Progress

Cage sits on a white wooden bench in the garden, violet moonlight shining on the rows of plants surrounding him. He holds a fruit in his hand, split in half to expose the seed inside. The left side of his black robe is off, revealing his shoulder wound. And from that wound, those black tendrils slither slowly through the air and toward the fruit.

The tendrils touch the fruit, then wrap around the seed. A moment later, and the tendrils slither back to where they came from. Cage looks at the fruit, nearly the entire middle section gone, leaving the black skin and a bit of the white behind.

Cage curses to himself, throwing the fruit onto the bench beside him and grabbing another from a pile on the other side. He tries again, and again, each attempt with the same result. Due to his frustration, Cage sometimes regresses in his progress and absorbs the entire fruit. This only makes him more frustrated.

He has made progress since yesterday, both in his precision and overall control of the tendrils. Cage can move the black smoke-like energy quicker, and if he focuses enough, he can even create rough shapes with it. All of this progress in only a day, yet Cage can't bring himself to be satisfied. It isn't enough.

For Cage to absorb the trackers, he needs to have the precision of a surgeon. One mistake, and the reprecussions will undoubtedly be terrible. The worst thing is that despite having some ideas, he really has no idea what will happen.

Cage can paralyze his opponents through touching just their skin, however, this operation will require him to delve inside Kyro and Ingen's body. The trackers are nearly on the surface of their skin, but that fact does not comfort Cage in the slightest. Will he paralyze them forever if he makes a mistake? Or even worse, will they die? The questions pile up in Cage's mind, and each time he tries to answer one, another plops down before him.

Cage will need to be able to absorb just the seed every time, leaving the rest of the fruit untouched. But right now, he can't even do it once, much less consistently. He tries again, and again. And again. Soon, the pile beside him runs out, and on the other side of him is a pile of half-absorbed fruits with black skins.

Cage leans back on the bench with a sigh, head thrown back, black locks hanging behind him. When had he become like this?

He remembers when he first awoke on Kalar, oblivious to everything that he couldn't eat, wandering aimlessly until he met Kyro. The conditions were terrible, and to add to all of it, he could barely remember anything other than that darkness. Yet somehow, Cage was happy at that time, or something close to it.

Cage was alive again for the first time in a thousand years. His only thoughts at the time were food and his brother, and he had nothing to lose except for his life. Everything was simple, and he was just happy to be alive again.

And now, things are so much better for Cage. Kyro is like a father to him, Yoru a mother, and Ingen an elder brother. They are amazing, larger-than-life figures that Cage is beginning to love like family. Plus, his memories are coming back slowly, and he finally has a path to follow in order to find his brother.

However, along with the comfort it brings him to know these people care for him, to know that he has a direction in this life, it also strikes him with terrible anxiety. There are things other than his brother that Cage cares about now, and he could lose all of it in the blink of an eye. He knows the feeling, the overwhelming grief that comes with that loss, and Cage can't help but to fear it, to worry about it, to constantly think of how he can avoid it.

"Working hard, I see," a smooth voice rings out into the night-soaked garden.

Cage pulls his head up, glancing over to find Yoru walking toward him. He musters a half-smile, nodding.

Yoru walks over, sitting on a bench directly across from Cage, one leg over the other with the hem of her dress hanging over her calves. She gazes at the black-eyed man, who stares off with a distracted look on his face. She looks up at the moon, spear earring swaying with the motion, "Alyra is asleep in one of the guest bedrooms," she says, "It's rare for her to not be like this when drinking. She always says that she'll go light and not get too inebriated, but by the third or fourth glass, that control is thrown out the window."

Cage looks at Yoru with furrowed brows, "Why did you choose her to substitute for you?" he asks.

Yoru smiles, "Reasons," she answers. She glances at the pile of disfigured fruit beside Cage, "Any progress?"

Cage looks down at the fruit, then back at Yoru, "A bit," he says, sighing, "But it's not enough."

Yoru furrows her brows, "Care to explain why that is?" she asks.

Cage pauses, lips thinning to a line. His head drops slightly, "Ingen told me something today," he says, "After the meeting, he and Kyro may be executed. It's not certain, but he made it sound as if it's the most likely result."

Yoru nods, "That much is obvious," she replies, "The Epoch's main motivation is control, and anything that threatens that must be removed."

Cage lifts his head, frowning, "You knew and didn't say anything?" he asks.

"Yes, and I apologize for that. I just..." Yoru says, "...I didn't want to acknowledge it. I felt that if I said it out loud, then I would be speaking it into reality," she sighs, shaking her head, "Again, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be the logical one here."

Cage pauses, holding Yoru's gaze for a moment. He doesn't blame her. Yoru just lost her son, and while she hasn't spoken about the boy's father or even her own father, Cage can guess what happened to them. He smiles softly at the woman, "Remember when you said that you feel powerless? That the men in your life go off to die, and there's nothing you can do to help them?" he asks.

Yoru nods, pursing her lips, "I'd rather not remember it, but yes," she replies.

"Well, I can't do anything either. Not without you," Cage says, leaning forward, "I don't know anything about the execution process, but you do. You are the only one that has the knowledge to do this. All I can do is be the tool you need to get things done. And if it means saving Kyro and Ingen, then I have no problem with you using me. You've done so much for me already, and I've been waiting to return the favor."

Yoru smiles, "Thank you, Cage," she replies, "Not many people are willing to put themselves in danger to help another. Truthfully, I don't know what I would do if you were not here."

Cage chuckles, "Well, you would probably have a bit more free time."

"True," Yoru giggles, "I am more than fine with what I have now."

Cage chuckles again. He's done an awful lot of laughing today, despite the impending danger his friends find themselves in. After talking to Yoru, he feels a lot better, but it would be ignorant to not acknowledge the anxiety lingering in the back of his mind. Cage looks up at the third story of Yoru's home, a square block atop the roof of the second floor, "So... Why did you ask Alyra of all people to be a substitute for you?" he asks, eyes drifting to Yoru.

"Oh, that," Yoru replies, raising a brow, "Well, I am a mother first and foremost. You are not my blood, but I still think of you as my second son. Alyra is extremely interested in you, and she's a good woman. You two could be something," she says, gazing at Cage, "Of course, that's only if you like her back. If you don't, then I apologize. She'll leave in the morning and I won't speak of it again."

Cage furrows his brows. He is happy to know that Yoru thinks of him as a son, but how should he say it? "I do like her. She's beautiful, intelligent, and her presence is enjoyable. But, should I really be getting into that kind of relationship with the situation we're in? And why does she like me? We've barely spoken to each other."

"You'll have to ask her about that," Yoru replies, pausing. She glances up at her home, humming.