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radiance1 · 9 months

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(Cha'll know Hornet from Hollow Knight? Yea, she inspired me for this along with her song recently made by Man on the Internet.)

Danny's reveal went wrong. His parents operated and experimented on him until his body couldn't take it anymore, and, well.

He died on that operating table.

Jack and Maddie weren't immediately concerned, really, since it's just a ghost. They weren't, at least, until that ghost transformed back into their son.

They were far too stunned to properly process it. Their son was phantom, their son was the ghost they spent a while chasing through the streets of their town and hunting.

They killed their own son on an operating table.

When Jazz found out she, well she wasn't pleased. At all. She screamed at them, tears streaming down her face when she found out her brother was dead. The brother she spent raising in her parents place, the brother who went out and risked himself fighting ghosts for the town, her little brother.

She couldn't take it anymore, couldn't deal with them anymore. She had a friend over a Gotham, a very good friend who would let her crash for a while at their place until she could get back on her feet. So she packed her things and left Amity Park and her parents behind.

The Fenton's were racked with guilt, because they killed their own son and the last damn thing he saw was them operating on him. They had to make this right.

They never really, truly, dabbled in genetic engineering much. But they could goddamn learn, they were smart enough for it. They built and put Danny in a pod to keep his body from either melting or decomposing, they never could tell which would happen after learning of his unique biology and got to work.

Their first try at cloning him was a failure. The clone barely lasted a second before melting away into a puddle of unusable ectoplasm and DNA. Their second clone had the same effect, so did their third, fourth, fifth, sixth.

It was incredibly harder than they first thought to clone the unique biology of a halfa. But they couldn't, wouldn't, give up. They had to do this, they had to right what they did wrong.

It took 4 years for them to engineer the 'perfect' clone. 4 years in which they haven't left their home, 4 years in which they haven't seen their daughter, 4 years of trying to atone for what they did, and they finally did it.

Subject 'Omega' was built to last. Superhuman durability, superhuman healing, unable to physically age. Everything they could think of that allowed it to not die they engineered into it.

They couldn't clone his ghostly abilities, would make it too unstable, it would have to develop such things on its own. They couldn't clone his memories either, but it was ok, they could make new ones!

Subject 'Omega' was released from its pod and unlike the other failures, it didn't melt into a puddle as soon as it left the pod, nor a few minutes or hours after. They kept it around for a day, fully ready for it to destabilize and be regarded as a failure, but blessedly it didn't.

They then kept their son's body in that room, putting it on full lock down and ensuring that it could never get in.

They finally succeeded in making the perfect clone. One almost exactly like their son, stuck between life and death, black hair, blue eyes the whole shebang. Sure, he didn't have the memories or the abilities that Phantom possessed, but it was fine.

They had to treat it properly, raise it right, even. Teach it all they knew, take care of it properly, that's what parents did right? Sure, maybe it wasn't as perfect as it should have been, missing memories, missing abilities, for example.

But they still loved it regardless!

It was unable to transform into Phantom. It had ghostly abilities, yes, but it was fully stuck as just Fenton, they didn't get it, they made him as perfect as could be why couldn't it just do that-

Did they miss something? Was there a problem with its design? The missing memories they could attribute to themselves, the abilities they could write off as having been replaced by the abilities they built into it to make it last taking priority over pre-installing the ghost abilities.

But this.

THIS.

WHY COULDN'T IT JUST DO THIS ONE, SIMPLE THING!? THEY MADE IT RIGHT, NOTHING SHOULD HAVE GONE WRONG, IT SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING THIS.

But it was ok, it was fine, sure he didn't have the ability that Danny should have. But it was ok, they still loved him even if he wasn't perfect, they told him so all the time.

Everything is ok.

----

Subject Omega, or Danny, as he was told his name was. Loved his parents quite a lot, or at least he's been told he loves them. He didn't have any memories of them, nor of this house, nor of that girl in the pictures, but he was told it didn't matter.

He was told he had Amnesia, that it was so bad he couldn't remember any of his memories before today. They were his parents, parents who loved him with all of their might, this house was their house that he's lived in since he was born and the girl in the pictures was his sister.

He asked where she was, they said she left, he asked why, he didn't get an answer. He didn't question it, really, it was intriguing to know who she was, but his parents didn't want to share and a good boy doesn't ask questions that his parents don't want to answer!

Apparently, he was what his parents called a Halfa, a hybrid between a human and a ghost and he had the abilities to prove it. The standard ghost powers of Intangibility, invisibility and flight, with his own ability to form ectoplasm into string, or silk (he had them whispering about that, but it was probably nothing of concern) along with a numerous amount of abilities either related to durability or healing.

He was confused when they asked him to 'Go Ghost', because he didn't know what or how to do that. They showed him some audio, apparently something they had to hack through a lot of cameras to even find, of him shouting "Going ghost!" and what they believe to be him then transforming into another version of himself with white hair and green eyes they called 'Phantom'.

He tried it out, they seemed hopeful, he didn't want to disappoint them. But he couldn't do it, they urged him to try again and again when he failed over and over. He was worried he was disappointing them, but he told them he just couldn't do it.

He was scared, of how they reacted to. His mother screamed at him for why he couldn't just do this one simple thing, the thing he was supposed to do, while his father grabbed onto his arm and dragged him to his room. He couldn't feel physical pain, or much of it so his parents told him, but he had the idea that it should hurt.

He was told to never leave his room until he could figure out how to go ghost, and then the door was slammed shut in his face. He tried to do it, he really tried too! Even forgoing sleep to try and go ghost repeatedly.

It turned morning, and he still couldn't do it. He wasn't even tired, so he could continue trying until he got it right! But then a knock came from his door and his mother came through, he was preparing to apologies when she just told him to come down for breakfast and said she loved him.

He, didn't know what to feel about that.

he questioned his parents about it, a while after he came downstairs. But they acted confused, asking if he had a bad dream or something of the like, so he hesitantly recounted what happened and his mother just hugged him. Telling him that they would never do that because they loved him far too much to yell at him and treat him that way.

So, maybe he did just have a bad dream and nothing happened.

He was glad for it, too.

He didn't go to school, they pulled him from school because of his accident and decided to homeschool him. He had a lot to learn, really, all the stuff from inventing, mathematics and fighting from them!

He loved it! Really, he did! Sure, some of the stuff made him brain hurt from so much knowledge crammed into his head, but he was getting better at Martial Arts! He got so good at both that he even got a gift! A giant needle sword thing that was supposed to go hand in hand with his thread and such!

He didn't have anything else to be learnt, but he wasn't allowed to go outside, so he just stayed home really. It was just the three of them here, and it was his whole world.

One day his parents went out, which wasn't unusual as of recent, so he took to refining his technique with the needle, he could go on for hours and not feel the barest of fatigue, that's how it always was said his parents. But when they came back, they seemed, different, it was a subtle thing, but they seemed paler.

They were also a bit panicked, telling him not to go outside (not that they let him) and then going down into their lab to do something. He was curious about it, but didn't mind it, he knew his parents probably didn't want to worry him about something, so he just lost himself into refining his technique.

Over the passage of a few weeks his parents kept going out and then coming back into their lab, carrying samples of something. They never told him what it was, so he didn't bother asking, it seemed very important, so he shouldn't bother them.

Even if they seemingly had less time for him and more for whatever they had down in the lab.

Over those weeks his parents seemed to become ill, he didn't know what it was, but they seemed to have contracted something. Sometimes they came back covered in blood, sometimes coughing, or injured.

One day they didn't come back up from the lab, and Danny left them there because he didn't want to disturb them. He had to refine his technique after incorporating string after all.

Another week passed, and his parents still didn't come back up, he was worried, extremely so. So he sneaked down into the lab, he was prepared for being punished or shouted at for doing so, but he just needed to know if they were ok.

They weren't.

The first sign was a terrible smell of rot, the first repugnant thing he's ever smelt oddly enough. The second was the smell of iron, and the third was seeing his parents' bodies lying on the ground, blood splattered from their mouths.

He didn't understand why they were just lying there, why blood came from their mouths or why a terrible smell came from them. Maybe they were napping? A weird place to do so.

So he tried dragging upstairs and putting them on the couch or in their beds. Which he managed to do after a while, putting them to put and covering them with sheets, then went down back to the lab.

Because there was a newly opened door his parents had opened, and he was curious, and it didn't look like they were gonna wake up soon so surely, he could take a peek.

He didn't know what he expected, but seeing himself in a pod wasn't it.

Then he found out that he was a clone. A clone of the original, dead Danny and there were hundreds upon hundreds of other failed clones. He didn't know how to take it, apparently his original was hero, a hero they hunted down and killed because he was a ghost, and the only reason they made him was because they didn't realize and killed their son.

He wanted to march up there and demand an explanation, but he was scared, scared of how they would react if he were to bring it up. They killed their own, true son, so why wouldn't they just kill him and continue cloning too?

They left the way to lock this section of the lab in one of their entries, so he locked it and left, waiting for them to wake up.

Except, they never did.

Then a while later some people entered his house unannounced, clearing through the house. They asked him if he knew where his parents were, and he took them to their bedroom. they said his parents were dead, and then completely disregarded him after and went down into his parents' lab and took basically everything they could get their hands on, including his parents' prized Ghost Portal.

He couldn't stop them, too busy trying to process the fact his parents died, and he didn't know.

Awhile passed and he went outside, seeing the town basically abandoned for some reason. He saw no one but those men for a while, people he later learned to be some government agents.

And just like that the town he was in became the testing ground for the government to dump their failed experiments, either too hostile or not what they wanted.

More so the former than the later.

The original Danny protected this town, was a hero and stopped ghosts. There weren't many ghosts around here anymore, at least the humanoid ones his predecessor fought off, but there were the ghosts of animal's or experiments who kicked the bucket, and then there was the experiments who were still alive and wandering the town, extremely violent and animals that got mutated from some kind of chemical those ghosts dumped around town.

Probably another failed experiment.

So, he decided that just like the original he would try and protect this town, from the government, from the failed experiments, from the mutated animals, from the ghosts of experiments and animals long dead. He would preserve this place to the best of his ability, it was the only thing he could do now.

And just like that, 5 years passed. 5 years of fighting off experiments and beasts with his nail and thread, 5 years of zero human contact, 5 years of just fighting and surviving and honing his skills.

And then, one day. A group of people came to his town, not the government, he could tell when they were coming. No, this was a group of different, newer, people.

People he had to dig through his memories to find, because he only saw one article on them before his parents switched him to a server they made for him.

The Wayne's were in his forgotten town for some reason, and with them was the girl he saw in the original's family photos, he didn't know her name, but he knew she was the original's sister. He would watch and wait, see what they do, and if he determined them to be a threat.

Well.

Threats to this town have to be eliminated.

#dc x dp #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc prompt #dpxdc #dcxdp #dc x dp prompt #dc x dp crossover #I don't know what to tag this with.#I think I made this too long #Meh #Enjoy!

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yandere-daydreams · 5 months

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Title: Carrion in Shadow

Written for a very lovely anonymous commissioner.

Pairing: Yandere!Eula x Reader (Genshin).

Word Count: 1.1k.

TW: Dub/Con, AMAB!Reader, Unhealthy Relationships, Mentions of Injury, Oral Sex/Facesiting, Slight Choking, Slight Breeding, and Controlling Behavior.

[Part Two]

You loved her.

You couldn’t be sure when, but at some point, you’d decided that not only did you love Eula, but that your love for her was going to be the defining fact of your existence; the air you breathed, the light behind your eyes, the blood that flowed through your veins. Some time last night, most likely – when the first wolf crossed that intangible barrier and realized you weren’t in a state to fight back, or later on, when the cold and the blood loss turned your body numb and hollow and all you could think about was when she’d come back. It’d never occurred to you to hope someone else might come to your rescue, and you were never desperate enough to genuinely try to free yourself (an idea which, even from the beginning, you must’ve subconsciously known was delusional). She’d been your sole idol, your only object of worship during the eternity that’d been the night before. Eula had always been good at that – making you forget there was a world beyond you and her.

That might’ve been why you loved her so much. How you knew you really did love her, despite everything you might’ve tried to convince yourself over the course of your relationship.

You needed her, and you couldn’t need someone you didn’t love.

The feeling of her blunt nails raking through your hair drew you out of your thoughts, an airy moan doing away with your ability to think altogether. Her knees were planted on either side of your head, her muscular thighs caging you in as her cunt ground lazily against your open mouth, your flattened tongue. The lack of oxygen left black spots dancing across your vision, but you tried to focus, to keep your attention on what mattered – Eula. In the dim light of her tent, you could only see the vaguest traces of her expression, but you could tell that her lips were turned upward, her eyes half-lidded. Her pace was slow, patient, whatever pleasure she was chasing set at a measured distance. You had to swallow the temptation to silently wish she’d just be rough with you and get it over with.

She was trying to be gentle, tonight, and you had to be thankful for that. The material of her tent was thin, the forest still enough to make any disturbance impossible to ignore, and she was making an effort to stay quiet, to limit herself to the occasional airy groan, to save you the utter humiliation of having to meet the knowing, sleepless eyes of the knights under her command. You’d thought, at first, that she might be wary of your reopening your lasting injuries, but that wasn’t likely. She’d spent most of the time you’d wasted fading in and out of consciousness lingering by your side, running her thumb over the ragged edges of your bandages and savoring your little, pained reactions. Eula wouldn’t hurt you – you didn’t hurt people you loved – but she liked to think of herself as your protector. It was only natural that she’d cherish any evidence that there was a threat you would need her to protect you from.

A mix of arousal and saliva dripped down your chin, from the corner of your mouth, and she pulled away from you with a breathy sigh. You moved to sit up, to chase after her, but the hand in your hair drifted to your chest and pushed you flat against her makeshift bed, the gesture not especially forceful but enough to send a pang of pure agony through your shoulder and down your spine. Your eyes clenched shut, but if Eula noticed how you withered, her only reaction was a slight laugh, a fleeting kiss pressed into your forehead. “Rest, sweetheart.” It was an order – albeit one spoken under her breath, affection heavy in her voice. You obeyed without question, and Eula rewarded you with a soft hum, a cool palm pressed into your bruised cheek. “I couldn’t sleep last night, you know. Not without you.”

Her hand curled around your shaft – hold steady and delicate. You were hard, despite the part of yourself that still resisted the urge to do anything that’d feed into her fantasies, but she still took the time to grind the heel of her palm against the base of your cock, to pump her hand over your length until you stiffened beneath her, your hips jolting stiltedly into her touch. “It’s easier when I know you’re safe in the city, but having to leave you out there, all alone in the wilderness…” She let out a dry laugh. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Her clouded eyes found yours through the darkness. You tried to hold yourself still, to turn yourself into something quiet and pliable she could use to her satisfaction, but it would’ve been impossible to hold back your voice as she sunk onto you, to swallow the cracked whimper that escaped as her hips locked against yours. While her cunt clenched hot and tight around your cock, she let her head lull back, her hips roll idly against yours as two fingers fell to her clit. “I think—” Her voice was cut off by a bubbling moan, a wide smile. “I’ll have you write me letters when I leave the city, after this. Once a day, if not more, to make sure you’re where you should be.”

Heat pooled in the pit of your stomach. Your fists balled around the fur of the pelts underneath you, but you couldn’t stop your hips from rutting against her, the air catching in your throat and blocking off your better judgement. “E-Eula, please, I—”

“You’re right, that might not be enough.” Now, now, she moved faster, her hand curling around your throat, palm pressing against your windpipe. You needed to pull out of her, but she was already buckling against you, her chest pressing into yours and her mouth ghosting over the side of your neck. “We should break one of your legs. It’ll be our little reminder, just to make sure you’ve learned your lesson.”

Her eyes brightened, catching the moonlight through some unseen tear in her tent. You reminded yourself, not for the first time since you’d made your decision, that you loved Eula more than you feared her. That you had to love Eula. That you didn’t have another choice.

“We should start a family.”

You opened your mouth, jerking upward, but her grip tightened, rendering you trapped and silent. You started to fight it, to try to scream, but as your eyes met hers and her smile broadened into fanged grin and instantly, you went limp.

You couldn’t fight against Eula. You couldn’t afford to.

You loved her. You needed her.

Honestly, you were starting to think there wasn’t really a difference.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere x you #yandere oneshot #genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin imagines #yandere genshin impact #eula x reader #yandere eula lawrence #yanderecore #yancore

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yanderecookierunkingdom · 2 months

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Hi, I'd like to request the beasts reacting to a "Hivemind" reader, like, you know how bees share their mind or something like that, so reader is like a "Queen bee", and that reader used that to control various cookies, but when they were sealed among the other beasts, most of their power was sealed, but thanks to reader's hivemind they could still be out of the seal, but with much lesser powers, just controlling one cookie that thanks to the reader's control had above average abilities, and that said cookie managed to be with the brave gang, just to betray them when they reached beast yeast, helping in the destruction of the seal, then finally gaining their power again, what would the beasts think once they're finally free in part thanks to reader

(Sorry if it's confusing, if ya don't understand it feel free to ignore this, and also, can I be "hollow" anon? Cus I based this in the radience from hollow knight, and remember to drink water and take care of ourself)

This gave me the idea for a 'Monarch Bee Cookie' reader.. Man, I need to make a list for all the 'reader Cookies'.

Shadow Milk Cookie would give you endless compliments for being able to help them all get out. Back in the past, he loved putting on 'shows' with you, with your controlled Cookies and his puppets. He's just itching to put on another play with you!

Eternal Sugar Cookie is just so thankful to you, she has to shower you in praise. And maybe she could get on of your little controlled Cookies, too? She's always wanted to see how they'd fared against her magic..

Mystic Flour Cookie is more interested in how your magic stayed intact for so, so long. But that's not something to question at the moment. Why not get to some destruction?

Burning Spice Cookie decides to thank you afterward. Why not focus on some havoc for now?

Silent Salt Cookie decides to be your guard during this. You tend to be more vulnerable when using your hivemind abilities. So why not thank you by being your guard?

#cosmos stars #star: hollow anon #crk x reader #cookie run kingdom x reader #shadow milk cookie x reader #eternal sugar cookie x reader #mystic flour cookie x reader #burning spice cookie x reader #silent salt cookie x reader

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sunnytarg · 1 year

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hello ♡ hope you're having a good day, love your yandere post so i was wondering if you could do a yandere reaction with Maegor, Aegon I, Aemond, Aegon II (separate) who are in love with their sister reader but she doesn't love them and they She constantly rejects and even threatens them with telling her father (yan! platonic) about his attitude towards her if they don't stop?. Thank you you are amazing and I love your writing ♡♡♡♡♡

I hope this is what you wanted. I’m still trying to figure out how to write Yandere!characters. Enjoy! 😁

Tw: stalking, dubcon, breeding

Maegor

Maegor couldn’t care less if his sister didn’t return his love because he knew that once he had her she would eventually learn to love him. Of course, when she told their father after he made tried to make a move on her after winning a tourney he was annoyed but not swayed to stop. He had won this tourney not just for his own glory but for her, why his sister couldn’t see that is beyond him.

His plan was simple. He would simply talk to his father and have his sister become his wife. It didn’t take much to convince his father especially after he pointed out how he married not only two women but his two sisters.

Aegon I

Aegon has no idea why his sister isn’t returning his affection. His other sisters did. He has the best dragon, he has shown he can be a good husband and he has plans on uniting Westeros so why doesn’t his sister live him in the way he wants? His frustrations all come out after their father announces his sister's betrothal to some cousin at supper. After they finish with their meals and his sister-wives go to their respective bedrooms he corners his other sister. He demands to know why she doesn’t love him. What does he have to do for her to accept his affection?

This does nothing but frightens her and in return, she tells him that she will tell their father about this. Why does he have to be greedy? He already has two wives, two wives that are already his sisters so why does he need her? Of course, without realizing she slips up when she says “at least I’ll soon have a husband who will only have one wife and will be able to give me the love and time I deserve.”

It isn’t until after everyone has fallen asleep that he comes up with an idea to have his sister finally be his. In the morning he’s waiting for his family to enter to break their fast and on the table is his sister’s betrothed. Aegon is standing beside the lifeless body with Blackfyre in his hand and blood on his face and hands. Over his sister’s screams, he looks at their father and says “I shall wed her. After all, there is no one better for her than someone who already loves her and knows her.”

Aemond

Aemond truly believes that he is being subtle by leaving his sister's favorite flowers and treats outside of her bed chambers to find. Or when they have a meal together as a family and he has the bard play a song he knows is her favorite (he doesn’t see her frown when he requests it). Aemond is his sister’s shadow. Never admitting to his affections but never gives his sister room to meet knights and gentlemen of the court.

It becomes too much for her at a certain point. She feels like she is suffocating under the weight of her brother and so she finally snaps with the only threat she can think of. If he doesn’t back away then she will tell their father. Truthfully, they both know the threat is hollow. Viserys doesn't really care what they do. If she had threatened to tell their mother, perhaps, then Aemond might worry but instead, he gives his sister the illusion of space. He is still always there. Watching her and listening in on what she talks about. He even pays her handmaidens and servants to listen in for him.

When she finally marries a knight, who in Aemond’s opinion is far below his precious sister, he watches through a secret passageway as her new husband fucks his sister for the first time. He knows he could do it better but at the sight of her naked body and her small moans, he can’t help but fist his cock as he hides away. For now, he will settle for this but eventually, hopefully soon, he may think of a way to convince his sister to come to his bed and perhaps bare his children, or better yet - he can find a way to dispose of her knight of a husband and have her come crying into his open and waiting arms.

Aegon II

Aegon gets what he wants when he wants it. His sister threatening to tell their father of his love for her doesn’t bother him in the slightest because at most he knows his father will just shrug and forget about it. Aegon doesn’t matter to him. He, is, however, determined to make his sister realize how much she cares about him.

Her threats are empty to him. She says she will tell his wife, but he doesn’t care. He was married to the wrong sister and Helaena never wanted to marry him in the first place. She says she will run far away but Aegon has a dragon and promises he will find her. Eventually, she says that she will tell their mother. Now, that is a problem. If their mother learned about any of this she would have his sister sent far away and married. He knows that she finds Targaryen's customs sinful and disgusting, despite having him marry his other sister.

It doesn’t take Aegon long to realize what he must do to keep his sister around. She cannot marry, it is as simple as that. The only way to guarantee that is if she is dishonored. With that in mind, he sneaks into her room that night. He doesn’t wake her as he places with her cunt. He wants to make sure it’s nice and wet, easy for him to slip his cock into. He doesn’t want to hurt her after all, he loves her.

She does wake up when he pushes his hard cock into her from behind. She yelps in surprise and the clench her cunt makes around him is so delectable he groans loudly. He doesn’t want her to wake the entire castle, though, so he moves a hand over her mouth as he thrusts into her. He enjoys every second of it. From her slick, right walls to her whimpers turned to moans and her soft skin pressed against his. As he gets closer to cumming he starts to thrust harder and just before he shoots his seed into her he leans down and whispers in his dear sister's ear, “I will do this every night until you are with my child. The men of the realm will see you as soiled but this only proves how you are mine and trust me, you have never been more beautiful than right now, naked and with my cum leaking out of you.”

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violetlunette · 3 months

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Runaway_Chapter 1: Runaway

Summary: After the realization Silver is the cause of his family’s pain, Silver runs away, leaving all he knows and loves.

Master List

Ao3

Notes:

*Twst spoilers for Chapter/Book 7

*Fairly long, around 2,500 words

Story Notes:

*In this work, Leah was the one who needed Malenore’s glow to survive and, at the time, she was in the early stages of pregnancy. Why? Because it fits better dramatically and story wise.

*The metaphorical “want for a nail” that leads to this tale is that Sebek and Silver never got a chance to talk about what Silver was going through. Silver pulled himself out of the dark by telling himself he owed it to Malleus and Lilia to save them, but after that...

~Start~

It was over.

Malleus was back to normal, everyone was awake, Lilia and Sebek were safe—it was all over.

Wasn’t it?

~*~

Silver groaned behind clenched teeth. His head was throbbing, and every pulse of blood was shooting pain through his brain. It took effort to open his eyes, which stung from exhaustion, and even then, the world was spotty with colors. Thankfully, the lights were low. Slowly, he attempted to push himself up, but his limbs were shaky. It was as if he were a baby deer.

‘What happened?’ Silver’s expression pinched as he tried to recall. And then he did.

He whipped his head up, a gap escaping his lips. His eyes darted about the Diasomnia hall, decorated with banners and streamers for Lilia’s farewell, looking for--

“Malleus!”

“Lord Malleus!!”

He saw his father immediately hurry to Malleus, with Sebek at his side. Silver felt a warm flow through him at the sight of those he loved most.

When he last saw them, it was in the dream world. Lilia had stayed behind in his dream to allow them to escape and save Malleus from himself. Then later, Sebek was injured while defending him. And Malleus…

Poor Malleus had been overblotted, falling into despair over the thought of losing Lilia and turning into a powerful foe that Silver and the others were barely able to defeat.

But it was over now. Everyone was safe, and Malleus was back to his usual self.

Heart swelling, Silver made to join them as the prince began to stir, tears of relief starting to appear--

Then he stopped, paralyzed by a chill that went through him.

‘Wait…I…’ Memories of his father’s dream swirled to the surface, like a beast from the gloom.

Humans invading Briar Valley, raping the land, and leaving mountains hollow. Destroying the homes of innocent Fae folk. The soldiers attacking the castle where a baby Malleus was sleeping, unhatched in his egg, as his mother sang to him one last time before the Knight of the Dawn arrived and slayed her.

The Knight of the Dawn. His…

Silver went cold, ice filling his veins as he replayed the words he had overheard in the dream.

“My sister, your WIFE, Princess Leah, is suffering from the child YOU placed in her. Every night, my father prays for their health, but it’s not enough! With the princess’ glow, we might be able to save them.”

Silver’s body quivered. It was his fault. It was because of HIM that the humans invaded Brair Valley, the place Silver had the gall to call his home for seventeen years. It was because of Silver that the Knight of the Dawn killed Malenore. The Princess, who fought for her country and her unborn child, a child she never even got to see.

Because of him.

‘Father—no, General Vanrouge—no—who...who...how... Lord Malleus, I--I--’ Silver couldn’t think. It was all he could do to breathe, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him and threatening to crush him to the ground. He looked at his hand, which was digging into the dark stone floor through the leather gloves. It was shaking as the skin turned gray.

Nausea filled him as the world began to spin. He thought he was going to throw up.

It was too much. Silver couldn’t stay. He had to leave. He had to get out of there.

He cast a momentary glance at Lilia and the others, Sebek weeping as Lilia comforted a distressed Malleus. Just as he had done with Silver as a child.

Body tense, the human stood quietly, not wanting to draw their attention as he left.

~*~

As he wandered down the winding steps, which were bathed in shadows, Silver attempted to process all that had happened.

He still felt ill, and quickly his attempts to hold back failed. As he found himself vomiting out the window, a dawning realization burned him like fire, even as the cold wind from outside blew against his face.

‘It was all because of me,’ he thought. ‘I was the cause of everything wrong in their lives.’

The Fae lost their land and their homes. Lilia lost a beloved friend, whom he grew up with and suffered undeserved scorn from others. Malleus never got a chance to know his mother or how much she loved him.

All because Silver had been conceived and made his mother ill. If not for him, then the Fae would all be living peacefully.

Princess Malenore would have lived and gotten to raise her child. On top of all that, Lilia would have been praised as the general he deserved, with medals, all the honors he deserved, and more. More than that, he would have been with his friends.

However, because of Silver’s existence, none of that happened. Instead, everyone suffered.

‘And father knows it.’ Silver could still recall the look of pure loathing in Lilia’s eyes, masking centuries of pain, when he realized Silver’s true identity as a baby. How Lilia had longed to reach out, to rip out the babe's throat. And he would have too—if not for Lilia’s love for Malleus and possibly his own soft heart.

A heart too kind for someone like Silver.

Hick...

Sliver’s lips pressed, holding back a sob.

“Hick… Father… I… Hick...” ‘I can’t only imagine how you’ve suffered all these years.’ To look at Silver, every day, knowing who he was and that he was responsible for everything wrong in Lilia and Malleus’ lives, must have been agony beyond any wound a sword could inflict. Especially now that Silver had the exact same face as him. The exact same.

It must have been agony to hold Silver at night when he cried, to force a smile for him.

And Malleus…

“YOU were the cause of my pain! You and your father! On top of that, you’re the proof of Lilia’s betrayal of my family and myself! I hate you!"

Silver flinched and fell against the wall, sliding to the floor. The look of pure loathing and pain on Malles' face burned into his memory and slashed his soul apart like a dark blade.

He was right. Malleus was right. How--

How could Malleus ever look at him again?

Sebek certainly wouldn’t.

‘Sebek…’ He would hate Silver when he figured it all out.

So much had been going on as they traveled, but once Sebek put the pieces together, he would look at Silver with scorn. Sebek loved Malleus, Lilia, and his grandfather, Baul, more than anything. Silver could already see the other’s hatred and fury, glowing in his eyes, words of disdain spilling from his lips.

“Lord Malleus and Master Lilia raised you, and for what?! If it wasn’t for you, then they—and grandfather—wouldn’t have suffered as they did! As far as I’m concerned, you’re no different than the humans who invaded our land!"

Silver’s head fell forward, his palms pressing hard against his eyes, which turned red due to the sting of tears.

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...’ It was all his fault. It was all his fault. Even tonight was all his fault.

Had Silver not wept, like he was now, then Malleus wouldn’t have blotted over. But because he had, Malleus fell into despair, and everyone on Sage Island suffered.

But that was his existence, wasn’t it? One that brought pain and suffering to all. And Silver couldn’t do a thing about it.

There was nothing he could do to make up for the past. To give back what was lost or heal the scars inflicted upon everyone he loved.

Nothing--

“Silver!”

Above him, from the floors above, Silver heard his name being called by multiple people. One louder than the rest;

“Silver!” Lilia’s voice cracked as it carried loudly over the others. “Where are you? Answer me!”

The frantic tone pierced Silver’s heart like a dagger.

He shoved himself to his feet, his breath ragged with sobs. This morning, he would have hurried to the man to assure Lilia that he was alright and everything was fine.

Now, however, Silver ran down the steps and to the exit, bursting out the large doors to the outside.

He didn’t have a destination in mind as he ran. He just knew that he had to run to get away from Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek—everyone.

Silver’s legs carried him down the pathway, surrounded by thorns--just like the ones around the stolen castle--and to the mirror. As soon as the glass was in sight, he charged it like a bull. The action flung him through the portal and to the marbled floor, where his knees slammed painfully. Taking in haggard breaths, one thought blossomed in his mind:

‘I can’t let them take me back.’

They would. He knew they would, or at least Lilia would. Being as kind as he was, Silver knew Lilia would tell him that the past wasn’t his fault and that he loved him. But that would be a lie.

How could anyone love the son of their enemy? Especially when he was the cause of everything?

Knees throbbing, Silver staggered to his feet, the ring around his neck swaying as the stones glittered in the faint light. Once he gained his footing, Silver set out of the school at a run.

Blackthorns still covered the area, though he could see the dome above slowly retreating, revealing the dawn peeking over the college. As Silver made his exit from the building, he prayed that it was a symbol of a better beginning for Lilia and the others.

‘Did Lord Malleus do all of this?’ Silver wondered as he looked at the vines. ‘Is the entire island covered in them?’ Despite the current situation, he was in awe of his Lord’s power. Only the Witch of Thorns herself had managed such a feat in the past. Truly, Malleus…

Silver shook his head to bring him to the present. He had no time for such thoughts. Right now, he had to get off the island.

‘But how?’ The mirror was controlled by Crowley; a boat would be far too slow, and staying was out of the question as he knew Lilia would find him. He was always good at finding Silver whenever the boy got upset, hid somewhere, or ran. That used to be a comfort to him. Now...

The thudding sound of heavy footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and Silver instinctively hid behind a thick apple tree before peeping out.

‘Those uniforms…’ Running past him toward the school was a group of Styx soldiers, along with a squad of guards from Briar Valley.

He shouldn’t be surprised. Malleus not only overblotted, but his phantom created a dark spell that enveloped the island. It was natural that they would be called and forced to work together.

‘I hope they don’t blame Malleus or his father.’ Guilt filled Silver as he realized that, once again, Malleus and Lilia would be punished because of him. Sebek would be as well if they accused him of not doing his job correctly. (An accusation that would wound the boy to his core.) However, the blame didn’t lie with any of them.

Had Silver been strong and not broken in front of Malleus and burdened him with his feelings then his prince would never have felt the need to “bless” everyone and blotted.

Silver’s fingers gripped the bark so tight that he tore some off.

“Dammit,” he muttered through his teeth, disdainful of himself. He just kept making things worse and worse, didn’t he? Not just for Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek, but for everybody.

This thought strengthened his resolve, and Silver knew he had to leave before he was discovered. Jaw-clenched, he pushed himself off the tree and set off. But then--

“Silver?” Silver’s voice caught in his throat.

‘That voice--’ He turned and met the multicolored eyes of Baul, Sebek’s grandfather.

When Silver and Sebek were young, Baul would stop by to check on Sebek’s progress. As such, the two knew each other well enough.

The old man still looked like he had 400 years ago in Lilia’s as if time didn’t dare touch him. If not for the scales on his face and his sharper features, he would look just like his youngest grandson.

The realization hurt Silver, and many emotions flooded Silver as he recalled the warrior fighting tirelessly to protect his home and kingdom. It was easy to imagine Sebek battling the human invaders.

Invaders who were only there because of Silver.

Silver tensed as the older fae approached, eyes glowing against the dark.

“What are you doing here?” he inquired, his gruff voice hiding his concern as he looked Silver over. “Where're Sebek and General Vanrouge?”

Silver swallowed. He couldn’t tell the truth. Baul would drag him back to Lilia and the others if he did.

“They’re fine. They’re helping Lord Malleus and the others right now at the Diasomnia dorm,” he explained. His gaze dropped as he added, "I was sent on Fa...Lilia’s orders were to check out the island and make sure everything was alright. That way, I could put Malleus’ mind at ease.” The words felt like bile burning his throat but between this and the truth...

Baul frowned; however, as this was Silver, he had no reason not to believe him.

“And Prince Malleus?”

“He’s fine,” Silver said quickly, hoping that wasn’t a lie. “Everyone’s a bit out of it, but no one’s hurt.” Baul sighed in visible relief, his shoulders sagging.

“Everyone on the island is okay as well. Briar Valley and STYX have been working together since the barrier appeared to monitor them,” the other explained.

“Even so, I should see for myself,” Silver insisted. “Orders and all.” Baul numbly nodded, his relief and worry clouding his judgment at the moment. It was clear that he was desperate enough to get to his grandchild that he would let Silver do whatever he wanted at the moment.

“You shouldn’t be alone, orders or not,” he said after a moment, opening his eyes to look at the pale teen. “We have no idea if there’s still any danger from the overblotting.”

“I understand,” Silver said quickly, worried that every wasted moment was giving Lilia more time to find him. “I’ll go to the Brair Valley soldiers and ask one to assist me.

“In the meantime, please go to my father and Sebek. I’m worried that they might be suffering as well and would feel better if you were there to support them.” While this was to get the man away, it wasn’t a lie, as Silver would feel better with the other on his family’s side. Baul nodded, his mind evidently filled with worry for Malleus, his old general, and his beloved grandson.

“Go to a STYX soldier instead so they can look you over,” he ordered. Usually, he would insist on escorting the other; however, his desire to check on Sebek trumped this action. “If any of the Briar Valley soldiers give you trouble, use my name and collect theirs. I’ll deal with them later.” With his position as a royal guard and his fearsome reputation, Baul carried a substantial amount of weight and power.

Silver nodded, guilt settling heavily on his stomach.

“I will,” he said, hoping Baul wouldn’t notice how thick Silver’s voice was. Baul returned the nod and then took off in the direction Silver pointed.

Once he was gone, Silver took off running, knowing that his time would be extremely limited.

Though the thought would sadden him later, he would admit that Lilia taught him well. By using the skills the fae gave him, Silver alluded to the guards, fae and human, alike. Once in a while, he worried that he had been caught again, but it didn’t appear to be the case.

Despite the risk the soldiers placed him in, he was glad he saw them. Their appearance made him recall Ortho’s tale of how Rook and Epel invaded STYX Headquarters by broom. The boy had been amazed and amused by the audacity (and stupidity).

Silver wasn’t sure how far a broom would take him, but he was sure it would take him far enough, for now, at least.

The gym yard was thankfully empty, and the biggest obstacle he had to face was tearing away the vines that covered the door. He winced and hissed as the large thorns stabbed into his palms. Yet he continued to yank until the doorway was freed. Not having a key, Sliver kicked down the door with a powerful kick, fueled by desperation.

As the door fell, Silver rushed in, grabbed the first broom in sight, and ran out into the field.

“Hey? Who’s that kid?”

"Isn't that Vanrouge's human?

“Oi! Stop right there!”

Crap! He had been spotted. But he wouldn’t be stopped! Not when he was so close!

‘This is it!’ No turning back now, he thought. Silver focused his magic on the broom and took off before the guards could reach him. Their cries followed him into the skies as Silver flew into the rising sun, leaving all he knew behind.

~End for Now~

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