Chapter Text
‘Two Time?’ A door was opened, shining a light into a darker room. A figure laid in bed, unmoving, not even a hint of life in them. The voice called out a bit sterner. ‘Two Time.’
The figure shuffled, turning to look into the direction of the person speaking. In a strained and tired voice, they greeted him. ‘Spawn bless, Priest Amarah.’ Then they went back to their original position.
Amarah walked inside their room, then sat behind them on their bed. ‘I haven’t seen you during breakfast again, my child.’ His voice was gentle. He moved his hand across their arm, feeling the bandages they haven’t changed and the many ‘accidental’ cuts underneath. Their breathing was slow, sometimes even feeling like they’d stopped taking in air all together. ‘The Spawn wouldn’t want you to forget taking care of yourself.’ His eyes kept looking at the messed up black hair, waiting to see their empty black eyes.
When their head turned towards him once more, he could see just how bad they looked. None of the other followers realised how Two Time recently hasn’t been outside as much. They haven’t left the church ground, not even to go to that field they used to love. They were just going through the motions. Even then, they’ve been doing that less and less. Their eyes had dark circles underneath them, their hair was longer, and their ribs were nearly showing now. They already looked unhealthy before, but now they look like they could collapse at any moment and never get up again. As much as Amarah hated to admit it, he was scared for them. ‘I just wasn’t hungry, Priest Amarah.’
‘My child, you said that the day before as well. And the one before. And the one before that too. Do you want me to continue?’
Two Time put their head back on their pillow. He was right. Their hunger was now becoming painful, yet they did not have the energy to even get up. They stayed curled up in their bed, arms hugging their knees tightly and their tail coiling around their ankles. ‘I don’t wish to eat.’
‘The Spawn wouldn’t want you to starve, would it?’ Amarah nudged them, but no response came. He sighed as he turned towards the door. ‘You’ve been more absent minded during our lessons as well.’
‘I’m terribly sorry, Priest Amarah.’ Two Time’s face sunk into their pillow.
‘Are perhaps sick, my child?’
The younger person stayed silent. Was that the reason they were still missing Azure? Was that the reason they felt like throwing up, even when their stomach had nothing inside it? Was that the reason they felt like nothing had meaning anymore, despite everyone telling them they did right by the Spawn? The reason they don’t even have the energy to get up from their bed? Maybe, it seemed like the only plausible answer. They’ll take that as an answer. They nodded.
Amarah sighed. 'Would you like me to take you to the medic?’
Two Time shook their head. 'No need. I can deal with the sickness alone, Priest Amarah.’
'Two Time, with how you look right now, it'd be the safest option to allow her to give you an examination.’ He slowly petted them along their side, trying to give them a bit of comfort. 'As much as I'd prefer for you to be seen immediately, we'd have to wait for the next morning, however.’
‘How come?’ they asked without raising their head.
‘We’re welcoming a couple of people who found the Spawn and look for its guidance.’ Amarah explained. ‘It’d be mandatory to come, but looking at your current condition, it might be better if you stayed here for the time being.’
They didn’t show it, but the decision shocked Two Time. Yes, they were not popular among their peers, but if Amarah knew about an event, he’d force them to attend regardless.
‘This isn’t without any compensation of course.’ And the usual Amarah is back now it seems. ‘You’ll be expected to read through the Book of the Spawn again and summarise from chapter 38 to 50.’
‘Understood.’
Amarah hesitated before standing up. ‘And… You’re also expected to go to the medic as soon as she’s available if I get hung up with my duties. No getting out of this, my child.’ He took one last look at them, not waiting for their answer before closing the door.
Two Time was alone once again. The voices were unusually silent. Looks like not even they wanted to be with them right now. They didn’t mind, but it felt too silent. Their body felt weak. Maybe this sickness or -whatever it was- was taking a stronger affect on them then they thought. Their stomach began to hurt again. They thought they needed to throw up once again, but just like last time, nothing aside from stomach acid came, and they were able to forcefully swallow it back, burning their throat. Raising their head finally, they look out the window. Sunset. A month ago, at this time, they were meeting with Azure, collecting flowers with him before-
…
Even as they think about that day, that moment, their heart hurts yet their sunken eyes can’t rain tears as they did. They have no more tears they could physically cry now, even if that’s far from the truth. How could they ever forget the hurt in his eyes? The way that despite how he was slowly dying, he still told them how much he loved them. How the Spawn took his life right in front of them and gave them their blessing. How Amarah and the other elders said it was proof of where their loyalties lied and how the Spawn was grateful to have them as such an obedient disciple. Yet the moment Azure died, so did something inside them. Did the Spawn accidentally curse them with how Azure felt in his last moments? Was that the sickness they felt? Was that why they were slowly rotting from the inside out?
Two Time shuffled from their bed to stand up, having to balance themselves on the bedframe before moving towards the window. They opened it, breathing in the cold spring air. They missed this. They looked outside. They saw what Amarah was talking about. All their fellow worshippers were gathered near the center, likely almost ready to begin their celebration. They looked away, then felt like something was calling to them. They put their robe over their tank top before they got out through their window, closing it shut -much like how they used to do with Azure- then began to look for the exit they made ages ago.
Their sneaking around lasted longer than intended. They were half limping, as well as trying their best to avoid the crowd noticing them, especially the elders. The shadows luckily gave them natural hiding spots, and without any shoes on their feet their steps were as silent as ever. They reached Azure's greenhouse, still left untouched. They snuck in, going to the back where Azure kept his seeds. The hole’s hiding place was not discovered it seems. With some struggles, they moved the barricade they placed, then exited through the hole.
The coast was clear. None of the fellow worshippers were outside and obviously no one was gonna look for them. Their path was clear. They began their walk down the familiar dirt path, their movements slightly calm but still feeling that sting of pain across their body. Minutes blurred into each other as Two Time made their way towards a field that held so much more than flowers. Memories of Azure teaching them the beauty and the danger of the flowers. Memories of how he confessed his love for them. Memories of them stargazing, huddling close into one another while the rest of the church had no idea where they were. The memory of…
… Maybe not all memories here are worth remembering…
Although their pace was slow, to them the road didn't last nearly as long, even if the sun itself was already down and the moon had taken over the sky instead by the time the familiar vibrant purple flowers came into view. They picked up the speed, feeling like he was calling them closer even more. They didn't wanna make him wait. The limping made it hard for them, but they stopped carrying about the pain by now. As they looked at the ground, they noticed hoofprints. Was Wanwood here before? They hoped that she wasn't nearby. Not after how their last meeting went down.
Past the flowers, in a hidden area they found the disturbed ground. His grave. The ground was decorated with all sorts of flowers, each one of them were ones he loved, with nightshades being the most prominent one. They laid down beside it, their breaths feeling heavy as their back made contact with the ground. Their head turned towards the sky.
'Hello Azure.’ They greeted someone who was not there.
'I'm sorry I haven't come here for a long time. I've been… Occupied with new duties.’ They turned their head towards the mound. 'The elders were pleased with our sacrifice. But I still wish you could be here, you know…’ they took a shaky breath. 'Your greenhouse has seen better days, for one. No one really cares to go in there and I don't think I should take it over. Not when I carried out the act that caused its keeper to leave.’ Two Time bit their lips together, turning their gaze back to the sky above. Was the Spawn watching them right now? Is it aware of how much pain they're in?
'Your friends learned what happened, how the Spawn blessed me with your life, they don't want to be near me anymore. Wanwood took it the worst.’ They close their eyes. Violent yells and a pair of hands holding them up by their robe flashed in front of them for a few seconds before they opened them again. 'Amarah had to get her off of me before she ran off, swearing that if she saw me again she wouldn't stop at yelling.’ Two Time stayed quiet for a while, as if waiting for the person under the mound to respond. Saying how it wasn't their fault. How he didn't blame them. How he would kiss them once again if they had a chance. Just anything. Anything that could give them back their will to live. Their will to go on with their life and enter their second life. But of course, the dead don't speak.
'Hey, I just thought of something beautiful.’ They suddenly call to the mound once more. 'What if I become part of this field? Similar to you I suppose.’ They smiled slightly. 'Imagine, me joining you by your side, letting the nightshades take home in me as they grow.’ They could see it clearly. A giant nightshade growing out of their body, their tail and their promised wings transforming into roots as they hold their body in place. Their head, decorated with branches and their eye being home to a second larger flower. The rest of their body? Covered in nightshades. Yes. In a morbid way, that'd look beautiful, wouldn't it?
Their imagination was stopped by a pain striking their head and stomach, before it began to course through their entire body. They quickly turned to their side, going into a fetal position as they tried to numb the pain. Quick and heavy breaths escaped their lungs, barely having time to get new air in before those were expelled out too. 'My apologies for seeing me like this.’ They quickly said as they tried to straighten their posture out, similarly to how it was before. 'I… I forgot to say; I've contracted a type of sickness.’ The pain was still there, pressing harder on them. 'It's been making me weaker, Azure.’They placed their hand on the mound, as if they tried to hold their lover's hand, but couldn't, of course. 'Maybe I'm not too far from joining you after all?’ They joked in an effort to try and calm themselves about all this. 'Would you be disappointed? At the fact that your sacrifice couldn't be of use to me after all?’ Tears began to prick at their eyes, a feeling they haven't felt in weeks.
They laughed at something they were sure they heard. 'You're right. I'll try to sleep it off.’ As they said that, they felt their whole body slump, as if all the remaining strength had left it, never to return. They closed their eyes. They didn't even notice how their breathing was becoming shorter. How their chest was failing to rise as high as it did before. How fast the darkness took them away.
It's been hours since Amarah has checked up on Two Time. The head medic said she'll only be ready to greet them next morning, despite the urgency Amarah told her. Still, he couldn't do anything but wait. Amarah laid to rest when he got back, forgetting to check on his student. Hours passed by before a sudden wave of 'wrongness’ hit the mentor. The clock was nearly hitting 4 in the morning, yet not a sound was coming from Two Time's room. It'd be unusual if this wasn't true for the past month as well. Still, Amarah felt… wrong. He couldn't explain. Something was up, he just knew it. He couldn't bear the silence anymore. He got out of his bed and went to knock on Two Time's room. No response. 'Two Time? Are you alright, my child?’ Nothing. He couldn't wait anymore and opened the door. 'Two Time, I'd like t-’
Nothing.
They were nowhere.
At first Amarah supposed they were hiding under the blanket. They went over, but the blanket only covered the empty bed, there was no person underneath. He checked every hiding spot he could remember. Why would they be hiding? He didn't know, but now he knew something bad was happening. He turned towards the window. Of course. He ran out the door and towards the front gate. He struggled to find the correct key, cursing himself silently, viewing it as a waste of time. Finding the right key, he pushed it open, nearly forgetting to close it before running through the same path Two Time took. At least he hoped they did.
The pathway went on forever. Despite how he ran, he felt like he couldn't get far. Like Amarah couldn't get to that field. Like it was keeping him in place, not allowing him any closer. Of course it wouldn't. They only found out about it because that's where he and the fellow elders had to bury Azurewrath's body. Two Time didn't want any of them to go there, but they knew Azure would've wanted to be buried there. That's when he figured out where his student would go missing whenever they wanted to be with their boyfriend. He was mad, of course. He'd been deceived, and it wasn't even the first time.
However, Two Time hasn't gone to this field ever since Azure's body was laid beneath the blooming flowers. Why would they suddenly sneak out here?
His running came to a close as the field came into view. He saw something. Two patches of the field were disturbed. One must've been the grave. The other? That had to be Two Time!
'My child! You worried me sick!’ Amarah called out to them.
They didn't move.
Amarah went closer.
'Two Time, don't ignore me.’ His voice was quieter. Maybe they thought he was mad? He was kinda, but his worry was stronger than his anger at them breaking the rules. 'We'll be going to the medic as soon as we're back. Get up and let us go home.’
They were still as ever. It was the same stillness as earlier in their room, however, this time, it seemed more real.
Amarah has had it. 'KAITO!’ Enough!’ He went closer, about to drag them up by their arm as he saw how they looked.
…
They had to be asleep. That was the only answer. He grabbed their hand. It wasn't cold yet, but it was clearly losing its warmth. He kneeled down next to their body, the one that stopped taking in breaths Spawn knows how long ago. Pressing his hands on their chest, he began chest compressions, attempting to bring them back. They couldn't have been out for that long, right? They had to be ok. They just… They just needed some extra rest and let the Spawn take care of the rest, right? No matter how hard he pressed down, not a hint of life was coming to his student.
Amarah stopped. Were they really…? No. Oh Spawn no. He began to pray. Praying to the Spawn to please let them into their second life. How they've earned it. How they need to be brought back right now. His fingers began to hurt from how strong he was grasping them together. He opened his eyes, being surprised at his vision being blurred alongside his cheeks feeling wet. Was he really crying?
…
This was real, wasn't it?
He took their head into their arms. Not a sign of life. They were as limp as they could be. Their face frozen in eternal slumber. He held them close as he quietly cried. What else could he have done? The Spawn wasn't willing to listen and he had no powers to bring them back. They were gone. They died next to their lover's grave. Was that why they snuck out? Did they know it was going to happen, choosing to pass on in the same place they took away his life?
'Forgive me, my student.’ A whisper was said to the body. There’s no response, but that didn’t matter. 'I should've helped you somehow. I didn't prepare you well enough, and now your second chance is obsolete. Please, if you hear me, forgive me, Two Time.’
He stayed with them. He stayed until the sun shone bright on his skin. He stayed until the night fully left and he could see everything on the field. He wanted to know what exactly happened to them. If he has to bury his own student, then he’d at least want to know what took them. He wanted to know what this “sickness” was and why it took them. Or did they…?
No. They wouldn’t have. Amarah checked their robes. The blade they used on Azure was as clean as it could be, not a hint of red on it. Well, not anymore, anyway. He moved the body back to where it was, placing the dagger back into their robes. Should he call the medic? She wouldn’t be able to do anything for them, of course, and it’s unlikely that she’d get much info from their body, but maybe she could find something that no one else seemed to notice. Maybe. Hopefully. As he began to leave to gather the medic and his fellow elders for the burial, he felt a wind, much stronger than the expected ones for this season. He held his scarf close to his face before looking back towards his student’s remains. Were his eyes deceiving him?
For a few moments, it looked like something was trying to claim them. A pair of unnatural hands flickered in and out of his sight. It looked like it was made of pixels. Did he actually go crazy, similarly to his own student? And were those… getting closer?
Amarah had to run. There’s no way whatever he was looking at was real. But what if it was? What if it was trying to take Two Time? He couldn’t let it take their body! But if it wasn’t real thought, right? He had to clear his head. He went back into the forest. He steadied his breathing, That wasn’t real. It was just his imagination running wild, right? He didn’t get much sleep! That must be the cause of it! He just needed to calm down, check on the field after and get a good rest once the examination and burial are done. He turned back towards the field, noticing the hands were gone. Relief washed over him before he noticed something worse. Two Time’s body…
…
Where is it? It’s not like they got up and walked away! They were dead! He held their body! He didn’t see any glorious lights either, so the Spawn bringing them back wasn’t an option. Was the wind strong enough to take them? No, that’s a stupid thought. Does that mean those hands… Were they actually…?
He’s losing it, isn’t he?
There’s not many actions one can take in a situation like this. He decided on leaving the field, going back to the church and reporting Two Time missing. Those are the only helpful actions he could think of. Even if he knows they’re looking for a dead person, he wanted to find and bury their body properly. If that was a thing he could do right, then he’d make sure their body was safe.
Two Time felt… weird, to say the least. Were they floating? Their eyes opened, but their vision didn’t change. Everything around them was filled with darkness. A voice shook them from their confusion.
‘’Kaito.’ It began. Two Time was looking around in confusion. How did this… creature? Being? Whatever get their name? ‘You are in the eye of the Spawn right now, my child.’
Two Time was taken aback. The Spawn? What happened to them? They immediately clasped their hands together, saying a prayer before doing anything else in their god’s presence. They looked up once they were done. ‘B-Before we continue, could you call me Two Time? It… Kinda has more meaning, looking at what happened…’
The voice answered in a calm tone. ‘Very well, Two Time.’ Two Time could swear they felt a presence around them, but they didn’t know where to look exactly. The voice continued its speech. ‘Your life was filled with many tragic things. But despite it all, you’ve shown to be a worthy disciple of mine.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’
‘However,’ it interrupts them ‘you’ve also made your fair bit of mistakes. Particularly with the one whose life you’ve taken.’ Two Time thought back to what it could mean. Sure, they’ve snuck out with Azure a good amount of times, but they were sure the punishments Amarah gave them made up for all those, didn’t they? Is it talking about how… But that shouldn’t have had any consequences, would it? Their book told them as long as it didn’t result in anything, it should’ve been ok.
‘For your crimes, you’ll spend your years in a hell where sinners similar to you must avoid death at any cost.’ Two Time was distraught. What could they have possibly done to deserve such fate. ‘I’ll give you a saving grace however, my disciple.’ Two Time’s ears perked up. ‘Your trusted dagger. If you present enough blood to me as an oblation, you’ll be rewarded with a second chance during these encounters.’
‘W-Will I ever escape this realm?’ Two Time asked, their voice shaken after realising the gravity of everything.
‘It is all up to you, my faithful disciple. Do right by me, and you should be able to roam in the living realm once more.’
Two Time bowed towards where they heard the voice from. ‘Thank you for giving me another chance, oh Great Spawn.’
‘We shall see if this chance is worth it.’
‘I won’t disappoint you.’
Those were the last words before Two Time woke up on an unfamiliar couch. They felt uncomfortable. Was someone watching them? Their eyes shifted to their side, where they spotted a person with grey skin, their face decorated with a fedora and sunglasses.
‘Huh, didn’t think a new person would come this soon.’