MASKTOURN

4:15 PM

Eventually the pull becomes too much. Kenji rises, and makes his way to the crater, carefully making his way down and closer to the star burning at the center. It's almost beautiful, in the glances he manages to spare, if it didn't feel like it would tear his very being apart if he takes another step. Death and Eternity are not all that dissimilar in concept, but in action? Nothing can end in Eternity. It all makes the hole in his chest ache like a heart. He steps backwards a few, gaze shifting to the two huddled together against the light. "What happened?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Petrai and Sadihak were crouched on the ground together, Petrai holding Sadihak's hair back as they retched spit and bile up into the soft grass. (vomit ment) Sadihak looked up as Kenji approached, and wiped their mouth clean. "I made it kill itself. In the only way I could." (suicide ment) @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫 (edited)

A faint grimace flickers onto Kenji's face, though it's gone pretty quickly. He crouches so they don't have to look up, one wing reappearing with a crack and hopefully blocking them a bit from the light. He can't really do all that much to help here. "You did what you had to do, then," he nods. There's no judgement in his voice, just simple fact. "I'm not sure anyone else here could have." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That's why I had to." Sadihak said resolutely. They seem at least somewhat appreciative of Kenji's efforts to block out the light. "Ugh. I feel like I'm dying. Ironic, really." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji's wing, thin but leathery like a bat's, creaks quietly as it twitches every so often. "I'm glad you only feel like it, at least," he chuckles, almost morbidly so. "There's been enough death here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Too much." Petrai agreed, the first words she's spoken aloud. She holds Sadihak close, gently stroking their face. "What happened with all of you?" Sadihak managed enough strength to ask. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

"Mmm." Kenji nods his head in acknowledgement of Petrai, before his attention shifts back to Sadihak's question. "I'm not sure about the rest, but I ended up with three others. We had a sort of.. trial, I guess, to get through before being brought here. It's, ah.. All a bit of a blur for me, to be honest." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm...... that's weird." Sadihak sighed. "I don't blame you. It's... it's all kind of a blur for me, too." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I don’t blame you either,” Kenji says with a small, restrained smile. There’s a bit more weight behind it than just the surface level statement. His wing twitches and creaks again and his jaw clenches, faintly, as he gives it a quick shake. “Though what we do now, I’m…not really sure,” he sighs, sparing a single burning glance back to Eternity behind him. All it does is leave an unsettled, wrong feeling in his gut. “…Is there anything we can do?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Sadihak lets out a shaky breath, coughs harshly a few times, and sighs. "I'm... not sure either." "I think he might know." Petrai said idly, nodding to where Anore had gathered up some of the other Lifebringer incarnation on the other side of the field. "At least, I hope so." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji follows her nod, recognizing the unknown people who had been mixed in to the contestant crowd. It takes him a moment or two, but eventually the memory of the temple clicks into place. “They’re..the other Lifebringers.” It’s half a question, half a statement. “Can they be trusted?” Complicated question, but he’s not exactly expecting a confirmed answer anyways. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not sure if we'll have a choice in that matter." Petrai replied simply. "Surly, they can't all be as bad as Naiyta..." Scorn and sarcasm layered Sadihak's tone. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji snorts in genuine amusement at that. “Oh, I’m sure.” It doesn’t exactly seem to translate into enthusiasm for the idea of talking to them at all, though, as he presses a hand against the hole in his chest with a grimace. “..Maybe someone else can take the lead on that one, though. I’m not sure they’d like me very much.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhmmm... I'm not talking to them unless they come talk to me." Sadihak sighed, and laid down on the grass. Petrai sat next to them. A brief pause, and Sadihak asked another question. "Would you, by chance, know how Roman's been doing?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Roman... Kenji glances back over to where he'd come from, the name now matching to the face he thought he'd recognized from the fight before his. "We were together through the trial, though we haven't spoken. So I'm not sure I can really give you an answer," he sighs. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Sadihak followed Kenji's gaze. "That's alright...." They said distantly. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

He's pretty sure he won't get more detail than that, so Kenji doesn't push it. "I won't hold you up then, if you want go and to speak with him," he shrugs. "I'm...not sure any of us should stay too close to this thing for too long, anyways." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't want to talk to him-" Sadihak shook their head with a wince, "I just want to make sure he's not... brain damaged or anything..." "... let's get you to somewhere nicer." Petrai sighed, and looked to Kenji. "Can you help me move them?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

"Sure. Watch your eyes," Kenji cautions, before his wing lowers and he grimaces at it folds and crunches into his back. He..seems hesitant to touch them, at first, but once he's satisfied that the smoke at his feet seems harmless for now he helps Petrai get Sadihak standing. "Where to?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Sadihak was still weak, but got themself into a standing position with Petrai and Kenji's help, keeping their eyes shut. "Anywhere but here, really." Petrai sighed, and began to lead the group away from ETERNITY. "It's all the same, at least as far as I can see." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji follows a half step alongside Petrai as they move away. "Do you know what this place is? I thought it felt foreign at first, but I figured that was because I'm...me. It just feels wrong now." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's the Citadel." Petrai hummed in thought. "And the Fold too, I think. The realm of Eternity, in.... a purer form than it existed before." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Life and Death combined. Of course. Kenji shakes his head with a slight, unamused smile as they climb up the crater. "That might explain the weirdness. I guess my body doesn't know it's dead again yet." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. Definitely weird." Petrai nodded. There's almost a hint of amusement to her tone. As they climbed out of the crater and onto the soft, grassy field, Sadihak only made soft, pained sounds. Occasionally Petrai paused to give them- and herself- a moment to recover. "... I don't think we ever actually met, despite my being responsible for you as one of my contestants." She said to Kenji. "I'm Petrai." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

"Good to meet you, Petrai," Kenji chuckles faintly. The scars on his face seem to stretch as he does so. "My name's Kenji. But I'm guessing you already knew that." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I did," She admitted, "But, it's nice to say hello, anyways." As they got to a good resting spot, Petrai eased Sadihak down into a resting position. "I think... we'll stay here for a bit. I'm sure there's people you'd like to... talk with while we wait for everything to be resolved." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji helps lower Sadihak down, then stands back up with a small sigh. "Yeah. There's... There's definitely a few." Some more tense than others. "If you two need anything, though, don't hesitate to ask." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Of course. Thank you." Petrai nodded. "Mhmm... thanks, Kenji. Sorry 'bout the memory stuff." Sadihak said through their pain. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Of course. Thank you." Petrai nodded. "Mhmm... thanks, Kenji. Sorry 'bout the memory stuff." Sadihak said through their pain. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

"...I wish I could say it's alright. It was all splintered already. Now it's just like a puzzle." Kenji shrugs. "But like I said, I don't blame you." He offers them both a small smile before he turns to leave.

Petrai manages a weak smile, and watched as Kenji left. Sadihak closed their eyes and tried to rest.