(I'll be using 3rd person POV, enjoy!! 🥰)

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The temple was quiet, the only sound being the distant hum of torches lining the stone walls. Two Time sat alone, his back pressed against the cold stone, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the fabric of his cloak. His mind was a haze, drowning in memories he wished he could erase, yet clung to desperately.

Azure.

He could still hear their voice, the way they called his name, the way they spoke with unwavering confidence. They had always been the stronger one. The one who led, who made sense of the chaos. The one who trusted him.

Two Time squeezed his eyes shut. He could still feel their warmth, the way their fingers would brush against his when passing a book or a blade. The way they had smiled, even in the darkest moments, like they truly believed in everything the cult had taught them.

But now, all he could see was blood. His hands trembling as he held them. Azure's body collapsing into his arms. The betrayal in their eyes.

He should have listened. He should have questioned it. 

Two Time swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed himself to his feet. He needed to stop thinking about it. About them.

But fate was cruel.

Then suddenly, the surroundings started to blur around him, as if Two Time were being veiled by a haze of confusion and uncertainty. Darkness crept in, gradually enveloping him, until everything turned to black. In this moment of darkness, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Azure, standing there, as if waiting for him.

"You're quiet today," a voice said.

Two Time's breath hitched. His body went rigid, his fingers twitching involuntarily. No. No, that wasn't real. That voice—

He turned sharply, chest tightening as his eyes locked onto them—Azure, standing there as if nothing had happened. As if they hadn't died. His breath came out in uneven gasps, his vision blurring at the edges.

"No, you—" His voice cracked as he stumbled back, hitting the stone wall behind him. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. Azure was dead. He had watched them die. He had felt the warmth drain from their body.

Azure tilted their head, eyes calm, distant. "That's unlike you."

Two Time's hands trembled. His throat was dry, his tail curled tightly around his leg as if grounding himself. His mind screamed at him to run, to get away, but his feet wouldn't move. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

"You're not here," he whispered, his voice weak, barely above a breath.

Azure adjusted their gloves, their gaze flickering over the intricate carvings on the walls. "We've come this far, haven't we? There's no turning back now. The ritual will bring us what we need."

"Stop—" Two Time rasped, squeezing his eyes shut. "You're not real, you're not real."

But the voice continued, unwavering.

"Two Time," Azure said, their voice softer now. "Whatever it is, just say it. Im always here for you, remember?"

His breath came in sharp, panicked bursts. He couldn't breathe. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Azure wasn't supposed to be here—he had already lost them. But as he opened his eyes again, his worst fear solidified.

The past was bleeding into the present.

Everything turned black.

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╰┈➤ When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the temple. The air was thick, suffocating. The torches had been replaced with an eerie glow, casting long, wavering shadows. And standing before him was Azure, but this time, their expression was different.

Cold. Condemning.

"You did this to me."

Two Time's breath caught in his throat. He took a step back, but the darkness coiled around him like shackles, keeping him in place. "No, I—I didn't mean to—"

"You betrayed me," Azure's voice was quiet, but it cut through him like a blade. "You chose them over me."

Two Time's body trembled. "I didn't—I thought—I thought you would come back. That's what they said. That's what the cult promised. Shadows die twice, right? You were supposed to come back!"

Azure took a step forward, their gaze unwavering. "And did I..?"

The silence was suffocating. Two Time's lips parted, but no words came out. His chest felt tight, his vision swimming. He wanted to reach out, to prove that Azure was real, that they were here. But deep down, he knew the truth.

Azure wasn't here. They never would be.

The darkness grew, swallowing everything around him. Two Time could do nothing but fall into it, his screams lost in the void.

Because shadows die twice, right?