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da-birb-writes-sometimes · 8 months

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Of Truths & Dreams; Malleus Draconia

Dreams can tell you a lot about a person. Their wants, their fears. But sometimes they can tell you the truth, and sometimes it isn't pretty.

Supporting Characters; Lilia Vanrouge & Malenoa Draconia

Content; Soulmate AU (I call them soul matches), gender-neutral reader, can be read as familial, platonic, or romantic, Chapter 7 spoilers, canon divergence, hurt/comfort

Content Warnings; Chapter 7 spoilers, overblot stuff, swearing

Word Count; 5 K

Don't put my work into AI, I will hunt you for sport.

Prologue & Lilia's Story | Sebek's Story

Malleus was born into this world alone. His mother, dead, and his father, missing. It was a miracle that he even hatched, as Draconia eggs required love to hatch. And his grandmother was ridden with grief, over losing her only child. It was no wonder why he was delayed by several centuries. And despite everything, he hatched. But despite his hatching, the love and adoration that people gave him, he was alone. Malleus didn’t feel loved, not in the way that mattered.

His subjects, his guards, his teachers, even his own grandmother loved the idea of him. And he was raised away from the outside world, within the dark halls of Briar Castle. Malleus was an idea, and the hope for the future rather than his own person. It was a lot for a child to handle. So, of course, he would sneak out when he thought no one was looking. The guards would realize rather quickly that the sole heir to Briar Valley, their most treasured royal, was missing. But Malleus didn’t care.

“Good evening,” he greeted the raven gargoyle that was at the westernmost turret of the outside wall. Malleus looked in the direction that the raven did, looking out into the moors. A dense fog had rolled in, covering everything in a white haze. “Do you ever wonder what’s out there?”

He knew that the stone wouldn’t answer him, but he asked anyways. “Grandmother tells me stories you know,” he sighed, taking a seat in one of the carved-out alcoves in the ancient stone. “That Briar Valley will one day be mine to keep. But I cannot rule without a soul match.”

Soul matches were quintessential for the Draconias, after all, it was their own ancestor the Thorn Fairy, who had gifted the fae the blessing. But Malleus had yet to find any trace of them in his dreams. Typically, members of his family were born with their soul match already in their dreams, but Malleus had yet to meet them, his dreams still being black and white, and no blurry stranger to speak of in sight. It was distressing, and he heard the whispered concerns of his grandmother when she thought he was in bed.

And those whispers played in his head. “Is there something the matter with me?” All the young prince got for an answer though was the distant cawing of ravens, and the approaching sounds of footsteps. “Did I do something wrong?”

It felt like he did something wrong. Why else would the Thorn Fairy withhold his birthright to a soul match? Why would she punish him? Had he already not been punished enough?

“So that’s where you were hiding,” the familiar voice of Lilia pulled Malleus from his thoughts. “Come now, young prince, you can’t hide away forever.” Lilia offered his hand for the young boy to take.

Malleus looked at his outstretched hand to his face, and placed his hand in Lilia’s. “Did I upset everyone again?” His voice was quiet as the two of them walked hand and hand down the uneven steps of the turret’s staircase.

Lilia hummed, “Upset? No. Worry? A little bit.” He was used to barking out orders in the battlefield, not looking after children, let alone one so precious to the Valley. But Lilia felt that he needed to, for both his Queen, and the late princess. He had a duty to keep, an oath that he lived by; to protect the royal line.

Malleus frowned, giving the moors a final look before he and his keeper descended into the heart of the castle. “I just wanted to find them.”

“And you will,” Lilia gave the prince a practised smile, as it was still something he was getting used to. “It may just take some time is all.”

“But mother and grandmother both were born with their soul matches already in their dreams. Why is mine not with me now?” Malleus was starting to spit a bit of fire, clearly becoming upset with his own frustration. “Why must they keep me waiting?”

Lilia took a knee, and gently placed his hands on Malleus’s shoulders, looking into his eyes. “Good things come to those who wait. It must mean that the Thorn Fairy is taking her time in finding the best match for you.” Lilia’s eyes searched Malleus’s and he propped himself back up. “So since it is taking a while, they must be very special.”

Malleus was still upset, but that put him at ease. Good things come to those who wait. So the longer he had to wait, the better his soul match should be, and that put his turbulent mind at ease… for now.

…

Malleus was standing in the thick fog of the moors. And it was deathly silent, not even the crickets or the throaty calls of frogs filled in the silent din. “Another dream,” he sighed to himself.

Of course it was a dream, which was obvious due to everything being in various shades of grey, white, and black, but also because he wasn’t allowed past the castle’s outer walls without someone else accompanying him.

“Why have you brought me here,” Malleus quietly asked the fog.

It is said that the Thorn Fairy lived in the moors, that she protected the moors. She put up an impenetrable wall of thorns, to protect her people from those who wished to destroy them. But the moors remained silent, and barren of colour or life. Malleus hummed to himself the lullaby that his grandmother sang to him while he was still a baby, and still in his egg. He has heard this song over the centuries as he lay dormant. Permanently etched into the deepest recesses of his mind. The lullaby was crafted solely for the fae to learn of soul matches.

Malleus stopped humming. He hadn’t met them yet, so it didn’t feel right to hum the original lyrics. “I’ll know you. I will walk with you once upon a dream,” he sang slowly, walking to nowhere in particular, the fog moving gently with his movements. “I’ll know you, that look in your eyes will be so a familiar a gleam.”

He started dancing by himself, making the fog swirl around him. “And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I’ll know you, I know what you’ll do.” Malleus made one large twirl, and all the emotions he had were summoned as fire, setting the dry grass of the moors ablaze, yet he was untouched as his dream was slowly being reduced to ashes.

“You’ll love me at once,” he whispered quietly, “the way you did once upon a dream.” Smoke filled the air, and where there was once light, white fog, there was now heavy, black smoke.

It was simply a dream though, nothing more. But dreams reveal truths, even if we don’t want to confront them.

…

Malleus had missed the entrance ceremony… again, at least Lilia was all over it, but it still rubbed Malleus in all of the wrong ways. But was it really his fault? He had never received an invitation… due to his electronics acting up again due to his own magic, so maybe it was his fault. Maybe next year! … Oh right, he would be a fourth year and not studying within the confines of Night Raven College, so in actuality, there was no next year.

At least there was a familiar face that was new to the dorm, and Sebek was overjoyed and followed Malleus dutifully. But that didn’t really change his own inner turmoil; he is next in line to be king, and yet he wasn’t able to attend something as simple as an annual recurring event? It troubled him, even as he was preparing himself for bed, adjusting his custom pillow just so.

I just wish I were invited? A proper letter. He mused in his own head, before finding himself back in the moors. It was always the moors. By this point he had traversed the entirety of it, and seen everything it had to offer, all of its little secrets. Not hard when he’s had nearly a century of time to do so.

He started humming his version of the lullaby, as he mindlessly floated along a path that he had made with his own footsteps, well trodden. Good things come to those who wait. That’s what he’s told himself, night after night. That’s what he told himself every morning when he woke up. He was getting tired of waiting. He was supposed to have been born with his soul match already in his dreams, but no one had ever appeared in Malleus’s dreams. He was always alone in the moors, with not even animals to keep him company. He was not only isolated in his waking world, the real world, but he was also isolated in his dreams.

Malleus was all alone, he had been alone for a while. Yes, he may have guards, and loyal servants, but above all else, they saw him as their next king, not Malleus; they didn’t see him for him. So maybe it was fitting that he didn’t have a soul match either. Maybe the Thorn Fairy wanted him alone.

Right as those feelings surfaced though, his dream changed. Malleus was very much still in the moors, but the silence was gone. The soft chirping of crickets filled the void. There was life, and it was all at once. The fog was still there, but Malleus could also see the faint lights of fireflies, glowing softly. This, this was new, and he didn’t know what to make of it. The once still moor was now gently rustling, breathing.

In front of him, the fog became dense, and a figure slowly emerged from it, looking around in a confused state. But they then turned their full attention to Malleus, and everything became saturated in violet.

Good things come to those who wait. They were here, they were finally here. Malleus was finally not alone.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” he greeted with a slight bow of his head. He did not know who they were, did not know of their upbringing or social status, but none of that mattered. They were his soul match, which usurped everything else.

He watched curiously as his words floated in front of him, a harsh, neon green. His soul match did the same, watching as the words faded away.

“Uh, nice to meet you too?” Their words, your words, floated in front of Malleus, the same shade of green as his. “Who are you? Where am I?”

Malleus hummed, intrigued by their reaction. Perhaps they were not taught of soul match bonds, which would be understandable, as not all families knew of the bonds the Thorn Fairy had gifted them. “I will explain all in time, for now though, let us walk together, and enjoy this moment. Shall we?”

He extended his hand, waiting for you to take it, but right as your hands were about to meet, your form turned back into mist, leaving Malleus alone yet again in his dream. “Hmm, they must have woken up suddenly… perhaps tomorrow night then…” He murmured to himself, and continued down his footpath, watching the fireflies blink in the distance.

…

That was a weird ass dream, and you were kinda thankful that Grim had rudely woken you up. Kinda being the key word. And you couldn’t really get back to sleep, instead just staring up at the decaying ceiling above you, just wishing that you could go back to sleep. But what was up with the formal-speaking stranger? Why were you in some sort of swamp? Why was everything purple? And why were your words floating in front of you and a bright ass neon green? It was only your first night too… maybe this was just your brain coming up with weird scenarios to distract you from the weirdness you experience while awake? Maybe some inter-dimensional travel side effects? Like some form of jet lag that messed with your dreams? Sure, let’s pin it on that.

“Ughhhh, I hate it here,” you groaned. It would be a few hours before classes even began, so you had plenty of time for utter boredom, how fun. At least you had borrowed some books from the library, a mix of general information — since that ‘headmage’ hadn’t given you a proper welcome or a lowdown on how this world functioned — and just some interesting looking cover. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Sure, but when the book was a deep violet leather-bound book, with green metallic filigree? How could you not be curious about it? It was stunning.

“Of Truths and Dreams,” you whispered to yourself, that was the title of the book, the font in the style of calligraphy from medieval texts. How old was it? Were you actually allowed to touch it, let alone read it? It looked like it belonged in a museum.

You carefully undid the metal clasp, in the shape of a dragon’s claw. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. And you began reading.

Dreams can reveal much about a person; their wants, their fears, their memories. Dreams also hold power, and such power has been bestowed to the Draconia family. And this power comes from our ancestor, the Thorn Fairy.

You snapped the book shut. This wasn’t just a book, it was a diary. You shouldn’t be reading this… but this was a chance to learn more about this world. Learn about it from… You open up the diary again, and find the owner’s name written in the same calligraphy as the title. Maleficia Draconia.

As with all fae, our family too is blessed with soul matches who enter our dreams as we sleep. Our family is different though, as we are born with them already in our minds; our dreams tinted in a colour that represents both of us. They are of utmost importance to us. Without them, we cannot rule. They may become an advisor, a confidant, and in some cases, a lover. That is for both parties to decide though, we cannot use our power or status to influence their decision, no matter how we feel about them, Malenoa. Do not let our draconic greed dictate the relationship. It surfaces as a song. I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that look in your eye is so familiar a gleam. And I know it’s true, that visions are seldom what they seem. But if I know you, I’ll know what you’ll do. You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream. Ignore that song, my love, for that is the greed speaking, and not the truth. Ignore it at all costs, for it will stain the heart…

The rest of the diary was left blank, the edges of the paper charred. Turning it back over, you noticed that the entire back of the book was blackened, blackened by fire. And even though you didn’t know who Maleficia was, she had helped you a great lot. Whatever that dream was, that was no ordinary stranger. They were your… soul match? Yeah, whatever that meant.

…

Malleus found himself walking outside of his old haunting grounds, Ramshackle dorm. He was surprised to find it now occupied, but his sadness had morphed into something far more pleasant. He had gained a friend. He had gained you.

“Good evening, Child of Man,” he greeted you, taking notice of the large yawn that escaped your mouth. “More tired than usual I see. You do not need to walk with me tonight if rest is what you need.”

Malleus meant well, in his own odd and formal way. “Eh, it’s nothing, Tsunotarou. I’ll get some shut eye in a bit,” you waved off his concern, and shot him a small smile.

He gave you back a tiny smile, remembering the last time that he gave someone a full smile, they were left scared, not happy. He didn’t want to scare you off. That’s why he let you decide on a nickname for him, that but also names hold power… but he trusted you, he just didn’t know how to bring it up. He didn’t want your friendship to change just because you found out he was the Malleus Draconia, but he also knew that you wouldn’t really care. You didn’t seem like the type to treat him any differently just because of his title. He didn’t want to risk it though.

So the two of you walked around the outskirts of Ramshackle, fireflies lighting the way. Something about them felt familiar though, and it wasn’t from just your nightly walks with your horned friend. You could have sworn you saw them in a dream… now wasn’t the time for that, now was the time to enjoy what time you could get with your friend.

“Hey, Tsunotarou,” you asked him, turning a bit so you faced him. “Do you have a soul match?”

Malleus’s pupils dilated outwards, becoming more rounded rather than harsh slits. “Yes I do, Child of Man. I am rather surprised that you know of the subject,” he breathed out. You really were full of surprises, weren’t you?

Surprised? “How so?”

Malleus hummed to himself, a melody that sounded familiar, but it evaded you. “The bonds of soul matches of fae are only known by fae, which is why I was caught by surprise of you knowing of the term. That is all.” Do you have one, Child of Man? But why does the thought make my tongue go bitter?

“Found it in a book in the library,” you mused. You mentally kicked yourself, you could have given it to him, he may know the family of the previous owner. Maybe you could go hunting for it the next time you found yourself in the cramped halls of the library. A rather large yawn escaped from you, and that was your, and Malleus’s, queue that it was time for you to head off to the land of dreams. “Any who, night, Tsunotarou! Sweet dreams!” You waved him goodbye as he vanished into a puff of fireflies, off into the night.

…

And they were both asleep again, but something felt off. Like there was something dark tainting the dream. It was a familiar sensation, one that made the hairs on your neck stand on end; blot. There was blot in the dream.

“Are you alright,” you asked your soul match, carefully watching their reaction.

They hummed, and turned to look at you curiously, green eyes practically glowing in the dark violet lighting, pupils relaxing from their tight slits into more relaxed ovals. “I am alright, just thinking is all,” their words floated in front of them, still the neon green they were in the beginning.

But the alarm bells were screaming in your head. Screaming at you that everything was definitely not alright. This, this was being calculated, being considered. “You just seem preoccupied… like your mind is elsewhere is all.”

They tilted their head, “I am right here with you.” Their words were blunt, as they typically were. “However,” the lighting darkened, being tainted with more hints of blot, “are you planning on going anywhere?” Are you planning on leaving me, like everyone else?

The words hang heavily in the air. It was no use lying to them, as it would only worsen the situation to lie. “Eventually I have to… I have to go back,” you said carefully, gauging their reaction.

Malleus’s pupils turned into slits again, but he remained calm on the outside. “Go back to what? Do you not like it here?” Do you not like me?

You looked around the bog, “That’s not the case. I have responsibilities back home. I need to go back. I’m …” Sorry. But the word didn’t come out of your mouth. What did you have to apologise for? It was not your fault that you came here, but why did it feel like it?

“I too have responsibilities,” Malleus said quietly, words barely visible. “You cannot go back.” All of the pleasantries were gone, this was a command. “You are staying here with me.”

The blot thickened. Could someone overblot in their dreams? And they started singing, and it was the tune that they’ve been humming since their first shared dream.

“I know you, that look in your eye is so familiar a gleam,” they cupped your face, looking softly into your eyes. “And I know it’s true, that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you’ll do…” The violet lighting of the dream had turned almost black, the only lighting being the neon green words dancing around you. “You’ll love me at once, they way you did once-”

You shot up awake, heart beating so fast that you could feel and hear it. You didn’t need your soul match to finish the lyric, for you knew it already… for you had read it in that fire-charred diary. “… upon a dream,” you breathed out.

Your soul match is Malleus Draconia, Tsunotarou, and this was bad. The greed had taken over… alongside the blot.

…

Malleus looked over the forms of his sleeping classmates, singing the lullaby again. He could see everybody’s dreams, except for yours, and it was equally as annoying as it was endearing. Of course his Child of Man would be filled with surprises. Malleus only wished that his soul match was here, for he wished to see their deepest desires, to see how they would be the hero of their own tale. But when he closed his eyes, and tried to teleport to their dreams, he saw nothing. It distressed him too, he knew they were asleep, but he couldn’t see anything.

“Where are you,” he chuckled darkly, a mix of anger but also fear. He should be able to see them, but he saw nothing, nothing except for the moors now engulfed in ink. Devoid of colour and life.

Soul match bonds cannot break, at least not easily. Either they were no longer of this world — which they were not, Malleus could sense that much — or they were underneath a sleeping spell, a Draconia’s sleeping spell.

It meant that they were on the island. They have been so close this entire time. “Now, wherever could you be hiding,” Malleus sighed, looking into every single person’s dreams, looking for his soul match. Their dream should be tinted violet, singling them out to him. And as Malleus hopped from dream to dream, not once did he find the familiar colour. But they were here… he just couldn’t see them. He couldn’t see their dreams.

That left one option. There was only one person who he couldn’t see the dreams of. “You are full of surprises, aren’t you,” he floated over to your sleeping form, coming to sit next to you with a fond look in his eyes, “my dear Child of Man.” And he started humming that song of his, trying to pry into your mind, trying to get back into your dreams, where he could keep a diligent eye on you. “Looks like we have indeed met once upon a dream… that must be why your eyes are so familiar a gleam.”

…

“Yeah, this, this is beyond bad,” you muttered to yourself. You were back in the swamp, up to your chest in thick ink. The once pleasant dream was now, effectively, a trap; a giant glue trap if you will.

A boom of thunder overhead underscored your statement and brilliant flashes of bright purple and green lightning provided the only light for you, everything else was shrouded in darkness caused by the blot. Caused by Malleus. But why, why did he overblot?

“They found a way for me to go back home.” Oh. You're leaving, and add onto that, Lilia coming out from nowhere and saying that he was also leaving because his magic had dried out… That’s why.

“TSUNOTAROU!” You yelled out into the swamp, but all you got as an answer was your own voice causing ripples in the ink. “TSUNOTAROU?!” You tried again. Nothing.

Names hold power, Child of Man, do remember that. You took in a deep breath, steeling yourself for when he manifested himself here. “MALLEUS DRACONIA?!”

A bolt of lightning hit a few metres in front of you, morphing into bright green fire, and then Malleus was standing in front of you, or rather, a part of him. “You called?” He glided easily over the ink, and looked down at you, assessing you.

“What have you done, Malleus,” you refused to tilt your head upwards, instead looking up with your eyes, head remaining level.

Malleus knelt down in front of you, despite him being vastly stronger and of higher status, he still viewed you as his equal. “I did what needed to be done.” He said it so matter of factly, like it made perfect sense. “Now everyone will be happy.”

“You can’t force people to be happy,” you said back, looking into his eyes, searching for the Malleus you knew, searching for your friend. “That’s not for you to decide, Malleus.”

Malleus just hummed at your comment, and he tried to change your dream to something more pleasant, but you remained stuck in the ink. Why can I not change it? I should be able to change it. “They deserve to be happy… You deserve to be happy. Do you not?”

I mean, yeah it would be nice, but I would rather it be because of something other than an overblot, but ya know how it is. “Yes, but not like this… Let me help you, Malleus.”

“I do not need help,” he hissed, tilting your chin up. “Let me make you happy.”

The ink rose, and it was now up to your neck, and you were floating in it. You spared a quick glance down and saw a gentle lilac light shining down from the bottom. This may just be a crazy idea, but it was one worth taking.

You looked back into Malleus’s eyes. “Do you promise?”

Malleus smiled at you, “Of course I do.”

You grabbed him by the arm and pulled the both of you under the surface of the ink, making your eye towards the lilac light.

…

You crawled out of the ink and found yourself, and Malleus, on the outside walls of a grand castle, roses vining their way up the facade in full bloom. Everything was in a gentle lilac light, and fireflies glowed green despite it being daytime. It was idyllic, it was peaceful, the only thing out of place being the blot that dripped off Malleus. Yet it was contained to him, disappearing into a gentle puff of green sparkles when it hit the ground.

“How,” Malleus whispered, his words now a light green, no longer a harsh neon. “How are we here?”

You didn’t know, all you did was follow the light from the bottom of the inky depths. “Do you know this place?” You had no idea where you were, but you weren’t complaining, since you were no longer up to your neck in blot.

Malleus looked up, and there was the familiar raven gargoyle from his childhood. “This is my home,” he turned to look at you curiously. “How did you bring us here, Child of Man?”

“They didn’t,” a velvety voice said. And coming down the stairs was a woman, who looked like Malleus except older, looking like she was probably in her thirties. “I did, my love.”

She gracefully walked over, and cupped his face, looking over his features. And you could have sworn that you saw her absorb some of the blot. “You have grown into a fine young man. But you have let greed overshadow you.”

Malleus looked like he had seen a ghost, and he was frozen in place. “Mother?” His voice was quiet, barely even coming out. “But how?”

The woman, Malleus’s mother, hummed gently, combing her fingers through her son’s hair, slowly absorbing the blot from him. “You can thank them,” she turned to you and gave you a mischievous smile, “all thanks to your soul match.”

She turned back to her son, her face shifting into a more solemn expression. “My love, let me bestow a gift on you… but you won’t see me again. This is the last thing I can do for you. Let me do this though; for you and everyone you love.”

You can’t force people to be happy.

Keep everyone you love close to you, guard them, hoard them.

You’re my friend, I’ll always be with you, even if we’re far apart!

You’ll love me at once-

This was wrong, and Malleus choked on his own blot. The greed, the dark parts of the dragon had won. “Please,” he coughed.

His mother embraced him into a hug, “Spinning wheel of fate, undo this thread of darkness. As Queen of Briar, I shall bestow upon you this gift.” She placed a kiss on his forehead, and all of the blot was gone. “I love you,” she whispered, before her form vanished gently into green and lilac sparkles.

“I’m sorry,” the words floated over to you. Malleus looked tired, exhausted. How much magic had the blot taken from him? He opened his mouth again, but closed it, at a loss for words. “And I understand if… if you want nothing to do with me.”

From your times dealing with overblot, you knew this wasn’t his fault. Overblots are due to trauma, from bottling it all up until someone broke. “Why would I not want anything to do with you? I’m still friends with the others.”

Malleus looked into your eyes, but all he found was honesty… and love, love for a friend. A genuine love.

You extended your hand, “So come on, Tsunotarou. Let’s move forward together.”

And he took your hand. The path forward was sure to be bumpy, but he knew that you would stick by his side, even after this.

Fin!

Author's Note; And this concludes the Soul Match AU! I know in my poll people voted for a fluffy ending, but uhhh, I was possessed by a vision. I might continue this AU for other characters in the future, but for now this is where I've leave it. Thank you for reading!

Tags; @xxoomiii @eynnwwyjth @twistwonderlanddevotee @savanaclaw1996 @krenenbaker

If you like my work, please check out my masterlist [there are 9 other Soul Match works btw]

#twst #twst x reader #twst x gn reader #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x gn reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #malleus draconia x gn reader #malenoa draconia #<- i've seen her name as both malenoire and malenoa so i just flipped a coin to decide on which one to use #twst soulmate au #soul match au #started august 15 ended august 18 #i need to go back and add up all of the words for my complete word count #rough estimate; 52000 words #I STARTED THIS ON JUNE 13 2023 WHAT THE FUCK BRAIN #this was all in the span of just over 2 months oh my gods #i'll include in the added thoughts the total word count and how many pages it would be if i ever decided to make a hard copy for myself #writing; powered by hyperfixation~#originally i wanted no fluff or comfort in this but decided to go easy on you #the only one that has made me cry yet is ruggie's; no one else; just ruggie

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moonlightsmasquerade · 5 months

Text

Monsters in Mandela: Blood in the Water

TW: Blood, Body Horror

Mark Heathcliffs nightmares have been giving him the feeling something terrible is going to happen, and when his friend Cesar Torres shows up to his house covered in blood the nightmares end up becoming reality for both.

Mark Heathcliff practically jumped out of the bed, trying to calm his heart rate after another nightmare, they had been getting worse, and this time he was seeing the town in his dreams. This latest one was at the abandoned church, horrific monsters crawling out of the doorway and running around the town. One always stood out, a creature with large bat wings. This time the monster had lunged straight for Mark before he had woken up. He took a deep breath, sitting in his room with a single light on, he picked up the phone by the nightstand, hesitating a moment before Mark pressed the buttons on his phone to ring Cesar Torres, he really needed to hear another person, something rattled him about that dream.

“Hello?” a groggy voice asked

“Hey, it’s Mark.”

“Mark? It’s like… 3 in the morning, why are you calling?” Cesar asked.

“I-I, I had a nightmare.” Mark said, he cringed at himself, he felt like a child, being scared over nothing.

“A nightmare? Mark-”

“I know, I know, but I had to talk to someone!” Mark said, “Cesar it felt real…” He could hear a sigh on the other end.

“Okay, look, since it’s really late right now I’ll come over tomorrow and we can talk about it. You just have to remember it's only a dream, it should be easy to shrug off, it's not real.” Cesar replied.

“Right…” Mark replied

“I’ll see you tomorrow, good night.”

“Night…”

The phone clicked off and Mark was alone again. He placed the phone on the receiver and laid back down on his bed, staring at the ceiling for who knows how long before getting back up, opening the drawer to the side table and pulling his notebook from the drawer, flipping through pages, pages of drawings from dreams and memories that stuck out to him. Remembering when he first saw that old church as a child, seeing horrible faces looking at him from within. He could still remember them clearly even now. He flipped to a clean page and started drawing out the monster from his dream. If he was gonna lose sleep, he might as well add another drawing to the book.

He felt childish for bothering Cesar, but he couldn’t mention the dreams to his mom. She tried to be reassuring but never understood why they scared him so much, Mark hated mentioning anything about the church because it had always been chalked up to childhood imagination. Cesar was the only other person who knew about the reason why Mark had been so afraid of the place.

He finished scribbling the image of the monster, with its large bat wings and long fangs. He put the book back in his drawer before attempting to fall back asleep.

…

"So the old church had monsters running out of it?" Cesar asked when Mark had finished explaining the nightmare

"Yeah, there’s one that keeps showing up, it had red eyes and bat wings… I had seen it a few times but it… attacked me in the dream last night, that’s why I was so freaked out, I’ve never had anything like that happen in a nightmare before.”

"Shit, that sounds… freaky." Cesar made a face, his brows furrowed and his mouth pursed slightly, “And you’re sure you saw St. Gabriels Church, and not any other?”

"Yeah… why?" Mark asked, tone slightly worried. Cesar changed his face to surprise and they looked away.

"It's nothing… well.” Cesar looked back at Mark, like they were mulling over the right words to say to the other, “Okay don’t freak out, but my mom told me two police officers were in the hospital because they went to St Gabriels, and something attacked them."

"What!?" Marks eyes were wide.

"It was probably something normal like, I dunno, some rando or something that attacked them, I don't think it was your bat demon, but I just thought it was a weird coincidence."

"Yeah, weird…" Mark felt anxiety rising. Cesar could see his face twist to worry, and saw him fidget with the cross on his neck,

“You know it’s a coincidence, I really don’t think you need to worry about it!” Cesar said.

“I know I shouldn’t and I know it’s a dream but Cesar, I just… feel like something bad is going to happen. I just, I just know it's coming." he said. Cesar sighed and put his hand to Mark’s shoulder.

"Look y'know what, I think you're having weird stress dreams, you just have to… let it go? I think if you give yourself something fun to do this weekend, we could even hang out again if you want. I think your bad feelings will disappear, alright man?" They smiled to Mark, who smiled weakly back,

"That… that sounds good."

"See! That's all you need.” Cesar turned to the clock on the wall, jumping at the realization of the time, “I better head home, call you later, but not in the middle of the night again.” Cesar said, Mark let out a halfhearted laugh.

"Yeah, call you later"

He watched the other leave. Mark kept his hand around the cross, Cesar was probably right, he was just stressed. Everything would work out. He clasped both hands around the cross.

“Please let it be okay, I know it’s just a dream but please please let everything turn out okay.” He whispered quietly to himself. He hadn’t done this since he was a kid, but he’d hoped that it could give him some comfort until the weekend.

…

Friday evening, Mark hadn’t called again talking about strange nightmares, so Cesar thought that the other took his advice and was feeling better. His house phone rang, he picked it up from the wireless receiver and spoke,

“Hello.”

“Hi Cesar,” His mom’s voice responded on the other end, “Sorry honey, they need all hands on deck at the hospital tonight, I won’t be home. Do you think you’ll be okay on your own?”

“Oh yeah Mom, I’ll be fine.” he responded,

“You remembered to lock the doors?”

“Yes.”

“And the windows?”

“Yes.”

“And the security systems on?”

“Yes, you don’t have to worry about me Mom, I’ll be fine on my own for a night.” Cesar wandered the house, phone still to his ear, double checking the windows and doors locks, to make sure everything was secure. You could never be too careful.

“I know, I can’t help it sometimes.” his mom replied.

“I will be okay, I’ll give you a call again soon, I love you.”

“I love you too hon.”

He clicked the phone off, putting it back on the holder. It wasn't uncommon for his mother to need to stay at work longer, she was trying to not do that as often since the robbery when luckily neither had been home. Once Cesar was satisfied with his check through the house he started to look through the kitchen cabinets, deciding to make dinner. They rummaged for a bit before

Thunk

He paused, listening for another sound.

Thunk

It sounded like the sound of something hitting a window. He quietly opened the cutlery drawer, grabbing a kitchen knife, moving closer to the sound, it sounded like it was coming from the living room, before they could turn the corner of the kitchen to the living room, he heard a

SMASH

Something broke the window. Cesar’s heart raced, beating so loud it was all that they could hear. They stayed quiet, listening, Holding the knife up and entering the living room cautiously, seeing the busted window but no one there, no sound save for wind blowing the curtains. Their eyes scanned everywhere, but it seemed as though no one was there. Everything was eerily still for a moment.

Until Cesar felt hands grab his shoulders.

He screamed struggling against whatever was holding him, they dropped the knife, trying to pull away from it, clawing at the hands with an iron grip on his shoulders. He continued to scream and struggle until something sharp stabbed into his neck. He froze, white hot pain rushed through their body. Cesar's blood felt like it was boiling. Just as suddenly the assailant let him go, and Cesar dropped to the floor. He held onto the wound on his neck, trying to stop the bleeding and used his other hand to push himself off of the floor, he didn’t look to see if the attacker was still here, Cesar ran, stumbling out the door of the house and running to find help.

…

BANG BANG BANG someone pounded against the front door. Mark opened it to Cesar holding his neck, white shirt stained in crimson, breathing haggard and his eyes wide.

“Oh god Cesar!” Mark quickly took him in, Cesar stumbling slightly and Mark holding him up.

“What happened?”

“I don’t… it was behind me… I was attacked…” was all he managed, gasping and stumbling, Mark could see his eyes flutter slightly.

“I’m… tired” his voice barely cracked a whisper.

“No, no, no don’t start falling asleep stay awake ok? Um, list what's in the room, don’t fall asleep.” Mark took the other into the dining room, pulling a chair up, and running to grab the first aid kit under the kitchen sink in the adjacent room.

“Uhm… There’s the table… chairs…”

Mark rummaged through the first aid kit, pulling out what he needed. He gingerly dabbed the disinfectant soaked cotton against Cesar’s wound, two gashes on his neck, Cesar winced but continued listing what Mark asked,

“Photo of… Sarah… Photo of you and… me…” He kept listing items in the room while the other patched him up. Mark finished cleaning the wound, putting a cotton pad and medical tape to keep it in place.

“Okay, all done, how are you?”

“Better I-I guess?” Cesar responded, rubbing at the bandage slightly

“Do you think we need to go to the hospital?”

“No, I think… I’ll be alright” he still sounded tired.

“We can call your mom if you want.”

He gave a noncommittal ‘hm’ in response, Cesar was barely listening to Mark speak, his head felt like it was underwater. The only thing he was aware of was Mark pressing a glass of orange juice into their hands. The smell was sour and overpowering, it made them feel sick, but his throat stung from how dry it felt, so he took a sip anyway.

It tasted rotten.

He coughed and retched, and felt Mark pat their back. His throat still stung. Mark continued to talk to him, but Cesar was preoccupied, he could hear the sound of… a heartbeat? Not their own, it sounded like it was further, the direction it came from seemed to be Mark. His heartbeat was so fast. The sound beat against Cesar's ears, making their head spin.

“I don’t feel very good.” Cesar’s voice was hoarse, he stood up and started to walk to Mark.

“Do you need…” Mark stopped, eyes wide and his heart skipped a beat. What had frightened Mark was the fact the sclera of Cesar’s eyes were a deep angry red.

“C-Cesar?” Mark stammered, stepping backwards, his heart raced. Cesar looked at him confused. He stepped closer, Mark stepped back.

“Why are you-” Cesar gasped, he faltered, nearly losing his footing but caught themself against the table. Their breathing turned shaky, a snap sound echoed as they coiled into themselves, collapsing to the ground. Long clawed nails pushed through bloody fingertips and dug into the floor. The snapping continued, something was shifting under Cesar’s shirt. All Cesar could focus on was the pain, feeling like something was under his skin, trying to rip its way out of their back. Their teeth clenched, his mouth bled slightly from the sharp fangs that now replaced his incisor teeth. The shirt started to rip, followed by the sounds of cracking and stretching of flesh and bone, new shapes forming on Cesar’s back. They were wings, bat wings. Mark gasped, staring at his friend in horror. The nightmare was real.

Cesar looked at him, frightened red eyes full of tears staring at Mark.

“Mark help me… help…It hurts so much, I just want it to stop.” Cesar spoke, his voice was quiet and raspy, like it was painful for him to speak, “I’m scared, I don’t know what's happening to me.”

Cesar tried to move closer, before letting out a small cry, head in their hands, then they looked back at Mark. Their face changed, they bared their teeth at Mark, who screamed. He sprinted away, Cesar letting out a hiss before chasing him as he ran out of the dining room to the stairs, Cesar couldn’t focus, all he could hear was thump, thump, thump. The sound of blood beating through a heart.

Mark ran up the stairs to his room and shut the door, hearing the sound of Cesar slamming against it, banging their fists on the wood.

“Oh god, oh god please, this can’t be happening.” Mark could feel himself panicking, unsure of what to do. He sat still for a moment, he knew he had a weapon in his dresser, he had a gun, but he couldn't, that was his friend, even if his friend had become a monster, he couldn't hurt him.

No, I can’t do that, that’s still Cesar, there has to be another way.

Cesar’s fist banged against the door again, Mark could see the hinges splintering away from the doorframe when the other hit against it. Mark needed a plan, his fingers mindlessly twisted the cross on his neck, giving him an idea. Vampires hate crosses right? Would that work? Maybe it could stop Mark from being attacked long enough to get help, and find a way to fix Cesar. He clasped his hands around the cross again, muttering a prayer before facing the door. After another bang Mark ran and grabbed the doorknob, yanking it open and letting the other fall inside. Mark sprinted around them, heading for the stairs and hearing the sound of a screech, he made the mistake of turning his head.

Cesar had lunged forward, grabbing Mark and the two fell down the set of stairs. Mark hit the floor, trying to ignore the pain and run but Cesar grabbed him. He raised his arm over his face, but it didn’t stop Cesar, he bit into Mark's arm. He cried out, but still tried to push against the other. He could feel himself getting dizzier and dizzier, and all he could feel in his arm was burning pain as blood ran down it. Cesar finally let go of Mark's arm, the room was spinning, he barely had the energy to struggle. He weakly held up the necklace, he hoped that the cross would repel the other, but Cesar didn’t budge, nothing was stopping the vampire. The last thing Mark saw was their fangs still covered in blood as they bit down on his neck.

Mark screamed.

…

Cesar couldn’t focus on anything, only the pain that constantly rushed through him, everything felt like it was on fire. The last thing they could remember clearly was Mark… who looked afraid of him before everything blurred together. Just as suddenly a fog had left his mind and suddenly all of his senses were overwhelmed. The lights were bright, he had the taste of iron in his mouth, and his hands felt sticky. Cesar tried to process what was going on in there when they looked in front of them… at Mark’s body.

Cesar cried out, Mark was covered in blood, he didn't move, he laid there with his eyes shut, a wound on his neck. Cesar hadn’t stopped screaming, scrambling away from the body and falling back onto the carpet. They tried to get back up, but they suddenly felt heavy, like something was weighing them down. He saw something move from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, realizing what was weighing them down, attached to his back were bat wings.

This can’t be real

He pushed himself up, this time able to lift themselves and the extra weight of the wings. Cesar shook, he thought about his attacker, the sharp pain in his neck, they’ve become a monster… they did the same to Mark, but he was…

“No… No no no no no no no.” Cesar repeated. He wanted this to be a bad dream, he wanted to wake up. They tried to think, what the hell was he gonna do? Cesar felt hot tears at the edge of their eyes, and he started to cry.

Mark’s eyes opened, he blinked a few times. The sharp pain in his neck throbbed and he tried to sit up, feeling dizzy as he did, he touched where the pain was, and pulled back a slightly bloody hand. Despite how fuzzy his head felt he remembered clearly what happened, Cesar was a vampire now… and he bit Mark. He turned his head to the only sound in the room, the sound of sobbing, coming from Cesar.

“Ces..” Mark winced at the pain in his throat, “Ces..Cesar.” Cesar jumped at Mark’s voice, his red eyes looked at Mark, startled and confused. Mark tried to stand, stumbling slightly as he tried to do so, his legs felt weak.

"Cesar… Wh-” Mark flinched at the sudden pain in his jaw, he clenched his teeth, a slight trail of blood running from the corners of his mouth as he felt his teeth shifting, he put both hands to his jaw, as if holding his face would make the pain go away. His eyes shut tightly, his body shuddering. Mark curled inward himself. Cesar hesitantly got closer, he could only hear Mark taking shaky breaths.

"Mark?"

Mark's head snapped up, he hissed at Cesar, baring his now sharp teeth at the other. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and the once warm brown iris was replaced with dark red. Cesar felt a pit in their stomach, any relief that he didn’t kill Mark was gone, he was turned into another bloodthirsty monster. Mark's face changed, he looked… scared.

“What- What’s happening? I can’t…” Mark felt like he was fading in and out, he couldn’t think clearly. Mark suddenly snarled at the other, baring his teeth again. Cesar didn’t want Mark to do what he did, he tried holding onto the other, who thrashed at the attempt to hold them back. Mark pushed the other, who lost their balance and fell back, Mark sprinted for the door and ran out into the night.

“Fuck!” Cesar cursed, he stood up, trying to regain their balance again, and ran outside after Mark, still stumbling slightly from the weight of the wings, any care that anyone would see them went out the window. He had to find Mark and get him back before-

The sound of screaming broke through, Cesar went in the direction of the sound, fearing the worst.

...

Like Cesar, Mark’s mind was completely fogged over, he couldn’t focus on where he was going, just on the pain, the burning in his throat. Every sense was dulled, his body on autopilot, something else was making him run, searching for…a heartbeat. He could hear the sound of a beating heart, and followed it. He knew he moved quickly, lunging at something. There was screaming, he knew that, he could hear it. There was the taste of iron in his mouth, and relief, relief from the pain.

Mark felt himself being pulled away, the fog was disappearing, he could actually understand his surroundings. Cesar was the one pulling him. A man with a bloody wound on his neck, a woman with him was screaming, shouting for someone to call the police. Cesar practically lifted the other up and sprinted, when they ran up to the house they practically threw themselves and Mark inside. Slamming the door and locking it. Cesar looked out the window quickly, before shutting the curtains

“No one followed us… okay okay, it's okay.”

It had gone so fast, Mark looked at his hands, smudged with blood. Blood he drank from someone he attacked. Mark felt sick.

“Did I kill someone, oh god I think I killed someone.” he spoke frantically, his hands shaking. He repeated the words “Oh god, oh god.” while Cesar just paced, hands to their face. Neither spoke for a while, both choosing to sit on the living room floor, Cesar kept his eyes on the door, and Mark felt himself becoming more and more exhausted.

…

Mark opened his eyes, realizing he had fallen asleep. He could see Cesar also fell asleep, lying on their stomach, seeing the wings on their back told him that it was real, not a dream. Mark got up and moved to the curtains, hesitating for a moment before pushing them back, morning, the daylight was now on Mark’s extremely pale skin. Nothing burned, he let out a small sigh of relief. He wondered what to do now, if he should call someone, he even considered venturing outside. He peered through the curtains, using a hand to shade his eyes against the harsh light.

Police cars drove past, one parked nearby, not a good idea to go back out then. He pulled the curtain back. He had to change, the shirt was still stained in blood, and the dried blood still on his skin was starting to itch. Mark headed to the upstairs bathroom, passing by the blood stain in the carpet near the stairs. He was gonna have to deep clean that too, but that was a task for later in the day.

The sink ran with warm water, Mark wiped at his neck with a small towel, the dried blood washing away and showing two scars, he expected them to look like dots, but they looked like scrapes. He got a good look at his face in the mirror, he was paler, red eyes looked back at him. Mark gingerly opened his mouth to see fangs, he reached a hand to them, and realized his nails were sharp with a dark tinge. He looked away from the mirror, swapping the stained shirt for a clean one. His cross had been slightly stained in blood, he rinsed it under the sink. He almost expected it to burn him, but it didn’t, like it didn’t repel Cesar. It didn’t work. His prayer didn’t work.

Mark chewed at his lip. He thought if he prayed, if he believed, then God would be able to protect him. If God was real this cross would burn his skin, make him burst into flames. Instead he put it back on, like he was still a human. He wasn't human, despite the fact he looked human, he knew he wasn't. Thoughts kept running through his mind. Why would God allow monsters to exist, let alone attack people. It all made him feel sick.

“God dammit why.” he whispered to himself.

...

After a few moments Mark headed back to see Cesar now awake, reaching their hand towards the curtain, only to hiss and recoil, a small pink burn on their hand.

“Hey.” Mark said, he held out the shirt for the other to wear, who took it and muttered “Thanks”

“It's old so, I made holes for the…”

“Yeah.” Cesar responded curtly before shuffling up the stairs to change.

It took a bit of work, but Cesar managed to fit the wings through the holes. It still felt strange, as if someone was holding onto his back.

Something I’ll have to get used to I guess. He thought, turning to the bathroom mirror.

One thing that surprised Cesar was still being able to see their reflection. They stared at their new face, his skin turned an ashy grey color and their ears stretched to the shape of a bats. He opened his mouth, looking at the long fangs, and it seemed all his teeth had become sharper. Of course, their eyes were bright red now, overtaking the formerly white sclera. It felt… strange, he knew it was his face in the mirror, but it didn’t feel like that was him, it was someone else, and yet… this was him. Cesar swallowed the lump in his throat, he couldn’t go out looking like this, he was a monster. He couldn’t go home, what would his mother think if she saw him like this?

Oh god… his mom… she’d be home now, she’d come home to him missing, she was going to freak out. Cesar’s stomach twisted in knots thinking about it, but they couldn’t… they couldn’t go back, if she saw him as a monster… the idea of his own mother fearing him, hating him. Maybe it would be better if he didn’t come back, maybe if she just thought he was missing it would be less painful. He slowly walked back down the stairs to Mark, who looked lost in thought, chewing on his bottom lip which bled slightly. He stopped when he saw Cesar.

“There’s a lot of police patrolling, you should stay here, then we can… figure something out.” Mark said.

“Okay… what about your mom?”

“She's out of town, my sister’s with her, we've got the house for a while, I’ll call her, tell her I’m okay.” he said, receiving a ‘hm’ from Cesar.

“After… um… maybe we can call your mom-”

“No! No, I don't think we should call her.” Cesar interrupted. Mark looked at him surprised, but Cesar just stared at the floor, eyes not meeting the others. He didn’t push them on the subject. They both stayed still in the silence, it was hitting both how awful the situation was, and neither knew what to say to the other.

What the hell were they going to do now?

#oh god this was over 4000 words XD #uhhhh i hope you guys enjoy....#tmc mim au #tmc au #tmc fic #tmc #sorry for the bleak cliffhangery ending this would have gone on for three more pages and i needed this out pronto #blood #body horror #any other ask to tag #if you see mistakes no you dont <3 #my fics

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