#illusionarymagic

The academic felt cocooned in sleep as he weakly struggled against...something. His last thoughts had been of terror, pain, searing white light, and his body being blown asunder by flames. This confinement and struggle was unlike his body succumbing to the darkness. This felt less insidious, but much heavier.

This was death, he supposed.

But he felt tension from elsewhere, energy pulling him away from the gaping void that wrapped more tightly around him. Why would something want him to leave this place? It was comfortable, almost. He’d been struggling for nearly a decade of hollowness, lies, and betrayal. This embrace tempted him to let go for once, rest his bones. The more he considered letting the heaviness consume him, the opposing energy pulled harder in response. What was this energy he felt? Or rather, he felt two energies. The first was like a thin, silver rope to lead him on the right path. He grasped for it, but it seemed just out of reach. Annoying, really. The second felt comforting and resilient, but solid. It lifted him up like a hand, away from the inky blackness he wallowed in. He willed himself to hold on and followed.

Ienzo’s hands were balled tightly into fists in his lap. It was his turn to watch Even. Aeleus was outside in the study with Dilan and Lea, reorganizing the books and recollecting their scrambled thoughts, which left Ienzo alone with his own. The man before him looked so vulnerable, which was made more apparent when he had watched Aeleus carefully carry him to the cot Ienzo had hurriedly set up. He breathed slowly, deeply, but didn’t awaken. Casting his gaze downward and closing his eyes, Ienzo reached out with his heart. They all did this every so often to check on those who hadn’t yet awakened. Dilan had come to in this way, and Even would follow...so they hoped. Ienzo could still feel Even’s heart--but now it was faltering. He was beginning to give up. Ienzo sprang up to his feet and went to Even’s side, watching closely.

No! Don’t do this. Please, stay! he urged silently, gripping the other’s arm. He felt the older man struggle to hold on despite Ienzo’s help. He shouted for Aeleus, who rushed in and immediately knew what was going on from Ienzo’s anxiety.

“Have we lost him?” Aeleus asked grimly. He closed his eyes as Ienzo had done and attempted to find Even’s heart. It flickered dimly to him, as if it were a gem at the bottom of a muddy pond.

“No, not yet,” Ienzo replied quickly. “He’s struggling to stay with us, however.” Aeleus hummed and gave a quick nod in reply, gripping Even’s free arm.

The two stood in silence over Even as they combined their efforts to save him. In stark contrast to Zexion’s detached nature, Ienzo’s raw, poorly-controlled emotions flooded forth the harder he tried. The young man’s chest heaved as he tried to control his breathing and avoid descending into a sobbing mess. Having a heart after being without one had been especially chaotic and stressful for him. Ienzo knew Aeleus had his back, but he had learned while caring for their remaining comrade that he simply did not feel completely safe unless Even was there too. To lose him would be traumatic; it would break him for sure.

“I’ve got him,” Aeleus stated. “For now at least. Focus on his heart, Ienzo. Focus hard.”

Ienzo nodded and redoubled his efforts. Their combined energies brought Even’s heart into view within their minds. What was once dim and muddy had increased to a consistent brilliance. They could now feel the warmth it had. They heard his pulse now, albeit muffled, as if covered in felt. Ienzo hardly realized he’d begun to shed large, hot tears as the pulse continued to become stronger still, until its sound filled his ears.

His blue eyes snapped open upon hearing a weak groan and feeling arms move. “...Even.” He stared, awestruck, at the blond as he stirred. The face that had once been smooth and lifeless contorted back to life, the blond’s eyebrows settling into their default furrowed state. Green eyes opened at last. “Even!” Relief crashed over Ienzo like a wave, and he let it take him. He hung his head and let the sobs silently wrack his body.

Aeleus helped Even slowly sit up, one hand firmly on his back to support him. His face remained stoic as always, but his gaze softened. “Welcome back.”

Even looked at the two before him in confusion. There they were, as always, but they had their old work clothes on, not the cloaks they had worn for what seemed like eternity. A welcome back, he had said? How could this be? A sick dream, perhaps. His thoughts had just started grinding into gear when a mop of messy hair burrowed into his shoulder. It couldn’t be a dream, nor could it be a memory. Ienzo was here, he was grown, and he was holding him with a ferocity he had never seen. And he was...crying.

As Nobodies, their ties had been broken by time and constant apathy. It became cutthroat, and everyone slept with one eye open. They had been warped beyond recognition. This was different. Even tentatively moved his arm up, as if he would disappear should he move too quickly, to bury his fingers in Ienzo’s hair. Yes, this was real. Without a set of gloves to dull his sense of touch, the tickle of the younger man’s hair was a welcome delight.