Kai-Se's mind was still reeling from the things Kaname told him and the memories he had just gotten back. He shifted to his side, facing the prison's wall. It had been days—or at least it felt like days—since Amatesu called him. It had also been a long while since he had last seen or talked to Kaname. He didn't feel the need to reach out to her every now and then, so he had just kept to himself and lay on the floor as much as he could. There was really nothing to do here but that.

He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. There wasn't a particular odor he could perceive since being trapped in the dungeon, making it hard to make sense of the world around him. The darkness was another problem as well. The things he saw when he closed his eyes were no different than when he had them open.

What's the use of wishing he could get out of here anyway? As Kaname implied, there was nothing they could do, cramped in this void of a prison and serving as things for Amatesu to mess with whenever she felt like it. They couldn't even figure out how to see each other without lighting a lantern. How were they supposed to revive An-Ri?

Kai-Se shifted again, this time, lying flat on his back. Where the ceiling was supposed to be was just a blanket of black. Reviving An-Ri, who's supposedly one of the strong spirits capable of standing up against Amatesu, should be the first goal. After that, maybe he'd talk to Kaname and have An-Ri show herself in the mortal realm first, just to silence the faction rising against Xuijae. Then, maybe he would return An-Ri to Shaoryeong so they could deal with Amatesu and stop this ongoing madness.

A thought speared through Kai-Se's head. Kaname mentioned An-Ri already stood against Amatesu. What happened? Why did she go to the mortal realm and become bonded to a random human, such as Kai-Se? It seemed strange now, but before all this, Kai-Se believed the myths saying it's his divine right as the heir to the Imperial Throne to earn the blessing from the spirits. That's why he had An-Ri as a protector.

But seeing as she had unfinished business in her home, seeing as her disappearance caused such disarray, was she really meant to come to the mortal realm at all? Moreover, why would she get bound to Kai-Se, out of all people? It wasn't because he's the Crown Prince. His father had been one but nobody heard of a report of him having a pact with the spirits. Growing up, it was something Kai-Se had accepted as part of his identity, but now...

Was there another reason why An-Ri decided to stick with him and the mortal realm while the rest of Shaoryeong fell into shambles?

Scuffling sounds and the loud grating of a door grinding against its hinges rang from behind Kai-Se. He turned just in time to glimpse a faint stream of light beaming from outside the prison, his gaze landing on an unmoving lump dropped to the floor with a dull thud by one of the four-armed creatures. When he glanced at the side of its head, it became clear they didn't, in fact, have ears. They used to, considering the lump of skin caving in as it healed. The notion alone sent shivers down Kai-Se's spine.

Just before the light faded and the darkness became the norm once more, Kai-Se lunged forward, having recognized Kaname's lavender hair sprawled around her head. He got to the god's side just as the prison door clicked shut.

"Hey," he reached through the black and found the god's shoulder. He gave it a light shake. "You alright?"

When he didn't get a response and when she didn't stir from underneath his grip, his chest began to feel tight. He shook Kaname once more. No response. Light. He needed light. Whatever they had done to her, he needed to see so he could help her.

He looked around, cursing under his breath at the ink obscuring his vision. Lantern. Where was it? Where was Kaname getting it every time she needed it? Should he stand? Crawl? Feel around? He might lose sight of Kaname in the darkness. She needed him. He couldn't fail her now. Not when she hadn't once failed to help him during the days when he felt like he'd go insane with both the pain and the unbearable fact that he'd wake up in the same cell, in the same world, and the same circumstance as he had the day before.

His teeth ground against each other. Screw it. He'd figure it out, just like he always did. For now, the goal was to find light. He could look for the lantern but that'd take too much time. Something tugged at the back of his mind. Magic. Of course. He had seen Kaname cast magic inside the dungeon so it's not blocked. Kai-Se, himself, had successfully integrated himself into Shaoryeong after opening a gate. He could do this. He could cast magic.

He squeezed his eyes shut, clasped his hands to his chest, and breathed in and out. Slowly. Feel the energy around him. Flowing. Roaring. He grabbed hold of the currents like he did way back when. It came easier, this time around. Why was that? Soon, a warm sensation filled his palms. He opened his eyes to find a small ball of light floating inches from his splayed fingers.

A shaky laugh erupted from his lips. "I did it," he muttered to himself in wonder. "I have magic."

His other hand slapped his cheek. Right. He had no time to brag about his recent accomplishments. Kaname needed him. Lowering the ball of light in his hands, he cast its glow all over the god.

He knitted his eyebrows. There was nothing physically wrong with her. No thorns sticking from her arms and legs like how Kai-Se often arrived with. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling just like a normal person would. She was asleep. But...why? What did Amatesu do to her for her to end up like that?

Well, no matter. Kai-Se recalled the warm sensation he felt when Kaname healed him on his first day of being here. He latched on to that feeling, and using his other hand, directed the flow of the energy currents towards the god. The result was as breathtaking as the light glowing on his palm. Soft waves of lavender streaks descended over Kaname, wrapping around her legs, chest, and head. They glowed, seemingly doing their work.

Then, Kaname's eyes flew open. The first thing she did was to slap Kai-Se's hand—the one with their illumination on it. The sudden impact jarred Kai-Se, making him lose hold of his magic, even the one healing Kaname. In an instant, they were plunged back into the darkness.

Kai-Se cradled his throbbing hand to his chest. "What was that for?" he asked. "I was healing you!"

"Don't," came Kaname's strangled warning. Soft feet padded around the cell, signaling Kaname already going up and about. See? Kai-Se helped her with that. A few characteristic noises later, the lantern was back in full view.

"Where do you always get that?" Kai-Se asked, eyeing the lantern's beige paper walls with such contempt. "You seem to know where everything was even without seeing anything."

Kaname shrugged. Despite being unconscious earlier, the soft glow on her tanned skin was back. She wasn't smiling, though. "Try spending five-hundred years in this place. You'd come to memorize things," she said. Before Kai-Se could say anything more, she stared him down. "You have to promise me to never cast any more magic than you did now. I'm fine. You don't need to heal me."

Kai-Se knitted his eyebrows. "But you were unresponsive," he reasoned. "What has Amatesu done to you?"

"She messes with my korza—the magic she used to create me," Kaname explained with a sigh. She brushed the limp strands off her forehead. "It puzzles her why I hadn't manifested yet, so she's stuck with the decision to wait for me to develop into a spirit or stay a god so she could lock me up and start creating my replacement. It gets complicated sometimes and I end up in an induced sleep for days, but I'm going to be fine."

She leveled her gaze at Kai-Se. "But you, however, will not."

Kai-Se blinked. "Why?"

"Because now that I've observed you a little bit more, I've realized you are not fully in Shaoryeong," Kaname said. "You left your body behind, did you?"

"What?" he blurted.

Kaname frowned. "Are we speaking in one-word questions now?" she shook her head, massaging her temples with her fingers. "I don't know what to do with you, honestly. You just keep becoming more and more of a problem."

"What do you mean by me leaving my body?" Kai-Se prodded his arms and patted his chest. He seemed solid and not like a transparent ghost or something. "Am I...dead?"

Kaname rolled her shoulders and threw her hair over them. "Not quite," she said. "Your korza is here in Shaoryeong but your physical body...is left in the mortal realm. To the people you left there, you might seem dead, but you are not."

Kai-Se heaved a deep breath as Kaname continued rambling, oblivious of his predicament. "You are stuck in a stasis, a space between worlds," she said. "You exist in two places at once, and that's putting a strain on your korza and your body."

"What happens when I cast magic?" Kai-Se dared to ask.

Kaname averted her eyes towards the lantern. The flame's flickering motions reflected off her dark pupils. "If either your body or korza gets strained while being apart from each other, you'd either fizzle out of existence, having used up all your energy, or you'd never be able to go back to your body after all this. You don't want that, don't you?"

He didn't need to answer out loud, with his silence telling the god everything. He couldn't die. Not yet. He still had to go back and help his father uphold Xuijae. He still had to take the throne and continue the dynasty. And then...

His thoughts died like a carriage hitting a tree. Then what? He'd spend most of his waking hours working and dealing with two-faced ministers and nobles? He'd spend days going to cities, waving to crowds he wouldn't even remember? Showing up at feasts and festivals, all dressed up as some divine being ordained by the spirits, holding countless zhunxis to visiting governors, engaging talks for trade and innovation. That's the life waiting for him after all this. That's what he was supposed to become.

Why would he want to go back out there? Let the Empire fall. That way, Kai-Se could escape the very fate he had tried his best to run away from. It would all work for everyone...right?

"What would happen if I stayed here?" Kai-Se met Kaname's eyes after a moment of silence passed by between them. "Would it be better for everyone?"

Kaname cocked her head to one side. "Depends on who's 'everyone'," she said. "Won't you have someone to go back to in the mortal realm? Are you happy, rotting away like this?"

Of course not. He'd rather have his freedom. But it seemed like he had attained all the forms freedom could take save for the one he truly longed for. It's ironic. And quite depressing. "Well, I could at least try to do something that'll help people, even when I'm here," he said, his fingers already reaching up to his necklace. He smiled at the god across him. "What do you say about reviving a spirit?"

Kaname smirked. "Never thought this day would come," she said. "What changed your mind, piper?"

"I still don't know about wanting to get out of here," Kai-Se shrugged. "But I could at least try and make this place better while I'm at it. Amatesu's reign should end. You could have your freedom and not be hurt anymore. We have the answer right here."

He dangled the pendant on his fingers while still attached to his neck. He didn't mind whatever he's planning to do right now. Mostly because even if he couldn't have his version freedom, he'd be happy to help make sure some would get theirs. Kaname was on the top of that list. The god wasted no time in helping him, so he shouldn't, either. Just like his stories inspiring movements and bringing hope and joy to anyone who listened, helping people was his purpose.

At least, that's what he thought to himself.

"Well, don't do it on your own. It'll kill you," Kaname said, her eyes never straying from the pendant. Her smile made Kai-Se glad he wasn't the recipient of whatever's currently going through her mind.

"How do you think we should do it?" Kai-Se asked.

Kaname's grin widened. "I've got an idea," she said. "Are you ready?"

Kai-Se nodded. It's time.