Author's note: Gosh, another long wait. This chapter was very challenging for me to make. I'm sorry for the delay! FYI, being consumed in the darkness was a word play that basically meant Tokoyami went in an unconscious state ( more of a daydream since he was already unconscious in the real wold.)

Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

--

...

He lost track of time.

In this void, he might as well doesn't exist, just another static floating though the distortion.

Who am I in this abyss of pain and torture?

Who am I controlling these thoughts and actions?

Who am I?

(Double meaning: Tokoyami questioning his emptyness and the body that he was in, Dark Shadow)

In the abysmal gloom lay Tokoyami, his vision shrouded with darkness, his mind clouded with dullness. His jet black feathers were arranged haphazardly.

Calm thoughts, calm thoughts, calm thoughts...

Trying to rid off his misery felt like removing the bones in his body.

But nothing compared to the emptiness in his soul. It was as if a black hole formed in the middle of his heart, something that could absolutely be possible due to the extremely dense crystals embedded deep within him.

Black. The epitome of what defines Tokoyami. Dark Shadow likes it, Tokoyami embraces it and his features agrees with it.

Yet right in the middle of it, was Tokoyami's darkest nightmares.

When light fades, he exists...

When he exists, lights fade.

Calm thoughts, calm thoughts, calm thoughts.

Dark Shadow.

His demon;

He's confused. He's utterly confused.

What IS he?

He hates the light. He hates the dark.

He hated Dark Shadow, he liked Dark Shadow.

Dark Shadow was his demon, Dark Shadow was his brother.

He is saving his classmates, he is killing them.

Removing suffer? Causing suffer.

Calm thoughts

Calm thoughts

His thoughts were glitching.

He can't help himself any longer.

His tounge stuck out of his jaw...

His jaw opened wide...

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Something interrupted Tokoyami's attempt, a disturbance in the void, shaking Tokoyami out of his endless suicidal trance.

Yet, He couldn't move his body. Drained and devoid of energy, he lay there helplessly, not knowing what was happening this time.

He lay there, feeling the shock waves of vibrations through his body.

But this time, it wasn't linear shockwaves... There were multiple of them from different directions.

It shook his entire body violently, making him feel like there were deep metal base drums playing full volume.

Suddenly, he felt lighter, almost as if he was being pushed up. The force grew stronger and stronger. He felt his head lifted first.

Standing waves

Tokoyami thought. He'd learnt it before in his Physics classes. It was a point between multiple vibrations that remained fixed while the surrounding points vibrate vigorously.

He heard before that standing waves are able to be in midair, even able to float light objects.

This time, the standing waves were moving, allowing him to magically stand up.

It was a weird sensation, being granted with energy. It was as if he was lifted to the ground but what supported him couldn't be felt. It felt as if he was still laying down.

What greeted his eyes were portals like before. This time, there wasn't only one, but 19 others.

Dark Shadow and his soul combined, even though the 12 crystals that Tokoyami initially had in his heart were gone, their imprints were left on his soul. They weren't normal crystals after all.

Together, it makes 19 crystals in Tokoyami's soul, creating 19 portals.

The twentieth soul, his crystal, was the final "gift" that Tokoyami gave to Belenus.

Tokoyami eyes opened weakly, staring through his feathers.

19 students were in each of the portals.

Tokoyami focused on them, expecting to see their memories again...

Normally, a vision of the victims memories would be playing, like for Dark Shadow's portal. The bodies of the victim would only be visible after attempting to enter the portals.

But...

His classmates were all staring right back at him.

Tokoyami walked nearer curiously, inspecting the first portal.

Shoji.

He stood in front of the "prison" that Tokoyami had been the key to unlock it for Shoji, and the rest of the class.

Yet this gave him a multi secured prison that he could never get out of.

Before, he was glad. He removed the burden of others, was what he would have originally thought.

Dark Shadow thought so too...

A voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.

"Tokoyami."

?!

He took a few steps back, taken aback by what he heard.

Why is he saying my name?

Tokoyami was now more aware of his surroundings. In fact, his name was being called from the other portals too.

Why is my name being called?

It bewildered him to see such a scene.

These are the greatest emotions that they are feeling, but they are all thinking of the same thing.

Yet, some part of him agrees with them.

Because history was repeating itself again...

"Tokoyami!"

"Tokoyami!"

"Tokoyami!"

It sounds almost like greed now.

Greed of wanting Tokoyami.

Greed of wanting to know more about Tokoyami.

That's why.

That's why they are looking at him.

That's why they didn't have any other emotions.

That's why, when he had a chance to talk to Dark shadow though the portal, he wanted to talk to him.

A chance...

Dark Shadow's last words...

"He knew."

Tokoyami's voice was hoarse and soft, but they were filled with emotion.

Tokoyami finally understood. Understood that his plan for avoiding his friends to suffer...

Is the main reason for their suffering.

What Tokoyami had been doing...

Was nothing but a reflection of Dark Shadow's.

"Don't worry, please worry about me. I don't want you to suffer. I don't want any of you to experience the horrific experience I had."

"Don't worry, you are just you, Fumikage. We have nothing in common. You don't have to be related to a demon."

"I don't want my sorrow and misery to affect your lives. I don't need to exist in your heart."

"I don't want to see your misery. I don't want to see your fear."

"I won't tell the truth"

"I want to see your smiles."

(Dark shadow and Fumikage thinking alike combining into one sentence)

"and..."

"and..."

d

ahr

i.

Like a disease, the effect had already taken its toll on Class 1A as it had for Tokoyami.

The emptiness, the sorrow, the greed.

He almost couldn't amend his mistakes.

But Dark Shadow gave him a chance.

One final chance.

Because , that history was going to repeat itself again... and,

after layers and layers of suffering, he was going to put the final layer.

Ending this cycle of unnecessary pain.

He looked down, finding himself in his hero costume. The long dark cape losing its initial purpose.

He removed his cape, revealing his black baggy pants and a matching slim fit shirt. With a tug, he took off his clothes, revealing the location he wanted to visit.

It's engravings on the "tombstone" was etched roughly, the description only unique to Dark Shadow.

He placed his hands on the engravings, feeling each bump of each letter. It was as if he was reading braille, but what he received wasn't words, but emotions.

Like he did for Belenus to enter the Realm, he did the same action to his heart, grabbing a mental soul.

Grasping it, embracing it.

Tokoyami closed his eyes...

"I wished you could've witnessed it with your own two eyes,

seeing me unraveling layers of suffering."

"Hope you are proud of me, as I am, for you."

"You're a true hero. We both are, heroes of the night."

"And finally..."

"Thank you, brother for giving me the gift that I have never received..."

"and now, I can finally return it..."

The engravings felt warm to the touch.

It glows a dark red, shining through the dark void...

It awaits his next response...

--

"I lov "

Author's note: Ugh, this story was so difficult to write. I hope you liked this chapter, I'm not sure if I liked this chapter to be honest, but I tried my best to explain and convey emotion at the same time.

It may be a little too wordy in my opinion...

Also, yes. Both Fumikage and Dark Shadow said "I love you. " at the same time.

Fumikage never received love from anyone else. True love. Other than the person that he have been avoiding the most.

Now, he was finally able to return it back.

It's funny how love and suffer coexist so well together...