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The Spiral Staircase (2/3)

[anonymous]

5.

In the end Minato's nothing more than a mirror, reflecting whatever the viewer wants to see - but he does have three peculiar quirks. The first, obviously, is the multitude of shapes and voices he carries in his head. He's the boy with potential. The second is the way he flows like liquid between those around him, conforming to the spaces they provide him and always knowing exactly what they need to take. All things to all people. But these don't really count; they're abilities one would expect a mirror to possess.

The third and final quirk, a talent for survival, is a little different. It's proved the most useful and most painful of all. He conquered Tartarus, challenged Nyx, saved the world. He just couldn't do anything for the three people who mattered most.

6.

He's half in love with death, even if he doesn't realize it. You hear it echo in every stair he climbs and in the silence between every shallow breath. The gaps last longer each time. You try to breathe along with him - or at least you try to make the gestures.

You wish he'd killed you in December, but wishes are worthless to the dead and you and him are nothing more than aberrations; blips in the inexorable cycle of annihilation and rebirth. Minato will die, is dying, but Nyx will eventually return. You'd tell him this if it wasn't far too late.

7.

His nightmare goes like this: brakes shriek, tires burn, steel caves in around him - and then he's in the street, standing on the Moonlight Bridge.

Or it's how it used to go. The dream faded with his arrival at Port Island. He decided it was due to the Midnight Hour; the whole team was exhausted and left relying on brief snatches of dreamless sleep. It was one of the few things they all had in common, most of which fell away with the end of January.

There's another commonality, one that still exists and one he'd hoped to exploit. They're all orphans in their own way, some more literally than others, and Minato thought that would help, that maybe he'd make a connection. But each hell is unique, and Minato's never known how to truly bond with anyone. With one exception, he reminds himself - but it's an exception that doesn't count, because they're the same. Pharos, Ryoji, Pharos. The images shift back and forth but the smile never changes. It invites him, promises to make things easier, tells him nothing lasts forever. It's lying, of course.

He closes his eyes; drops his sword. It clatters down the stairs behind him, metal on stone, an echo reverberating off the walls. His feet carry him up, step by step.

8.

Nothing lasts forever, but Minato's an exception. Holding back the tide requires a sacrifice and the days and hours and minutes are ticking away. He'll die and live forever.

Except that's not really how it works. He'll die, he'll be gone, and you'll go with him. It's only the energy of a soul that's needed to hold back Nyx, not the ideas and memories contained within. Those just spill out with the dust and blood.

The boy with potential - the hollow boy - climbs the spiral towards you, and you're still left waiting. You've been waiting half his life, though, and a few more minutes make no difference.