Their bones ached more these days. Chara placed a hand over the glass and stared down at the flowers growing in the throne room. Their throne sat boldly next to Asriel's despite the monster's being taller than theirs. Chara could just make out the indent in the seating from their behind. The leather was aging. They would need replace the seating soon.
"Chara?" The human sensed their best friend before the monster had entered the room. He hurried over to the elder human and threw his arms over Chara's shoulders, leaning his chin on their head as he groaned. "There you are. You left me to the meeting alone." Asriel whined.
Chara smiled. "You handled it fine."
"You know I hate to do them alone, though!" Asriel was sulking, Chara could tell. They didn't need to see his face to picture the puffed out cheeks. It seemed some things never changed with him.
"You will have to learn to do it eventually."
Asriel stiffened, his arms automatically crossing over Chara's chest as if he could keep them there just by his will alone. His body was warm against Chara's back and a familiar scent just above the smell of the golden flowers that decorated the throne room. Asriel pressed his face to Chara's hair. "Don't talk like that, Chara." He murmured.
"It is the truth." Chara petted Asriel's hands. "I will die long before you will."
"Still."
Chara decided it best to change the topic. They had come into this room for a reason, after all. "I believe," they confessed, "that a human has fallen into the Underground."
"What?" Asriel gasped and spun Chara around to face him. Chara had to lift their head to meet his worried gaze. "How can you tell? A-Are you sure?"
Chara smiled. "I am sure. And they have a red Soul like mine. Time jumped earlier today. I had only recently noticed."
Asriel frowned, considering the repercussions of two humans being able to control time. Chara hadn't thought it was possible. It seemed like far too strong of an ability. Asriel seemed to understand this. "But . . . how are they more determined than you? When you have such a hefty goal?"
Chara shook their head. "They are not as powerful. But it seems I have lost my ability to RESET in compensate for their appearance. That is how I know they are here."
"Can you . . . sense where they are?" His voice was small. Chara pretended they didn't hear the hope in his voice. It wasn't hope for accomplishing their goal, after all. What a soft-hearted little fool. Chara loved him dearly.
"No." Asriel didn't respond. He stared at the glass container Chara's hand had moved back to rest on. "I will alert the guards to be better prepared. We cannot allow this opportunity to slip through our hands." They turned back to Asriel and walked past him, brushing their hand against his. "I will not be around forever to do the dirty work for you, Asriel."
The door closed with a quiet thump as Asriel stared at the Soul floating in the glass container. His chest felt like it was constricting with his dread. "Yeah," he whispered, "I know."