two souls unite (a fire like a spotlight)

𝓁𝒾𝓃𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝑒

We were linked by fate,

And our souls drew together.

For reasons we'll never know.

You've been with Konro and Beni for over ten years now, just about as long as Hikage and Hinata have. You can still remember the forest of pale pink peonies on your kimono, and ribbons in your hair, staring blankly as your house had erupted into a world of sea and smoke around you. Your parents had turned into Infernals; your father had even advanced on you, claws digging painfully into the skin of your wrist. Blood had welled up, spilled onto the ground, and your clothes, only for a series of miniature explosions to rip through the enclosed space, leaving only you unscathed. All your instincts had screamed at you to run, but all you could do was sit and stare blankly, unresponsive even as Konro and Beni had finally arrived to put your parents out of their misery.

After about a year of staying at the Guardhouse, after a year of no one showing up to offer you a new home, you'd moved in with Beni and Konro permanently. You're treated like a younger sister, and it's like you're a real family. You've found the place where you belong.

You've never told either of them about the boy, who comes to you at odd times, most often when you sleep. Clad in white, with a face carved from marble itself, never once has he smiled, not in all the years that you've known him. When you were smaller, you were too scared to ever tell Beni or Konro about the boy, afraid that if they found out, they'd realize you weren't normal, and then they'd abandon you on the streets.

And now, it's been so long that you're not sure how to bring it up. Privately, you think that you're scared of losing your only home.

The door to the church opens, and you walk inside. The sweet, smoky smell of incense immediately fills your nose, and you close your eyes, taking it in. When you open your eyes, you see the light filtering in from the huge stained-glass windows looks beautiful, making the gray stone walls look like the inside of a jewelry box.

You move forward down a red carpeted aisle. You can see that Beni has claimed a pew three rows from the front, and you step quietly over, your gaze focused on your scuffed black boots. Beni scoots over, giving you about three inches of room to sit. You thank him sarcastically, making sure to elbow him in the ribs as you settle yourself onto the hard, wooden bench. You glance up at the alter for the briefest of moments, catching a glimpse of long blonde hair, glowing blue eyes and a wide, white grin, right before their features grow hazy, light blotting out the corners of your vision completely.

You cover your face with your hands, startled and comforted by how cold your fingers are. You feel like you're burning from the inside out.

╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗

You dream of the boy again.

Except, you see the world through his eyes.

It's a dimly lit room, draped with heavy black curtains that keep out any trace of sunlight. Candles are lit instead: a taper stands four feet tall by the door, and a dozen thumb-sized ones crowd the low altar in the center of the room. A chalice also holds a burning flame, but the room still feels dark and gloomy. Despite being filled with so much fire, the room is chilly.

The boy cuts a path through a throng of devoted followers, and sits on an ornately carved pew.

"Get out of my head," He hisses venomously, all of his poison directed at you; but you've grown used to his barbs, and you don't take his words personally. "Stop linking with me."

He's in a particularly bad mood tonight, which makes your uneasy heart clench in your chest. You have to refrain from flooding him with any of your memories; as amusing as Hinata and Hikage's antics might be, you have a feeling that you won't be garnering any positive reactions from him.