Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Bloodied Inquiry.

Lynx couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at his other self, internally he was freaking out as he never experienced this before. He closed his eyes, praying as he asked for forgiveness for anything he had done.

"Ahh~," Alt Lynx sighed as he looked at Lynx bringing him to his attention, "Do you think that's going to work, Imagine having faith in the Anemo Archon."

"What?" Lynx asked as he looked at him, not minding himself anymore as he responded, "I choose to worship him because he is our deity."

"No, you don't," Alt Lynx said as he playfully stuck out his tongue, "Anemo Archon, heralded as the [God of Freedom], that means freedom of speech, freedom to love, and freedom to hate!" he shouted and Lynx flinched.

He chuckled, "Did I make you scared?" Lynx, scoffed as he walked around his other self so looking at him from every single angle and every which way he could, trying to find something about him, from weakness that he could exploit.

"Not talking? You look pretty scary, is there something about me that frightens you?" Alt Lynx said as he crossed his arms, looking as the original Lynx walked around it.

"N–no," Lynx hated how weak and vulnerable sounded when he spoke those words, he clenched his teeth in frustration, he didn't always use to be like this.

"Hehh~," Alt Lynx says as he also circles around Lynx, they both run around each other and circle for several minutes not giving in for a second. Lynx couldn't take it anymore and he asked the boy again.

"Who are you? Why are you giving me so much trouble," Lynx as he looked at the dark boy finally wondering if he had any hidden agenda.

"Me? I'm just you but more open and accepting of the negatives around me, unlike a little boy out in the light. I am more comfortable in the shadows." Dark Lynx said and Lynx opted to call him that from now on.

"Why are you doing this? What do you hope to achieve from following me so much? Am I upsetting you in any way?" Lynx blurted out question after question, wanting to know why this person came to him.

"I came to take your place. Why would I come out on myself otherwise?" Lynx suddenly had a bad feeling, what did he mean, "take your place" was he going to take his body?

Dark Lynx smiled, freaking Lynx out he said the following words, "Yes, I am going to take control of your body, Well 'our' body since I am you as well, but I believe that I am competent and capable as opposed to a weakling like yourself." Dark Lynx said in ridicule.

Lynx suddenly felt that his mind wasn't his own anymore as it was seen that the other version of himself could read his mind. He looked at the boy, contemplating what he should do next and how to prevent him from taking over his body.

"I'll give you a tip, wake up! Though I don't think it will help you much. As of now, we don't stand on the same level anymore." Dark Lynx said, playing with Lynx's hopes and expectations.

"How do I get on the same level as you then? I don't want to be taken over!" Lynx said the boy seemed to be especially talkative even giving him various answers to stop him from taking control of his body…

Their body.

Lynx ignored how weird the thought sounded in his mind and pushed on. The boys seem to think for a moment, tapping his finger on his chin rhythmically. He smiled walking up to Lynx and coming up to his face until their noses were but a thread away from touching.

"How about…" Dark lynx leaned in just a bit and Lynx distanced himself, he continued "No!"

"Huh? Why?"

"Ah– How do I put this? Oh! I know!" Lynx watched incredulously as the boy transformed into a young girl with dark hair and bluish-green eyes, she said "A sinking ship isn't interesting, nor is it worth the time and effort needed to save. Simply put, I'm done with you."

Lynx felt as if something was stuck in his throat and he couldn't speak, watching as the girl turned back into a boy. It resumed to be Dark Lynx, he then started speaking again in a boy's voice.

"There you have it, bucko, I'm just not willing to save a sinking ship. I'll do it for myself instead of an incompetent captain," The boy said, a bit of ridicule seeping through his voice as he sneered once last time before disappearing.

Lynx sighed as he stood in the dark room, not willing to move. He felt a liquid journey down his face and inwardly he found this familiar.

Drip—

Ah, there it is.

He was crying, but this time it was real. He looked up watching the boy in the mirror cry silently and carefully examined his expression. The boy looked haggard and weak, unlike his usual strong, prideful appearance.

The light in his eyes faded, a far cry from what it was a day prior and Lynx could feel a bone-invading chill style in his heart and body. He wondered what it was when "he" appeared again but this time in the mirror.

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"You're crying again, heh!" The boy in the mirror laughed and he looked around, "Hey is that you over there, I can't imagine a crybaby like you looking like this now."

Lynx looked over to where the other was looking and saw a photo sitting upright on his desk, on it was his mother, father, and himself. It also had a piece of it blocked by a small piece of cloth, preventing others from seeing the other person.

The boy in the photo looked proud as he smiled happily. He raised the trophy in his hands victoriously as he held hands with his parents, it looked like a truly happy picture.

However, it didn't represent Lynx's current reality and so it was supposed to be flat on the desk.

How did it get turned up?

"Ah! That was me, you know. I am your shadow and such, I think that it is appropriate that I make you wake up to reality," Dark Lynx looked at the photo and began to move out of the mirror and walk in its direction.

"No… I–" Lynx suddenly panicked as he roughly grabbed the photo, sending the clothing to the ground and revealing the hidden person. It was a tall boy who had what looked to be brown hair and peach eyes, the same as Lynx. He appeared to be 13-14 years of age.

Lynx paused as he looked at the boy in the photo, his eyes revealed a flurry of emotions. Pain, happiness, suffering, melancholy, unwillingness, and finally resignation. He furiously looked at the other Lynx, who smiled at him and Lynx realized.

Dark Lynx didn't intend to move in the first place. Rather he wanted to make Lynx move.

He was played by his own shadow.

"Damnit!" Lynx cursed as he looked at the photo and his other self.

"Well, let's get to business," Dark Lynx suddenly appeared before Lynx looked at the photo, "Ah, well if it isn't Marcus our brother! Aye, you know the one who kept our family together in the first place!"

Lynx remained silent as he looked around his room, at the various trophies and medals he won over the years. The instruments along the walls remained a painful reminder of the good times past and his current, unfortunate but expected reality.

He sat on the bed as he looked at the picture of his brother lovingly, gently caressing the photo. If Lynn was here she would be shocked to find him smiling.

It had been a long time since he ever had such an expression.

"Aw is the little Lynx getting sentimental," Dark Lynx grinned as he walked around before re-entering the mirror, "I would have taken you for a big no-cry-man, but I guess after getting beat up by a girl…"

"You've turned soft!" He whispered and Lynx clenched his teeth, leveling a scathing glare at Dark Lynx who was in the mirror. The person in question laughed at him and sneered.

"I can't wait to take over, I'll leave your weak self behind in the gallows," Dark Lynx said before taking a glance at the photo, "Then I'll throw away that dumb photo of yours, Haha—"

Shatter—

Lynx roared, finally exploding and in a fit of rage, threw the photo toward the mirror. Dark Lynx disappeared along with it but not without leaving a final message.

"Ah, that rage it seems you still have a couple of embers left will they— go out? Or will they once again burn into—colossal flame," He said his form breaking up and shifting before he disappeared.

Lynx went to pick up the photo, "Ah! Ow…" he winced as he cut his hand on a piece of glass from the mirror in his haste and walked back to his bed.

He rested his head on the bed as he looked at the room filled with musical instruments and sighed looking at the photo, gasping in shock as it was now cracked but that wasn't what shocked him.

The only crack that appeared was across his and Marcus's face. Lynx gripped the photo tightly and blood seeped through his hands and pooled onto the photo. Curling up into himself, Lynx asked as he looked at the now bloodied photo.

"Am I well, Brother?"

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