The Voice (Kibin's Awakening)

Kibin slowly opened his eyes and stared into the haze a voice having awakened him into this dream world, or at least he thought he had heard something. He inhaled slowly and held his breath for a moment as his eyes locked onto the doors of his closet, now located on the room's ceiling. He laid there for a long moment pondering this before letting the air out of his lungs slowly pushing the thick fog that hung around him away, the swirling in the clouds just visible with the aid of the light cast from his open doorway.

Kibin sat up the world seeming to wobble as his head moved accompanied by Kitsune's voice. What was going on? He wondered as he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. He reached toward the edge of his mattress and felt around the crack between it and the box spring until he found a knife he kept lodged in there in case someone would break in. Ever since Ueitawa he couldn't shake a paranoia and sense of foreboding that clung to him like an unmask able odor. The world just seemed off and he would frequently have nightmares involving that place and its rumored strange creatures and the face of a dead man he somehow met alive and well who had warned him to run. Run he did but destiny had a funny way of dragging the unwilling along kicking and screaming. Kibin looked down at his knife which shone an upside down reflection. He hopped off his bed and stumbled, one foot seemingly landing lower than the other despite the floor looking level.

Kibin started to walk toward the sideways door his vision blurring and shifting all the time as his conscience mind struggled to keep hold in this dream. He reached the door in a moment and tilted his head looking down the long stairway that seemed to go down and sideways with the door and frowned. Kibin had heard in a dream you could control things but had never been self aware enough to try anything like that before now. He thought hard on what he wanted to do and walked to the wall where the bottom of his door now connected and faced toward the door taking a step onto the wall and throwing his weight back. He half expected to simply fall but was surprised and bewildered to find that his entire perspective whirled to meet his new position standing on the wall.

Kibin wobbled on his feet until he grew accustomed to the new point of view. He stepped through the door his knife clutched in one hand and began to run down the stairs to meet the sound of Kitsune's voice. None of this made sense and, dream or not, he felt safer just knowing he had some kind of weapon as he plunged into the unknown.

Kibin ran out into the emptiness of the room and took a few paces inward before slowing to a stop. He did not want to venture too far into the room for fear of running into what he could not see. He squinted and peered into the fog trying to make out something but found he might has well have been in a sphere of blackness for he could make out nothing.

The sounds of footsteps caused Kibin to flinch and quickly raise his knife to a ready position to fend off anything that came at him. Provided he'd even see it coming considering the visibility levels. When the silhouette appeared before him he squinted harder into the nothingness only succeeding in making the man harder to see. Kibin stared intently at the figure as it spoke and frowned. Something was not right about what he said. All of this, despite how unlikely, seemed far too real for a normal dream. He never had such clarity before and this being before him seemed to be calling all the shots.

"Of course I know who she is!" Kibin started in a firm voice despite his terror at the lack of control. "She has been with me for as long as I can remember. She is my guardian and the only person I can trust and I want to know what you've done with her. " He said more quietly the fear showing in his voice as it trailed to a whisper. He had never known a time when she wasn't simply there with him in his own head. What was worse was this being in front of him did not sound human at all. "You seem to be calling all the shots even in my own head so what do you want with me?" He finished, his voice weak and pitiful. The more he thought about this the more it seemed wrong.

Kibin stared at the fox as it approached him listening intently to the man voice. Deep in the pit of his soul he knew something was wrong about all of this yet he did not care. His mental companion had finally been given form in some way or another. He reached out a single hand and let it rest between the fox's ears and idly rubbed back and forth. Where did you run off too? You had me worried for a bit. He thought down to the fox with a smile. For a moment forgetting about the presence of Crawling Chaos too caught up in relief to bother with him.

This intentional ignorance would not last, however, as Chaos's voice caught his attention once more. What had he meant by take up arms? He thought about it a moment before a look mixed with dread and resolution spread across his face. Two things crossed through his mind. One was, once again, the face of Kogami sporting golden eyes and grinning as he warned Kibin of what would come to pass. The second thing was a one word alone, Fate.

"No matter how far I run this strange fate will follow..." Kibin muttered thinking back to his escape from Ueitawa just in time for the place to be quarantined. He thought to rumors of monsters and looks on former resident's of that place's faces when he said he was from there. Why was it he would meet people from Ueitawa here anyway. It was so unlikely that it bordered on ridiculous and yet it happened. It seemed like he was living ignorant of some great truth that so many knew and feared. He looked up at the shadowy figure and cleared his throat. "What is going on? Why would I need this power. It seems like everyone but me is in on some big conspiracy!"

Kibin Thought on what the man had said. How long has this been going on? What if the same thing that happened in Ueitawa happened here. What if it never stopped no matter where Kibin fled.... Maybe he didn't need to run. Whatever was happening could, perhaps be used to better the world. Maybe if the right person was there among the ashes to help rebuild, something truly better than this greedy society could form. Kibin walked toward the figure with his hand extended. He knew not whether he could ever reach the man but the gesture would remain. He would use this power to survive so that one day he could be of use to the world.

"I accept!" Kibin announced with a grin on his face. "I will survive, after all, the world needs someone like me in it." He said vaguely a hint of hypocritical greed in his voice.