• "A pitiful thing, is it not?"
    tab At the sound of the echoing, deep voice, the man curled up into an even tighter ball. He was sharply aware of his unchanging surroundings, though he kept his eyes squeezed shut. Blankness, more specifically a white space, showed no objects or people whatsoever. Even though the ground he lay upon was like stone, though that was white too. No pebbles, or dirt layered it. To stare in any direction, one would think they were blind, but in an inverted color scheme.
    "Judge him not, he is of powerful will."
    tab A second voice spoke up, in lighter tones than the first. It was stern and calm, like a lake or a breeze. Nothing like the first, dark and powerful. Neither sounded like a man or woman, but a combination of the two. The first voice chuckled to itself, sarcasm hinted at the edges.
    "You tell me that, yet he is exactly like a spider or worm when it dies. Curling in on itself."
    "But he will not die."
    tab A third voice, soft and airy, yet melodious, joined in. It seemed to be reprimanding the first. "That is the deal, correct?"
    tab A ringing silence came in the man's ears as they stopped talking, and he shifted slightly. His black frock coat he wore made a dry rustling noise, relief coming to him at the familiar sound. A few more moments passed in the timeless tedium until a fourth voice drifted down from above, somber and bored, like a feather.
    "Correct. Though he shall be aware of everything around him."
    "Oh, yes. Very aware. Hm, hm..."
    tab The first chuckled, and the man on the so-called ground felt a cold fear creeping into his limbs. It flowed over him like a shadow, reaching for his heart. Just when he thought he'd drown in it, struggling for breath, a sudden welcoming warmth came over him, like someone's arms in winter.
    "Hm, hm, I believe I will enjoy this."
    tab A sound like a yawn echoed around the man, reverberating in the still, yet not still, air. "Are we quite done yet? I'm growing bored of this discussion."
    "Well, don't leave. We're almost finished."
    tab The third voice called out to the fourth, humming with a bit of annoyance. Then it gave what might have been a sigh.
    "Ah, he left..."
    tab The man felt as if a pressing weight was removed, if only for a while. He took a deeper breath and pressed what was in his hands closer to his chest, as if it could protect him from his troubles. A glint of gold showed in the brightness of the place he was in, although devoid of sun or moon, it was lit up like daylight shone.
    "What did you expect? He was always the one most tired of mortals' troubles. I do not blame him, I would leave myself, for I have other things to do..."
    "Enough of this rambling."
    tab The second voice sounded perturbed and strict in an instant. The man stiffened up automatically, reacting to the many times he'd heard the commanding orders given. The first voice laughed throatily, pleased with the action it saw, and the second continued.
    "Since he left, implying agreement, what say you two?"
    "Tell me, what were the conditions again?"
    tab The first sounded quietly, though it concealed the menace in it's tone barely. The man on the ground shivered as a cold chill raced up his spine. The third spoke again, calming, recounting what had been decided on.
    "The man is not to age as the years pass him by like snowflakes. He will continue to stay at the current state he is in until his time. His death will not come for him, unless I and the others deem it so. Even then, we three, not including you--" This brief comment was directed at the first voice. " --, must come to some form of an agreement on it. Wounds may be inflicted upon him, great and small, though his body shall ultimately remain whole. His memories will stay intact as well, never fading, so as for he to do his prearranged duty."
    tab The third stopped after taking no breath in the brief rundown. Silence again, until--
    "And he will be fully exposed to any way, shape, or form of pain, loss, or suffering. Whether it be physical, mental, or emotional."
    tab The first noted wryly, almost smugly.
    "...Yes." The second said with only a half-second's hesitation, as if considering a possibility. "Well now, as I said before, what say you two?"
    "I see no reason not to. It seems logical enough. I agree." The third put out, falling silent for the first to speak it's piece. What seemed like countless minutes passed, and the second, a trifle impatient, spoke.
    "What say you, D--"
    "Hm, this shall provide to be fairly entertaining." The first remarked to itself, thinking aloud and cutting the second voice off. "Very well, I agree to these terms. Hm, hm. Ha, ha..."
    tab To the man laying curled up in a tight ball, it felt like a door had been closed shut, and locked securely with iron and silver bars. A crushing feeling welled up in him, anxiety beginning to get the better of him. It had finally, officially, been decided.
    "That out of the way, I have to get back to what I was doing previously." The third said, regret heard in the cheerful tone. "Summon me if something's amiss."
    tab Another weight left the man's chest as the third voice's presence disappeared. The first and second remained for the time being, discussing a matter.
    "I trust no interference in the future from you, if I intervene with this man during his task?"
    tab The second was silent, but that seemed to be more than enough for the first, as it chuckled deeply again, ominously. A third weight faded from the man's consciousness, though it left a cold, empty feeling in him. As if he were already hollow inside. Anxiety rose up again, from the small flicker it was, to a blaze. Then the feeling of cool hands touched his face, calming the waves.
    "Rise."
    tab The man slowly uncurled from his position, his legs and arms aching faintly, and he stood at the soft spoken command. He still held his hands to white button up shirt, and his eyes remained closed beneath his shaggy black bangs.
    "You understand what is beset of you?"
    tab The man nodded, reluctantly.
    "For the years that I have taken you under my wing, it has been to prepare you for this one, sole, duty. This duty that you will not, cannot, fail. Hardships more heartbreaking and cruel than before lay ahead in your path."
    tab The second voice paused, contemplating it's next words.
    "You will learn many things. Whether it sets you on edge, or drives you over the edge, you will return to what you were before. But not without the same knowledge you gained. There is, unfortunately, no escape."
    tab The second voice paused once again, as the finality of the sentences sunk in. The cool hands were removed from the man's face, for they had never been there to begin with.
    "With new beginnings, there are new ends. It is definite. Infinite. Do you understand?"
    tab The man was silent. He stood there, unwavering in the blankness of the landscape. The void that was, and always would be. Never changing, ever the same. Then he spoke quietly, his words ringing out with resignation, his eyes opening to reveal a feral yet solemn shade of yellow as he did so.
    "Yes."