Chapter Text
Mino followed the guard, his mind racing and blank at the same time.
He didn’t want to.
He couldn’t.
He wasn’t going to.
Right?
He was losing his mind.
While on their way a message on console appeared.
<Moretingz> did you actually think that would work?
He stared at it, stopping.
The guard pulled him forward, making him stumble.
He caught himself and kept walking.
But he didn’t want to.
They arrived in the arena but it was empty.
Almost.
Someone was sitting on the tree.
Was that Airo?
He blinked and saw that it was Tingz.
Was it?
He couldn’t tell.
Tingz looked different.
His skin’s details were darker and more defined.
Tingz winced when jumping off the tree.
Like he was in pain.
But he smiled.
And that scared Mino.
He wanted to run.
To just turn around and run.
He knew he wouldn’t get far.
He could try-
“Moretingz whispers to you: I wouldn’t do that.”
He looked at Tingz.
Rather stared at him.
The man had just snapped and it appeared.
But he had flinched when he’d done it.
Mino had noticed that.
He didn’t make himself any hopes.
Tingz was emitting strength particles.
He wouldn’t get anywhere even if he tried.
He didn’t know what to do.
What even could he do?
He had reason to assume Tingz had full access to console.
That’s what Dade had called it.
It was used for chat it seemed.
He knew from others that this myth called console gave owners their omnipotence.
It gave them access to commands.
He had that reason because he was still alive.
When Tingz had lost it he wasn’t finished after almost killing him.
Mino had been healed in seconds, only to almost die again.
The memories were flooding his mind.
He didn’t want to remember it.
He tried ignoring them and focused one what he knew.
Facts.
At least what he thought were facts.
He tried to keep it together.
Airo.
Dade.
Sophii.
His thoghts kept drifting off.
Tingz.
The interface of his console started flickering.
He looked at Tingz, the man hadn’t moved.
He just watched Mino.
He couldn’t tell whether it was fascination or contempt.
Maybe both.
“You’re not supposed to be able to do that.”
Tingz said it calmly but slight rage was audible.
Just covered up enough for guards not to notice.
But Mino had been in the citadel.
He’d been subject to Tingz’ control complex before.
He knew when to back down.
Airo.
Airo.
Why had he killed him?
He couldn’t.
Not now.
He wanted it to stop.
He couldn’t.
Why wouldn’t it stop?
The look on Airo’s face.
Why had he looked so happy?
Why didn’t it stop?!
He stepped back, Airo flashing before his eyes.
Sophii.
Dade.
Was he losing his mind?
A new console panel popped up.
Then another.
And another.
They all read the same thing.
[WARNING]
-OVERWRITE ACTIVE-
Console access granted
Use /help to see commands
More and more panels kept appearing.
Mino covered his ears, the memories were too loud.
He wanted it to stop.
So badly.
So why wouldn’t it.
He had killed Airo.
He had betrayed the north.
This was his fault.
He closed his eyes, pressing them shut.
-°^=^°-
He just watched.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
The voidling was accessing console.
Sophii had planned this.
He had underestimated her.
By a lot.
How was Mino able to use console?
This was never supposed to happen.
He felt control slip from his hands.
Not again.
Never again.
He’d take it back.
No matter how.
He snapped, sending a wave of pain through his body.
He sent a guard to get Dade.
This was either a good decision or it would kill him.
Considering he was technically immortal that part wasn’t great.
He reached for his throat, still feeling the phantom pain from Sophii’s attack.
She had been stupid.
She had paid for it.
Mino looked like he was about to collapse.
Good.
That way he didn’t have to use console more than necessary.
His mind was already ahead trying to find the best outcome for this situation.
The best way to do this was using /kill.
But he didn’t want to.
He wanted Mino alive.
He wanted it to be him.
He had escaped him once.
He wouldn’t let it happen again.
This was his project.
Even Death agreed not to interfere.
So why was console doing this?
Was Mino actively interacting with it?
How would he know.
He had seen it in his mind, he knew nothing about console.
Why was this happening?!
He decided to not bother.
He drew his sword.
Just in case.
-°^=^°-
Dade followed a guard towards the arena.
They had looked panicked, it wasn’t one of Tingz’ main guards.
They hadn’t known him.
He hadn’t known them either.
They fumbled the first wind charge but opened the door at the second try.
When he entered he saw pure carnage.
Mino lied on the floor, there was a pool of blood around him but he wasn’t dead.
Dade could see his shallow breaths.
Tingz was bleeding as well.
Blood dropped from his sword.
He looked at the newcomers, he had his genuine expression on his face.
No act for once.
But he didn’t know if he preferred that.
It meant something so messed up happened.
Tingz didn’t bother keeping it up.
He looked in pain, to say the least.
To be honest Dade was surprised he was still standing.
He didn’t know why he was here.
So he just stared.
Trying to process what had happened.
Tingz snapped and one of the guards looked up, that flicker in front of them.
They left quickly.
He wanted to get to Mino but the guard grabbed his arm.
They shook their head.
Not in a mean way.
More in a way that told him that was a bad idea.
He struggled against their grip but they were using strength.
It wasn’t fair.
He pulled against the grip, eventually putting in his entire weight.
They didn’t even break a sweat.
He started to understand why strength was this overpowered.
He saw movement from Tingz and stopped.
The man had crouched down and grabbed Mino.
He dragged him after himself, walking up to Dade.
He looked pissed.
Not the angry he sometimes showed.
He looked like he was about to kill everyone in there.
He probably was.
The guard returned, pulling Sophii along.
She looked about as informed as Dade.
Not at all.
Tingz’ walked up to her, ignoring him except for the fact he dropped Mino in front of him.
-°^=^°-
Sophii watched Dade check on Mino.
She was glad he was even alive.
Not that she felt guilty, she just didn’t want something bad to happen to him.
Right?
Tingz stood in front of her.
He had already demoted her to prisoner when he found out Mino could defy him.
She didn’t feel like finding out what would happen now.
She knew Mino could use console due to the logs.
There were more warnings than when death escaped.
She laughed.
Her situation was genuinely fucked up.
She couldn’t help but laugh about it.
She just didn’t care anymore.
Onii hated her.
Mino and Dade did too, probably.
The guards had no idea what was going on.
“You know, Tingz, you should’ve killed me when I still cared.”
“I’m not going to kill you. I just have a question.”
“Oh? The great Tingz has a question?”
“Did you know this would happen?”
“Know this would happen?!”
Her voice startet sounding hysterical.
She was losing it and she knew.
The only thing clear in her mind was Onii.
Her closest friend.
Her greatest weakness.
“Of course I didn’t! No one is supposed to do that! Not you, not Mino, no one!”
Tingz stayed quiet but his expression showed everything.
He was planning on killing everyone here.
Maybe even himself.
Sophii didn’t know that.
And she wasn’t going to try her luck.
Or maybe she was.
She just didn’t care anymore.
She had lost everything because of him.
Now she’d take him with her.
She laughed again, this time louder.
More painful.
It was more like realization hit.
She wanted to cry.
To do rash stuff.
But she couldn’t.
She wouldn’t.
-°^=^°-
Mino woke up.
He felt horrible.
He saw Dade and felt even worse.
The memories returned.
Airo.
Mino whimpered.
A horrid thought.
He looked around.
Sophii and Tingz were arguing.
Tingz looked weird.
Like he was going to collapse from pain anytime.
Sophii looked like she was about to kill everyone here.
Now that he found the description, it fit Tingz quite well too.
He could’ve sworn he saw Airo.
Dade looked distressed.
He felt like everyone here knew more than him.
And he hated it.