It was cold. But also warm. It was both cold and warm. Creating a sort of equilibrium between the two as it wrapped around my body like a cocoon. Except I do know not if a butterfly will be leaving it, or just another worm that needs another cycle for it to grow. I wanted to get up, maybe even look around, and have a little adventure, yet all I wanted at that moment was to lay down and do nothing. The place was empty, as I already knew that I had been there, it was only a question of how long I had to be in there.
I was here before. I don't quite remember the experience by memory, but I remember the feeling. The feeling of being submerged deep underwater. Its soft and gentle touch takes care of me as I lie deep in its waters. It was a wonderful feeling. It had the same sensation when I was in my mother's arms. Maybe not quite the same feeling, but it was close. It was nice.
Tired huh?
‘Don't disturb him.’
What? I'm not doing anything, I just want to have a nice chat. Is there something wrong with talking with someone I can only see from a screen?
The two voices, of whom I can remember where I heard it from. They were the same people who I met before I was sucked out of this magical place. There was a deep-seated feeling within me that desired to not want to ever leave. There was no external noise. No need for training, no need for assassins that try to kill me the moment they receive the opportunity. No need to suffer.
The voices stopped. It was fine. I wanted to sleep. My desire to not leave was not unfounded, but not the right one. I still have people to take care of. I don't want to make them sad just because I don't want to leave such a comfortable place. Maybe in the future but not today.
He's so fucking stressed ay?
‘Indeed.’
They then started talking. They conversed about the weather, they talked about how much of a ‘jerk’ Aki was. I'm using jerk here since the terminology they use is well, it reminds me of the drunkard's way of talking when they were drinking. One of those voices seemed to hate Aki more than me.
Like seriously? You of all ‘versions’ should be able to stop him. But you didn't. How dissapointing… If it was me, then I could make quick work of that little bastard. He dared to call us a little bitch too. How fucking arrogant.
I snapped my eyes open. I sat up and both looked at where ethe voices were coming from. The two didn't seem to mind me waking up. As they continued and acted as if I was air. I looked closer and saw that their forms were less blurry than before. I could make out their clothes and even their faces, but it was still blurry. Like a veil, that hid them from me. It was my head, how could something be hidden from me?
There were two of them of course. One of them was a man of few words. Reminding me of Mr Frank. He sat in front of the other, crossing his arms as he intently listened to the other ramble on about the most random things. I could see the black robes he wore, its color seemingly reminiscent of the abyss itself. The more I stared at it, the more it seemed to be calling to me. Trying to lure me into its clutches. I wiped it off, as I had a bad feeling that something unwanted would happen to me if I continued staring.
His hair looked strangely the same as mine. It cascaded on his shoulders like a waterfall. It seemed to shine even amid pure darkness in the place we were in. It fell to the ground, and yet even though the ground and his hair were the same, I could still visibly see his hair even in the midst of it being on the ground.
The other one though. That kept talking and talking to no end. He started talking about how to properly torture someone with a spoon. He had the same length of hair as I and the black-robed figure. The difference was the color of his hair and clothes. It was white. Pure white. There were no blemishes of any such. It's like there was nothing that could ever dirty him. Including his clothes. An eternal pureness that cannot be matched. But the words coming out of his mouth were the opposite though. It was dirtier than my clothes after a five-hour training session with Mr William
The difference between them was not just their attitude, but the way I see them. The dark one was a little clearer but still blurry. I could at least make out his face and appearance. The other one thought was still a blur. It was like that person did not even exist and instead was phasing in and out of reality. I could at least guess his face based on the dark one. They were the same.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
They were in complete and total contrast. One was dark, as he was seemingly blending in with the pitch-black room. The other was pure white, unblemished and eternal. That wasn't the oddest part. No. The weirdest part was that they had the same face as mine. And, if I'm not seeing things, how are their faces even clearer and shinier than mine?
That's how the sword shatters kid.
‘Indeed.’
The dark-clothed me nodded, while the other laughed loud as if he told a good joke. I'm not laughing though. The dark me seemed to be used to it, as he seemed to be pondering something else. The white me wiped away the nonexistent tears from his face, as he said.
So, figured out who we are yet? If not then wow, don't be expecting anything from me anytime soon kid.
‘Indeed.’
“No. I know who you are. I just don't know how you became who you are.”
Finally! I can have some fun in the future. Now you just need to realize some things first, then we can properly start.
“What do you mean? Realize what?”
Well, I can't tell you that. Thems the rules. I certainly didn't make it. And you can guess who made it.
Though blurry, I could guess that the white one raised his eyebrow at me. I didn't think much of it as I answered.
“Mr. Lucius.”
Ding ding! You got it. You are smarter than you look. Oh, wait, your me.
He then clutched his stomach, as he tumbled back and started laughing. I don't understand him. If he's me, then I don't think that I could even do that.
Trust me, kid. You can't even begin to understand what you can do.
He sat up and somehow grabbed some snacks from who knows where. He took a bite at it, pointed the snack bar at me, and said.
You. You're being lazy. Why can't you, for the love of god, not try to study the [Lexicon] more? The things you can do with it. I know what it can do but of course, I can't tell ya.
He bit his snack bar again. Confused, I asked what he meant by that, and he explained to me
You can think of your [Lexicon] as a pool. You, for fuck sake, only dipped his toe in the water. You didn't even get in it yet! How does that even make sense? That little stint you pulled back there?
“Yeah the [Void Rend], what about it? Was it powerful?”
God no. It's like a basic skill in the damned [Lexicon]. And look at this guy.
He pointed to the dark one, as the ark one hadn't made a change of expression even once in the conversation.
Don't think that I don't know you have been using him a few times. I mean seriously, you're using him like he was a random stick in the streets.
I felt my face turn hot. I didn't know how to respond. I didn't even fully understand what _that _state of mine was. I was afraid that if I just let it run wild, then something bad would happen. The white one seemed to have seen through my thoughts, or more like knew what was going on inside my thoughts, as he said.
What you fear is nonsense. You don't fear what this guy would do to your team, what you fear is what it would do to your enemies and yourself. If you can't even understand what I said, then just give up and let me take control. By then, give me a year and I'll make {[Slane Theocracy]} crumble to ruins.
I thought about what he said and knew that there was some truth to it. The dark one. He's dangerous. I barely took control of that part of me, and I almost died because of it. It was like a calculating freak, unafraid of what it might do to me, my allies, and everyone around me. No one was safe from it. Not even me. It was willing to sacrifice everything to complete the mission. I can't have that. Not now.
So that's how it is huh? Your loss then. if you can't accept us, then you can't accept yourself. Oh my dear self, there will come a time when you will need us. It might not be now, maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not shortly. But it will come. Thus, when you are left with swinging a stick against a dragon, then everything you have been through until now will become for naught.
He then vanished. The dark one stayed, as he looked at me for a few seconds, and said.
‘Indeed.’
He also vanished. Leaving me with even more things to think about. I scratched my head, the sense of frustration I was feeling became even worse. I let myself drop back to a sleeping position, closed my eyes, and stopped thinking about it. Sigh. I can't. They are too much of a hazardous risk.
It was then that something was extracting me out of there. Finally. I sighed, as the force took me out.
…
He will hit a wall. A wall that will not break no matter how much he swings that stick.
‘Indeed.’
The two beings, both dark and white, quietly looked at Cosmos’s previous spot. They were about to go back to slumber when another being stood in front of them. He had his back turned to them, yet they stood erect in the spot.
The dark one held his hands behind his back, while the white one fidgeted with his fingers. Nonexistent sweat was forming in his back, as he nervously asked Lucius.
Too much? I mean, I tried, really tried. But he needed a stern talking too. And even if you know it, you don't.
“He needs to learn it himself.”
Yes but-
“Shut up.”
The white one stood silent. He no longer spoke as he just silently glanced at Lucius.
“But you are somewhat right. He needed a talking too. Even though you said too much, it can at least make him realize some things. But next time, keep your mouth shut.”
Lucius vanished, without even turning to look at them. The dark and white one looked at each other, as the dark one just indifferently looked at the white one. The white one shrugged, as he vanished. The dark one followed. Eternal silence then returned to the space of endless darkness.