Chapter Text
Alhaitham never meant for this to happen…. He only wanted to show that he thought of someone other than himself, that he could love someone, and that he still loved someone. The feelings deep in his heart never went away even after all these years. Even after all the hurtful words that were said.
If anything, they have grown stronger. The worry of where that person was, the fear of wondering if they were safe, all that went away when that someone… when Kaveh, came back into his life. Sure they fought often, acting like oil and water but he was still there, still a part of Alhaitham’s life and he was a part of Kaveh’s but now…. The one person that he truly cared for, May never be the same again and it would be all his fault.
It all started when the news of a recently discovered set of ruins in the desert came to Sumeru City. Alhaitham’s interest was piqued the moment he heard of the information and couldn't help but think of the new wonders that must be inside. Normally he would have gone into the desert alone, quickly done his research, and returned in a matter of days but recently he had noticed that Kaveh was struggling with his latest project a lot more than normal and Alhaitham wanted to help.
Kaveh sat at his desk leaning on one of his hands, his eyes felt heavy and burned from lack of sleep. This project was due in a matter of days and nothing he could think of seemed to solve the problems he was facing, he growled in frustration as he frantically scribbled out what he was working on only to hang his head in defeat.
“This is hopeless…” he mumbled softly to himself, running his fingers through his blonde hair before letting out a long sigh. He has hit thousands of artists' blocks like this before, it was nothing new to him but that didn't make them any less frustrating, and the lack of sleep was definitely not helping his ability to focus. Kaveh groaned as he rubbed his eyes and gently smacked his cheeks in a desperate attempt to wake himself up when he heard a swift knock on his bedroom door that caused him to nearly jump out of his chair.
In his half-dazed state, he scrambled to hide the scribbled-out drawing under a stack of books seconds before the person who stood outside walked in. He turned around and saw that it was Alhaitham. Kaveh pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned softly.
“You know just because you knocked does not mean that it is ok for you to barge in here, especially when I am busy working,” Kaveh grumbled as he took out a fresh sheet of paper.
“It is still my house.” Kaveh rolled his eyes and began to work once again, clearly trying to ignore his roommate who according to him, had a habit of showing up unannounced.
Alhaitham snorted and shook his head when he noticed Kaveh’s failed attempt to hide the remnants of what he was working on moments before. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about why Kaveh tried to hide the paper. So he walked up to the desk, only giving Kaveh a few seconds to react before Alhaitham snatched it out from its hiding spot.
“H-hey! Give that back it's important!” Kaveh hopped up from his chair to try and take it back but the scribe simply held it above his head as he looked at it. A slight hint of amusement shined on his face as Kaveh attempted to jump and grab the paper.
“It seems to me like it's not very important, especially since you had scribbled on it and then made a failed attempt to hide it.” Kaveh could feel his face grow warm and let out a low growl from deep in his chest. He continued to try and grab the paper, only to find himself getting closer to Alhaitham, their faces were inches apart, and this caused Kaveh to become even more flustered.
“This isn't funny Alhaitham!!” He chuckled at Kaveh’s reaction, watching his face turning a soft shade of pink. Alhaitham continued to hold the paper above his head, arching back slightly so Kaveh would have no choice but to move closer.
Kaveh’s face became redder by the second and he knew that Alhaitham was doing this simply to get a reaction out of him. To make him flustered, and annoyed. It was just something Alhaitham liked to do. Kaveh practically had to lay on Alhaitham’s chest before he was finally able to snatch the page away and shove it back under the same stack of books.
“What do you want anyway?” Kaveh grumbled, clearly annoyed, while he began to tidy up his desk. In hopes, it would distract him from his heart pounding inside his chest.
“Have you heard the news that a new set of ruins was found in the desert?”
Kaveh quickly stopped what he was doing and turned to face Alhaitham, Unable to hide how excited he had become. His crimson eyes had a spark of curiosity in them, and a small smile formed on his lips.
“New ruins you say?” Alhaitham nodded and rubbed the back of his neck slightly in response.
“Y-yeah, I heard some adventurers talking about it on the way home from Lambad’s Tavern, apparently a recent sandstorm unearthed it on the outskirts of Aaru village.”
Kaveh’s smile grew as he thought of all the artwork that must be inside, along with seeing the design of the building itself. The inspiration he could pull from it alone excited him to no end. Never before seen artwork and design, buried for centuries in the sands of the Sumeru desert, an architect and artist's dream. Surely this will help Kaveh get out of his artist block. However, just as quickly as those thoughts came, the reality of his job loomed over him like a dark cloud and his smile quickly faded before he turned back to his desk, sighing in disappointment.
“I can't... I have this project that is due in a week and even if I didn't… I don't have any mora to spare on a trip like that.” Alhaitham watched his roommate sulk back in his chair and begin to work once more. His face softened ever so slightly, He hated seeing Kaveh like this, he was exhausted from working so hard on this project. Spending many sleepless nights drawing till he passed out in his chair only to wake up and do it again the next night.
Alhaitham wanted to help, he always did, that is why he offered his friend a place to stay, a place to call home even if it was only for a moment. His feelings for Kaveh were deep, however, he did not know if Kaveh felt the same, so he chose not to pursue them. Instead, he did small things hoping that Kaveh would notice them, like making sure he ate, or bringing him home after a late night of drinking, and while Kaveh didn’t always notice these acts of kindness, Alhaitham continued to do them.
He cleared his throat slightly before speaking once more.
“Well…. What if we both went? If we leave now we might get there before the Akademiya hears about the news and swarm the place.”
Wait a moment…. Did Kaveh hear that right? Was Alhaitham actually offering to take him on the trip of a lifetime? His mind buzzed with his thoughts, most of them were not good ones.
This can't be right… Why would he ever take you? It is a trap, he is never that nice! He hates you! There has to be some hidden meaning behind this.
Kaveh shook his head slightly in a frantic attempt to clear those awful thoughts from his head, and then turned to face Alhaitham, looking for any sign of deception on his face but found none, for now at least.
“What do you mean we?” His words came out colder than he wanted, but all he wanted to know was what caused his roommate to even consider him as an option. Alhaitham felt his mouth become dry and licked his lips slightly.
“Well… What if we went together?” Alhaitham repeated his question again.
Kaveh raised his eyebrow slightly, guessing he did hear his roommate right after all, Alhaitham really did offer to take him on this trip, and yet Kaveh still couldn't believe it, this had to be a dream. He couldn't help but feel skeptical about this situation and didn't want to get his hopes up only for it to come crashing down. He knew better than that.
“Are you sick or something?” Kaveh could see the shock flash in Alhaitham’s eyes but only for a moment. He shouldn't even have to ask this question but with how unpredictable his roommate can be sometimes… he just wanted to be one hundred percent sure that this is what Alhaitham wanted to do.
“I am not sick,” Alhaitham stated. “I just thought that since you have been struggling with this project maybe a change of pace will help your inspiration.”
“This has to be a trick. Since when do you care about me and my work?” Kaveh asked, placing his hands on his hips as he spoke. “You never do anything like this, especially to me.”
Alhaitham felt his heart sink into his stomach at Kaveh’s words, he did care. He always worried about Kaveh not taking care of himself, all those times he had passed out from drinking, and the many sleepless nights he spent alone racking his brain trying to finish the project that was due the next day. It was hard to see someone that he cared for struggle so much, but it was equally as hard for him to express his true feelings.
“It is not a trick I promise” Alhaitham held up his hands, attempting to show that he had no ill intent, and even smiled slightly in hopes of winning Kaveh’s trust but it only seemed to add to the skepticism that he could see on Kaveh’s face. Alhaitham thought for a moment about what he wanted to say before putting his hands down.
“I just thought that since I was going to go out there anyway. I would see if you wanted to go as well, and I also know you, now that you have heard about it you are going to rush out into the desert and not pack anything you need only to get there and be disappointed.”
“That is so not true!!” Kaveh huffed at his response, and Alhaitham couldn't help but laugh. The sound made Kaveh’s heart flutter slightly but he quickly trampled that feeling, he knew that Alhaitham had no interest in him but he also couldn't stop the swelling in his chest, his feelings for Alhaitham were still there. Still as strong as ever.
Kaveh turned back to his desk, Alhaitham was right about the fact that he had been struggling with this project. Sometimes he could force his brain to work through the lack of inspiration, and while it would not always be his best he sometimes prayed that meeting the clients would spark some form of inspiration however, it seemed like this was not one of those times. He finally turned to face his roommate who was now leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed, waiting for a response.
“Fine… but if this is some waste of time just to get me out of the house I will not be happy understand?!” Alhaitham walked over to where Kaveh was standing and gently pushed a loose strand of his blond’s hair behind his ear. Causing his face to quickly turn red once more.
“Sounds good to me” Kaveh tensed up and grumbled under his breath before he turned away to start packing his supplies.
Alhaitham stood there for a moment, watching Kaveh mumble softly as he went through the contents of his desk to see what was needed for this trip. Alhaitham often enjoyed seeing Kaveh like this. The way his face turned red, the slight pout he does when he is embarrassed, it made his heart flutter. It also reminded him of when they were both students, so young and full of life. A time he often wishes he could go back to. When Kaveh noticed that he was being watched, he felt his cheeks start to burn. The embarrassment quickly turned his entire face a soft shade of red that crept down his neck and under his shirt.
“Stop watching me and just go pack ok!?”
Alhaitham smiled before walking out of the room to go and pack his things. Excited to see what sort of wonders the two of them would uncover.
By the time the pair arrived at Aaru Village, the sun was high in the sky. Their skin stung from the sun’s harsh rays that seemed to beat down on them with no end in sight but they decided to bear the desert heat since according to one of the village guards, the ruins are between the Mausoleum of King Deshret and Khemeun Temple on the outskirts of the village. So they began the long walk down the pathway leading to the ruins. Hopeful of the wonders that waited for them at their destination
Kaveh was always one to complain about how hot the desert was, it was just a normal thing when traveling with him, but this time he was far too excited to care about something so small. He walked a few steps ahead of Alhaitham, the light desert wind ruffled his hair and clothing, and he had a spring in his step that the scribe had not seen in a very long time and could barely conceal his own delight as the two of them walked down the winding path.
“It is amazing that this temple wasn't unearthed sooner since it is so close to the village. What do you think will be inside?? I'm hoping for the artwork myself but even if there is absolutely nothing, the design of the building will be worth it. I have such a good feeling about this, it will no doubt be life-changing!”
Kaveh continued to ramble on and on about what sort of things could await the two of them at the end of this trip. He seemed to glow under the desert sun. Alhaitham couldn't help but smile at Kaveh’s excitement, feeling his heart swell, It was moments like this that made it hard for him to deny his feelings but he also didn’t want to force them onto Kaveh, he wasn’t that type of a person so all he could do is hope that maybe one day Kaveh would return them. For now, Alhaitham was determined to soak up every moment of this. Not wanting to miss a single second
“Alhaitham? Haitham! Are you even listening??”
He was quickly pulled from his thoughts when he felt a gentle push on his arm and turned to see that Kaveh was walking beside him with a worried look on his face.
“You umm…spaced out there for a moment, are you ok?”
Alhaitham was more than ok, he was just happy to see Kaveh happy, to see him smile and laugh instead of being stressed out.
“I am fine.” Alhaitham blurted out quickly.
Kaveh hummed softly before responding. “Are you sure about that? Your face is a little red, we can rest for a bit if you want.”
Alhaitham opened his mouth to speak but quickly stretched out his arm, his hand hit Kaveh right in the center of his chest, causing him to grunt loudly.
“What the hell was that for??”
“We are here.”
In front of them stood the entryway to a small temple, still half buried in the sand while several of the villagers were bustling about, working to dig it out from its sandy prison and exposing the stunning stone pillars that seemed to reach up into the sky. They walked up a small flight of steps leading to the temples entrance, being greeted by two large statues of black jackals adorned with golden collars. Kaveh instantly ran up to the grand doorway, amazed by the beautifully carved pillars, each one seemed to be perfectly preserved, guarded by the sands of time.
“This place is extraordinary!” Kaveh shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls. He dashed from one thing to the next, basking in the wonders of the temple around them. The villagers didn’t seem to mind when Kaveh asked them a million and one questions about the building. Alhaitham leaned up against the wall and couldn't help but smile. To see Kaveh like this was a dream come true and to him, it meant that this trip would be successful.
After a while, Kaveh noticed that he was being stared at yet again and froze.
“W-why are you looking at me like that??” he asked, becoming slightly flustered.
“Isn't it obvious?” Alhaitham questioned in return. Tilting his head slightly as a small smile formed on his lips. Kaveh felt his face become even warmer and it wasn't from the heat of the desert either. Nothing was obvious with Alhaitham. Everything he did, everything he said, just added to the whirlwind that was him, and Kaveh loved every bit of it.
Kaveh shook his head and grumbled.
“W-whatever let's just go inside!” he huffed as he turned on his heels to stride inside the temple with Alhaitham right behind him.
Once inside they could see other members of the village working away as they cleared out more sand and rubble. The room was incredibly large and in the center of it all loomed a tall statue of a man with the head of a jackal. Alhaitham could remember seeing similar statues of men with the heads of an animal in other ruins but none of them looked like this one.
The inside was just as preserved as the outside and the light from the torches cast the room around them in a golden glow, it didn't take long before Kaveh was running about once again. Looking at one thing before running off to the next one. Alhaitham simply followed behind him. Wanting nothing more than to bask in his happiness.
Eventually, they had ventured deeper into the underground. While this area was lit, it seemed to be in a rougher state than the rest of the place. The air around them became so thick that Alhaitham couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off. Like someone, or something was watching them from the shadows.
“Kaveh, let's not venture in too far. Who knows what could be waiting for us down here.”
He knew that both of them were more than capable of defending themselves, but he still wanted to be cautious, especially not knowing what caused this feeling. Kaveh simply brushed off Alhaitham’s warning as he took out his sketchbook to start drawing one of the many artworks that were on the wall.
“Come on Alhaitham let’s be real, this place has been buried for centuries. No one could possibly have survived down here!”
Still… Alhaitham just couldn't shake the unsettled feeling about this place. With Kaveh still in his sights, the scribe began to look around as well. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, on the surface at least. As he walked down the hallway he heard Kaveh shouting behind him.
“Hey! Come look at this artwork! I have never seen one like this before.” The scribe walked over to where Kaveh was standing and looked up at the artwork that was painted on the wall, it was a set of golden scales, decorated with green and teal gems with a single red gem on top. Behind it stood a large masked figure with long white hair, the mask he wore was in the shape of a jackal, much like the one Cyno wears only this one completely covered their face and was solid black with two golden eyes that seemed to glare down at Alhaitham.
While the figure did closely resembled their friend the feeling of dread grew inside Alhaitham's stomach. He didn't feel that the figure was a threat but there was definitely something off about them. He quickly squashed those feelings, not wanting to cause a problem especially if there was no need for it.
He continued to look at the figure, who was dressed in long flowing black robes that seemed to swirl around them in a snake-like fashion. Their two black-clawed hands were outstretched to each half of the scales. On one side was a feather while the other side seemed to be damaged, with huge slash marks covering the area in an attempt to hide whatever was carved there.
“This must be at least eight feet tall!” Kaveh exclaimed as he began to draw the image in front of them. Clearly not feeling the same sense of dread that Alhaitham had. He continued penciling in the basic outlines of what he saw, determined to draw it in more detail later before shoving the sketchbook back into his bag and noticing that the scribe was intently looking at the artwork in front of him.
“It is beautiful, isn't it?” Kaveh sighed “I wonder what was on this half of the scale that someone felt the need to destroy it.”
Unaware of what was about to transpire. Kaveh reached out to touch the damaged section of the wall.
When his fingertips brushed the surface, the artwork suddenly began to glow, and the sound of loud grinding gears growled from somewhere behind the wall causing Kaveh to yelp and jump backward, nearly tackling Alhaitham to the ground. They watched as the glow began creeping its way up the artwork till the eyes of the figure were the only thing that was glowing. The area around them began to tremble, getting more violent as the moments passed.
“What the hell did you do??” Alhaitham shouted trying to be heard over the loud rumbling.
“Oh sure! Blame it on me like I did it intentionally!! That is so like you!”
“Now is not the time for one of our arguments!”
Kaveh felt some sand fall from the ceiling and into his hair, as he shook it out he looked up to see a large section of a pillar come loose and begin to fall down right on top of him. He stood there, completely frozen. His eyes went wide and his heart was pounding inside his chest.
He tried to force his body to move but no matter how hard he tried, his feet remained frozen to the ground. He didn't even feel Alhaitham tackle him, wrapping his arms tightly around Kaveh before using his vision to teleport both of them down the hall to where a large statue had fallen.
They crashed to the ground, tumbling a few feet before scrambling to get behind the statue just as a rush of wind and sand surged past them. Alhaitham was quick to use his muscular physique to protect Kaveh from the sand and debris as they hunched down behind the statue. Then just as quickly as the rumbling started, it stopped.
Both of them sat there for a moment, gasping for air as they tried to grasp what all just happened. Just as the dust began to settle, Alahitham coughed and waved it away, instantly turning his attention to Kaveh who clung tightly to his chest, trembling hands gripped so tightly into the fabric of Alhaitham's shirt that his knuckles had started to turn white.
“Hey…. Are you alright?” Alhaitham slowly reached out to him, his fingers were only inches away from Kaveh’s face when he let out a loud gasp and shoved the scribe away only to wince in pain, feeling like someone had just stabbed him. The sleeve of his white shirt was torn open, and his skin stung from the scrape that was now on his arm. He trembled, sucking in a few gulps of air before responding.
“I…. I'm fine… “ he mumbled softly before standing up to brush the sand off of his clothes.
Alhaitham wanted to reach out to Kaveh, to hold him close and provide comfort but he knew that Kaveh would more than likely lash out, but he didn't care, he just wanted to make sure that Kaveh was alright.
“You don't look fine. Here, let me take a look at it. ” Alhaitham reached out to look at Kaveh’s injury. Only to watch him back away slightly.
“I'm not bleeding it just hurts that's all. Let's…. Let's go see what happened and if our way out is blocked or not..” Kaveh pushed past Alhaitham who let out a soft sigh in defeat.
He didn't understand why Kaveh acted this way, he wasn't always this sensitive and it seemed like every time Alhaitham tried to reach out, every time he tried to patch the rift between them, Kaveh would just shove him away, and more often than not they would end up arguing.
They walked back down the hallway and to their surprise, found that the stairway they had used was not blocked.
“Well, at least we can still get out,” Kaveh stated before they continued down to see that where the artwork once was, was now an open doorway, Kaveh's uneasiness was replaced with curiosity as he walked into the new room.
Once inside they began to look around the dimly lit room. The inside has definitely seen better days, with cobwebs covering every surface, the walls chipped, and any artwork was faded to the point that they were almost nonexistent. Unlike the other rooms, the torches in this one were soft blue instead of bright yellow. Casting the room in a peculiar glow. One that was both comforting and ominous.
Other than the torches the only thing that was inside was a stone podium, on it were two slots, one was completely empty, and on the other was a stone feather much like the one in the artwork they were looking at mear moments ago. Alhaitham's eyes wandered till his gaze fell upon another painting and he couldn't shake this dark feeling in the pits of his stomach when he looked at it.
There was a figure much like the one they had seen in the hallway, standing in front of the scales, only this time. Their one outstretched hand was reaching for the person kneeling in front of them. In their hand was a glowing orb.
“Well this place is unsettling” Alhaitham mumbled softly. Kaveh had walked over to where the stone podium was. A similar carving was on the front, showing that the orb was now on the scale, he continued to look at it, wondering what it possibly meant.
Alhaitham could feel the air thicken, every alarm bell was going off in his head telling him to grab Kaveh and run. He became worried when he heard Kaveh wince and spun around to see him getting inside his bag and pulling out a paper and pencil before getting on his knees.
“Are you seriously going to draw now?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“I am doing a pencil rubbing, It will only take a moment.” He watched Kaveh press the paper to the stone and start to rub the pencil over it, the carving slowly began to appear on the paper and once it was done he sighed softly. All the while Alhaitham’s eyes darted around the room.
He could feel the emotions swelling inside him, almost as if something was amplifying them. Fear, anger, and dread. All of them swirled inside him until he was unable to take the overwhelmed feelings any longer, and rushed over to Kaveh. Yanking him up from the ground but when he tried leave, Kaveh dug his heels into the floor, forcing the scribe to stop.
“What has gotten into you all of a sudden??” Kaveh tried to yank himself free but Alhaitham continued to drag him closer to the door.
“We are leaving. Now.”
The scribe's voice was cold and sharp, much more than he normally sounded. This didn't shock Kaveh however his anger grew quickly and when the initial shock of how cold Alhaitham’s voice wore off, Kaveh glared at him. With his jaw clenched he jerked his arm free, drawing a shocked experience from the scribe.
“This was your idea to begin with! What was the point of coming all the way out here only to leave soon after?!”
Kaveh could feel his blood start to boil and the stone-cold expression on Alhaitham’s face only made it worse. He had never gotten this angry so quickly before, normally they had to argue for a while before it got this bad, but it never crossed his mind that this was not normal for them.
“We don't have to leave the temple, we just have to leave this room. Something is wrong and I can feel it!” Kaveh shook his head and snorted in response.
“You went to hell and back to save the God of wisdom and this is what scares you?? Sure this place is creepy but it's not that bad.” Kaveh said with a dry laugh. However, when he tried to walk away Alhaitham reached out and dug his nails into Kaveh’s arm, making him gasp softly.
“That wasn't a request, we are leaving and that is final!!” Kaveh could tell that Alhaitham’s mind was already made up. The scribe was going to force him to leave whether he wanted to or not and this made him even more upset. Anger flashed in Kaveh’s eyes when he attempted to yank his arm free once more.
“You have no right to tell me what I can or can't do!! If you want to leave that is fine but I am staying here. Now let me go!”
Alhaitham let out a growl from deep in his chest as he grabbed the collar of Kaveh’s shirt, pulling him closer till their noses almost touched.
“Can't you see that I am trying to keep you safe?!” he screamed. Clearly frustrated with the fact that Kaveh wasn't feeling the same negative feelings as he was. While this was often normal with both of them, something about this felt different. Alhaitham just couldn't explain what was causing these elevated emotions. They began to argue, becoming so focused on their dispute that they failed to notice what was happening behind them.
A soft hum could be heard as a section on top of the stone podium opened, and the arms of a scale began to slowly rise out of it. The feather started to glow as did the large red jeweled scarab that rested on the top.
“Keep me safe?? When have you ever cared about me and my safety?!” Those words felt like a knife to Alhaitham’s heart.
“I care about you an awful lot Kaveh!” Alhaitham spat. “I just don't know if the reason you can't see it is because you refuse to or if you are just that dense!”
“Me?? Dense?! Have you seen your attitude recently?!?” Kaveh screamed so loudly that it could be heard echoing in the hallway.
“Don't you dare start with the criticism Kaveh! For the love of the Celestia, I hate that you are such a fucken hot head!”
“You must hate me an awful lot if you feel the need to remind me about how much of a disappointment I am! In fact, since you hate me so much you would probably love it if I just disappeared one day! Never to be seen again!”
“I have never thought that Kaveh! Not even for a moment!”
“Well, I find that hard to believe because if you truly cared you wouldn't be like this!”
Alhaitham rolled his shoulders back and glared down at Kaveh. Idiot…. He is such an idiot for trying to show Kaveh that he cares, he refuses to look at anything other than the bad and ugly, it is just who Kaveh is as a person. Alhaitham started shouting in frustration and jabbed his finger into Kaveh’s chest.
“Well then, since you feel the need to put words in my mouth, maybe I should just start agreeing with you!”
Tears of frustration began to form in his eyes when Kaveh used all his strength to shove Alhaitham away.
“Then say it! Say that you want me gone! Tell me that I am better off dead than being in your life!”
Alhaitham could feel tears roll down his face, he never ever wanted Kaveh to disappear, but his emotions were so high and he was so tired of Kaveh’s attitude, so tired of him always being negative.
“Just say it! You know you want to!”
Alhaitham tried to hold his tongue, even biting the inside of his cheek in an attempt to not give in to his rage. However, his feelings were like a pot of hot water, left unattended and ready to boil over.
“Fine!! I would be very happy! Happy to have some peace and quiet from your loud obnoxious mouth!”
Alhaitham roared at the top of his lungs, Deep down he knew that what he had said was not true but when someone continued to force words down his throat, it was hard to believe that they were not his own. It was at that moment he noticed the scale that had appeared on the stone podium, as he stared at it, Kaveh continued to lash out, completely oblivious.
“You are the worst Alhaitham!! The absolute worst!!”
Alhaitham was too focused on what was happening behind Kaveh to listen to him rant and rave. The red gem on top of the scales grew brighter till a thin light appeared and began to scan the room. Looking for its intended target.
“And you are not even listening to me right now! I swear I can get a shroomboar to listen better than you!”
The light eventually settled on a large dusty mirror above the scribe's head, he watched it bounce off the surface and center itself on Kaveh’s chest, right over his heart.
This is bad.… this is really bad.
“K-Kaveh?”
“You may be a man of few words but your actions speak loud and clear to me so don't even try to redeem yourself Alhaitham!”
The light grew brighter the more Kaveh tried to argue, almost as if his fury was feeding it.
“Kaveh you have to listen to me!” Alhaitham tried to get his roommate's attention, hearing a soft humming that came from somewhere in the room. He could feel the electricity in the air making his hair stand on end. The light continued to glow brighter, and the humming grew even louder but Kaveh was so angry and bitter that he didn't even notice what was happening right in front of him.
“No, you listen to me Alhaitham! I am tired of you always looking down on me, and yes I have made mistakes but that doesn't give you the right to-…!”
“KAVEH!!!”
Kaveh finally noticed the sudden change of emotions in Alhaitham’s voice. He had never seen the scribe look so terrified. He slowly began to feel a slight burning in his chest and tried to ignore it at first but as the pain grew, he could feel his heart begin to race. His eyes widened, all his hair stood on end and his body tingled like it was about to be struck by lightning. Alhaitham was right, something was very wrong, and now. It was too late. Alhaitham dug his heels into the sand and charged toward Kaveh. His hand outstretched in an attempt to grab his friend before it was too late.
Kaveh watched the scribe's pupils dilate and light up as the gem behind him shot out a ball of light, it seemed to follow the thin line up to the mirror and bounced off to continue its path, hitting Kaveh right in the chest. Alhaitham felt a shockwave at the moment of impact, forcing the air out of his lungs as he skidding backward on the sand. Kaveh’s breath hitched when he felt the sharp stabbing feeling go right into his heart making him stumble backward. At first, he didn't feel anything, but then the overwhelming pain began to swell in his chest and he swore that he felt a hand grab ahold of his heart, digging its claws in deep and began to pull.
A phantom breeze suddenly appeared and spun around Kaveh, going faster and faster, kicking up the sand in an attempt to keep them apart. Alhaitham fought the sand and wind trying to get closer but was unable to so. The sand cut through his skin like thousands of tiny daggers and forcing him to back away.
Tears began to fill Kaveh’s eyes as he frantically clutched his chest, digging his nails into the fabric of his shirt before falling to his knees. The pain was excruciating, it felt like his heart was on fire as whatever had a hold of it refused to let go.
What is going on?…. Why was this happening?? Why does it hurt so much???
These were the thoughts that raced through his mind. His hands trembled and the only thing he could hear was his own heart pounding loudly in his ears. Threatening to explode at any moment. He looked down as a soft yellow light began to form on his chest and let out an agonizing scream, Archon’s…. It hurt so much… Pulsing and radiating outward like ripples on a pond.
It was worse than anything he had ever felt before. Worse than all the pain and suffering, worse than any of Alhaitham’s insulting remarks. He tried to cry out for help but his words got stuck in his throat, refusing to come out as nothing more than blood-curdling screams.
Stop!… Make it stop! Please!
His brow pinched from the feeling of having his heart ripped out. He tried to fight it, pressing his hand into his chest attempting to get the pain to stop but nothing he did helped. The tears streamed down his face, his mind was racing just as fast as his pounding heart. Was this how his life was going to end? To die in a temple far from home? Far from those he cared about.
To die… a failure?
He slowly looked up, half expecting Alhaitham to have left him there. He would have deserved it, he let his emotions get the best of him too many times to count and said some very hurtful things, most of them were just empty threats but when he raised his head slightly, Kaveh could see him, he could see his roommate no…. His friend, his friend who was trying so hard to get to him but it would be the last thing he would see before feeling the hand that gripped his heart tighten, then with one final tug, the yellow light was yanked out of his chest.
His screams unexpectedly stopped, but the tears in his eyes still flowed as he let go of his shirt only to have his arm fall to his side. The light pulsed frantically just like his own heart did moments ago before it whizzed past his head and disappeared into the gem on top of the scales behind him. The wind also suddenly stopped and all the sand fell to the ground. Like nothing had ever happened
Alhaitham could finally see his friend who was sitting on the ground, hands trembling, and his skin was as white as his own shirt. No emotions showed on his face, no pain, no fear, just blank. He dashed to Kaveh’s side and fell to his knees, taking a deep breath, he tries his best to remain calm.
“Kaveh? K-kaveh?!” Alhaitham gently shook him but got no response, the tears continued to roll down Kaveh’a cheeks, and his crimson eyes were glassy, nothing but two empty voids that stared at the ground in front of him.
Alhaitham could feel the tears prick the corners of his eyes. What was wrong with Kaveh? He didn't look injured. He keeps telling himself to remain calm and to keep his emotions in check. Knowing that panicking was not going to help this situation. When he placed his trembling hands on either side of Kaveh’s face, it seemed to get his attention and lifted his head slightly in response. Alhaitham breathed a soft sigh of relief, at least Kaveh was responsive.
“H-hey y…you ok?” Alhaitham cleared his throat in an effort to hide the way his voice cracked. He ran his fingers gently across Kaveh’s face. “You are still crying are you hurt?” Kaveh looked up at him and seemed confused by his questions. He even reached up to wipe the tears from his face and looked down at his hand.
“I'm.… ok.” His voice was not like his normal upbeat one, it was flat, with no emotions whatsoever. Alhaitham noticed that immediately and reached out to grab Kaveh’s hand. He looked down at Alhaitham’s hand wrapped in his own. The gesture only seemed to add more confusion to Kaveh's expression. After a moment he looked up at the scribe, tilting his head slightly to the side.
“W…who… are you?” Alhaitham could feel his heart jump into his throat. Letting out a dry laugh as he fought his tears.
“W-what do you mean? You know exactly who I am.” His voice cracked when he spoke. “Why are you acting like this?”
Kaveh stares at him in response. At first, Alhaitham wasn't taking him seriously. Thinking it was a cruel trick that Kaveh was doing to get back at him for arguing.
“Kaveh t-this isn't funny.” His voice cracked once again as he spoke. Kaveh turned away from him, blinking several times before responding.
“Kaveh?… Who is…Kaveh?…”
This made Alhaitham infuriated, why would Kaveh go this far just to prove a point? Yet the more he looked at Kaveh, the more he noticed that this was not the case. Kaveh looked at him like he was a stranger like all the years they had known each other were just gone.
“Y-you! You are Kaveh!”
Alhaitham began to panic, something was seriously wrong. What could that strange device have done to Kaveh to make him forget his own name and who Alhaitham was?
He didn't have much time to think about the situation before Kaveh turned away and unexpectedly started to cough. Just a little bit at first but then it got more violent.
“Kaveh?! What's wrong??”
Kaveh leaned forward, coughing up blood that ran down his chin and onto the sand. Alhaitham’s normally calm expression was now filled with terror. He didn't know what to do, this was not supposed to happen! Eventually, Kaveh lifted his head and inhaled loudly. The scribe could only watch as his friend's eyes roll back slightly before going limp.
Alhaitham grabbed Kaveh before he fell to the ground and held him tightly in his arms. He placed his hand on Kaveh’s cheek, feeling that it was burning to the touch. All of the scribe's emotions hit him at this moment, sadness, anger, and above all else fear. Exploding inside his chest, forcing him to let out a broken scream.
“N-no… no, no no!” His voice trembled as he choked back a sob, moving Kaveh’s hair away from his face. Desperately trying to get him to respond. While Kaveh had his eyes open, he didn't react to anything Alhaitham did.
“Damn it Kaveh! Don't do this to me! Say something!” No response.
What have I done??… This is all my fault!!
Alhaitham buried his face into his friend's chest, he could hear Kaveh’s soft steady heartbeat, a sign that he was still very much alive but there was no reason for his lifeless expression, like his very soul had been ripped from his body, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.
“I’m sorry!…. Kaveh I am sorry….. I-I take back everything I said just don't do this please!!…”
Alhaitham sobbed, tightening his grip as his body trembled. For the first time in a while, he was petrified. Normally he could think his way out of any situation, and analyze his surroundings to find the perfect solution but no logical resolution came to his mind.
As he sat there crying he heard the sound of running footsteps and shouting in the hallway. Some of the villagers must have heard the rumbling from before and had come to see what caused it.
Help… there was still a chance that Kaveh would make it out of this situation.
Alhaitham looked down at Kaveh’s face. His eyes were now closed and his expression calm. No signs of the pain he had felt just moments prior. He used his free hand to wipe the tears from his face.
“I am going to fix this…. I'll make this right just… just stay with me...”
Alhaitham scooped Kaveh into his arms and held him close as he stood up, he sprinted into the hallway and turned to see some of the villagers run out of the stairway. They noticed that something was wrong when he ran up to them, urging them back up the steps to get help on the surface.
A few moments of silence passed after Alhaitham and the villagers left, once everything was quiet once again, a glowing yellow orb slowly appeared on the empty half of the scale, pulsing softly as it weighed down, making it heavier than the feather.