Biohuman

Chimera's question wasn't anything Lee Seng imagined it to be. Lee Seng gulped as he attempted to digest the large question.

'This isn't about which side I'm going to choose. No, this isn't what I thought it was at all… This is about my powers. Do I embrace the Fox or do I embrace the Protocol…?' Lee Seng raised the cup and took a large gulp of hot liquid. He winced as the hot liquid moved down his throat as he gulped it down and set the empty cup down. The teapot moved over and refilled his cup as Keng, worriedly, watched Lee Seng.

"Do I need to answer this now?" Lee Seng hesitantly asked. He kept his eyes on the hot liquid. He couldn't bring himself to look at the others.

"You don't need to answer it now, but it is something you need to answer before it's too late." Chimera told Lee Seng. "If you wait to choose, you will suffer the consequences."  Lee Seng pulled his hands away from the cup and set them on his thighs. He began to rub his hands on the silk cloth. The uncomfortable setting made Keng look away from Lee Seng and to Lady Vix'i and Commander Chimera.

"What do you mean he has to choose eventually? Will it really be bad if we split our paths?" Keng asked. "If he does choose the Protocol, wouldn't that help us even more? We could uncover more about the Creator. Hell, our split paths could make us stronger."

"It could make you stronger, yes, but there's a chance it could take your life if he chooses the Protocol over you." Chimera warned. Keng gulped. He felt like his throat was closing.

'A second chance… What second chance does she mean by that…? It doesn't sound like it's a second chance at all. It sounds like I'm…' Lee Seng grabbed the tea cup and took another sip.

"These are the only answers? With or without him?" Lee Seng asked. His eyes raised towards Chimera. "What if I can combine both of them?"

"Combine both of them?" Lady Vix'i whispered as Chimera smiled and started to chuckle. Their chuckle alerted the others as they looked at the Eldest Fox Spirit.

"Combine them?" Chimera chuckled. "I'm not even sure if it'll work. I'm not even sure if that's even possible. I guess this is the answer I should expect from someone who has all of the power in their hands right now." Chimera's snake eyes stared through Lee Seng's. It felt like Chimera was staring straight into Lee Seng's soul. "That much power for one person could cause you to lose even more. Are you willing to do that?"

'Lose Keng or lose more…?' Lee Seng bit his lip and ruffled his hair.

"Ugh, I dunno!" Lee Seng stood up. "You're asking me a complicated question!"

"You're getting upset about this?" Keng asked. "Why are you upset about this?" He pulled Lee Seng as he stood up. Lee Seng's hard eyes looked at Keng for a moment and they told him everything he needed to know. Keng released Lee Seng and turned away. "I can't believe you're actually thinking about doing something like that. Especially after all the pieces I picked up for you. You're gonna do that to me?"

Lee Seng sucked in a deep breath and blew all of the air out his nose. He didn't need to show anymore frustration or anger.

"I'm not going to make a decision right now, alright?" Lee Seng calmly spoke with hard eyes.

'There has to be another option.' Lee Seng thought. 'There has to be.'

"What if you can't find another option that saves us both?" Keng asked. "What're you gonna do then? Throw me to the side and lose me to gain the power you've always wanted? You have Eshra's power in you, wouldn't that make you an enemy of the Foxes? You're gonna make more enemies just so you can live your dream? Is it that simple?" His voice raised higher and higher. The anger and upset Keng felt earlier had returned. He started to stand when Lee Seng ruffled his hair in frustration and kicked the chair to the side. He moved further away from the table.

"I can't choose. I have to figure something else out. There's always… There's a-always a-another… a-another way." Lee Seng stuttered.

"What if there isn't? You're just gonna ruin you and I to gain the best of both worlds?" Keng shouted.

"I think we should calm ourselves." Lady Vix'i spoke.

"If you're going to choose the Protocol then maybe I should just stay here!" Keng continued. Lee Seng came to a stop and froze. He started to turn when Keng angrily stormed out of the Cyrstallium.

"Ah, dammit." Lady Vix'i cursed in Fox tongue. She turned to Chimera and looked at them. They didn't budge. Their face stayed the same. They kept their eyes on Lee Seng." Chimera, do you think this is the best time for this? Shouldn't we be helping them figure this out?"  Chimera didn't answer her.

'You stand at a fork in the road and you need to make your decision.' Chimera thought as they stood up.

"I'll let you think about it. In the meantime, I'll make sure Keng is alright." Chimera told Lee Seng. Chimera gave a small nod at Lady Vix'i and turned to exit. The doro closed as Lee Seng continued to stand in his spot. Lady Vix'i sighed and stood up.

"Lee Seng, what're you thinking of doing? Do you really believe there's a third choice?" Lady Vix'i asked.

"There's many choices within a problem. You just have t-to… P-pull yo-yourself out and s-see the pos-possibilities…" Lee Seng recited. Number 2's words replayed in his mind. His unsteady breaths grew louder as Lady Vix'i turned and started to leave.

"Whatever choice you make, there will be repercussions. I think… You should give some time to think about all of the choices and not the choice that could save both you and Keng. As for Keng, I'll keep tabs on him as well… Until then, feel free to use the space as you need to." Lady Vix'i waved. She moved to the door and opened it, giving one last worried look at Lee Seng before exiting and closing the door behind her. When Lee Seng knew he was alone, he crumbled onto his knees. His eyes were burning with tears as he wiped them away.

"I need an-answers… N-not maybes… Not what if's… I need to know the chances…" Lee Seng sniffed as he wiped snot away. He stood up and let out a loud sigh. "Keng said if I went there, he would stay here. We both need the space and its honestly better if we're Realms apart. I don't think he wants me to hear his thoughts nor do I want him to hear mine…" He began to recall the incantation to go home when Keng's voice came through his head.

'Why would he think about that possibility? What does he need to have both? He'd have enough power with one or the other… I wish I told him this… No, I think I'll tell him.' Keng's thoughts echoed in Lee Seng's head. Lee Seng sniffed the snot and wiped his eyes and snot away, again.

'I walk among the Foxes in the Realm of the God King. I wish to enter the land of the humans.' Lee Seng thought. The air around him began to distort.

'No! Don't leave! LEE SENG! I need to talk to –' Keng's thoughts were cut off and Lee Seng found himself standing in his room, again. It was early morning. An hour had passed since he was in the other Realm and he felt the energy building up within him. He climbed into bed and covered himself.

'I should nap for a bit.' Lee Seng thought. 'No use in stressing about this now. I'll go back when enough time has passed.' He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. The silk traditional outfit was still on him along with the shoes he had gotten. He groaned and pulled the sheets off and pulled the shoes off and stood up and pulled the golden silk outfit off of him. He stood in his boxers, the warmish air touching him and slipped back into bed.

He settled himself in bed and waited for sleep to take him. His mind continued to think through what happened earlier. When sleep didn't come to him, he opened his eyes and grabbed his phone. He had been lying in bed for fifteen minutes and he didn't fall asleep as easy as he normally did.

'Why does stress always make me an insomniac?' Lee Seng pulled the sheet off of him and sighed. Time was probably going by quickly on the other side and the empty feeling settling on him was more apparent. Lee Seng groaned and set his phone on the nightstand and stood up.

"Let's just go for a swim." Lee Seng spoke a little too loudly. He moved over and flipped on the light. He opened the closet and pulled his boxers off as he fished his swimming trunks out. He slipped them on and grabbed a set of clean clothes and a hoodie and shut the door. He slipped the hoodie on and wore his flip flops and started to leave the room when he remembered his phone.

He snatched his phone and noticed it was about 4:45 in the morning. He slipped the phone into his swim trunks and moved out of his dorm room towards the telepad.