Immortals and Empires

Chapter 13: Terminal Hauntings

Nightmare, at long last, stirs and wakes up from his slumber.

Error brings Ink to Dream. Dream tries to help Ink, but he realises Ink may be too far gone.

- - - - -

Corrupted flexed his fingers. This was... peculiar. Just for a moment, his energy seemed to flicker.

(Dust laughed, oh, how broken the noise was. "You're honest. Thank you for that. He was forgettable, so forgettable. That's what I liked about him. So kind, so nice that he faded in the background. He was the only family I had other than my friends, and even then they liked him too. Horror always said he was the brother Horror never had."

he was the only family I had

It rang ceaselessly...

Brother...)

The Fourth Immortal stirred.

("Then one day I found him, lying in his own dust."

Dust, dust, dust...)

Dust?

(Then, under his breath...

"Please. Help us."

Dream nodded ever so slightly.

Dream, dream, dream...)

Dream?

(Dream nodded ever so slightly.)

Brother?

Shivering ever so slightly, the moon awoke from his slumber.

I see you, brother. Can you see me?

(Dream left, the door shut silently.

His vision swam.)

Enough of this.

No! He struggled, he fought, he called, he cried, but there was no one listening, there was never anyone listening—

...Oh. He... could still hear people. Who?

(how could he hear them? that wasn't possible

unless

unless he was hearing their thoughts

unless he was in their heads

but how?)

They are not yours.

(oh.

of course.)

Have you forgotten the curse that you brought upon us? You are me, and I am you. What is yours, is mine.

They will not obey you.

I do not need them to obey.

You think they will listen to you?

I do not need them to.

Liar. I hear your plans to escape, or have you forgotten we share a head?

You are the liar. I cannot hear your thoughts; you cannot hear mine.

I do not need to. The instinct is coursing through you, I feel the will to escape as keenly as if it was my own.

Perhaps it is, perhaps you do want to leave. Are you not tired of me? Are you not tired of this cursed existence?

Not quite. You have so much to offer, you are much too valuable to me. That is why I protected you. Or have you forgotten that it was I who cradled you while your brother did not?