"Koryn!"
Yaru's legs gave out, and he had to crawl closer to Koryn's side. With his eyes zeroed in on the teen's face, Yaru only paused when a wet, sticky liquid came into contact with his palm.
(Blood)
Of course, right. It made sense that there was... that Yaru touched... that. He could see the stab wounds and the tears in his garments, so it was only logical that-
Deep breaths. Koryn is alive. Yaru needed to focus on keeping him alive because Yaru was the only one that could.
He'd have to hide him from the Temple Master, and nursing him back to health will be a challenge, but he knows someone that can help. Will help.
(Anyone that bothered with healing Yaru would refuse to let another die on their watch)
Feeling more grounded, Yaru hesitatingly touched Koryn's hands. Semi-warm and sweaty. Callous. A warrior's hands.
"The stab wounds appear to be centered around your lower abdomen unless I'm missing a few?" He murmured shakily while examining the damage. "We'll need to wrap this. Stop the bleeding, or you could die of blood loss-" but Yaru didn't have anything clean to wrap around the wounds.
Koryn's shirt would have to do until he found something more permanent.
"Yaru-"
Ah, but moving Koryn would only worsen his condition. He remembered reading something about it, but his brain wasn't functioning right. It made Yaru second guess himself, and he was afraid-
"Yaru, stop." Koryn let out a wet cough, which seemed to freak Yaru further - it sounded awful.
"Stop what? Trying to think of a way to save your life?!"
"Y-Yes."
"Wha-" tears started falling as Yaru looked at Koryn, "in case you haven't noticed, you're dying," he hissed with gritted teeth. Of all the dumb things to say, this took the cake.
"Doesn't m-matter," and now Koryn coughed blood, which meant that the Temple Master managed to pierce Koryn's lungs with his last attack. Yaru's chances of saving Koryn plummet to single digits, for neither of them knew how to treat this kind of wound.
"It does to me!" Yaru insisted, "you-"
"I wasn't going to leave a-alive," he forced the words out while ignoring the burning coming from his lungs, "the Temple Master is too strong. He toyed with u-us, I could tell."
"… Yes", Yaru agreed, "but you're alive, still. We could-"
"No one will help," Koryn refuted before descending to another wet cough, "t-the adults... they are all in on it. Must be, or they'll be dead."
(Like me)
"I know someone, they..." Yaru paused at the look Koryn gave him, "DON'T look at me like that. I do, he-" he swallowed, looking at Koryin's wounds, "he will save you."
"No one's going to betray the Temple Master for someone like me," Koryn closed his eyes and turned his head away, feeling sick and weak and cold. He must be nearing his end.
Yaru bit his lower lips hard enough to draw blood. He fisted his hands, feeling helpless. Was he really that useless?! Was there really nothing he could do?
Koryn braced, "I need you to do something for me. Can you promise me, Yaru?"
"Anything!"
"I need you to [Kiss] me." Koryn rolled his eyes at Yaru's blank expression, "the Kiss of Death, moron," he said, "I k-know you know how – don't l-lie to me! I've seen you with his book," Koryn kept an eye on Yaru a few weeks after to ensure the boy didn't take the hands-on approach, "I need you to take everything."
Yaru started at the dying man but didn't make any move to come closer. Koryn gritted his teeth, "H-Hurry! I don't have much time left!"
Yaru grew angry, but he couldn't bring himself to yell at his friend, "and what use will it be? I can't use Qi if you haven't noticed! It drains away whenever I try to collect some, leaving me almost nothing! Even if you give me all of your Qi, it will all be for nothing. Better you keep it and use it to heal yourself."
"IDIOT! Do I look like I can heal myself?" Koryn scowled heatedly at the other boy, "I don't want this any more than you do. But, if you take all of my Qi, there's a possibility you'll ascend."
Yaru gaped at the other boy, "so what?!"
"Ascending just might fix whatever's wrong with your cultivation, and even if it doesn't work, this way, a piece of me gets to be with you," Koryn's smile looked horrifying with all the blood smeared on his face, "I'll help you grow strong enough to leave and run away."
Yaru was at a loss. He didn't want to… but…
(I don't want to die here.)
"Fine," he said while squeezing his eyes shut, head lowered in defeat. "I'll do it."
Koryn nodded gravely, "take care of my little sister. The two of you must get away from this place."
Yaru promised, "I will. we will."
Using his almost non-existent Qi, Yaru [Kissed] Koryn and started sucking all of his Qi from his body.
Koryn's Qi felt like him. Composed yet filled with fire. It danced, movement fluid like a gust of wind but unattainable. Yaru pulled it all inside his body, to the center of his reserves. The Qi immediately started leaking, but the initial amount was ten times larger than the amount disappearing.
It was working.
Yaru felt the energy reaching an invisible glass barrier, getting halted by this invisible force, but he kept pulling. It broke the blockage, making it hard to keep the [Kiss] going.
Yaru cried out as he felt his body adapt and change, his senses growing sharper and his mind keener. He closed his eyes and blocked everything out.
Koryn's body was overflowing with Qi, and it all willingly entered Yaru, almost eagerly, making itself at home.
Yaru wasn't finished yet.
He could hear Koryn urging him inside his head, imploring him to keep going, so he did.
When he finished, Yaru wasn't sure what time it was.
The teen rose and started walking towards the door when a voice stopped him, "w-wait!"
Yaru turned around and looked back at the boy who called him, "wait…" the boy rasped, "you have to warn everyone," he begged.
"They'll never believe me," Yaru knew at once. "I'm the weak nobody, don't you remember?"
The boy shook his head, "please," he kept saying, "my… my little brother, you must tell my little brother!"
Yaru wondered if he should, but in the end, he couldn't. He had to keep a low profile. No one must know that he knew.
(Other than Koryn's sister)
Yaru was still weak. Ge had only ascended once, and he didn't know if he would ever do so again. If it reaches the temple master's ears that he was telling people about his dark secret, Yaru's life will be in danger.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can."
"You can [K-Kiss] me too. The temple master hadn't been able to take all of it, and I hid the rest from him," the boy insisted, "but those wounds are fatal."
Yaru didn't want this guy's lips any closer to him – then what he said stopped him in his tracks.
The [Kiss of Death] killed its victims because it sucked their whole Qi out of their bodies. Hiding a bit of Qi, it's the same as winning against the forbidden technique!
"You… hid it from the temple master?" Yaru asked in surprise, "that's not possible."
The boy smiled as if he had won something, "it is!" he declared, "Promise t-to tell my little brother, tell little Yuen, and I'll give you the memory of how."
Yaru didn't have much time before the boy died. He had to make a choice right this second.
Yaru looked at the boy and cursed. It was impossible. No one could survive the [Kiss], that's why the technique was forbidden. No one…
"Fine, screw it. I'm in."
The boy beamed, "I'm ready," he said.
"So, how do you plan to give me that memory of yours?" Yaru asked.
"[Kiss] me. I will direct only the memory to your technique, although I'm not sure I'll be able to hold you back from killing me. Once a day is already hard enough," the boy said, shaken.
(He's going to die anyway.)
With a nod, Yaru stopped next to the downed boy and [Kissed] him. It was weird how different the two Qi signatures were. It didn't feel bad, but it also didn't feel pleasant. Yaru hated it.
He'll have to suck it up. He needed the Qi, so he will be taking the Qi – and the memory, just the one.
When he finally stopped, the boy was already dead. His Qi had not been enough to have him ascend.
But now, he knew how to combat the [Kiss].
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