to us, w-we're here for you. I'm Noob, by the way. S-Sorry that I didn't answer you before, we knew your name because Two Time told us a-about you a few days back."
"They did?"
Azure still seemed a bit solemn. He didn't ask about what the latter told their friends about him, and he didn't ask if they said anything about their last day together. He was either too lost in thought to ask or was trying to hide that fact, in case Two Time didn't mention it.
"I don't know what I will do if I see them. I... I can't hate them. Even after everything that's happened between us" - the man looked down at the floor.
It was understandable, really. Try to place yourself in a situation where the person you trust the most, that you love and cherish, literally and metaphorically stabs you in the back... for a fake god. Sounds awful, doesn't it?
"Ya still love 'em, is that why?" - asked Builderman softly.
"Yeah. I think it's that" - answered Azure, a bit surprised at the former being aware of their relationship.
"I can only pretend to be mad. I'm genuinely not even blaming them for what they did, it was probably mostly Elder Amarah's fault or something..." - he added somberly at the thought of their past mentor.
"You could... try to talk it out? I mean, from what Two told us, they don't even know how they'd be able to look you in the eyes if they ever saw you again" - suggested Elliot.
"Oh, well..."
Just then, the door to the lobby opened, and Two Time quietly walked in.
"Guys, this one- I mean, I heard some commotion down here... is everything oka-"
Their sentence ended in a petrified gasp, sounding as if the words had gotten stuck halfway up their throat. A deafening silence followed. Builderman quietly cursed out Spectre once more.
Azure quietly turned around.
For a moment, the two just stared at each other. And so, they meet again. The past lovers reunite, except... not in the way any couple would want. The traitor and the betrayed one.
The stares of the other survivors probably weren't helping at the moment, the pair being the center of attention.
"No. No, no, no, no, no" - Two Time repeated under their breath almost soundlessly, the words only readable from their lips, as they took a few steps back. In their eyes, the world around Azure was blurred, only showing his silhouette
"This one's hallucinating again, right? Y-You're not real, none of this is real, it never is. You're n-not him. Y-You can't be..." - they whimpered shakily, walking up to Azure carefully.
They grabbed his hand gently, then immediately let go of it, as if it burned, letting out something between a choked cry and a scream. The sound was raw and pained, making some people behind Azure flinch.
"W-Why are you warm...?"
They walked a few steps back, looking at the other survivors with a glint of hope in their eyes.
"...He's real, Two. We can all see him" - said 007n7, looking away.
That little bit of hope they still carried had gotten completely obliterated by the ex-hacker's words. All they could do now was stare at the person before them.
Azure moved his hand from his chest, were it had been resting most of the time, revealing three purple flowers attached to a hole in his clothing, exactly over the spot where his heart would be.
"I'm real. And you" - he looked at the figure standing before him, - "You've got some explaining to do."
He actually looked somewhat mad. The only one unaware of the fact that it truly was just an act was, of course, Two Time. Azure walked up to them and dragged them to the corridor by the hand.
Noob managed to whisper-shout them a 'good luck', before the door was swiftly closed.
"...Ya'll think they're gonna be okay?" - asked Elliot, looking at the others worriedly.
"I'm unaware, dear. Let all of us just... hope for the best" - shook his head Dusekkar.
{back to Azure and Two Time since I don't know how to switch pov's properly}
The two didn't go far from the door, and were actually just a few steps away from it.
"So?" - asked Azure, practically looming over the other. He was doing it on purpose, for your information.
"T-This one doesn't know where to start" - murmured shakily Two Time, fixing their eyes on the floor, as if it had the prettiest pattern in the world.
They accidentally switched back to their previous way of speaking.
Their mind was going through a lot of things at the moment. On one hand, they were thinking about what they had done to him, and on the other, they were trying to think of the words they could choose for an apology so that the conversation wouldn't end up in a misunderstanding.
"Oh, that's easy. Why did you kill me?" - the former questioned. His voice sounded so deeply hurt, that Two Time thought they would start crying right then and there.
"E-Elder Amarah told this one t-that the Spawn-"
"Amarah?" - Azure actually felt his blood boil. Amarah. That goddamn piece of shit. It was all his fault. It always was, wasn't it? But at the same time...
"Do you realize that he isn't always right?" - he asked.
Two Time seemingly flinched at his tone. The sentence came out way more aggressive than Azure intended, but it wasn't the time to think about that.
"Two Time, look at me. What did Amarah tell you to do? In detail."
"H-he said- he said that the Spawn wanted a sacrifice, a-and this one obviously didn't want to hurt you... then he said that if this one... if this one actually... if this one actually killed you, we'd both gain a s-second life and you'd come back and I-I..." - they choked out, their eyes beginning to shine with tears that had yet to fall.
"And you believed him, didn't you."
No answer.
"There's more to it, am I right?" - asked Azure, trying to sound a bit softer. He couldn't really bear to be all stiff and cold as Two Time shook like a leaf on the wind before him.
"It's- It's not that important... plus it makes it look like I'm trying to place the blame on something else" - they whispered. Their fingers dug into their skin through the fabric of their sleeve. A harmful habit they couldn't get rid of.
"Since this is the only chance you get to explain yourself, you better not try to lie to me. You know I can see right through your words... also, stop digging holes in your arm."
Two Time's face scrunched up, and they quickly wiped one eye with their sleeve.
"Look, I'm not going to think you're trying to get rid of the blame, okay? I just want to know the full story" - added Azure quickly.
"E-Elder Amarah told me that until I k-killed you I wouldn't be getting much f-food" - they breathed, - "And... And so I only got what one needs to survive. I felt as if I was losing my mind during that time."
They wiped their eyes more aggressively this time. Then once again, with both hands.
But they just couldn't stop the tears from falling, no matter how hard they tried.
"I'm sorry, Azure. If only I had been stronger mentally, everything would've been okay. Yet... I acted like a coward, and instead of telling you what's happening, I isolated myself from you. I don't even remember why I did that. That last week was so... blurry."
Azure stood in front of them, speechless. Oh, if only... if only he knew...
How he'd love to just shove them into his arms and console them, and say that this is all just a bad dream, and that when they'd wake up, they would both be alive and well in the real world, away from the cult and away from Amarah.
"Two Time... why, just why didn't you say a word? I could've given you food easily! We could've ran away, like I've asked you so many times, nevertheless..." - his voice breaked, - "You still choose to blindly listen to Amarah...? Even after everything he's done to you?"
"He's been my mentor my whole life! I probably wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for him, and-"
"But the case is, you're dead! And so am I!"
Silence.
It was the truth, wasn't it. But it was painful to hear out loud.
"This man- Two Time, he hurt you in so many ways! He abused you, goddamn it! Why are you being so blind?! Listen to me for a moment, and recall one time he was actually nice to you in a way that didn't benefit him!"
The cultist stood astounded. They did not, in fact, recall anything like that. Amarah was nice a lot of times, but... it never ever happened out of pure will to actually be nice.
"Exactly. All he did was drag you into a cult, manipulate you, drive you to the absolute brink of whatever sanity you have left, and then make you kill me."
"The Spawn is... not... a cult" - Two Time whispered, but their voice lacked any conviction.
"And what 'deity' wants their believers to kill each other, hurt themselves or starve?"
"..."
Azure passed a hand through his hair. Were they really too far gone to see what that 'god' of theirs really was? Would they ever finally see what they've been worshipping?
The problem was that the issue was a lot more complicated than that.
"I know it's not real, Azure" - they murmured.
"...What?"
"I realized around two months ago, but I've been gaslighting myself into thinking it's real, because I couldn't bear the thought that I sacrificed so much for something that- that doesn't even exist. My childhood, my sanity, my life, and the only thing I truly cared for... you."
Their breath hitched, as another salve of tears threatened to fall, just after they managed to calm down.
"What do you think I could do? Accept that I took your life for nothing? Accept that I was just too stupid to actually listen to your words and get away from that damned place?"
Now, finally, Azure could see their point of view. If he'd come to think of it, they truly had a devastating story.
"Two Time. There's still one last thing you're not telling me, even though I'm glad you've already said a lot. Why'd you say that you sacrificed your life for the Spawn?"
Pain. Burning pain, that spread like fire through the latter's body all up to their head, where it took the form of a snake, suffocating them.
The dreaded, horrifying question, that worded differently just meant 'How did you die, and why do you make it sound like it happened by your own hands?'.
"...I couldn't live without you, Azure. I was sure you'd come back, so I stayed by your lifeless body for hours and hours, but... you never did. I cried until I didn't have any tears left, because I realized what I've just done, and I... I couldn't bear the pain. I couldn't bear the guilt. I'm sorry you had to meet me. You could've been happy and alive, far away from the church, like you always wanted" - Two Time smiled weakly.
"...Oh."
Azure looked at them for a moment. Maybe he was trying to imagine what they felt when he didn't respawn. Or maybe he was blaming himself for not stopping them for ending their life, even though he literally couldn't have done anything.
"I want to forgive you, Two Time, but... there's one condition you must fulfill."
"Anything. I'll do anything for you" - the cultist said, a shine of determination in their eyes.
"Leave the Spawn behind. For me. Or for your own mental health" - Azure stated.
Two Time was a bit taken aback, and their smile faded. I mean, yeah, they didn't really believe it existed, but leaving it completely? That would be hard.
"I could try... No, wait. I will try, I'll do my best. No, no... I will do it. I promise" - they answered after a moment. Two Time for the first time actually looked Azure in the eyes, and smiled shyly.
Suddenly, they were met by a warm embrace. The same that used to be something usual, back in the good times. The same arms wrapping around them, except now... it felt different. It felt like something precious, something that can break if you just move too fast.
"A-Azure?-"
"Shush, now. I've missed you, flower. I've missed you so much."
The tears that they managed to contain before were now inevitable. Two Time returned the hug, droplets of water decorating their lashes, before falling from their eyes.
This was never meant to happen. They were never supposed to get a second chance, but Azure was just too good of a person to leave matters unresolved. Oh, how lucky they were to have someone like him by their side.
"I'm sorry, Azure. I'm so, so sorry for what I did. I love you and I've missed you too" - they whispered, burying their head in his shoulder.
"It's okay. I've forgiven you a long time ago, anyway" - the man answered.
He moved his hands through their hair, untying a few knots. They really hated brushing it, didn't they...
"Can we- Can we stay like this for a while?" - Two Time sniffled.
"Of course we can, my nightshade."