“How– Where did–”

The maid twins, the same ones he had bought and sold a figurine of just that day, were suddenly here. They pressed up against Kyle, pulling on his jacket as they begged with their eyes almost tearing up.

“If you don’t save us, then everyone is doomed!” Shiroshi said from his left.

“You have to help us, Kyle Concord! You’re our only hope!” Kuroshi pleaded from his right.

“What are you two talking about?” Kyle asked, trying to step away from them, but their grips persisted. “Why are you here? And how?” He looked around, but still saw no sign of the Deity that summoned the twins. “Khali! What’s going on? Am I dreaming again?”

“Oh no, you’re awake!” Shiroshi insisted.

“Well, as awake as you can be for someone who’s dead,” Kuroshi added.

“Oh gee, thanks…” Kyle muttered, still uncomfortable to have them clinging on both arms. “Umm, can you two let go of me yet?”

“No can do!”

“Not until you agree to become Khali’s Herald of Death!”

“Seriously? Even you two are on Khali’s side, huh?” Kyle asked, exacerbated. “Look, I already said I wouldn’t go back to How’lea just so I could be a tool to kill people! Not even you two can convince me. Besides, I–”

“What do you mean no? Isn’t all this exactly what you wanted?”

“Yeah! Don’t you want to be like Andreas? A hero who travels the world, fighting terrible people who do horrible things!”

 Despite his protesting, the twins persisted.

“I mean, sure that might be cool, but Andreas was a genius! And he had powers that helped him do all that, plus a full team of friends, like you. Not to mention, he never–”

“But the power Khali can give you is great too! You’ve got a responsibility to take it!”

“Yeah, you’re our precious chosen one, Kyle!”

“...I already said no,” Kyle said dryly. “And I think you’re getting your franchise quotes mixed up. Khali, what is this? Just what parts of my memories were you prying into while I was on the edge of oblivion?”

“Hmm?”

“Whatever do you mean, Master Kyle?”

Kyle shoved off the twins and took several steps back, holding his arms up to keep them at bay. “This is seriously a lousy attempt to persuade me, oh great ‘Deity of Time and Death’! You would have been better off pretending to be the kid brother I always wanted or something, instead.” He turned around and stormed off as the maid twins called after him. He walked past the red string of fate that he’d nearly forgotten about, venturing further into the darkness.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“We thought you loved us, Kyle…”

“Oh, I do,” Kyle said without turning around. “I do love Shiroshi and Kuroshi. They’re adorable twin cat-girl maids, with attachment issues to the person that saved them and a penchant for kicking the crap out of villains. But that’s why I said this is one hell of a lame farce! Because whatever this is clearly isn’t them!” he shouted, pointing back at the girls who hadn’t moved. 

“After everything the twins had been through, they would never beg someone to betray themselves. They would never ask or demand that someone become a monster whose purpose is to hurt others. They’d say it doesn’t matter how hard things get, that we’ll figure it out together. So don’t you taint their image with your bullshit!” He shouted indiscriminately around him since Khali wasn’t there to directly yell at. “I mean it, cut this fake shit out! Don’t think you can persuade me by just disguising yourself as two of my favorite characters and begging me. Do it as yourself!”

“But we are real, aren’t we? You can see, hear, and feel us, can’t you? Isn’t that enough?”

“What else do you need for us to be real to you? We’ll do whatever you ask! And we mean anything; just give the word!”

The twins called out to Kyle as he resumed walking away from them, shaking his head. “Just how pathetic do you think I am?”

“Do you want the truth?” The next moment he blinked, the twins suddenly appeared in front of him, speaking in lowered voices and in unison.

“I said to stop imitating them!” Kyle replied in kind. “You’re seriously pissing me off now!”

“Oh, fine already.” Khali’s voice came from behind him. “I was beginning to hate myself for doing that as well.” Kyle took a deep breath as he turned around and found himself face to face with Khali, back to her original self. Her hood and veil were pulled back, revealing a concerned expression. Glancing back, Kyle noticed the twins had disappeared.

“Can you stop disappearing and reappearing behind me? And you realize that was completely pointless, right? If anything, it just hurt your odds of convincing me even more. Especially–” 

“Well I don’t know how else to convince you! You’re a human, so I figured that, even if you wanted to morally grandstand against being sent to oblivion, surely you’d succumb to your mortal desires and emotions–”

“Shut up already and let me finish!” Kyle shouted, taking several steps towards Khali. He ignored the height difference that no doubt reduced his intimidating aura as he continued. “I’ve been trying to talk and you keep cutting me off. Why can’t you just be quiet?”

“Because I don’t know how else I might convey that you’re the only one that can help, who can put a stop to my brothers.” Khali waved her arm through the air, and an illusionary barebones map came into view with the word “How’lea” inscribed at the top. Without any other labels or legend, it appeared somewhat reminiscent of a map of Earth. It was largely made up of water, with a massive continent on each hemisphere. The one on the left looked like a massive “W” with a larger bottom left corner, while the continent on the right reminded Kyle of Australia if it had been sized up four or five times.

Countless miles of ocean separated the continents, with smaller land masses sprinkled throughout. Two larger islands in particular stood out, shaped like the halves of a Yin and Yang symbol, but placed at the top and bottom of the middle of the map. “Nearly one billion people, tens of thousands of years of history and culture, and potentially an answer for how you got here in the first place. Are you truly fine leaving How’lea, and everyone on it, to suffer at the hands of the unruly Ushers of Chaos?”

Kyle closed his eyes, shaking his head. The faces of everyone he’d met flashed through his mind. The people he’d seen getting up off the street. Connor. Markus. Officer Depure. And, most vividly, Selena.

“No, of course not,” he replied. “I’d never forgive myself for doing that, if I’m the only one who can help.”

“So–”

“So!” Kyle continued, raising his voice to not get cut off again. “I’ll do it… but on one condition.”

“What? You think you have room to bargain? With me?” Khali scoffed.

“You’re the one without any other options,” Kyle countered. “So yes, I think you’ll take my offer. I’ll become your Herald of Death, I’ll do things my way. I refuse to unabashedly or mercilessly kill anyone. If I’m gonna save the world, it’s not gonna be by murdering people, but by protecting people instead.”

With that, Kyle held out a hand, meeting Khali’s eyes with a determined look. She met Kyle’s gaze, looked down to his outstretched hand, and then back.

“You’re joking.”

“I am not.”

“You truly are a naive one, aren’t you?” she sighed. “What makes you think that this is something you can do without taking anyone’s life? The fate of everyone else is at stake; surely you can dismiss any thoughts for those who would seek to end everything?”

“You said yourself that people are being influenced by your brothers,” he said, dropping his arm. “If I can stop whatever their plans are, if I can protect those they would do harm, or prevent their machinations from coming to pass, then I can and will do it!”

“Even if it will cost you your life countless more times than it would by simply killing them all?”

“I’ll be the one with lives to spare,” Kyle said with a smirk.

“Will you die just to save the people you’re trying to stop as well, then? Will you go out of your way to stop other people from killing in self defense or to stop the villains that will otherwise do irreparable harm? Will you let people die just so you don’t have to get your hands dirty yourself?”

Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he thought about Khali’s points. She wasn’t wrong; the naivety in refusing to kill would very likely just make his job all that much harder. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be the only answer, though.

“I’ll cross those bridges when I get to them. If there’s no other choice… Well, then I’ll see. But only as a last resort! I don’t want to give up on that before I’ve even started.” He looked up and leveled his gaze with the Deity. “So, do we have a deal? Or are you gonna pray some other traveler from another world is going to come along for you to use instead?”

Khali pondered for a minute, slowly walking in a circle around him, the ticking of her halo echoing with each step. “Just so you’re aware, I’m not sure just how far back I can send you. And this is all I can do for you in terms of real aid,” she said. “There will be no other powers or gifts I can bestow on you. I cannot do something like cure your breathing condition, or tell you what the future holds or who you’ll have to fight. As much as I am in charge of Time, it is primarily to make sure the general flow of it remains consistent. I am technically going directly against that by giving you more chances at life, but it’s the only way to assure How’lea does not get consumed in all out war, famine, disease, and well, death.”

She paused, turning to him and raising a finger. “Also, in order for me to do this for you again, you will have to die. If I manipulate time while you’re still alive, my brothers will surely notice, and the pact may be considered violated.”

“Just so long as you can give me more chances, then that works for me.”

Khali was silent for a few more moments. “Now, I wonder which will break first: your heart, with your misguided optimism to play the pure and unsullied “hero” you think you can be? Or your mind, from all the suffering you’re bound to endure because of your stubbornness.”

“I’d call it… perseverance.”

She made no comment, but extended her left hand. 

Kyle took it, and immediately felt a tingling sensation as his hand began to glow a bright white. When Khali released him, he saw a black mark covering the back of his hand. Before he could get a good look or ask about it, she shoved him backwards, sending him falling through the floor and into the void, her voice echoing as he fell. 

“Now go forth, my Herald; there's no time to waste. And remember: you’ve no need to fear death, as it is only the beginning of another chance at life.”