Butterflies of the Dark Star

48 (REVISED)

He went deeper into the center of the black hole; of the universe.

No matter how long she fought against the tide of space-time, the most she managed to hold onto was his hand. Grey mist darkened in the waterfall of the vents to swirl into the event horizon.

"Neo." Nova tugged him to a stop when they reached the empty transit station, a field of rippling atmosphere expanding outwards from them. "You're not feeling well."

He twitched, and shifted to pull out of her grip. "I told you... this will end at the gate," he murmured, and emptiness plagued his pupils. "Everything I've done led to this moment... I will finish it. It wants me to finish it." He turned to her and frowned, a spark within the void. "I... want to figure out what's happening. It will tell me."

"What can the anomaly tell you?" Nova clung onto his forearms to keep him from rushing into the dark, out of her reach. One shake, and he gave no resistance, nothing more than a puppet in her hands. "Neo, tell me what's going on. If you remember something, I can tell you! But we need to talk to each other, you have to give me something."

"Remember..." He blinked twice then squeezed her arms. "I have always been."

Nova shook her head at his reply but followed his gravitational walk of the thousand other loops. Habitation left behind. Maybe this is for the best? Maybe I can change something on the way. I'm on the event horizon, but Neo... Neo is at the center of this. Frustrated ground her jaw into nothing. I should have never let you do something so stupid, but I'm no better.

The void continued to play the distant beacon of distress. Metal screeched behind the veil of grey scorched mist. Nova pushed through the glitch in the universe. In all of time, but nowhere at all. "Neo, are you sure about this?" He didn't respond, so she grabbed him again when they entered the transit. "What's going on here?"

"It is wrong," he mumbled with a sickly sway. "It was broken into by them."

"Them?"

"We aren't the first here." Neo gazed at her. "... we were never alone. It is layered over us and cracking space." His frown deepened. "I can sense it on the edge, if it gets past into the sea, it will spread... and this galaxy will be swallowed into it." He tipped his head. "I must head there and expunge it."

"The monster?"

He nodded again, then leaned against the wall with a quiet groan, shaking his head when the transit moved under their feet.

Nova bit down on the pieces of the puzzle fitting into place. "Neo, you can talk to me," she said the words she never got the chance to say. "You can talk to me through your thought process." Her hands found his in the cold universe. "I'm listening."

He trembled with the light. "You could not hear me before."

"I can hear you more clearly now. So, can you talk to me?"

Neo twisted without replying to her fervent plea. Nova threw her arms into the air and waited for the transit to come to a full stop. It opened to reveal the shattered, melted bulkhead. On a ghostly path, Neo pushed for something out of reach. Darkness lifted to reveal metal spattered with blood freshly spreading with no source.

Neo focused on what laid ahead instead of the death and destruction in his wake.

"Neo," Nova rasped.

"It will end if I can expunge it," he whispered with her echo.

You're not thinking straight. I need answers! Nova rushed to keep his agonizingly slow pace stretching time around him. You're still in there, I know you are. I know it's just you and the anomaly did something to you! Maybe I can pull you out of this, I just need to figure out how!