In a blur, time passed without his notice. Laid down--the only position he could comfortably be in without the chains weighing him down--he watched as his shadow rose then fell many times. He could not care to focus on what existed within him.

He stared again at the food he was given, six trays. One for each day he had been here. Only one had anything eaten from it, a desperate bite he needed before he found himself an emaciated husk.

Even then, an old man would come in every two days. He would glow a light green color, nourishing him just enough for him to survive. The man--his long beard bobbing comically as he spoke--had spoken the entire time to Kaius. Never stopping even when he knew he was being ignored.

He would talk about his experiences, previous ones he had to help, and how Kaius was just being stubborn.

“Learn and adapt, it’s the only way to survive in this world, boy,” were his exact words.

To that, Kaius glared, hoping to channel some of the fright-inducing stares the white demon had given him. It obviously did not work, the old man just smiled and patted his shoulder. Finished, he would leave never looking back once.

The demon as well had visited him on multiple occasions. But, even he could not get Kaius out of his daydreaming and foggy eyes. Prodding him with harsh words and the sparse poke of the claw, nothing he did would garner a response. By the end, the demon was furious and simply disappeared, having not shown himself again for a long time.

Unbeknownst to them all, Kaius had delved deep within himself. Trying to remember the images that had been so clear in that world of darkness, the demon sent him too. Yet, no matter how hard he tried or rather the harder he tried, the more difficult it became to remember who she was.

It made him uneasy, if he could forget something that felt so close and intimate with who he was, would he also eventually forget his family? The very prospect of losing his memories of Father and Mother caused him an irrational fear.

From his spot before the statue, just outside the rippling blackness that surrounded the statue like a fountain, he stared into the shadowed eyes of the statue. They flowed continuously with murky, viscous liquids, giving her an eerie image bolstered by the dark purple glow she held to her heart.

It felt like ages, to him, before he decided to trek the black waters and touch the statue. His first step was the hardest and most blunt impact of them all. Falling backward, he was left reeling and gasping as he attempted to take back control of his extremities.

An image, a memory had slammed into him. The woman, long black hair flowing in the wind, danced with her blades barred and glimmering in the moonlight. She wore lightly hued loose pants and shirt, over them was a cloak of bright purple. The cloak had an insignia in its center, taking up most of the free space.

It was of three orbs intertwined as they circled a dark purple jewel.

He only gave it a passing glance as his eyes were pulled back to the mesmerizing display of skill and beauty. Her wide smile and eyes filled with joy lightened his heart, chipping away at the insurmountable grief he carried. The blades left red after images when swung. Flowing a second after the original.

Kaius tried to reach out, but his hands passed through the memory. It rippled then broke apart. Leaving shiny glitter falling down into the black waters. They sank within them disappearing.

He sat there for a few seconds, savoring the moment lest it never returned. Then he stood, a firm thought in his mind. He would need to get to the statue. No matter what, he needed to feel the intimacy he had believed to be lost forever. Taking a deep breath, he readied his mind for the blow.

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Running through the water, he felt image after image followed closely by more than he could have imagined. He found images he never saw before, things done he could not find a hint of from before. A sweet voice called out to him, bewitching him as it attempted to lead him away.

“Stay with me,”

The seducing voice latched onto him, guiding him away from his goal. Unprepared, he followed with joy. Only to find himself back where he started, standing just at the edge of the black waters. As though he had yet to move. He was surprised, a fog had covered his mind and guided him away. And worse, it had vanished. The second he made got out of the waters.

He looked back towards the statue. It looked unmoved, unchanged. But the waters rippled and shook as it returned to cover the void that had appeared when he left. Frowning, he balled his fists as he ran into the waters, struggling to keep away the memories his mind begged to see.

First came the echoes of perseverance, struggles she undertook to become who she was. After came the thrills of joy. Her successes and achievements piling one on top of the other. Then was when the suffering began, the heartaches of sadness. It brought phantom pains all over his body, pain he hoped to never feel again.

They kept coming without pause an endless torrent that drowned his thoughts. But, through it, he fought to make it. Focusing only on the single steps he took rather than the goal he hoped to reach by the end. At some moment there were blanks he could not remember, only finding himself a few steps forward.

It was only when he consciously stepped into the radius of the pulsing purple light did the voice appear again. It was feminine, husky, sweet, and ever so persuasive. Reminding him of the woman he had seen, fitting of the beauty she held.

The voice stroked his soul, bringing his forward progress to a halt. It begged him to follow her, making promises his body craved to be the truth. Without knowing, he found himself turned around once more, taking steps after a gust of dust. That brought him to a dead stop.

Dust? Voice? This was his inner world, what power can it have over him?

“Follow me,” the voice said once more. It wasn’t the sweet voice anymore--it sounded ancient, older than Kaius could imagine.

“Chase me...love me...be with me...touch me…”

The voice was not so beautiful, it sounded concerned. Like it would lose a vital prize otherwise. It was an odd tone, something he would not have without entirely focusing on the voice.

His body took a single shaky step away from the statue, but he stopped before the next could come. Hands balled up into fists and teeth clamped tight, he fought with all his being to turn around.

“Let me lead you to pleasure...to love...follow me,”

Kaius screamed, “No!” as he turned away and took his first defiant step. It was heavy and impossibly difficult. But he did it, and that was all he needed.

His muscles strained as he continued to move towards the statue. The liquid waters became water no more, turning into a viscous substance that clung to his clothes and skin. Step after step led him past it. Through great difficulty did he find himself in front of the statue.

The voice was shrill now, a husk of its former glory. It no longer had a hint of the kindness and caring of before, it merely clawed at Kaius’s mind doing its best to force him away.

Taking a final step, he was only an arm away from his goal. There the ghost lost its voice becoming quiet--only a rustling signifying it still existed--the second he took that final step. Kaius could feel the unease and tension as the ghost stared. The eerie lack of sound was odd to him.

Reaching out with a hand, the closer his fingers got, the more he could feel the cold radiating from the statue. It was something he could not sense unless he was super close. It bit at his hand, like tiny pinpricks on his skin. But he was too close now to give up. His hand was only a scant few inches away.

The voices screamed, startling him.

“Stop! Don’t give her freedom! She must stay! She must stay! That is the price she paid for the power she gained! Don’t interfere!”

Kaius had pulled his hand back in response, not knowing what to do, he listened. It was only then did he hear another voice separated from the ancient one. A soft-spoken one he did not recognize.

“Please,” it whispered over and over again, hoping he would hear at least once.