(Blaza PoV)

Last I remember is going to sleep.

And now I'm in some dark abyss where I can hear some distant, echoing voices.

Is this a dream? I have to be dreaming, right? Right. I'm dreaming.

Well I know I'm not awake. When I'm awake, I'm not translucent and I'm not yellow. Unlike right now, where my entire body was made of some pale yellow, partially transparent matter. I still had my wings and tail, and the bullethole in my chest was still there. Now, though, they were accompanied by a golden halo that circled my head.

Arguing. That's what I heard, those voices. I couldn't tell what it was about, but I found the source.

Two people stood not too far away. One had jet-black hair with white, demon-like horns sticking through. His wings were almost dragonlike, and black as well. Some kind of black cloak draped over his shoulders, the hood down and hanging behind his head.

The other looked fairly similar, only his features seemed to shift from black to white. His hair was half white, half black, and his horns had inverted colors respectively. One of his wings were feathered like mine, the other like his companion's. Both were pale and had tails like mine.

I slowly walked over to them, cautious. As I neared, their argument was clearer.

"Would you just get off my back?! I have my own plans to fulfill, and I don't need you getting in the way!"

"Oh, please, you shouldn't even be here! If you hadn't gone rogue so you could kill the whole human race, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"And you don't do the same thing?"

"I collect souls when they leave this plain, I don't harvest them myself! Yin decides that stuff."

"Yet what are you doing now, in this angel's body?"

"That's different. I'm making up for a loss."

"E-excuse me?" I spoke up.

The white and black one's head snapped in my direction so quickly I expected it to break. The other turned more calmly, black scleras behind white slit pupils staring at me, annoyed.

"See, now he's here," the black-hair guy said, almost a growl.

"What, this is my fault?" The other one retorted, "You started this conversation, Yang. I'd say it was you that caused this."

The first, apparently named Yang, started to speak, but my voice cut him off.

"I'm sorry, who are you, and why am I here? And where am I?" I asked, perplexed.

Yang huffed in annoyance. "I apologize, Blaza. My friend here doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."

That "friend" rolled his eyes, half annoyed and half amused.

"You literally did not answer a single question that I just asked. And how do you know my name?"

"Sorry," he apologized again, "My name is Yang, this is-"

"Harm," the other one obtruded, as if he expected Yang to say something else.

Yang huffed. "This is Harm. Currently, you're in your own subconscious. And why, well, you must have been accidentally brought here when you were mentioned. Your name, well, I know it because I do."

I crossed my arms, unsatisfied, but said nothing.

Harm laughed. "I'll tell you why he's here. He's trying to kill all your friends because you were revived."

"Alright, SHUT UP-" Yang began.

"Wait, what?!" I questioned.

Yang sighed. "See, now he's gonna hate me!"

Harm held up his hands defensively. One of them, I noticed, was metal machinery. "Hey, I was just telling the truth."

"I-is he?" I asked Yang.

"Unfortunately, he is," Yang turned to me and nodded.

"Wha- why?!" I exclaimed, "They didn't do anything wrong!"

"It's not about what they did, it's-" Yang took a deep breath. "It's a long story that I don't have the time and will to explain."

I looked at Harm. "So why's he here?"

Harm seemed to pause for a moment, before tilting his head. "Wait, can you see me?"

"Yes, I can see you. I'm not blind," I said, "Answer me, please."

Harm grumbled in confusion, and looked at his metal arm, seeming to adjust something.

"What- how can you see him, but I can't?" Yang queried.

"I don't know. I've been able to see him this whole time," I shrugged. "How do you even know he's here if you can't see him?"

"To me, he's kind of just surrounded by darkness except his eyes and kind of his arm because of the reflection," Yang explained.

I tilted my head. "Huh."

"To answer your previous question," Harm continued, "I'm here to stop Yang from killing everyone."

"Oh, really?" Yang retorted, "So you're making yourself the good guy? I'm just killing the group, you're trying to stop me so you can kill them yourself and the whole human race!"

"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU GUYS AND KILLING PEOPLE?!" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"I'm basically death itself, it's kind of my job," Yang said, "He's just trying to kill you all for fun."

"Why does that fact change anything?!"

"You think I know? I'm old, but not that old. I didn't make the laws of the universe."

I sighed. "Okay then. Nothing special. Basically just two gods talking in your head. Fun."

I laughed to myself. It wasn't funny, but in the moment that's just what I felt obligated to do. I mean, there weren't many things that shocked me these days. Being revived as an angel kind of does that.

"Now that that's settled," Harm huffed, "Can you please leave? You aren't even supposed to know we're here."

"You say that like you were no part in his presence here," Yang growled.

Harm just rolled his eyes.

"Back to the killing my friends thing," I continued, "Is there any way we can, like, not do that? Please?"

"Sorry, but as long as he's here, I'm continuing and also will be trying to get him out of here," Yang sighed, motioning to Harm. "Because believe me, there's a great difference between him using your powers and me using your powers."

"I have powers?" I queried.

"In a way," Yang explained, "They can only be accessed in certain situations."

"Oh."

Suddenly, Harm snarled.

"GET OUT!" He burst. His voice seemed to boom, echoing through my mind as I was very suddenly plunged downward. I yelped in surprise, trying to flap my wings to right myself, but I was still unskilled at flight, and kept falling, down, down, down...

———

(3rd PoV)

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Yang exclaimed in shock, staring at the still seething Harm. He was just a shadow to Yang, but he felt his sudden rage as if he was breathing in his face.

Harm brushed his cloak off, huffing with annoyance as if he had just been inconvenienced. "Sorry. Lost my temper."

"Lost your temper? Over what?!" I questioned.

"YOU STAY OUT OF IT!" He snapped. His white eye flickered red for a split second, just long enough for Yang to notice the sudden change.

Harm stood there, his breathing heavy. Yang stared in shock, surprised by his sudden outburst.

Finally, Harm turned, storming off into the dark with Yang staring after him.

———

Another longer chapter because sudden motivation moment-

1206 words