blind star // txt taegyu

star's whisper

Taehyun hadn't returned to the SCPU immediately, staying on top of the building as he took some time to think to himself. Soobin definitely would've killed Taehyun that night if he didn't mention Yeonjun. Soobin wasn't just dangerous — he was deadly. He sighed, standing up from the rooftop for a moment.

"I really hope Aenix labs can revive him..."

Taehyun closed his ruby-red eyes before they glinted gold once more as he activated his Herrscher style. A black portal-like hole appeared in front of him, the outlines twinkling a slight gold colour. He fell in, stopping just before his feet could touch the ground. The portal closed, and he was left in an empty space with a purple tinted sky.

Rocks, debris and floating land masses decorated the space — a sad memory of the fight against Yeonjun that had inevitably killed him. Taehyun looked around, finally stepping down onto the large land mass and walking. Yeonjun couldn't have decomposed, since the bubble universe he had created had no flow of time and no physics surrounding it.

"There."

Taehyun found the remnants of the fight, the lance still stuck in the ground where he had stabbed the Sixth Herrscher. Yeonjun was still there, flowers all over his body. They had somehow sprouted from the scene, wrapping around Yeonjun's limbs and creating a beautiful scene of something so tragic. Taehyun wondered if he even wanted to resurrect the Sixth Herrscher — there would most likely be another fight and he would die all over again.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Learn to trust, Taehyun..."

Taehyun raised his hand, and the flower-covered body raised from the ground. Some of the purple and white petals fell to the ground, and the roots burst into flames and burned away. Taehyun opened the portal again and stepped through.

"Taehyun...!"

A familiar figure ran towards him and he felt arms wrap around him. Beomgyu was hugging him, as if to confirm that he was alive. Taehyun finally smiled, hugging the older in return. "I'm okay, hyung. See?"

"You've brought Yeonjun." Minseon stepped forward with widened eyes. "Why did you...?"

"Soobin agreed to comply if you revive Yeonjun," Taehyun said. "If you can't, then he might cause a cataclysm and thousands could die. It'd be difficult for me to stop him because he actually managed to attack me."

"Of course, your portals only work for physical attacks," Minseon said, crossing her arms. "Soobin's attacks are a little more... refined."

"How did you find him?" Beomgyu asked, watching as Minseon ordered someone to take Yeonjun's body away. "I thought he'd be lost forever..."

"I stepped into the Euthymian Plain and sniffed out his core," Taehyun answered. "I was hesitant, but brought him back anyways."

Minseon frowned. "Euthymian Plain? May I ask what that is?"

"The largest bubble universe I was able to create," Taehyun answered. "I formed it when I fought Yeonjun for the first time, and... I'd know my way around there. Nothing guides its existence apart from me, of course. In that world, up is down and down is up. Everything is flipped and life equals death. Yeonjun isn't truly dead — he just isn't alive."

Minseon seemed confused for a moment before nodding. "I see. We'll work on activating the Mortality fragment in his core right away."

Beomgyu bowed politely as she left the room before turning to Taehyun. "I heard Soobin turned himself in downstairs and is currently in a Chamber getting regulated. You're okay, right? You said he managed to attack you, so are you hurt?"

"Hyung, I'm okay," Taehyun laughed, smiling as Beomgyu placed a hand on his cheek. "What matters is that you're safe. If anything happens to you..."

"Nothing will happen to me because you never let me step out into the battlefield," Beomgyu chuckled, leaning forward to put their foreheads together. "Stay safe, okay? Don't get too comfortable with your power. I know you're amazing and strong, and no one can really kill you, but please — be careful."

Taehyun leaned into his arms and Beomgyu hugged him, holding Taehyun by his waist as they embraced one another. Taehyun's eyes turned red as his smile slowly fell. He needed Beomgyu's power. Something inside him wanted that power, but the thought of doing anything to Beomgyu just to take his power made him upset.

"Hyung," Taehyun began softly, "do you... want to be a Pseudo Herrscher? Are you really okay with it?"

"Being involved with your world makes me feel like I'm getting closer to you, somehow," Beomgyu muttered. "I don't mind it, but life definitely was easier when I was human. Things have changed a lot. I wish I could protect you as well."

"I want to take your power."

Beomgyu pulled from the hug, his eyes furrowed in confusion. "Take? What are you talking about?"

"If it's burdening you, I can take it away," Taehyun said. "It'll hurt a little, but if I take your fragment then I can get closer to using the other fragments within my core and I can just revive you—"

"You want to kill me for my power?!" Beomgyu looked horrified, and reality quickly hit Taehyun. He stepped away from the older, his eyes widened as he shook his head. "Taehyun, why are your eyes red—"

"No... I need to leave."

"Tae, calm down—!"

Beomgyu grabbed Taehyun's arm but the younger quickly shook him off and formed a portal behind himself. "No..."

"Taehyun, what are you—?!"

Taehyun stepped backwards until he disappeared, the portal dissolving in on itself. Beomgyu tried to grab him one last time, but his hand phased right through him. He stared in shock at the spot where Taehyun once stood, still confused about what had just happened.

Why were Taehyun's eyes red? Why did he want his power? Why would he want to kill him? He stood up, running out the room to find Minseon to explain what had just happened with Taehyun. The halls were empty, as most of the researchers were in the Chambers to revive Soobin with the Mortality fragment.

"Minseon...! Taehyun has disappeared!"