Work Text:
Quick and nervous footsteps echoed through the previously bustling apartment.
Now, there are left only two of them: his creator, who failed to protect all of his creations, and him, who miraculously managed to survive.
Death played a rather cruel trick on them - previously, they were both ready to kill for a minute of silence in this place, and when silence finally came, they would have given everything to bring back the familiar chaos.
Nothing to worry about, Kuromaku knows the exact way to get everything back to how it was. He knows how to fix everything.
Fëdor is still outside; according to his calculations, he had exactly 22 minutes and 5 seconds for everything. This time was more than enough, so there was no need to rush, but he still unconsciously wanted to finish sooner.
It would be terrible if he'll be caught doing that.
This idea had come to him a long time ago, as just a hypothetical scenario that he kept putting off and off because he kept hoping there was another way out.
But in the end, it’s useless to make excuses: most likely, it was simply cowardice, fear of something foreign and incomprehensible to him, fear of death.
He spent a long time thinking about what exactly he should write in this note.
Should he apologize for such an impulsive choice that doesn’t suit him? As a final request, tell them to don't even try to bring him back?
Usually, he always knew what to do; he was the eldest among them, the voice of reasoning.
But the situation he found himself in, so unexpectedly and sadly, defied any mathematical law he was so good at.
In the face of tragedy, everyone was equal, wasn’t they?
Picking up a pen from the table, he wrote a simple and concise farewell on a piece of paper, which managed to convey everything that needed to be said in just three words:
"I found a solution."
Slowly, but with ironclad confidence, he reached for his card, card that ensured his existence, then he took the ruler and pencil in his other hand, which would undoubtedly come in handy.
"If there’s no alternative, then I have to do it."
He "divided himself" into several parts with utmost precision, as if it were all a geometric problem.
Well, he could have imagined it as a geometric problem; Then it would have been much easier for him to do it.
Now it’s time to move on to the more difficult part. The blades of the sharp shears shone brightly in the crimson light from the setting sun, which barely penetrated into the room.
"It was cloudy quite recently. I didn’t think the weather would change so much in just a couple of minutes." - he thought to himself and softly smiled.
He carefully picked them up, examining and assessing them.
It’s surprising how such a small object can easily end his life.
Is their life so fragile that a simple snip on card can put an end to their dreams, reason, and existence?
"I hope it won’t hurt too much."
For the sake of the experiment, he placed the dull part of the blade against the card, which sent a shiver down his spine. Unfortunately, his assumptions turned out to be correct.
... Yes, it will indeed hurt.
Kuromaku took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and placed his card between the two blades.
He was scared, but the desire to save them was stronger than his instinct of self‑preservation.
He wouldn’t have forgiven himself if he stopped now and pretended to himself that nothing had happened.
His grayish hair clung to his forehead and swayed slightly in the breeze coming from the slightly open window.
This reminded him of why this misfortune had befallen them in the first place, about how deeply it upset Fëdor and how he blamed himself for what had happened, while he was comforting him.
Everything will be fine. Soon his summoner will be happy again.
click.
One piece of his card was cut off and fell onto the table, as the sharp pain pierced his hand. It was strange: it could be compared to being burned alive, but despite that, the pain felt like a cold sensation. So this is what it feels like to be something that was abruptly torn away from reality.
After the pain came a bright, white light. It’s no wonder; gray has always been just a darker version of white.
Despite the pain, he need to keep going.
click.
Now, there is much more white light.
Kuromaku wasn’t quite sure whether this light should soothe his anxieties or remind him of the risks he was taking right now.
Maybe, both.
His movements became more abrupt than before. The reason behind it was obvious: there was no time for his usual neatness. It got colder. He remembered the moment when Varu locked him on the balcony just to steal his slice of pizza. Back then, he was also cold, but that cold was different, it was more pleasant than whatever this is.
click.
The thought that his end was near no longer brought anxiety, but peace.
He wondered if, in a few weeks, months, or years, someone will be able to remember his name? Or the only legacy he will leave behind will be a pair of broken glasses?
Will they miss his lectures and his constant fact rambling? Or they’ll be better off without his constant presence?
Kuromaku quickly tossed away those thoughts.
It was wrong to think like that, because he was doing it to save them, not to draw attention to himself. But deep down, he wanted others to appreciate his efforts to help, to appreciate his altruism towards them.
click.
This is the end.
Now his entire body was radiating a soft white light, and the pain had given way to a resigned acceptance of his fate. He stood up and took a few steps away from the table, looking at the work he had done.
Kuromaku knew perfectly well that he didn’t have much time left and took a deep breath.
For some reason, the thought that his decision may affect Fëdor mentality just occurred to him now.
"I hope he won’t be too upset and will recover soon. He must understand that it will better with five of us than with just me."
...
"I’m sorry I won’t be able to be here for you anymore."
A few moments later, when his body could no longer maintain its physical form and his mind was gradually dissolving into thin air, he made one simple, final conclusion:
Perhaps he was always meant only to sacrifice himself today for the sake of someone else’s happiness.
Created to exchange himself for their happiness.