Hollow

Isle felt a stinging pain on his right cheek and a bit of weight on his body. He opened his eyes slowly to see his master slapping him. He also saw Vermilion's cloak covering him, Almost like a blanket.

"Ahh… You're awake." Vermilion sounded a little relieved but he didn't make it known to Isle.

He stopped slapping Isle then offered his hand to him, Isle grasped his teacher's hand and got up with the help.

"What… what happened?" Isle asked with a pained look on his face. He grimaced as he held his head with one hand.

"You passed out. I guess your body couldn't handle the gaze of Cassius." Vermilion seemed to be a little dissapointed. As opposed to his earlier relief, Vermilion made his disappointment extremely apparent.

"Who's Cassius?" Isle scowled as he looked at Vermilion.

"Long story short he's a sleepy dude that's imprisoned here." He smiled and took his cloak back.

"Why's he imprisoned here and why was his gaze enough for me to pass out?" Isle questioned the power of the mysterious figure.

"You know I didn't explain for a reason right?" Vermilion sighed in annoyance.

"He's a level 7 and a Wishbearer, That should be enough for you to understand how strong he is." He frowned slightly as he sat down on the ground. Isle laid down next to him with his eyes closed. There was still a little space in between the two.

Isle was familiar with the strength of a level 7, His mom was one after all. He had no clue what a wishbearer was though, Vermilion said it like it was common knowledge.

"A level 7… How did you even manage to imprison a level 7? That shouldn't really be possible, And what's a wishbe-"

"Are you two talking about me?"

A light voice interrupted Isle's next question, It seemed like he was cut short on purpose. Perhaps that info wasn't for Isle to know yet.

Vermilion immediately held his claws to the throat of a man a little taller than Isle with jet black hair. His bangs covered his eyes. He wore a simple black tunic with a belt on his waist that rested over the tunic clamping to his figure. With long black pants that was clamped to each leg by binding cloth above both ankles.

He stood in between the two casually with his hands in his pockets, A smirk rested on his face. All the roses on the floor around him withered.

At the same time as Vermilion, Isle instantly held up a knife to Cassius' throat. He had shot up to a stand as soon as Cassius appeared. Vermilion's brutal style of training had put Isle into a habit of making a weapon at any sense of danger.

"So aggressive… I haven't even done anything to you two." Cassius spoke with an exaggerated sad tone, His act wasn't very believable.

"You're Cassius?" Isle looked at Cassius, He was stiff as a statue.

Isle pushed the blade of his dagger into the neck of the wishbearer just enough that he should've drawn blood. Unlike he guessed nothing came out of the wound. A breeze blew Cassius' hair to the side revealing his dark eyes.

The little amount of mana that Isle had regenerated while he was unconscious had vanished as Cassius stared at him.

Cassius looked into Isle's eyes intently. Isle felt an urge to run away, He felt as if he'd die if he didn't, Of course he didn't. God knows where he would even run to in this seemingly endless realm.

"Oh right, We haven't met before have we? I am Cassius Noctis Reus. And you are?"

Isle looked at him for a few seconds, He considered revealing his name. He was about to answer before Vermillion spoke.

"Why are you here?" Vermilion gripped Cassius' neck in an attempt to get the answer from him, Sadly Cassius was evidently calm.

"So I can't roam around my own prison? How cruel you all are…"

He had a small smile as he feigned ignorance at Vermilion's question.

"I'm not playing games with you. I'll rip this worthless puppet body to pieces if you don't cut to the chase."

After Vermilion mentioned it, Isle noticed that Cassius' body had ball joints like a doll. It also explained why he hadn't bled earlier when he was cut by Isle.

"Fine, Fine. Don't do anything crazy, I'm just here to watch Calamitas. I'm curious as to what he's about, And I'll find out soon enough."

Isle's eyes widened as Cassius spoke.

"How do you know my name?" Isle asked, His voice shaky. He pushed the dagger into Cassius' neck.

It didn't make sense that Cassius knew Isle's name, Isle's name was never spoken with Cassius watching.

"Surprising isn't it? Don't you want to know why?" He was grinning ear to ear now.

What did Cassius mean? Why is he imprisoned here? Who even is Cassius? These were all things Isle had to consider before he answered. Atleast they would've been if Vermilion hadn't answered for him.

"Leave. Leave right fucking now. I won't let you start your stupid ass games again. Not now. Never again."

His words were bitter. He stared at Cassius. He gave Cassius a few seconds to decide, Isle felt the answer was already obvious.

"Why would I leave?" Cassius continued to act ignorant towards Vermilion.

Vermilion tightened his grip on Cassius' neck then threw him away. He dashed towards the still flying puppet then slammed it into the ground, The ground cracked.

Vermilion frowned looking down at Cassius. Vermilion's scales on his leg became more apparent. He raised his leg slightly then stomped on the puppet repeatedly. The ground under Cassius cracked, The cracks only grew as Vermilion continued.

Isle could only watch in awe. Cassius didn't seem to be fazed at all until a crack appeared on his puppet. His earlier cocky and playful look had utterly vanished and was now replaced by a dead blank face.

The atmosphere of the realm warped and darkened, The once cloudy and blue sky had been replaced by an inky black. Chains had appeared around the vast realm, Most of them raised to the sky but some came down from the sky, Some of them wrapped around Vermilion holding him still momentarily.

"I'll destroy that stupid puppet." Vermilion growled. He outstretched his wings, Breaking the chains holding him. He was baring his sharp teeth.

"Go ahead and try it…" Cassius smiled once again. He now held a crude revolver.

'Go and destroy that puppet with Vermilion' Isle jumped slightly as he heard a familiar voice in his head.

'Caeruleus…?' He got no answer from the ethereal voice.

Vermilions horns grew in size and his claws were longer, He also possessed a draconic tail now. Isle created a weapon, A simple greatsword appeared in his hand. He nearly fell from the weight of the blade.

'Don't you think it's hardly the time to joke around, Caeruleus?' He got no answer again.

He gritted his teeth and hauled the large sword over his shoulder while taking a step towards Vermilion, He was still behind Vermilion, He rushed to Vermilion, It was to late though.

Cassius held up his revolver and aimed it at Vermilion before firing twice, He cocked the revolver both times. Vermilion blocked both of the shots with his scaled tail easily. His wings spread out as he shot towards Cassius, A gust of wind was left in his wake.

Cassius wore a surprised look on his face. He cocked the revolver and fired one shot towards Vermilion. Vermilion swatted the bullet away with his hand. He was already in front of Cassius, Vermilion wrapped his tail around Cassius tightly and started pummeling him.

Cassius blocked the hits before he countered, Hitting Vermilion in the face with the barrel of his revolver. Vermilion showed no reaction at all to the retort. He continued barraging him with punch's, Another crack surfaced on the face of Cassius' puppet body.

Cassius placed his hand on Vermilion's chest, A chain appeared in Vermilion's chest impaling him.

Vermilion grinned, His sharp teeth were showing. He sent mana to his right arm, He impaled Cassius' durable puppet with his arm then ripped a chunk out of his neck biting him.

Vermilion was about to bite the damaged puppet again when Cassius vanished and reappeared away from him.

Raven like wings sprouted out the back of the puppet, The revolver changed in shape a little. Cassius loaded 3 bullets into the revolver.

"I didn't think I'd need to waste sleep on this… It's not to bad, We'll finally have our rematch." He laughed, Leaning his head back and covering his eyes with his hand.

By now Isle had made it to Vermilion's side. Vermilion yanked the chain out of his chest then glanced at Isle, The wound already started to heal. He saw the simple greatsword Isle held.

"Don't you think that's a little to heavy for you?" Vermilion slapped Isle's back, Isle stiffened for a second after. Vermilion's face relaxed the most that it had since the beginning of the puppets appearance.

"If Caeruleus picked it for me, It should be fine…" Isle frowned at him. He put the greatsword down for a little so he could rub his back.

"Any plan?" Isle glanced at Cassius, He grabbed the handle of the greatsword again, Dragging the blade against the ground.

"Who needs plans with an awesome master like me?" Vermilion boasted gleefully before he looked over to Cassius and stretched his wings.

"How have you even lived this long?" Isle's frown grew. He found it unbelievable that someone like Vermilion was as old as he was.

"Hmmm… That's a story for later." He started walking towards Cassius. Isle walked alongside him albeit a little slower because of the greatsword.

"I've never liked puppets all that much." Vermilion's tail swayed a little behind him, He frowned at Cassius.

"What are you? A child?" Cassius asked with a grin on his face. He walked towards the two with one hand in his pocket, He held the revolver in the other.