inside shadows [asphyxia]

Convincing Mikleo to let him out on his own, even for a minute, had proven to be quite challenging.

For the past two or three weeks, Sorey had been recovering from his long sleep, slowly getting used to the world of the waking again. His appetite had been voracious- eating everything in sight. Dream food didn't have any taste. His body, slightly weakened, was recovering it's old strength, getting used to doing everything over again. Despite Mikleo's protests that he didn't need to, he'd been practicing his sword fighting again, not wanting to become rusty. Despite the water seraph's concerns, Sorey couldn't just stand idly by while these Heartless harmed innocent people. Not that he'd informed the other of his decision yet.

Doubtless Mikleo would protest. Just convincing Mikleo that he didn't need to spend every moment at his side was hard enough- the water seraph had been like his own personal guard- trying to protect him from this world. Sorey was touched, but he really didn't think that Mikleo needed to worry that much. He was fine! Awake, here, alive, and slowly returning to his old self. Things would be just fine. Not that he could convince the other of that. Quite frankly, trying to convince himself was proving difficult at times.

Either way, Mikleo had run out of supplies for his studies earlier that morning. After practically pleading, Sorey had managed to convince the water seraph that he'd be fine just walking to the close-by store for some more supplies. He actually hadn't gotten much of a chance to see the town outside of a few hurried travels- Mikleo insisted that they tried to stay in certain 'safe' areas where those Heartless didn't seem to often come.

Apparently, the things were after his heart, and they could transform other people into heartless by stealing their hearts... For whatever reason, the creatures had been relentless in pursuing him- whenever he stepped out of the safety of the small house where they were staying with the kindly wizard Merlin, the Heartless all but swarmed him. Apparently it was because he had an incredibly pure heart that the Heartless sought him constantly. Being the Shepard had it's downfalls. Mikleo had been quite proactive in disposing of them- Sorey hadn't even had a proper chance to fight them.

With a light yawn and a stretch, the young Shepard made his way towards the First District. Although Merlin was a bit out of the way to the "main" area of the town, there was an alleyway shortcut that led straight to the First District. Mikleo told him very strictly that he was only to use that path and no other. Lamps buzzed overhead, casting their golden glow down on the cobblestone ground. He could feel the crushing presence of the darkness all around him, slowly pressing in- but it remained at bay for the moment. If he dallied, he'd draw all of the Heartless in the area to his position like he was emitting some kind of heart beacon.

Thinking on it, it was pretty creepy that these things were after his heart...

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: changed the template!

♥THANKS TIA!

Today had been a boring one.

Aspyxia had been looking around all day, trying to find a heart worthy of stealing. None of them were anything special. She shifted her eyes back and forth, hiding in the shadows and traveling around aimlessly. She had found herself going back towards the first district, which was her best bet. Unfortunately, the lighting there was atrocious, and there wasn't much of a way she could remain undetected. There were, of course, a few shadows looming about that she could hide in.

She was just about to give up hope to find worthy prey and move on to another world that wouldn't be so deserted, when all of a sudden, something arose in her senses strong enough to stop her dead in her tracks. Her wide eyes widened even more, a sick grin growing on her face. That was nice.. A very strong heart filled to the brim with light, a strong powerhouse that would make an incredible brother for her to love and support. Asphyxia loved nothing more than to rip the very life out of the body of a human and watch as the remains would decay into a disgusting dusk. The heart, of course, would become tainted with her darkness and would create a Heartless, just like herself. Of course they were born the... Natural way. Unlike her.

She spotted the boy, her small body moving through the darkness to appear to his side, appearing to have phased out of thin air. She stared at him, lifeless and lacking all movement. She waited until she was noticed before moving directly in front of him, her small wings carrying her full weight as she levitated up to his height. She loved to look into their eyes before she robbed them of their life force - it was beautiful, watching something so precious to them being taken away when they had little to no control over the situation.

"What a strong heart," Her disturbingly gentle voice suddenly sounded, her head tilting to one side curiously. In a way, she almost looked innocent, but it was quickly vaporized when a eerie grin grew upon her lips. "How much would you fight to keep it?"

He sensed her before he saw her. A sudden crushing sensation, pressing against the edges of his domain. Creeping in, tendrils snaking in, attempting to shatter the domain's defenses. Startled, Sorey slowed his steps, eyes widening, before pressing back against the invading force, forcing it back. This feeling of sheer malevolence was stronger than any that he'd encountered in this world yet- it was on a level similar to the Cardinal's domain. The lamp light overhead flickered ominously, the buzzing of it's light filling the silence.

Suddenly, the sensation grew stronger, forcing Sorey to a halt as the crushing sensation inside of his chest got stronger. Although being the Shepard did have perks, the whole "feeling like your heart is being squeezed whenever there's a lot of malevolence" was not exactly one of the best parts about it. Raising a hand to his chest instinctively- he still wasn't used to these feelings again yet- he winced, and called out, "Who's there?" His other hand grasped the hilt of his sword tightly. Quite frankly, he wasn't up to fighting yet- although he had been training, sleeping for a few centuries tended to leave one's skills very rusty.

Suddenly, the source flickered to the side, before materializing in front of him. Instinctively, Sorey entered a battle stance, a hand on the hilt of his sword. His eyes narrowed- the back of his mind was already imagining the look on Mikleo's face- I told you so. Who was this girl? The darkness- the malevolence that he sensed emanating off of her was... Identical to that of the Heartless that he had encountered. So there were sentient, human-like versions of the creatures? That was... rather disturbing news, quite frankly. "Are you a Heartless?" The sword slowly began to exit it's sheath- some part of him could tell that he couldn't talk his way out of a battle with this one.

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: let the mauling commence

♥THANKS TIA!

That face. That is why she did this. She loved to see the fear that would arise in her prey the moment they looked deep into her soulless eyes. It was downright comical how this little pure-heart was attempting to appear as though he had a handle on the situation placed before it. He could try with all of his might to grip it with both hands, but Asphyxia would make sure she could wiggle in between his fingers every single time. To her leisure, being with pure hearts were usually naive and didn't know the difference between false and real trust. This boy she was already presuming to be no different.

"Aren't you observant?" The small entity of darkness cackled in a voice that was no less than giddy. What could she say? This specific little test subject with absolutely thrilled to have found something to entertain her for the time being. For the past few days, she had been so bored... Having only one motive could, unfortunately, becoming annoyingly troublesome.

"I am. And you have something that I want."

The air around the two of them grew chill, darkness beginning to seemingly crawl out of her skin, engulfing her. Her figure levitated closer to Sorey, her grin stretching to levels humanly impossible, making her look disturbingly unnatural. Asphyxia was so pleased with this. Things were finally turning around for her, and she was planning to make a brother to join in her vast family of darkness. Someone else for her to love and coddle, someone that she could actually feel for.

Her hand arched in an inhuman way, causing the tips of her fingers to resemble that of primal claws, and she was then reaching for the human's chest, threatening to delve in and steal what she felt as rightfully hers. Lets see what this pure-heart could do.

She- did the Heartless even have genders?- had an insanely creepy laugh. Flinching slightly, Sorey took a slight step back, tightening the grip on his sword. Were Heartless of this... oddly human-like nature natural? So far he'd only encountered ones that seemed to work off of instinct instead of intelligence. Unlike the Hellions, they were unable to think rationally, instead swarming their targets with a single, mindless drive. They couldn't talk or strategize- this one however was clearly different from the others. Some small part of him in the back of mind screamed for him to run. He knew that in the shape he was right now, he didn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, the eerie feeling in the air thickened, becoming visible. Sorey's eyes widened in shock as the tendrils of sheer black began to seep off of her. Just like the malevolence, he could see it in a physical manifestation- part of him wondered just how closely connected the darkness and malevolence was. They came from the same place and acted alike in many ways- could it be possible to purify the darkness like he did malevolence? As the girl in front of him confirmed that she was indeed a Heartless, Sorey summoned the warm flames of purification from deep inside his heart, the heat spreading throughout his body.

As Asphyxia reached out for his chest, he moved, suddenly. Unsheathing his sword in a single, swiping blow, the flames of purification burst out from his hands, traveling up the length of the sword and lit up the entire alleyway. They glowed brightly, their embers lingering in the air. If Asphyxia were to be hit by them, the flames would indeed begin to purify part they hit, though the darkness could easily be replaced by whatever source she drew it from. Darkness and malevolence were similar enough for the flames to work- they targeted the essence of the shadows, eating away at it though they could not replace what had been lost.

Using the flames in a place so saturated in darkness was exhausting. It needed to draw off of Sorey's own tired energy, for without Lailah, he had no external sources to light the flames. Realizing that a fight her would be ill-advised, he began to back up, his sword still glowing red-hot with the flames of purification. He wouldn't be able to maintain it for long though- he needed to return to the safety of Merlin's house as quickly as possible!

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: he's got some fight in him!

♥THANKS TIA!

So this little ball of light did have more up his sleeve. Good. This wasn't going to be too boring for her, then. His sword was grabbed, and her white eyes were following his every movement carefully, mapping what he would do next out in her well-formed mind. She was able to quickly lunge her body back to evade the sharp slash of the blade, soon finding that flames were lighting up her shadowy refuges. That would cause her method of travel to rot away, but it was no matter. The fire shone against her gray features, and her smile remained plastered upon her features.

The witch was wicked, merciless, and ruthless in the way she conducted things, and she was beginning to learn that studying her prey right before their demise was the most interesting and entertaining part of her killings. Of course getting a new brother or sister to coddle was an extra aspect of it all that pushed her into doing the things she did, but.. Sorey was proving to be one of her most favorite subjects.

The boy was backing up, the need of retreat showing in every muscle of his body. Asphyxia's heightened senses and perception picked up on it instantaneously, and she was already prepared for it. Flames of her own that lacked all light pigmentation suddenly sprouted from the cobblestone ground, creating a small ring for the both of them. They towered above the two of them, and the Heartless allowed her wings to rest, her feet gently being placed on the stone below her. Asphyxia walked forward, never breaking eye contact with Sorey, knowing that she was quite the intimidation.

She could see him quivering.

"On second thought..." She said with an eerily gentle voice, one that wouldn't be expected out of something so horrendous. "I don't think I'll take it just yet. I have.. A better idea."

Darkness shot from the floor in the form of thick whips, and they twisted around each of his limps, tightening to the point where the poor victim was forced to remove the muscular flexing of his hand and drop the sword, the metal clanking on against the rock.

"Let me see you struggle. Let me see you try to live."

He missed by inches. The embers fell to the ground, still burning brightly. They glowed, rotting away at the ambient darkness. The flames that lingered in the air ate away at the shadows that they had touched, eerily lighting up the face of the Heartless in front of him. No fear, no reaction- just the haunting smile of a predator closing down on their grey. An expression that he had seen before, twisted across the face of Hellions. The moment when retreat ceased to be an option- a fight would be the only way that it could end.

Suddenly, black flames sprouted up all around the two of them, arcing up into the sky far too high to escape. Sorey's eyes widened as he felt the sheer cold of the darkness that they drew from. A sharp sensation so cold that it burned. More than that, he felt the sheer malevolence contained inside of these flames. Something from a place of no light, no positivity, only sheer black darkness. Something like a black hole, that sought to consume and assimilate all things that it touched. His grip on his sword weakened as his heart clenched painfully in his chest. So much malevolence!

"Nngh..." He groaned faintly, gripping his cape's front, waiting for the initial ache to dissipate. The sheer amount of malevolence in this alleyway was shocking- it was like it was drawing from all of the ambient darkness in the area to strengthen itself. Determined, he looked up, eyes flaring as she approached. His hand lit up with the light of purification, easing the pain. It spread through his body, a gentle heat that gave him strength. The effects of the darkness lessened as he stood firmly against it. Light would not bow to shadows.

"What do you want?" He asked softly, feeling the cold heat of the flames at his back. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. He was the one at the disadvantage here, but he wasn't just going to roll over and give up. Even as the vines shot up from the cobblestone, rapidly encircling his limbs, trapping his movements, he refused to let himself give in to fear. His heart pounded with adrenaline, drawing the flames of purification to his limbs in an attempt to weaken their effects. Grunting, he pulled against the tendrils, even as his sword dropped to the ground.

Looking up at Asphyxia in a determined manner, he took in a deep breath and concentrated- drawing the flames up, hotter and brighter- before engulfing his own body in the flames!

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: he's trying to burn the vines away. :3

♥THANKS TIA!

And to make matters even better, Sorey, she was beginning to find, was the type of fighter she had been waiting for for so long. Everyone succumbed so quickly, so fast would her victims grovel and beg, kissing her feet in a pitiful attempt to maintain their existence. This was the first time she had been opposed so strongly, the very first time a combatant was attempting with all of its might to cling onto the life it maintained. The boy's light was awfully strong, flames of purity shrouding his entire body in its disgusting aura, weakening the vines that Asphyxia had on him to keep him in place, and they faltered quickly.

She could tell, however, that he was weakened. Perhaps fatigued. This strength was striking her as nowhere near what they could be, and she saw such potential in this pure-heart. She was so advanced, that she had decided that she would go against her instincts as a Heartless and would instead rely more on the logic that she had. The entity stared at him malevolently, tilting her head to the side as she released the thickened whips, as they were soon to be broken anyways.

"Interesting." She could feel the coolness of her own flames glazing her skin, and she welcomed the fierce cold, for it was something she was comfortably used to - the realm of darkness, the place that she called home, was full of this chill, and all heartless were accustomed to it. "Your determination is wonderful." Maybe it came with having a heart so pure, or maybe it came with the simple aspect of humanity in general, but she was baffled by it all just the same.

One thing she was sure of, however, is that she couldn't let those flames touch her body or else she would be in for a world of pain. The purity that was beating off of him in waves was already detectable, and she knew that it was no better than radiation poisoning to her if she got to close, and if they actually made contact, then she might as well char the disoriented flesh from her body.

"Your will to live..." As she spoke, another wall of flames appeared, separating the circle she had made into halves, breaking them apart from each other. Asphyxia was them able to phase in with the shadows that the black fire created, and she could watch him, stare at him with the intensity she had the entirety of the time. Her white eyes could be seen through the lickings of flame, and the amusement within them was horrific.

"What a gift."

Her laughter filled the area, the flames reaching higher and higher by the second.

"Tell me, what is it you live for? What gives you such motivation?"

He could feel the aura of darkness rapidly weakening under the flames of purification. Although the Heartless' darkness was incredibly strong- stronger than any other Heartless that he had encountered so far- his flames were created to erase the shadows from the hearts of humans. These wicked flames, even as they drew strength from the shadows around them- were fought back by his own, springing forth from the purity in his own heart. He was stronger than the darkness. His friends, his duty, his dreams- they gave him the strength to push himself past his own limits. Fighting fire with fire, the vines began to crumble and fall apart, like burnt ashes to be swept away by the wind.

It took a lot out of him, in all honesty. He ignored the fatigue that he felt, drawing upon the reserves of strength that he had grown so diligently as the Shepard. Strength, not found in the body, but the heart. Strength that enabled someone to embrace their own destruction for the good of all. It was something that went beyond light and darkness- a power that could offer destruction or salvation. A Shepard must never take sides for they alone have the power to sway history with their actions. A strength of spirit to face any trial.

Shaking the remnants of the vines off of him, Sorey carefully knelt down and picked his sword back up, the flames automatically traveling up the length of the blade. They blazed brighter, radiating off of the sword like a beacon. An ancient ceremonial sword like this one had the ability to strengthen whatever element possessed it- whether it was good or evil mattered not. Weapons did not have morality- it was the heart if the owner who wielded it that decided the power of a weapon. As the flames leapt up in between the two, creating an even smaller cage- he did not sway in his stance.

Raising it towards the flames, feeling the cage around his chest loosening as the purification began to seep into every corner of his domain- pressing out the shadows that lurked around it- Sorey took a deep breath. "I don't know if a Heartless like you can understand. Sometimes, I don't even understand it." Focusing on the flames before him, trying not to let her get to him, his flames arced up to counter her own, creating a frightening display of light and dark trying to overpower one another. "My name is Sorey. I'm the Shepard of Glenwood. It's my duty to purify the malevolence!" Slicing his sword down, the light of purification struck right through the circle!

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: fight fire with fire

♥THANKS TIA!

Curiously, she peered forward as the boy struggled to muddle through the situation at hand. He was shown something that was so difficult to overpower, but yet his determination was seemingly growing as he faced what was before him. Sorey was a case that Asphyxia had yet to see, and she was so intrigued that she had, in fact, decided upon something rash. Something that she had been toying around with within her mind the second that she saw that Sorey had such potential...

He fought back even more, slashing his sword forward and countering the flames of pure darkness that she had called upon. She didn't fight it as the chilling fire was forced to die down, and instead simply watched him. She could fight, she was perfectly aware that she could hold her own against this, but.. She simply stayed where she was.

The Heartless would dodge if necessary, but.. As for right now, Asphyxia didn't want to move at all. She could see so many things in his eyes, as though he was playing memories from his past and using them as a source of fuel for his heart. The heart was proving itself to be no less than a powerhouse of energy, continuously pushing and pushing and pushing itself beyond the limits. Beyond the fear, beyond the intimidation.

What was better than simply ripping it away?

Having the satisfaction of the prey knowing it would be ripped away.

Slowly.

Asphyxia's body phased from the spot she was in to behind the boy, much closer than she had ever placed herself to the embodiment of purity. She was prepared to taint that, ruin it and corrupt it past the point of no return. What would happen? Eventually, she was positive that it would simply overtake him to the point where a Heartless would be born and a Nobody was to be left behind.. Or would he conquer it? Sorey was full of surprises, things that the little Heartless was unsure of.

She pressed her hand against his back, on the reversal side of his beating heart. She could feel its energy trying so hard to combat her before the body had the time to turn and do it physically. She channeled some of the darkness from within her own self and pumped it into the boy's chest, shoving it into that realm of light to corrupt it. To defile it and turn it into something never before seen by this experimental maniac.

She did it for as long as she possibly could, until she felt the muscles tensing up, ready to rear the body around. She jumped back, so she could simply...

Watch.

The darkness did not fight back, allowing his own to overcome them, forcing the fire to die down steadily. They ate away at each other, leaving only grey ashes behind that slowly crumbled away into nothingness. Panting slightly, feeling the strain of his entire body, he scanned the shadows, trying to catch sight of the Heartless. He could tell that she hadn't left yet- he could feel her darkness straining at the corners of his domain. Light battled against darkness, each seeking to infect and consume the other. He took a step back, mentally debating whether or not it was worth it to make a break for it.

Suddenly, the feeling shifted. Before he could even move, react- the hand of the Heartless was pressing against his back, slipping past the barrier of his domain like a snake. Eyes began to widen as the feeling of ice spread forth from the touch- and burrowed deep inside of him as she reached even further, the purest darkness being channeled deep within him. It was black, and writhed inside of his heart, latching onto the light of his heart. It pulsed, sickeningly seeking to taint and corrupt. His light fought back- but the darkness was able to shut off it's external sources, forcing the light to burrow deeper in, in an effort to retain itself.

"No!" He gasped, the flames of purification flickering out like a lightbulb going dead. His sword clattered to the ground, clanging loudly against the stone. Vision beginning to swim, as his body tried to fight back against the blackness that had snuck it's way into his heart. Staggering to the side, clutching his chest, he dizzily swung around to face the Heartless, shocked and horrified. "What did... What did you do?" The icy feeling inside of his chest grew stronger, sapping away all of his strength. Falling to his knees, he grimaced in pain, his heart feeling like it was being crushed. His domain weakened and weakened, until even his resonance was paralyzed. The world grew darker at the edges.

He refused to give up. Body shaking, nauseous and rapidly growing weaker, he still reached for his sword, refusing to give up. Even as the last reserves of his strength began to drain dry, he refused to give up. Glaring up at her, despite the fact that he could no longer focus, he attempted to get back to his feet. His body wouldn't respond, but he forced himself to fight against the crushing weight, the paralysis. He would not fall here- he'd made a promise! A dream!

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: sorey pls

♥THANKS TIA!

Interesting.

Even when the pain was ripping through his body, even when all odds were literally turning against him, this young human male was still attempting - with every ounce of his being - to continue forth and obliterate the overwhelming darkness he was faced with. He was reaching for his sword with a trembling hand and white eyes remained upon him, glued with the strongest of adhesives. Sorey was the most interesting thing that Asphyxia had ever come across. Light, truly, was such a powerful thing.

Too bad it always succumbed in the end.

"I'm simply seeing just how resilient the light truly is." She explained calmly, taking a few steps towards him, now knowing that Sorey wouldn't be posing much of a threat. The poor boy entered the clash already worn and ragged, and now, unfortunately for him, he was dealing with the consequences of doing so. As she said this, a strange memory rushed through her mind. It was nothing but darkness, only the sound of a deep voice talking through what sounded like a microphone of some sort. It was a bit distorted, but there nonetheless, and it was addressed to her.

Test two-hundred and seven. Testing to see how resilient its darkness really is.

For a few seconds, in real time, she was completely frozen, a different expression painted upon her features. That was the first time.. She had remembered anything from before she had awoken in the depths of Hollow Bastion and retreated to the depths of the Realm of Darkness. She shook it of for now, knowing that she couldn't let any of this valuable information go to waste.

Sorey was suffering, which was what she wanted. He was fighting till his very last second of consciousness, which would be sure to fade due to how worn he was. The malevolence in the air was destroying him from the inside out, and the darkness was intensifying it. Asphyxia was enticed by it all, but at the same time, there was another emotion inside of her that had begun to grow that she didn't understand, that she didn't know the name of. It only occurred when she looked at him and thought about the memory, finding a weird sort of familiarity. She could recall not being able to see, and then being filled with an intense pain that she couldn't comprehend. Was she watching that?

Her fists clenched tightly, her sight narrowing and studying upon his facial expression. He was succumbing to the darkness just as they all did, and the progression would be a slow, excruciating one. One that the Heartless would be keeping a close eye on at all times. Of course he wouldn't know she was there - spying through the shadows would be the best bet for her in this situation. Her mouth scowled angrily the more she stared. Why was she deterred by this?

This was what she was trying to do.

The world darkened and swam like some kind of sickening dream. Higher thought processes began to fail. Still, he gripped his sword with what little strength he had left, feeling a sickening clenching in his stomach. Paralysis began to trickle outwards from his chest, spreading into his limbs. It left him numb and feeling empty- the darkness tried to fill up those spaces with a black, cold void. Still, he rose from the ground, teeth gritted, eyes unable to focus- and sword hanging from his grasp, dragging along the ground but still there.

Panting from the effort, barely able to stand, he still refused to give in. Even as the darkness ripped it's way through his body, battling with the light, he didn't relent. Malevolence swirled off of his form like a thick, smoky cloud, but he did not transform into a Hellion. Deep inside him, the depths of his heart, his purity could not be touched. Something that went beyond simple light and darkness. Resolve. He knew his answer. Something that he had been seeking since the day he left Elysia. A little darkness wasn't going to stop him.

"You'd... be surprised!" He managed to gasp out, using the last of his strength to summon up the last reserves of his flames. Lunging forward, his light pulsed, releasing the flames of purification against the length of his blade. It lit up the alleyway, bright and shining. Whether it missed or not was of little consequences, as the flames would soon burn away into embers. Unconscious, Sorey collapsed to his knees and fell to the ground, his sword landing in front of him. Light and darkness fought for dominion of the heart, but they were at a stalemate. The malevolence that was pouring forth from the Shepard lessened, weakened by the strength of his heart.

The two sides of the battle faded away, retreating into his body. A war would be waged here over Sorey's heart. A war with no winner. Already, his face clenched up in pain, even in unconsciousness. Agony wracked his entire body- if he'd been awake, he'd be screaming in pain.

A small blessing he was not.

TAGS: Asphyxia
NOTES: he's hopeless

♥THANKS TIA!

aegis of the torrent

With Merlin long having retreated into his workspace and Sorey gone to bring supplies in lieu Mikleo himself, the room sunk into hollow silence. Mikleo rolled over on the couch so that he was now scrutinizing the backrest instead of the clock. He'd been sleeping a lot lately, even later than even Sorey on most days. Of course, Mikleo blamed it on his constant thirst for knowledge.

As quiet and free of distractions as the room was, the Seraph's running imagination did little to beckon sleep. Eventually, enough time ticked by that he finally had to force himself back on his feet, rubbing the stress from his temples and trying to evaluate the source of his building anxiety. It's been an hour. Sorey usually came back home in half that time, and Mikleo's imagination was ruling that implausibility mercilessly.

He liked to believe that after several weeks of stressing the importance of staying safe, Sorey would actually listen. Thus far, the shepherd hadn't come to any serious harm, and if any such harm was foreseen, Mikleo was always there to push back the forces of darkness when the other couldn't. Mikleo hadn't been so much a friend as a supervisor, and he knew that well, but certainly he had done his best to keep his friend out of trouble. Put simply, Mikleo had done enough that the business of keeping Sorey safe began inadvertently seeping into the business of living.

The Seraph was tired - any Seraph subjected to a constant onslaught of negativity and darkness would grow tired eventually. But on the same token, Mikleo was happier in just a handful of weeks than all of those six months combined. He didn't want to lose that happiness. Most of all, he didn't want to lose Sorey.

He left the study without telling Merlin.

The pathway to the store went through a district or two, not very far but very potent in Heartless activity. But now of all times, the walk was unsettlingly quiet, not even a heartless in sight. Were they hiding from him? Or something else?

Sorey's domain enveloped the second district, but was weakening as another domain overlapped it. Mikleo's suspicions crashed down to reality as he soon found himself standing in front of what he'd been hoping against for weeks now.

"Sorey!"

He held the shepherd's head up with the hand not clutching the newly-formed staff. Sorey was unresponsive, surrounded by an aura of darkness that was actively conflicting with Mikleo's own powers of purification. The strange power was coming from a separate source nearby.

Mikleo's glare scanned the dark of the district. "I know you're there!" he challenged. "What did you do to him? Answer me!

@sorey Asphyxia

She would be surprised? This wasn't very surprising. Just as she had suspected, Sorey's body had succumbed to the shroud of darkness being placed over his being, and he was now completely unconscious - at least that's how it appeared. It was very possible that he was still awake inside, but was simply overtaken with all that was completely wrecking his physical form. It was plausible, sure, but the longer she stayed here and watched, the more stale this scenery became. She had seen enough writhing, enough wriggling around in pain because of her actions - she was ready to see something different.

And thankfully, she didn't have to wait too long.

An interesting presence made itself known, and it was approaching the two of them. Asphyxia made quick work of her appearance, delving into the shadows to keep an eye on what was to happen. The next individual to walk into the battlefield was another young man, adorned with a blue robe-type attire and brilliant white hair to contrast against the darkness. He was crying out the fallen one's name in a concerned fashion, and the Heartless smiled from shadows. It was so interesting to see how humans cared about each other like this - but.. He wasn't exactly human, was he?

He felt too different, too off. There was something wrong with his heart, something that made it clear that she wouldn't be able to steal his. It was sealed away somehow, in a place where she couldn't get to it, but she could tell that these two had a deep connection running throughout them that was being tampered with due to what she had done to Sorey. That, of course, would be good enough for her.

"Simple." Her voice was almost ominous, sounding from every corner, making it sound like they were in some sort of auditorium. The Heartless was merciless in her actions, and she was just as much so with her communications to others, especially when they were frantic over a loved one that had been her prey. It was amusing, to say the least. "He was pure, and I want to know what happens when that is tampered with." She made herself physically visible again, her smile a bit unnerving. It was too gentle, too innocent that it didn't match up with what she was saying at all - not to mention her tone.

"I put some of my own darkness inside of him. Eventually, it will take over. The light, albeit it puts up a fight, always succumbs in the end." Her small figure's arms moved behind her back to clasp her hands there, looking almost like a pure little girl for a split second. Ansem's experiments had truly gone to far, and Asphyxia was the proof.