Naren took a second to stare at the face of Cairo before him. Making sure everything was there. His eye, nose, mouth. Everything was there. It was definitely Cairo, so then why did Naren think he was bleeding out?
Why does it feel so wrong for Cairo to be standing before Naren, perfectly in tact.
And then, just like that, the image shattered. Naren lost it.
"Ya good, Naren?"
Through clinks and clanks, Naren's body hung before Cairo's his golden eyes staring down at him. He dug his heel onto Cairo's head, smothering the flames, being sure it'd hurt.
"Damn bastard. This all I meant to you?"
Cairo grimaced, rolling through the ground, his hands shackled behind his back, resembling a fish out of water. When he was finally able to get on his back, he pushed through his thighs, jumping to his feet.
"You stupid? When the fuck I say I was gon hold you down?!"
"Huh? What're you tryna hold me down for?!"
Naren lurked back from Cairo, a look of disgust on his face as his face scrunched.
"What?! I don't got your back. Thas what I'm sayin."
"Ohh."
Naren tilted his head for a second.
"Fair eno-"
Before he could finish, Cairo kicked him right in the stomach, letting a wheeze of empty air escape his lungs. Falling to his knees, Naren let out a groan trying to replace the lost air.
"...Fuck...you."
"Like I give a damn."
Cairo's hair flickered once more, his ember growing larger and stronger, lighting up their whole cell by now.
"We stuck together now. So lets get up outta here first so I can beat that weed-head's ass."
Naren regained his footing, his eyes now focused on the drips of water right outside their cell. Cairo's flames had illuminated as far as the hall way, the water droplets having a very evident glint to them.
'I don't even have to ask him to come closer this time...this time?'
Naren's golden eyes glistened for a beat as his thoughts stumped him. That was happening a lot it seemed. Thoughts that felt like they weren't his own. Though he decided to push it aside as the next drop of water tricked down the air.
PLOP
Naren's bare feet splashed down on the ground outside the cell. Cairo's gaze shifting to meet the now free Naren.
"So you jus stayin in here for fun?"
"Maybe I was. Well I'm out now."
Naren took a step before Cairo interrupted.
"Yo! Get me out too!"
Turning around Naren stuck his tongue out, pulling on of his eyebags down simultaneously.
"I don't got your back either, you dull candle."
Cairo clicked his tongue, letting a slight grin nestle itself on his face.
"Bet."
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The dungeon was unnervingly long. Naren's steps echoed through the dreary walls along with the haggard breathing and rare rambling of prisoners. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything. It was just as dark out here as it was inside the cell.
Every once in a while, he would trip on the many divots on the floor. Through his lack of vision, Naren could only be annoyed at how they seemed to appear after every stride of his.
Tripping like he had been, Naren fell flat against the ground this time. That was because he heard one of those rare ramblings. This one almost inconceivably quiet, but impossible to ignore. It was the voice of a boy: "I miss you sis."
"Yo. Who's in there."
A silent gasp was followed by a rapidly increasing heartbeat.
"W-who are you?"
Without thinking Naren let slip the first words that came to mind.
"Your sister sent me Nico."
A beat of silence fell among them. Well silent was one thing Naren had never truly experienced. He listened to the beating heart of Nico, growing unnervingly loud and fast. What Naren didn't realize was how fast his own heartbeat had gotten.
"I-is she okay?"
"She's dead."
————————
STOMP
STOMP
STOMP
A man was unconscious on the cold hard floor of the dungeon. With each stomp, it body grew mushier and mushier. Not that it ever felt whole to begin with. Oddly enough, the guards body was slimy and mushy from the beginning. Like a bunch of eels in human clothing.
Naren chuckled to himself imagining the seemingly random picture he put together. Quickly cut short by the aching in his shoulder even after taking his shackles off. But as Naren began massaging it, even that pain seemed to dissipate.
The sound of stomping grew quieter before ceasing all together. After telling Nico his sister died he went ballistic. Dragging a guard down here wasn't hard for a VIP prisoner like him. After that, it was simple enough to get out of his cuffs.
Naren took a step forward before doubling back around, walking past Nico.
"Where are you going?"
"I just had another picture show up. The candle needs to take care of a phantom for me."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Naren wasn't going to battle it anymore. Despite the image disappearing just as soon as it appeared. And the reason for him going back for Cairo just as unknown now, he knew that there was some meaning to it.
Once or twice was excusable. But as often as it appeared, as seemingly coherently as the words slipped out of his mouth, there was definitely something more to it.
Something that he couldn't put together yet.
Stumbling over another divot, Naren finally made it to Cairo's cell. The ember now dimly lit, just enough to show the madman doing push ups shirtless.
Naren began whistling and clapping.
"That's it! Keep it up!"
"The hell're you back for?"
"I decided your timeout was over."
————————
Nico had arrived panting behind Naren. Leaning on his knees, the boy took a break to catch his breath when he heard creaking of cell doors. He expected to see what he'd been seeing for the past couple days: Complete darkness.
He expected to see or rather feel the dark movements of another sickly prisoner leaving his cell. Unable to help himself from thinking what kind of criminal the boy who saved him must of been. He was just going around letting all these prisoners out.
"Hey! Don't let these bastards ou-"
A slick blaze of cinders rode thick fingers that grabbed the edges of the bone bars. For the first time in days Nico was able to see something other than darkness.
What he didn't expect to see however, was the man that emerged from the darkness.
Lit by dim embers dancing along his fingers a built frame stepped out, covered in black. His short white hair seemed to wisp like smoke in the flames, layering his sharp face. Bandaged on one side, his one eye was a dull grey.
When it flicked itself onto Nico, he couldn't help but grasp at his neck making sure it was still there. This man was a murderer.
"Glad to have you bud."
Nico's attention shifted to the boy behind the man. A lean red-haired figure adorned a shirt and pants too large and long for him. A dull crimson scarf wrapped around his face sharing his face with his curly hair.
His eyes glowed a wonderful shimmering gold as it moved from the man to Nico. However, Nico's gaze was on the scarf instead.
This time, he had to make sure his legs were still on the ground. Not because he was worried they would be cut off. Not because he thought the ground would disappear. But because for just a second. A split second, he forgot.
Forgot who he was.