10/30: Hold

Maybe coming from a guy who’s, um, danced with the Devil, made a bunch of shady deals and avoided them, maybe spontaneously lit people on fire because fire’s cool, killed a few people here and there, and maybe was a fugitive in a magical realm while said Devil came after him for his deal, it sounds like I’m being dramatic, but hearing the barrier breaking down and the noises of Portie, Jules, and Muriel was terrifying.

I can already feel my arms trembling just a little, gripping onto the pedestal for dear life and watching the Djinn I guess ... charge himself? It was kinda hard to tell over the sound of what were my friends roaring and the room shaking like there was an earthquake. I close my eyes, the red glowing marks were getting so bright that they were beginning to hurt my eyes.

The last wham against the barrier and the sound of four primal roars rung in my ears as I could feel Muriel’s thick arms wrap around my neck, Jules’ talons digging into the wounds Portie already made from earlier, and Portie biting into my neck. I cry out in pain, as best I can while being choked, but I hang onto the pedestal despite my heart beating out of my chest.

It’s getting harder to breathe ... everything hurts ... my legs are starting to give out beneath me...

Can’t let go... I keep reminding myself as the Djinn seems to be taking his sweet time--my eyes are still shut so I can’t really tell, but I had to listen. If I let go in this moment, even as I felt myself panicking, my mind blanking out as I struggled to get air into my body ... I would lose everything if I let go.

I’d lose Ery.

I’d lose myself.

I’d lose my home--I wasn’t going to let this place take that away from me; I did not lose Phillis for this.

My friends... I can feel my body wobbling, giving out like it normally does when I’m about to pass out. I’m not gonna let go of you, too ... I’m going to come back, I’m going to hold on.

No, my grip-- Was the last thought that crossed my mind before one of my hands begins to slip off the pedestal, and then everything went black.

*

″...Lushiyo? ...Lushiyo!”

″...He can’t hear...”

“But ... I saw...”

Wha’... I thought in confusion. Is this ... is this real?

Slowly, though they feel super crusty and sticky, I open my eyes to see--

″...Ery?” I weakly choke out in joy.

″LUSHIYO!”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Ery’s voice get that loud, but I can only weakly place my other arm around him as he embraces me in the world’s tightest, loving hug. I can’t really understand what he’s saying, but all I can really tell is that he’s been stressed, worried, and now he’s super happy--at least, that’s usually what happens when he starts speaking full-on in his native language.

Although I still feel super weak, and breathing seems like a chore to do, I manage to see Az also standing over both of us, looking relieved, “I’m glad we were able to rescue you in time, Lucio.”

“Az...” I croak, ”...I thought ... I’d never ... you were dead...”

He tilts his head in concern, “Dead? Oh my ... that Mare really did do a number on you.”

“Mare...?” I sluggishly repeat him, making Ery close my eyes and rest my head back onto the pillow.

″Lushiyo, do you remember anything from the past few days?” he gently asks me, “You do not have to say much, just anything--”

“Flesh ... monsters...”

I think the silence I heard was them both being confused, before I hear Az sigh, “Okay, so that is safe to assume that Mare warped everything on you. Lucio, I don’t know what kind of nightmare you had, but that wasn’t real. What really happened was about ... four weeks ago, we were having a sleepover with you, Eridæus, myself, and Muriel at an old, haunted cabin in The Dark Forest.”

Az's fluffy white hair shook at bit as he quietly laughs, "Well, you being you, Lucio, you found a spirit board and deliberately tried to 'piss off the Mare for laughs,' and, ultimately, the spirit board summoned it and it possessed you, rendering you unconscious for four weeks."

I slowly blink, processing everything and trying to orient myself at the new information, "...You're both ... real?"

"Lutzokh Lucio," Ery shakily grabs my weak hand and presses it against his warm cheek; I can already feel are tears slowly running down his face, "...What is more real than us?"

My vision got all blurry, too, as I limply pulled Ery in closer and held him in a fatigued, tight hug that I'd owe him for weeks. Everything felt so ... right. Yeah, I was doubtful earlier but the warmth of Ery's body, the delirious murmurings of Xaranian in my ear and Az watching us ... no, this was home.

I made it, Ery... I sigh in pure bliss, I made it, Ery, I love you so much...

"...Four weeks, Az?" I ask the magic guy again, still a bit weak.

"Yes, four weeks Lucio. I don't know what you thought of, but whatever it was ... it was likely just a nightmare."

"Argh..." I hiss into Ery's nape in pain; the wounds from the ... fake? Fake Jules, Muriel, and Portie were stinging bad this time, "But my sides hurt..."

"Well, yes," Az shook his head, "It scratched you up and stabbed in you in your sleep while Eridæus and I were trying to exorcise it from your body. It really wanted to feed off your pscyhe, I really hope you don't act so reckless again."

"But Phillis..." I mumble, "It felt real..."

"Lucio?"

"It just felt real..." I state again, still confused as to how all these wounds I got weren't from flesh monsters or Scout biting me. "...Just really, really real."

Ery draws his head back kissing me on the forehead, "Whatever that creature of darkness did to you, we dispelled it now, Lushiyo. Please rest, I am just glad you are back again and that I didn't..."

He chokes up and I manage to shift to a more steady laying position to reach my other hand out and stroke Ery's hair in comfort, "Easy, Ery, easy. Yeah, I'm back, okay Tiger? Don't worry, I won't ... mess with ghosts from now on, and I only paused because I really don't remember doing it."

"Yes, 'don't mess with ghosts' is a good lesson to take from all of this, Lucio," Az kneels down next to Ery, "Eridæus, it is best we let him rest."

"Does he have food?"

"Nadia is preparing something for him, a soup with bits of ox tartare. Come on, let the poor guy rest. That Mare drained every ounce of soul out of him, he needs a moment to recover."

I shakily raise my arm and give Ery a thumbs up, "I've always wanted to taste your cooking, Ery, heh..."

He kisses me on the lips before whispering in my ear, "Please, Lushiyo, never do that again."

"I won't," I kiss him again as he goes in for another, "I promise you, I won't."

As Ery rises up to leave, I clear my throat and manage to call out, "Ery?"

He stops, glancing over to face me.

"I love you, Ery, you're ... you're everything for me."

"And you are my soul, Lutzokh."

I shut my eyes, feeling the drowsiness take over as more tears pour out from me.

Maybe you guys were never real, I think to myself as I drift off to sleep, But thank you, Scout ... Portie ... Jules ... Muriel ... and Djinnie. It's good to be back home.