There's a saying that goes like this:
History is written by the winners.
A piece of truth that people tend to use only in times of conflict, where war and value and death are all that people can hang their lips upon. A truth can sometimes be single layered. But it isn't the case for this one, for example.
Because war can take many forms and so does conflict.
Going from the battle from within with your own fear to a battle of will and wit to set in place your own destiny. Your own fate. Because fate is all about winning and losing. An everlasting battle of probability where every living thing can have an impact on.
From your neighbour saying hello, to the health of a new born baby, to the start of a war on a global scale.
It's all about not losing to the bad probabilities where things tend to go south.
Will against will.
It may sharpen them as much as it can destroy them. After all, every dream can't be compatible. Some want for the younglings to have a safe and peaceful life while-
Drifting away as the sole intruder of that realm where nothing should have a form nor a thought, Sunless'mind was like a lost stone in the middle of dead space. Where no warmth could reach him. Stuck in a dormant state where his consciousness chose to be passive and not proactive.
Reforming itself after being disfigured was taking its time and its share of energy. The process could have been ignored of course but… Would you try to install a piece of machinery knowing perfectly that it wouldn't fit in?
The same goes with the mind and its body.
Perception of oneself is a pillar in avoiding getting lost.
To feel like a beast stuck in the form of a human child. Your arms shorter than they should be, your teeth duller than they used to be. Sunless had been changed during that accident, losing things that would make him human.
A monster born and refined to be both the concentration and the manifestation of the Outskirt's horror.
Thanks to █████, the very fondation of his wicked apparence had disappeared and with them goes those traits they sustained. That was the easy part, but now Sunless was left like an unfinished puzzle. Searching part of himself that would match with what he had left. Like a child starting from the corner to end with the center.
Put anyone else at his place and it would be done in no time. After all, it's easier to rebuild a boat when all of its planks aren't rotten.
Didn't I warn you ?
Perception of oneself is important.
Discarding yourself or hating yourself too much for too long will only result in you forgetting what you were…what you are.
Still, it was Sunless'problem and only he was supposed to complete that labor. But who said he had to do it alone? Because… From time to time, when some pieces were missing and were too hard to find, a little hand would appear from nowhere to put them a bit closer to him.
█████ wished she could do more to help him but involving herself too often would have too much of a bad influence on his psyche. So she had to watch him endure that situation.
Luckily for them, the last piece had been found.
Everything was in place.
It was not as strong or stable as before but it was just a question of time.
His figure started to move, only a little but it was the sign that it was time for him to wake up.
Because this realm was fading away and from nothing came something.
And yet, Sunless didn't notice it. Even with a banal night of sleep, he would still have to take some time to really be awake. And it wasn't in any case something mundane that happened to him. Which was…what exactly ?
Before there was a thought, there was a memory.
No, an emotion.
A storm of feelings echoing like a nightmare, one that wouldn't disappear with the memory it belongs to. Acting like a corpse that was left to spoil and rot. It didn't matter if you removed it…the smell and the stain left behind would persist.
Numbness was the word. With an aftertaste of rage and dread.
[???]:"S… S…less? D…'t …ove…"
The first sense that returned to him was hearing. A voice he didn't quite remember, as if his entire being was coming back from something so far that sound itself was distorted. He couldn't tell if there was any emotion in what he had just heard.
Those concepts still had to be awakened alongside his other senses.
Wood creaking.
Footsteps.
Someone was getting close to him.
[???]:"Stay still… Jeanne is on her way."
After hearing, it was the sense of smell that returned. Something sweet, some fruit ? But also something clean. Not the kind of clean that came from a freshly washed cloth, but the kind that came from something that had to be clean. Like a new t-shirt ? No… He recognized it now, because it was priceless where he came fr-
A flash of nausea urged in him. A need to empty his empty stomach from its fluid. A knot formed inside his guts.
Yet that thought still came to life.
It was something sterilized.
One that would be needed to treat someone's injur-
Now, it was touch.
It felt as if he was trying to fit in some cloth that wasn't exactly his size…but not too much, he could still grow into it. There was…yeah, he was installed on a bed. Possibly his but he couldn't be sure. And there was also something around his wrists. Something uncomfortable. Instinct taking over, he had to try and remove that…thing from him.
One time.
Two times.
Three times.
But without success, because those were handcuffs above his hands.
[??phis]:"I know, I know…I was against it but…"
Heart rate quickening, clinking of metals as fear became the new king of his body.
Why was he chained down ? Why can't he see ?!
Pain, the numbness was leaving its place for pain. He was in so much pain, as if his entire body had been torn apart. Nerves exposed and touched by molten iron passing through his veins.
The sensation in his mouth came back at that time.
Unable to speak nor scream…As a piece of cloth was stuffed against his tongue.
Pain and fear.
But fear was taking over everything.
He forgot about pain, twisting and contorting himself to break free. Muffled screams sharing an incomprehensible plea.
[Nephis]:"Sunless ?! Jeanne ! It's happening again !"
The girl's voice was heartbreaking to hear.
Because he had heard her running to the door in hope that the tired doctor would run to them. She was so…Weak. Exhausted, but also terrified.
The sound of footsteps came to life. Strong, fast…And coming right at him.
Pain.
PAIN.
PAIN.
[Jeanne]:"Calm down, Sunless. I know you're in pain and you're suffering. Just…Stay awake. You need to stay awake."
Something was about to give out from all the force he mustered to break free. It was either his wrists or the handcuff. He didn't care about the possible injury, his guts were screaming at him to leave and flee that place.
A full blown crisis he couldn't understand nor stop.
Self preservation is a hell of a motivation.
[Nephis]:"Plume! I'll go left, you go right!"
And without a second to pass, four hands were holding him down. He felt like a beast. One that needed to be put down. Too much of a burden. There were about to kill hi-
Even with a makeshift gag, his scream grew stronger, louder. Tears rolling down his cheeks as a primal fear had been awakened. Echoes of something lost. Remains of forgotten wounds far too deep to be erased.
The boy who knew almost nothing of fear beside his mother had been marked.
Not on his body, nor his mind but on his very soul.
Out of the three lessons his mom had taught him, one had been defiled.
Once full of guilt, he was now bathed in Hope's opposite.
The concept of Space had returned to him but what about Time?
How much time has it been since he had woken up? One minute? Two? Fifteen? He couldn't process it, as his struggle for freedom never has ceased to be relentless. Rejecting their presence, their act of false empathy.
Was it truly? He couldn't care.
He had to leave that place to go home. He needed to go back to the se-
Freeze.
His heart rate was increasing once more. A prison of thorns was forming around that blood pumping organ of his. A contradiction so strong that his mind couldn't understand it. Wanting to leave that place to go where? His answer was instantaneous, and it was the sew-
NO
He shouldn't go there. He can't. He-
[Jeanne]:"I'll remove the blindfold, Sunless."
Without time to react, a hand was pressing against his forehead, forcing him to be immobile down to the waist. A second later, the piece of cloth placed on his head was removed. His last sense was returned to him.
His sight.
Only to be met with a blinding light. Two fingers were holding his eyelids open while the palm was covering his other eye.
Drool was leaving from the corner of his mouth. He wanted to fight them, to run aw-
[Jeanne]:"It's him. He's out of her Aspect."
[Nephis]:"So why he i-"
[Jeanne]:"He's in shock. Fight or flight. "
The light finally moved out of his eyes and Sunless was able to see around him. His eyes moved at high speed to see if there was any escape possible.
A sensation of déjà-vu appeared only devoured by fear.
He was not in his room. It was far too large, too organized, too luxurious.
To his left was Plume, which looked angrier than ever.
Beside her was Jeanne, on edge while trying her best to stay calm.
And on his right was N-
[Jeanne]:"On my countdown. 3,2…"
The handcuffs were removed.
Using all his strength, he tried his best to get up only to be met with an embrace from the exhausted doctor.
There was no thought on his next action, since he tried to punch her right after her arms closed up on him.
To no avail… She was a Master, and he was just a ra-
While maintaining her hug, she slowly and gently removed the gag restraining him.
At first there was a scream.
The punch kept going. Even trying to scratch her arms.
[Jeanne]:"It's alright…Keep going…You're safe Sunless."
Then another scream, this one half-stifled by the lump forming in his throat.
Her voice was gentle.
Soft.
Loving.
Caring.
Sad.
[Jeanne]:"It's over, sweetheart… It's over…"
His mind wanted to scream again, but what came was a silent cry.
Followed by quiet sobbing.
His arms slowed down until they grew numb. Immobile.
Sunless couldn't understand.
It wasn't the pain that made him cry. He was lost because in his mind, even his selfmade prison wasn't an option anymore and he couldn't remember why. He had really nowhere to go for no reason at all.
[Jeanne]:"Take your time…I won't let you be alone again. We won't."
The two other figures in that room stood silent. One because of her lack of voice while the other had nothing to say. Her action had already spoken for her even if he had yet to learn it.