“Damn snow,” sighs Hineni, closing the door to the house behind himself as he steps inside. “It's the middle of spring,” he mutters, shaking his head.

The guild is fairly empty today. Two figures sit in the back at a table. Shadowy types, they’re wearing hoods. In most cases, this would be suspicious. But adventurers regularly come inside wearing far more absurd and strange things than that.

A head pops out from behind the front-counter. The usual receptionist is sitting there with Nekyah next to herself. She beams, seeing him come inside and does her best to frog-hop over the counter to excitedly greet him.

However, her knees bump into the wooden edge and she less than gracefully flops over the thing.

Hineni blinks, staring for a second before walking over to help her up. “Are you okay?” he asks. “What was that?”

She frowns, doing her best to hide her face, marred with some dried mud from the floors that some adventurer had dragged inside. “I wanted to look impressive, so that you’d like me.” She sighs, lowering her head. Hineni bends down, adjusting the strands of her hair and wiping some of the dirt off of her face.

“I already d-”

*dhunk* dhunk* dhunk*

Hineni turns around, helping her up. “Why the hell are they knocking?” he asks. “Door's open!” calls the man.

Nobody comes inside.

Blinking, he lets go of her and heads to the front door, to pull it open.

Hineni sits upright in bed.

The man blinks, exhaustedly rubbing his forehead as he rouses from his midnight daze. It’s not like him to wake up in the middle of the night. He’s usually a sun-up to sundown type of person.

His eyes wander around the dark bedroom. It’s a little cramped. But it’s warm at least. His eyes wander over to a wooden leg, sitting in the corner. It's broken. He has to fix it. When she tried to jump over the counter this morning, it had gotten snagged on something and the joint for the knee got damaged. It’s not a terrible fix to have to do, really. Plus it’s about time anyways for him to make her a new one.

Hineni rubs his head, trying to remember why he woke up at all? Was it a bad dream? No. It wasn’t even a bad dream. Heck, he honestly doesn’t even remember what he dreamt about. It’s all just kind of a blur. Hell, the whole day feels like that.

He rubs his eyes, shaking his head. He supposes that there's no reason for him waking up at all. He probably just did because he did. Maybe he has too much energy? He should go for a longer walk tomorrow.

He sighs, laying back down and closing his eyes.

Soon, the next morning arrives and Hineni gets up to get dressed and then fixes his hair, before heading to the door to leave his room, in order to wash up and to get some breakfast.

*dhunk* dhunk* dhunk*

“The hell?” asks Hineni. He grabs the handle of the door. “I'm already awa-”

The plane slides along the wooden board that Hineni is leveling out. Kids are rough creatures and the orphanage is a rough place. The least he can do is make sure that these beds are safe, solid constructions. So he’s making the wood perfectly smooth. First, he starts with a plane to slice off rougher inconsistencies.

And then, well -

(Hineni) uses: [Carpenty: Sand {Fine}]

A glow leaves his hands, surrounding the plank and a heap of fine sawdust falls down to the ground. Running his finger along the wood, he nods, satisfied. It’s perfectly smooth.

“I’m telling you, boy,” barks his father. “That wet-crafting is for the elves. It’ll make you soft.”

Hineni rolls his eyes. “Dad. I’m literally making beds for an orphanage. I think 'soft' is allowed here.”

The old man grumbles, muttering something indistinct and Hineni laughs to himself, knowing that he has him beat this time. “What’re you laughing at?” asks his father.

“Just life, dad,” replies Hineni, rolling his eyes. He looks up. “Should we turn the forge up?” he asks. “It’s ice cold in here.”

“Sure. Just climb up that ladder and close the shutters,” replies his father.

Hineni sighs. “Dad. Mom has been telling you for years to just buy a new ladder. That thing is a death-trap.”

“Buy?!” barks his father. He points his hammer at him. “You’re such a fancy big-shot carpenter,” he says. “Why don’t you make one?”

Hineni thinks for a moment. This isn’t a bad idea, actually. “You know what. I will,” replies Hineni.

- A strong breeze pushes through the building, blowing the flames of the lanterns and the fires of the furnace. Many of them extinguish, many of them flicker and falter beneath the presence of the gale. The shutters all slam shut.

Hineni blinks, looking at his old man.

“Well.”

“Talk about convenience,” says his father. “Guess the gods are on our side today.”

“Guess so,” laughs Hineni, looking towards the hallway as he hears a familiar pace wandering down their way, through the stone corridor from the restaurant.

Nekyah walks into the forge, waving to his father. “I need to borrow this for a minute,” she says, grabbing Hineni.

“Keep him. I don’t want him,” replies his father, waving them off.

“Okay, I will!” She drags him off, back down the stone hallway and out of the forge.

“Nekyah. What’s up?” he asks. “I was working.”

She turns around, looking at him and then, grabbing the scruff of his collar and looks into his eyes. It feels like a long, awkward moment as she stares at him. “Hineni.”

“…What?” asks Hineni, staring back at her in confusion.

“Hineni. Listen to me. We have to go. Right now.” she says, grabbing his hand and pulling him away.

“Nekyah,” asks Hineni, confused. “What’s wrong? Go? Go where? Why? What are you talking about?”

“Ribbit~”

Hineni tilts his head, raising an eyebrow. “Did you just ribbit?”

She spins around, not letting go of his hand. There is a very serious expression painted on her face. One that he doesn’t think he’s ever seen her make. “Hineni!”

He pulls her back towards himself. “Are you sick? What’s wrong?” he asks, touching her head. “Wait. Did someone outside threaten you?!” he asks, lifting his head towards the guild.

Something is bothering him. Hineni can’t really explain it. But something about his own mannerisms has triggered an odd itch inside of his mind. There is something that he wants to do, but it doesn’t really make any sense. He looks down at his wife-to-be. “Nekyah,” he says, saying her name a third time.

There’s no real reason, really. It seems silly and stupid, especially considering that she is in a strange mental state right now. But for some reason, it felt important for him to do.

“Hineni, please,” she says, tugging on his hand and saying his name a fourth time.

He pulls his hand free and picks her up. She’s clearly in some sort of feverish delirium. He’ll bring her back to bed and get her some soup ready.

She lets out a frustrated muffled scream and hits his chest.

Hineni stands in the restaurant, his hands on his hips as he looks around at the busy day today.

Despite the sudden spring snowstorm outside, having lasted for three days now, their business seems to have picked up a little again, as people returned to their normal routines of the winter, which was just only a few odd months prior.

Adventurers fill the tables and talk excitedly about their plans for the day today.

“Let’s go down to floor seventeen today!”

“I dunno,” replies another person at the table. An elf. “I feel like we should go slower. Let’s do fifteen and then leave to heal up for a day first.”

“Did you hear about that weird horse statue they found?”

“A… ‘horse’?” asks someone else. “What’s a horse?”

A plate falls down, shattering.

Hineni stands in the restaurant, his hands on his hips as he looks around at the busy day today.

Despite the sudden spring snowstorm, which is still going on outside, as it has for several days now, people seem to have found their way back inside of the guild. Hineni supposes that it isn’t that large of an adjustment for them. The winter has only just passed, after all.

Their customers are seated everywhere and seem to be having the times of their lives, enjoying hot breakfasts and preparing for their daily grinds and dungeoneering.

Hineni turns his head, looking at his mother. She’s staring up towards the ceiling.

The man frowns, going over to her and gently grabbing her. “Mom. Are you okay?” he asks, knowing full well that she is in one of her states. It’s started happening during the daytime now too.

She looks over his way, touching his face. “Nini,” says his mother. “Did you let it inside?” she asks. “I told you not to open the door if anyone knocks three times, Nini.”

“Mom,” says Hineni. “Come on. Let’s get you a cup of tea, okay?”

“You’re going to hell, Nini,” says his mother.

Hineni blinks. That’s something he’s never heard his mother say before. The woman is a gentle saint.

He turns his head in confusion, looking at Nekyah.

Hineni stands in the restaurant. His hands are dangling somewhat loosely at his sides. He can’t help but feel a little aimless today.

The snowstorm is raging outside and the guild is fuller than ever.

It’s full of life and excited faces. It’s full of people with little money, but with enough energy and dreams to sustain themselves for at least another year. In this neighborhood, you need a fighting spirit to survive or you just aren’t going to make it.

It’s the sad reality of the world.

You need a fighting spirit, or you are simply, at the end of the day, not going to make it.

Hineni stands in the perfect place, in the pinnacle of happiness. His business is thriving, his parents are in reasonable health for their age, he’s a respected member of his community, he has a beautiful person to share his heart with.

- But he doesn’t really know why he has these things.

The man looks down at his own body. His arms hang there, somewhat limply. They are worked, but not as worked as his father's. His business is thriving, but it’s thriving mostly because of his parents' hard work. His community? If he dropped an Obol on the floor, he couldn’t move out of the way fast enough to avoid the ensuing knife-fight between the people sitting at his tables. The person who he shares his heart with?

Hineni turns his head and looks at Nekyah, who is pacing around. She seems rather frantic and nervous today about something. She’s hobbling on her leg, which she put on wrong. Her gloves are loose and so is her hair. This is extremely unlike her. She’ll spend hours in front of the mirror on bad days, making sure every detail is perfect.

She’s worn a wig, ever since her childhood. The ailment that has tinged her skin had also taken her hair. She’s probably even more sensitive about it than about the leg or the fingers. The woman stakes everything in her physical appearance, in a desperate bid to feel ‘normal’.

But Hineni doesn’t really understand why she would want that?

He turns his head, looking at himself, looking at all of the normal people around himself. Is this all that life has to offer?

- Normality?

Perhaps it is a ‘one man’s trash’ situation. He supposes that if he was in her shoes, he would understand wanting to be like everyone else too. Though, he does wish that she would see that she already is normal, just like him.

And that normality is killing him.

Hineni turns his head, staring out of the large windows of the building. Snow crashes down outside. More snow than he’s ever seen before. If he didn’t know better, he’d feel that some ice-spirit was harassing them in particular.

“Boy,” barks his father. “You’re spooking the customers.”

Hineni blinks, noticing that he’s been standing in the middle of the room for a few odd minutes now. “Sorry,” he says, shaking his head. “Weird thoughts.” He says, turning his head to look at the two hooded people, sitting at a table.

- Weren’t they here yesterday?

…Or was that the day before yesterday?

Actually. What day is today, anyway?

Hineni realizes, rather suddenly, that he’s very disoriented.

*dhunk* *dhunk* *dhunk*

Hineni turns to look at the front door. Who would knock on it in the middle of the day? They’re clearly open. He sighs, walking to get it.

A hand grabs him, holding him. “Wait, darling!” says Nekyah. She pulls him along. “Let’s go upstairs! I want to show you something!”

“Huh? Wha -”

Hineni turns to look back at the front door, watching as the two customers with the robes get up and walk towards it to leave. “Hey!” he barks. “You have to pay for that!” he says, pointing at their untouched food.

One of them looks over their shoulder, their hand on the front door. “I don’t give business to frogs,” says the very tired looking elf.

Hineni stands downstairs in the restaurant.

Hineni…

Hineni…

“Hineni…” sobs a voice, a familiar voice, striking against his chest. Hineni looks down at Nekyah, who is pressing her face into his chest and clutching the fabric of his shirt at his shoulders. “Don’t go. Don’t go with it. You can stay here with me! We can stay here together!” she says. “Please,” she says and lifts her face. “I don’t want it to take you from me again! After everything.”

“Nekyah, what are you talking about?” asks Hineni, looking around at the restaurant. It’s full of life and sound, being as busy as ever. “Why are you making a scene?” he asks, feeling the customers awkwardly watching them.

“We can stay here forever!” she says. “We can be happy! We can live a normal, real life!” She points behind herself. “Look! We can have your dad here and your mom!” she says and Hineni watches as his parents walk out into the middle of the room. “I don’t mind!” she adds. “- It has to be you,” she says. “There’s nobody else. There’s nobody else-” she sobs.

Hineni’s vision is a blur. He can’t really tell what’s going on anymore and his mind can’t really make sense of anything.

“- Nobody else is able to live a fourth life,” she explains. “You’re the only one. You’re the only one, Hineni,” she says, lifting a hand to touch his face. “Please. I love you,” she says, looking into his eyes.

The room around them seems to have frozen. The people in it no longer move. But with every word that she speaks, all of their mouths move in unison. The mouths of his parents, of the receptionist, of the librarian, who has wandered out to get a drink, of the customers. All of them look his way together with her. “I love you. I love you!” they all say, repeating themselves over and over again, drawing closer as they move towards him, not walking, but rather simply sliding his way, as if pieces moved over a gameboard. “That’s why I made all of this happen!” she explains. “Just like back then and we can do it all over again, Hineni! Forever! I love you!”

Two hooded figures get up from their table, walking to the door, not affected by whatever is happening here.

Hineni looks away from her face and towards the faces of his parents, of the people all around himself.

He doesn’t really know what it is that he’s doing, honestly. But that could perhaps be said of his entire life. He’s just sort of blindly following his gut and the strands of fate and letting it pull him to wherever it has to pull him.

- And, here he is, standing there with his hand in the air.

“…Yeah,” replies Hineni, not really having anything better to sum it up.

(Hineni) uses: [Ash: Antichrysalis]

The room explodes in a cloud of swarming, swirling particulate.

Ash leaves his hands, flying around the space and filling it up to the brim, as if it were a soul, teeming with disembodied shadows. Thousands of radiant, orange cinders fill the darkness, dancing like fireflies, their soft glows piercing through the obscuring ash to paint the quickly disfiguring faces of the people all around himself.

The glowing sparks and hot ashes land on his parents, on the librarian, on the receptionist, on the customers, on himself, on her - and they all begin to burn.

Hineni watches as his mother and father begin to scream and to howl, their disintegrating fingers reaching for him, but never quite getting close enough to touch. They twitch and writhe, falling apart into ash, together with everyone else around them. Cinders burn his skin, they scar his face, they burn the soft flesh of his eyelids, his pupils, his hands, his lips.

He looks at everyone as he kills them for the second time in his life and then he simply walks away, moving through the ash towards the front door, next to which the two people stand, covered in thick, obscuring cloaks.

One of them lifts a bundle up, a hat and a scarf and he takes them, while looking at the door.

Nobody knocks on it this time.

There were already three instances of knocking and that is the perfect amount. She’s waiting on the other side. He can feel her.

Hineni puts on his hat and scarf in a familiar ritual, before turning to look at the frog-god, Nekyah.

Her hair is missing, burnt away by fire. Her leg is missing, scorched to cinders. Her small digits, which had been exposed, as the rest of her fingers were clutching his shirt, are gone.

Nekyah lays on the floor, holding herself and crying as ash falls all around them like virgin snow from a black cloud. “I just wanted us to be normal together!” she cries.

“That’s your problem,” replies Hineni. He turns back and opens the front door with the two figures in tow. “- This is normal,” he says and steps out into the hooting void, filled with more eyes than he can be bothered to start counting.