Unexpected Intimacy/ BoyXBoy

U.I. Chapter Four

Ben POV
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Silence. A thick and heavy silence filled the passage as I walked the empty discolored hall. I extended my arm out and felt the walls, enjoying their smooth, flat texture. I smiled as I momentarily forgot the mission and took in my surroundings. Although nothing specific seemed to draw my attention or could be categorized as dangerous, I watched carelessly as the walls seemed to pulse, excreting even more light than usual in small constant bursts. Oddly enough, the luminescence seemed harmless to my eyes and didn't seem painful. This was indeed a strange place.

Convinced I was safe and allowed to space out for a bit, I began to ponder about the events that led me to arrive in this place and cringed as I remembered my little episode, continuing walking towards a black dot in the distance. I scolded myself for allowing myself to go that far into my disheveled head. I used my abilities even though I was instructed against it. I would probably receive a reprimand when I returned home. What concerned me more, though, was the strange eruption of fire that had surrounded me. I had never been skilled enough when manipulating fire, so it was odd that I had done so in such a proficient manner.

When I was instructed on how to use magic by Mourner, he and I concluded that my specialty was not fire manipulation. I remembered the countless times in which I had burned myself and/or Mourner and grinned. I had been prohibited from attempting to learn for an extended amount of time after that. I instead focused on other areas and became proficient in manipulating natural forces. I never foresaw that I'd ever use fire ever again, so the occurrence which recently happened was quite startling. The more I tried to decipher what occurred, the more confused I became. The only conclusion I could be confident about; the mysterious voice had something to do with it.
The coolness which I had felt when the voice had touched my ears was something which I had not felt before. My body relaxed immediately, and the whirlwind enveloping me was engulfed in flames. I didn't know how to describe it accurately, but I'd like to imagine it was almost like my emotions were set loose. At the moment, it didn't make sense to me, and my head began to crowd with unpleasantly complex questions and theories, twisting and turning while succumbing my consciousness into the turmoil, distracting me from the sudden changes I discerned unpleasantly late.

The first came unnoticed and unannounced. As I made my way blindly towards the black dot in the distance, immersed in my cancerous thoughts, I had a moment of realization that my senses were numb. Before, I was able to feel the strange light pulses from the walls and feel the surfaces and my clothes, but at the moment, I could feel nothing. I placed my hand against my face only to prove my theory correct; No warmth radiated from my skin. My hand wasn't picking up any temperature or texture of my face. I groped my body but continued to find no sensation. Strangely, though, I kept walking. My legs seemed to have a mind of their own, but my torso and head were mine to control, and an unpleasant thought pushed itself into my head: for now at least.

Quickly, I tore at my legs, scratching and harassing; Attempting to get a feeling of pain or soreness or at least try to stop them. Anything! My breathing became labored and came in quick puffs which drove me to desperately clawing at my tendons. Unfortunately, it led me to find that although my body was numb, my skin was delicate. With no sensation of pain to stop me, I had initiated some nasty gashes and tears on my legs, tinting my clothing a dark scarlet. I cringed at the thought that when my senses returned, I'd be feeling those for a while.
'Nevermind that,' I thought, choosing to focus on my unpleasant situation. I fought my head, trying to comprehend and analyze my situation but immediate panic wedged itself in my mind, bearing despair and sending waves of anxiety coursing through my body. Still, my skin and muscles refused to welcome any sensation or respond to my commands.

"Where are you?........."

I stopped at the sound of the voice and witnessed as the walls became a midnight hue, bright pulses of light illuminating the newfound darkness. My body stopped moving, my senses beginning to return. I lifted my hand towards my face again and sighed in relief as I felt my soft, smooth skin and barely visible mustache. Satisfied with that, I dropped my hand and glanced at my surroundings. Examining the dozens of orbs, I felt a burning excitement and temptation to touch every single one of them. Like the walls when they were white, the light from the star-like spheres felt refreshing, cooling my skin with its impact.