I don't know who you are, but you're still you [ZhongChi]

Lapis Dei IV: Darkness

He blinked, wondering what had woke up him.

"No... please... stop..."

He blinked again, shaking himself awake, before he peered down, looking at the scrunched up face of the human that he was drawn to... for some reason. The boy twitched, his brows furrowing, as he attempted to curl up on himself in his sleep, his hands clenching and unclenching wildly.

"Let me out... please..."

He cocked his head to the side. He didn't want Ajax to be distressed. Chittering nervously, he crawled down from his position on Ajax's chest, settling down by his neck and purring.

It didn't seem to help, though, and he let out a sad whimper, licking Ajax's cheek gently.

If he couldn't help, then the least he could do was be there, to give him comfort once Ajax was conscious enough for it. With that, he drifted off into a light slumber, wishing that he could give Ajax a nice dream where someone could help him.

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He found himself in a completely dark alleyway. Confused, he reached out, pressing his hand against the wall.

It felt solid against his mortal skin, and he walked out of the alleyway, following the screams of terror in a very familiar voice.

"No no no, stop, let go of me, please, stop! No! Let me-"

The screams were suddenly muffled, and he quickened his pace. He could hear some honking sounds that were reminiscent of the shiny metallic boxes on wheels, but with his adept hearing, was easily able to filter them out and detect the faintest of sounds of Ajax struggling.

He raced through twists and turns of the maze off alleyways, as Ajax's muffled screams got softer and softer, almost like he were running out of energy.

He made another turn, and he finally found Ajax, cloth stuffed into his mouth as the boy choked around it, wheezing for breath, as two burly men easily manhandled the twig of a child, gripping his arm and pulling at his hair, yanking him into a van despite Ajax's best attempts to kick his way free.

Ajax looked much younger, he realized, and without thinking, he stepped out into the open, rushing towards them, firmly yet gently pulling Ajax out of their grip and into his strong arms.

"Hey!" One of the kidnappers yelled, though his voice was somewhat muffled, his face completely non-existent, like someone trying to remember a memory but drawing a complete blank on some details.

"Who are you?" The other man yelled, his voice blending in with the first man's with an equally blank face.

He finally found his voice, "Begone."

The two men and the van faded into nothingness, and he found himself left with a coughing Ajax, who had rid himself of the gag, and was gulping in air like a starving man.

"Thank... thank you..." Ajax stammered, looking even younger than before, and all he could do was gently pat the young boy's back.

The young teenager looked up at him, and asked, "Who... who are you?"

His voice was caught in his throat. Lapis? That was his name... right? Or was it something different...

Before he could even reply, Ajax froze, as stiff as a stone, before he began to hyperventilate.

"No no no, this is all fake. You aren't real, nothing is real."

With that, the illusion around them shattered like glass, the shards swirling around them like a whirlpool, threatening to suck them into the Abyss.