Chapter Text
It happened around midnight.
As usual at this hour, the apartment was silent. Arthur sat in the armchair of his bedroom, work clothes stiff against his skin, a book resting on his lap. He wasn’t reading. As usual, he was listening to the silence in his head.
He stared at the wall. Behind it, in the next room, John was sleeping.
Arthur didn’t understand it himself. Their fight was over. The safe return to Arkham was supposed to be their prize. The happy epilogue he didn’t deserve: a daughter, a home, and John.
Yet somehow, the feeling of wrongness gnawed at the back of his eyes.
Faroe was like a stranger to him; polite and distant, visiting him once a month and then retreating to her own apartment she rented with her friends.
And then there was John.
Arthur’s hand drifted towards his head, fingers hovering near his temple. Was he stupid to be shocked at how empty it felt? No warmth, no presence, no companion to steady him. When John asked him to have a body of his own, Arthur hadn’t realized he was also asking to be… alone.
Now, the apartment was full of ‘John things.’ Pajamas in eccentric patterns, the smell of exotic spices and fatty food from the kitchen that made him gag. He hated the sound of a physical door clicking shut behind his friend. Seeing John navigate the world with childlike wonder should have made Arthur proud.
Instead, Arthur felt like their roles had reversed. It was he who was now the ghost, guiding a living man through the mechanics of a fleshy body.
Arthur closed his eyes, massaging his temple. The darkness was the worst. Without John’s voice to anchor him, the shadows in the corner of the room seemed to stretch. He could see the silhouette of the King in Yellow; he could feel the flicker of Lilith’s influence in the periphery of his vision.
The clock was ticking, its sound sharp and mechanical against the silence.
Arthur tapped against the armrest. He was considering the armchair as a permanent bed – an experiment in avoiding the nightmares that made him scream so much he woke John. John, who came in running every time, looking at Arthur with such heartbreaking pity.
That’s when he felt it.
Not a sound, but a vibration shaking his bones.
A muffled snap.
And then, the floor wasn’t there anymore.
He landed on his knees, immediately blinded by the vicious brightness.
He squinted his eyes, looking around feverishly.
There was only whiteness, stretching as far as he could see. There was nothing under his feet or above his head.
The place felt sterile – no sound, no breeze, only a faint, sharp tang of ozone.
“John?”
Arthur wasn’t sure what he was standing on. The floor seemed to exist only where he stood. He took a hesitant step forward, and the echo of his foot hitting the ground bounced around him. He gritted his teeth.
“John? Are you here?”
Arthur blinked hard a couple of times and then rubbed his eyes, but nothing around him changed.
“John?”
“Still calling for your spongy-boy, even when you’re free?”
Arthur almost fell when the familiar voice sounded from behind him. He whirled, flinching at the sight in front of him. “Kayne! What— How—”
Kayne didn’t attack. He only chuckled, taking a step back, measuring Arthur with a long look.
Arthur took in the sight of the man—or rather, the being. Kayne stood barefoot, as John always described him. His perfectly tailored black suit made him stand out even more in that pristine-white place. His face was younger than Arthur imagined. His features were perfectly symmetrical, more charming than cunning. His dark hair was carefully slicked back, apart from some strands falling onto his forehead.
“I have to say, you look much better with your eyes. They say they are the window to the soul, right? Well, I’m glad there’s much less yellow in them now.” Kayne laughed, the familiar uneasy sound sending shivers down Arthur’s spine.
“How are you here?” Arthur gasped. “Where are we? Did you get out? Lilith said…”
Kayne’s face snapped from amusement into irritation. He crossed his arms across his chest. “I didn’t like the little prison my lovely daughter put me in. So I changed it a bit. Isn’t this so much nicer?” He chuckled, spreading his arms out and turning slowly around. “After all, you’ve seen what she’s done with the place.”
“So… you didn’t escape?”
“Would you be glad if I did?”
Arthur’s throat closed.
What did that mean?
If Kayne actually escaped, then Lilith had failed. The Manager as well. But he would hear from them before…
His face must have shown his thoughts, as Kayne erupted in laughter once again.
“Oh, Artie. Easy there. No, I didn’t exactly escape. I merely… rearranged how this domain works.” Kayne snapped his wrist, and behind him, a coffee table and two armchairs appeared. “Will you join me for a cup of tea?” Kayne laughed again.
Arthur took a hesitant step towards the table and chairs when the floor warped under his feet, transporting him to the table instantly.
Kayne gestured for him to sit. Arthur wasn’t sure what other option he had.
He watched as Kayne carefully poured some tea into porcelain cups. Arthur found himself counting his fingers – the alien image of the King in Yellow still lingering in his mind.
Arthur waited. Kayne looked like he wanted to prolong the silence as well, but seemed unable to.
“Do you remember the first time you died?”
Arthur’s heart skipped a beat, the tea in his hand almost spilling from the cup. “Did you bring me here to kill me? Is that it?”
Kayne laughed. “Please. We’re far past obsessing over revenge, right?”
“So then why am I here? And how?”
“Oh, look at you. Shivering like a scared leaf.”
Arthur stared at him, trying to regain some of his composure.
Kayne took a sip from his cup, amused. He placed his cup on the table and leaned in. “I simply wanted to see how you fare without your little friend in your brain. And… you’re still mine to play with.”
Arthur looked at the tea swirling in the cup in front of him. “How did you know that John wasn’t here?”
“Artie, Artie!” Kayne laughed. “Just assume I know everything there is to know. It’ll make our conversations easier!”
Arthur exhaled, his thumb tracing the line of the cup handle. “You will not ruin what we have, Kayne.”
“Ouch, such aggression. It was a simple question. Pardon me for trying to catch up with an old friend.”
“We’re not friends.”
“Oh, well, ‘mortal enemy’ seemed a bit dramatic.”
“A ‘villain’ would do nicely.”
“Then are you a hero, Arthur?” Kayne’s smile sharpened.
Arthur had had enough. He slammed the cup onto the table and stood up, bumping his leg into the table on the way up. “You won’t fuck with our lives anymore.”
“Arthur Lester. The man who sacrificed so much, only to be abandoned by the two most important people in his life.” Kayne’s mouth curved downwards, his lips pouting. “Such a pathetic sight…”
Arthur’s left hand trembled. He squeezed it into a fist. “It’s none of your concern.”
Kayne propped his chin on his hand, tapping his mouth with a finger. “No, it isn’t. Still, I love your reactions.”
Arthur drew in a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He couldn’t let himself be manipulated any more than that. “You said you changed this domain. How?”
“You sure know what questions to ask to make a girl feel important,” Kayne tutted. “Well, if you really want to know, it operates on different rules than it did when Lilith was trapped here.”
“Such as?”
“Let’s just say it’s still the ‘nightmare-land’ you know. Only I don’t need to make you sleepwalk to hurt you.”
Arthur sighed. “If you want to kill me, then hurry up.”
Kayne studied his face for a minute. He rolled up the cuff of his suit. “You know, the human body is terribly obedient.” He undid the clasp on his watch and threw it into Arthur’s hands. “It doesn’t care where relief comes from.”
Arthur stared daggers at Kayne, who just looked at him expectantly. “What is that even supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Arthur. You’re a detective! Figure it out!”
Arthur twisted the watch in his hand, trying to piece together all the bullshit Kayne spewed on him. “Are you saying…?” he couldn’t believe the nerve of that guy. “That I should sleep here? Or eat here? Why the fuck would I ever want that? Why would you want that?”
Kayne shrugged. “People tend to sleep, don’t they? And they rely on food to move. But then again, I suppose you were always the exception to the rule.”
“I…” Arthur’s mind came to a halt. “I actually have no words.”
Kayne chuckled and stood up.
Arthur flinched – Kayne’s presence was enormous, far bigger than the human body that stood in front of him. Kayne’s stillness made his skin crawl. It was like everything held its breath waiting for him to surge into action.
Kayne tilted his head, tapping a finger on the table, right next to the watch. “What you do while being here is entirely your choice, Arthur.”
Arthur almost laughed. Choice meant nothing in a place where its god walked the grounds. “My choice is to get the fuck out of here.”
Kayne laughed as Arthur walked away.
He walked for a while, but every step felt… unchanging. When he looked back, he reeled. It looked like he barely took two steps from Kayne, who was now propped against the table, sipping his tea, watching him like a content cat.
Arthur bit his lip. He turned, running, but the white floors were relentless. He couldn’t move more than a few feet before the floor warped, sending him back to the place he began.
“You find it funny?” Arthur snapped.
“A bit.” Kayne’s smile was nauseating. “I put some chamomile into the tea. Thought you could use something to calm your nerves.”
Arthur gave up on trying to get away, instead walking towards Kayne; his steps slow and deliberate. “I will not be your entertainment anymore. I won’t be held here to amuse you, or to play your silly games, or whatever the fuck you’re trying to do.” Arthur came even closer. His voice lowered dangerously. “Let. Me. Out of here.”
Kayne gasped, his hand resting on his chest. “You wound me, Artie. Do you think yourself a prisoner?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“I’m sorry. My manners must be rusty. Care for a snack?” A couple of plates appeared on the coffee table – meals, snacks, and desserts, all oddly familiar. The smell of vegetables, meats, pastries, chocolates and savory treats wafted through the air. “I did a bit of research,” Kayne said, gesturing to the food. “You like boring, bland food, right? I think these shouldn’t upset your poor little stomach.”
Arthur threw his hands up. “You’re unbelievable.”
Kayne’s smile didn’t waver. “Sit down, Arthur. There’s nowhere you should rather be.”
Arthur glanced tentatively across the food splayed on the table. He expected his stomach to revolt against all the different smells, but instead, it growled. He could feel saliva pooling in his mouth.
“Go on,” Kayne encouraged with a nod.
It was all the incentive his starving body needed.
Kayne didn’t talk much more, choosing instead to silently watch Arthur try different foods. “You know, I never saw you eat. You look good doing it.”
“Fuck off,” Arthur bit back, his mouth full.
Kayne’s laughter was easy. “Always a charmer. Anyways, I was serious when I told you that you can do whatever you want here.”
“Meaning what precisely?” Arthur shook off some crumbs from his fingers.
Kayne spread his arms. “Whatever! The sky’s the limit. Or not even that!” he laughed as if he thought it was the best joke in the world.
“Except for leaving.”
“Well, where’s the fun in that?”
Arthur huffed. “Me eating is entertainment for you?”
Kayne waved his hand dismissively. “Are you finished?”
Arthur nodded, and the table disappeared.
Arthur could feel the heat of a blush crawling onto his face. The full stomach was a testament to his obeying the capricious being’s orders. He chose the carrot over the stick he hadn’t noticed yet.
“Let’s play, then.”
“Play?” Arthur furrowed his brows.
“Yes!” Kayne jumped out of his seat, giddy like a child running towards the playground. “I’ll give you a five-minute head start.” A massive clock appeared behind him. “And you, my dear, will hide.”
Arthur didn’t stand up. “It’s your domain,” he explained when Kayne looked at him expectantly. “You’ll find me everywhere.”
“Well,” Kayne sighed, already impatient. “That’s not important right now. Let’s begin!”
The massive clock’s ticking was so loud it echoed across the space like a gong.
“Then what?” Arthur’s voice was barely audible against the clock’s tone.
The clock stopped, suddenly filling the space with absolute silence that was almost as deafening as the ticking.
“Well, I’ll look for you. Duh.”
“How do you expect me to run away from you here?”
Kayne’s patience was visibly strained. “I don’t!”
Arthur still didn’t move.
Kayne’s smile melted away, his arms falling along his torso. “Are you broken?”
“Sorry, I don’t see the point.”
“The point is…” Kayne’s demeanor changed instantly. His smile looked sharper, his eyes pinning Arthur to his place. The rhythm of Arthur’s heart quickened. “To entertain. Now…”
Kayne’s smile hung inches from Arthur’s face.
“Run.”
Arthur jumped from his seat, running. He knew he was playing Kayne’s game, but he would do anything to get as far away from him as possible in that moment.
Kayne’s laughter quietened as he got away. He swore under his breath. What was he supposed to do?
Towards his right, the blank space suddenly filled with different-shaped rocks. He knew it was a trap. He sprinted towards them anyway.
“That’s it, Artie! Run!”
The rocks were slick with water, and every step threatened to snap his ankles. Arthur slipped on one of the bigger rocks and fell down. Landing on his hands, his palm opened, staining the rock with his blood. The rock seemed to drink the blood up.
“Are you ready, Artie? Cause here I come!”
Arthur found a stack of rocks with a cavernous opening. He slipped into it, trying to ignore the nagging voice in his head that warned about what the cave could hold inside.
He had to crawl on his stomach, pushing through the claustrophobic tunnel, his breath catching in his chest as the stone walls squeezed around him.
Could Kayne find him in there? Perhaps he wouldn’t follow him inside?
“Did you hide well?” Kayne’s voice was muffled.
Arthur pushed onwards. His knees were scraped by the constant crawling. The darkness was stifling, the air moist and oppressing. He had no way of measuring the time.
Perhaps this would be enough. He hadn’t heard Kayne for a while.
Arthur rested his forehead on the cold stone. He wished he had gotten at least an hour of sleep the previous night. He was exhausted.
It would have to be enough.
How much time passed? Could he actually get away?
A small vibration went through the rocks under him, then the whole cavern shook.
“What the—”
The rocks around him disappeared, no longer constricting his body, letting him breathe more easily. The floor under his stomach changed into grass, and soon a forest bloomed around him.
Arthur got up, dusting his clothes quickly, and ran ahead, into the wall of trees, out of sight. The moment he slipped inside the forest, Kayne’s voice traveled towards him. “You were a bit too good at it! Time to change things up!”
Arthur ran as quickly as he could, trying his best to avoid tripping on protruding roots and slipping on moist moss. This all felt too familiar. And Arthur didn’t miss the feeling of being a prey.
He panted as he got into a small clearing. His lungs burned like they were on fire, his knees buckling under him, and the muscles in his thighs shaking with exertion.
He couldn’t run anymore. Should he hide again? That was certainly doomed to fail.
Arthur sat down, leaning his back on a tree trunk, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.
He never stood a chance.
“Are you hiding, Arthur? I’m getting closer!”
He closed his eyes.
Soon, Kayne emerged from the tree. He approached slowly, like a cat, smiling widely, his eyes sparkling with joy as he took in Arthur’s frame.
Then, he moved so quickly his body was a blur. He pulled Arthur upwards by the collar of his shirt and slammed his back into the tree trunk, pushing the air out of his lungs.
Kayne’s breath was coming out trembling with excitement. “Gotcha!”
Arthur managed a tight smile. “You got me.”
Kayne giggled, his eyes closing with delight. “You! You, Artie, were amazing! But…”
Arthur’s body shuddered when Kayne’s eyes focused on his. Like a snake.
“You still lost.”
Arthur’s body was giving out on him, too tired to keep his eyes open. “What will you do to me?”
Kayne leaned back, considering him. His grip didn’t loosen. Arthur waited, frozen, like the forest around them.
“To you,” Kayne said finally, “everything always sounds like a threat.”
Arthur smiled. His back ached where it met the bark, his chest prickled where Kayne’s nails dug into his skin. “That’s because it usually is.”
Kayne laughed, leaning closer. Their breaths mixed, the smell of chamomile tea and something metallic enclosing the air. “I did give you a head start.”
“You did,” Arthur whispered.
“I honestly didn’t expect you to dive into the cave the way you did. And then… You just waited for me!”
Arthur swallowed. “I did,” he admitted. Hearing his actions in this light made him look… obedient. “Congratulations. You proved I get tired.”
Kayne’s hand slid from Arthur’s chest to the side of his neck; his touch warmer than he’d expect. His fingers rested just below his ear, where the scar was. Not pressing. Just there.
Arthur stiffened.
That was it. The end.
When still nothing happened, Arthur hesitated. “Are you going to kill me now?”
“You don’t listen well, do you? It wouldn’t be fun!”
The hand on Arthur’s throat burned.
“I think you deserve a reward,” Kayne said slowly.
“A reward?” Arthur choked out.
Kayne’s smile was obnoxiously self-satisfied. The hand on Arthur’s throat burned his skin. “Don’t you see? You proved you still move. So persistent…” his words hung between them, his voice almost soft.
Arthur swallowed, feeling his Adam’s apple catch on Kayne’s finger. His legs trembled; the effort of staying upright was suddenly too much. “Then what do you want from me?”
Kayne’s brows furrowed for a second before being replaced by his usual easy smile.
The forest around them shuddered, the leaves rustling so loud it made Arthur flinch.
It didn’t exactly vanish - it buckled. Trees folded in on themselves like wet paper ships. Arthur’s stomach lurched as gravity itself seemed to warp around him.
Arthur tried to step back.
His knees gave out.
But the impact never came. The ground softened beneath him - not welcoming, just inevitable - his body surrendering before his mind could protest. Why was it so white around them? Was he in the armchair again?
His vision blurred at the edges, an unfamiliar heat flooding his limbs, exhaustion crashing down once and for all.
“No,” Arthur breathed. “Don’t —”
Kayne shushed him, crouching down beside him. He pressed his open palm against Arthur’s sternum, feeling his chest move up and down with the rhythm of his breathing. “This is your reward. Enjoy it.”
Arthur’s eyes burned. His thoughts scattered, unfocused. Panic flared somewhere deep inside his chest, but the pressure on his sternum kept it from lighting up.
The last thing Arthur heard was Kayne’s laugh, low and satisfied.
Arthur woke up with a sharp inhale.
He looked around his room. Did he wake up John with his screams again?
The morning light spilled across his room, somehow wrong. Right, he fell asleep in his armchair again.
He stretched, feeling rested for the first time in a while. He yawned, scratching at his neck, his fingers lingering on his scar.
His hand froze, the realization falling on him like a bucket of cold water. Bile rose in his throat.
He jumped out of the armchair, looking around the room.
His room was exactly as he’d left it. The armchair stood crooked beside the bed, the book he’d failed to read splayed open on the floor, pages bent at the spine. A soft hum of the city waking up was audible through the window.
It felt real.
Was it real?
He stared at his hands. No cuts. No ache.
Arthur buried his face in his hands. The dread dove from his throat and settled into his stomach.
He must have dreamed it all. Another nightmare to add to his constantly growing collection.
Kayne couldn’t actually manipulate the nightmare realm. He couldn’t escape. Lilith wouldn’t allow it – not for a long time. And even if Kayne was stronger than her… no.
Still, the feeling lingered. That somewhere beyond the slow creep of morning and the ticking of clocks that now moved without permission, Kayne was watching him. Time stilled. Smiling to himself.
He stared at the clock ticking mechanically on the wall.
His instinct was telling him to run.
But where should one run to escape sleep?
A knock stopped his train of thought.
“Yeah?”
The door opened a fraction, and John peered through the gap. “I thought I heard you were awake. Do you want coffee or tea?”
Arthur exhaled, his breath coming out unevenly. “Yes, coffee, please. I’ll be right behind you.”
He watched John retreat.
He exhaled slowly. He couldn’t tell him. To drag him back into the darkness they both had to endure for so long.
So, Arthur kept his silence, even as the memory of the white void consumed his thoughts for the entire week.