"You?! MY BROTHER?!?" exclaims Lincoln as he still cannot get his head around it. He remains in denial especially with the timing of things.
Just a while ago, as he looks on Shinyo's comatose body, he considers him to be the closest to a father-figure than anyone else. Turns out, there is a connection between them that is more than blood.
"HOW?" Lincoln repeats. Still in denial, as he paces up and down the room.
"I was the one born of him," clarifies Shinyo, "But I inherited different powers from him. Yours, they say, is more powerful. More complete if you figure out to use it."
"Does he even know?" Lincoln asks, putting a stop to his pacing as Shinyo now draws all of his attention.
"He should," Shinyo responds, "He normally does."
"I had a dream where both of you were in it, but he looked too young to have a child at your age," explains Lincoln, recalling the dream several nights ago.
"Even Dirkan was there," he adds when Shinyo does not offer any response.
"I don't get that part as well. However, he told me himself. And I believed him," Lincoln nodding, "And then this," presenting himself with a full dark cowl covering his body, "Manifests, and that was when I truly believed that he was telling the truth."
Their conversation goes on for hours, and the deeper they go, the more confusing it becomes in Lincoln's head.
"I think we should end it there for now," Lincoln warns, "My head is starting to feel woozy from all the information, and with the day that we had, this has become too much."
"Which reminds me," Shinyo looking up, his attention everywhere in the room, "What happened? I only remember to rush towards where Bridget went, and I passed out as soon as I entered the corridor, and she was nowhere to be seen."
"No clue," Lincoln replies, following where Shinyo's attention is drawing towards, "They did not tell me anything. They just up and left."
Shinyo gives him a blank stare that goes beyond his person. He looks behind him, and there is none to see.
"So," Lincoln begins as he tries to draw Shinyo's attention back to the present, "What do we do now?"
Shinyo continues to partially ignore him, which prompts him to add whether they should train and master their abilities.
"YOU may do that," disagrees Shinyo, which comes as a complete surprise to Lincoln.
"But if we do," Lincoln explains, "We can help turn things around. That way, we don't need the help of 'the others', whoever those are."
"Oh, you do not want to mess with them," Shinyo answers, his eyes even more distant and preoccupied than before.
"Would YOU stop IGNORING me? I am trying to have a conversation with you, not just as your brother but also as your student."
This catches Shinyo's attention.
"Good," Lincoln nods, content with his attentive eyes now on him, but now it is Lincoln's mind that wanders, "What were you desperately trying to look for anyway."
Shinyo gives out a heavy sigh while thinking of a way out of the predicament.
"I was only looking for any clue that may give us an idea as to bring our abilities to their fullest potential."
This excites Lincoln. His eyes sparkle like Christmas has come.
"Alright," completely forgetting how Shinyo despises this idea, "Where should we start?"
"I think, the best place to look for any sort of clue would be the Council room."
Initially, Lincoln raises both his eyebrows. Doubt flashes across his face, then he smiles. A gullible spark returns in his eyes.
"I am just happy that you agree with me."
Their footsteps echo its empty hallways as they make their way above ground. The air is colder at night, more so that there are only two of them in the entire temple.
The whispers seem louder.
"If you think about it," Lincoln breaks the silence, "It's not too bad to have you as a brother. Worse, we could be enemies and fight one another," turning his head over his shoulder, surprising Shinyo as Lincoln gives the most genuine, warm smile that he can give him.
Shinyo does not respond, but Lincoln does not take offense.
"Did not expect that from me?" questions Lincoln, "I can surprise people at times," giving him another smile.
They step out on to the Center Court. The night breeze much stronger, but not as suffocating as it is inside. Its fresh, but strong with the smell of iron forcing itself into their nostrils.
The sand beneath them not as soft as some is turning from the dry blood that coats its grains. Lincoln notices Shinyo to stand suddenly in silence.
"Quite a sight, huh?" Lincoln describes, but you cannot see a single teeth shows itself between his lips, "Not the day I expected."
"C'mon," Lincoln invites him, urging them along.
"I just really hope that they are able to take back Shyama," Lincoln comments on a whim. This catches Shinyo's attention, and his manner becomes aggressive but subdues it enough so Lincoln will not notice.
"What happened to her?"
"At the end of it all, they could not find her. They believe she was taken by the enemy, and that is why everyone was in a hurry to leave."
"Even saw Stephan breakdown because of it, although he claims that it was all a ruse to make Dirkan cooperate."
"And what about Dirkan?" Shinyo asks, gentler in his tone. Guilty laces every word.
"In the end, he escaped. Busted himself out of the cell underground and disappears."
Lincoln notices he loses Shinyo's attention quite frequently, but he brushes it off and ignores it.
"Here we are!" announces Lincoln with gusto, "The Council room," his entire body squares towards Shinyo's direction, before worry carves itself in the lines on Lincoln's face.
"Are you alright?" he asks, worry in his tone as he catches Shinyo standing still by the doorway. He grabs him and turns Shinyo towards him until their eyes meet, his shot in red.
"You bastard," he whispers. He lets him go, but it is too late. His body falls limp. Not long after, his vision goes before his consciousness falls in and out of the present. He falls into a weightless void as soon as he is out. Unlike the one that his consciousness normally falls into, this one feels empty. Lifeless. Even Stygian is not around to badger him, more so Shadow.
It is heavy in isolation, then a sharp sting from his side follows.
(That bastard. I may have broken my sides now. I'll get him back for this!)
But this darkness, despite the weightlessness, ties his body down. Even his fingers, he is unable to move. Even opening his eyes is impossible, and the more conscious he is of this, the more the anxiety consumes him. Worse, the longer he stays in the middle, the stronger the darkness' strangle on him, draining the life out of him.
Not long before, his eyes open. The darkness that greets him is that of the dark Council room, and in standing over him is Shinyo.
"The GALL to still be here!" Lincoln proclaims as he struggles to set himself free,
"What are these?"
"To answer your bold statement first, I had to make sure you are safe first," explains Shinyo, "To your second inquiry, obviously, I tied you up."
"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE," sarcastically answers Lincoln, "You wouldn't have knocked me out if my safety was your concern."
"I had to," calmly answers Shinyo, "Otherwise, when I rush off, no matter how many warnings I give you, you will be just behind me."
"So, you mean, I should even be thankful that you knocked me out again and tied me up like a prisoner?"
"That's not what I --," starts Shinyo before he stops himself and decides that he should not even be explaining to him.
"You said you were going to train me," reminds Lincoln, his head now hanging low, facing the cobblestones on the floor.
"Circumstances change," Shinyo strongly justifying his actions, "We have to win quickly. Get Shyama back, then you can hold me to my promise."
His tears fall in response. Every drop evaporates as soon as they touch the stones beneath his knees until a waterfall jump off his eyes.
"How will I break free?" asks Shinyo when he realizes that expecting a response from Shinyo is futile.
"Those ties will be easy to escape from as soon as I leave."
It is Lincoln who does not respond this time. His face still facing the floor.
When Shinyo does not hear a word of response from him, he bids his goodbye in a whisper and disappears in thin air. In an instant, the ties on his wrist loosen. However, he continues to kneel without any hint of movement. The despair in him growing with every second that passes until his body could not contain it any longer. He burst out laughing. A boisterous laugh before turning into wails of despair as the tears continue to roll off his cheek cultivating the feeling of betrayal.
Then, anger bursts into one explosion. The shadows around him and in the temple dance happily with every scream that he lets escape his lips.
Every corner of the temple shakes until Stygian comes to life. Moving enthusiastically around him, just like how he normally does when he is in the void. Giddy. Lincoln greets it with a raise of his eyebrow. Doubt.
"What are you doing here?"
A tug in his belly tells him that Stygian is giving him a confident smirk.
"HOW?!"
"It's because I am here," the faint outline of shadow approaches.
"Again," Lincoln emphasizes, "How?"
"It seems like your strong emotions have generated enough power to force a break in the wall between our world," explains Shadow, his outline looking around in nostalgia, "To be honest, this is a first, even for me."
Stygian nods in agreement.
"Man," exclaims Shadow with excitement, "It's been a long time since I've been here."
"Anyways, enough of nostalgia. I can see you are stuck," Shadow sees. Like Stygian, a smug smirk on his face as the same sensation tugs at his gut, "And you want to take revenge?"
"Revenge, I believe, is too strong a word," clarifies Lincoln, "More like, I just want to prove to him that I am to the task whatever he is planning, or what the others are planning."
"You do have such a big complex of proving yourself, eh?"
"If you are not going to help me, then I'd rather be alone than be mocked like this."
Shadow laughs. Stygian doesn't.
"Seems he really likes your company Lincoln," Shinyo making an observation.
Lincoln looks over and smiles at Stygian. It smiles back.
"I don't believe that he is working with Birch and the Council,�� Shadow concludes,
"He is acting on his own accord. Coming up with plans as he goes along."
"How would you know?"
Shadow raises his eyebrows, giving him time to remember his connection with Shinyo.
"Oh," then, Shadow nods.
"So," Lincoln adds, "What now?"
"What do you mean?" although, acting dumb although, he already has something in his mind.
"I mean, what do I do now? Just stay here?"
"Wait," Lincoln continues, "You know what? That wouldn't be too bad. You're here now. We can stay here and make progress with my skills and powers. Teach me how to maximize them."
"Sadly, that is now how it works."
"Tell me how!"
"Nope," Shadow stubbornly refuses him, "I already have something in mind, anyway.
"If you have something to prove to Shinyo, the first step should be to get to where he is," then he extends his hand. Invites him to grab hold. Lincoln hesitates, but not for too long.
(What other choice do I have?)
"Remember that where shadows lurk, your powers become a tool?"
Lincoln nods, but with confusion in his eyes.
"Well, you can also use it for travel. As long as you know the place – how it looks and where it is – then you can use your powers to move from one place to another in one bound."
Without warning, Shadow sucks them into space with a force that touts his skin back tight.
"You have to see it in your head where you are going, otherwise it would not work."
The pull is limiting his ability to answer, but he mumbles, and just like many of their connection, Shadow understands.
"I don't know if you are going to find me there, but that will depend on you."
(Another answer that needs an answer later.)
"Hold on," Shadow announces, "We will be arriving soon."