Immortals and Empires

Chapter 15: Fatally (Free)

Dust, Horror and Cross are brought before Tahitian; the former is brought back under his control; the latter is brought back into his torment.

Meanwhile as for Killer, Tahitian has his own plans for him.

Ccino gets a surprise appearance at the end, too.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

unreality, gore, spiders, mind control

> if you wish to skip these, skip ahead to the second cut/line

however, unreality is also prevalent in Killer POV's scenes, so scenes in ALL italics should also be avoided if you wish to avoid unreality.

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His first thought was that he was weightless. Light sprinkles, something like sugar, lightly kissing all over his bones. He was flying, free, weightless, nothing at—

He was falling.

An inch from the abyss spiders crawled over his eyes, clicking and clicking, his eyelights shot into existence and then he was encased in frosting, in snow, in mud, in di— dust.

"Brother."

His eyes were open but he saw nothing, his neck snapped back and folded into his ribs. He gasped, a single speck fell into mouth and— and he tasted blood. His arms snapped, curving into where his neck was and— (snapped) and— (broken) and— (dusting) and and and—

Brother. Red scarf aflame; rotting flesh. Rotting rotting rotting—

"Brother."

Cold, unforgiving— a face he knew, bubbling with cracks, it— it was his own?

Brother?

He couldn't see, but he felt. The specks of greyish white, ticking and clicking again, more legs than arms— It was cold, so cold. Then he was plucked from the water, a wildflower for a coffin.

It dipped in, lined every scar set into his bone. It was a pain but... but he knew this pain. Clicking. His breath slowed as— oh, he was breathing again. He could see again.

A click, but just one.

A smile swam into view.

"Welcome back." It sounded delighted. No, it was amused. He... he? Dust had never heard that voice before. But something in him registered and— and—

"Still with me?" Dust tried to nod but he couldn't. His eyelights slid to the side (eyeballs plucked afresh, rotting frui—) and found Horror there, staring straight ahead... A chill would've gone through him if the water didn't steal it away at the first tremble.

"Yes, Boss." Horror's voice was unmistakable but unfamiliar. He shivered, it was so cold, the other voice was so much nicer, he needed it— oh, the water again. His squared shoulders fell back, a shaky breath left him—

"Yes." He didn't know the voice that left him but at least... at least it was his. "Boss," He added, and was rewarded with the water that quickly chilled him, starkly aching, like ice cubes settling to the bottom of a lake. But it numbed too and... and he needed that.

The cyan fire dimly registered itself. All around, partnered with black candles.

"What— what did you—"

Then the water pressed against his soul, cooling and... and...

He saw no longer, willingly giving in.