Chapter Text
All his life, Azure had tried to be a good person. He knew he wasn’t the best- far from it- but he was trying. That had to count for something, right?
He forced himself awake, dragging his body out of bed. Today he was on chore duty- assigned to the kitchen. His partner? Someone named... Two Time. What an odd name. They seemed like someone higher in the ranks. Someone important, unlike Azure.
Still groggy from his rough awakening, he went through with his daily routine- brushing, dressing, and preparing. The routine had grown stale long ago, but he followed it anyway. Obedience meant safety. Disobedience meant punishment. Routine was comforting.
His hat. His necklace. The metal pendant rested against his chest, a symbol of his allegiance to the Spawn. He was finally ready for the day.
As he made his way to the kitchen, he passed other members, offering brief nods and shallow greetings. Deep down, he didn’t care for them. In a world like this, you only trusted one person- yourself.
Eventually, he reached the kitchen.
There they were. His partner.
Two Time.
He had never seen them before, let alone heard of them. They had black hair, messy and uneven. Their arms decorated with bandages, and a glaringly weathered shirt. They were kneeling on the ground, before the altar of the Spawn, their hands clasped in silent prayer.
"Hey..." Azure called out, unsure of how to address them.
Two Time turned, startled but still seemingly composed.
"Hello," they said, a small smile on their face. "I was in the middle of my prayer. Would you like to join me?"
Azure shook his head. "No, but thanks for the offer."
"Alright. Suit yourself." They turned back. "We thank the Spawn for this glorious day, for They are the ones who have blessed us…"
Azure stopped listening, deciding to tune it out. He didn’t care.
Minutes passed.
"Are you done?" He asked, irritation seeping in his voice.
"My apologies for the delay," Two Time said, finally getting to their feet. "Let’s begin."
"Yeah." Azure doesn't say anything else after that.
They worked in silence, barely exchanging words. Cleaning the shelves, organizing the supplies, scrubbing the dirt out of the tables- it didn’t take long. When the job was finished, Two Time dusted off their hands.
"Looks like that’s it." Two Time notes, letting out a sigh of relief.
Azure nodded, turning away, thinking of leaving.
"Hey." Two Time says, making Azure stop in his tracks.
"I forgot to ask- what’s your name?" They asked, a hint of genuine curiosity in their voice.
“Azure,” he replied, flat and uninterested. His mind was already elsewhere.
“Azure…” Two Time echoed softly. “That’s such a pretty name. It suits you.”
Azure blinked. The compliment had caught him off guard. He felt heat creep up his neck, and a warmth rise to his cheeks. It felt like someone was truly seeing him, for the first time.
“Th-Thanks,” he mumbled, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’ll see you around, Azure. Farewell.”
They smiled gently, a peaceful expression on their face, before waving as they walked off. Their smile... It was really lovely.
Azure stood there a moment longer, that warmth still lingering in his chest. It was almost like he had butterflies in his stomach- all over a simple compliment...
How embarrassing...!
He tried to shrug off the previous encounter, but it was still clearly on his mind. Trying to distract himself, he checked his schedule. Next on his list was to prepare the offerings, then assist with dinner.
The rest of the day passed quickly. The moments blurred together. He helped with preparation- gathering food, organizing supplies, lighting incense. He moved with practiced ease, still thinking about that strange compliment.
Finally, it was dinner time.
He helped prepare and serve the meal, working diligently. Everyone had gathered at the dining table, heads bowed, whispering prayers to the Spawn, to thank them for the meal. Well, everyone except Azure. His eyes stayed half-open, hands only loosely clasped. A half-hearted gesture, nothing more.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted movement. It was Two Time, slipping away from the table, just as the prayer began.
Maybe they didn’t care much for the rituals either. Neither did Azure.
He shrugged it off and ate his meal. The food was passable. He overheard fragments of conversations but tuned most of it out. None of it mattered- it didn't involve him anyways.
When he finished his meal, he didn’t leave.
He stayed to listen. Hoping for something interesting to finally happen, and fill up his days of utter boredom.
And then it did.
There was a gunshot. Sharp, echoing. A piercing scream shortly followed.
The room erupted into chaos.
People rushed toward the sound, panic spreading like fire. Azure followed, not afraid, just... curious.
When he finally reached the source of the sound, he froze.
Two Time was on the floor. Still. Lifeless. Their brain scattered all over the place, leaving behind an ugly, unrecognisable mess of whoever they once were.
Someone moved forward- Amarah, one of the elders. He knelt, murmuring something under his breath, calling for the cease of the chaos. The crowd gathered, stunned into silence. A few gasped. Some wept. Others stared, empty-eyed, uncaring.
The procedure for such deaths had become routine. Amarah ordered for a swift clean-up, followed by prayers. And then, silence.
One by one, they all left, leaving things to go back to normal. Like nothing had happened.
Azure decided to return to his room, not knowing what else to do. Night had fallen, and it was getting dark out. The exhaustion hit him all at once. Although he was still shaken, he collapsed onto the bed, eyes heavy. Sleep came quickly for him.
That night, he dreams.
In another life, maybe he and Two Time could have been friends. Maybe Azure should have tried to get to know them better. Maybe Azure could have done something to prevent this.
But now?
Now... It was too late. They were already gone.
He hadn’t really known them. He only met them that day, after all. But the shock still stung. Meeting someone- only for them to die that very same day- it left Azure with a sense of guilt. A weight he couldn’t shake.
He told himself it didn’t matter, that he didn’t care. But he was good at that.
Lying, pretending that things were fine.
But somewhere, beneath the surface, the guilt was consuming him alive.
And when he woke up the next morning, he didn't even feel like he was trying to be a good person anymore.
In fact, he felt far from it.