pours him a cup of tea. he made it himself :-)
he had not expected such a gesture. jhin had long grown used to isolation-- though he was surrounded by the members of the elite, he’d perhaps never felt more alone. the cold had made home in his bones for so long, that he’d forgotten what warmth felt like.
he returned from yet another mission, an assassination in the name of the cabal. something to strike fear and awe into the hearts of their enemies-- this was his talent. in it, he sought meaning. something to perhaps fill the gaps of his broken soul. and yet, with each mission, with each assassination, jhin’s heart chipped away. the last vestiges of humanity that he clung to slowly began to slip from his hands.
he almost began to forget why he started to do this in the first place. almost.
the boy sitting before him reminded him. reminded him so much of a time before the virtuoso-- before the golden demon, when he was the artist. the simple dancer filled with naive dreams of a beautiful world-- the world was a garden of roses then, vivid and beautiful. not the ashes and thorns that surrounded him now.
akara smiles. it’s tired and small, but around the boy. it’s nothing but genuine. he carefully grasps the cup with his flesh hand, and sips. the warmth seeps into his body, as if he’d crawled out of the snow. this boy is the last bit of warmth in this cold world.
he clings to him too tightly, he knows this.
“ you’re improving, kayn.”
he whispered, his voice is warm now.