#i don't even remember when was the last time I drew Sebek smiling :)

[estcaligo]

upd Sebek asked me to add Malleus

[takuyakistall]

for old time's sake

— commission for @tartppola

The dewy grass along with the warm breeze the valley brought, and the birds were chirping as they nestled into the tree's branches. A scenery that belongs straight out of a fairytale book. Silver yawned as he lay down on the grass, the shade from the tree's leaves shielding him from the blinding rays of the sun. A strange sense of nostalgia washed over him like waves meeting the shore. Strange. Why did he feel nostalgic?

He closed his eyes. The peaceful silence settled in until he felt a hand shake him, he took a little peek and caught a glimpse of a familiar white drowning his senses as he finally made out the words being said to him — "Wake up!"

Silver's eyes shot open yet the scenery was wildly different this time. The lush greenery was no more and was replaced by the stone walls and the wooden floors of the alchemy room as the bottles hung over his head. But there was one thing that didn't change despite him waking up from his strange dream; the moonlight reflected against their ivory hair and golden eyes that hold secrets Silver could only imagine. Vials full of fireflies lit up in the darkness of the night, it matched their eyes – Silver thought. A plethora of butterflies surrounded Silver as he woke up like he was some sort of magical princess waking up. They spoke up, "you okay?"

Silver paused. The words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat as he recalled the events of his dream. It's been a while since he last suspected the new prefect to be that one strange friend he met when he was younger, the similarities were uncanny yet he didn't want to jump to conclusions lest he wanted to embarrass himself. When he first heard of the trouble they caused during the entrance ceremony, he couldn't help but grow a little curious about what could cause such a commotion. Then he witnessed the events of Leona's overblot, something he didn't expect to see was the prefect being the spitting image of his friend from years ago. There were thousands of doubts sitting inside his mind. Was it really them? It's been years, would they even remember him? It was these thoughts that drew him farther from making the first move to find out anything.

"You…" Silver's voice trailed off, gazing at their eyes with a serious expression. His mind still wasn't in the right place, he was still a bit dazed. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't remember? You were tasked to take care of something in the greenhouse but you were missing so Sebek insisted to take over for you." They held his hand gently and pulled him up, Silver slightly stumbled on the floorboard, "I found you here while I was trying to look for a vial Divus told me to get. You can rest assured about Sebek, your dad made sure to tell him you'd be alright on your own."

Silver paused. Dad? That was something he didn't expect to hear – it was as if all the dots finally connected in his mind. "Dad?"

"You know, your old man." Yuulis shrugged. "It was kind of jarring to see him shrink down like that though, he used to be so… big."

Silver suddenly refused to let go of their hand and only held it tighter, his mind was going a hundred miles per second. "You knew all along?" His voice was a little strained, a little hurt by the fact that they didn't reach out sooner, a little scared at the possibility that Yuulis might hate him for what happened.

Yuulis smiled and let out a small laugh. "There's only one person I know in the whole world that falls asleep in the middle of nowhere and gives princesses a run for their money when it comes to animals." They reached out for one of the small butterflies surrounding Silver, it was strange how there were butterflies in the alchemy room – perhaps they escaped from one of the vials.

"If you knew all along, why didn't you reach out to me sooner?"

"... You know, I tried coming back a year ago." Yuulis looked down, "but when I came back, your whole cottage was abandoned. I didn't want to assume the worst so I thought you've moved on with your life already and… forgot all about our promise."

A promise between two souls, a silly little vow between children who didn't know any better. Silver promised to wait patiently for them if Yuulis ever decided to return. Though it looks like it was a promise cut short by fate. Yuulis continued, “of course, I think it's selfish of me to think someone would actually wait years for a guy who may or may not come back. And since you're Malleus' retainer now, I thought it would be best for me not to disturb you."

It made sense. Silver didn't like the way it made sense. It went against his wishes. – everything fell in place too perfectly like a puzzle made to hinder his relationship with them. Yet it wasn’t time for him to be worrying over the little details for the golden opportunity to turn things into the way he wants them to be is right in front of him. “You’re… wrong. I would’ve wanted you to come running straight to me – you should know that better than anyone, Yuulis.

Yuulis could only pause after seeing the nostalgic look decorate his eyes, a strange warmth blooming in their chest as they finally reunite after so long. They could only break into small laughter and smiles, “you’re right… It’s hard to forget someone like you, after all.”

Ramshackle was in shambles. Silver couldn’t put the damage into words accurately – the floorboards were destroyed, the walls were crumbling down along with the wallpaper peeling away, various bugs crept out of the small holes and crevices, and all the furniture Yuulis built with their hammer was destroyed into pieces. That was the scene he saw when he rushed over to Ramshackle after hearing a word about Yuulis disappearing mysteriously along with Epel and Rook.

He felt… restless. During the time they were missing, he couldn’t help but get worried about them disappearing for a second time. He’s already been separated from them once and it took so long for them to reunite, he didn’t want to repeat history. Deep down, he knew well that they’ll be fine – and he was right when they finally came back with snoot all over their face and a big grin as if they just came right out of a camping trip instead of a risky trip to the “underworld”.

He flicked their forehead.

“Ow! What was that for!?”

“That’s what you get for making me worry so much.” Despite his stern words, he couldn’t help but pull them in for a hug. “I’m glad you’re back safe and sound.”

Yuulis paused for a moment, slowly returning the gesture. “I’m back.”

His relief was short-lived when everything went up in flames all of a sudden. His suspicions about Malleus acting strange proved to be true – and he desperately wished that he was wrong, yet everything kept acting against him as if the world hated his very existence.

The buildings were set aflame with the blazing green shade Silver used to wear so proudly as he walked around the campus. The very colour was now eating everything up with its flames, devouring everything it laid its hands on. The students were yelling, crying, begging, and screaming for help to come. What could mere humans do against a fae prince who’s gone berserk? Silver was dumbfounded, and for once, he was tasked with something that went against the very thing he vowed to do.

Stop Malleus.

He froze in place. Unable to pick up his sword against his master despite Lilia screaming at him to run, to stop Malleus, to do anything. He wanted to see Silver do something instead of staring at the scene so blankly as if he was stripped of everything he stood for. Though his gaze remained empty as he watched Malleus descend further down to madness lifelessly — “What… the hell is happening…”

Lilia was trying his best to stop Malleus as the only one capable of rivalling him in terms of power as Sebek rounded all the students up and led them to safety. Yet there was one person – one person who didn’t fit into this mess. Yuulis. The sight of Yuulis lying down on the ground amidst the rubble was enough to send his mind back into his body for he was already running as fast as his legs could take him.

Everything was the same yet so different at the same time. The land he once called home felt so foreign to him now as he walked down the path Lilia and he used to take when he was younger. The fae were still busy dealing with the repercussions caused by Malleus’ overblot – there have already been several talks about another war breaking out between humans and fae because of this. Lilia had gone missing amidst the mess and Sebek couldn’t forgive himself for letting a thing like that happen. Silver…. Silver was lost among it all like a wanderer who lost sight of what he was travelling for. He bore a scar that went across his jaw and his right hand didn't work like it used to before after being crushed by debris – he had to give up wielding the sword as proficient as he used to.

The trees were as lush as ever, the greenery never fading even after all the years – it was something he took comfort in it despite everything feeling so different. Circumstances changed and now he feels like he hasn’t done enough – each step he took further down the forest felt heavy until the path finally came to a halt and he was met with a familiar sight. The old cottage he and Lilia used to stay in was run down, the moss growing on the wooden walls and small critters inhabiting it after finding out no one was inside. He sighed, a wave of nostalgia washing over him ruthlessly as he stepped closer to the cottage – the small critters made no move to run away and instead approached him as he sat down on the grass and rested his back against the rickety wall.

Soon he fell into slumber after pondering about what the future held for him. And when night came, he felt something caress his leg as he stirred awake slowly. “...ilver! Silver!”

“... Yuulis? Is that you?” His eyes adjusted to the scene, his gaze falling on the person he didn’t expect to see the most. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t we come here together?”

“Huh…?”

“Did you think I disappeared again?”

“... I did.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you a second time. We’re friends, right?”

Silver paused. “Of course.” He took their hand and stood up before pulling them into a tight hug, his senses felt faint – somehow, this all felt like some extreme deja vu. Like a dream he’s already had before. “I don’t want you to disappear ever again.”