VI.

Darkness.

For a moment, Hyukjae thinks the portal misfired, trapping him somewhere between worlds. But the ground is solid underneath his feet, and his eyes are slowly adjusting to the low light.

What he sees is a dead world. Shades of gray converge in jagged canyons and bare tree trunks, broken up only by the occasional loose stone. There's nothing here but shadows and ashes.

"Donghae!" Hyukjae shouts into the darkness. "Donghae!"

There's no answer, but Hyukjae doesn't know what else to do. He wanders around aimlessly, still calling out Donghae's name to the void. The effort amounts to just as much failure as his first try. Hyukjae is truly alone.

Part of him wants to do nothing more than curl up on the ground and let this world do with him what it wishes. But the one instinct that's more powerful than Hyukjae's desire to give in drives him forward: fear. Fear of the shifting shadows and whispers of words that he just can't make out.

The barren landscape seems to extend infinitely in every direction. For all he knows, Hyukjae could be wandering in circles or in an infinite line to nowhere. Either way, his stomach churns with a strange feeling, almost like walking on someone's grave. And yes, this world itself is a graveyard, but maybe it's because Hyukjae too is starting to feel like he belongs with whatever buried bones lie beneath the surface. He's never felt this weak and used up.

You're not going to make it, a part of him insists. Better to give up now and come to terms with your future before you head to Limbo.  It's not like you haven't tried, and your body was already destined to die.

Yours was, but his wasn't. Another voice. If you abandon him to his fate without a fight, what will you think of yourself then? What about the promises you made to each other all that time ago? You know perfectly well that 'stay forever at your side' still includes when it gets difficult.

And that's just it, isn't it? Donghae is depending on him; he can't make it out without help. Every moment Hyukjae spends losing himself to madness needs to instead be spent searching. If Donghae didn't make it to the portal in time...he would have fallen into Limbo, and Hyukjae doesn't know if he could get him out. But surely that's not the case. Donghae has to be alright.

He has to be.

Hyukjae's newly-cemented resolve must have more pull than he thought. Amongst the ashes and dust at his feet, a new color blooms: a flower made of deep red embers. Hyukjae doesn't dare touch it, only stare at the first sign of hope he's seen here. A whisper sounds from behind him, and he turns to see another ember-flower blooming in the distance. A trail, then. The whispers grow louder as Hyukjae follows it, though their words are indecipherable apart from a single name.

Hyukjae has known since the beginning that having Donghae by his side, someone real who he could trust, was the one thing keeping him sane. Being trapped by himself in his own mind, running only on the exhaust fumes of energy that his powers have given him...it's enough to drive anyone to the edge. He doesn't want to know what it will be like when he finally crashes.

Something in this world clearly does. The shadows mold and shift into a singular figure over and over again, with one arm outstretched and an expression of grief on his face, until it disintegrates into ash. And still those whispers repeat his name. They taunt Hyukjae with that one-word accusation.

Hyukjae claps his hands over his ears as he wanders, keeping his eyes tightly shut and trying to block everything out. But it's hard to keep out something that simultaneously feels like it's creeping up on him from the shadows and coming from inside his own head.

One step more, and Hyukjae falls.

He lands at the bottom of a previously unseen ravine, though something had cushioned his fall. He touches the ground beneath his legs, and the hand comes away with a black, sticky sludge that fuses to his skin. A feeling of dread stirs within Hyukjae's chest.

Right on time, the ground sags. The sludge starts to pull him under like quicksand, paralyzing the limbs that it engulfs. Hyukjae's efforts to kick his legs back to the surface are to no avail. Instead, he claws at dry ground until his nails are bloody, pain muted beneath the terror of being lost beneath the surface.

When he finally pulls himself out, the sludge still clings to his body. A thick rivulet runs down into his right eye and half-blinds him, and his limbs are heavy with the extra weight of their parasitic coating. But Hyukjae can make out another ember-flower. He knows what he needs to do.

He runs. He runs as fast as he can, no matter how hard the sludge makes it for him to move - almost as if he's in slow motion. The whispers grow louder still, as do the illusions that dance on the edge of Hyukjae's vision. But the trail of ember-flowers rewards his struggle with the familiar glow of a portal that has never looked so inviting.

Sludge flows into his other eye just as the full portal comes into view. Hyukjae's world is nothing but darkness and the sound of his own choppy breathing as he blindly jumps through.

VII.

The first thing Hyukjae notices is that his eyesight is restored.

His body is free of the horror that had plagued it just moments ago, and though his clothes are torn and tattered, he can't find it in his heart to complain. He's still in one piece.

Hyukjae stands in place for a few minutes longer, collecting himself once again. Only when his breathing has returned to normal does he look up and take in the new world.

An overcast sky hangs low over the giant hedge that towers before him, obscuring any view of the area save for the thick fog collecting near the ground. The hedge is more spiked brambles and the memory of leaves than true greenery. But something about it draws Hyukjae in, wills him to walk along its path. He realizes the reason for the pull only when it disappears. The hedge ends, revealing a path deeper into the world, and Hyukjae all at once knows exactly what situation he's ended up in.

It's a giant maze.

You can do this, Hyukjae. No running, no jumping, no fighting. Just you and your brain.

The words are meant to calm him, but one look at the sky tells Hyukjae that it's already early evening and slipping quickly into night. His time is dwindling fast. And who's to say that his mind is even close to what it was when he first dove into his subconscious? That thought troubles him to no end as he steps between the first set of hedges.

For a time, Hyukjae does his best to figure out the maze's secrets. He scouts path after path, mentally mapping his trail for lack of something to leave behind as a landmark. But the sky grows darker, and Hyukjae grows more lost, no closer to his goal. The lack of progress and his increasing frustration renders his mental map all but useless.

A rustling sounds from one of the hedges, loud enough that Hyukjae is sure it can't be the wind. He turns just in time to see vines twist outward from the wall of green, growing thorns and blossoms alike as they weave together into the shape of a wolf. When they retreat, leaving their creation frozen in place, the wolf’s eyes blaze to life with an unnatural fire.

Hyukjae releases the breath he was holding, and the wolf lunges toward his throat.

Howls not of the natural world sound at Hyukjae's back as he sprints blindly through the maze. They issue not just from the creature he'd seen, but from others that peel themselves out of the hedges and jump directly into the chase. It's the only sound louder than Hyukjae's own breathing, which catches in his throat as often as he nearly trips over his own feet. He's in no state to run. But what choice does he have?

The next stumble costs him. A large wolf collides with him, covered in lilies and brambles, and Hyukjae falls to the ground. Hands instinctively reach out to stop his attacker, but there's no reasoning with beasts. Fear leaks through Hyukjae's skin like a poison. Before he realizes his mind's intentions, he's lashing out with the same powers that had cost him Donghae's trust.

A bolt of energy hits the wolf square in the chest, sending it flying in some other direction. But Hyukjae hardly sees it start to disappear before a violent vision brings him to his knees. Flashes of sensations and colors intrude upon his senses, forming scattered images that show him a way forward. It would seem opening himself up to his mind had allowed it to intervene on his behalf. But Hyukjae didn't want it like this, not when it leaves him feeling violated to his core.

He grips his head in his hands, body catching up to the sudden shock of pain. A series of labored gasps escape his lips. But he can hear his pursuers gaining ground, bringing those howls closer, and his body's instincts won't allow him to stay frozen here any longer.

So he stumbles onward. Hyukjae's body is in as fragile a state as his mind, but he can still see bits and pieces of that vision behind his eyelids, showing him the path to freedom.

You shouldn't know it, a voice chastises him even now. It wasn't worth it. If he knew, what would he say? What would his face look like, heavy with all that disappointment?

But none of that will matter if Hyukjae doesn't make it out of here, if he can't figure out how to find Donghae and rescue him.

The vision hadn't lied; Hyukjae finds the clearing at the center of the maze. A portal is already open, which he finds strange until the ground just noticeably tilts under his feet. Somewhere in the distance, a hedge crashes to the ground, bringing its neighbors along to their final rest. Time is already running short.

Still, the destruction is nothing compared to the grotesque behemoth that awaits him there. Tree roots have warped together to form a creature that sends shivers down Hyukjae's spine, fused together with clumps of dirt and ivy. It has no eyes. Only a wide, gaping maw that lets out a roar meant for the deepest circles of Hell.

The beast lunges at Hyukjae, leaving him no time for regret before he lashes out with a cry of terror and resistance. Shrieks issue from that same maw as the beast is repelled to somewhere far deeper within the collapsing maze. And Hyukjae is left to crumple to the ground, body spasming out of his control for a few long moments as it struggles to take in the pain he's just forced upon it.

There's something singing to him from nearby. Hyukjae turns his head, uncurling his fingers from the dirt, and what he sees nearly stops his heart. A shining orb hovers just feet away from him, above the ground where the beast was standing guard. The world core.

Hyukjae reaches out for it, his body too weak to move. He's never been this close, not since the ocean vents had ripped that chance away from him. He can almost touch it if he stretches just a bit further, angles his shoulder down toward the ground, but...

But he can't take it.

There are images swimming behind Hyukjae's eyelids, traces from his vision that stay his hand. They show him exactly what will happen if he touches that orb. He'll return to his body, free of the creeping virus that had threatened it. He'll be able to do with his life whatever he wishes, repay Jungsoo for giving him a fighting chance. And Donghae will still be here. If Hyukjae leaves alone, he's dooming his other half to wander the planes of his mind for eternity, and Hyukjae knows himself well enough to realize that's something he can never do.

He can only lie on the ground with fingertips inches away from his key to freedom, devastation overwhelming him.

A hedge bordering the clearing topples forward. Its crest comes dangerously close to where Hyukjae is splayed out in the dirt, stirring the survival instinct that's kept him going all this time. Hyukjae musters up what remnants of strength he has left to stagger to his feet and toward the portal on the opposite side of the clearing.

With Donghae's name on his lips, he steps into the light.

VIII.

Hyukjae opens his eyes to a dimly-lit room, illuminated only by candles that line the walls. The soft glow also serves a more sinister purpose, it would seem, for the shadows cast by the weapons hanging above them create a chilling image.

And Hyukjae...Hyukjae is done with all of this.

A sword is placed in his hands, a gift that he has no choice but to accept, and an assistant finishes dressing him in a full-body black uniform before he can wonder if he should have refused.

"You have your mission," the man in front of him says sharply. "Find where the rival assassin group is hiding and eliminate their rising star. Bring me his head to collect your payment."

Hyukjae wonders why they're giving him such a task when he can hardly stand on his own two feet. But no one seems to notice or care, nor about his lack of response to the task he's been given. So be it. If it's meant to happen, it will. That's the way these things always go.

Hyukjae leaves the hideout without another word. The moment he steps outside, he's immediately greeted with a mild sandstorm, one that stings his uncovered hands and eyes. A desert.

But not an uninhabited wasteland, not by a long shot. The city in front of him is striking, with buildings of all shapes and sizes carved into giant, hollowed-out mushrooms. Some of them have grown together, some have sprouted new roots, some have aged and warped. The city is a colony of living architecture in the midst of this sandy wilderness.

A civilian catches Hyukjae's eye, looking fearful, and he immediately moves into the darker recesses of the city. Not because of any loyalty to those mysterious assassins and their mission, but because he doesn't have the capacity to deal with another's presence right now. He needs to get away.

Sticking to the shadows, Hyukjae limps across town, heading for somewhere he can rest. The highest vantage point should take him the furthest away from the rest of the conjured 'living' things here, the closest to safety that he can truly get here.

Such a place isn't difficult to pinpoint: a massive building sits in the center of the city where Hyukjae assumes the elite pull their strings from within. It's easy enough for him to sneak into a side entrance and make his way up to the roof access.

The city is quieter from this height. Hyukjae looks out on it as he rests at the edge of the railing, already seeing the sandstorm starting to pick up. That must be it, then: the collapse. Amazing that he's still alive when worlds can now only hold on for this long.

There are eyes on his back.

Hyukjae turns around to confront the newcomer, and finds another assassin dressed in a bright red imitation of Hyukjae's own uniform. An identical facemask covers all but the assassin's eyes, which stare him down with a cold, unreadable expression. The thought hardly leaves Hyukjae's mind before three other men of this assassin's same colors appear from the shadows to stand at his side.

A flash of fear permeates the apathy that's taken over Hyukjae's insides. He refuses to die now, not when he's come so far.

Not when there's someone I have to protect.

Hyukjae moves before he can second-guess himself. He swings his sword at the assassin with unsteady arms, but the clash doesn't last long. His weakness is nothing compared to the attacker's practiced ability. Try as he might, he finds himself pushed back to the edge of the railing.

A leg sweeps out to hit the backs of Hyukjae's knees, and he's knocked off his feet. He can feel the hood of his uniform fly back at the same instant his sword goes skidding away, exposing the sheer horror on his face at suddenly seeing how the end of his life will play out.

So this is it. Hyukjae faces his doom with a terrified shaking, curling up in an attempt to shield himself from the inevitable. He still doesn't know what happens when he dies here, does he? A normal death, like in the real world? Damnation? Just a vast nothingness? The thought of any of those is...no, he can't do this.

"Don't kill me!" Hyukjae begs. It comes out like a whisper, the muscles in his throat contracting at the fear that runs through his veins. "Please, I'll do anything you ask. Anything. Just don't....don't kill me. I yield."

"...Hyukjae?"

Hyukjae slowly raises his face from behind his arms, looks up from where he's curled in on himself, and he sees a face that's as comforting and familiar as the voice behind it. The knotted tangle of surprise and relief suddenly shoved into his chest nearly makes him burst in tears.

"Are you alright?" Donghae asks, moving closer. He looks like he wants to touch Hyukjae's face just to make sure he's real, but the three assassins in the background immediately draw their swords.

"Don't break the contract," one of them says coldly.

The growing hostility drives Hyukjae to his feet, struggle as he may to stand up straight. But the moment he finds his footing, he’s nearly knocked back down to the ground.

The collapse is accelerating. Growing twisters descend on the landscape, burying any view of the buildings beneath in a coffin of sand. But one landmark is visible even in the chaos: a portal that rips open near the ground over the side of the building. If they jump, they can probably make it, but...

Donghae is fighting the other assassins, all of them having him the instant he refused to plunge his sword through Hyukjae's chest. He needs help, someone to intervene on his behalf, and Hyukjae is happy to provide just that.

This time, he's not leaving without his other half.

In a flash, he darts to take Donghae's arm and yank him out of the fight, letting him go so they can sprint to the building's edge.

"We have to jump!" Hyukjae calls to him. "There's no time left to get down to the portal!"

Just as Hyukjae's feet are about to leave the edge, he hears a yell. He turns back to see Donghae pinned to the ground by another assassin, reaching out for Hyukjae with a desperate ferocity.

If Hyukjae doesn't jump now, it's over.

He looks at the portal longingly one last time, angry tears threatening to spill over, and turns away. "Hold on!" he yells, running back to where Donghae is struggling.

With more strength than he knew he possessed, Hyukjae tackles the assassin. The man doesn't let go, not entirely, but neither does Hyukjae. He refuses to let his grip on Donghae slip as the world falls apart. Not as the rooftop crumbles into pieces, not as the sand blinds him to everything but Donghae's face, not as they fall into darkness.