"Ryuk,"
Isha called to him, frosty white breath crawling out of her lips and splaying over him.
Her eyes, frosty white, looked squarely into his irises,
"I’m not the one pushing too far," she whispered, her hands reaching forward towards his face, pausing slightly before they grabbed the strand of hair over his forehead and swerved it back.
"But," she said, returning her attention to his eyes,
"I think you’re the one pushing things too far."
"In what way?" he asked in return.
She kept looking into his eyes for so long before she moved from her pinning position to sit upon his legs.
"I know why you lied. You loved her, and you couldn’t bear to part with her..." she said, continuing,
"So you created a clone of yourself to stay with her and follow her here, but..." Isha’s expression softened, and she fell onto his chest.
He could feel the squeeze against him, and she could hear his heartbeat.
It beat so clearly, slow, yet so loud.
"You are starting to be so far away. It’s detracting you from us," she whispered, as he exhaled, brushing her hair while forcing a smile.
"It’ll be okay. Trust me," he comforted.
"No," she replied instantly, turning from his chest and looking into his eyes.
"I can’t trust you, for you just lied to me, to all of us, in your main life."
Unconsciously, his heart quickened.
She didn’t say it in anger, but more with silent sadness.
"I understand why, though, and that’s why it’s even more worrying for you."
"Everything you’re doing here, you’re doing for Morgaine, but it’s not working out with us. And even more, I don’t think it’s working out for you either."
"I can always return, Isha," he replied.
"This life, the other life — they’re both just a choice away."
"I can always return."
"You can. That’s true," she agreed.
"But it’s not you."
"Not me?" he asked, confused.
"Void is growing. He’s growing really fast, and changing once more."
"You don’t even know that, do you?" she asked, and he paused silently.
’Is Void evolving once more?’
"I am growing, too, Ryuk. I was so worried and confused about my fourth head emergence."
"Elder Celine helped, and I evolved safely, but you didn’t even know that, too."
"It was painful, and you weren’t there to comfort me. And even when I finally passed through that ordeal, you weren’t even there to tell me that it was worthwhile."
"All you do now is check in, ask where we currently are on the map, and a second later, you’re back to this life."
"Don’t you see you’re fading away slowly?"
"You’re caring less, not because you hate, but because you’re just too busy..."
"You said you can return, but..."
"Are you sure that if you return, it’ll still be you?"
"Are you sure we won’t look strange to you when you lay eyes on us, once in some months..."
"That it’ll still be the same Ryuk who knew more about us than we even knew ourselves, who cared so much about the things even we thought were just minor issues?"
"Are you sure we won’t look strange to you when you lay eyes on us, once in some months..."
"Isha... I... I’m sorry," he said, and he watched with pain as an ice droplet rolled down her face.
He moved his hand to wipe off the tears, but when he pulled it back, she held it, pressing it tightly against her cheek.
Silently, she remained like this for a while before she opened her eyes once more.
"I know you don’t plan on letting either me or Void know of this life of yours, although my actions seem to have forced you and given you no choice."
"I’m sorry for that, and I’ll be leaving."
"You can stay."
"No, I won’t stay here," she said, her words adamant and clear.
"I’ll be over there, just a choice away," she said with a slight giggle.
"I just hope that when you switch back, you haven’t completely faded away," she added, and with that, she rose from his legs.
Standing to her feet, she turned to the prisms on the ground.
"When I was captive back in that organization, I learned a lot from the scientists — most especially the Levels of Bestial Potentials..." she began, as she picked up one of the prisms in her palms.
"According to them, ordinary Bestial Creatures are LV.1’s. An Ice Serpent, like I was previously, a Thunderwolf, and all the ordinary beasts are LV.1 Bestial Creatures — elemental creatures with clear attributes."
"There are LV.2 creatures. Ones that have a unique, almost abnormal attribute, along with their clear, simple attributes," she explained, walking towards him with the prism in her hand.
"I think Void fits into that LV.2 hierarchy."
"He seems like a simple Void Cat, but he’s different because his potential is ever-growing. That’s his unique attribute."
"These creatures in this prism... they’re LV.3 Bestial Creatures, beyond both Void and me," she said, something that left Ryuk unable to muster a word out of disbelief.
"I heard the organization went through hell to obtain them, and their initial purpose was to try and create more of them. But fortunately, they got attacked, and we were able to get them."
At this point, she was already before him.
"I asked you to bring them all because I want you to fuse with them," she said, and Ryuk’s jaw dropped.
"But... but why? I never said..."
"Yes, you never said it," Isha interrupted.
"But I know, Ryuk. I know you are capable of so much more, and you can make it beyond me and Void, can’t you?"
"And you could be far stronger than you currently are."
"I saw that happen when you fused with Void, and goy even stronger."
"If you fuse with these beasts, you will grow stronger still. Stronger than if your sole focus was just on me and Void."
"Isha. You and Void are enough for me," Ryuk said, his tone firm and adamant.
She nodded clearly, grabbing his hand and pulling it forward, while placing the prism onto his palm.