The only warning Chirin got of his impending doom was Hvitur flexing his fingers, his cleaver-like claws curling into fists. And then, there was a sudden burst of movement as Hvitur ran towards Chirin, his footsteps echoing like a sinister drumbeat as he readied his fists to strike the boy.

Chirin's instincts kicked in, and he reacted on pure adrenaline, a startled shout falling from his lips as he jumped back to narrowly avoid Hvitur's lightning-fast uppercut. The food boxes he had been carrying, filled with plum dumplings and pasta, erupted in chaos as Hvitur's fist connected with them instead. The food dispersed in a flurry of action. 

Chirin had not a moment to lament the loss of his and Python's dinner because Hvitur, like a relentless force, closed the distance between the two of them with surprising speed. In the blink of an eye, a decisive strike from the massive Abyssian connected with Chirin's stomach, and the boy folded over it with a pained oomph.

Chirin tried to stagger back, his breath knocked out by the sheer force of Hvitur's assault, but the taller Abyssian reached him quickly, grabbing him by the head and slamming him into the ground with unrelenting force. As Chirin lay on the ground, disoriented and gasping for breath, Hvitur's hands closed tightly around his throat. The world began to blur around Chirin as panic settled in. 

Hvitur's voice was almost distant.

Hvitur Lockweed: "... I'll make this as painless as I can for you. It's the least I can do—"

His grip on Chirin's throat tightened, and the only reply the boy could manage was a strangled gasp as he fought for precious breath. Hvitur's intentions became chillingly clear as he spoke to his barely listening victim through gritted teeth.

Hvitur Lockweed: "I'll suffocate you. And when your body breaks down from the lack of oxygen, I’ll take your heart. That way, you won't have to go through the pain of me forcing it out of you. Once I'm done, I'll move on to the girl. And then…"

His expression twisted into a grim yet accepting frown, almost as if he were restraining his overwhelming shame at his own actions.

Hvitur Lockweed: "Nobody but me… will know what happened here."

Chirin let out a choked sob.

Hvitur Lockweed: "I'm sorry, Chirin. But I have a life worth living."

Chirin: ("No… No! Please!")

Chirin began struggling as hard as he could, tears falling from his face as hands uselessly and desperately hit, scratched, and then weakly grabbed his attacker as the world started to darken around him.

Fear engulfed him. Pain wracked his chest. Anger surged through him.

Chirin: ("Can't you see that I have a life too?! Can't you see that I have things that I want to do too—?! I can't die here! I can't! I can't!")

Chirin: (“ I  c a n ‘ t —! “)

Each passing second stretched for an eternity, and Chirin's arms slowly fell to the ground as he lost control of his body. The sight of Hvitur's massive, imposing frame began to blur into the darkness, and soon, everything receded into a distant echo as the world slipped into oblivion.

Chirin: ("I can't… Get out of this…")

Chirin: (“Python… Dad…”)

Chirin: ("Somebody… Anybody…")

Chirin: (“ P l e a s e . . . ”)

Chirin: (“ H e l p  m e . . .”)

And then, Chirin BLACKED OUT.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L

Chirin: "..."

Chirin: "......"

Chirin: "........."

Chirin: "I can't feel anything."

Chirin: "But for some reason, I'm not afraid. I feel so… unusually calm."

Chirin: "Where… am I…?"

The only answer he got was silence.

Chirin: "I'm not dead… am I?"

Chirin: "...Is this what dying is like?"

Chirin: "..."

Chirin: "......"

Chirin: "........."

"...rin?"

Chirin: "...A voice?"

"Ch…"

"Chirin...? Chirin!"

Chirin: "Someone is calling to me… but who?"

"Chirin! Wake up!"

The Peace Lily field with its mountainous backdrop.

The warmth of the evening sun caressing his skin. 

The scent of grass carried by the light, airy breeze.

The void just over the horizon.

These were the sights and sensations that enveloped Chirin as he awoke with a startled shout, 

shuddering violently as his hands instinctively roamed over his neck, arms, and body, ensuring that he was still intact. Only then did he realize that he was in his younger body again.

He lifted his gaze to see his father, who, for what felt like the first time Chirin had been able to do in his life, was finally able to remember the more minor details of: the smooth white tunic adorned with golden ropes that appeared to gently corset his muscular figure, the armor resembling Peace Lily blossoms cascading over his shoulder, his tousled, snowy-white hair, the mass of jet-black feathers that cascaded down his back like a cloak of midnight and– if Chirin focused hard enough to gaze through the barrier that prevented him from fully recalling his father's face– the way his dazzling, brightly colored eyes gleamed radiantly.

Said brightly colored eyes were flashing with a mixture of confusion and concern.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "... Sorry if I startled you. It looked like you were having another nightmare—"

Chirin: ("...Another nightmare?")

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "—Are you okay?"

Chirin stared at A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L  with a blank look.

Chirin: "I…"

His voice came out low and meek. The pitch of a child. So unlike his own. It almost unnerved 

him.

Chirin: "I-I…"

(He's here.)

(His dad. He's really here…!)

(He missed him so much.)

(Oh, Monarchs! He really, really missed him so much…!)

Tears welled in Chirin's eyes and streamed endlessly down his face. He hiccuped as he attempted to wipe them away with his hands, but they kept coming. They wouldn't stop.

Chirin: "D-Dad."

Chirin: "S-Sorry, I— I don't know what–"

His father's expression softened.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “...Chirin.”

Before Chirin could utter another word, his father gently drew him close, enveloping him in a warm, gentle hug. It was then that Chirin finally allowed himself to be fully vulnerable. He let out a quiet, pathetic wail as he buried his tearful and snotty face against his father's chest. 

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L whispered sweet nothings as he rubbed small circles on Chirin’s back with a gloved hand.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "It's okay. You're safe now."

(Monarchs. Chirin really hoped that was true).

The two of them stayed glued together for what felt like hours. Once Chirin's sobs quieted, he meekly shifted to gaze up at his father.

Chirin: "Am I alive…? Is this real?"

He heard his father let out a pensive hum, a sound that resonated deeply within his chest.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Of course you're alive, and of course this is real. See?"

He picked a piece of grass from Chirin's hair and showed it to the boy, who stared at it as if it were a ghost.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "You slept like a log after we wrestled. You've been out almost all afternoon, but that’s because I let you sleep."

Chirin: "R-Really?"

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Of course."

Chirin: "..."

Chirin: "...But it felt so real."

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "I understand. But it was just a dream."

Chirin: "So much happened and… I don't know how I'm—?"

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Mhmm… Dreams are like that sometimes."

Chirin: "What do you mean?"

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Dreams aren't reality. What happened wasn't real, so you no longer have to worry."

Chirin stared at him with an uncertain look.

Chirin: "B-But—"

Python. The compass. The coin she gave him. The Elder Abyssian. Outcry. The girl from Budesca. Hvitur. Getting strangled to death—

At his father's increasingly pointed gaze, Chirin sighed and pressed his face against his father's chest, the warmth of the body grounding him in this new reality.

Chirin: "Ok… Yeah. you're right… It wasn't real. It was just a dream."

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L  gave Chirin a thoughtful look.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "...That must have been quite the dream."

Chirin: "Mhmm."

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Do you want to talk about it?"

Chirin: "Not really."

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "That's okay––"

His gloved hand fell to Chirin’s head, offering a few reassuring pats.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "–You don't have to if you don't want to."

Chirin hummed softly as he melted into his father's ministrations, his eyes closing as he took in his scent. He smelled like Peace Lilies: an aroma reminiscent of freshly cut grass and dew-kissed mornings with earthly notes of soil and spice. 

It was so nostalgic it almost hurt.

Chirin: "...I love you, Dad."

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "I love you too, Chirin."

A gentle breeze whisked past the father-son pair as they enjoyed each other's company beneath the evening sun's light. Chirin felt his father gently nudge his shoulder, and he groaned a bit as he opened his eyes to gaze at him questioningly.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Look."

He followed his father's gaze to the horizon, marred by a jet-black ocean of darkness: The Abyss. At the forefront of the horizon, the sun, a glowing orb of fiery radiance, was almost finished with its descent, a warm, darkening glow stretching across the horizon as the sun sank lower and lower into the void. Chirin watched the spectacle with wide, astonished eyes.

Chirin: "Is that—?"

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Yep. The sun is setting. We call it a ‘sunset’. Pretty, isn't it?"

Chirin: "Yeah... It is."

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "I remember the first time I watched a sunset… I was so scared. I thought the world was going to end."

Chirin: "What? Really?! But the sun always comes back in the morning!"

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Ahaha… That’s true. But I didn't know that at the time. It was the first day I had spent here. All by myself. I was starting to get used to how blue the sky was, but then, everything started to get darker… and I watched the sky turn yellow, red, and then pink and purple…"

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Just me and my little personal shelter beneath this very tree we are sitting under. Watching as this big, glowing ball of light sank lower and lower into the void. It was so beautiful, but I was so scared for the sun. I thought it would die, so I stared at it for as long as possible."

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "I thought if I blinked… if I startled, even for a moment, I'd miss it all. When it was over, I cried. I wasn't sure whether it was because my eyes were on fire or I thought I would never see it again. Actually, while we’re on that subject… Did you know that looking directly at the sun is bad for your eyes?"

Chirin pouted.

Chirin: “Of course I do!”

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Alright, alright. I just wanted to make sure… Just don’t do it. It’s bad for you. Ok?”

Chirin’s pout deepend into a tired frown.

Chirin: “Okaaaaay, I won’t! But can you tell me what happened next? What did you do after the sun disappeared?"

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "Haah. Well… I… Uh… I…”

Chirin: “You did what?”

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “...I sat in the darkness. Doing absolutely nothing.”

He sweated a bit when Chirin gave him a pointed look, and averted his gaze, staring blankly at the sun as the last vestiges of it sank into the Abyss.

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L:  “...And as I sat there in the darkness, I thought: 'I'm not dead, am I? Is this what dying is like?'. I was too scared to move even a little bit; it was terrifying."

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: "But then… before I knew it, the sky started brightening again. Black to purple to pink, red, yellow, and blue. And everything was back to normal again. Tomorrow became today, and I realized how much of a fool I was."

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Really… the whole thing was just… silly. I’ve been alive for so long, and yet, despite thinking I had already figured out everything there was to know about this world, I realized that there was still so much left to learn. To experience. Maybe… being stuck here isn’t going to be as bad as I thought.”

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “After all, I have the sunset. I have the Peace Lilies. I have the sight of the sky changing colors, and the seasons passing me by…”

He pulled his gaze away from the sun. and looked at Chirin, his eyes full of a softness that only he knew.

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “And I have you, who wouldn’t have come into my life had I not been made to stay here. I think that’s what makes this all worth it. Maybe… When all is said and done, I probably might not ever want to leave. The thought of that happening…”

Chirin felt his father shudder. His next words were barely a whisper.

 A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “It scares me.”

Chirin frowned, and reluctantly pulled his gaze away from his father, focusing on the tiny white flowers that bloomed on the grass.

Chirin: “Can I… spend the night with you?”

Chirin: (“I don’t want to leave you.”)

He didn’t understand the slightly pained look that crossed his father’s face; the sky shifted from a deep purple to a darker blue. His brightly colored eyes glowed like a beacon in the darkness.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Oh, Chirin… I appreciate the offer but–”

Behind him, a burst of light slashed through the sky with a menacing boom, spreading over it like broken glass as a burst of powerful wind tousled the both of them.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “ –I’m sorry.”

Chirin reeled back in shock, clutching his father’s tunic as he stared behind him in horror as a massive, glowing white figure started to emerge from that crack. But his father didn’t look bothered by what was happening behind him. His unreadable, downcast gaze remained fixed on Chirin.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “I’d let you stay with me if I could, really.”

A solitary, colossal white wing tore through the rift in the sky, trailed by a massive, icy blue eye encircled by silvery-gold rings and cascading ribbons of silk: it was a Nirvanian, radiating such brilliance that night transformed into day, captivating all present to behold its magnificence as it seized dominion over the nocturnal heavens, and shone so bright that one would think it was the sun itself. 

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “But I don’t think 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 would like that.”

Every fiber of Chirin’s being screamed at him to flee; to get as far away from this overwhelming force of nature, but his body wouldn’t move. All he could do was sit, and behold its majesty.

The Nirvanian drew closer to the pair, its silky ribbons slowly wrapping around Chirin’s arms and legs. The moment he entertained the thought of flinching away, his father’s gloved hands fell on his wrists, an iron grip holding him still. Chirin stared at his father with fearful eyes.

Chirin: “D-Dad—?”

His father shook his head.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Don’t worry. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 business is with me. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 will take you home. Once that’s been done, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 will leave you alone.”

He pulled Chirin close to him, enveloping him into a tight hug. His voice was low and quiet against Chirin’s ear.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “Listen to me Chirin. I can’t stay by your side forever. If anything happens to me…”

His hug tightened.

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “ –Please don’t come looking for me.”

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L: “And most certainly don’t let 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 find you either, wherever you may end up.”

And then, when A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L  released him, the Nirvanian lifted Chirin into the sky with an unusual gentleness. The figure of his father grew smaller and smaller and he flew further away from him. 

Chirin: “No! Wait! Dad!”

More Nirvanians tore through the night sky, surrounding his father, and he disappeared in a flurry of white wings and golden rings.

Chirin: “DAD!”

A 𓇗 𓆸 A ᪥ L

Chirin remembered the sunset, the scent of Peace Lilies, and the slightly pained look on his father’s brilliantly colored eyes as he was taken away.

 ᪥

E

A 𓇗 𓆸 A E L

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