The air is heavy with a sticky humidity that clings to his skin—just as suffocating as the unrest gnawing at him from within. Dave leans against the edge of the balcony, his gaze lost in the dark city sprawled out beneath his feet. Lights flicker in the distance, but they do nothing to dispel the unsettling strangeness that clings to everything like a second skin. This place, this dimension… it all feels like a distorted version of his own. There are details that unsettle him, like a crooked painting in an otherwise immaculate room. No one else seems to notice, but if you stare at it too long, it'll drive you insane.
His fingers tap restlessly on the metal railing as his mind drifts—back to another time, another place. Back to his Axel.
The memory seeps in like a warm breeze: his brother's stifled laughter as he beat him at chess, the soft compassion in his eyes when Dave walked into a door, the subtle jokes that only they could understand. Axel was the embodiment of quiet elegance, carrying a discreet warmth, the perfect balance of intellect and affection.
But the Axel in this dimension…
Dave clenches his jaw, recalling their last conversation. Or rather, his last attempt at one.
"Why do you keep insisting?" Axel snapped last week, his expression laced with contempt. His icy blue eyes cut through him like a scalpel. "We have nothing in common, Dave. Stop acting like a lost puppy."
The words still burn.
That's not my brother. But dammit, he has his face, his voice, and Dave wants to believe—needs to believe—that somewhere beneath those layers of frost, there's a spark of the Axel he knew. The one he loves.
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He shouldn't dwell on this, but tonight it hits harder than usual. Loneliness bites at him, and the absence of his home dimension weighs more than he can carry.
Movement below catches his eye.
From his perch, he sees Axel crossing the street. Alone, as always, his long blue coat billowing behind him. The empty road seems to shrink under the strength of his stride.
Dave doesn't think. He bounds down the emergency stairs two at a time and follows.
He can't be all ice. Something has to be burning inside.
He trails him through shadowy alleys and nearly deserted avenues, until Axel stops in front of a closed storefront. Dave ducks behind a pillar and watches.
Axel pulls out a key and slips inside. Dave waits a few seconds before crossing the street. He reads the sign: "Schwarz Antiquarian: Rare Artifacts." He pushes the half-open door and steps in.
Inside, the air smells of old dust and damp wood. Shelves crammed with books and strange artifacts line the dimly lit space. At the far end, Axel stands with his back to him, flipping through a thick tome.
"Do you enjoy stalking me?" he says without turning.
Dave swallows hard.
"It's not what it looks like. I was just passing by," he improvises.
Axel snaps the book shut with a dry *thud*.
"Sure. Coincidence." He turns slowly. His blue eyes glint beneath the low light. "What do you want this time?"
Dave steps forward. His heart is pounding, and not just from fear. He knows Axel doesn't believe him, but still, he clings to hope.
"Nothing," he says, voice steady. "Just to talk a bit. With my brother."
Axel frowns.
"Talk to me? I've got nothing to say to you. Leave."
"We could catch up, you know… a brotherly chat…" Dave persists. He needs to understand why he's acting this way.
The silence stretches between them like a wire pulled taut. Axel watches him with an expression Dave can't read. For a second, he thinks he sees a crack in that mask of indifference.
There it is. I know it. It's there.
He dares to smile.
"We could grab a few beers. No need to draw swords every time we bump into each other…"
The mask shatters—but not in the way Dave hoped.
Axel lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. A sound devoid of warmth or joy.
"Is that what you think?" His gaze turns glacial. "I have no interest in bonding with you. I thought I made that clear last time."
Dave clenches his fists.
"Come on, don't be so stubborn. You can loosen up a bit—it won't kill you. Or make you weak."
Axel takes a step closer. His presence is overwhelming, like a blade-shaped shadow.
"You're wrong." He leans in, his smile cruel. "The only thing I care about is keeping you out of my way. And honestly? If you died, you'd be doing me a favor."
The sentence lands like a punch to the gut.
Dave feels the weight of the words like a stone slab crushing him. For a fleeting moment, he wants to believe it's a lie, a defense mechanism. But Axel's eyes are a frozen abyss, leaving no room for doubt.
He takes a step back, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Fine. If that's what you want…" he mutters, heart aching. "But you're the one missing out."
He turns and walks away.
The night greets him with biting air. He walks aimlessly, without looking back.
"There's nothing of my Axel in him."
And that certainty hurts more than the entire interdimensional journey.