Luminescent

Whispers In The Dark

They walked through rows upon rows of tanks. Rin felt increasingly bad the more clones they passed. Did they feel anything in those tanks? Were they even still alive? He hoped not. He hoped they'd already passed on. Rin stopped at one tank on ground level, occupied by a pale, bloated body. The only ground-level tank with an occupant still there. Hair floated around the peaceful face of the clone. He placed his hand on the tank. It was colder than he'd expected. It must have been lonely being the only one down there.

A second later, cracks spread from his fingertips. He backed away carefully and the cracks stopped spreading and he sighed in relief.

Then, out of nowhere, a clone broke loose of a tank from above them, charging out to fall on top of Bon and Lightning. Mephisto batted the thing away with his umbrella, cringing as he heard more tanks breaking open. The clones made whining, desperate growls as they moved. For some reason, as soon as they were deflected from anyone else in the group, they came to Rin. The first few fell at his feet, seemingly bowing to him. The bloated, naked clones surrounded him, but all they did was bow at his feet.

Then, once every remaining tank was empty and all the bloated clones bowed at Rin's feet, they deteriorated straight to ash and bones as one. Rin stared down at the bodies, then looked around at his comrades.  They were all silent, in shock. So why did Rin hear whispering? It was everywhere. He spun in a slow circle, but every last clone was dead.

єкยﻮςเภєภเ ....

It was that voice again. The one from his dream that he couldn't forget. He still understood the strange language.

Finally....

He looked at his group again, but they just seemed confused. Rin squeezed Amaimon's hand, as if willing him to hear the words too. "Did you hear it?" He whispered. Amaimon shook his head

"Listen."

๒๏ภкє รє๒єקђย๓ยɭє.

They've all been put to rest.

Rin almost wanted to cry at those words. He'd felt waves of relief coming from the bodies before they perished. Those clones had been alive and alone, slowly dying, all isolated from the world and from each other. They'd been suffering for years. And then they'd come to Rin before finally dying. Finally resting.

ภﻮเץค๒๏ภﻮค, เภк๏รเ ץค๓เ.

Thank you, my King.

Again, with the voice calling him it's King? Why? What was he King of? He had no titles other than the Crown Prince of Gehenna at the moment. He glanced to Amaimon to gauge his reaction, but recieved a confused stare instead.

Hesitantly, Rin called out in that same language. That tiny piece of him that came from Satan knew the language and let him speak it just as well as understand it.

"Why are you thanking me?"

A look of understanding dawned on both Mephisto and Amaimon's faces when they heard the words roll off his tongue. They hadn't heard that specific demonic dialect in a very long time.

ยภเкєչє เ๓Ŧย๔ย๓คɭ๏ ץคкђ๏ кย-คɭครՇคเгє.  ฬคץєภﻮคкคչє єչฬє ɭ๏кђ๏ кยŦย๔ย๓คɭค єรเкђคՇђเภเ єรเ๔є кคкђยɭย.  ๒๏ภкє ๒คŦยภค ยкยչฬค เ๓Ŧย๔ย๓คɭ๏ кคภץє ภןє. ภﻮเץค๒๏ภﻮค ภﻮ๏кยภﻮเภเкค ๒๏ภค ๏к๏кยﻮςเภค.

The voice spoke again, explaining to him.

You gave your warmth to Alastaire. He had not felt that warmth in a very long time. They all wanted to feel that warmth just once more. Thank you for giving it to them one last time.

"Did they have souls left in them?" He asked.

ץє๒๏.  ๒ค๒єՇђє ςฬคкค เรเкђคՇђเ єรเ๔є кคภﻮคภﻮ๏๒ค к๏ภкє ค๒ค๒єภﻮคкฬєภչค ยкยкยкђ๏๓๒เรค ยкย๒๏ภﻮค ๒єкยקђ๏ợค เ๓เչเ๓๒ค ץค๒๏ ยкย๒ค เкђ๏Շђค๓є.

Yes. They were dormant for so long that all they could do to show you gratitude was to force their bodies to bow.

The voice was getting fainter by the second.

ย๓ค ยŦเรค ยкยՇђ๏ɭค єչเภץє เչเ๓קєภ๔ยɭ๏ кเ๓เ, кยŦคภєɭє ย๒ยץє єкђคץค.  ภﻮเ๒เภﻮєɭєɭє ๓คภןє, เภк๏รเ ץค๓เ.

If you wish to get any more answers from me, you must come Home. Goodbye for now, my King.

Section 13 was finally silent once again, but this time, there was no one left to sleep endlessly in these tanks. There was only two Demon Kings, two Humans, and a Nephilim.

Rin turned to the group. "I'll explain on the way back. Let's get out of here." He suggested. Amaimon wrapped an arm around his waist comfortingly and they left Section 13.