Pulling Dui to me in a hastily manner, my hands rest on his biceps, fingers gripping his uniform. I feel Dui flinch under my hold.
In a hoarse breath, I whimper. "Dui...don't go."
"...Don't look so sad." Dui says, in voice low. "Think about it, Abbey. I just tried to kill you..."
"That was...the other Dui..."
Dui shakes his head as if to cut me off, and steps back to free himself from my grasp. And my hands are left slightly trembling as I can no longer feel him.
He looks at me with a weak smile. "Unfortunately, the part of me that tried to kill you is also me." His expression alters to an even sadder one, as if the words he says pains him. "I think, somewhere deep in my heart, I hate you, Abbey. That's why I tried to kill you."
My hands clench into fists. "No...why would you say that?"
"Looking down at humans from the heavens, I loved them, but at the same time, I was jealous that they seemed happy, that they had places they belong... jealous of how they were able to forget their sins and move on so easily. Somewhere deep in my heart, a part of me has always hated and resented humans for that."
This... can't be true...
What the hell is happening?!
I feel a headache coming on as one thought after another comes to mind, while my heart feels like it's being crushed slowly as I reluctantly listen to Dui.
"It's the same with you... Somewhere in my love for you, there is something else. You're so pure, so good. You always work so hard at whatever you do..."
I shake my head, as my eyes squeeze shut.
Shut up...
It's not true!
Dui continues. "You're so beautiful, body and soul, Abbey. I think I'm jealous of that. MY body and soul has been polluted by evil... I'm impure. A being like me can never sparkle again."
Just stop...
My fists rest against my hurting heart, as my hair falls in front of my face as I look at the ground.
"So, under my love for you, I think I've probably also hated you. I hated you to the point of wanting to kill you."
Deep down, even though he says these words to hurt me, and I believe of what he says is the truth or not just for show. I still, not a single part of me hates him.
"Even if that's not true and not even a single cell in my body has ever hated you. Even if I'm just imagining all of this, I'm disgusted with myself. Disgusted with myself for even imagining such a thing. That's why... I'm sorry." Dui looks at me again and gives me his kind smile. "I have to say goodbye to you, Abbey."
Dui then flinches, like he did before when I touched him and I notice that he's distracted by something on his back.
"Dui...what is it?" I ask, taking note of his behaviour.
"Nothing... my mark is tingling, that's all." He says, voice quivering.
"Show me your mark." I demand, calmly.
Dui eyes widen at my request.
I repeat myself as I step closer. "Show me your mark, Dui."
Dui hesitates before allowing me to walk around him and push his clothes up to reveal his back.
"What the..." I look at his mark in utter confusion. "Your mark...is darker?"
The symbol of a bird and its inky black wings are blacker than black.
"The king is watching." Dui utters. "He's trying to tell me that those who hurt people they love don't deserve forgiveness."
"Stop that... that is not what this means." I sternly tell him. "Stop being so goddamn hard on yourself, Dui!"
"I'm sorry, but there's no use trying anymore..." Dui clutches his mark, his face twisting in pain. "I must meet with the king..."
"Why?" I nervously ask,
Dui breaths, and flashes me another sad smile, but doesn't respond.
Then Dui swiftly grabs me hard by the arm and, pointing his hand at the door, repeatedly snaps his fingers.
"Uh...what...are you doing?" Looking between the door and Dui, I ask.
"Please... bring me to the king." Dui whispers.
"The king? What are you going to do?" I ask again.
Dui doesn't answer a single question.
"Please, answer me! Dui!" I shout.
"Please... connect." Dui snaps his fingers at the door again.
A mixture of anxiety and anger, I can't shake the feeling that I need to stop Dui. But as much as I plead, Dui ignores me.
"Dui!" I try to jerk my arm free, but Dui has it grasped tightly.
"... Yes!" Dui gasps.
Then my apartment door slams open, but instead of their being a corridor on the other side, is a entirely different scene of one being unfamiliar and disturbing,
"What is that?" I stare through the doorway.
Iridescent lights resembling an aurora wriggle and writhe in the endless darkness on the other side of the door.
The creeping feeling of fear crawls up my skin, as I'm mesmerized by the scene.
"Looks like it connected..." Dui says.
"You...can't be serious." I shake my head.
"I have to go..."
"What? Y-you're going through that?"
"...Yes."
Knowing that there is no way of talking him out of this, I think of something stupid. "If that's the case... I'm going with you. I will not have you leave me like this!"
Dui shakes free of my grasp and walks towards the door.
I rush him and tug on his arm with all the strength I have in m body.
"Dui, please! Think this through!" I beg him as I continue to hold him back.
Dui stops for a moment to gaze into my eyes. And, while were touching, he snaps his fingers again.
I've suddenly gone rigid, unable to move any part of my body. Not even my own voice is working.
Dui...
Goddamn it! Don't go!
"Good bye...Abbey..." Dui says again. "I'm really, truly glad I was able to meet you."
I fight through the weird spell Dui put on me and feel my voice strain. "Dui!"
However, by the time I'm able to move again, Dui already had disappeared into the darkness.
"No!" I scream, without giving it a second thought I run to the open doorway, fully prepared to jump into the inky blackness.
"No, Goldie!" Teorus suddenly appears. "You can't go in there!" He wraps his arms around my waist holding me back.
I look over my shoulder to see the rest of the gods standing there.
"Let me go!" I try to wiggle free, as I scream.
"Dui was here right?" Ichthys asks. "He...he disappeared from the mansion all of a sudden."
I shake my head as I still try to fight Teorus off, but I find it's no use against his godly strength.
"Abbey...please...calm down." Teorus says, slowly releasing me.
I gasp for air, suddenly feeling weak.
"This space-time zone..." Huedhaut carefully observes the doorway.
"Pfft..." Leon scoffs. "So, he went and forced a connection with this zone, totally unconcerned with the consequences of his actions?"
I grit my teeth. "He said...he was going to see the king...and then jumped through the damn door!"
I pick up a chair from my kitchen and angrily toss it across the room as I cry out. Hearing the legs snap off the chair doesn't quite satisfy the hopelessness and anger I feel.
I didn't even tell him how I felt...
I never even said how much I loved him back!
There has to be something I can do!
I can't let it end like this!
The gods stand there in total shock.
I run my hands through my hair, as I pace around my apartment.
Leon sighs. "What a fool. There's no guarantee an unstable zone like this is really connected to the heavens."
"Wait, what?" I shout.
"Especially with that mark. If he can't use his powers, his life could be in danger." Huedhaut explains with a heavy heart.
He can't just end his life!
That's no the way to go!
"Someone needs to go after him then, right?" I panic, my hand gesturing to the door.
Scorpio who's just been observing finally speaks. "...I'm going to try and talk to Zyglavis."
Ichthys nods. "I'll go too!"
Scorpio and Ichthys leave my apartment via the balcony.
"Now then, about taking care of this eyesore of a door..." Huedhaut says, eyeing the door.
"Seal it." Leon orders. "This door could cause any manner of chaos on earth."
Teorus nods. "Yeah. With something like this hanging around, anything could pop out."
Teorus gently touches my shoulder and snaps his fingers.
I clench my fists even tighter. "But...Dui..."
"I know something could happen to him, but the effect of the heavens and the gods' powers on earth are to great." Leon explains. "IF we leave this door open for him, large numbers of goldfish could die. Are you prepared for that possibility?" Leon challenges me to a question.
"Seriously?" I look from Leon to the door.
I watch as the door slowly begins to close, and I come to a decision.
"Well...I may not be prepared for that." I take a deep breath. "But I'm prepared for this!"
I push myself off the ground, sprinting towards the door.
"Abbey!" Teorus shouts.
I take a leap through the doorway, slowly being engulfed by the mysterious abyss.
I hear the gods call out for me, from behind, but I keep going.
Nothing but darkness surrounds me.
Unable to know which way is up or down, I continue to float through the endless void. Nauseated by the sudden dizzy spell that comes over me. My body begins to feel heavy, and I slowly start to feel disconnected from my body. I push on, determined to find Dui before it's too late.
"Dui...?" My voice comes out weak as I travel through the weird space-time zone.
I take a breath and close my eyes, as I plead over and over again.
Please...take me to Dui...
Opening my eyes once again, I lose my balance and it feels like I've been flipped upside down.
"What the hell is this...?" I pant.
All by myself in the loneliness of the darkness, deep within me I can slowly find myself shriveling up into a ball of hopelessness.
"No..." I tell myself. "You won't go back to feeling that way..." I begin to move forward, weakly, again with determination in my heart. "I need to find Dui... Please be safe, Dui..."
"Abbey?"
I gasp, hearing the comforting voice I had been wanting to hear the moment I leaped into this deranged place.
Strong arms pull me and the next thing I know, Dui appears before my eyes.
"Oh my god..." I sigh happily, unsure whether to smack him or kiss him. "Dui...thank goodness."
He shakes his head, scolding me. "There's nothing good about any of this! Why? You can't be here!"
"But..."
"Do you know what happens to humans who come here? What'll happen to your life? Do you understand what you've done?! Dui grows more and more angry, as he shouts at me, his hands gripping my arms tighter.
I get up into his face as I yell back. "You can be pissed off all you want! But we're leaving this place! Together!"
Dui shakes his head. "There's... no way out of here. I was going to ask the king to extinguish my life." His eyes show pain and sadness as he speaks. "But it looks like I'm stuck here in this in-between zone."
I look around us. Well...shit...
"This is a zone where darkness reigns eternal. If I stay here, I think I can die like I was hoping. It won't be long before I'm extinguished completely."
I shake my head, not wanting to hear any of it. "Stop talking like that..."
"I already decided..."
I feel my shoulder tremble. "But you can't decide something that important all by yourself! And I'm not talking about just me, but none of the other gods want to lose you either! Stop being so stupidly selfish!" I scream.
"Well, there's one person who wants this..." Dui looks at me with a sad smile. "Me."
He gives me a look that says it all. That he's given up on everything.
If only there was something I could of done to ease his suffering before it came to this...
"And I bet the other Dui wants the same thing..." Dui sighs. "I'm sorry...About everything..."
Then I notice, started with his feet and moving upwards, Dui's body begins to grow transparent.
"D-Dui?" I call out to him in a panic as my hands grab his uniform.
"I'm sorry... thank you." He smiles. "I'll give you the last of my power so you can get safely back to earth."
"No..." I plead. "Not without you."
I can't...I don't want to loose anyone I love...not again...
"Stop! Dui!" Shadow Dui shouts.
I see the expression on Dui's face change and I notice that Shadow Dui has shown himself.
"You!" Dui widens his eyes.
Dui's expressions change rapidly as he switches between personalities.
Shadow Dui glares. "I am you! But I don't want you to extinguish yourself!"
Dui's eyes return to their kindness. "The other me... I've always been so weak. Thank you for taking on all the sadness and pain I couldn't handle..." Dui looks away, as if ashamed. "I've put you through nothing but pain. I'm sorry... But, I'm tired now..."
"Dui!" Shadow Dui shouts.
Dui sighs. "If I disappear, you'll be... at peace..."
"Like hell I will!" Shadow Dui glares angrily.
I knew it!
As the theory I've had all along comes to light. It proves that Shadow Dui only means to protect Dui. The two personalities inside one body care and want to try ad protect each other.
Shadow Dui grows a panicked look on his face. "Dui! Hey! Dui! What's wrong? Where'd you go?! Come back one more time!"
I watch Shadow Dui, and it's clear to me that under the violence and rage, he is kind. He does his best to protect his other self.
"Dui, please!" I shout as well. "Listen to the voice in your own head! You have to! He doesn't really want you to disappear at all!"
Without thinking or hesitating I gently wrap my arms around the Dui standing before me, embracing him, hoping that the warmth from my hug reaches both of his selves at once.
"Dui..." I whisper. "Please..."
"Get off me!" Shadow Dui yells.
"No!" I snap back at him, my embrace tightens around him.
"You! Do you know who I am?!" He asks, all high-and-mighty.
"Of course! You're the other Dui!"
Shadow Dui looks at me in surprise.
I then hear Dui's voice. It's speaking directly to my mind.
You... you only care for the kind Dui, right?
You just think I'm in the way, don't you?
So...why?
"Why?" I repeat, as I look up at him, staring into his brown eyes. "Both you and the other Dui..." I place my hand on the back of his neck. "To me, you're both Dui, and you're both...important to me!"
Shadow Dui looks a little sad, but doesn't say a word for a moment, just staring back into my own eyes.
"I'm beginning to feel like I understand. The reason why the other Dui fell in love with you."
Huh?" I look at him in confusion.
"If he's still ignoring me, that means... I didn't save Dui..." Shadow Dui's expression is a mixture of sadness and anger. "I did the opposite. I drove him to this more than anyone..."
Shadow Dui's arms reach around me, like he's going to hug me back. However, instead of embracing me, his hands push me away.
"H-hey!" I shout.
"There's no way to save Dui!"
"B-but..."
"If I disappear, he'll have to come back! I'm going to disappear!"
"No..." I whimper.
"I want you to let me touch you, just a little..." He says, his tone soft.
"But if you do that..."
You...Shadow Dui will disappear. Without the other Dui knowing how he really feels...
"Ugh!" Frustrated, my hands press against the top of my head, trying to figure out what to do. "Is this really the right thing to do? Because it won't!"
I come to a decision. One that I will not hesitate, as I hope it will save them both.
