Dressed in Feathers | K.TH FF

12: Destiny Rethreaded

Gyeowool's POV

I could start feeling the presence of my body again. I went to glance at my hands. They were translucent at first, but then they solidified. In the background behind them were black boots with a skull and raven pattern with roses and thorned vines—completely in noir. Training my eyes up, they were followed up by wide, ironed black dress pants with small ruffles like fins on the outer side seams below the knees. Further up, it was the suit top I recognized from the afternoon I first met him as it was draped over by ebony feathers, an onyx ball held by a silver skeleton hand dangling by a chain at the chest. Lastly came that familiar face wearing a silver bird cuff wrapping the left ear. He appeared wet.

"Taehyung, what happened with the last Fate?" Since I stopped watching halfway through the battle, I didn't know how it ended.

"I would prefer not to talk about it." He tried to pry my mind away from the thought.

"That bad, huh? Did you win?"

"Yes, I did."

"Oh, good!"

"Just refrain from looking down."

"Why?" And then I started to turn my attention to the floor like he told me not to do. It was a natural reaction.

Quickly before I could see anything, he blocked my eyes and moved me away. "I told you not to."

"When you tell me not to, I'm going to. It's a natural response."

"I remember you were always squeamish about gore."

"Okay, now I'm not looking down. You could have just told me THAT."

"I did not wish to alarm you."

"You know, you and gore in this plane should not even surprise me anymore."

"I don't enjoy violence, Gyeowool. It is a last resort when no other options are presented. I do wish everything could have been solved peacefully, but the sentries were commanded to become hostile as soon as we arrived from aurora borealis. If I did not comply, Cerberus wouldn't have permitted us through the Nether Gate at all."

"But.... You convinced him to do that."

"That is not the point."

I sighed bitterly. "How pointless is this? Here I am arguing with Death."

"I informed you I dislike that name."

"Too bad. That's who you are."

"I am not."

"Really? The Fates are dead by YOUR hand. You slaughtered them one after the other."

"I warn you, Jung Gyeowool, do not."

"What will you do? Reap me? You did that already, and you can't kill me again since I'm already dead."

"I did not—" He took a second to pause and inhale to neutralize his frustration. His scythe snapped closed, and it frightened me a little. "You have a talent."

"For what?"

"For speaking more than you should."

My entire chessboard strategy backfired. It was like my war plane was shot and exploded. My jaw was on the floor. He'd been so nice to me; I never saw him actually lose his cool at me. There was a sort of fire in his tense stare.

I wonder what he looks like when he snaps. "You are scary when you're angry."

"I am not angry. I am distressed. You do not want to witness me angry. I advise you trust that word."