Left soundless in the dark, a lone girl suddenly got her wish granted.
She had returned to the world that she despised, left with just traces of the former words and scenes she'd been force-fed.
But no—this wasn't the world she despised. This was the Tomb, the one place where Arabelle could actually prove herself, could prove her worth.
So if she placed that much love into that greyness…
Then why did her eyes feel so hollow?
『It isn't your burden if it's something you can share.』
Pulling a dark blanket off the lantern that had concealed this world from light, that sole thought was all she was left with.
And although the once-beautiful cave now lit in spectacular glory…
Arabelle felt absolutely nothing.
"…"
According to the "witch" that had captured her, and forced her into a world devoid of emotions, Arabelle now possessed knowledge that could save countless lives. Knowledge that could right the wrongs of years of Fate messing with Arabelle's life.
And now outside of that, all Arabelle had were those overwhelming emotions that the Abyss failed to choke back, now having no where else to go…
Seeing the faces of the people who threw her away. Who took everything from her. How many years had she gone without crying? How many years had she forced herself not to?
Arabelle had the foresight to fix everything, and yet… She cast herself down here, into the deepest and darkest depths of a Tomb, devoid of humanity, just to prove her worth to the very people she despised.
Down here, alone.
Down here, cast away.
Down here…
And in the end, Arabelle had absolutely nothing.
No, she wasn't supposed to be alone.
She wasn't supposed to, but…
"Cobalt…?"
Her voice trembled as it remembered the name of the boy who had agreed to help her.
Something wasn't right…
Something had changed.
Before Arabelle was whisked away, he was right here.
He had sworn to protect them, he had sworn to fight.
To help Arabelle reach her dreams…
But looking around the entire cave, there was no one to see, no one's voice to be heard.
And yet still… Arabelle called.
"Cobalt?"
Her voice rose in volume, but somehow, it lost even more confidence.
But it wasn't just her voice… Her entire body was shaking.
Forcing herself to stand, she looked around, circling around and around, around and around, to the Hell she had cast herself into.
She had no love left for the outside world, right? This was her passion. This was her resolve.
She turned, frantically, searching around as far as she could. But still… There were no movements. No sign of life.
There was…
Absolutely nothing.
But it wasn't always like this.
She had people around that she would bicker with, or get teased by.
She was constantly plagued by countless interactions with people she despised.
Wait…
They despised her, right?
Or did she just despise them…?
"Cobalt!!!"
Breathing accelerated, a heart that had forgotten the weight of being alone beat faster, faster, faster.
Left all alone, all alone, and thrown away to the deepest grave imaginable.
A tomb, in all senses of the word.
"COBALT!!!"
Arabelle ran, circling around and around as she searched.
Her footsteps echoed before fading away entirely.
The soundless world suddenly absorbed her back in, seeing the lone girl fall to the ground on her knees.
And now still… She remained seated…
Before her feet slid out from under her bottom, and her arms drooped to the side.
As her face started to feel more and more heavy, she found herself staring at her lap, unmoving.
Was she always alone?
No—Arabelle hadn't felt like this in such a long time…
These thoughts, these feelings, which teared away at her.
Why were they just now starting to bury themselves deep in her untouched heart?
Why only now was she feeling this pain…?
But as her head slumped over, she suddenly remembered.
Remembered the stupid laugh of the blue haired boy who went along with her every command—just like a dog.
Remembered how he had given everything to save the two of them in this hellscape—
And she remembered how she's the one who dragged him down here, without even the most basic regard to tell him he could die.
"Co… balt…"
Only then did she remember the pain of being alone.
Only then did she remember why she was alone in the first place.
Only then did she remember how much it hurts to hurt someone else…
But another question still remained… One that she had questioned earlier, but didn't want to think about any longer.
How many years, really, had it been…
…Since Arabelle had let herself cry?
Sound escaped the world, scratching and tearing as its echoes got louder.
That sound nipped any traces of catharsis at the bud, as a wide smile she forced now waved itself over her face.
That smile hurt to wear.
It hurt.
It hurt.
But hearing that lonesome noise, there was nothing else for her to do.
"—Cobalt!!!"
She rose from her seated position, stumbling, and almost falling over.
Her eyes guided her focus in and out, as if her senses didn't have anything left to give her.
But still, Arabelle wore that wide smile as her face hurt.
As her throat hurt.
As it all hurt.
As she haphazardly ran towards the source of that noise.
Towards the cliff, which invited her near.
Towards Cobalt, who she knew wouldn't throw her away.
How could he? They were friends.
Right, all of the pain Arabelle wore in her untouched heart, Cobalt embodied the fruits of all of that.
They were the best of friends.
They've been friends, for… So long.
And knew—they knew everything about each other.
They shared, shared the same goals.
And they cared about each other, more than anything else.
How much longer are you going to keep lying to yourself.
A painfully familiar voice echoed in her mind, banging on her fragile thoughts like a drum.
You aren't friends. You sent him here to die. He left you. He left you because you never cared about him for a second.
She ran forward, arms pumping, with a huge, wind grin spread across her face…
She ran forward, with so much happiness…
You haven't figured it out by now?
Despite the overwhelming pain she held in her eyes.
『You never even told him your last name.』
And with that thought, the scene changed.
An enormous pain welled up in Arabelle's stomach. A pain so strong she was forced to resist the urge to throw up on the spot.
A pain so strong it brought her footsteps to a halt. So strong it brought her forced smile into the frown she pretended it wasn't.
And as she saw the face which had climbed back up the cliff to greet her…
"You're, not… Co… balt…"
Her words shook, not knowing who they were supposed to be delivered to…
As an absolute Horror stood, recouping from the climb, as it brushed the dirt and blue blood from its grey, translucent skin.
Seeing the sharp yellow teeth, which opened in and out as it viewed their prey.
Whose purple tongue flung itself over those teeth, flicking back and forth in earnest.
And horrifying yellow soulless eyes which stared back at Arabelle, who in this very moment, against all judgment, nearly wished that she could return to the Abyss.
It hissed as its tongue made a clicking sound.
Its neck rose higher and higher as it stood above her, almost twice her height.
And with that, everything became painfully clear… The Fate that Arabelle herself set in motion.
"You… You killed him… Didn't you?"
Cobalt wasn't coming back.
Not because he didn't want to, but rather…
Because Cobalt's Fate was sealed the second he met Arabelle.
"No…"
She recoiled, falling back as she watched, defenseless.
"No…"
She was powerless. She had absolutely no way of defending herself, and no way of escaping.
The creature stepped towards her, slowly, limping as its grin rose.
In this grey hellscape she cast her love towards…
In this world where she thrived on being alone.
That loneliness now bore its teeth to her…
As she understood that her own love would swallow her whole.
And all of it was her own fault.
Out of the blue, seeming to drop from the sky itself, a second visage came into view, descending upon the scene as it spun itself around in circles like a spinning top.
Arabelle watched, hopeless, soundless, as that visage fell upon the two with a spin faster than she could process, swirling its right foot around and around as it found itself crashing down onto the former scene, cast upside down.
In this world of absurdity, where nothing was certain, and every step closer to the truth burned into your very heart…
A soul plummeted towards the horrifying creature, screaming with everything it had:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
With a scream, the neck of that creature was snapped like a twig, the formerly spinning visage crushing it underfoot as it descended, pushing the behemoth of a creature to its knees with a force that would kill any normal person.
But jumping back, the newcomer landed on all fours as his right foot slid 180 degrees to slow its momentum.
Then looking back, it clearly appeared dissatisfied with its work, like a mad and wild painter he lunged back at his work of art with a dash, diving towards the creature that should have died from just that hit alone.
But no…
Reaching its enormous and horrifying claws into the air, it pounced at its prey, slashing and slashing into both the air and the ground as everything around Arabelle slowly lost its luster, fading more and more to grey.
But one thing didn't fade…
Was the flowing blue hair of the reckless boy who charged head first into battle, dodging each and every attack as it descended once more on the demon from above, screaming with each and every slash.
Arabelle watched wordlessly as the new figure leapt into the air with both fists clenched into a ball over his head, swinging them down with another scream against the greying darkness…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!"
The creature's neck snapped once more, filling the greying expanse with echoing cracks and snaps as its very jaw dislodged from its rotting flesh, sending its crumpling visage down towards the ground.
"OOONNNEEE MOOOOOOORRREE!!!!!!"
The boy charged forward once again, sliding under the underbelly of its hulking translucent flesh, as Arabelle finally got a good look at the boy who had previously jumped down out of thin air…
His face was covered in blood and what looked to be sand, as his enraged face twisted into what could only be described as a growl.
Its sweater was uneven, its jeans were ripped and bloody, and its collar shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his bruised collarbone.
All of these descriptors seemed to point to one person, a person that Arabelle had nearly thrown away, had nearly gotten killed—but at the same time, something was drastically different…
But even despite those differences, Arabelle couldn't help but puff out her chest, raising her head as she cried out:
"COBAAAAAAALT!!!!!"
Sliding under the crushing and gnashing weight of the hulking creature's elongated appendages, Cobalt dodged slash after slash, banging his head against the ground as he swung up his feet, and stuck them to the translucent ribcage, compressing more and more forwards as his frame got into a horizontal crouch…
Sinking his toes right into the blue irregularly beating heart beneath its see-through skin.
All at once, as quickly as it had begun, Cobalt latched onto the ground as he pushed off with all of his might, straightening his knees as if he were trying to shoot his feet off his very body, kicking the creature into a soundless void.
But the creature's—No, both the creature's elongated appendages lashed out, seeking for something to desperately latch onto.
One across the arm, and one across the thigh.
Both sets of claws dug into flesh as the creature was sent flying by the force of his feet, but still, seeked desperately to remain situated on safe ground.
But as those claws dug in through the flesh, tearing red hot holes through him as they made their escape, they exited through just as quickly, not making their mark deep enough to latch on.
As Cobalt's bottom fell against the ground, the enormous behemoth was sent flying from their world, rolling around and around as its burly hulking frame skidded across the ground, flipping and mangling wildly as its blue blood was tossed recklessly like a sprinkler…
Before the entire ghoulish presence disappeared, gone in a mere instant, descending down the grey cliff into the void below, not even uttering a single scream to be heard…
Arabelle's heart beat wildly, filled with fear, self-hatred, regret, and yet also the burning passion of hope.
But searching desperately for the soul to share that hope with, a bruised, battered, and hopelessly bloody Cobalt threw his hands back against the rocks, lifting his upper body into a seated position.
All of the girl's fear… All of her hatred, and sadness…
Escaped her touched heart in the form of a warm and wet sensation, which found themselves hopelessly streaming down her cheeks as she looked on towards the only person in this entire world that would have cared if Arabelle had died…
And casting a smile in return, he waved as he slumped over slightly, his closed-eyed head tilting to the side in both pain and relief.
"What's up Arabelle…? Long time no see…"