Blink: Ethereal Fury

The World Was Burning

The lower levels of Oni's base were a far cry from the polished, gleaming halls above. Down here, the lights were dimmer, the walls rougher, and the air thicker with the scent of sweat and exertion. It was the part of the base no one visited unless they wanted to be alone. Isolated. This was where fighters came to push their limits, to drown out their demons in blood and sweat.

It was also where Tao had buried himself.

Benji walked slowly through the dimly lit corridor, each step feeling heavier than the last. The walls felt too close, like they were closing in on him, suffocating him with the weight of his own guilt. He wasn't sure what he would say to Tao, or if he even had the right to say anything. How could you apologize for abandoning someone when you knew no words would ever be enough?

He reached the door to the training room, his hand hovering over the control panel. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, he considered turning around. Walking away. Tao had every reason to hate him now, and Benji wasn't sure he could face that. But he couldn't run. Not again.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed the panel.

The door slid open with a hiss, revealing the dark expanse of the training chamber. It was larger than the others, with reinforced walls and floors designed to withstand the kind of destruction that only someone like Tao could unleash. The air was thick with the smell of burning metal, and the sound of rhythmic strikes echoed from the far side of the room.

Benji stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. At the far end of the chamber, Tao was a blur of motion, his body moving with a fluid, almost inhuman grace. His fists struck a massive steel training dummy with a speed and force that made the metal groan under the impact. Each hit reverberated through the room, filling the silence with the sound of violence.

But it wasn't the Tao Benji remembered.

Tao's movements were faster now, more aggressive, like a beast unleashed. His once calm, steady demeanor had been replaced with something raw, untamed. His shirt was torn, sweat gleaming off his skin as his fists pounded into the metal with brutal precision. His eyes were dark, intense, filled with a fury that Benji had never seen before.

For a moment, Benji just watched, his heart sinking as he took in the change. This wasn't the Tao who had always been quick to crack a joke, the Tao who had kept their spirits up even in the worst of times. This was someone who had been broken, someone who had been pushed too far.

"Tao," Benji called, his voice barely audible over the sound of fists striking steel.

Tao didn't stop. He didn't even acknowledge Benji's presence. His fists moved faster, his strikes more ferocious, as if he was trying to drown out the world with each hit.

"Tao!" Benji called louder this time, taking a step closer.

Still nothing.

Benji's jaw clenched, a surge of frustration rising in his chest. He stepped forward again, raising his voice. "Tao, stop!"

This time, Tao's movements faltered. His fist paused mid-strike, hovering inches from the steel. Slowly, he turned, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his chest heaving. His eyes met Benji's, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of recognition. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by something colder, harder.

"Benji," Tao said, his voice flat, emotionless. "I didn't think you'd come down here."

Benji swallowed hard, his throat dry. "I had to. I needed to see you."

Tao's lips twisted into a bitter smile as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "See me? Why? So you can tell me how sorry you are? How you didn't mean to leave?"

Benji flinched at the venom in Tao's voice. "Tao, I—"

"Save it," Tao snapped, turning away from him. "I don't need your apologies."

Benji's hands balled into fists at his sides, his chest tightening. "I'm not here to apologize. I'm here to make things right."

Tao let out a harsh laugh, the sound bitter and hollow. "Make things right? You think you can fix this, Benji? You think you can just walk back into our lives and everything will go back to normal?"

Benji's gaze dropped to the floor. "I know things won't be the same. But I can try."

"Try?" Tao's voice rose, anger flaring in his eyes as he turned back to face Benji. "You don't get it, do you? You *left* us, Benji! You left me! I was supposed to be your brother, and you just—" His voice broke for a moment, the anger giving way to something raw, something vulnerable. "You disappeared without a word. Without a goddamn word."

"I didn't know what else to do," Benji said, his voice thick with guilt. "I wasn't strong enough. I thought if I stayed, I'd only drag you all down."

Tao's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. "You're right. You weren't strong enough. But not because of your powers, Benji. You weren't strong enough to stay. To fight with us. To trust us." He took a step closer, his voice shaking with fury. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me? Watching everything fall apart? Watching Daichi and Mira try to pick up the pieces while you were off doing God knows what?"

Benji felt like he had been punched in the gut. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. He didn't know what to say. How could he explain the fear that had driven him away? The fear of losing them, of failing them?

Tao's voice dropped, the anger simmering into something colder, more dangerous. "You think you can just waltz back in here and be the hero again? You're too late, Benji. I don't need you anymore. None of us do."

The words hit like a physical blow, knocking the breath from Benji's lungs. For a moment, he stood there, stunned, the weight of Tao's words settling over him like a lead blanket. But then something inside him snapped. Maybe it was the guilt, the shame, the regret that had been festering for so long. Or maybe it was the realization that Tao was right. He *had* left them. He *had* failed them. And now, he had to face the consequences.

"I know I fucked up," Benji said, his voice low but firm. "I know I can't change what I did. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere this time."

Tao's eyes narrowed, the fury in them burning hotter. "You think that matters? You think you can just show up and everything will be okay? You broke us, Benji. You broke *me*."

The rawness in Tao's voice made Benji's chest ache. He had expected anger, but this... this was something deeper. Something that cut to the bone.

"I'm sorry," Benji said, the words heavy with sincerity. "I can't fix what I broke. But I can stand with you now. We can face Nemesis together."

Tao stared at him for a long moment, the silence between them stretching taut like a wire. Then, without warning, Tao's fist shot out, slamming into Benji's jaw with a crack that echoed through the room.

Benji staggered back, his head spinning from the force of the blow. His hand flew to his jaw, blood pooling in his mouth. But he didn't fight back. He didn't even raise his fists. He just stood there, waiting.

Tao's chest heaved with ragged breaths as he stood over Benji, his fists still clenched, trembling with barely contained rage. For a moment, it looked like he might hit him again. But then the anger seemed to drain out of him, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

"I hate you," Tao whispered, his voice trembling. "I hate you for leaving me. For making me believe in you."

Benji's heart shattered at the words, but he didn't look away. He met Tao's gaze, his voice soft but steady. "I know. And I'm sorry."

For a long moment, they stood there, the silence thick with tension. But then Tao's shoulders sagged, and the fury in his eyes dulled to a simmering ache. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Benji alone in the training room, blood dripping from his lip and the weight of his mistakes heavy on his shoulders.

Benji didn't move. He didn't call after Tao. He just stood there, staring at the empty space where his friend had been, wondering if he'd ever be able to mend the broken bonds between them.

And somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered that maybe, just maybe, it was too late.