-Kepler-

He woke up.

That was odd. As a symbiote he wasn’t capable of sleep—

He was not in the core.

Panic jolted through him. He jumped to his feet, forming claws and teeth and—

“Calm yourself.” The Being said.

Kepler froze. That’s right. Clare had—she had spared the invader. And he couldn’t deal with it. And there had been a Being, was a Being. Had it kidnapped him?

* A god.

The system informed him casually.

* You are speaking to Nox, the god of night and many other things.

He… wasn’t sure what to make of that. The god before him was deep black—darker than Kepler—but mostly humanoid. It—he, he looked young, Kepler supposed. For a god, at least.

Nox stretched, turning his attention to Kepler. “Child.” Perhaps older than he looked, then. Most wouldn’t see Kepler as a child.

[I’m not a child]. He hadn’t meant to be petulant. It had just come out of his mouth.

Kepler turned his gaze away, embarrassed.

They were in a not-room. It was one of those places which would have given Clare mind-pain. A pang went through him at the thought of her, of how far he was from her…

The not-room soothed him. It smelled vaguely of sunlit clover and rainstorms.

-Ask him about quarks.

Kepler blinked. [What?]

* He never bothers to talk to me. Ask him what he thinks about quarks and the Rift.

[What are quarks?]

Nox rolled his eyes. “We’re here to talk about Kepler, System. You can bother me later.”

* You always ignore me. Kepler is like me.

“Shoo.” Nox waved a hand—and something more—at the System and it pulled away.

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Kepler swallowed nervously.

Nox gestured to a chair. Kepler sat.

[Am I…] He recalled his actions towards Celio. [Are you here to punish me?]

The god leaned back. Considered Kepler thoughtfully.

“No.”

That… that did not compute. He was almost more anxious, now.

[Then, why am I here? I--] Clare was alone in her core. A core that could be enslaved by [Claim]. [I need to go back!]

“Because you’re worried?”

Kepler glared. [Is that so wrong?]

There was thoughtful silence. Kepler shifted in his chair.

Nox shrugged.

Kepler worked his jaw, but couldn’t find a way to respond.

Neither spoke. The room was dark, but somehow Kepler could still see. Nox was the darkest thing there, standing out by contrast. It was all dark, though, in a way that wrapped itself around Kepler. Soothed him.

[Why am I here, then?]

Nox looked at him pointedly. “Because you’re obsessed. It’s not healthy.”

[That--] Kepler knew his feelings towards Clare were obsessive, but, [That’s none of your business.]

“It is when that leads to you attacking one of my wife’s priests.”

The symbiote blinked at him. [Wife?]

“Yes, Lux, my wife. She’s Celio’s patron.”

[Oh. Yeah, well…] Kepler examined the honey flavored pattern wavering in the air. [He was trying to enslave us, so…]

“Don’t give me that BS. You could have explained the situation, like Clare did. Your reaction was insane, and you know it.”

Kepler’s shoulders hunched. The god was right. He didn’t want to admit it, though. Tried to come up with some kind of dignified response—

“Kepler.” Nox brought his attention back to the present. “You need a life.”

He blinked. [A life?] Kepler was alive. A symbiote, sure, but still a living person.

“I mean away from Clare. Hobbies. Goals. Things you do just for yourself.”

Oh.

[I don’t need one.]

“Yes, you do. And you’re not going back to the core until you have a step-by-step plan for having one.”

[What.]

Nox folded his hands in front of him calmly. “Before you can leave, you will choose one goal—one that has nothing to do with Clare—and you will tell me exactly how you’re going to accomplish it. Step by step.”

Kepler’s mind spun. The thought had never occurred to him. He opened his mouth to protest, but Nox continued.

“Furthermore, you are choosing one hobby that you like for a non-Clare reason, and you will engage in that hobby every day. And if I catch you skipping a day, there will be consequences.”

[No way!]

Nox raised an eyebrow.

[That’s ridiculous! I’m not some sort of moody teenager in need of supervi--]

The darkness cracked, pressing in on Kepler’s existence.

He tried to push against it—the way he had weathered the Rift. It was too focused, orderly. Unstoppable. It crushed him. The world flickered, he couldn’t think—

Nox released the pressure.

Panting. Kepler was curled up on the floor.

“Child?”

Kepler whimpered. [Yes?]

“Are you ready to cooperate now?”

The symbiote sighed. He missed Clare. So much more than usual.

[Yes.]