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Palingenesis

Summary:

With one death, comes another, and then another, and then another... Seriously, it's getting tiring.

OR

Lukatill continuous reincarnation for an almost indefinite period of time

Notes:

Each chapter should be each life in separation.. Hopefully.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Death.

Chapter Text

The blond's eyes drifted from the pink-haired girl to Hyuna, then to the large screen glowing bright behind him. He didn't need to look to know what it displayed, he didn't need to struggle to know who won this round, because he saw the red light of the weapon pointing towards him, he saw the pink one smiling hopefully, and even Hyuna had a small upturn on her perfectly shaped lips.

 

Luka took a breath, closing his eyes with an acceptance he hadn't realised he harboured. For a strange reason, his heart was calm with the realisation his end had come, even if untimely. It would be his mercy to the previous victim of his affections, an apology to Hyuna. Because if he ever actually tried to realise himself, he'd realise that what he ever really felt for Hyuna was some sort of unhealthy obsession. One which consumed and swallowed all reason.

 

He had to accept it.

 

He didn't love Hyuna, not actually.

 

But nonetheless, because of his own struggle to understand himself, he had caused the only human alive that he knew, to suffer despair. And when he thought further, she had lost things because of him. And in less than a second, he fell back with a bullet straight to his neck. 

 

He spat out crimson, staining the polished ground with the hot liquid as his heart sped up for the first time in his existence. And as he fell to his side, curling up in pain as blood continued to bubble from his lips, he felt calm. He knew Heperu would hate such an end, possibly defile his body in a fit of rage or attempt to create a clone. He honestly didn't care.

 

Maybe he did, but even if, it didn't matter too much. Not when he was dying and Hyuna was looking down at his growing lifelessness with a glint of regret shining in her irises. When even his previous opponent, the pink hair, seemed antsy, fidgeting with her fingers and mumbling unintelligible words to Hyuna as they kneeled down to his body and stared.

 

Would he go to heaven?

 

It sounded like a nice thing.

Chapter 2: LIFE ONE

Notes:

I took a horribly long break...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Till had died in ROUND 7, he knew because he remembered his past life. He remembered everything, even when he was being born anew as a child of two humans, when they'd called him their child and cradled him with a hold he considered faintly recognisable, somewhat familiar. And then, he'd become a toddler in the flash of days and years, and then, he'd met someone else.

 

Someone who he could easily recognise. The glint of arrogance in his irises, the faint shine of gold on his black hair and the way he seemed so fake. It was Luka, Luka had also been born as someone else.

 

"You're also here." Till murmured, hatred so clear and so thick in his own voice he thought it difficult to understand anything else. Not the faint gratefulness that someone else was also thrown into a similar predicament as he. Not anything.

 

"Yet no one else is." Luka responded in kind, looking around calmly and Till considered he actually seemed human now. But then everything else caught up, all his hatred in one bubble along with everything else, his rage, his indignancy. His fear.

 

The other human seemed a sorts of aimless, not that Till could recognise beyond surface area. Compared to his previous self, it was like the former blond had been a puppet with cut strings, lost without strict guidance and control. If Till took the time to think, he would've noticed that the other seemed more pitiful himself. But-

 

In a flash of moments, his heart sped faster than anything and he shakily walked to the window, looking down at the vast expanse below and considering that their families were quite wealthy. And he looked back to Luka, slowly and tentatively approaching. And for some reason, he couldn't help how he backed further to the window and fell, in less than a second as the other ran forwards, holding onto the frame and watching with a rare display of emotion. Fear.

 

It was all finished in a second, his head hit the ground and cracked open like an egg, blood staining the area as crowds ran up with fear. Red stained his vision and a fierce ache sounded on his skull, before everything turned to black, spots filling his vision as the other reincarnator stared, seeming surprised for once in both of his lives.

 

---

 

Luka stared as Till had fallen, and the moment the cracks sounded loudly, the former blond could feel his heart clench and throat tighten. It felt like a cord had been cut on his own life, an emptiness filling himself as he jumped over the frame and followed.

 

He didn't understand anything. He didn't care for Till, he knew he didn't. The human wasn't Hyuna, wasn't anyone who he considered close. All they shared was a competition and sorrows– something Luka wasn't to take comfort in. And still, despite how distant they were, despite how Luka had driven him to the depths of despair, an ache filled him, urging his entire being to an end he wanted to control. He'd been given a second chance at life, yet was throwing it away for some irrational, formerly gray-haired boy.

 

How pitiful was he, tossing his life away for other people. He was so selfish, yet it was so hard to see now.

 

He saw himself rapidly approaching Till's body, and closed his eyes. At that moment, the crowd didn't really matter, and he prepared himself for the impact.

 

It seemed like they were connected, now.

Notes:

Sorry for not writing for so long! One day stretched into two, then three, and before I knew it I no longer had any motivation to write anything at all. This was a simple draft I modified with the hopes it doesn't mischaracterise Luka too badly, and the whole fic is still unfinished. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'll still try to write for my other ongoing fics before they're forgotten to oblivion and all the readers lose hope for a new chapter. ^^ Again, sorry for the wait.

Chapter 3: LIFE TWO.

Notes:

Kinda ooc sorry pookies..!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Their next life, Till woke up as a baby again. Just birthed and finally calm now that he was no longer close to the other man. No longer near his murderer, no longer having to breathe the same air yet the next he knew, he was cradled to his father and being carried away from his house, and the next he knew, as a baby, he was facing his murderer again. 

 

And his parents should be glad, he didn't have any form of control over his body except minimal or he would've pulled what he did his last lifetime. He vaguely wondered why it was specifically him and Luka stuck in this, and not someone else– like he and Ivan, or even Sua. 

 

And the visits continued, he and Luka were forced to face each other with every passing day, week, month until they could crawl and even as they began to walk and talk. Though, Luka seemed keen to talk to him. It made Till wonder if Luka was planning on Manipulating him again.

 

"I think we need to talk." Luka began, looking at the Till as he grabbed his wrist. For context, they were around 8 years old at this time, and the fact they had reincarnated again the last time Till died, stopped the boy from trying it again.

 

"What is there to talk about." Till hissed, yanking his own wrist from the grip of the other, already preparing himself to start a fit, try to get his parents to take him back home within the confines of his room but for some reason he didn't. For some reason he stood there and allowed Luka to reason.

 

"You know what we need to talk about. This-.. Reincarnation.." Luka whispered, soft brown hair shaking as he moved his hand away from Till's wrist and glanced at his no longer purpled fingers. Till guessed he felt strange, not having any medical problems anymore.

 

"Fine. But if you try anything.." Till hadn't needed to finish the sentence before Luka nodded his head quickly and took a step closer. With the new body came the lack of control, Luka was more expressive and unable to keep a hold over his own self.

 

"Yeah- I understand. Just- Just don't do anything." Luka forced out, taking a long breath as he straightened his back and glanced to the pair of parents talking animatedly, too distracted to focus on the children. "Let's just talk."

 

"Go on." Till gestured for him to speak, shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes, before crossing his arms boredly.

 

"Okay, this seems to have started after I died on Alien Stage." Luka began, Till paused and spoke up, grabbing his shoulders firmly.

 

"What the fuck do you mean, died? I'm pretty sure you won?" He asked in a whispered-yell, and it was a wonder it didn't attract the attention of the adults as Luka hurriedly covered his mouth.

 

"I didn't. There was a special round with Hyuna and that pinky girl-"

 

"-Mizi"

 

"-Yeah, her. Anyways, I decided to let them win for some reason. Died." Luka spoke, not really bothering to listen much as Till corrected him without missing a beat. "It was a 2v1, and I didn't expect to reincarnate but here we are."

 

"Then it came to us reincarnating. But in that case, shouldn't Ivan and Sua have also done the same? Why was it only us two?" Till asked, brows furrowing as he looked to the table in between the parents, pausing the conversation to grab a biscuit from the tin, nibbling on it and grabbing an extra, tossing it to Luka, who took it gratefully.

 

"Thanks." Luka murmured, shoving the biscuit into his mouth and eating it quickly. "I know for a fact they didn't reincarnate, because it feels like only we are connected. If they also, you know, it would mean that we would actually know. I'm guessing they either died too far away from the timeslot we died, or they didn't reincarnate at all."

 

"Strange. Could they have lived?" Till reasoned, a hopeful look in his eyes.

 

"Possibly, but the aliens are thorough. Wasn't that Ivan guy shot four times?" Luka countered, watching Till wince slightly and nodding in understanding. "Another reason they aren't with us is because I felt empty when you died, instantly after. It didn't take a few seconds, and it means that I only felt empty after you first died. I mean in the first reincarnation."

 

"What happened after my death anyways?" Till asked, tilting his head with slight, unhidden curiosity.

 

"I killed myself." Luka mumbled, clear and unbothered as he shrugged his shoulders and ignored the way Till jumped.

 

"Why- Why the fu-?!" Till began to yell, not before his mouth was covered by Luka's hands.

 

"I felt empty, like I wasn't supposed to be in this world without you, so I died." Luka explained, not before he took a beat and changed the subject. "And it seems we reincarnate in a lot of different places. Last I remember, our other world was less.. Fantastical, than this one."

 

Till nodded his head, deciding to allow the topic change as he looked to the floating items, the gestures his parents made as magic flowed through their fingertips instinctively. He could even feel the same sort of power running through himself.

 

"You feel it, right?" Till asked, as Luka nodded his head and flicked his fingers, dark smoke escaping in a fit of pure.. Mana, was it? (Till could vaguely remember his mother reading out about it to him).

 

Their parents' head snapped to the two, just as Till had also followed in the action, raising his fingers and allowing a pure white smoke to emerge from his hands.

 

Till's parents stood up, ran to Till quickly and covered his fingers, preventing the magic to flow as Luka's parents did the sane, lecturing him about the use of magic, yet still calling him a prodigy.

 

"Till, baby, its too early for you to use magic. We don't even know your affinities yet.. So please, don't do that again. For mommy?" Till's mother whispered, watching as Till nodded his head numbly, before leaning fonwards and planting a firm kiss on his forehead. "That's a good boy."

 

Luka glanced over to Till, and they shared a glance.

 

It wasn't until a few hours later that they were finally alone, Till refrained from using the power, whilst Luka practiced with it carelessly.

 

"Didn't your dad tell you not to use it until you were older?" Till asked, raising an eyebrow as Luka shrugged his shoulders. Didn't seem like he heeded their words.

 

"I don't really care. It's also better for the both of us if we master this earlier." Luka remarked, staring at the smoke, pitch-black and growing as Till slapped his hands over it, extinguishing it swiftly.

 

"And you don't know if you're going to break something, or lose control over it." Till spoke, shaking his head with a fierce disapproval, sighing loudly. "I'm not keen on being birthed another time."

 

"I.. Fine, I hear you loud and clear." Luka breathed, vague understanding decorating his features as the seconds passed and he averted his eyes.

 

So they didn't use their power, not until they had their affinities test at the age of 10, walking up to the crystal ball quietly

 

Till remembered the conversation his mother had given him, explaining how everyone in the world could have unique affinities and powers, meaning they were especially skilled in that area and could use that power especially. Some affinities were so rare, it meant only the person with that affinity could use it. Whilst other affinities were common, meaning everyone could use it, but the person with that affinity could use it especially rare.

 

There were affinities like poison, crystals, fire, oxygen.. The list goes on.

 

Till went before Luka, walking to the crystal ball and placing a quiet hand on it, watching as the large screen shook and letters began to select themselves. He watched as the letters began to confirm.

 

YANG .. LIGHT

 

And he froze, his mother held him, raising him in the air and spinning him happily. He knew what that meant, Yang was a rare affinity, one which everyone knew existed, yet no one had from the beginning.

 

Till closed his eyes, he knew exactly the affinity Luka had. So he watched as the now brown haired boy walked to the ball and held it, letters choosing themselves on the screen familiarly.

 

YIN .. DARK

 

Then the eyes were on the two respectively. It wasn't something strange, it just meant the two of them were soulmates, in a sense. One being pure light, pure good. And the other being pure dark, pure evil. Of course, mostly in terms of power itself, it didn't dictate their actual selves.

 

They looked at each other, and knew life from then on would be tiring. Similar to their first life, all eyes would stare with intent.

 

Months passed, years even, and the attention never cooled, instead growing more intense with each milestone the two reached in their powers– and true to expectations, they both began to grow considerably quickly. By the time they entered a magic academy, they'd been crowned one of the strongest of their generation, it was a given, since they'd both had the powers of creaton and destruction. It would've been strange if they weren't that strong.

 

And as they had to, they stuck close.

 

"This is so tiring.." Till murmured, falling back into a chair and glancing into a mirror, staring at his black locks which reminded him slightly of Ivan. It was always strange to have a different appearance, especially since he was so used to his silver hair.

 

"You can do it." Luka offered brief motivation, yet didn't try very hard as he took an apple from who-knows-where, biting into it quietly, savouring the food.

 

"Easy for you to say. You're always practicing." Till murmured, jealous against his will as his eyes drifted to the ceiling quietly. "I swear to this universe I might just kill myself and hope the next life is easier."

 

"Wouldn't work. Since we seem to be the subjects of the universe for this time, however long it may be, there's no doubt you'd place into more different worlds and places. Each one, like this, would be different and possibly even more difficult." Luka explained, all too eager to prevent Till from moving the two onto thr next life. Till just considered the man liked this life enough.

 

So reluctantly, he agreed. And time continued to pass, and soon they were 24 years old and leaving the school to work as powerful mages.

 

It felt so strange to pass the age he died at.

 

"The Emperor is sending us to the battlefield." Till spoke first, gesturing to the translucent letter, formed by magic. "No way to get out of it, and the reward of land."

 

"Then let's go. Don't go out of my sight." Luka answered, standing up and watching as Till flicked his fingers, bringing the two higher into the air and leading them to the battlefield, taking atleast thirty minutes due to the distance. Yet as they arrived, Till set the two on the ground, looking around at the soldiers.

 

"I already don't want to be here." Till muttered, following Luka as they passed bleeding men, closing their eyes. And Till thought he'd seen enough gore before.

 

"I'll get this over with, then." Luka responded, arriving to the field and watching as men continuously threw themselves at each other, ending up stabbed by some sort of polearm or sword. And as Luka raised his arm, darkness emerged from the sky, barely following logic as arrows formed themselves and rained upon the other side. Till closed his eyes, sighing and muttering some sort of spell, he didn't really want to fight, so he decided to instead heal and replenish.

 

It all ended when an arrow shot him in the heart coincidentally. Not Luka's, someone else's. He looked up as blood spat out from his mouth familiarly, the former blond pausing in all his magic as he turned to Till, eyes wide as everything darkened in both their visions. 

 

Till didn't consider how much dying hurt, the hole in his body as blood dripped relentlessly from him, pooling quietly with that feeling of loss and the burn in the wound.

 

And as Till finally left, Luka blinked, the emptiness all coming back in a fell swoop as he turned to the battlefield, everything darkening and consuming as he used his own life to strengthen the spell. As a fail for not protecting Till, everyone here would suffer, including him.

 

And then, he fell content, body hitting the ground in lifelessness, right beside Till's.

Notes:

I was originally gonna go through the chapter before releasing it to make it more in-character but then realised I was too lazy hehh hope you enjoy it cause I'm still debating whether I should write smut (I don't know how to)

Chapter 4: LIFE THREE.

Notes:

Righttt so no this fic was not forgotten. I just have extremely little inspo for my fics rn and don't have any idea on how to continue this. I do plan on finishing it bcs I love this story idea, but yeah. But one thing I need is someone who can write smut to write it for me when this fic eventually develops to it. If you know someone willing pls see I'd they can do it 🙏

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

This time, Till woke up as a cat, a flexible animal which jumped high and landed on its feet. The housecat of a family, he considered this family did not have magic, as they all seemed too normal, and he couldn't feel power within him. So as a cat, he decided to live as he should, jumping out of windows and walking along surfaces, escaping his family's grip and hold despite enjoying the attention.

 

It didn't take long to meet Luka, who was coincidentally his neighbour.

 

"So.. I died." Till began, curling up onto the ground in a loaf with a yawn. Luka followed, loafing beside him easily.

 

"I did aswell." Luka answered absentmindedly, closing his eyes and resting his head down. Till's tail continued to shift, swinging peacefully and quietly.

 

"I don't think this life will last very long." Till added, catching Luka's brief nod and quietly standing up. He was bored. "I think I'll get back to my house early, see you tomorrow."

 

"Already?" Luka asked, immediately standing up on his fours aswell, seeming alarmed as his ears shifted to the side slightly, slowly returning to their normal spot. ".. Fine, but I don't want to think you were lying to me."

 

"I won't die, not unless it was an accident." Till comforted briefly, before running off, jumping from the place they'd sat on and sprinting back to his house easily, entering through an open window and walking on random surfaces, looking around as his owners continued on their days easily, talking and petting him absentmindedly when he passed.

 

And that's how things worked, his owners looked after him, and he simply lived as their pet. It was the same with Luka, who also lived as a pet quietly.

 

"It's all so dull." The former blond remarked, eyes closed as he lay down, curled up beside Till, who sat straight and tall. His ears twitched, eyes flickering open to look at the other curiously.

 

"Take it as a break. No need to get used to being another human, another name.. Well, kinda. I have to get used to being called Mocha." Till responded, yawning quietly as he stood up. "Anyways, let's just walk around. We're cats, we don't have anything else to do."

 

".. Sure." Luka followed suit, as Till began to run along the fence, jumping down onto the ground with a quiet thud, wasting no time to start sprinting across the street.

 

"It all looks so different from our other lives." Till began, looking at the surroundings with a slightly intrigued expression. 

 

The first life was futuristic, compared to now. It had random technologies, and colour schemes, hard to even correlate to Earth– the world they resided on at the moment.

 

The second life, they died before being able to properly see the kind of world it was.

 

And the third life was medieval, too magical to focus on developing technology. Everywhere you went, you'd see floating items and elements, fires being tamed and so on.

 

This life, the fourth, could be called tasteless compared to the one before. Vehicles which beeped loudly and filled the roads in a perpetual rush-hour. The city was busy all around, not one time would it be empty, even ignoring insects and animals. Humans constantly on the rush to get to jobs and fulfil tasks, Till was sort of glad to be born as a cat. That way, all he had to do was simply exist.

 

"Where are we going?" Luka asked, speeding up to sprint beside Till, looking at him curiously. 

 

"Not somewhere dangerous, I don't think." The other cat answered vaguely, jumping onto a fence abruptly, yet followed by the other cat quietly, effortlessly. "Let's just let the wind take us."

 

"I believe letting the world control what happens won't end up quite positive for us. Especially since that's all we've been doing on the most part, and we died before we even turned thirty." Luka reasoned easily, that same all-knowing look in his eyes as he sped up, this time letting Till follow after. "If I had the choice, I'd say we should just stay home, relax, and allow our natural lifespans to take place. Travelling too far will get us lost, killed even."

 

"That's just cause you don't like when I die." Till rolled his eyes, yet nonetheless followed. He understood why Luka was careful, after all, when Till died, the link between their souls(?) Caused despair, emptiness. It would be almost impossible to stay alive, and Till knew, even if he hasn't experienced it yet.

 

"Is it so shameful?" Luka asked, silencing Till's retorts easily with a glance, and with each sprint they soon made it back to their homes. "Your owners don't really care much about when I'm over, so I'll just follow you."

 

"Owners sound distasteful. Call them my parents." Till corrected, nodding his head and leading Luka through an open window, into his house and to the bed they'd bought for him, which he didn't use much.

 

"Potato pot-ah-to." Luka said, before taking his spot on the bed quietly, curling up on it and leaving half of the space for Till, who stared, and then also lay down.

 

His parents came home an hour or so later, picking Till from his bed unexpectedly and holding him, causing him to flail slightly, before calming down and letting them hold him close. He was glad he'd gotten used to it by then.

 

"Aww, Mocha is getting so close to our neighbours cat- Was it Mochi?" Till's mom began, spinning Till around in the air as he began to feel dizzy, blinking hard. "Haha, even their names sound so similar.."

 

She pulled him close abruptly, showering him with kisses and affection as he could barely fight back, simply sighing and letting them do this. He looked to where Luka was, sharing a gaze of understanding. It seemed both of them faced the same things at home.

 

But Till didn't mind, the affection was nice.

 

And true to how it seemed, their life was peaceful. Till lived till 17 years old, quite long considering his species. Luka died a day after Till, expectedly, and Till didn't find it strange.

 

However, shortly before each of their demise, they sat on the same wall they had for numerous times before, staring at the bustle of the surroundings quietly, boredly. Till lifted his paw, licking it quietly.

 

"I'm going to die soon." He began, still focused on grooming his fur as the other cat looked up, suddenly more attentive as his tail stopped swishing.

 

"Then I also will die soon." Luka replied, looking back to the surroundings after the remark, closing his eyes. Was he still aimless as he had been two lives ago?

 

".. We lived a nice life." Till assumed, he liked to think the lives they lived were all fulfilling in their own senses, all beneficial and helpful to a future neither of them could predict. "And I can't help but wonder if the rest will be the same."

 

"It won't." Luka spoke, a horrid truth on his tongue as a slight growl escaped the cat. "Life has never been easy. It only gets worse. We can only assume this life is some sort of a pre given reward for the next ones."

 

"If we're lucky, the reincarnation will end by our next life." Till countered, almost hopeful as he set his paw back onto the floor and shook his head.

 

"Why would it end now?" Luka shot down, tone almost sharp had it not deliberately softened toward the end of the sentence. "And why would the end of this be lucky? We would simply be trading in suffering for more suffering. We don't know if we're alive in our own universe, and even if we were there's half a chance we'd still be on the grasp of the segyein. In my opinion, I'd much rather have an aimless freedom trapped in endless lives than being captured by the disgusting aliens who use us for entertainment."

 

"..." Till hated that he couldn't refute.

 

Notes:

Please comment and give kudos if you like this fic! They motivate me to continue my stories, and allow me to work harder to deliver these stories with higher quality and more frequency.

Sorry if the chapter isn't to your liking, or isn't as good as you'd prefer. I'm not the best author. And again, don't attack me for my preferred ships, simply ignore this work if you don't like it.

Chapter 5: LIFE FOUR.

Notes:

Sorry if this is late I randomly got this idea as a fic and had to write it hahaha

I actually really want them to get together so I can write fluff already. Please. Get these chains off of me.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Till woke up, he thought things were normal–for a non-alien 'led' society. He was human, Luka wasn't dead (half thankfully), and he hadn't seen anyone use powers. He made sure to glare extra hard at the suspicious ones to catch them, but it only seemed to motivate them to dote harder on his molerat baby face (Jk). The only strange thing, was that there wasn't any actual hint of Luka, other than the confirmation that he was.. Well, alive.

 

He understood more when he finally became a child, and was able to properly look outside since he wasn't stuck in a stroller. The way some people with animalistic features were watched with a disdain, how they were shunned and fought down with even the slightest provocations.. Monitored so deeply you would've thought they committed actual crimes. All Till felt was intrigued, the ears of these people were lifelike, twitching and acting as any other animal would have them, they'd have tails and features unique to a certain species of animal. Later, he learned they were called shifters.

 

He would've wanted to be born as one, had there not been such discrimination against them, but in the end decided to thank being a human. Since it meant he would be loved in some sense.

 

He still didn't see Luka at all in his teenage years–he'd went through high-school with a boredom, watching the other students around him as they clamouring around noisily and socialised. He stayed alone, something about actually talking to random people he'd never understand struck him wrong, when he thought about the years that had already passed him in his other lives. He would sometimes get the urge to talk to someone who bared a resemblance to his old friends. He also stared too much into the mirror, trying to get used to his new face. He'd never gotten used to the change, his blond hair and blue eyes were completely different from before, it still shook him to wake up and look into a mirror.

 

The career he chose as an adult was a doctor for shifters–the shifters that had been caught and brought to fight in underground fighting rings. It was mostly canine shifters, or more easily wolf shifters. They were viewed as the most violent shifters, the ones who could easily tear out your neck with even the smallest of provocation and claws that could dent steel. Till didn't believe it, not really. He wanted to see how it was, truly. He was accepted within seconds of an interview, not even asked for qualifications. He assumed they needed him, given how much they said they'd pay.

 

When he first started, he was sent to a random prison-like cell, the door slammed shut behind him as he was left with privacy, with silence. He'd stepped into the room, almost apprehensive before a sudden familiarity was felt, and his eyes widened.

 

"Luka?" Till asked, steps speeding as he sat on the bed and blinked at the other person, or shifter. Yep, it was Luka. A beat up one at that. "You're a shifter? Out of everything I least expected, this one was up on that list."

 

He wanted to laugh, but something in the atmosphere prevented him and all that escaped was a breathless, feeble chuckle and a glance away. After a moment, he found it in himself to pull up the first aid kit he'd been handed to finally treat Luka.

 

"I've been wondering where you were." Luka began, a slight wince as Till began to treat. It was obvious he wasn't too skilled at it, messily disinfecting and cleaning the wounds from the dirt sprinkled around them before taking bandages and whatever else came after that. "I didn't have much of a choice here, I was caught the moment I manifested these changes."

 

That prompted Till to finally take a better look, glancing up at Luka's ears which twitched atop of his head nervously, and the thick tail behind him. Whenever Luka spoke, Till could see canines on display. Yeah, they seemed like they could rip someone's neck to shreds. It almost made Till fear treating his other patients. Almost was the key word, he hadn't endured years of mistreatment from vicious aliens just to get afraid of wolf-humans who, frankly, were only acting similar to he did under pressure.

 

"If its so bad, why not just fight back?" Till asked, an absentminded remark which seemed almost stupid when he spoke it out. He'd shifted back a little after Luka's treatment, taking a beat longer to look away from the dark gashes. "Against the ones who keep you here."

 

"I don't know how to." Luka answered, quickly, almost as if habit. He'd probably asked himself this so many times before, on the stage they were forced on. His ears twitched, and then he spoke again, like correcting himself. "And even if I could, there's a large chance I'd just be caught again, given how almost no one accepts shifters."

 

Till blinked, deciding to go silent on that topic as he paused, before eventually speaking again, though this time on another subject. "This feels like when we were under the dictatorship of aliens, you know. Only this time its just you, and not me."

 

"I guess it reminded me of the past." Luka replied, a sort of mulling tone he'd taken, closing his eyes and nodding his head. "But they fear us now, rather than 'desiring' us then."

 

"I didn't think there was a difference. Discrimination is discrimination." Till returned, shrugging his shoulders with an unbothered expression, or what he assumed to be unbothered. He wasn't sure if he actually looked confused or anything. "But what I do need to ask now, is how the hell did you get hurt do badly?"

 

"Fights. I usually taunt my opponents out of habit. Doesn't end well, even I win." Luka didn't elaborate further, not that he needed to. Till could easily remember his last minutes on stage with Luka, how frustrated and hopeless he constantly felt, as well as how Luka would have constantly tried to get a rise out of him. He rolled his eyes, feeling irritated at Luka from the rising memory, yet forcing himself to remain civil, and as calm as he could be.

 

"Well obviously." Till muttered and response, almost sighing from some sort of bubbling frustration before straightening himself. After a moment, he tilted his head, asking a question he'd probably asked before. "Why not just start a rebellion?" 

 

"What, like Hyuna?" Luka perked, gazing up from the dull, scratchy floor–which honestly gave Till goosebumps whenever the soles of his shoes brushed against it. His eyes sparkled somewhat as the name escaped his lips, and Till was confused for a moment. He didn't know who Hyuna was really, and the last time Luka mentioned her was a decade or so ago. He didn't know much, except she was the person who'd helped Mizi–he remembered when he was first dying, haw Mizi frantically whispered that Hyuna could and would help, and that he wouldn't die. Even if he did, in the end. Although, he felt strange, hearing Luka mention her so fondly made his heart flicker with a faint heaviness, one which felt like it'd plague him until he finally fixed it. It was something guilty to dislike Hyuna, even though she'd helped Mizi. "Till?" Luka's head tilted, ears flopping somewhat in a motion that tempted Till to atleast try reach out to them. But he refrained, blinking and then quickly nodding his head and coming to attention.

 

"Yeah?" He asked, though he knew it was obvious why he'd been called. But when the silence stretched, he cleared his throat after a moment and carried on with the earlier topic. "Anyways, yeah, like her."

 

"Well, I could, but it'd also be sort of a bother. I'm not as smart as her, and also not as likeable." Luka answered, a beat late with a lingering suspicion, but calmed after a few moments, deciding to let the topic pass relatively easily. "A rebellion takes numbers as well as strength."

 

"But in this case, desperation overrules likeability. All you really have to do is convince them you can get them out." Till retorted, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know much about how rebellions worked, but it'd probably be easy to get the basics of it down.

 

"True, but how would that work?" Luka asked, rolling his eyes with a frown. It seemed all this sort of talk had bothered him, somewhat. "What's different that'd convince them to even join the cause. And also, why not just let this happen so we can die by the end and just move on?"

 

"... It doesn't change the fact that others would also go through this as well, we should do this to make sure others don't go through this." Till argued, voice forcibly gentle, brows furrowed as he frowned. He understood Luka's viewpoint, but at the same didn't. He didn't understand why you couldn't even try bother with how something would affect others, but maybe Luka was just being shallow. "Maybe I'm just sensitive about it, though.." He continued, a breath escaping his lips as he thought on. "You know, since all this reminds me about that."

 

"I'll try. But you'll have to be helping. You know, from the outside. Find others who care for humans and get them to join the cause.." Luka sighed, looking to the side as he eventually gave in, though he seemed vaguely bothered. "It'd help convince other wolf shifters to join us, too."

 

"Yeah, why wouldn't I help..?" Till murmured, agreeing to the deal quickly, resting a finger on his chin in some thought. Luka seemed to contemplate, eventually shrugging off the topic and clearing his throat.

 

"Anyways.." His voice trailed off, almost confused. He tapped at the concrete walls of the cell, the sound resounding within the small, yet large room–Till could tell why it was both, it was so empty there hadn't been any clutter except for the stiff bed they both sat on. And other than that, nothing, leaving the small room looking spacious.

 

"I should get going. I need to treat a few other shifters." Till said, catching himself before he became comfortable, standing from the bed with a start and almost running out of the cell. He didn't catch the way Luka reached out, as if to hold him back, not that he wanted to see that, if he would've.

 

And true to his made up excuse, he did end up treating the other shifters. They were silent, distrustful yet too fearful for hostility. Till considered that they thought he'd hurt them, and honestly, he didn't deny it. Of course, he wouldn't, but it also helped that they were scared of him, meaning they also weren't able to deny him. He planned to apologise at some point.

 

But his work was done quickly, and the money he was handed was large enough to outweigh all his worries and thoughts. He would've been blinded by greed had he not known all this wealth would disappear as soon as he died and reincarnated in another world.

 

[A/N: I need to do more timeskips I'm sorry yall this is getting WAY too long for Mr hahaahahahahahahahahaahahahahaha. Quality is decreasing quickly.]

 


 

"How far have you gotten with the plan?" Luka shot up from the bed which he'd previously lay, staring at Till intently. With previous days, he'd been growing more impatient as 'D-Day' approached, and honestly, Till was similar, if not more. He itched to stand against the government and demand shifter rights, or however things would work like that. It was like some sort of urge ever since he'd accepted this situation was just like their first life.

 

"Far." Till began. "I've managed to secure a lot of supporters, and we've been laying propaganda all around the city–I'm saying posters everywhere, flyers, letters, evidence against the leaders.." He was proud, evidently so, hands rested lightly on his hips as he grinned. "I've been hearing more people talk about how inhumane the treatment of shifters are, and more people openly disliking officials."

 

Luka gave a brief clap, but winced at the motion, sitting back down with a sigh which brought Till to attention. He'd remembered his actual job belatedly, grabbing the kit and clicking it open and sliding familiarly into his spot on the bed.

 

"I've also done a few things down here." The other began, used to the treatment as he relaxed, looking away nonchalantly. He seemed disinterested, in some sort, yet fundamentally, Till knew he was the most eager. Of course he was, he was firsthandedly dealing with the consequences of his birth. "We're all ready for our own part, so it's all left to you. Once you're ready, all you need to do is give the signal during one of my matches and we'll start the plan."

 

"Actually, I plan to do that in your next match. I had some friends give me information, and they told me that a few officials are attending it, since they're considering making these underground things a more public and global event." Till explained, mouth strangely dry. He licked his lips, face close enough to Luka's skin that he could breathe in his scent. Of course, only so he could treat him properly. "If we start the protest there and corner them, it'd be a great start."

 

"I'll see if I can tell the others then, and let them prepare." Luka sat straighter after a moment, hitting Till's nose with the motion as he backed away quickly, holding his face, frowning. His eyes widened. "... Sorry."

 

"I'll ignore it." Till said quickly, only giving his nose one last rub before leaning back in and focusing back on Luka's wounds. He felt a sliver of irritation, but shunned it away as he decided to face the most important part, their impending rebellion.

 


 

Thats the end there, all you need to know is that it succeeded and I got too lazy to continue the chapter further. Sorry for bad quality, more details may be touched upon in their next life. Stay tuned, and give ideas on what they could be next, I do listen to my readers!

Notes:

This took so long to write I'm just gonna say

I'd you liked the chapter, please leave a comment and give kudos! If you don't like the ship or dislike my writing, please just ignore this work and refrain from leaving anything offensive, whether to each other or to me. There is no need to spread negativity!

Notes:

Nice idea which means there's gonna be a/b/o, fantasy, gender bend.. so on. We gon get a lotta shit before they get back to Alien Stage, hopefully. And I'm going to try make this a slow slow burn.