The pain was unbearable. At first, it had been hot and pulsing, originating in Martyn's palm and fingers and racing up his arm to his shoulder. However, it had quickly become so intense that the searing pain was no longer just in his right arm, but all throughout his body. It was as though his brain was so overwhelmed by the feeling that it had no clue how to properly interpret it. He cried out, falling to his knees as the sword clattered to the floor. He held the arm close to his chest, trying to protect it, but that wasn't enough. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt--

♡『♡』♡

It was 3 am when Martyn jolted awake from the nightmare. His body was covered head to toe in a cold sweat and he had to place his hand over his chest to keep his heart from jumping ship. He was okay. He was okay. It was just a nightmare.

He had to will his eyes to open. It was dark, but from what he could tell, his hand was fine. What was more important was that it felt fine, albeit gross and slick. But if that was all that it was, then he was glad. He could live with his hands a sweaty, icky mess just as long as they were otherwise fine.

When he didn't feel as though he was having a heart attack, he surveyed his surroundings from where he sat. He could make out the sleeping forms of BigB, Joel and Scott. He didn't even bother looking beside him, where he knew Jimmy was lying. They had decided to sleep side by side that night. Earlier, when Martyn had first drifted to sleep, he had childishly thought that if Jimmy was there, his brother could guard against any unwanted dreams. He shouldn't have been surprised that didn't work.

In any case, Jimmy had managed to stretch one of his legs all the way over both of Martyn's, and the way his arm was positioned made him guess that Jimmy had placed it on his face or torso before he had so suddenly sat up.

Jimmy didn't wake up. Martyn let out a silent sigh of relief. Give it to his brother for being such a deep sleeper. With that in mind, Martyn managed to shimmy his way out from under Jimmy and then snuck out of the door. Jimmy nor any of the others stirred.

The cold night air made Martyn shiver as soon as he closed the door, but he welcomed it. The cold made him feel alive. The cold told him that this was real, not where his head had pulled him into. Leaning up against the side of the house, he stared up at the stars. They twinkled and shined as they pleased, hundreds of them all at once. They were more magnificent than he remembered them being in Evo or his home village. Was it because of the location? Or was it because he had taken them for granted? He might never know the answer to that, but the longer he stared at them, the further away he moved from the clutches of his nightmare. 

He wasn't sure just how long he stood there, but in that blissful moment, it had felt as though it was only him and the stars in the universe. There was nothing more, nothing less. There were no worries or obligations, just him as he was.

'So you're alone again.' the voice from before whispered into his mind.

Martyn didn't startle any. "So I am." He whispered back, not moving as though to talk to the stars themselves. Somehow, he had almost expected this. Some sort of force that made itself known, silently luring him outside.

'Good. That's good.' They said. 'Now we can return to our previous conversation that we were having before we got interrupted.'

"Right." Martyn replied, nodding slightly. "Now I've asked you this before, but what should I call you?"

A beat of silence. The Listener must have been thinking. 'I am sorry, but I really do not have a name. Perhaps you could make one for me if that bothers you.' They offered.

"Me?" Martyn asked, surprise evident in his voice. Why would he name anyone, let alone a stranger? It just didn't feel right.

'I really do not mind. I have gone this long without a name, but if it is easier, you can name me.' She said again.

"Well, I mean I guess--" Martyn stopped himself mid-sentence. Then, he sighed. There were more important things to talk about. After all, he could not be fully sure that someone might just-so-happen to decide they wanted to go for a late-night stroll and see him. "Never mind that. Where are you? Are you on the world?" He asked instead.

'No, I am-- well, not exactly on world.' She replied.

"Not exactly?" Martyn asked. He may not be having a face-to-face conversation, but one single eyebrow raised regardless. What was up with this person and not being able to answer anything? He was already suspicious if the king had actually sent them to begin with, but he was seriously doubting if they'd be of any use if they were being honest now. "What do you mean by that?"

'There is a sort of physical barrier between this place and the Main Hub. I am not physically in the world, no, but I am sticking my head through the barrier in a manner of speaking, which has allowed me to speak to you. That is why His Majesty was not communicated with you; because he is not in this barrier with me. He has quite the mess on his hands, as I am sure you are aware.' She explained, causing Martyn to frown.

"How is he? He isn't--?"

'No. No, he is alive. I am not sure for how long, but then again... Martyn, he overpowered the old king. That was not happenchance. He survived then, and surely he will survive now. He is much more than his magic. He is resilient, clever and strong-willed, albeit lonely.'

Lonely. There were many things that the King of the Listeners had been called. Martyn had just about heard it all. Arrogant dictator. Victorious hero and champion of war. Lazy, fat loser. Protector of all freedom. Coward. Over-glorified regular Listener. But Lonely? ... No, he had heard that, too. At the same time, he knew that this wasn't that person; it couldn't be. He quickly brushed it off as a coincidence and continued on.

"You're right." Martyn sighed instead, dipping his head down and closing his eyes. "Still..." The king was losing power. So much, in fact, that Martyn -- an elf, of all things-- could resist him. As much as he would like to think that he had gotten strong enough to rival the king's will, that wasn't it at all. Rather, the king's power had weakened to a point in which he could no longer puppet whomever he liked.

Don't get him wrong. Martyn loved the fact that he could see again. At the same time, the political implications of what could happen if the public realized that the silent, authoritative power that the king possessed which had kept him power were all but gone was enough to make Martyn actually shiver. He had tried not to think about it, but when he considered that, he realized that there was undeniable proof that something significant going on with the Universe, just as he had been told.

Martyn silently scolded himself for wasting time. He needed to focus, because he had no idea how much longer he had with this person. "But if the king sent you, what can you do to help me?" He asked instead.

He still wondered if the king would really send someone in his place. There were very few people the king fully trusted, but then again, it wasn't as though the king didn't delegate anyway. Hm, that was something he could continue to think about as time went on.

'Think of me as a companion or advisor of sorts.' They replied. 'You can ask me for my opinions, and I can even help you keep tabs on the other players for you.'

Hm. Seemed useful enough, Martyn supposed. At worst, this person would a nuisance since they couldn't actually interfere. He could live with that. "Alright then. That sounds good to me." He replied with a small smile.

'I am glad. Though, you should rest now. You will need strength for whatever may come your way, Martyn.' The voice said, feeling as though things were wrapping up for now.

"One more thing before you go." Martyn said before they disappeared. He paused for a nonverbal cue that never came. "Do you really want me to name you?"

'If you would like. I am me, and I identify as such. The way I see it, names are more so for others than for the person to which the name belongs. The fact of the matter is that by myself and in myself, it would not matter whether I have a name or not. If it is for your benefit that I have a name, then you may propose a name for me.' The voice explained.

Thinking about that too much made Martyn's head hurt. It simply made no sense to him to not care about your own name. If names didn't matter, after all, then people wouldn't change their names when they realized their gender identity was different from what they had at birth. If names didn't matter, parents wouldn't spend weeks or months trying to think of the one that felt just perfect. All that considered, he couldn't imagine not caring about his own name like that.

At the same time, it was going to drive him crazy if this person remained as a nameless, faceless figure. He had to call them something. "Then.. what about Shadow?" He asked. That was what they felt like. There, lurking, but yet invisible.

'Shadow?' They repeated. They hummed in consideration. 'I like that name. From now on, please call me Shadow.' They sounded genuinely happy to be given such a name, so Martyn couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad that you like it." He said.

'Me too.' Shadow said. 'But Martyn, you really should go before you are noticed. I will talk with you some time when you are alone again.' And then, just like last time, Martyn couldn't help feel how its presence left him, leaving him truly alone in the night.