(3rd person POV)

Two Time's heart pounded as the world lurched around him. Darkness crept at the edges of his vision, suffocating, inescapable. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, each one a struggle against the crushing weight pressing down on his chest.

And then—snap.

The shadows dissolved, leaving only the cold stone walls of the temple, rough beneath his fingers, grounding him. His body trembled, damp with sweat, as he stared into the emptiness, his mind still tangled in the nightmare that wasn't just a nightmare.

A voice cut through the haze.

"TWO TIME! "

His whole body jerked upright, heart hammering. The world slammed back into focus—the flickering torchlight, the heavy air, the three familiar faces staring at him like he'd just risen from the dead.

Chance stood closest, arms crossed, looking at him like he'd done something deeply inconvenient. "What the hell was that? You were just lying there, twitching like a freak. Noob shouted your name over and over, but you never answered. You just lay there, unresponsive—like you were somewhere else entirely, trapped in a place we couldn't reach."

Noob, beside him, wasn't nearly as dismissive. His voice carried the weight of concern, edged with something almost like fear. "Are you okay..? " His voice was softer than Chance but still cautious.

Elliot leaned against the far wall, silent, but his sharp gaze was locked onto Two Time, unreadable.

Two Time dragged a shaky hand through his hair, trying to calm his racing pulse. His clothes clung to his skin, his breath still uneven. His mind wasn't here—it was still there, in the dark. Still hearing the whispers curling around him like smoke, still feeling the cold fingers of something other slipping through the cracks in his mind.

They wouldn't understand.

They hadn't seen it. They hadn't felt it.

They hadn't heard him.

"I'm fine," he muttered.

Chance snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, sure. That was totally normal."

"You're acting weird," Noob added, arms tightening over his chest. "More than usual."

Two Time swallowed hard, gripping the edge of his cloak like a lifeline. He had to push it down—the fear, the sick, sinking realization that this wasn't just a dream. It had been real. Too real.

Azure's voice.

That presence.

It hadn't gone away.

"I'm fine, really," he said again, forcing the words out. But even to his own ears, it sounded hollow.

Elliot frowned, eyes narrowing as if he could see straight through the lie. Like he could tell that, piece by piece, Two Time was unraveling.

But before he could say anything, the temple shuddered.

A shrill, piercing noise tore through the air.

The torches flickered violently. The shadows around them stretched and twisted, shifting unnaturally. The heavy feeling returned—thick, pressing, curling around his ribs like something alive.

And then—soft, barely a breath, but unmistakable.

"Did you miss me?"

The voice slithered into his ears, ice-cold, coiling around his spine like a ghost's touch.

Two Time's stomach dropped.

This wasn't over.

It never was.

Because shadows? They die twice.

But hauntings?

They never fade.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏⋆✴︎˚｡⋆﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

That night, sleep never came.

The temple was too quiet—the kind of quiet that listened. Each breath felt thick in his throat, the air pressing down like an invisible weight. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, his heartbeat a relentless drum in his ears. But every time his eyes slipped shut, he could feel Azure there.

Watching. Waiting.

Every whisper came closer. Every shift in the air felt too much like fingers trailing against his skin.

The torches flickered, their light stretching shadows along the walls—shadows that twisted into familiar shapes. His breath hitched as they moved, forming figures he almost recognized.

The ones he lost.

The ones he failed.

He curled into himself, fingers gripping his shirt so tightly his knuckles ached.

"You were supposed to come back..." he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.

But the shadows didn't answer.

The whispers did.

Azure was never truly gone.

And neither was the guilt.









Author note: IM SORRY IF THIS PART IS TOO SKETCHY AND CONFUSING 😭🙏 I HAVE TO HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS 💔💔 Dont worry guys next time i promise i'll write less sketchy for yall ❤️😼 Pls leave a comment if there's any mistakes or OOC behaviour💝




I've decided now i'll publish sooner 🥰💝