Silence.
Not the silence of the dead. Not the silence of graves.
A heavier silence. Viscous. The kind that grips your throat like a wet hand, crawls over your skin, until every heartbeat becomes a silent scream.
And in that void… a name.
— Rex!
He screamed it. Tore it out like an overstretched string. But no sound answered. No footsteps, no breath, no twitch of a nose.
Rays crawled.
His arms wobbled. His leg dragged behind him, limp, dead. He wasn't a boy anymore. Not a hero. Just a stubborn carcass on all fours, feeling the ground, sniffing at the void.
He was looking for his dog.
He was looking for his brother.
He was looking for his world.
But there was only stone. Cold. Sterile. Mute.
And for the first time, he didn't scream. He didn't punch. He didn't stand tall against the shadows. He just whispered, voice bare, breath trembling:
— Where are you… where the hell are you, Rex…
Then he collapsed. His forehead against the ground. Like a man praying to a deaf god.
— Voice… can I ask you something?
The reply came. Mechanical. Void of warmth.
"I have no information regarding your blindness."
Rays gave a smile. A rictus. Empty, broken.
— Not that.
He swallowed. A dry, painful click. His mouth was sand. His heart, glass.
— It's about Rex.
Silence. Not the system's silence. A silence… surprised.
As if even the Voice, in its inflexible omniscience, hadn't expected that.
"… That was the same question all along."
He understood. So did she. And that was enough.
"He is healing."
Rays collapsed onto his side. His chest heaved. He didn't cry. He didn't have the strength.
— Please… save him. That's all I ask.
His voice didn't beg. It stated. It demanded, without anger.
It was calm. Cold. Pure.
"Rays. You are now an Awakened. Rank: Awakened. Your trial is over. We will return you… home. With your companion."
And then, everything changed.
A brief wind. A smell.
Asphalt. Urine. Exhaust fumes. The stale blood of torn trash bags.
He had returned.
Not home.
But somewhere people didn't die immediately.
And yet, nothing had changed.
He was breathing.
But he had won nothing.
No arms waiting for him. No voices calling his name. Just this blackness. Gaping. Glued to his eyes. And in that blackness… shadows. Memories. Loss.
Sight. Love. The very idea of a simple tomorrow.
— What an unfair world…
He whispered. And it was at that precise moment that a sound struck him.
A bark.
Weak. Hoarse. Damaged.
But real.
A whimper. A wheeze. The cry of a survivor.
— Rex…?
He got up. Wavering. His hands searched the walls, the ground, the bags. A step too high. A treacherous curb.
— FUCK!
He stumbled. Fell. Grabbed his foot.
And then… a wet nose against his arm.
A rough tongue on his cheek.
A breath, short. Broken. Alive.
— …Rex…
He smiled.
Not a joyful smile. A cracked one. Tired. But real.
Rex was there.
As always.
But this time, his body trembled. He was covered in bandages. His ribs jutted through the fabric. He panted with every movement. Every bark sounded like a sigh of pain.
Rays held him.
And in the dark, he spoke. In that low voice. The one reserved for funerals. Or apologies too late.
— I'm sorry…
He pressed his forehead against Rex's.
— Sorry for everything I put you through.
— For the days without food. The nights without blankets.
— For the games I never took the time to play.
— For the pets I forgot to give.
— For thinking you were eternal.
Rex didn't move. He whimpered. But he stayed.
So Rays kept talking.
— When you get better… I'll take you somewhere else. A good place. A real refuge. Maybe someone good… someone who can see… will know how to love you. Give you a normal life. A happy ending.
Silence.
Then… movement.
Slow. Hesitant. Broken.
Rex lifted his head. Every muscle seemed to scream. But he moved forward. Inch by inch.
And he licked Rays' cheek.
Just that.
Nothing else.
An act of forgiveness. Absolute.
Rays burst into a broken laugh. A sound that resembled a sob that couldn't make up its mind.
He whispered, pressed against him:
— I love you too… my brother.
And in that blind night, he ran a hand over the bandages. Gently. Like one caresses a promise.
And for the first time, in that absolute darkness…
…he no longer felt alone.