Word count: ~13500 words

Part 1 of 2 because dear stars this is getting too long

Aka: Part 2 of "Open Up My Heart (And Let My Feelings Fly Free)"

(Reading The Heart is part 1, recommended to be read first but not necessary)

Anyways, back at it with my orv au! As mentioned earlier, reading Reading The Heart is not necessary, since they take place at the same time. Though, RTH sets up the world in a way that would be helpful

Anyways, a recap of the au itself just in case: Keefe reads a webcomic, KOTLC, about an apocalypse. In this apocalypse you have to clear scenarios in order to survive, and beings known as constellations can sponsor you coins, or offer help

Tam is the protagonist of KOTLC, and a regressor, meaning every time he dies, he is transported back to the beginning of the apocalypse with all his memories. So he uses his knowledge to get further.

When the webcomic comes to life, Keefe uses his knowledge of KOTLC to have them all survive.

This fic actually deals with Linh and ver perspective! Ve/ver Linh, and He/she Marella

So. Warnings for the chapter include but not limited to: Violence, background death (kinda graphic depictions of children and animal deaths in the beginning, especially), trauma (see, previous point), brief suicidal thoughts in response to trauma, drowning/fear of water

"Tam, come look at this shell I found!" Without waiting for his reaction, Linh dragged ver brother by the arm across the beach towards the shell that ve found.

Tam pulled out his camera. "You just wanted me to take a picture, didn't you?"

Ve beamed, and he took the picture.

"I'm taking the shell with me too," ve said. "I just like watching you take pictures."

"You want one with you holding it?"

Ve nodded happily, and posed. Tam took the picture, a smile on his face.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Linh Song was ver name, but there was something odd about seeing the last name there. Ve had no knowledge of a family. All ve knew was that ve had woken up one day with ver brother Tam at the age of twenty two. What happened beforehand?

Despite having nothing going on for them, making their life was quite simple. Records of their existences already existed, with education levels (information ve couldn't recall learning, but knew anyway), and other important details. They were all pieces to some giant puzzle, but ve had no idea what the full picture was supposed to look like.

Tam became a professional photographer, famous for being able to work with bizarre requests for odd lighting. Linh got verself a job at the aquarium; ve loved taking care of the animals and it was fun to give tours to wide-eyed, curious children.

"Everyone, you're allowed to put your hands in the water here and pet the animals inside, if you want," ve said. "Be respe-"

There was a bright flash of light that blinded ver, scaring the animals.

"Excuse me," ve said calmly, "if anyone has their camera flash on, please make sure it is o-"

Linh froze. In front of ver, a white fluffy creature was floating. Ve loved animals, but this thing came out of nowhere, and stared at ver with deep black eyes and a mischievous smile.

"Children, please stay calm, and stay quiet for now, okay?" ve ordered, taking deep breaths so ve wouldn't freak out. Ve looked at the two teachers and they got the message, quickly herding everyone into a line.

["Listen up!"] The creature said, and one of the children screamed. ["Children know how to listen, right?"]

Linh moved and picked up the child, ignoring manners in favour of calming down the screaming child.

"What"- are you- "do you want?" Linh asked, forcing verself to be brave in front of all these terrified children.

["I was getting to that, but I'll let it slide. So- of course I get stuck with dealing with the children, they're too stupid to understand anything. But fine, I'll make things simple. Every single one of you owes money."]

"How much?" Linh asked. "How long until this money is due?"

"You should ask that thing why we owe money in the first place," one of the teachers muttered.

["Living costs a price in this world, and so far, you've all been doing this for free. So now, you have to make up for it. Your debt increases as each second passes by. It's not ordinary human money, the Star Stream runs with coins. Don't worry though, you've got your whole life to pay out the debt.

"You gain coins by clearing scenarios and oh! Here we are with our first scenario."]

A blue panel popped up in front of Linh, and looking around showed that it happened to everyone. This was going from weird to unreal really quickly. Ve put down the child ve was carrying and began reading the text on the panel, ignoring the massive headache that came out of nowhere, and the pull ve felt towards the animals.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Main scenario #1- Proof of Worth]

Category: Main

Difficulty: F

Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living creatures.

Time Limit: 30 minutes.

Reward: 300 coins.

Penalty For Failure: Death

◇◇◇◇◇

The dokkaebi smiled. ["Now I hope that you all provide a fun story to tell."]

That headache ve felt grew stronger, but ve needed to be strong. "Everyone, let's try and leave. I know the closest exit to here!"

The two teachers nodded. "Everyone in line, now."

As Linh tried to leave the room though, yellow sparks emerged, blocking ver from moving.

["You can't leave until the scenario is cleared."] The creature said.

"What do we do?" A teacher asked.

"We are not touching the children," the other teacher said.

Linh nodded. "I would never ask for that."

Ve reread the instructions, hoping that somehow, somehow , ve had misread them. But no, it was just as it said. Kill a living creature. The failure was death.

"Ooh, a clownfish!" One of the children said, reaching into the water and trying to grab one of the clownfish that were swimming. The child was so young, they probably couldn't even fully read what the scenario was about. And now they were thrust into a situation such as this.

The two teachers locked eyes, and Linh's stomach lurched. Ve knew exactly what they were thinking.

"I'm sorry, but we can't," ve said.

The headache that ve had grew longer, and it almost felt like ve could also feel the pull of the water.

"We have to," the first teacher said. "For the sake of the kids, we have to. We have no other choice."

"Alright, everyone!" The second teacher said, "reach into the water and take out one fish."

"Please," Linh whispered, even though ve knew that this was the right thing to do. The children should take priority over the animals. Then why... why did seeing the fish swim away in fear tug at ver heart so much?

Small bursts of feelings-feelings? Voices?-erupted in ver mind, everything was flooding ver, the pull of the water, the feelings of each and every individual animal.

" Please stop ," ve said, and there were tears. Ve instinctively reached out, but had to restrain verself.

They are literal children! ve told verself. The children have to live . If the children die because I decided to be stupid , I could never forgive myself.

But ve could feel the weight of countless gazes of ver, the eyes of each and every single animal on ver.

We want to live , ve could hear, a tragic melody, louder than the roar of the water, pulling at ver entire being. We don't want to die.

"Stop!" ve screamed, closing ver eyes. "Please," ve begged, but even ve couldn't tell what ve was begging for. For the headache to stop? To let the animals live? To the creature who orchestrated the entire event to stop this? This creature who was willing to kill children for... for what? For some kind of debt that nobody was even aware of?

Ve couldn't do anything more than murmur please and plant ver hands on ver ears to block the sound of everything, but the world only grew louder and louder until-

Glass shattered, and Linh opened ver eyes to see water flooding everywhere, animals being swept away from the grabbing hands of the children. Water kept flooding, more and more as the water level began to rise.

There was screaming again, the teachers, the children, maybe the animals too. Maybe even verself- definitely verself, ver throat began to burn as the water just kept rising.

There was no true way to prove it, but ve knew that all of this was because of ver. All ver fault. It was all ver fault as the water kept rising, and not a single drop was allowed to escape the room because of the yellow barrier that prevented them from leaving. It was all ver fault that the roar of the water grew louder, overpowering the screams of everyone. It was all ver fault that the screams turned into silence, until the sound of the water was so loud that ve couldn't even hear it anymore.

Stop! ve pleaded, to whatever being was willing to listen. I beg you, please stop this!

Ve closed ver eyes, hoping that this was some nightmare. Ve'd wake up in ver room, make some tea, and maybe Tam would be awake too. He'd comfort ver, just like he'd done over the two years that ve could remember.

⸢"It's okay Linh," Tam would say, "it's just a nightmare."

For a brief moment, ve wondered if at this age, ve should be able to deal with nightmares. But with Tam's fingers linked with vers, ve decided that it didn't matter. As long as Tam was willing to do this, there was no reason to worry.⸥

Ve opened ver eyes to the sight of utter destruction. Shards of glass were scattered everywhere from the water-and so were the bodies. As if the water had managed to tear them apart . As if it were some kind of weapon that ve had unleashed . Laughter burst out of ver unexpectedly, an ugly, horrific sound to ver ears. The laughter didn't cease, ve hunched over, falling to the floor as tears streamed down ver face, until the laughs turned to sobs, until ve lost ver voice entirely.

Why? Ve thought. Why why why why why? Why did I stay unharmed? Why am I still here?

[You have killed a living thing. 100 coins have been earned as a reward.]

[You have killed a living thing. 100 coins have been earned as a reward.]

[You have killed a living thing. 100 coins have been earned as a reward.]

As if to reinforce the sins that ve had just committed, ve received dozens upon dozens of that message, each one for a body that ve killed. But then there were more and more and more and surely there weren't that many people in the room, and even with the animals included, ve couldn't have killed that many, why were there so many messages and ve knew for sure that it was exceeding the number of living beings in the room now and why were the messages still coming?

Ver headache subsided slightly as the water began to calm down, and dazed, ve realized the answer to ver question.

This wasn't the only room in the aquarium. There were more, there was more water to use and hurt and kill -

["Wow, this has got to be one of the most exciting results of the first scenario that I've seen in a long time. Ve seems to be earning quite a number of coins, isn't ve off to a great start?"] the dokkaebi said. ["What do you think about Linh Song, dear constellations?"]

[The constellation, One Who Lost Her Heart is interested in your power.]

[You have been sponsored 100 coins.]

Various other messages popped up, saying similar things. Only two messages stood out from the rest.

[The constellation, One Who Seeks The End looks at you with sympathy.]

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths wishes to help you.]

One of them felt bad for ver, while the other seemed to want to help ver.

["Well,"] the dokkaebi continued, ["I'll explain this quickly, since it's only you here..."]

Linh made out words relating to some kind of sponsor selection that would allow for "incarnations" to live. All ve could think of though were the words "it's only you here".

Only me... only me in the entire aquarium? I'm the only one left living here..?

[1. One Who Lost Her Heart

Lady Of The Darkest Depths...]

The sponsor selection began, and there were a decent number of constellations there, four. But ve only recognized two of the names; the one who was interested in ver power and the one who wanted to help ver.

Ve chose the Lady Of The Darkest Depths .

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths nods her head in approval.]

"What do I do next?" Linh asked ver sponsor.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says for you to take a look at your attribute window and stats.]

An attribute window? With that thought, another blue panel appeared in front of ver.

◇◇◇◇◇

[Personal Information]

Name: Linh Hai Song.

Pronouns: Ve/ver.

Age: 24.

Constellation Support: Lady Of The Darkest Depths.

Attribute(s): One Of Many Floods (Rare).

Skill(s): Hydrokinesis (Level 1), Diverse Communication (Level 1).

Stigma(s): Great Wave (Level 1).

Overall Stats: Stamina (Level 3), Strength (Level 2), Agility (Level 4), Magic Power (Level 3).]

◇◇◇◇◇

Oh. Whatever this was seemed to know a lot about ver; name, pronouns, age. It vaguely reminded ver of a video game-was that what all this was? A video game?

Was ve just some character used to... used to...

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths tells you that this tragedy was due to circumstances, it was not your fault.]

But it was. Ve knew that it was.

"Who are you?" ve asked instead.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths cannot tell you her true name, not until you are able to meet her.]

"Oh," ve murmured, upset. The only being who truly seemed to understand the tragedy of the situation could only communicate like this, distantly. "Well..." ve tried to think of what to say next, but usually observing ver surroundings helped with that. But right now... ve could only keep ver gaze on the attribute window, which blocked the view of the aquarium. "There's... there's um... stats? How do I upgrade them? Do I use the coins I received?"

If ve could just focus on anything but the world around ver...

Ve received a reply in confirmation, and ve began to upgrade some of ver stats. Ve had more than enough to raise ver stats to level five, and still had well over twenty-thousand coins. Based on the fact that upgrading a stat costed only three hundred coins, ve probably had more coins than a lot of people.

All because I killed so many people. Most people wouldn't have killed as many as I have.

Was it possible for Linh to repent for the killing of so many?

Ve received another message, this time detailing the second scenario.

...there's more. There are more scenarios.

This new one didn't read as difficult as the previous one, but still, there were more and ve had no idea how long this hell was going to last.

As ve stumbled out of the aquarium, ve pulled out ver phone-surprisingly unharmed. Tam, ve needed to text Tam.

Ve froze. Was he okay? Was he able to clear the scenario... did he too have to kill? Whatever he'd do though, it could never be as bad as what ve had just done. What would he even think of ver? Would he see ver as a monster?

Ve smiled sardonically, ve wouldn't blame him for thinking so.

Finally gathering the courage to open up ver phone, ve saw a text from Tam. Twenty minutes ago, shortly before the first scenario would have started.

Linh. It read. There was nothing else.

Please text me if you're okay, ve typed back and pressed send. However, there was apparently no signal, so it couldn't be sent.

What now? Ve had no idea if he was okay. Ve had no idea where to even begin looking for him. Wait. He was probably taking the subway on his way home. If the second scenario for him was the same as vers, then he'd have to head underground. Ve wouldn't know which stop he got off at, but ve knew that he'd be somewhere underground. Maybe he was already looking for ver.

With one last glance at the place that ve had loved dearly, ve left the aquarium and made ver way to the nearest subway station.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Wandering alone in the subway tunnels was simultaneously relieving and stressful. There was nothing around to remind ver of what had just happened, but it wasn't like ve needed a reminder to think of it.

(Really, all it took was five minutes to send Linh into a mental breakdown.)

Ve had a purpose, but was also left to ver own thoughts. Each step was another step towards living, a chance that so many people weren't able to have. The weight of each step was huge, and ve could hear the echoes in the tunnels.

(They were echoes of the people who should have been here.)

The echoes were so loud that they seemed to attract some kind of animal. Its feelings weren't as pronounced as the ones in the aquarium, but ve could feel something.

What are you doing? ve thought as the animal charged at ver. This small feeling pulled at ver gut, a low, silent hum. Ve tugged back, hoping it would listen. Please back down.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that you will have to kill it.]

It was attacking ver, it was clearly aggressive, yet it felt wrong to hurt it. After a close dodge, ve upgraded ver agility by two, so ve could figure out what to do next.

[The skill, Diverse Communication (Level 1) has been activated.]

Ve tried to tame it, to look into its mind and do something, but it wouldn't work. Whether it was due to the low level or something else, ve didn't know.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says you need to use your hydrokinesis.]

"No, I can't," ve said immediately. Ve refused to use it.

But without being able to tame the creature, ve had no other weapon, and ve had to kill it, otherwise, ve would die.

But , a very dark part of ver mind whispered, was that so bad? The people you killed will never be brought back to life, so what better way to repent than to let their killer die?

And for a long moment, ve considered it. But when the animal lunged at ver, ve moved out of the way, and as if ve had done it a hundred thousand times, ve pulled out water from the air and made a whip.

It was only when the animal laid deathly still that Linh realized just what ve had done. Another life. Another life had been taken because of ver.

The whip dropped out of ver hands and evaporated back into the air.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Ve wasn't sure if it was luck or a coincidence, but after a while wandering through the tunnels, Linh somehow managed to run into Tam.

"Tam," ve breathed, and practically threw verself at him, wrapping ver arms around him tightly.

Ve expected him to return the embrace, so it was surprising when he didn't hug ver back, and instead stiffened. Ve pulled away almost immediately, only then noticing that there was blood on his clothes.

"Sorry," ve murmured, pulling away, ignoring how awful the blood felt on ver fingers, "are you okay?"

Tam stared at ver with wide eyes, as if it were the first time that he'd seen ver in years. He blinked and that startled look was gone, as if it were an accidental display of vulnerability. "I'm fine," he said, voice low. "And... and you?"

"I'm... I'm okay," ve lied, not able to bring verself to tell him what had happened.

Linh was his sister, and ve knew how to tell that he, too, was lying. That he was acting stronger than he felt. Linh did the same. They were twins, after all.

Tam told ver some details about the scenario, and together, they made their way to their next destination. Ve thought that now that they were together, things would be okay. They would talk and they could ease their pain. Instead, there was silence, no assurances or comfort. Walking with him, it felt like there was some kind of wall between them, a wall made of apathy and pain, growing larger and larger with each step they took.

What happened, Tam? ve wanted to ask. What happened that's made you like this? Talk to me, please.

"How many coins do you have?" Linh asked, looking for a way to start a conversation.

"Thirteen thousand," he said after a few moments.

Thirteen thousand. Not nearly as much as ve had, but still more than ve had expected. How many people died in his subway car? (How many people died because of him , was the better question, but ve couldn't think that he had killed so many people).

Still... ve moved a little closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. His whole body jerked to look at ver, and his eyes widened again as he read the message.

[You have given 5,000 coins to the character Tam Song. ] Was what the panel read for ver.

Tam let out a breath, and ve could feel the weight in that one breath. As ve retracted ver hand-even though ve wanted nothing more than to leave it there-Tam grabbed it quickly.

[You have received 3,000 coins from the character Tam Song. ]

Just like that, he immediately let go of ver hand.

"If you have coins to spare, use them on yourself," he said, turning away from ver.

You still kept two thousand, Linh wanted to tease, but he began walking up ahead, his black coat fluttering behind him, blending him into the shadows. The wall between them only grew larger.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths asks if your brother is usually like this.]

"No," ve whispered, quietly so Tam couldn't hear the echoes of it. "I don't know what's happening."

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths wants to demand how he could treat his own sister like this!]

A laugh spilled from ver lips, and ve was surprised that it almost sounded genuine. "You don't have to do that. He'll come back to me when he's ready."

Ve could only hope that this was the case.

•~•~•~•~•~•

⸢"Oh, Linh, you're home," Tam greeted, finding ver in their kitchen. "How was your first day of work?"

"It was stressful ," ve replied. "The children are adorable but they're loud. I almost forgot my animal facts, but it was fun. How about yours?"

"You wouldn't believe how picky some of my clients are," Tam groaned, going into the fridge and taking out a bottle of water, drinking half of it in one go, "I did exactly what he wanted and then had the audacity to complain. I don't want to deal with him ever again."

"Did he pay well at least?"

Tam snorted. "No."⸥

The two travelled toward the area with the second scenario, and Linh was able to observe the changes in Tam properly. He was quiet-even more than usual.

He talked to ver, but mostly when it related to the scenario. Otherwise, ve was the one who had to initiate the conversations. Ve knew that Tam was reserved, but this?

What was going on?

Whenever a creature came and tried to attack them, he controlled the shadows to kill them off. Looking at him, ve could tell just how strong he was. It wasn't just the control in his own abilities, but physical strength too. He could kill a monster in half the time it would take ver.

"Stay here," Tam said when they encountered a mini-dungeon. "You can stand guard."

Tam entered the dungeon and Linh waited.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths asks if you're just going to let him take all the treasure for himself.]

"That's not what he's doing," Linh said. "He wants me to stay because he wants me to stay safe. I don't appreciate your tone."

Ver sponsor didn't say anything else, thankfully. When Tam returned, he smelled of blood-more than usual, at least-and he had a few items in his hands. There was a sword at his waist, some kind of candle-looking object, and a bracelet.

"Take this, I don't need it," Tam said, handing ver the bracelet.

Ve took it and slid it on. "Thank you."

But by the time ve had taken it, Tam already turned to move on ahead to their next destination.

Ve took a look at the stats of the bracelet. It mentioned something about a slight calming effect.

Linh looked up smugly, ver sponsor silent.

•~•~•~•~•~•

The second scenario was... brutal. Not as awful as the first, not for ver, at least, but still awful. It was about hunting food-which ve had done before-but also about surviving other people.

Tam seemed to have no qualms dealing with the group that they faced off against. He simply pulled out his sword.

"What are you doing?" Linh asked him. "These are people ."

"They're awful people, Linh. They take power by harming the unfortunate."

"You can't know that!"

"I passed by here when I was looking for you," he explained, but something about his measured tone made it seem like he wasn't quite telling the truth. But why lie? "It would be better if I didn't say what they did."

Linh stared at him. He was probably right about the things that they had done but... kill them?

"One of my skills is called Shadow Reading ," Tam said finally, "it allows me to see a person's stats, but also tells me the weight of their sins."

"Oh," ve said. If he used the Shadow Reading skill on ver, what would he find? Would the weight of ver sins outweigh everyone else's?

"I'll deal with them if you don't want to."

Then he rushed into battle, his body a black blur as he used his sword to cut people down. He moved just like the shadows he was able to control-dark and deadly. He swung his sword with the ease of a swordsman who had trained for decades. So unlike the brother that ve knew.

⸢"Hey Linh," Tam said, and ve could immediately latch on to the very slight tremor in his voice.

They were cooking dinner together in the kitchen, so ve couldn't see him, but ve could hear the hesitation when he normally chopped the vegetables with ease.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I've gotten my first professional photoshoot," he said. "I'd like you to be there with me."

"Is that allowed?" ve asked.

"I've already gotten permission."

"Then of course I'll come!" Ve turned to him, and once ve saw that he paused chopping the vegetables, ve elbowed him. "I'd love to be able to witness what people mean when they say you're the 'Master with Shadows'."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, they're being ridiculous." But upon closer inspection, his cheeks flushed a very faint pink and his lips twitched. All the tension left his body.⸥

The fight was over before ve could realize it.

"Linh," Tam called out, "let's go."

Numerous messages popped up telling ver that ve was done with the second scenario, but ve ignored them in favour of watching his back. His entire body was straight and unyielding, his head held high as his coat fluttered with every step he took. Every step he took was quiet and even.

Still, despite how collected he moved, there was something stiff about him. There was some kind of tension, something so ancient that weathered him down.

What's weighing you down?

What happened to the brother who could smile brightly, to the brother whose laughter was like music, who took a camera wherever he went and took pictures? Because as much as he didn't seem like it, he always saw the beauty in life.

"Where's your camera?" Ve blurted.

He turned abruptly and ve could see the splatters of blood on his face, and his cold, haunted eyes. Ve flinched.

(The moment Linh realized ve flinched, ver heart broke. What reason did ve have to flinch?

Something shifted in those dark eyes of his, and ve wondered if he'd noticed.)

"I still have it," he replied, his voice flat and unchanging. "But there's nothing worth taking pictures of anymore."

Which, in a way, was true. Being under the tunnels only amplified how apocalyptic the world seemed. Everything was only lit by the few light bulbs that were still working, and Tam seemed to have some kind of skill that allowed him to see.

What could be seen could be called nothing short of horrifying. Random animals created by the scenario kept charging and attacking, and the walls were stained with blood. Sometimes, it wasn't even animal blood-it would be human.

"What are you going to do with it then?" The question left ver mouth before ve could even finish the thought.

His hand moved to his pocket. "I'll keep it until I can keep it somewhere safe."

Ve let out a sigh of relief. Ve didn't know what kind of answer ve had been expecting, but this was the right one.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Those people..." Linh whispered. "How could they do such a thing?"

Upon finally arriving at the area of the third scenario, ve was horrified. There were spots known as "green zones" or "rooms" that people needed to stay in so they could survive the wave of monsters that came out at night.

The first problem was that there weren't enough rooms for everyone. The second was that there was a group of people that hoarded the largest room, and only allowed people in after charging a large number of coins for each night.

"You'll have to get used to sights like these," Tam said, his voice filled with apathy, "in the apocalypse, people will resort to everything. We can't be naive."

What happened to you? Ve wanted to ask. Tell me!

(But if ve had to be honest, ve was almost glad for this, as selfish as it was. The more time ve spent stressing over this, the less time ve had to think about the... incident at the aquarium. It already haunted ver enough in nightmares, or whenever ve was idle, but this almost seemed like a pleasant distraction. Ve wished that ve felt worse about it.)

"Shouldn't we do something? What about the previous scenario?" The one where you ruthlessly killed the group was left unsaid.

"They're too strong for me to kill," Tam replied. The nonchalance of his tone made ver shudder.

"That doesn't mean we can't do anything, we have..." all these coins, ve didn't say, because there were people around.

"Even if we help them now, they won't be saved," he said without hesitation. "There's no point in using them to help others. Save them for yourself. You should go find yourself a room, night will start in three hours."

Find yourself... "And what about you?"

"I can survive without one."

"But-"

"Linh." He stared at ver, his gaze piercing. "...stay safe. I'll be back soon."

He turned on his heel and went off to do his own thing. His tone was dismissive, but Linh found verself smiling.

Stay safe.

"Okay," ve murmured, "I will."

Ve walked around, looking for any free rooms, but the longer ve watched, the more ve knew that ve had to do something. Ve left the station and began wandering around the immediate surroundings.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is wondering what you are doing.]

"I have to do something ," ve said. Then, quieter, so nobody else but ver sponsor could hear ver, "other than that group, I might have the most coins in the area. Even if I can't offer them all my coins, I can provide food. I'll hunt and I'll earn coins for it."

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says reluctantly that your brother may have had a point.]

"I get why he's cautious, and maybe he's right. Maybe they won't survive this night, or maybe they won't survive the next. But I refuse to do nothing about it."

As ve encountered an animal, ve hunted it down with the only weapon ve had-ver hydrokinesis. It wasn't easy, it took all ver mental strength to be able to create the water whip, but a whip was small and thin and wouldn't drown anyone. One animal went down, then the next, then another came until ve cleared out the area.

As ve began carrying the carcasses back-which became much easier when one could upgrade their strength-ve came across a group.

"Here, I'll help you," a person with shoulder-length blonde hair said, and ve gave them one of the loads. "Are you bringing them to the station?"

Linh nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Did you beat all these by yourself?" Another person asked, with dark hair and brown skin. "That's pretty cool! These things are so annoying because of how often we come across them. They're disgusting and my nails feel like crap." Still, though, they also helped pick up a carcass.

The group seemed friendly enough, though there were blood stains splattered across their clothes. However, ve didn't fear them, not when the same applied to verself. At this point, the blood was something ve was learning to get used to.

"Oh, I should probably introduce myself," Linh said, "I'm Linh. My pronouns are ve/ver."

The others then introduced themselves: Marella, the one who introduced himself to ver, Biana, the dark-haired woman, Fitz and Dex who stayed quiet, and Keefe, who was also quiet, but his gaze was on ver as he if found ver to be familiar...

They arrived at the station, and Linh gave out the meat to the struggling people.

"Thank you," someone said, "how can I repay you?"

"You don't have to," Linh told them. This is the only way I'm able to help you.

Linh made ver way to leave but was interrupted by Keefe. "Hey, your brother's Tam, right?"

Linh turned around and tilted ver head. He knew Tam? "How do you know him?"

"Tell him that his companion is here. He'll know."

His companion... Somehow, ve doubted that. The word "companion" was vague, but it also felt strangely... personal? It wasn't like Tam had a boyfriend or any ex-partners, so it didn't mean romantically. His only friends were from his work, but if Keefe was a friend from work, he could have just said so.

Did he meet Tam when the apocalypse first started? Did he... did he see what caused Tam to change? As soon as the thought appeared, ve stamped it out, ve couldn't get so hopeful about this. If that was when they met, if they were companions , why didn't ve find them together? Why was Tam on his own?

"I'm not sure who he'd know that I wouldn't, but I'll go find him. Don't go anywhere," ve settled on, then made ver way to go find him.

It took a little while to find him.

"What are you doing here?" Tam asked, not even turning to look at ver. "You should be in your room."

"Someone came looking for you and said that he's your companion," Linh told him, omitting the fact that ve had never gone to a room in the first place.

"Companion?" He asked.

Ve nodded. "A man named Keefe said that and that he wanted to see you."

"He's at the station?"

"Yeah, him and the rest of his group."

Wordlessly, Tam turned around from what he was doing and began making his way back to the station.

"Wait, Tam, do you really know him?" Linh asked, surprised by his reaction.

"I've met him once, earlier. Before I found you."

"Did something happen? How come the two of you didn't travel together?"

"I didn't want to," he said simply. "He's also not my companion. But I do need to talk to him."

"Then why leave?"

"No particular reason." There was silence for a few moments. "And Linh?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell your sponsor to not interrogate me?"

Linh blinked, and then he was walking further up ahead.

"Lady Of The Darkest Depths?" ve called out.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that incarnation Tam Song shouldn't hide anything from you!]

"It's okay," ve said. "I'm going to give him time. You don't have to do anything."

Then ve walked faster to catch up to ver brother, ignoring the indignant messages from ver sponsor.

•~•~•~•~•~•

When they arrived back at the station, Linh tried to observe as much as possible. Keefe, who had been relatively quiet, suddenly seemed full of life.

"Did you miss me?" He asked.

Tam rolled his eyes. "Not really."

It was dismissive, but it was more of a reaction than he'd shown to most things. Then Keefe suddenly grabbed Tam by the arm and dragged him off to somewhere quiet. Linh thought Tam would tell him off or look annoyed, but he didn't really do much about it.

"How do they know each other?" Linh asked the group.

"To be honest, I don't really know? All I know is that we had to cross a bridge of even numbers. Dex and I crossed together, and Keefe was alone. If Tam made it past, that meant he'd crossed with Keefe, but only Tam actually made it past that scenario. He told us that Keefe was alive, and then after a day or so, he left," Fitz explained.

"The more I hear about this the more I agree with Biana's theory of that guy throwing him off the bridge," Marella muttered, but it was loud enough for ver to hear.

"I don't think Tam would do that," Linh said. "He's not the type of person to do that."

Though... what kind of person was he? He was willing to kill people without hesitation.

"I don't know him," Dex said, "and I don't know what Tam has told you, but he took the same subway as us. He was in the car behind us, and there was an explosion. He was the only one who survived in his entire car."

"He wouldn't..." ve murmured, eyes wide, "I know him, he wouldn't..."

Tam, involved with an explosion? There was no way. He could never do that, he couldn't. How would the explosion even happen? As far as ve knew, his skills had more to do with shadows or allowing himself to be better at fighting. So how could he even cause an explosion to happen?

Maybe someone else had an explosive, and Tam wanted to disarm them, but the explosive was accidentally set off. It would have been an accident, and Tam probably blamed himself for being unable to save them. Something so traumatic would explain the change in his behaviour. Maybe him being unable to save them made him feel like people couldn't be saved.

"Hey, it's alright," Marella said, putting a hand on ver shoulder, probably mistaking ver silence for something else.

If anything, ve was relieved, wondering why ve doubted ver brother in the first place.

"Linh."

Ve turned and saw that Tam and Keefe had come back.

"I'm going to the building right next to the station," he said, "there's a hidden dungeon there that will take me a day to explore. You should stay with Keefe's group until I'm back."

"Okay. Be careful," ve said.

He nodded. "You too."

Yes, there was no way that Tam was like that. He still cared for ver, even if it wasn't obvious.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"So what the hell's going on here?" Marella asked, "all these green... things hurt my eyes."

"They're green zones, but everyone just calls them rooms," Linh explained. "You need to be inside them when night starts, otherwise the wave of monsters will come out."

"What's the catch?" Marella asked. "We all know these f*cking dokkaebi wouldn't make it this easy."

Linh nodded, finding her skepticism a little soothing. "There aren't enough rooms for everyone. There's a large one upstairs but there's a strong group hoarding it."

Marella cursed again. "I'm going to go up there and I'm going to set fire to them."

"They're too strong," Keefe interrupted.

"Says you?" Biana scoffed. "The one who nearly got into a fistfight with my dad when he was being an *ss? Since when did you believe in being too weak to rebel?"

Keefe shrugged. "Fighting your dad wouldn't get me killed."

"It's not like you're alone," Marella said. "Even if my fire doesn't kill, Everblaze would cause panic."

"That might work," Linh said, and everyone turned to ver. "But the issue is that the leader attacks from long-range, and just stepping into his area will notify him that you're there."

"What about something like this?" Biana asked, disappearing for a few seconds, only to reappear. "That's Vanishing , and I think Invisible Dome might help with the detection issue."

"My stigma is Absolute Shutdown ," Dex added. "I can disable a skill or stigma as long as I've got some kind of technology on me. I've got my phone, so it should work. I can disable the leader's special skill, Biana, you could use Vanishing and probably take down the leader while they're confused."

"Slit their throat," Keefe told Biana. Then he mimed the motion by getting behind Fitz, quickly grabbing him in a way that would easily allow access to the throat. "If you cut the carotid artery, they'll die in about a minute."

"That's a... specific detail to know..." Biana said. "You also pulled off the example really well."

"Yeah, my neck hurts," Fitz added.

"I read a lot of comics and stuff, I was curious about the accuracy," Keefe said with a shrug. "Super easy to look up online. And sorry Fitzy, guess these stats made me underestimate my strength."

Linh didn't know anything about Keefe, so ve wasn't going to say anything about that. "If you're going to do this, you'll have to act quick. Night will start in around half an hour."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Marella asked.

"I won't be of any use to you in battle." I can't bring myself to kill any more people right now, even if they're evil. "I wish you luck, I'm going to go check on the people. I can tell them the news that there will be more rooms for them to stay in."

"Well, thank you anyway," Marella said.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Keefe's group dealt with the hoarders, which meant that the innocents finally had a chance to use the rooms free of cost. They all lived through the night, and the next morning, they broke the rooms to forcefully change the scenario.

Linh would have never thought to do something like that, but it was Keefe's idea, and he said that it would help everyone since the number of rooms would decrease drastically as each night passed, meaning that there would constantly be a fight for rooms.

Soon, the fourth scenario appeared. The scenario required for a leader of a station to be elected-the people seemed to be fine with Linh or Marella, but it was ultimately Keefe who became leader-and each station had their own flag. The scenario was ultimately one large game of capture the flag (though, slightly modified).

"I'm willing to stay behind and defend the base," Linh said.

"I'll stay with ver too," Marella offered. "We'll need a lot of firepower-do not make the joke!" she said as Keefe opened his mouth.

"Okay, that works," Keefe nodded.

As they prepared to leave, there was a loud noise that came from nearby.

"Everyone be careful!" Keefe warned.

As they prepared themselves, a new group of people made their entrance to their station. They all wore cloaks and they seemed really strong. Linh had hoped that maybe the new group would be friendly, but it seemed like they were just here to take over the station.

"What?" Linh heard Keefe murmuring, turning to see Keefe staring at the enemy group wide-eyed.

"You know them?" Fitz asked.

"No," Keefe replied. "We'll have to fight right now though."

The enemy group attacked, so they defended, and the group was really strong. Tam returned from his quest to the dungeon and helped them fight back, and it became an easy victory as Tam cut off the last one's head.

The head rolled across the floor, only for it to move a little on its own. Linh covered ver mouth with disgust as the head began to talk.

"Tam Song, I'm sorry to have attacked your station, but I needed your attention. I know the future, and I want us to become companions. You'll need me for the 46th scenario."

Tam looked surprised for a moment, then looked at the head with interest. How... how was he not horrified by such a thing?

"You're telling the truth. But this isn't your true body. Come back with your true body and then we'll talk," Tam said coldly.

"Before you kill this body, I want to warn you to watch out for them," they pointed at Keefe. "They might get you killed."

"We'll see." With that, Tam stepped on the head, and it faded into blue sparks.

"Are you going to recruit them?" Keefe asked.

"Does it bother you if I do?" Tam asked, an odd, amused look on his face. "Their sponsor is Moonlark That Soars Through The Sky."

"What?" Keefe asked with wide eyes again.

"You couldn't even foresee that, despite being a Prophet?" Tam asked. "Maybe they're right, maybe joining with them will be more favourable to me. After all, I don't even know who your sponsor is."

Keefe stayed silent, looking forward with a distant, confused expression.

"I'll see you again at the Throne, Prophet," Tam said, then turned on his heel and left.

What was that? What were they talking about? True body? Recruiting? A Moonlark? Prophet? Throne? A talking head?

"I think we'll get going now too," Keefe said, and his group left in the opposite direction.

"Well, damn, that was really brutal," Marella said. "Your brother... is really intense. He just like... stomped on a head that was talking. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, I think," Linh replied, not saying anything about Tam. Ve had to admit, it was a little terrifying. "I mean, as okay as one can be in an apocalypse like this."

"It's f*cking awful, isn't it."

It wasn't a question, they both knew the answer.

"I've joked with my friends about committing arson before, but I never thought I'd ever actually set fire to people and harm them," Marella said. She looked up. "I don't even know if they're alive or not. Or my family. I wonder if my mom's doing alright, but maybe not, I don't think she would've been able to handle something like this in her condition."

"I hope your family is okay," Linh told her, because that was all ve could offer at the moment.

Ve could only think of ver own friends, some that had been working at the aquarium at the same time as ver-oh, god, ve had killed them too, hadn't ve?

"What about yours?" Marella asked.

"I don't know, I haven't seen them in a long time," Linh replied. I don't know if I've ever seen them, or if all my memories of them are lost like the rest of my childhood memories.

"Oh," Marella said.

There was silence for a while, even as they went together to hunt more food for the station, and did patrols to make sure that the area was safe. Yet unlike with Tam, the silence wasn't as stifling.

Maybe it was because the two of them were merely strangers, they had no expectations of each other. They knew nothing about each other, no memories to judge each other based off of. Two strangers who didn't have to worry about showing their best side, because the apocalypse was already bringing out the worst in them both.

They were both murderers, they both knew it, but there didn't need to be any tension over it. Linh felt like that if ve wanted to talk, Marella would listen, because in the end, they were both human, and wanted company and comfort in this ruined world.

•~•~•~•~•~•

There weren't really any dangers, so Linh found verself talking with Marella some more.

"So how'd you meet the others?" Linh asked.

"I was on my own at a different station. I was helping out a group when they ganged up on me and tried to kill me. I managed to escape but the toxic air left me unable to move. That's when Keefe found me and saved my life."

"Oh, that's good," ve said, "what happened to the group after? I can't really see you letting something like that slide."

He nodded. "I killed them. They were hoarding food and doing things similar to what that group was doing here. I can't let people hurt others knowing that I have the power to stop them. It's probably why I'm the Enforcer of Justice. What's your attribute?"

One Of Many Floods. Something so horrible, pathetic. "Ah, nothing as grand as yours," ve laughed.

Enforcer of Justice, that sounds like something you could only get if the people you harm are those who deserve it. You're more innocent and heroic than you think. How would you cast your judgement if you knew what I had done?

As Linh got to know Marella better, ve learned that while he was someone quick to resort to violence, it didn't mean he was a ruthless murderer. He only did so because he cared for those that suffered, and wanted to enforce justice. He was quite nice, actually.

"You're strong," Linh complimented. "Do you have experience fighting?"

"I took some classes, but nothing major. If anything, I find it cool with what you do with your water whip."

Ve smiled. "It's not easy. It requires a lot of control." Because without control, ve could draw too much water and make a mess out of everything.

"You know who makes fighting look easy? Your brother. Remember when he was fighting that Apostle group that attacked our station? Did you two ever take sword fighting lessons or something?"

Ve shook ver head. "No. It surprised me, looking at him. Maybe he bought a skill or something, he probably has the coins to do it."

"Maybe. Still have to wonder what's up with him though, he just goes along doing whatever he wants and hardly ever speaks."

It was true. It wasn't like Tam needed ver permission to do anything, but he was tight-lipped about whatever he was going to do. He just offered a short explanation and then left before anyone had the chance to complain. Though...

"I find that Keefe can be a little similar. He comes off as someone light-hearted, he's certainly more energetic than Tam, but he seems to be similar."

Marella shrugged. "You're not wrong. But apparently, Fitz and Biana knew him from before the scenarios, so I trust him. And well, I trust you, so I'll trust Tam too."

"Thank you. Now if only my sponsor could do the same."

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that the actions of your brother have been concerning!]

"A protective sponsor, huh?" Marella mused. "Mine likes me, I think, but he's less protective."

[The constellation, Creator Of The Eternal Flame says that his incarnation should grow with his own strength and treating her like a baby will do nothing!]

•~•~•~•~•~•

When Linh opened ver eyes after going to sleep for the night, ve was surprised to see that instead of being in the subway station, ve was back at the aquarium. The aquarium that wasn't destroyed.

Was that... was everything just a dream?

Ve wiped the tiredness from ver eyes, trying to remember where exactly ve was. It took a few moments to realize that ve had been slumped against a desk, and the time showed that it ver shift started in a few minutes There weren't any attribute windows when ve tried checking.

Ve continued on with ver job, and then made ver way to greet the people that ve was going to give a tour to.

Upon looking at one of the teachers' faces, ve nearly screamed.

This can't be.

The face ve was looking at was the face of a teacher that ve had drowned. Looking around at the kids, ve could recognize the child who ve picked up because of their screaming. But... how?

"Welcome everyone!" ve said cheerfully, plastering on a wide smile. "I'm Linh Song, and I will be your guide for today!"

Ve went through the tour pretending that these weren't the people who ve had killed. Was this reality? Or was this the dream?

It certainly didn't feel like a dream right now, ve found that ve was usually good at recognizing dreams. Ve sometimes played around with them, but this wasn't a dream that ve could influence.

The day went on normally, until there was a familiar flash of light that ve knew to associate with the dokkaebi. When loading ver attribute window, ve could now see ver info again. Ve was still a hydrokinetic, ve still had the power to talk to animals.

As if to emphasize that fact, ve could feel the pull of the water. Nothing had changed, but this time, Linh knew what ve needed to do.

As the dokkaebi began its monologue, ve tried focusing. If ve could resist the pull-

["Hey! You! Linh Song!"] the dokkaebi said, ["Are you ignoring me?" ]

Ve startled, and whatever brief moment of serenity ve felt was broken. "We owe the Star Stream a debt, right? That's why you're here."

If ve had to be honest, ve was still confused over this whole debt thing. There were no panels that showed a "debt owed" or anything like that. Ve had no idea how much ve owed? Plus, there was the fact that that coins were constantly being used to upgrade stats. How was one supposed to save up coins?

["Good. You've been listening. Anyways..."]

Ve breathed in. Then breathed out. In again. Out again. Over and over, ve did this, and it felt like it was going to work out better this time.

I will not let anyone die.

"Mx. Song," one of the teachers said, tapping ver shoulder. "You should take this."

Ve looked at their hand and saw that they were tightly gripping one of the clownfish.

Right. The requirements for the first scenario were to kill a living creature. Ve couldn't just stand around, otherwise ve would die. Slowly, ve took the fish from their hand, focusing on not letting it slip from ver grasp. The contact made all the sensations worse. There was water in ver hand, the fish's feelings seemed to be amplified.

I will not I will not I will not-

"Mx. Linh, the fish."

I am stronger I am stronger I am stronger-

Ve squashed the fish in ver hand. The children and the teachers all did the same, and each death felt like a kick to the ribs.

Stay in control stay in control stay in control-

Glass cracked.

No no no nonono-

Protectthemprotectthemprotectthem-

"No, please," Linh begged.

Everything shattered.

"No!" ve screamed, trying to calm down the roar of the water, but there was just too much.

"No!" ve shut ver eyes.

Ve sat up with a jolt, ver heart pounding in ver chest. As ver eyes focused, ve realized that ve wasn't in the aquarium, but in the subway station.

"Hey," someone whispered, and Marella kneeled in front of ver. "You okay? You were screaming."

Her voice-usually shrill-was soft and soothed ver heartache a little bit.

"Sorry," ve murmured, "it was a nightmare."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Linh shook ver head. Ve didn't want to talk about that memory. If ve told her, then she would judge ver.

"Would a hug work?"

"I think it would help," ve said, and Marella hugged ver.

She was warm, and god , Linh really missed this, missed being able to hold someone. Usually ve got the chance to hug Tam, but after their reunion where he had stiffened, ve barely even had the chance to do as much as hold his hand. Without thinking, ve squeezed a little harder, hoping that this moment could last forever.

Eventually ve had to pull away.

"Did that help?" Marella asked, voice still so soft, her fingers moving down to brush against ver own.

The touch was feather-light, yet ve could feel it with ver entire being. "Yeah," ve whispered. "Thank you."

Ver heart was pounding in ver chest, this time for an entirely different reason.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Keefe and his group eventually came back with enough flags, and one of the first things Keefe did was ask to talk with Marella.

When she was done talking with him, Linh found that she looked tense.

"Marella, what's wrong?" Linh asked.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is warning you to be careful of incarnation Marella Redek!]

Ve ignored ver sponsor and put a hand on Marella's shoulder in what ve hoped to be a comforting gesture. Instead, she stiffened.

It's just like with Tam...

"Sorry," Marella said, "I need to talk to you. Come with me."

To her surprise, Marella took ver hand and led the way. That little bit of contact eased ver anxiety.

"Okay, what is it?" ve asked.

Marella leaned really close. Ve resisted the urge to take a step back.

"I can't let the constellations hear," she whispered. "At the end of the fourth scenario, I need to threaten you."

"What?" ve asked, loudly. Then ve realized ver volume. "Wait- why? And why tell me?"

"Because I don't want you to feel betrayed," she said, somehow managing to be even quieter.

"Why do you need to threaten me?" ve asked.

Marella closed her eyes for a long moment. "I can't say. Linh, do you trust me?"

"Yes," ve said in a heartbeat, "I trust you."

•~•~•~•~•~•

As the fourth scenario progressed, ve became more curious about what was going to happen at the end of that scenario.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that incarnations Marella Redek and Keefe Sencen are hiding something from you!]

"You insist that everyone I am friends with is hiding something from me," Linh said, "I think I'm capable of judging a person."

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that they speak of filtered information related to you behind your back, as does incarnation Tam Song. ]

Ve had no idea what "filtered information" was, but that didn't matter to ver.

"Lady Of The Darkest Depths."

.

.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths just wants you to be safe.]

Linh stared at the message, confused. Ve knew that ver sponsor was a little unusual. There were various different incarnations who committed acts of evil, but they only had the power to because there were constellations who supported them. In the station that ve was at, ve had learned that so many incarnations were weak because their sponsors had no intention of actually helping them.

"Why are you so protective over me?" Linh asked, looking up. It almost felt like ve could feel her gaze.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths says that you remind her of herself.]

"Did you... did you ever harm so many people?"

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths nods solemnly.]

"Oh," ve murmured. So that was it, she saw Linh and saw a struggling person, unlike so many constellations who saw their incarnation as a tool for them to use. "I do appreciate your concern, but I trust Marella."

There was no response, and ve figured that she got the message.

•~•~•~•~•~•

The end of the fourth scenario was a confrontation between the Kings to fight for the Throne. Both Tam and Keefe were Kings, along with some other incarnations that Linh didn't recognize. The Kings dealt with each other, and then only Tam and Keefe were left.

Marella squeezed ver hand. "Any moment now," he muttered.

Linh nodded.

"Marella! Now!" Keefe yelled.

"Hey! Tam!" Marella called out, grabbing Linh with one hand, and putting the other to ver neck. The hand at ver neck grew flames. "Give up the fight and I'll spare Linh!"

For the first time since the apocalypse had started, Linh saw Tam hesitate in a fight. He always fought so effortlessly, but this time, he froze. Ve could see the look of betrayal on his face.

"You..." Tam growled, and Keefe grabbed his flag in his moment of hesitation.

[Incarnation, Tam Song has been disqualified.]

Linh thought that it would be over, but instead of stopping, Tam took his sword and swung it at Keefe. "Keefe Sencen, I swear, I'll kill you. Why did I let you live?"

"Hey! If you hurt me, Linh'll be hurt. Do you want that?"

Linh wanted to assure Tam that ve was okay, but Marella whispered it was better to stay quiet.

"If you wanted Tam to surrender, couldn't you have just had me ask him?" Linh whispered. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but he would listen to me."

"Keefe brought that point up," Marella replied. "But he needed a guaranteed way, and there would be too many questions."

"Still..."

"I know. It's a sh*tty move, isn't it? I told him that."

"Keefe should have trusted him to listen. After all, I trusted you."

"Set ver free," Tam ordered, his face twisted into a fierce scowl, and it was probably the worst expression that ve had ever seen on him.

He slowly backed away, his arms raised up, showing that he truly was surrendering. Marella let Linh free. Linh went to go talk to Tam, but before ve could tell him that ve was fine, Keefe broke the Throne and the dokkaebi teleported them with a flash of light.

When ve opened ver eyes, ve froze.

This is just a dream this is just a dream this is just a dream-

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is angry at the dokkaebi!]

This... this was real. Linh was really standing inside the aquarium. It wasn't like ver dream-which was just a memory. This felt more realistic, and now ve was facing the aftermath of ver destruction now that all the water was gone.

Shards of glass were everywhere , and he couldn't tell if ve was disgusted or relieved to know that ve couldn't see any signs of former life. Whatever blood there could have been must have been washed away. But where to?

"I'm sorry," ve whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Slowly, ve looked around, belatedly realizing that there could be people around. If any of ver friends had heard ver, they'd have questions and ve wouldn't be able to give them any. So just in case they were nearby, ve wiped ver tears and stood up straight.

Linh wanted to leave, but if ve wanted to find anyone, it was better to stay put.

•~•~•~•~•~•

It turned out that ver friends were nowhere nearby, and it was Tam who had found ver first. Tam was the only one to know ver from before the scenarios, the only one to know that ve worked at the aquarium.

"Linh..." he said, and ve flinched, mentally preparing verself to hear questions about what had happened to the aquarium.

"Let's go," he said.

Ve stared at him, confused. Was he not going to say anything?

He took ver hand and then they were moving.

"How'd you find me?" Linh asked, confused by everything.

"I was sent to my workplace. I think we were sent to places that were significant to us," he explained. "I thought I'd come find you here. We're going to meet up with the others, I've already run into Sophie and Keefe."

"Okay," ve said, grateful that he wasn't saying anything.

He still walked up ahead of ver, and didn't look at ver at all while he spoke, but he was holding ver hand this time, he was saying nothing about the circumstances, and that was what mattered to ver the most.

•~•~•~•~•~•

They all met back up for the next scenario-to fight a being known as the Disaster Of Floods. Keefe stressed that the Disaster was incredibly strong, and that they needed to prepare.

"I'm going to find myself a new weapon," Tam told Linh.

Linh nodded. "Be safe."

While Tam was gone, Keefe took charge and had them train their skills. Linh didn't like that the Disaster Of Floods would be fighting nearby a lake, but that was something that ve was going to have to deal with.

"Hey, you look sick," Marella said, putting a hand on ver forehead.

Linh instinctively closed ver eyes and leaned into his touch, then opened ver eyes in a panic when ve realized what ve had just done.

And oh. Marella's face was really close to vers. And even though he probably smelled (ve was growing numb when it came to smell) and there was dirt on his face, Linh felt the urge to kiss him.

"You don't uh- have a fever, that's good," he said, retracting his hand and moving his face back. "Is everything all right?"

"The water's a bit much," ve found verself admitting. "But it's okay."

"We can relax, the fight's tomorrow," Marella said. "We've worked hard."

"Okay," ve conceded. Resting was also important.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Everyone!" Keefe called out urgently, "We need to leave now . The Disaster is going to awaken."

"Where's Tam?" Linh asked. "We're going to need him."

Keefe didn't reply, and muttered something under his breath.

"Keefe?"

"Bangs Boy'll meet us there," he said, annoyance in his tone.

They all followed Keefe, and when they arrived, the Disaster descended. Tam was already there-no, he was staring down the Disaster. The Disaster of Floods who was... who was-

"It can't be," Linh gasped, and ver knees buckled. Ve would have fallen if it weren't for Marella's steady hands holding ver up.

It couldn't be. It couldn't be possible . But the Disaster Of Floods stood with tan skin and long black hair, framing dark brown eyes and a gentle smile that Linh was all too familiar with. How could ve not, when the Disaster Of Floods was verself? The only thing that made the Disaster different were that ve was slightly older, and there were silver tips added to the ends of the Disaster's hair.

Still... how was this possible? How could ve be a Disaster?

"Oh, brother," the Disaster greeted, and ve even sounded just like Linh, if not a little more ancient. "It's been such a long time. I'm finally able to meet you again!"

"It's my third regression, and I have a favour to ask of you," Tam said calmly.

There was no fear, no concern in his tone. How? How was he not afraid to look at the Disaster Of Floods who was his own sister and speak to ver as if he weren't surprised?

The Disaster frowned. "Your third- not second? What happened last time?"

"The Prophet had betrayed me. Please Linh, is there any more information you can give me?"

"What the f*ck are they talking about?" Marella whispered.

"I don't know," Linh said, "I don't know what's happening I swear I didn't know about this-"

"I believe you, don't worry."

Linh took a breath of relief and looked back at the Disaster who smiled sweetly, but Linh recognized that as the smile ve wore when ve was angry.

"You can let go of me, I'll be fine," Linh murmured. Marella squeezed ver hand once, then let go.

"Is that what you want from me?" The Disaster asked, "Is that all I am to you? Well, I can't say I'm surprised, considering what you did."

"I don't... I don't understand..." Linh said, and ve approached the Disaster. Ve needed to understand what this other Linh Song was referring to. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't even tell ver anything this time?" The Disaster asked, directing a dark look towards Tam. "You're going to leave ver in the dark?"

"Leave me in the dark about what ?" ve asked, then turned to ver brother. "Tam, I don't believe anything that the Disaster says, don't worry. I trust you."

If it came down to trusting ver brother and trusting a Disaster , ve knew which side to believe in.

The Disaster's smile faded, ver face twisting into an expression akin to a snarl. Ve looked so pained.

"Do you know what happened?" ve screamed. "You see Dex, he was a companion of mine! He was one of my best friends! Do you know what Tam said about him when he died? He said that the future scenarios would be difficult without him. That's it! He didn't grieve or anything! And I still trusted him, even when we were the only two left! He sent me out of the worldline so I could gather information so I can give it to his previous regressions. And I did that, so I could see him again. But look where we are now.

"Tell me, brother. You asked me to fulfill a task that had taken a thousand years, and you still ask for more? I'm tired of what you've done to me and my companions! I won't let you use me anymore!" Ve lifted ver arms in the air, water swirling.

What happened next was a blur. Water launched at them. Keefe jumped in front of them and took the hit. Marella yelled. Keefe with a hole in his abdomen, bleeding out as Tam kneeled over him. Keefe dying.

Tam stood up and unsheathed his sword, brutally fighting the Disaster. Linh could only watch the two as they moved in black and blue blurs.

"Are you mad?" The Disaster asked, frantic. "Are you actually upset at that guy's death? Who even are they? I've never seen them in my life!"

Tam glared at ver. "His name is Keefe Sencen, and he is my companion."

Ver face contorted with rage. "Companion? You call him a companion? Who is he that you call him a companion when the very people who loved you for years were worth nothing to you?"

The Disaster shot another ball of water to Tam, and even though Linh was still so confused, ve knew that ve couldn't let anyone else die. Keefe's body was right there, and ve didn't even have the time to grieve. All ve could do was stop that ball of water from hurting anyone else. Any fear of controlling the water was temporarily dispelled as ve launched it right back at the Disaster.

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Linh began. Ve sorted through the words that the Disaster had said. Ve seemed to be angry at Tam, there had to have been something that would happen that could bring Linh Song to the point that ve would turn against ver own brother. "But I think that in the future, my brother hurt you. And maybe he'll hurt me in the future too. But I love and trust him, and I trust that whatever he's kept hidden from me was hidden for a reason that wasn't malicious. So I will not let you hurt him and the ones I love."

Ve found ver words ringing true. There were many questions that ve had about Tam, but in the end, ve trusted him. Almost instinctively, ve drew water from the lake nearby, mirroring the Disaster.

The Disaster looked at ver with distaste. "Do you think that you can kill me? I'm stronger than you. And you're still afraid. You're afraid that you'll lose control again, just like how you lost control in the aquarium and drowned hundreds of people during the first scenario."

The words were like knives and they pinned ver in place. The water that ve held shook. Linh closed ver eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "I did do that."

All eyes turned to ver, shock on ver friends' faces. This wasn't... this wasn't how ve wanted to tell them. Ve didn't want to tell them anything if ve had a choice in it.

"I did lose control, and I killed so many people," Linh continued, "and you're right, I am still afraid. I'm terrified that I'll hurt them." That kind of fear would likely never go away. "But I also know that I would never be able to live with the guilt if I never even tried in the first place."

[The attribute of character Linh Song is blossoming.]

[The attribute of Linh Song has blossomed to One Who Controls The Floods (Hero). ]

Linh launched the ball of water towards the Disaster, but it was deflected easily. The Disaster attacked back, again and again, waves of water coming in to flood and drown. But again and again, Linh stopped the water, because ve would not allow anything to happen to those ve loved.

For as long as Linh lived, ve would protect everyone to ver best ability.

With the Disaster's attacks being reduced, the others were given a chance to move on the offensive. Slowly, slowly, the Disaster was weakened, and was knocked down.

Tam stood above the Disaster Of Floods and looked down at ver with a complicated expression.

"You don't have to do anything for me anymore. You can rest," he said, then brought his sword down. Ve closed ver eyes and looked away, because no matter how much this other version of ver wanted to hurt people, it was still Linh, it was still hard to look at.

Tam turned to Linh. "I'll tell you more about what ve said later."

Ve nodded. "All I want is for you to trust me as I do you."

Ve felt relieved. Ve would finally get some answers. But first, before that, they had to deal with Keefe's body. Tam lifted him delicately, and his wounds started disappearing.

"What..." Tam murmured.

Keefe opened his eyes. "So, companion, huh?"

Linh gasped, ver other friends looked at him with shock. They had all... they had all just witnessed him die.

"So that was his plan," Marella muttered from beside ver.

"What?" Linh asked. "A plan?"

"I don't know," Marella replied.

"Linh, let's go," Tam said, for once, offering his hand.

Linh took it with a smile.

[The constellation, Lady Of The Darkest Depths is proud of you.]

Linh looked up wordlessly, hoping that ver sponsor knew how ve felt. Thank you.

Once Tam found a good place to sit, ve finally decided to ask him for answers.

"What was the Disaster talking about, and how did you know ver?"

"I am a Regressor," Tam said.

⸢"It's my third regression."

"You're going to leave ver in the dark?"⸥

"What's a regression?" ve asked.

"They're..." Tam took a breath, "they're lifetimes. Every time I die, I regress back to the beginning of the apocalypse."

⸢"It's my third regression."⸥

"So this... this is your third lifetime?" ve asked, trying to make sense of everything. "What about before the apocalypse?"

"I've only lived that time once. I only relive the apocalypse."

"Why?" Linh asked.

"I don't know," Tam admitted. "All I know is that my sponsor gave me this stigma, and I can't remember why I have it."

"You can't remember?"

"I don't know who my sponsor is, their name is marked as '???' but because of them, I'm now a Regressor."

Linh tried taking all of this in. There was so much going on. "If you've lived a lifetime already, that means you've done these scenarios before."

He nodded. "In my previous regression, I made it to the 46th scenario. I was betrayed by a companion."

"That means that this entire time, you knew."

Did that mean you've known about how I flooded an aquarium this entire time? Will I flood the aquarium in every lifetime?

"Yeah, I knew," Tam said nonchalantly, as if it didn't mean much to him.

He knew . He knew what pain ve had gone through, knew what trauma he received, knew that ve grieved silently and he didn't say anything?

"You could have prevented it," ve said, trying not to be frantic. The flooding could have been prevented, and he did nothing .

"I've already tried." His tone was too monotone for something like this.

"How many times, once? Maybe twice? That's not enough. Even if not for my sake, did the lives of hundreds of people not mean anything to you?" Then ve remembered a previous conversation with Marella. "Tam, what happened to the people in your subway car during the first scenario?"

He looked away, and that was all the answer that ve needed. "You don't understand-"

"Then make me understand!" Linh cut him off, grabbing the collar of his jacket. "Tam, you've got to f*cking talk to me!"

His eyes widened, and surely he knew that ve was being serious if ve was resorting to swearing. Was this how the Disaster Of Floods felt when speaking to Tam? Was there that righteous sort of anger and frustration that was only amplified by the apathy received?

"Just because I've been through so many scenarios doesn't make them easy," Tam said. "I've killed hundreds, thousands of people so I can live. Because I have to live, I'm the Regressor, I'm the only one with the power to save the world, and if I keep having to hold myself back to save every little person, then I'll fail.

"Do you think it's easy, having to think of all the lives I've taken? Those people would have died regardless, but at least now they're dying for a purpose. Linh, I've been living in the apocalypse for decades, I can't escape. I can't escape having to kill and watch people die. Watch people I love die. I've already watched you die twice in my arms, Linh, do you think that's easy to watch?"

Linh forced verself to stay seated and not say anything as Tam finally spoke up. The rage ve felt didn't fade, if anything, it grew stronger. Some of it directed at Tam, but most of it, at the world-at the sponsor who'd made him a Regressor.

"That's why you never hugged me when we found each other, why you've kept your distance."

"It's easier to pretend that I don't care than to lose the ones I love. But it's not easy."

Linh stared at him; his dark, haunted eyes, the clench of his jaw, his shoulders that held the weight of the world.

"You could have told me," ve said, finally.

"I know," he whispered, "I know you'll support me no matter what."

"Then what about the Disaster Of Floods?"

This time, he pursed his lips. He really felt bad about this one.

"I don't know everything, it happens in my 41st regression."

"Your 41st? But... this is your third..."

"The future affects the past-"

"You've gone through the scenarios forty one times?"

Forty one times of living and dying and saving and killing. Of hurting and being hurt. Of being brought back to the point where there's still life, only to watch the world be destroyed all over again. Of being companions with people, making precious memories of them, only to meet them in the next life and remember that they have no memory of who you are. Forty one lifetimes of that?

"I don't know," he said, "that seems to be the case."

"Does that mean this lifetime is a failure?"

"No, not as long as I can allow it." There was determination in his eyes. "This regression is different. Things have changed."

"Okay," Linh said. "About the Disaster... did you refuse to show ver any love?"

What Tam did in this regression unsettled ver, but ve knew he still cared because he still showed it. But to another Linh, traumatized by ver grief, only to have a completely apathetic brother, someone who didn't care about those ve loved...

Ve liked to think that no matter what, ve could never turn evil, but ve could see why the Disaster had done what ve had done.

"I'm sorry, Tam," ve whispered, then leaned forward to give him a hug.

He stiffened-unsurprising, knowing what ve knew now, but still painful-but he quickly reciprocated the action. He held ver tightly as if he could no longer bear the thought of losing ver again.

"You have me," ve murmured, "you have me with you."

"What if I lose you again?" he asked, somehow managing to squeeze even tighter.

"I can't promise that nothing will happen to me," ve said, and it was so painful to say this.

In the apocalypse, ve knew that the threat of death always loomed over ver, but knowing that Tam had witnessed it-twice-was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking that ve couldn't even assure him. Couldn't promise him that he wouldn't see ver die forty one times, maybe even more.

(Did the Linh of the past regression make that promise to him? Did ve have to pick ver words carefully, afraid to make a promise that would eventually be broken?)

"I'm sorry I can't promise that. But I promise to do as much as I can to be careful."

Ve wanted to live, if not for verself, then for the people ve loved. Live for Tam, who would further break with ver absence. Live for the others too, who have helped ver through the scenarios.

"Thank you, Linh," Tam said, pulling away. He stared at ver, stared at ver as if he was taking in ver appearance all over again. Up close, ve could see the shaking in his eyes that slowly hardened.

"Things won't be the same between us, will they?" Linh asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think they ever can."

"Okay, I understand," ve said, more for him than verself. He needed the assurance, and ve knew it because ve would have needed it had ve was in his position.

(Linh wondered how Tam had managed to survive two lifetimes of this hell. Ve knew that just one-one lifetime, one moment-was enough to shatter ver entirely.)

Ve looked up to the stars and cursed the one who forced ver brother to so much suffering.

If Tam never makes it past the Star Stream's apocalypse, if he dies and regresses again and again, will he live through the scenarios forever?

The thought came out of nowhere, and Linh found verself so terrified at the thought that ve didn't dare to ask, afraid of the answer that ve would inevitably receive.