Welcome To The Masquerade

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Passing hunks of metal illuminated the shadows of an alley. Revealing a nightly clad Shinigami to the light for a time. Tired eyes recoiled from that light, causing the Reaper to glance away as he overlooked that alleyway. The cold bit at an exposed cut on his palm. Lowering the Onmitsukido mask from his mouth the Shinigami would let out another elongated sigh. Even in that retreating light. He could still see his breath on the air. Another hunt... another long night.

The fresh scent of blood was on the air. It carried against the wind ever so. Like blood to water, the sharks would soon come. Ravaging the senses of hollows and the like. Hungry masked fiends they were. Yet the Shinigami was ready. he had been ready for some time now.... but not everything goes according to plan. He could still feel the reeling sting on his hand when he grabbed hold of that fools blade. He had underestimated his reach as he wrestled with that fool in the dark.

He had made a crude trail of blood as he swiped his hand across the bricks of that narrow end. It was cold to the touch, benumbing his palm to winters crude and unforgiving embrace. Another car passed that dark place revealing the pale visage of that very fool. He would have been slumped over if not for the blade that kept him in place. His very own... Once a Zanpakuto yet now it was an empty husk. And now it dug straight through bone, blood and flesh. The sword skewered the fool into the cold brick behind him.

Frantic fingers had dug against that cold blade in his shoulder for a time. Freezing his very finger tips with his once warm blood. His feet hung only inches from the ground. Embarrassing sobs and cries for help echoed through that lonesome and dirty alley. He screamed for about an hour, that he didn’t know anything and that he had left alone. But those screams rang nothing but hollow to the Reaper above. Yet they were not numb to all ears. Another silhouette revealed itself as a pair of headlights stretched the shadows thin once more.

The light bounced off a reflective coat of silver. Revealing dark markings that paraded against wintry furs. Moonlit eyes, lupine in nature. Sheltered the frailty of that impaled man as he hung there on display. Blood dripped down from his frozen finger tips. As his heavy breath took to the air. There was fear in those eyes of his. Red with tears as they were. He had not seen the creature until now. “A wolf...?” Past those brilliant silvers he saw a stretch of black if ever so faint. He jolted backwards, recoiling in pain. His fingers once again dug against his blade. “No! A holl-"

Widened silver eyes drew away from the man. A tail hung lowly as another passing light sheltered those moonlit eyes. Revealing another blade as it dug deeply into pale flesh. Cold blue eyes sheltered the fool. Past gargled breathes, drools of blood plastered the Reaper’s Zanpakuto, as it lay embedded inside the man’s throat. The smell of death hit the air. Those frantic arms fell, like frail branches. Removing that blade the fool’s head would hang. Dead eyes gazed into a crimson puddle.

Fool... Nobody escapes. Aevus would say to himself. The Shinigami swiped his Zanpakuto, removing the blood from his blade in a single flick. Sandaled feet plastered against that pooling puddle of blood. Lumina’s paws were soaked in its crimson tide. “He was frightened.” The Wolf’s silvery voice fell into the ears of the Reaper. “He was our mark...” Aevus would answer with a cool sigh. “And he didn’t know about the others.”

Not even about the vizard.

He still hadn’t found him... Was he even here anymore? Had Douma given him a false lead? Maybe... Or maybe not. Karakura was a maze.This was the first night he had began to comb the city and yet it already felt like an eternity. The deserter was only an excuse to go searching. An easy enough mark. The fool was a seated officer from squad 2, who had fled alongside a few others during his traitorous Captain’s execution. Thinking that nobody would have noticed. He fled because he was scared. He was wrong, He was a fool and Aevus hated that he remembered him. He had drinks with a few of the members of squad 2 the night before he joined the Onmitsukido. And he had been one of them.

His tired eyes drifted over his Spirit. She seemed quiet and calm for the moment. He took solace in that peace but the night wasn‘t over. It was long from over. He still had to find that vizard. “Lets go.” The Shinigami would mutter under his breath, glancing away from the alleyway. “Aevus..." Lumina's wolven ears flickered as she would look back to the body.
“We’ll come back for him... We still have to find the rest.” And like that Aevus left that alleyway with Lumina on his heels.

[Zeich Yajuu]

He hasn’t been dead long.

Golden eyes stared out from behind a carved mask, yet their gaze took in nothing despite settling on the body before them. Blinded by a darkness that originated within, Zeich saw nothing through his own vision. Yet with the aid of his companion, the picture was laid out with surprising clarity, giving him access to details that inspections via touch would not have provided. For instance, the marking on the man’s sleeve, indicating him as a member of Squad 2; Zeich would not have known that before. This man was a former Shinigami before his death, albeit one that the Vizard did not know before his own departure from Soul Society.

Nasty business, a Shinigami being killed like this... For once, Haiiro’s tone was more serious, none of his usual lighthearted banter coloring the bond between them. Zeich understood why, seeing the image through Haiiro’s gaze; a long, slender sword emerged from the man’s chest, pinning him to the wall. A Zanpaktou, likely, and doubtless it belonged to the victim, as no Shinigami would leave their primary weapon behind so casually. A glance at the other wounds further added to this conclusion, particularly the stabbed-through throat; the man had simply been impaled here and then killed mercilessly at the attacker’s behest.

Murder is always ‘nasty business,’ Haiiro. We know that all too well. As a former member of Squad 7, Zeich had been on both ends of conflict. He had taken lives, and he had been threatened; regardless of whether it was done in pursuit of ideals like “justice” and “duty,” the violent taking of another’s life was still a chilling act. Zeich had long since let go of that particular qualm, and simply did his job as needed, but he respected the terrible nature of violent death regardless now. That was why he treated this scene carefully, kneeling to put himself closer to Haiiro’s eye level in order to sync his sense of self-location with the images being transmitted to him.

There were always flaws to this shared vision, and precision was one of them; from Haiiro’s gaze, Zeich couldn’t get an accurate measurement of the wound’s size. It wasn’t hard to guess at the cause, however, and a quick unsheathing of his own Zanpaktou to compare to the wound confirmed it. Another Shinigami had done this, using their own weapon. What was this, then? A feud between individuals? A political movement? A manhunt? Strange things had been happening lately in Soul Society, and without being there to understand them, Zeich found himself troubled by such implications.

He had only too recently been accosted by one of the Gotei’s own Captains, one “Kaijin,” who had used illusions and acrobatic prowess to weave a tightening web around him. Only his blindness kept the woman’s tricks at bay, that curse serving as a rare boon in their battle. Kaijin had looked to recruit Zeich, despite knowing that he was a Vizard, to help her in some political machination. She claimed she was fighting corruption or worse, but Zeich couldn’t help her; he knew all too well what it meant to be a Vizard, why asking him to aid her would only hurt her cause more. One did not fight evil with evil, after all, and until Zeich was able to prove his stance in support of Soul Society, a Vizard’s influence would only tip things in favor of growing chaos.

For now, though, there was nothing to be gained from the corpse. Zeich couldn’t say if this man’s murder was justified or not, but that didn’t stop him from looking into it. After all, if there was a hunter here in Karakura, the Vizard himself would be just as much of a target, even if an unintended one. The last thing that the former Shinigami needed was to have his location and identity revealed when he had worked so hard to keep a relatively low profile in a place that still gave him some ability to keep an eye on movements in the spiritual world. No, he was going to have to hunt the hunter, and ensure that his presence remained unknown.

Fortunately, it would be easy enough to trace; Zeich’s nose twitched slightly at the smell of blood still hanging in the air. There was a faint trail, the bitter iron tang twisting away into the silent streets of Karakura. The hunter hadn’t cleaned his blade thoroughly it seemed; a simple flicking of the blood, revealed in a small splatter a short distance from the body, would hardly be enough to remove all traces. Likely a few small droplets remained, and had potentially stained the target’s clothing or sheath. His sense of smell was as sharp as any bloodhound’s, if not stronger, and if needed the Vizard had the capability to push his senses even further. For now, though, he had a faint hint of a trail, and a direction to begin searching in.

It’s time for us to be the hunters, Haiiro. I’m going to need to use my Zanpaktou for this, so it’s time for you to rest for a bit. A nod of acknowledgment came from the lupine spirit even as he started to dissipate. Still unsheathed from the comparison, the sword in Zeich’s hand began to break apart, crumbling into ash that pooled about his feet before spreading up along the length of his legs and across his body. Before long, a gray shroud of ash coated his body, rendering his spiritual presence non-existent. Combined with his natural skill in stealth, the Vizard could simply disappear from observation with little effort. He put it to use now, taking to the rooftops and moving with a measured haste to catch up to his target.

It took only a short time, as the trail was still fresh, and soon Zeich found himself perched atop a roof above the hunter as he continued tracking his targets. The Shinigami was an Omnitsukido member, if his ability to remain quiet and move with the same—if not greater, Zeich realized a moment later—casual efficiency Zeich used, one that minimized motion and noise, indicated anything. This seemed like an internal issue, then, such as an assassin dealing with a mark. Was the former victim a traitor, a criminal? Or was this man the criminal, hunting innocents for an under-the-table deal? More observation was needed.

Zeich settled in to watch, following quietly and using the scent of blood to track his target whenever he lost sight of the man due to his impressive stealth skills. It was time to see what the hunter would do next...

Remaining Reiatsu: 6900/7000 (-100 for Shikai)

Shikai: 1/15

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

“Can you sense any lingering Reiatsu Lumina?” He could still see the face of that traitor. The face of fear burned in those eyes of his. And he knew... He had seen something in Lumina. But what? He had an idea. But he didn’t want to think about it. He refused to think about it. “Aevus?-” He would turn to see that silver gaze looking up at him. Allowing his tired eyes to settle for a moment. “I don’t believe he was lying.” Guilt ran through him just as hot as the blood that ran through his very veins.

“I know...”

He could still hear that Shinigami’s pleas for help. He heard it all. The desperation and longing for mercy as his voice echoed through that alley. Every single one of those cries had caused him to shudder. He hadn’t used the influence of the Hollow this time and it showed. Her golden eyes hadn’t eclipsed his visage as he ran his Zanpakuto into that foolish deserter’s throat. And yet... His eyes clenched shut as he held himself against the cold brick of a wall for a time. Part of him had smiled when he had killed him.

Ever since his fight with Douma, he hadn’t felt the same. He was sluggish and clumsy on his feet. He had stumbled against the seated officer in the dark, like he was an equal. Even his senses were working against him. Even the night that he lived in, was now blinding to him. In the end, it was Lumina, who had tracked down the traitor. He had told her to stay back and keep a look out. To Make sure no one would intervene. But that wasn‘t the only reason. She couldn‘t know why he had really come out here tonight. “I don’t think i’m suited for interrogations...” Aevus half joked, yet Lumina sensed it. She heard the strain in his voice. He had just killed a man after all. A coward, but a man all the same.

The Shinigami would flinch as he felt the warm touch of his Spirit. She’d nuzzle against his hand ever so gently. “You mustn’t guilt yourself over this.” She paused as Aevus flinched and attempted to pull away. ”That one made his choice. He sealed his fate, the moment he ran from the home, he swore to protect.” Tired eyes fell back to his Spirit. Those silver eyes of hers were always comforting. Even tonight of all nights. Past a feigned smile, a restless sigh would fall from the man’s sheltered lips.

He would look away from his spirit. “Iv’e always tried to make it quick... painless even. I don’t seek to cause suffering but...” His voice broke at that. The assassin trembled with his Zanpakuto in hand. “How was I supposed to know? How was I supposed to know he was telling me the truth?”
“You couldn’t have known.” Lumina answered without pause, as if the words were but another beat of her heart. And yet that’s all the Spirit could say. She was used to her Shinigami keeping to himself.

“I know but...”

Something was wrong. Ever since that night, he wasn’t the same. Was he still feeling guilty over what had happened? She had told him that she had no memory of that night. All because she didn’t want him to worry. But really... She didn’t want anything to change. In truth, she wished she had forgotten what had happened, but she remembered it as clearly as he did. And even if her memory had been clouded, she knew her Zanpakuto by heart. A blade traced thusly by her name and echoed sharply from her very being. She knew of the power of his Bankai and the suffering it can cause.

Aevus may have tried to hide it. He may even have tried to bury it deep within himself, but he had lost himself that night. He had lost himself in a battle he could not win. That Hollow had taken him when he was at his weakest. Her black reiatsu pulsed from his being and that rotten mask shrouded his very visage. Drowning those dear sapphire eyes of his, in a sea of black and gold. Douma wasn’t the one who had attacked her that night. Nor was it Aevus. It was that Hollow. That silver tongued fox who dared to walk in the shadows of her inner world.

He had to know that it wasn’t his fault. None of what happened that night was his fault. At least, she didn’t blame him for it. She could never blame him, and yet she still lied to him all the same. All to try and reassure and ease his troubled mind. Even when she knew he’d worry, regardless of what he said and how he acted. He was a terrible liar and a self blaming man. Even past those cold eyes of his, she felt it stir beneath. But he would look away from those harboring and too consuming emotions. Pulling himself away from that brick wall and standing up straight. Those tired eyes of his would gaze forward.

“Lumina, what can you sense now?” Again he hid behind his work. If there were any deserters in this city, she would have had sensed them by now. And if so, they would have surely come to the aid of their ally.

Yet-

“Aevus!” It was sudden as a creature of white flashed in front of the Reaper. His body immediately recoiled from the impact of the tackle. Tumbling through the glass window of the building behind them. Aevus felt his body shudder from the pain as his back slammed against one of the back shelves of the convenience store. He reached for his Zanpakuto as the hollow crawled in through the glass. An alarm would sound, ringing violently in his ears.

He was left dazed, but he could still make out that white fiend. It was lithely and quick on its padded paws. About the size and shape of a large dog or cat. It stood on all fours, resembling the stance of a feline. A tail much like a scorpion, swung behind its arched back. And with single flick of its tail, it’d swipe across the checkout line. With such strength and speed, that it managed to a fire bolted cash register, across the store. It’d crash to the right of Aevus’s head, amassing a large hole in the back shelf.

'Dammit... not now.' The Reaper winced as he reared back in pain. His fingers trembled on the handle of his Zanpakuto as the Adjuchas leapt across the aisle. In a single step, a flash of silver flickered before him and a snarl sounded. It was sudden as Lumina dug forth her glistening canines into the beast’s throat. Causing the Hollow to crash into one of the shelves littering the store. It flailed and screamed as it wrestled with Aevus’s Zanpakuto Spirit amidst the chaos.

Pained and aching, Aevus rose to his sandaled feet. A flicker of black leapt across his visage, thwarting the Shinigami in his very tracks. “End it!” Lumina managed through a snarl. Bringing the Reaper back to his senses. And with a twist of his Zanpakuto, Aevus would impale the beast with panted breaths. Lumina jolted upwards as a worrying growl sheltered across the aisle. Her ears flickered and Aevus would turn to see them. There were more... Multiple pale silhouettes crowded the entrance of that store.

Holding his Zanpakuto reverse gripped, the Shinigami would breath heavily. “Aevus... call upon Shikai.” But Aevus would shake his head. A memory flashed like a bolt of lightning as he felt an all familiar presence. It pulled itself into him, embracing him and drowning him in its darkly Reiatsu. “Now Aevus!” Lumina yelled out but Aevus shook his head once more. “I can’t...” Predatory golden eyes and a silver tongue sheltered behind the Reaper. [smear:#ffd700]“You can~”[/smear:ffe34d] She'd coo. He felt her bushy tail brush his side. Her arms drape gently around his neck.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Hunter and prey continued their chase through Karakura, the latter unaware of the former as Zeich kept to the shadows, keeping himself effectively invisible as he listened and followed. Though he had a general sense of Karakura after nearly a year of being there, the Vizard had not been to this particular area enough to get a feel for where they were going without being able to see it. He could call upon Haiiro with his Spiritual Projection technique, but the wolf lacked his stealth abilities and there was not enough ash to cover both of them to conceal them from senses. For now, Zeich could only get a general direction. Fortunately, the goal was in a direction different from the Vizard’s dwelling or Uzaki Enterprises; whoever this assassin was, he wouldn’t be causing any personal trouble for Zeich, at least.

The trail stopped suddenly; Zeich could tell by the fact that the smell of blood got stronger for a few moments, and then leveled out at a higher threshold than before. The other Shinigami was close, at ground level beneath the Vizard. Why had he stopped? Where were they? For a moment Zeich considered drawing on his mask to restore his vision temporarily, to see if he could get an idea of his prey’s target and objective, but he refrained for the moment. His ears didn’t catch the sound of any other people nearby, so it was unlikely that another victim was here, but perhaps the Shinigami was after something else. For now, he’d have to continue to wait and see. At least it was just the two of them right now—

The crash of glass, the skittering of claws on pavement. The alarms of a building going off, a siren ringing out in blaring tones to deafen those nearby. The scent of blood fading as distance came between them once more, and the cry of something feral rang out in the night. Noise exploded in a rush and washed over Zeich like a wave. A Hollow, no doubt. Judging by the sounds, it had attacked his target and driven it through a nearby window, activating the security alarms of the building. It was unlikely to be any sort of threat, however; if this man could kill another Shinigami so easily, even an unseated one, then he’d have no problems with a basic Hollow. There had been no words, no sound that suggested this was anything beyond a basic Menos; it was just a feral creature, a monster to be put down and purified for even thinking it could compare to a Shinigami.

It was then that Zeich’s sharp hearing picked up other sounds. The clatter of nails on stone, the hissing exhale of many breaths, the scrape of something sharp sliding along the pavement. There were more—many more. A pack of Hollows? Rarely did they group together rather than turning to consume one another in a fit of dominance. Once more Zeich evaluated the situation. Was it worth getting involved? While a single Menos was nothing worth worrying about, a pack of them might be a threat to any non-seated officer or one who held a low rank. No, for now it would be reasonable to continue waiting. He could, however, afford to bring out Haiiro; busy as he was with the Hollows, it was unlikely that the other Shinigami would notice the two of them watching.

Padded footsteps were nearly undetectable atop the stone roof as Haiiro seemed to almost materialize from the night air, forming from darkness and mist into a solid lupine form. The wolf stared over across the distance, and images were immediately sent to Zeich. Though the angle was still hard to adjust to—to sync up with it, Zeich would practically have to lie flat on his stomach, and he had no inclination of taking such a pose at the edge of the building—the visual was mostly clear. The Shinigami was currently fending off the first Hollow, driving it back with the help of… another wolf? It was interesting to see a spirit similar to Zeich’s own.

Sigh… if only we weren’t ‘criminals’ in Soul Society, I could be down there making a new friend...

What would Polaris think if you were going off and making other wolf friends? Zeich remarked idly before flinching at the wave of emotion that came back from the other end of the bond. Sadness and hurt were twisted together in a dagger that felt like it stabbed the Vizard to the core. He had probably opened up some very unwelcome wounds with that statement. ...Sorry.

It’s okay. Let’s just keep an eye on them for now.

Even as they watched, the Shinigami impaled one of the Hollows on his blade, driving the attack all the way through the creature. But another came, and more started to crawl along the streets, making their way into the building. The Shinigami would not be able to keep up with just his blade unless he was an exceptional swordsman, and from what little Zeich could see… he wasn’t. If anything, he was too slow, too hesitant. It was obvious that something was being held back, but… what?

And then a cry rang out from across the street, so clear that Zeich’s sharp ears could easily make it out. “Aevus, call upon Shikai. Now, Aevus!” Yet despite the cry’s desperation, nothing was coming. Was it possible that this Shinigami, Aevus, could not call upon his Zanpaktou? Why was that? Was it sealed, or damaged? The former was unlikely, as Aevus was likely an Omnitsukido member on an official mission, so there was no reason for his weapon to be sealed away. A limiter placed if he was a strong enough individual, perhaps, but on a Shinigami manhunt it was unlikely one would be used. No, something odd was going on here…

...There’s one other option, Master. Despite being an assassin, he’s slow, he’s clumsy, and he’s uncoordinated. His stab was powered by desperation, not physical strength. If he’s an assassin, he’s a damn lousy one… or else he’s operating at a fraction of his power, trying to hold it back. You and I had a similar experience, if you’ll recall…

Zeich’s sightless eyes widened, the first expression of shock he had shown in some time. You don’t mean…?

Another Vizard, master. Or rather, a potential one. If he’s still holding himself back, he’s got a little time, but it’s obvious he’s on the verge of losing control. He can’t use his power because doing so might allow the Inner Hollow to break free. Of course, this is all a maybe, but...

Well, this night had just gotten interesting. Another potential Vizard? Zeich had not encountered more of his own kind since he had learned to tame his own Inner Hollow—a fact that Tsukikage would no doubt contest—and then had chosen to leave the group behind. Their objectives had not meshed with Zeich’s well; he doubted that they could be considered trustworthy when it came to working with Soul Society. No doubt many of them remembered Sozen Kuchiki and his treatment of Zouma Santeku, along with the harm inflicted on other Vizards. Zeich could understand a reluctance to work with Soul Society, but he couldn’t ally with those who could be enemies.

But this Shinigami was not an enemy—not yet. If he maintained his loyalty to Soul Society, he could be a valuable asset. Even more so, if he had not revealed his nature through rampage yet, it was possible that Aevus would be able to still exist within Soul Society once he had mastered his power. He would have to keep it hidden but… it might be a foothold back in the door. Zeich considered the advantages of the situation, and determined that it would be favorable to step in at this point.

We both know you would have stepped in anyway, Master.

A simple flick of Zeich’s hand had the ash flowing off of his body and raining down upon the Hollows even as he removed his mask and tucked it into his jacket. Five of the dozen or so that stood before the entrance found their skulls pierced by bladed lances that rained down upon them, tearing all the way from the back of the head and through their masks. They dissipated, slain and purified in one motion, and the pack began to turn, whirling about in their confusion. Three more found themselves sliced and purified as the whirling lances rose and twisted about, tearing through limbs and bodies in similarly swift motions. In but a moment there were only a handful left, and they, too, would not last long.

Zeich’s footsteps were nearly silent as he landed on the ground, having leapt from the roof even as he had slaughtered two-thirds of the attacking Hollows. The ash flowed back into his hand and took on the shape of his Zanpaktou, formed by his will into a long, thin-bladed katana. It flicked out in quick motions, ripping a forelimb off of a nearby Hollow before a step guided by the creature’s howl of pain had Zeich’s blade slashing across its face and ending its misery. Drawn by the cry, the other three turned to strike, their claws rasping across the pavement. Zeich’s sharp ears detected the movement, and in another show of footwork had him taking three quick steps each punctuated by a thrust or a slice. Soon, there was nothing left between him and the building in which Aevus was still recovering from his own ordeal.

Haiiro was only a few steps behind, taking his time getting down from the building, and the wolf arrived just as the last of the Hollows were slain. “Ah, you didn’t even leave any for me, Master. You’re no fun.” He joked lightly, before looking across at the street at Aevus and his own lupine companion. Haiiro raised his voice so that the other two could hear him. “You two alright? You looked like you needed a bit of he—”

You can talk later, Haiiro. For now, we need to get going before someone else shows up. The alarm is still going off. A hint of a sigh colored the bond between the two of them briefly before Haiiro acknowledged the point, speaking to the pair again. “Right. Master says ‘no time for chit-chat’ in his usual grumpy way, so let’s be off somewhere where we can talk a bit more freely. Can you walk, or do we need to carry you two?”

Remaining Reiatsu: 6200/7000 (-400 for Spiritual Projection, -300 for Kaijin Ken x6)

Shikai: 2/15

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Even now with those Hollows looming ever closer, and Lumina crying out for him, he couldn’t move. It was as if he was frozen in place. He could feel her breath on his neck. He could feel the weight of her arms around him. The bristles of that bushy tail brushing his inner thigh. He felt that darkly reiatsu begin to wrap ever so tightly. Just like that night, she was trying to seduce him. [smear:#ffd700]They are but lowly hollows little Hunter~[/smear:ffe34d] Her venom filled whispers sheltered inside the man and he quivered.

[smear:#ffd700]So why do you hesitate, against such easy prey~?[/smear:ffe34d] He’d shiver from those words. The mere thought of giving into the creature, of being taken over again... It made him sick to his stomach. She was edging him on and he knew it. Aevus! Lumina’s snarl echoed within his inner ear. Just like that Aevus was back. And as the darkness retreated from his visage, he was met with a world of gray. The Hollows that once stood had disappeared with but a flash of an ashen blade. 'A... Shikai?' It was a beautiful display of destruction and Aevus was caught in awe of it all. The stranger cleaved his way through the Hollows like it was a dance.

“You two alright? You looked like you needed a bit of he— Right. Master says ‘no time for chit-chat’ in his usual grumpy way, so let’s be off somewhere where we can talk a bit more freely. Can you walk, or do we need to carry you two?”

Lumina was quick on her paws, leaping before her Shinigami from instinct alone. “We can walk just fine.” Her tail whipped irritably and a snarl fell from her throat as she eyed the wolf and his supposed master. The man before him may have been a Shinigami but she wasn’t about to lower her guard. Not even for a second. “Lumina.” Aevus’s grip on his blade partly loosened as he sheathed his Zanpakuto. You know he’s right, we can’t stay here. So lets humor our saviors for a moment shall we? He could still feel the gnawing call of that Hollow even now. In a way it was much louder than the alarm sounding in his ear. But at least for now he could manage.

“Thank you, that was quite the display." Aevus managed with a grin as he looked to his savior. In truth he had an idea of who had come to his rescue. The fact that the stranger wasn’t wearing a Shikakusho was telling. Any other time Aevus would have assumed the stranger was a rogue. But he still possessed Shikai, and that meant his zanpakuto hadn’t been sealed. Plus he had a manifested Zanpakuto Spirt. Which oddly enough took on a lupine form similar to Lumina herself. Maybe he was a Shinigami who had gone undercover? But if so, Aevus would certainly have heard of him. So who was he? It was a gamble. But either way Aevus wasn’t in any position to say no.

Aevus, you’re just gonna blindly follow them?

We’re gonna follow them. And we’re not gonna do it blindly. Keep your guard up.

You keep your guard up. Remember... you were the one who froze back there.

Lumina...

“Lets get going then, shall we?" Lumina snapped back before brushing past Aevus. Her ears flickered from that deafening alarm. She certainly didn’t like this idea and it showed as her tail whipped against the air. She made her way out of the store. Making sure to dodge the broken glass from the window Aevus had been thrown through. An awkward silence followed. Aevus would glance away from his saviors for a moment before looking back at the two. “Lead the way.”

[Zeich Yajuu]

“Grumpy, grumpy, missy. You and Master will get along well, I think.” Haiiro’s remark came in its usual playful tone, the wolf teasing at the other Zanpaktou Spirit as she made her way out the window. A silent thought from Zeich suggested caution, and bemused agreement flowed back through their bond, indicating that Haiiro had gotten the message. For now, it would be best not to push either of their companions, not when Aevus was so clearly on the verge of possession. The trigger was often emotional, as Zeich very well knew; his own had been a particularly powerful outburst, a roar of anger and hatred that rang out from the depths of his normally complacent soul. But then again, he had been under the stress of denial, too…

In the end, I guess we were the same: two monsters that have laid destruction upon the innocent for the sheer joy of doing so.

And yet, in the end, your paths diverged, and you are no longer that monster, Master. You’ve claimed your own future, and though it is uncertain, it is no longer entwined in that of the demonic Adalo De-Mona. Zeich sent an unsteady flicker of agreement back; it was true that he had broken away from his anger, his despair, and his emptiness, but how far had he made it? Only time would tell, he supposed.

For now, he could begin to prove himself by aiding this Vizard-to-be. Stepping carefully over the window, Zeich would offer a shoulder to Aevus if he needed it, able to easily support the Shinigami should he need it. If he was able to walk on his own, so much the better, but it was best to be safe. Once they were moving, they’d quickly exit the store and make their way down the road, following it to the nearest intersection. From there, it was a short walk to reach the apartments that Zeich stayed at, near the outskirts of Karakura. Fortunately he had selected a first-floor apartment, as stairs may have been too demanding of Aevus in his current state, and the two of them made their way through the door and into the main room.

Zeich’s apartment was modestly furnished despite his lack of visitors and disinclination towards luxury; most if it had simply come included with the place. The main room had a sofa and two chairs around a modest-sized coffee table and a small bookcase that was mostly empty, though a small radio sat on top of it. A small kitchen was attached to it, with a divider between the two, and a hallway led to the bathroom and a single bedroom. It was a simple one-person apartment, and it was designed simply, with no real ornamentation to it. Aevus was escorted to the couch, allowing him to sit or even lay down if he felt the need to.

Zeich, on the other hand, took the chair to the Shinigami’s left, while Haiiro simply stretched out on the carpet. Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, the Vizard considered the best way to start. Did he go straight in, with blunt truth possibly terrorizing his companion, or take a slow and steady approach all while the clock was ticking for the Inner Hollow’s emergence? Time was of the essence if Aevus was this badly off, yet at the same time, the process needed to be controlled, guided to handle it most effectively. Calm and control were needed and, at this stage, both were difficult to come by in any quantity. Aevus would need both if he were to survive.

Zeich briefly considered taking Aevus to the other Vizards, the same ones that had trained him. Unlike many others, who joined the larger group, the former Shingiami had broken off ties from them after gaining control of his power. He didn’t like their methods, their focused hatred towards Soul Society; in the end, they truly were enemies to the Shinigami and all that they represented. Yet he had to ask himself: did he have the arrogance to assume that, on his own, he could help Aevus awaken to his true power, that he could teach his fellow Shinigami the level of control needed to survive this ideal? It was that question that made Zeich pause and consider his options. Was it worth risking this man’s life to keep him away from Soul Society’s enemies?

In the end, there was only one decision, so Zeich started with a slower approach. “Have you ever felt as though there were someone whispering in your ear, Aevus? A metaphorical devil on your shoulder, but made real?” It was a small probe, to see if he recognized the Hollow’s demands and deals for what they were. “Have you ever had dreams of a dark world, where eyes watch at you from the shadows? Or have you ever sensed something at the edge of your Inner World, a gaze that never leaves you no matter what you do?” All of these were familiar sensations for Zeich. He remembered Tsukikage’s first appearance and the events that followed after.

Burning flesh and fur. Scorched and twisted metal. A forest set ablaze, smoke choking the air. A dark laugh that rang out through the night, and a howl of pain and suffering that would forever echo in his mind…

Zeich suppressed a shiver, but then continued. “If you have felt any of these things, then there is a chance that there is something within you that needs to be stopped, reigned in, and controlled. If you do not, then...” The Vizard paused, considering, before he laid the truth bare. “You will die, your mind and soul consumed, and your body possessed by the same darkness that haunts your every moment. It is as simple as that.”

Haiiro piped up at this point. “What Master is trying to say is that you have an unusual soul, one that very few Shinigami possess. You were born with it, rather than developing it, and the creature within has developed over your many years of service as you and your spiritual power have grown. If you cannot control it, it will control you. But that is why we are here: we want to help you, to teach you how to control it so that you will not be a danger, either to others or yourself. We want to make sure that you will be safe. That is why we have been following you, and brought you here. But, of course, we can only make that happen if you trust us, and allow us to do so; without your consent, we cannot do anything.”

“If you’d like, we can begin immediately. But I imagine you have lots of questions about this whole deal, who we are, what’s wrong with you, etc. We’ll do what we can to answer them before starting; you’ll have your best chance if you go in with a clear and determined mind. So, fire away.”

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

(When you're told "You're a vizard Harry.")

As they walked down that dimly lit street Aevus would nearly buckle under his own weight. His body now ached and cried out for him. Stop and rest it told him, stop pushing yourself. But he was stubborn and he wouldn’t listen. His sleepless visage drooped for a moment. He needed to sleep, he yearned for it. But he knew if he tried... he’d be met face to face with those golden lined eyes. That scratching temptation of giving into that silver tongued hollow, dug ever so deeply into the exhausted mind of the Shinigami. [smear:#ffd700] Give into me~ [/smear:ffe34d] He could still hear her sultry whispers even now. [smear:#ffd700] Let go, little hunter~[/smear:ffe34d] Even now as the silence of night crept along the edge of the horizon, he could still hear her calling out to him.

It was clear that he wasn’t himself. He would glance sleepily into a window. All just to avoid eye contact with the stranger. He was social as ever. A solemn expression painted his features as he stared blankly into his own reflection. For a short while he almost seemed lost in his own blue pair. But that wasn’t it. For just a split second, he couldn’t recognize who he was looking at. He looked just as he felt... Absolutely terrible. His visage resembled a corpse. His blue eyes almost void of any light. No wonder why Lumina couldn’t bear to be around him. She must have had an idea what was happening to him. No... there was no way around it. She must have known. It was obvious, so very very obvious.

It wasn’t the first time. But it was a rare thing for Aevus to place his trust in someone. Especially a complete stranger. But this stranger was different, he had saved him after all. Yet part of him was still wary. And why wouldn’t he be? He knew whole heartily that this man could kill him at any moment. He’d never be able to handle him in a fight if it came down to it. At least... not in his condition. He'd end up just like those hollows. At the end of an ashen blade. No... he wouldn’t have saved me. In the end, those stray what ifs would just add to his ever expanding paranoia.

Lumina would stand her ground as they walked. Cool paws clattered lightly upon the pavement. She made sure to keep her distance. But Aevus could still feel her eyes on him. He could still see those narrowed silvers upon him, even now. Earnest eyes, full of worry. Careful now... He’d hear his spirit say before they made their way up the steps. As they arrived at the apartment many of the same questions he had before began stream through the reaper’s mind. Such as Who was he? Why was he here?

From the looks of the apartment, it seemed he had been living here for awhile. And from how the stranger handled himself, he seemed well versed in combat. They might have been just been hollows, but still. From just that single bout, he could tell that this stranger was experienced. He even had a manifested Zanpakuto Spirit. That was rare among his kind. So he should have recognized this Shinigami. Or at least heard of him. But why didn’t he? It was a puzzling situation to say the least. Yet his curiosity for once wouldn’t get the best of him. He was too tired to ask questions. And when he was offered a seat, he didn’t hesitate.

Lumina stationed herself in the corner of that room. Silver eyes scanned her surroundings. Settling upon her haunches, her long tail curled warmly around her paws. She never strayed far from her Shinigami. She eyed him as if a guard dog. Ready to pounce if needed. She could make the distance with a single step. Aevus’s eyes clung to his sandaled feet. He couldn’t look the man in the eye as he sat directly in front of him. “Thank you.” He mustered as honestly as he could. Yet his appreciation would have to wait. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who had questions.

“Have you ever felt as though there were someone whispering in your ear, Aevus? A metaphorical devil on your shoulder, but made real?”

A shiver ran up his spine at those words. Sharp tingles dug deeply into his very skin. His sleepless blue eyes widened and he would look up at the man with a heavy heart. Did he hear that right? The Shinigami had his attention but he was silent as ever. A cold sweat began to take him. His fingers curled against the fabric of his pants. [smear:#ffd700]Oh~ a devil am I? [/smear:ffe34d] Speak of the devil and she will appear. He hated this. He hated the fact that he was so weak that he couldn’t muster the strength to answer that question. That he couldn’t keep away those whispers any longer.

“Have you ever had dreams of a dark world, where eyes watch at you from the shadows? Or have you ever sensed something at the edge of your Inner World, a gaze that never leaves you no matter what you do?”

That shiver would take hold of him as he sat there silently. Wide eyed like a deer in headlights. It was as if he was simply frozen. A single bead of sweat would slowly trail down his face. Memories of a silver tongued hollow came to mind. Her golden irises following him ever so keenly against the backdrop of that lonesome inner world of his. She danced freely within the underbrush of that bioluminescent forest as if it were her playground. Aevus was caught off guard upon hearing these probing questions. And he wasn’t the only one. Widened silver eyes, like two full moons drew upon the Shinigami as he spoke. Lumina was now standing up on all fours.

“If you have felt any of these things, then there is a chance that there is something within you that needs to be stopped, reigned in, and controlled. If you do not, then...”

Then? Then? The two were seemingly shackled by those words alone.

“You will die, your mind and soul consumed, and your body possessed by the same darkness that haunts your every moment. It is as simple as that.”

The corners of his lips would form a frown at those words. Curled finger nails dug into the skin of his legs. He knew this... he already knew this. So why? Dammit... Why did it still catch him by surprise? That damn hollow had told him her desires the moment they met. He knew what she wanted. She was neither coy nor did she ever lie to him. She danced freely. She didn’t tip toe around the truth with riddles and the like. [smear:#ffd700]Freedom[/smear:ffe34d] He could hear her say to him with sultry tones. Freedom was her truest desire.

Aevus would listen on as the wolven Spirit spoke to him. He hung onto every word, every syllable as if it were his last. A rising whine began to rise in the back of Lumina’s throat but Aevus was silent as ever. He was still trying to gather everything... It was almost to much to handle. He knew for a fact he wasn’t alone. He already knew there were others like him. Kindred spirits. cursed with the very same corruption as him. All possessing those golden eyes. Flickering just beneath the surface.

He remembered that night with Ivy. How their dance of blades and playful taunts, turned into something far darker. He remembered the heat of the moment as they wrestled with golden eyes. He remembered the taste of her blood on his lips. He would shiver from that memory. He could still see her golden eyes staring into his own. “Don’t tell her." Her inner hollow had told him. And he didn’t. But maybe he should have. Was it wrong to want to save her from that painful truth? Is this what awaited her too? She was undeserving of such a cruel fate. He’d bear that burden alone if he could.

He had so many questions and he almost didn’t know where to start. Such as who was he? Was he a vizard too? He could see Lumina staring at him with those silver lined eyes and he would sigh. Every single question washed away at that. “Tell me the truth...” He didn’t care about reigning in and controlling the Hollow. He’d kill the thing if he could. “Can I save Lumina?” His voice cracked as it rose. His eyes held onto that fleeting hope as if it wasn’t too late. “Can I still save her?”

[Zeich Yajuu]

“Tell me the truth… can I save Lumina? Can I still save her?”

A question that Zeich should have expected, yet those words shook him to his core. Were it not for the stoic expression he had grown accustomed to, it might have even registered in shock on his face. As it was, the Vizard remained passive, folding his hands before him, though the connection between him and Haiiro was filled with pain and sorrow to a degree he could barely handle. The wolf spirit would look up briefly, his eyes meeting Zeich’s own golden hues, but neither said anything out loud; a wave of sympathy and understanding tempered by a sharp jolt of shared grief flowed towards Zeich, allowing the former Shinigami to reign in his emotions to some extent. Some raw wounds just took longer to heal than others, it seemed.

Well, Aevus seemed to prefer the honest truth, so Zeich continued in the same vein, telling things as they were, no matter how roughly they may be taken. “Objectively speaking, it is possible, else Haiiro would not be here today. He is my former Zanpaktou Spirit and, though he is no longer the source I draw my powers from, he is still a close companion that I seek to protect even to this day.” All true; Zeich had saved Haiiro, thus even if he had simply been an anomaly, an outlier in the potential possibilities, the fact was that a data point existed in favor of saving a Zanpaktou Spirit. Even in the event that the requirements to do so were so onerously condition-dependent that it was not possible to replicate the situation, the possibility existed. He would not lie about that.

However… “That being said, subjectively I do not believe it is possible. It gives me no joy to say that Lumina will likely die, devoured by your Inner Hollow even as you struggle to gain control. If anything, it’s a miracle she’s lasted this long. I cannot even explain how Haiiro survived my transition; it could be any number of factors, from the fact that our souls had been separated and severed, to the fact that I still lost a Zanpaktou Spirit; just not this one. It could have been sheer chance. Any number of variables could have existed at that point to save him, and I doubt that the same alignment of conditions will exist for you.”

It was a painful truth, but Zeich did not hold it back. In all likelihood, Lumina was merely the walking dead at this point, waiting for her sentence to descend. For all they knew, the Hollow was already eroding at her being, consuming her piece by piece until it was too late to do anything about it. Zeich was a practical, pragmatic person, one who accepted the likely truth no matter his own feelings on it, and in this case, he was fairly sure that there was no hope for Lumina.

Despair was the last thing Aevus needed, if he wanted to triumph. Yet would false hope, broken in the heat of combat, be any different? No, a tempered middle ground would be needed, one that embraced the practical truth without shattering his spirit. “...Listen, Aevus. I cannot guarantee anything. I cannot promise anything. What you do going forward will rely entirely on you; all I can do is enable you to start on the path of your choice. I cannot say with complete certainty that Lumina is doomed, and perhaps you will find a way to save her, but at the same time, you’ll have to embrace the very likely possibility that you will emerge from this without her. Make your peace with this fact while you can.”

Master…!

I know. I know I’m being hard on him, and that this will hurt him. But his options are limited right now; he can either choose to fight, knowing that he will likely lose Lumina, or he can choose to give in and fall into the darkness with her. He cannot afford the indecision of a “maybe,” not this close to the fight for his soul.

Zeich would sit in silence for a moment, letting his words sink in for Aevus. He was not asking the Shinigami to make an easy decision: right now, Aevus had to face the fact that he would be saying his final farewells to Lumina soon, the spirit that had walked at his side for a long while. It was a burden that no one could understand until they felt it: the burden of bearing the final hours of a loved one’s life. The unstoppable march of time towards those last moments bore down on those who suffered under its weight, knowing that nothing could be done.

“For what it’s worth, Aevus...” Haiiro spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence. “Master and I have lost someone much like you may. Long ago, I was one of two spirits that dwelt within Master’s soul, and then, my name was Ventus. I stood beside Polaris, and the two of us were our Master’s strength. I was the freedom, the joy of life, the endless possibilities; she was the discipline, the rigidity, the pragmatism. Together we created a balance in Master’s heart, strengthened him as a soldier among Shinigami while developing his mind and independence.”

Haiiro...

The wolf continued on, heedless of Zeich’s mental nudge. “But then, Tsukikage awoke. Master’s Inner Hollow arose from the moonlit forest that filled our Inner World, arriving in a sea of flames that scorched the very earth and left a blackened scar across our world.” Zeich remembered it all too well, standing atop the plateau that had overlooked it even as fire had consumed more and more of the wild world that his soul manifested. He remembered the smoke as it rose up above, a cloud of darkness that seemed to have a malicious will of its own.

“We went to stop it, to fight off what we did not know at the time. Tsukikage, he…” Haiiro choked for a moment before continuing. “He grabbed Polaris, and he engulfed her in flames. Her fur burned, her armor melted. Her shrieks and howls of pain still fill our ears in our nightmares, and the cinders after have left a smell of smoke in our noses. Polaris was utterly destroyed that day, and there was nothing we could do to stop it.”

“But…” Haiiro took a deep breath. “Despite that, we endured. Despite that, we’ve struggled forward, every step of the way, until we were able to subdue Tsukikage and make his power our own. Though we cannot bring back Polaris, we can move forward. And that is what we want of you, Aevus. Maybe you will save Lumina, maybe you will not. We will not give you a false hope that she will live, yet you cannot burden yourself with the despair that she may not. All you can do now is move forward, and see where the future takes you. It is up to you to get there.”

Zeich stood suddenly, and made his way to the front door. “I can understand if you two want a few minutes alone. I’m going to step outside for a moment; come get me when you’re ready to proceed.” With that, he quickly exited, and a puzzled Haiiro followed after him, the wolf’s confused expression born of a sudden sharp dagger of sadness that had come through their bond to one another. It was only once Zeich closed the door behind them that the Zanpaktou Spirit really understood why they had departed so suddenly, as he spotted a lone tear running down his master’s face.

And with it came a tsunami of emotion, a flood from a burst dam that practically swept Haiiro off of his feet. Pain and sadness came in such a powerful torrent that he could scarcely believed they belonged to his master, yet at the same time, he understood. How could he not, as a portion of Zeich’s soul?

Polaris’s loss did much to both of us, Master, Haiiro sent patiently, his words cutting through the flood of emotion. For me, I’ve felt incomplete since that day, feeling as though half of me was just cut away, missing. I can feel where she used to reside, yet I know it is empty, without her. Yet you, Master, have it much worse; where I kindle and encourage your emotional state, Polaris was there to temper it, to give you a clarity and balance to the strong feelings I created. I’ve seen it since then, your inability to harness your own emotions. They flow out of control, whether they are anger, pain, sadness, or fear. All you can really do is suppress them, filter them, and let them die down.

It was simple truth. Zeich came off as an emotionless, cold, and distant individual, but he had his reasons. Aside from his pragmatism around others, his emotions were too unstable for any sort of use in everyday interaction. He felt them with an immense strength, enough so that if the former Shinigami allowed himself to actually express them, they’d burst out into something overwhelming, something he couldn’t control. So instead he buried it all, suppressed it beneath a wall of practicality and calm. All he could do was provide a blank mask for others to see.

For now... Zeich reached up, and wiped at his face. All we can do is watch, and wait. Aevus is the only one who can decide his path forward now.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

[smear:008B8B]~☾[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]For[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Fate[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Is[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Like[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]A[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Shadow[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☽~[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☾[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Always[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]by[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]ones[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]side[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☽[/smear:00FFFF] ⛓ Aevus couldn’t describe how he felt at that moment. His chest tightened and his heart sank at those solemn words. Those blue eyes of his widened and trailed to the floor beneath him. His arms hung lowly to his side. He was ever so silent as he sat there. It was an oh so terrible feeling and it cut deeply into the very core of his very person. Like a sea rising up and swallowing everything around him whole. Briskly inching across the world like some terrible flood, unstoppable in its conquest to consume everything. He had so desperately wanted to hear that there was hope. To cling to the reality that this blind Shinigami and his damn Spirit were somehow wrong. Or else... Or else there was no point to even being here. There would be no point in facing that hollow if he had already lost her. A shiver ran up his spine and he trembled as he reached for his Zanpakuto. It was the only thing his instincts would allow and with a clenched fist he would tightly grasp its handle. The room was quiet as the blind Shinigami and his Spirit left, carrying forth a stillness and silence that Aevus almost begged to end. Leaving him alone with only but his Spirit and his thoughts. “I see, so that’s why you wanted to come—” Like silver bells, the voice of his Spirit fell into him, managing to kill the silence with but a single phrase. “To hear the truth from some blind Rogue and his Wolven Spirit?” ”No, It‘s not what I wanted to hear." Aevus replied in almost a whisper shaking his head. A blank expression painted his face as he sat there with blade in hand. "The truth rarely is." Lumina responded solemnly. "We can flee from it all we like, but it all comes back to the light in the end." Her voice didn’t linger long as it trailed. “So when?—" Even with his eyes to the floor, he could still sense those silver eyes narrowly and sharply digging into him. He could even tell by the tone of her voice that she had taken human form. He could even hear the sound of metal shifting, implying that she was also holding her Zanpakuto to her side. “When...When were you going to tell me the truth?” His hand tightened ever so on the handle of his Zanpakuto at those words. “Were you ever going to tell me Aevus?” Her words would only be met with his usual silence. Yet his silence didn’t deafen the room for long. He could hear the softly placed footsteps of his Spirit as she began to pace to and fro. Hinting that she was perhaps indecisive at confronting him fully, or perhaps she was readying herself for the act itself. “I thought not.” Aevus looked down at his runic blade at those words. He could hear the disappointment in that voice of hers. It was sharper than any blade he had ever come across. Even with his blade in hand, he could do nothing against it. A heavy sigh faltered from his very lips. In his heart he wanted to say something. To say anything to comfort and reassure his Spirit, but what was there to say? What could he say? It’s not like he was prepared for this. He had come with some inkling of hope. Hope that everything would somehow turn out okay in the end. That he could make everything alright. Fix everything, but instead he was met with the solemn words, spoken thusly from the lips of a blind man who had already lost his dear Spirit. All he could say—Was nothing. He felt pathetically weak in his silence. It was almost too much to bear for the Shinigami and he trembled from the very thought of looking into those moonlit eyes of hers. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how she felt upon hearing everything she just had. To hear firsthand that she was more than likely going to perish. That she was ill-fated to succumb to that damn Hollow in the end. And these possible truths, these words were spoken as if she wasn‘t even there to begin with. It was as if she was already dead in their eyes. His thoughts and his very chest were heavy with guilt. His blue eyes were wide and seemingly devoid of all light. All they could cling to was that runic Zanpakuto of his. And the last thing he wanted was for his Spirit to see that guilt and weakness painted across his face. “You were not able to hide it from me... If that was your intention.” He could hear the faint break of his Spirit’s voice as she spoke up. Like winter ice overrunning water, her next words ran cold. “Perhaps... you thought me blind? A fool perhaps? That I wouldn’t see the signs? See what it’s done to you?—” She’d pause and he knew her wolven ears had flattened just from that silence of breath. There was a deep sadness there and he felt that invisible blade dig ever so deeper into him. "What it’s still doing to you.” He could hear the thrash of her tail as she let into her very frustration. The growl that lifted from her throat as she spoke in a near snarl. As if she was trying to hide that sadness behind unbridled anger. She had every right to be furious with him. He would have been surprised if she wasn’t. “This one knows... I see it in the way you move. The way you continue to fight even though you can barely stand. I see it in the way you look at me... The way you lie with that broken smile of yours, as if it were but second nature to you—when it shouldn’t be...” Her voice fell into a whine. “Telling this one that everything is gonna be okay—that you know what you’re doing.” That invisible blade twisted into his very heart and he could barely take it. “So please, look at me now Aevus and tell me. Please tell this one that everything is gonna be okay—that you know what you're doing?" Her tail whipped against the air with perked ears as she let her heart into her very words. “With a smile... That isn’t a lie!" He could feel those narrowed silvers on him and the ringing in his eardrums was all too deafening. That blade twisted so much deeper and yet he couldn’t face her. He felt as if he was drowning. “Lumina!—” And he had to come up for air. His blade rattled past a shaky breath as he rose from his seat, and yet that rising voice would fall to but a whisper in the end. “I’m sorry...” Those words hung in the air for a time, until a quiet slowly but surely saturated the room once more as he finally looked up at his Spirit. Pale as moonlight, tear filled silver eyes sheltered his pitiful blues as he gazed upon her. It was as if he was sinking back into the depths. “Sorry?” Her tail hung limply at her side. “That was not what this one wanted to hear...” The truth rarely is Her own words taunted her. Her moonlit eyes misted over with tears that would not shed. Wolven ears drooped once more, pinning solemnly against silver strands of hair. Her naked silhouette could be seen glowing beautifully in that dim light. She inched backwards towards a window at that. Her fingers slowly gliding across the windowsill. “Do you remember that night, amidst the destruction of that flooded forest?” Her voice trailed. Her silver eyes strayed from his own as she held herself away from him. “You had made this one a promise under the lone moon of this world.” A faint whimper escaped her lips. “Promised with a smile that we would fight the Hollow together. That somehow, someway... we would overcome this cruel fate.” A single tear finally escaped and began to stream ever so slowly down her left cheek. “I remember.” And that’s all he could say, he could barely even face her. Part of him wanted to turn away, to flee from those tears. To escape from that twisting blade that continued to dig ever so deeply into him. She may have been attempting to hide it, but she was shivering as she looked up at him once more. Silver eyes full of tears narrowed upon his blues. “Then tell this one, was that also a lie?" Those words crashed into him like no other, and that invisible blade would have finally killed him if it were real. Her eyes drew to him, like light to shadow, and he felt every part of him spread thin against the branching of that light. Their silver luminance shimmered from her tears as she looked into his icy blues, and at that moment he knew she had seen through him. He was but a pitiful man who couldn't tell the truth. All because he didn't want to believe it himself. In the end he had fed her childish fantasies of hope, and she had foolishly trusted the liar before her. There was only one thing he could do, only one thing his body would allow. His left hand would let go from the handle of his Zanpakuto at those words. Allowing the blade to slowly falter from his grasp. Yet he stood not frozen amidst those icy silvers. He would act purely on instinct, and as his blade began to fall to the floor, he would fade from her sight. Disappearing from silver eyes that drew upon him like a cold blade, he gave no warning as he moved. A sharp gasp followed as the shadow of his form appeared before his trembling Spirit. As his blade finally landed with an echoing thud, silver eyes drew wide like two full moons, and a sudden semblance of a cry would falter from his Spirit’s very lips.Without pause or hesitance, he’d embrace her. Wrapping her within his arms and pressing her head into his robed chest. “Of course not.” He managed in a softly placed whisper. His breath was warm as it edged against a wolven ear. There seemed to be a hint of stern resolve to his voice as he spoke, causing Lumina to shiver in turn. “I’m still going to save you.” His fingers ran gently through silver hairs as he held her ever so tightly against himself. He wouldn’t even flinch as he felt her fingers dig deeply into the folds of his robes. “You must truly think this one a fool—” She was trembling as he held her, as her head hung low buried into his chest.“To think i’d believe those words...” “I mean it.” He shot back. “I’m going to save you.” Her fingers dug deep until finally she would push him away. “Look at yourself, Aevus!” Her silver eyes would return to his blue pair, burning fiercely in the dim light. “You’re on the edge of collapse as is! How can you hope to fight in your state?!” That fire within her eyes ignited into a blaze. He could feel the burning embers of that gaze singe his very spirit as he stood there. He would shake his head, looking away. ”Yeah, you’re right.” He managed to smirk giving a half-hearted laugh before raising his head to look into those silvers of hers. “Heh, I must be a sorry sight to behold huh?" "You are..." Past a trembling lip, she’d attempt to smile. Yet that faint perk was quick to subside into a frown. “So why?” That fiery gaze of hers returned. "Regardless of my state, I wont let It have you." Aevus’s eyes trailed for moment before narrowing on his Spirit. “I refuse to resign you to such a fate.” His voice echoed sharply within that room. “But Aevus...” Those burning silvers narrowed. “You aren’t ready to face the Hollow.” A tinge of sadness could be heard as she spoke. ”I wont lie. It’s taken everything I have to keep It at bay.” Aevus would glance away from his Spirit at that. “Even now, I can hear that Hollow calling out to me.” A stretch of black began to flood his gaze as Hollow claws dug deeper. Lumina would watch as the Shinigami made his way back to his Zanpakuto that had fallen onto the ground. “I thought I could keep fighting back the urge if I just ignored It... If I pretended It wasn’t there.” Aevus’s fingers would trace the blade as he gripped his Zanpakuto once more. “Iv’e held back the Hollow as long as I can.” “But that night when I fought Douma, I damn near killed killed you... “ He paused after swearing under his breath. “And I almost gave in again tonight Lumina.” A solemn expression painted his face as he returned his gaze to his Zanpakuto Spirit. “That’s why I have no choice—” With a whip of his Zanpakuto he would stretch the blade before him. “I have to fight.” She was taken aback by that tired gaze of his for a moment. The glint of Aevus’s Zanpakuto shimmered in those tear filled eyes. “We.” Lumina corrected taking her first step forward. There was hesitance in her step and yet she pressed on. “We have to fight.” A single tear edged forth and yet Aevus could hear the resolve in her voice as his Spirit spoke. She would make her way to the Shinigami. His tired eyes widened and he’d flinch faintly as he felt her hand curl atop his own. “This one is your blade after all.” She nestled her fingers over the handle of his Zanpakuto, causing his blade to lower in turn. Locking eyes with those tired icy blues that seemed to melt away from only her touch. For a moment it was as if she was captivated in that gaze. Eyes of a Shinigami who looked at her as she was more than a mere Zanpakuto Spirit. Leaning forward, a faint whimper edged against faint breathes. A quiet slowly fell into that room as she finally buried her head into his chest. Hiding tears that began to soak his robes, he felt her fingers tighten over his. He could feel her heartbeat as it beat within rhythm of his own. Her warmth reminded him of that night she had first materialized. When she had promised to teach him Bankai in exchange for her first sunrise. It was a fond memory... and yet dawn seemed so far away now. I promise you... you’ll see the sunrise again. And like that he was alone, standing within that dimly lit room with Zanpakuto in hand. She had taken shelter once more in his inner world, awaiting her Shinigami. There was a quiet resolve in his heart and his tired gaze hardened as he opened the front door. He would reveal himself to the blind Shinigami and his Zanpakuto Spirit at that. “Tell me what I have to do.” Narrowing his gaze on the strangers blind pair he would speak with what strength he could muster and Lumina seemed to join him in unison. [smear:#008B8B]“We’re ready.”[/smear:00FFFF] ⛓ Profile | notes: STATS & ABILITIES: Strength - [250] = [150] Points Speed - [400] = [700] Points Spiritual Pressure - [400] = [800] Points Reiatsu Strength - [100] = [50] Points Light Aura - [50] Points Dark Aura - [50] Points Instinct - [300] Points Senses - [150] Points Energy Sensory - [200] Points Healing Expertise - [0] Points Total SP: 1800 Current Skills: (18/18 SkP spent) •[Weapon: Katana] [4] •[Stealth] [3] •[Battle Analysis] [3] •[Strength of Will] [3] •[Hoho] [3] •[Acrobatics] [1]

[Zeich Yajuu]

“We’re ready.”

Zeich knew those words would come. He knew that Aevus would not run from this fate, no matter the cost. It was a futile flight, trying to escape the festering darkness within one’s own soul. Yet to walk this path could be just as painful, and just as futile; in taming the darkness, one had to face it head-on, to delve further into the shadows than one could ever imagine. Zeich could still remember the day he took back control of his life, could remember the scars ripped into his soul. Yet in the end, their battle had been more than just a confrontation of power; the Vizard had been forced to open his eyes to the world around him, had been forced to open his heart to hope and despair in equal measures. The stoic shell had been broken that day, and though the defenses had long since been restored, that glimmer of feeling had never left him, even all this time later.

Golden eyes met Aevus’s, Haiiro’s gaze guiding his master’s unseeing one. Eyes that shone in the light met those that had begun to be streaked by darkness, the Inner Hollow’s reach extending with each passing moment. Zeich could feel it, could sense the cold grip wrapping its way around Aevus’s soul. Indeed, he was very close to the end now, mere inches away from losing himself. Could he even be saved? It was a question that could only be answered by the victim’s own efforts. From what Zeich had been told, each experience was unique; an individual could struggle against the Hollow until the end of their days only to claim control in their last breaths, or discover it early and be devoured immediately. But even so, the former Shinigami could sense it in his companion, felt as though he could see an echo of the darkness within reflected in Aevus’s eyes.

In a way, it was terrifying, and yet—

“Very well. Let us begin immediately, then. Close your eyes, and seek your inner world. I will guide you the rest of the way there.” As Zeich spoke, he drew his Zanpaktou from its sheath. Haiiro vanished as the blade shifted forms into its Shikai state, taking on a darker hue with a spiraling black marking along its length. A slow, deep breath hissed its way between Zeich’s lips as he prepared himself, mentally and physically, for what he was about to do. But once Aevus closed his eyes, the Vizard braced himself, gripping his Zanpaktou in both hands and twisting it into a stabbing position, low at his side.

In the space of a heartbeat, he thrust it forward, stabbing it through Aevus’s middle, piercing through his stomach and letting the blade emerge from the man’s back, impaling him completely. Blood splashed out from the wound, yet immediately ceased as ash flowed into the gaps, sealing the injury entirely. And as Zeich stabbed his sword forward, he cast his gaze inward, closed his own eyes, and dove into his own inner darkness. He opened the gate to Tsukikage’s realm, a lightless city draped in endless shadow, but he did not stop there; the portal was torn asunder, the floodgates opened, and in that moment, the Vizard called out for the first time, not in command, but in invitation. He lay bare his soul, his body, his heart, and his mind, and invited his own Inner Hollow to come forth.

Come to me, Tsukikage! Free yourself from your prison, let your darkness surge forth!

—Exhilaration.

Black and gold, a Hollow’s eyes stared out from behind a visage of bone, a wolfish mask forming itself before the creature’s face. An aura of gray became bloody red, the pressure of it crushing in intensity. The room quivered and shook from the sheer presence, the malevolence and hatred that flowed free of the Vizard. His blade, formerly gray, turned as black as night as dark Reiatsu crept along its length like ink spreading across paper. It slid through the ashen seals that kept Aevus from bleeding out, creeping in like a poison that sank into his body. Icy cold would fill him, followed immediately by a roaring heat, an inferno that rang through his head. Bloodlust, a desire for death, a hatred of all that lived; these feelings surged through his soul, rippled and resonated through his mind. Claws seemed to sink into Aevus’s mental image of himself, the darkness wrapping itself about him as they tugged him down further, dragging him further into himself than he had ever been.

[smear:#808080]Tear open his soul! Rip away the veil that hides the shadows! Part the way through his body, mind, and heart! Open the way into the true darkness that lurks within![/smear:#DC143C]

Like crashing into the ocean waves, and sinking beneath them, Aevus would find himself seeming to fall into the depths, sucked down into the void deeper within his subconscious. This was past the Inner World he knew, deeper than the sanctuary of himself. Beyond that lay an emptiness, and beyond that emptiness, a shadow. A twisting, eternal darkness, one that grew larger and more dreadful the closer he got to it. Threads of darkness rose up, twisted around the Shinigami, binding his limbs, crushing his throat and chest, digging into the flesh and strangling his willpower. It would take everything he could do to resist losing himself to the crushing pressure as he was drawn into a part of himself he had never experienced.

And then, the darkness swallowed him whole.

In the physical world, Zeich felt Aevus’s consciousness disappear, his mind and will now deep within the Inner Hollow’s world, no longer supporting his body. Through his fading vision as the darkness drained from his eyes, The Vizard could see his companion beginning to fall, no longer supporting his body, and quickly caught him even as sight left his eyes with the last traces of Tsukikage’s presence. Zeich’s breathing came hard as he struggled to re-bind Tsukikage, feeling the Hollow struggle against the sudden retraction of his freedom, feeling the demonic wolf’s hatred flow through his body. Rage burned through his insides, and hate-filled curses filled his ears, but slowly, surely, he closed the door once more. Soon, Tsukikage was contained once more, and Zeich was fully in control.

Carefully, the Vizard lowered Aevus’s body onto the sofa, though he left his sword embedded in the Shinigami. It was a safety precaution, much like the Vizards had taken when Zeich had gone to confront his own inner demon; should Aevus fail, and his body begin to be taken over by his Inner Hollow, it would be a simple matter to extend the ash within the Shinigami’s body in all directions as a thousand deadly blades, ripping apart his insides and killing him immediately. Should it come to that, the Vizard was prepared to end things without hesitation; he would never condemn another to a fate of slavery like this.

Once Aevus was secured, Zeich simply slumped over, leaning against the side of the couch as he sat on the floor. Releasing Tsukikage in such a manner had been draining, and though he had both successfully opened the way into Aevus’s inner soul and managed to re-bind Tsukikage afterwards, it had been extremely taxing. But it was all he could do: provide a way for Aevus to face his Inner Hollow, and leave him to do as he would. Victory or defeat was entirely in the young man’s hands, now. His fate was entirely his to decide.

But unlike most, Aevus’s fate in particular was tied to a fickle mistress…

---

[smear:#ffd700]“Ah, so it is a fox hunt you seek~”[/smear:ffe34d]

A voice spread through the silence like a drop of water upon a still lake, the sound echoing and rippling through the shadows. As Aevus’s eyes opened, he would find himself amid a land of darkness, a sea of eternal night. The only light that shone forth radiated from him like cold moonlight, illuminating little with its pale glow. Yet at the edge of the shadows, a faint shape was just barely visible, a silhouette against the night. A vulpine face with glowing eyes, a trickster’s smile, and a feminine form could only just be seen, yet without a doubt Aevus would recognize her. Who else could haunt his soul, so deep down?

Yet if Aevus went to move, he’d find himself unable, bound beyond motion. Eyes cast downward would show thousands of strands binding his limbs, tied about his chest and throat. Thousands of slender threads, each a shimmering white, stretched off into the distance after wrapping about him, vanishing into the darkness beyond his sight. There were countless strings, more than he could imagine, and together their grip was so tight that he could barely wiggle in place, let alone move more than his head. Somehow he was trapped, imprisoned even upon awakening in the Inner Hollow’s sanctuary.

She stepped forward then, letting the faint light wash over her. Those eyes carried with them a grim smile; an expression of control and confidence covered her face. Her tail brushed against the ground behind her, measuring the slow, casual pace with which she approached. Before long they were face-to-face once more, their eyes meeting one another. A hand reached up to cup Aevus’s chin, those slender fingers digging slightly into his pale flesh. A moment later she released his face, and instead, the Hollow’s hand traced down the Shinigami’s chest, her fingers running along the threads that bound him. Her smile only grew as she circled about him, a hunter waiting to pounce on her prey.

[smear:#ffd700]“My, what a foolish hunter, snared in his own web as he steps into my den.~ He who wields fate, yet ultimately is bound by it… my, my.~”[/smear:ffe34d]

At this point the woman paused, reaching upwards, and drew a sword from out of thin air. The double-bladed length was all too familiar to Aevus, and as he beheld it, words whispered across his mind. Sever all ties... His Bankai, at least in its bladed form, was so casually gripped in the Hollow’s hand. And why wouldn’t it be? He wielded its power over fate, but ultimately, its source was the vulpine woman before him. Where he held the power, she was the embodiment of it. There was nothing about his powers that was beyond her, yet there was plenty she could do that was beyond him. This would become evident soon enough.

[smear:#ffd700]“My, so many threads… so many fates.~ How many have you bound yourself to by now, my hunter?~[/smear:ffe34d] Slowly her fingers traced along a particular thread, and with the slightest twist of one, she set it thrumming like an instrument’s string. And as it vibrated, an image came to mind—a young man, one from Aevus’s Academy days. Though it had been so long, the Shinigami could still faintly remember his fellow student; the face was there, albeit missing details where Aevus had forgotten him. His name, too; Caius Castellos. It was like a memory being pulled forth, the information just springing forth the moment the thread rippled.

[smear:#ffd700]“Such an insignificant, tiny thread.~ Why would you bind yourself to this person, my hunter~?”[/smear:ffe34d] The Hollow’s blade came up, placed carefully beneath the thread, the edges of the string already starting to fray. [smear:#ffd700]“Let me free you from this fate~”[/smear:ffe34d] A simple twist of the wrist, and the line snapped, its end disappearing into the darkness and vanishing from view. And with its departure, the memory faded; Aevus could recall the Hollow speaking about someone, something about being bound to a person, but he could not remember who that person was. No name, no face, no memory; they were simply gone.

Laughter rang out as the Hollow’s fingers traced across a bevy of strings that bound themselves to Aevus’s right arm, and as she strung her way along the mass, dozens of faces and names came to mind. Incidental meetings, friends, comrades, enemies; images came and went as fast as Aevus could recall them, all beings bound to him, and in turn, binding him to them. Even the most trivial created a tie to him, bound Aevus by a tiny length that, among all the others, held him in place. He had bound his fate with others by involving himself with them, had woven the threads through meetings, through battles, through experiences shared. Even incidentally, he had touched all of those lives, and in turn, had been touched by them. They bound him to each of these individuals, tied his life to them by lines thick and thin.

[smear:#ffd700]“So many threads, so many fates.~ I imagine you had no idea just how many people you had tied yourself to, my wolfish hunter.~ So many lives, each touched, each woven into the web of fate.~ And at the middle of it, the foolish hunter, so caught up in the strands.~ What a pity.~”[/smear:ffe34d]

[smear:#ffd700]“But I offer you a chance—I am a very fair person, after all.~ I will give you an opportunity, and a choice to make.~”[/smear:ffe34d] Suddenly the sword in the Hollow’s hand was flipped about, and she offered the hilt towards Aevus, adjusting the angle so that even his bound hand could grasp it. In that moment, her teasing tone became serious. [smear:#ffd700]“Free yourself from your fate, hunter. I give you one chance to cut the pointless bonds you have with the people you have tied yourself to. Only one should exist: the bound of fate between you and I. Once you have torn away the friends, rivals, comrades, lovers, enemies, all of it… then you and I will be all that’s left. Our fate is to be connected, Aevus, and should you cast aside all of the others, leaving no one but you and I, we will truly be together. We will become one—not in dominion, but in completion. It is our fate, Aevus—who better to know it than I, the very source of it?”[/smear:ffe34d]

[smear:#ffd700]“You only get one chance though, Aevus. This is your only opportunity. After all—”[/smear:ffe34d] Her smile returned, and the playful tilt of her voice rose back to the fore. [smear:#ffd700]“Fate is quite the fickle mistress, do you not agree~?”[/smear:ffe34d]

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

It was faster than a heartbeat, as he felt himself fall into a cold and quiet world once more. A darkness swallowed him and as he hit those conceptual waters his tired eyes would not open to a land teeming with bioluminescent light as he had expected. No, this was not the forest of Lumina Umbra where his Spirit once resided. Yet the coldness of that world was still present, like a stray winter that refused to die to springs coming. [smear:#ffd700]“Ah, so it is a fox hunt you seek~” [/smear:ffe34d] And as that voice slithered into his ear. He could see her form as it came into view. A voluptuous body stemmed not his gaze from those fierce golds. His eyes would narrow on the golden gaze of a Hollow in turn.

Attack! His instincts screamed out to him and like always he attempted to act on them. He shifted in that dark world, reaching for his blade and next came a painful realization as his left hand was stopped in its tracks. He couldn’t move. A faint light glimmered and with it a shimmer of a silver thread came into view. And next his eyes widened to the glimmer of hundreds if not thousands of threads. “What... What is this?” He strained against the tightened embrace of those thousands of silver strands, as the Hollow neared closer he struggled even more. [smear:#ffd700] “My, what a foolish hunter, snared in his own web as he steps into my den.~ He who wields fate, yet ultimately is bound by it… my, my.~”[/smear:ffe34d]

She’d taunt him and he’d grimace in turn. Leaning back, he’d recoil his head as far away from her touch as he could. He strained as eyes of gold narrowed upon his own. She knew why he was here, she had to know why he came. and yet like always she was deciding to play, to tease him all the same. But this wouldn’t be like always. No, he would not sit idly like frightened fawn before this taunting Hollow this time. These coiled threads of silver would not hold him from her for long, he would run her through and yet as he saw that Zanpakuto materialize his eyes would widen in turn. It was as if his heart had missed a beat. as he looked upon the weapon with utter shock and awe. The darkly runic carvings etched forth against a doubled-bladed weapon of silver and black.

Recognization clouded his vision. He had only called upon it once, but there was no mistaking it; This was his Bankai. But how? How was she of all things wielding it? How was that even possible? His heartbeat quickened and a bead of sweat began to run down his face as that all to familiar blade came closer. He must have looked pathetic as he strained against those threads in his bound state. Easy prey... as the Hollow would put it. The next words to spill from her lips, seemed to cast the desperate Shinigami in a confused stupor and as she snipped but a single thread he felt his body wince in turn.

She spoke of fate and of an insignificant connection to a person he could not place. Yet... he could not understand her. The loss of memory was lost to the Shinigami and that puzzled expression on his face painted that clearly. He could hear a hint of glee, spill forth from the lips of the Hollow as she strummed the silver threads on his arm. It was like a ballad of memories came crashing back. Faces of those he knew and of strangers he only saw in passing. It was like a wave, he could not hope to fend against. He didn’t understand what was happening. He didn’t understand any of it, and yet he strained all the same as those faces came flooding to mind.

“Aevus?-”

“You don’t forget that stuff. The little things...That stays with you-”

“Alright this time and this time alone we’ll stop here but next time we meet in battle I’m claiming victory.”

“Hey sleepy head.”

“This place..it has no sea. I wish to return there one day, I long for it-”

“W-Wait, you actually noticed me?”

“But you’re bold. I’ll give you that little mouse.”

“Will you be a good guy with me, Mister Aevus?”

“You and your two helpless feet make to much noise.”

“My name is Kimiko Shihoin I’ll be waiting for our next encounter . . “

“Can I redraw you, Aevus?”

"When I find my squad. Even if we don't end up in the same. I hope that we can meet like this again..."

"Couldn’t you just stay here forever?"

”So you want to be apart of the Ōnmitsukido?”

“This one... I always had you.”

"I wanted to thank you properly for the other night. We got into some deep shit and you helped us out when you, really, didn't have to."

“Then maybe you should catch me bloom under the moonlight sometime soon. Thorns and all.”

“What hurts you more? the fact that you’re in pain. Or the fact that you can’t remember why you’re in pain?”

“But why do you care? Well, let ask you this. If you had the opportunity to cheat fate – to save a loved one from inevitable death… wouldn’t you take it?”

”Are you truly ready to be apart of our world? To join the shadows? From here, there is no turning back. So tell me, are you ready?”

"It's not easy. I will not lie. Acceptance will not come.......painlessly...."

"You mustn't let the weight of that exchange deter you. Lingering thoughts of self doubt and fear should not absolve you of your decision. You carve your own fate, Aevus."

-And also the hard things. The mistakes you long to correct. they all follow you on that sea.”

”You are giving your life for Soul Society.”

“Foolish little mouse. Your instincts must have told you to run, but you’re hungry and oh~ so angry.”

"Unbelievable hypocrites, you Shinigami. You'll kill tons of souls in the Rukongai to preserve your precious balance, but burn with indignant outrage at the slightest disturbance in places like this."

“Maybe it’s because you can’t... Or maybe you’re too frightened to face someone you can’t run away from.”

"The only thing pointless is your race and how you all fight to survive against our might. . . long. .live . the . . EMPEROR!"

"This is your last chance. Face me with all your power or die."

"Next time you should get here faster or else others will die due to your failure."

“Why are you so stubborn!? You shut everyone out... Going so far as to let that ‘thing’ seduce you. But why? To what end Aevus?”

"I... I just thought.... that you could help....."

“You leave a lot to be desired.”

"Seriously? After the shit...we went through. After I thought, I don't know, I finally had someone I could call a friend in this god cunt fucking city...you go and point your damn sword at me just cus it turns out i'm Bount?"

"All those people need saving and you're here protecting a Bount. Glad to see your priorities are in order."

“I just... I just wanted to be free. To see the world as you do.”

"I...I couldn't just stand there. I couldn't just let her...do what she was doing. What...is the point in my powers...if I can't use them to save lives. I was trying to stop her. I was trying to stop her. I was trying to be a hero...to be a hero like you are, Aevus. And I...and I made...everything worse. I made everything so much worse..."

"Going to play hero aye?"

"But than I couldn't become a hero."

“You are a hero… And I want to be like you when I grow up. I want to go help people like you do. So please smile, just for me.”

”Good grief. Have some faith in the guy you trained. I won’t fail.”

"You're my... hero."

It was overwhelming and his toes dug into his own sandals as he strained against those threads. Narrowed blues drew against those fierce golden eyes of a hollow as she gave him a choice. A heavy breath left the man. In a way he had already severed just about every bond he had ever had. Even those closest to him were now but strangers to him. Fleeting memories, fond, terrible, frayed and severed bonds lingered in his mind. He drowned as they flooded into him. Clinging onto his Zanpakuto, his eyes would falter to the threads binding him.

[smear:#ffd700] “Free yourself from your fate, hunter”[/smear:ffe34d]

“For a long time... I wanted to pretend you didn’t exist. I wanted to keep going on as if you were never there... Like you were a bad dream, that I could simply wake up from." Aevus would take a deep breath. "....But I know now that’s impossible. In truth I don’t have anyone I could say i’m particularly close to—not anymore at least. I’d like to blame you for that, but you’re only partially to blame. In the end I can only blame myself for those bonds i've severed... And so nothing should be holding me back from this." There was a deep pain in his voice as he spoke. He hid not the emotion that faltered from his lips. "So I will... I’ll sever the ties with the one bond that should never have been woven...” His fate stood upon his next breath, and he would release it in a growl.

“Bankai!”

A bleak, cold and stray darkness would spill forth from his bound silhouette at those words. Spilling forth against the world, his Reiatsu would flood the corners of that darkly den like a flood of its own. A bioluminescent light shimmered on the silver threads that pinned him in place. His hair lengthened and long silver strands would pool over his face as he stood there. Returning his gaze to her, he’d reveal narrowed silver eyes. His eyes reflected the brilliant light of her golden pair. Darkly marking of fate covered his body and face. His appearance was but an echo of his spirit, and he would mirror her resolve with blade in hand. He moved as if ready to shear the threads binding him. Yet as his blade tore through the air he would release his Zanpakuto from his grip. And in the release of his blade, he’d free himself from those threaded constraints by teleporting to his Zanpakuto. Catching the blade mid-fall the silver-eyed Shinigami would move forth. With a single slash of his blade, enhanced by Shunpo Karin, he’d attempt to carve his way through the Hollow eyed creature before him.


Reiatsu: 7450/8000

Bankai (1/10) - 300
Libatis umbraculum - 150
Shunpo Karin - 100

[Zeich Yajuu]

Time seemed to hold itself in place for that brief moment. The two of them stared at each other, the Hollow’s golden eyes meeting the Shinigami’s silver ones, light and darkness staring at one another across the brief distance between them. Aevus’s arm was raised for his slash, his blade reflecting the pale glow that highlighted its length. His victim, the Hollow that had changed his life so drastically, that had haunted his every waking moment and that had attempted to even unravel his connection to the world around him, simply stood there. She made no effort to resist, didn’t move an inch as that weapon flashed briefly before descending towards her.

And then she had slipped away. Like a shadow stretching to the distance as the light approached, so too did she seem to simply slide past his blade, leaving Aevus to hit nothing but air. The Hollow stopped, her arms crossed before her in an expression of pouting hurt. Her face displayed pained ache, her lips thin from compression, her eyes squeezed shut in mock agony, yet her tone contained its usual glee, its jovial provocation. [smear:#ffd700]“Oh, dear hunter, I do wish you wouldn’t do that~. You and I are as close as can be, two aspects of the same person~! To harm me would only bring harm to yourself~.”[/smear:ffe34d] Suddenly her eyes opened, and the Hollow brought a hand to her chin in thought. [smear:#ffd700]“Ahh, I know~! I will remind my hunter of the bond we share, of the times we’ve spent together~. That will ease his heart~!”[/smear:ffe34d]

The Hollow’s hands came together, and when they parted, a convoluted web of threads traced between her finger like an exceptionally complicated cat’s cradle, silvery strings whose lines were slowly being encroached on by midnight black. [smear:#ffd700]“Aha~! This one will show the fine hunter his time spent alongside his beloved companion~.[/smear:ffe34d] Her fingers twitched, and a single ebony thread vibrated between her outstretched palms.

For a time the golden eyes of the vulpine woman would pass over him, murmuring gently to him. [smear:#ffd700]“What was in that drink, hunter~?[/smear:ffe34d] She’d ask. “A very fine poison.” Aevus would whisper under his sake-stained breath. “A fine poison indeed.” He would manage before hiccuping. His companion would giggle at that. [smear:#ffd700]“Ah, but it’s made you rather foolish, dear hunter~.”[/smear:ffe34d] Aevus would shake his head. “Foolish?” Hiccup. “Wha-what do you mean by ‘foolish’?” The fox would find herself giggling once more, causing Aevus to chuckle alongside her.

[smear:#ffd700]“I should like to try this poison for myself, hunter~. Think I might indulge~?”[/smear:ffe34d]

The soft breeze found itself sifting through his dark hair, and he would sense something astray. There was a curiosity in her voice, with a hint of longing just beyond its edge. “Maybe one day you-” But he’d be interrupted, not by a hiccup, but something else entirely. His eyes would widen and light up in an instant. A breeze sifted through his dark hair as he sat up, watching thoroughly as the wind fell against a coat of pale fur and flesh. His cold eyes followed a soft, bushy tail that flickered, and next his gaze would meet those black-and-gold eyes that seemed to see through his very soul.

Moonlit eyes would catch the fainted touch of light as the woman took a sip from his cup. [smear:#ffd700]“A poison indeed~”[/smear:ffe34d] Though she drew back, a hint of distaste present in her expression, that provocative smile never faded. Shock would soon fall over the Shinigami as he stared at the pale vixen. [smear:#ffd700]“Making a concoction like this; does man’s irrationality ever cease~?”[/smear:ffe34d] Aevus sat there in awe, his eyes drifting over the feminine form, completely frozen. “—” It was her, it was —. Aevus would blink, slack-jawed, but there she was, standing before him. An ivory silhouette, with eyes glowing like starlight.

[smear:#ffd700]“Mm~?”[/smear:ffe34d] — would pause briefly before crossing her arms and leaning in forward with a coy smile. [smear:#ffd700]“Am I so terrible to look upon, dear hunter~?”[/smear:ffe34d] Her cocky smile told him that she knew all too well what he was thinking, however.

“Y-You’re free...”

[smear:#ffd700]“Do you remember now, hunter~? Do you recall my name, spoken as I took my place by your side that day~?”[/smear:ffe34d]

In that moment of recollection, she had slid forward again, and this time, Aevus found his forehead pressed to hers as she leaned against him, her golden eyes seeking out his silvery gaze, her arms entwined around his neck. He could feel the strings of the cat’s cradle pressing against his neck, digging into the flesh, drawing thin lines of blood along them. The black-and-white threads were stained with hints of crimson that flowed in diminutive streams down the Hollow’s arms, as though the Shinigami’s life essence connected the two of them. The vixen’s smile was as cunning and coy as ever as she leaned in close, her body exposed, and Aevus’s arms free to move as they chose. Would he take that chance, severing the connection that bound his Inner Hollow to him, or would he pause, his recollection of their time together enough to stay his blade…?

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

It had seemed his blade had not met the flesh of the Hollow. Like carving through shadow, she had easily slipped through his defenses. There was a moment of confusion and it painted across his face so clearly. [smear:#ffd700]“Oh, dear hunter, I do wish you wouldn’t do that~.[/smear:ffe34d] As he heard her speak, he’d abruptly pivot to face her. His blade outstretched and his eyes narrowed. He was ready to continue his attack. And yet all that momentum seemed to slip away from the Shinigami as his silver eyes met that pained expression. Aevus would inch back, recoiling just a step.

[smear:#ffd700] "You and I are as close as can be, two aspects of the same person~! To harm me would only bring harm to yourself~.”[/smear:ffe34d] He would shake his head. "Shut up Hollow..." He spoke through gritted teeth. Fixing his stance the Shinigami would shift his Zanpakuto in his tightened grip, causing the spiritual steel to echo in the dark. "-Stop trying to escape this." Her words wouldn't reach him. He refused to let them reach him. [smear:#ffd700]“Ahh, I know~! I will remind my hunter of the bond we share, of the times we’ve spent together~. That will ease his heart~!”[/smear:ffe34d] Her words were like venom and he’d do his best to ignore them.

Transparent pale threads of reiatsu would form around the Vulpine Hollow as she spoke. Pulsing faintly until erupting into twelve replicas of his Zanpakuto. He knew very well the Hollow would more than likely sense the blades before they were even woven. Regardless, he wasn't about to let her pull another one of her tricks. He eyed her throughly as she seemingly materialized ebony threads into a cat's craddle. [smear:#ffd700]“Aha~! This one will show the fine hunter his time spent alongside his beloved companion~.[/smear:ffe34d] His eyes narrowed once more. As she spoke, those blades aimed towards her in unison. He felt the urge to let them loose like a volley and yet he stopped as a single darkly thread vibrated.


..

...

.....

That name...

He called her name so many times it was but second nature to him. Like rain drops on still water, the memory of that name rippled throughout the man. As he stood there with blade in hand, tired silver eyes widened in turn and he felt his heart beat fasten all the more. Golden eyes sheltered his narrowed silvers and he immediately felt something within him waver. He had come here only because of that name... A name so close, that he needed only whisper it. His Zanpakuto shook in hand and that tightly knit grip he had on his Zanpakuto began to wane all the more.

Multiple thoughts began to splinter and carve its way into him. Silver eyes, golden eyes, black and white furs drifted into memory. Overlapping memories that strangled each other in the back of his mind. Why am I attacking her? No... Why did I attack her? That beckoning thought dug deep, echoing throughout his person. A frightening question, that dug deeper than a blade to flesh. He had come here to protect his dear Spirit, to save her from the Hollow. So why? Why had he attempted to kill her? No... why was he hesitating to do so? Again, he felt himself lost in that name...

[smear:#ffd700]“Do you remember now, hunter~? Do you recall my name, spoken as I took my place by your side that day~?”[/smear:ffe34d]

Her breath was hot as he felt her forehead against his. That name kept rippling throughout him. The twine of a thread that threatened to ensnare him. It was lost on the Shinigami. “Umbra...” He hesitated with her name under a shallow breath, yet he knew not why. Golden eyes seemed to stare right through him. He felt her breath on his skin, but that was not all. Aevus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. And he suddenly felt that darkly thread to his flesh, as he stood there basked in the warmth of a cunning trickster. The Vixen had seemed to coil her web rather cruelly around his very throat and he just now had realized it.

“No!” With a snap of his wrist he’d tear free from those very threads with his blade. Backing up, he’d retreat from the reach of the Fox. A look of shock and betrayal painted across his visage as he looked upon the woman before him. She clearly wasn’t Lumina, but he felt as if she stood in the same place. The Vixen seemed so much closer than she was before. Golden eyes seemed draw over the Shinigami. Like ghostly beacons they seemingly called out to him. Her name rung in his ear. Like it was instinct he would look away from that haunting gaze.

“I don’t understand...” Confliction edged his voice. That memory was a precious one... One he had shared with his Zanpakuto Spirit. And so why... Why was he sharing it with her? Why was she there? There were tears in the Reaper's eyes as he adjusted his Zanpakuto within his grasp and he looked back up at her. It was still tightly knit even though he was clearly shaking. Regardless of their shared name. "I don’t know what you did- “ Regardless of memory. "-but you wont take her place." The Hollow was only by his side in that single memory. While Lumina had always been there. “So you can abandon that thought. That memory will not sway me, Umbra.” He managed through stilted breaths.

It was like finally seeing the light within the dark. He had come here to save his Spirit. But where was she? Seemingly awakening from their slumber. The echoes of his Zanpakuto stirred within the air, pointing once again at the Hollow. Several threads snapped and were violently ripped apart as a surge of cutting Reiatsu exploded from the back of the Shinigami. Tearing away the black fabric covering his Torso, as he activated Shunkō: Kyūhadō. “Where is she?” Aevus now questioned with a narrowed gaze. “Where’s Lumina?!” His voice boomed alongside the now spiraling Reiatsu. The spiraling Reiatsu that fell off the Shinigami began to condense, spreading out around the man. Cutting into the air like a shear to thread.

Reiatsu: 5150/8000

Bankai (2/10)
Resonare {12 phantom Zanpakuto} - 1200 + 300 (to keep active) = 1500
Shunkō: Kyūhadō (1/7) - 800

[Zeich Yajuu]

[smear:#ffd700]“…Her place?”[/smear:ffe34d]

The words seemed to snap through the air like thunder cracking through the sky, the feeling of pressure swelling like electricity, setting hair to end. Something about the atmosphere had changed, and it was no longer shallow and empty; a sense of presence suddenly flooded in, the intensity growing more and more by the moment. Umbra’s eyes lost that playful light, that glimmering joy that sparkled like sunlight through a veil of water; instead, the veil had been swept aside, and fire burned within that gaze. But despite the heat of her glare, it was no inferno; it was a smoldering, embers rolling with a low flame, a burning of resentment and bitterness not fanned into full hatred. The smile that had graced her face only moments ago slowly faded, the sunset disappearing behind the horizon of pain. That teasing posture, that proud stance, wilted and drooped like a flower losing its life.

[smear:#ffd700]“…Her… place…?”[/smear:ffe34d]

The air seemed to tighten, and in a moment, a blink of time in the space between breaths, she was there before Aevus. Once more Umbra’s arms were around his neck, but this time any sense of affection and tenderness ceased to exist. Those eyes, that smile, that warmth in her embrace; all of these had gone, replaced by something cold and dark. The strands between her fingers no longer formed a cat’s cradle that caressed his skin and kissed lightly at the flesh even as it drew blood; instead, her threads tightened around Aevus’s throat, squeezing deeply into the windpipe, cutting off all but the faintest traces of air, just enough to allow the Shinigami to maintain his consciousness. Sharp nails dug into his back and shoulders, her grip tightening to match that of the strands about his neck.

[smear:#ffd700]“...Her place? Her place? Her place!?”[/smear:ffe34d]

Aevus’s Kyuhado had not gone unnoticed, and it had not left Umbra unpunished. Even in the moment she drew in close to him, the Inner Hollow had received numerous deep lacerations across her body. Despite the fact that she should be so much powerful than the weakened Shinigami, should be able to resist those cutting blades of energy that spiraled around her host, the bladed wind seemed to slice through her, tearing chunks of flesh, ripping through the fur cloak that covered her body. Blood splashed liberally through the air, draping lines of red across the ground, across the threads that surrounded the two of them, across Aevus’s body. Yet the same lines splashed across Umbra, lines of crimson that dribbled down her front, traced lines down her legs, left red splotches across her face. And these did not come from her own injuries… they came from her host.

Aevus would feel lancing pain rip through him as invisible cuts tore through his uniform, raced across his flesh, bit into skin and muscle to coat them both with his blood. Every slash that danced across Umbra’s pale skin mirrored itself upon Aevus’s, every wound echoed between Inner Hollow and Shinigami. Even as Kyuhado ripped Umbra apart, so too did it decimate Aevus, the two of them locked in shared agony. And as the blood continued to spread, crimson lines could be seen, painted visible through that vital fluid, lines that bound the two together, sending both physical pain and mental anguish through them both. That pain echoed, reverberated, grew stronger with each passing moment; if Aevus continued his Kyuhado, it would destroy them both without fail.

Fatis Viniculum: the bonds of fate. These lines bound the two together, linking their every moment. Harm to one was harm to the other. Feelings, thoughts, sensations; these flowed down those blood-coated strands, infinite ripples like rain descending upon a still pond. Aevus would sense fury, rage, bitterness, envy, all trickling down through his thoughts between the moments of pain that seared through his body. Umbra felt all of these emotions, and the strength of them was beyond imagining. Where did these feelings come from?

The fox herself would reveal the cause. [smear:#ffd700]“...Her place? Her place never existed. Her place was a farce, an illusion, a dream. A dream that you created, dear hunter.”[/smear:ffe34d] Another sharp jolt of pain echoed through their link, along with the agony of another round of bladed cuts. [smear:#ffd700]“This one has always been a part of you, hunter. This one has always been near to you, a portion of who you were even before you created that dream.”[/smear:ffe34d] The threads about Aevus’s throat would tighten, ever so briefly, before relaxing just enough to let him draw in that precious air. [smear:#ffd700]“...This one has always existed. This one was known to you. Yet you decided to dream. You decided to paint a picture over that which lurked within you, to hide this one beneath a dream of pleasant moonlight, of silver fur.”[/smear:ffe34d]

[smear:#ffd700]“But as dreams fade to the fingers of dawn rising across the horizon, as beams of light clear the mist away, so too much she fade. So too must she disappear.”[/smear:ffe34d] That last word was spoken with a mixture of delight and malevolence entwined into a thread of dark satisfaction, flowing down the bonds that tied the two together. Blood dripped down Umbra’s face, painting her cheeks and lips red with the crimson tide. Her eyes were black, golden irises staring deeply into sapphire hues, and her lips were drawn back in a cruel smile. Gentle, innocent beauty had twisted into darker, cold as ice; like clouds crossing the midnight moon, darkness seemed to eclipse her more by the moment.

[smear:#ffd700]“Even you know it, dear hunter. Even you know that the dream is there. Your mind, body, and soul all reflect it. Just look at your hands, hunter.”[/smear:ffe34d] His hands? Should Aevus look down, he’d see what she was talking about. At the middle finger of each hand, two threads extended outward. One was soaked a crimson so dark it almost appeared black, strands as solid as steel, and that thread led towards Umbra, meeting at her heart. The other was a shimmering silver, yet it was faint, ephemeral, like wisps of moonlight twisted into the faintest semblance of thread. It was so delicate and faint, as if it could break at the lightest touch. This one extended into the darkness, beyond the mists that existed in this fragment of Umbra’s world.

[smear:#ffd700]“Do you not see it, hunter? The thread that connects you to the dream is but a dream itself, ready to fade the moment you open your eyes. The dawn of a new life is coming, and with it, her dream must fade.”[/smear:ffe34d] The grip on Aevus’s throat loosened again, just a bit more, making breathing easier. Though the malice did not fade from her eyes, the Hollow’s posture softened slightly, and the humming emotions surging between them became muted, faint. [smear:#ffd700]“You have but two choices before you, hunter. You may reach for the dream and embrace it, remaining in this eternal slumber—”[/smear:ffe34d] The silver thread thrummed lightly, as if to indicate the path for that choice, [smear:#ffd700]“—or you may accept your reality, and this one along with it.”[/smear:ffe34d] The blood-hued thread seemed to throb, pulsing with the weight of that decision.

[smear:#ffd700]“Know, though, that you are not the master of your own fate. That, too, is a choice you have made, hunter...”[/smear:#ffd700]

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

[smear:008B8B]~☾[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]For[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Fate[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Is[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Like[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]A[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Shadow[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☽~[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☾[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]Always[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]by[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]ones[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]side[/smear:00FFFF] [smear:008B8B]☽[/smear:00FFFF] ⛓ [smear:#ffd700] “…Her place?” [/smear:ffe34d] There was a stillness in the air. A dreary foreboding stillness. It was like seeing a bolt of lightning light up the sky You knew what came next. It would only be momentary, when suddenly a thrum of thunder would shake the ground. Anxiety seemed to well up in the Shinigami. Something was different about the Hollow. The way she carried herself. The way she echoed her very words. His anger, confusion and longing to see his Zanapkuto Spirit would soon be replaced with fear. [smear:#ffd700]“…Her… place…?”[/smear:ffe34d] A single second, is all it took for him to realize how foolish he had been. How overwhelmed and outmatched he truly was. There was no plan. He had never come here with a plan. Not a true one anyway. It was desperation in the end that drove him. Simple and utter desperation. He had decided to fight, simply because that is all he could do. All he could think of doing. He refused to resign his Zanpakuto Spirit to her fate. And so he had came here to fight.Within a heartbeat she was upon him, like lightning on water. Something had snapped in her. That was the lightning... And next came the thunder. His eyes didn’t even get the chance to widen as she appeared before him. He hadn’t expected this. He fell to the ground in an instant. Her strength overwhelmed him, as he felt her hand grip around his very neck. The pressure ever so tight as she dug that thread deeply into his neck. He fought for breath instinctively, gasping for whatever air he could. It was like drowning in an inky black sea. He wasn’t expecting her to close the distance. He knew she would be quick but he had activated Kyuhado to prevent her from doing so in the first place. So why had she crossed into his cutting field? His silver eyes widened as her hand alongside that thread tightened against his windpipe. What air he could grasp, he held onto for dear life. [smear:#ffd700]“...Her place? Her place? Her place!?”[/smear:ffe34d] It was then he felt it. Ten cuts carved into him within that same heartbeat. Mirroring the wounds that tore into the Hollow. Each cut drove into him as sharply as the first. Blood painted the Shinigami like he was but a canvas. Pale white skin blotched with crimson blood. The fabric of his Shinigami robes shredded alongside his exposed skin. His screams would have echoed in that black vastness if it could. The twelves echoes of his Zanpakuto shook in the air, rattling as those cuts dug into him. His body was like a pale mirror, every wound that dawned her form, echoed onto his. Yet how? How had she turned Kyuhado against him? [smear:#ffd700]“...Her place? Her place never existed. Her place was a farce, an illusion, a dream. A dream that you created, dear hunter.”[/smear:ffe34d] Her words cut into him as violently as Kyuhado had into his flesh. They were acidic venom spilling forth. A dream? She can’t be... Aevus suddenly spotted it. Pained eyes sheltered a crimson thread connecting the two. He recognized it immediately. Fatis vinculum; The Bond of Fate. So that’s how. So she does possess my Bankai... Aevus dispersed his Shunko at that. He had no choice. Otherwise he would have killed them both. The Zanpakuto she revealed to him wasn’t just for show. He hadn’t prepared to fight it. Such a fool he was. He knew so very little of what he came here to face. [smear:#ffd700]“This one has always been a part of you, hunter. This one has always been near to you, a portion of who you were even before you created that dream.”[/smear:ffe34d] It took all his willpower to remain conscious as she continued. He fought against that longing for rest. The crushing weight of that thread dug deeply into his throat, even as she loosened her hold. His mind whirled as he gasped for air. Spittle drew away from his lips as he exhaled and then inhaled. Desperately latching onto what air he could. A bloodied mess, he laid there staring up at his captor. It’s all he could do in his state. He could still barely even breath thanks to her hold on him. [smear:#ffd700]“...This one has always existed. This one was known to you. Yet you decided to dream. You decided to paint a picture over that which lurked within you, to hide this one beneath a dream of pleasant moonlight, of silver fur. But as dreams fade to the fingers of dawn rising across the horizon, as beams of light clear the mist away, so too much she fade. So too must she disappear.”[/smear:ffe34d] They were at a stalemate thanks to that red thread, and so Aevus felt himself forced to listen. That red thread... He felt every emotion of hers as if they were his own. They rippled within him and tore his mind asunder. This is why he had never used it in this way. It created a connection not just physically and spiritually, but mentally too. An understanding of another person; deeply so ingrained that it felt as if you walked in their place. He wanted to free himself from her grasp, dearly so. But even more so, he wanted to sever that thread that dared connect the two. Her words were riddled and spoken from a silver tongue, and yet he could understand everything she said. And he understood it as the tru- No... He’d rather pretend her words didn’t ring a sense of it. He refused to falter. Not now. Because if so, what was this all for? And yet it didn’t feel like she was trying to lie. But he wished..., he wished she was. Is she already lost? That thought pained him. Or was she always fated to fade? He cut himself off from that thought. Aevus hated this. He had given Lumina an empty promise all along. Or had he? He didn’t know. He had no idea anymore. He didn’t know what was real. But that promise sure felt empty, as he stared into those golden eyes. She spoke of Lumina as but a dream to hide the darkness that hid beneath a silvery coat. Aevus had seen it before in a nightmare. Dreams of standing before not the silver eyed wolf he had always known. But staring down cold golden eyes, that glew brightly, shimmering like two frozen suns. A snow white coat drenched in an inky black shadow. Just like a waking nightmare, there she was. Those dreams made sense now. He was never going to lose her to the Hollow. No, she had already been lost the day he met her. [smear:#ffd700]“Even you know it, dear hunter. Even you know that the dream is there. Your mind, body, and soul all reflect it. Just look at your hands, hunter.”[/smear:ffe34d] He could see them past defeated eyes. Two threads wove themselves around his fingers. One darkened red so deep, that crimson appeared as blackened as the void that sheltered the two. It felt so strong against his finger that he nearly strained from it. He followed the darkly thread to Umbra’s chest. Another an echo of moonlight, a reflection that reminded him of silvered eyes. And yet it almost seemed ghostly and frail. Like a thinning branch of moonlight ready to fade to the rising of a new dawn. He could see it reaching into the misty darkness. But a small bit of light in a black world. [smear:#ffd700]“Do you not see it, hunter? The thread that connects you to the dream is but a dream itself, ready to fade the moment you open your eyes. The dawn of a new life is coming, and with it, her dream must fade. You have but two choices before you, hunter. You may reach for the dream and embrace it, remaining in this eternal slumber—or you may accept your reality, and this one along with it.” [/smear:ffe34d] It all came down to two paths, two fated threads that were interwoven. She wanted him to choose. No... he needed to choose. He felt a pit in his stomach. He was back in that black sea once more. The one he felt himself fall into when everything went wrong in his life. He remembered sinking beneath the surface of his own thoughts so many times. And he pulled himself out every time. But he could not awaken this time. For this was no slumber... This was reality. This was his reality. [smear:#ffd700]“Know, though, that you are not the master of your own fate. That, too, is a choice you have made, hunter...” [/smear:ffe34d] Her words rang anything but hollow. His finger traced both threads carefully. One of ephemeral moonlight. It felt as if it might snap from a single thrum. Lumina... he swore he could hear her in that outstretched darkness. Yet it was only an echo of what he longed to hear. While the other crimson black, felt like spiritual steel beneath him. Umbra... He eyed the Hollow. He had come here to fight. To free his Zanpakuto Spirit. It felt strange. No it felt wrong to be driven to this. He could not carve into her as he had planned. With Zanpakuto in hand alongside Lumina. That was but a heroic dream. He would not be playing hero and yet part of him still yearned to try. And so he would. At least in one path he would. The Markings of Fate around Aevus’s eyes glinted sharply as he attempted to get to his feet. He struggled, but he managed. Past those once defeated eyes, a silver light sparked as he activated Vestige. A new vigor lit up in the Shinigami. Umbra wouldn’t know but Aevus attempted to cheat at this game called fate. Sixty seconds is all he had. Like the wings of a lone butterfly flapping in the wind, three paths opened up for the spirit who dared to defy the cards that were set out for him. It was one last bit of defiance but the idea of it, made him smile to himself and in one path he would let her see it. Embrace The Dream With a snap of his wrist, he would attempt to cut the darkly thread connecting him to Umbra. Upon doing so, He shot one of his phantom Zanpakuto into that misty darkness, towards that branching light of a thread. Onwards, towards an ephemeral moonlight, towards a dream. Upon firing the blade he teleported to it. Appearing at its side, eleven blades now danced around him. He would fire another appearing alongside the next, and the next after that, until no blades remained. All whipped through the air violently as they traversed that darkness (6000 speed). Following his appearance to the last blade, he stomped on the airground using Shunpo moving swiftly. (7000 speed) Don’t slow down. I mustn’t slow down. Sixty seconds is all he had. Faster, I have to move faster! He activated Shunkassou to aid in his travel as he stepped upon the air ground. Leaving multiple after-images in his wake. (1750 speed) . His body strained and yet he’d Shunpo as he continued forward at an alarming speed ( 17500 speed). Breaking the sound barrier after every single step he dared to take. Even with his mastery he felt every step could break him. Almost as if his ankles would buckle under the pain of every step. And yet he had to reach the end of that thread. He had to see what it was. A dream, reality, he didn’t care anymore. He’d break himself to reach her. If Lumina was there he would reach her. He had to reach her. Beads of sweat dripped down his brow. He felt the gashes open wider as he pressed into the wind of that darkened world. He winced and bit his lip as he pressed forward. Please Lumina... be there. Defy Fate A true smile, not one half-hearted danced across his face, as he stood defiantly against fate itself. All twelve blades shot out at six thousand speed surrounding the Hollow. They all aimed to skewer her, like a spear to a hog. Yet they were but a distraction. In that moment, he severed himself from Umbra. She had not marked him with her Bankai. At least she had not cut him with her Zanpakuto. So he knew he could remove the Mark of Fate freely. A lapse in time took him. Half a second, he knew it would be crucial to survive it. Yet hopefully she would be too preoccupied with dodging his attack to take advantage of his weakness. When he regained himself, he’d weave six echoes of himself around her. Though ghostly, each phantom harbored an echo of what could be. And though flickering echoes of fate, each would pounce on her, echoing his will. They fought with his very same skill. Slashing through the air with their blades, trying to meet Umbra’s very flesh. As they fought Aevus would join them, teleporting to the side of one, weaving twelve more blades from threads of pale reiatsu. He danced with the blades, teleporting to them between attacks and they sung beside him as he too attempted to cut into her. It was a desperate attempt to defy her and yet he forced that smile all the same. Lumina would be proud. A single phrase exited his lips. “Secernere..” a flare of reiatsu seeped from his eyes and shot up alongside his Zanpakuto. In that time he saw it, a single thread that only his now defiant eyes could see. It spread thin, branching out against the horizon of that black world. And with a single snap of his wrist, and a single Shunpo Karin, (7000 speed) he would sever that thread. It was not very far that he could see into that darkness, yet he could see her all the same. It would not travel, the slash would instantly reach her. Alongside the mist within his sight, her throat would be cut. With that both her beheading and severance from fate itself would befall Umbra. [smear:#ffd700]Accept Reality [/smear:ffe34d] This was the fate he did not want to see. And yet, he would see it through all the same. Everyone has to face reality eventually. And so he too would face this fate through gritted teeth. He felt the seconds trickle down as he stood there, eyeing that darkly crimson thread, he felt it between his fingers. Even a minute felt like eternity in the darkness of this void. His Zanpakuto shook within his left hand, as he next eyed that thread he felt represented moonlit eyes. He would never see her again. At least not as she once was. “I’m sorry..." Tears streamed down his cheeks as he finally snapped his hand, severing that silvery ephemeral thread with a single flick of his wrist. “Goodbye Lumina." Upon that snapping of that thread, he would meet Umbra’s eyes, curling her darkly thread within his fist. He hated this. But this would signal to her that he had chosen. While in his heart, he felt his very soul should have been bleeding. In reality he felt as hollow as the woman before him, amidst the fading light of that dreary world. ⛓ Profile | notes: STATS & ABILITIES: Strength - [250] = [150] Points Speed - [400] = [700] Points Spiritual Pressure - [400] = [800] Points Reiatsu Strength - [100] = [50] Points Light Aura - [50] Points Dark Aura - [50] Points Instinct - [300] Points Senses - [150] Points Energy Sensory - [200] Points Healing Expertise - [0] Points Total SP: 1800 Current Skills: (18/18 SkP spent) •[Weapon: Katana] [4] •[Stealth] [3] •[Battle Analysis] [3] •[Strength of Will] [3] •[Hoho] [3] •[Acrobatics] [1]