[Eternity Could Be This Way]

Drifting... Floating... He'd had this sensation before, but not as clear as this. Not quite as quiet. The stillness and blackness around him, however, caused him no fear. There was nothing in this void... Nothing save a voice. A voice that called him wordlessly. Rev was a bit wary of following voices, but he did so anyway - not knowing quite why he chose to. Turning, he trotted still deeper into the stillness, arriving in a place of odd colors, with seats, a table, and what appeared to be a human male, aged nineteen years or so. Well... at least it LOOKED human. There were the differences. Skin as pale as milk. Eyes that were merely liquid pools of the night sky. Ears that slightly pointed at the tips, and fingers much too long, tipped in dainty claws. But for all intents and purposes, it WAS a boy. And said boy offered him a seat, with a wide gesture of his odd hand.

~Sit.~ The boy fairly demanded. There was no question there. ~Come now...~ he said, a little more gently. ~There is no need to fear me. I won't hurt you.~

Soothed by that voice in a way he'd never felt before, Revtheyr crept up to the threshold of the place, and found himself pulled to his two-legged form. Oddly enough, he sort of expected this, and found no fear in it, as he seated himself on one of the cushions strewn about the small space within the nothingness.

"Who are you?" Revtheyr asked, full of curious wonder. Never before had he seen something like this boy. "WHAT are you?"

The boy simply laughed, and shook his head in an amused manner. ~Who and what I AM is of no consequence to you. It is more what I am becoming, and what I will be, that is your concern as of right now.~ the boy said, steepling his strange fingers. ~I am what I was, at the moment. But that moment will soon pass. I do not belong here.~ he explained. ~Against my will, I was driven here in hopes of exile from those that wish me ill. It was not a conscious choice, believe me.~

Something in the voice held anger. But there was pity in it, too, and a bit of malicious intent. Revenge in that voice as well. It offered to destroy those who wished harm. And invited those of charitable intent to draw closer. A new voice, the likes of which Revtheyr had never experienced. The boy continued.

~However, that is a conversation for another time.~ he ended, dismissing that subject with a nod. ~Of more impact just now, is your own situation. One hardly expects a bright young male like yourself to be dancing with Lord Death at this age.~

Instead of asking the boy why he knew that, Rev asked another question. "Do you know Lord Death? You speak as though you had some familiarity." It was a question that had been just under the surface. He had not PLANNED on asking it, yet it floated into the darkness just the same.

The odd one laughed, and smiled. ~Yes. He and I are fairly well acquainted. Though, perhaps, his form differs to you. I do not know the intricacies of your dance yet. As, again, it was not my choosing to understand such - but a necessity now.~

"Will he come for me?"

The boy seemed to think for a moment at this question, steepling his fingers again, and canting his head to one side as he appeared to choose the precise words. ~No.~ he said, finally. ~Eventually? Yes. But you have much to remain for. Children. Friends. Family. However... at the risk of sounding cliché, this is where you must make a choice. A crossroads, if you will.~

Revtheyr settled himself forward on the cushion, to make sure he was giving the utmost attention to the young male.

~My poor friend, this will not be the last hardship you face. Not by a long shot. But here's the choice you must make.~ he said, taking a deep breath. ~You can choose to undertake the barest minimum of the trials that await you - to suffer the least in the long run... Or you can take on the burdens of those around you.~

Revtheyr blinked. There didn't seem to be much of a choice in that matter. But perhaps... "What are the consequences of each choice?" he asked.

The boy smiled. ~Wise, Revtheyr.~ he said with a nod of approval. ~If you decide to take the path of least resistance... your friends will fade. Eventually, they will dance with Lord Death, as they must... But the path will be shorter for them, the dance sooner in coming.~ He paused for a moment. ~If you take the steeper, more difficult path, your friends and family will be spared that fate, and will be favored by the Gods in many things. However... your path will be treacherous.~

Once again, no choice. Although it was the other way around this time. He smiled at the boy, and nodded his head once. "I take the harder path. No matter how treacherous, or how steep, or how much I have to suffer... I want to spare my friends and family anything that might hurt them."

The boy sighed, and gave a weak grin. ~I knew you'd choose that. And I'm proud of you - but grieved for you at the same time. You will soon understand why.~

As the 'why' faded into the darkness, the surrounding area started to lighten. The boy's voice was drifting off, like some half-imagined dream. Revtheyr barely heard his final words, as he opened his eyes to the real world again.

~Kire, Revtheyr. My name is Kire!~

And then... he woke.