Chapter Text
“This evening, you cured one of the children...the one who was a cursebearer,” he paused, taking in my now interested expression. He sighed once before continuing.
“I do not know how effective that book of yours is but...I want to try every possible cure there is,” his words were loud but they lacked confidence.
“Cure you, huh? I would never have guessed...what a turn of events,” the usual amused smirk formed on my face, unbothered and unchangeable. However, while my face showed mere interest, my mind was swarming with questions.
Louis...he is a cursebearer. The friend who Noe never talks about, the one who his younger self wakes up to be conforted after a nightmare, the one who made his little self smile like no other.
He was a cursebearer.
As if it was the last piece of a puzzle, everthing clicked. Noe’s dedication to curing malnormals, his reason for supporting my cause, my vengence. Why he never left my side; why he never gives up on them; on me.
It all made sense now.
My eyes stayed narrowed, my ears absent mindly listening to the boy in front of me. My thoughts were focused on only one thing at the moment. A memory. A memory that I never thought I would remember but here I am.
It was after a fairly easy and fast battle, the sun almost setting. The malnormal we were fighting was apparently a 14 year old boy, dark hair and brown eyes. His frightened state after beign cured was a pityful one. His body trembled, his hair a long mess. He had collapsed on the ground and begged for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what he had done. For what he had not done.
He wanted to die, to be let out of his misery. “I can’t live knowing that I had once been a monster”, he had said and that day, I had seen Noe cry for the first time after a battle. He had ran to the boy, held onto him as if his life depended on it.
The man who would usually smile reassuringly had shed tears and sobbed on the boy’s shoulder. His cries a desperate calls.
“Don’t cry” he had told the boy in between his sobs.
“you aren’t a monster,” he had repeated until the boy had calmed down slightly, now gripping the man’s shoulders.
I had stood back and watched the whole ordeal, amused and fascinated. I had wanted to know why. I wished to know what it was about the boy that had caused a reaction like this. Perhaps it was his adolence; possibly his tears but no.
It wasn’t any of those. It was the boy’s resemblance to the lad in front of me right now. Shedding silent tears as he asked me to cure him.
The reason Noe had cried, begged for the child to live, was Louis De Sade..
I focused my gaze back on him, his awaiting face. I didn’t want to admit that I zoned out during his emotional talk so I only tipped my head back and asked out loud, “are you ready right now?”.
The boy looked down at the crown in his hands, a longing look on his sharp features. As more flower petals detached themselves and fell down, the boy’s face tensed more.
“I’m ready when you are,” he closed his eyes and waited for some sort of impact. I sighed and took out the book, chains clinking and causing him to flinch slightly.
“Alright then, let’s get this done with,” I muttered before letting the book’s light enguffle the place, including Louis.
The book worked it’s magic, like always, and all that was left for me to do was read. I focused my eyes on the words, amusement dancing in my pupils as my lips started moving.
My voice higher than usual, a strange flow on my tongue. It was as if the world had stopped, waiting for me to announce a new begginning.
“ Occassum Solis, the setting sun. The one who takes pride in the calm he brings, the rage he leaves behind, I declare you a malnormal no more,” I finished my incredibly hard task and waited fo the blue light to disappear.
Louis was now on his knees, his body flung back and his head inched upwards to the sky. He was even sweating, skin glistening under the moon.
He looked beautiful under the sky. His mouth slightly wide open, breathing heavily. As the reality of things dawned upon him, his head fell forward and he let out a strangled sound.
While the dark clouds rushed to hide away the blue moon, the boy sobbed. And for how long, I do not know because I had left to go sleep. All I know is that by the time I was up and awake, there was no room. No mansion. No sound.
Just the chatter of a crowd and the sunlight burning my eye lids. My eyes opened to a dark alley, a couple paper plates discarded on the ground near my feet.
My eyes snapped open wider as my mind processed my surroundings. As my eyes fell towards the busy street, a gush of relief left my body. The newspapers, the smell of pastries, the orange hue in the sky; I was in Paris. The city I grew to adore. The place I wandered at night with him.
I scrambled to my feet, brushing off dirt from my clothes and cursing the malnormal who chose a stinking alley for my return. I would have much preferred my own bed in the hotel, but alas, I suppose I can’t ask much.
As I made my way to Orlork’s hotel, I pondered over what to expect from this present. I knew what I was doing when I cured Louis. Saving him meant a changed past. I may as well have changed Noe’s life forever. For all I know, I saved Louis and he never died, causing Noe to live with him and the others happily ever after.
Now that the reality is sinking in, I don’t know if I was aware of what the hell I was doing. I tampered with not just Louis’s fate, but Noe’s past as well. Adults are a result of their childhood…Noe is no different.
The Noe I know had a tragic childhood. Losing his friend, who was like family to him, made him into the man he is today…or was supposed to be today anyways.
My feet carried me awfully fast for someone who’s eyes are drooping low. I want to know if he’s still here. I want to know if it was fate who united us or just coincidence. I don’t like to believe in such things as destiny but today, I sure wish there is one. For the both of us.
His goal for staying with me, to endure me, was Louis. Now that it’s not a reason anymore, I wonder what became of his life. Could he still be back in his teacher’s mansion? Does he remember me? If he does, did he look for me? Or did he forget like children do fairytales.
At this point, I was running. The world rushed past me as I stopped in front of the hotel. He has to be here…sleeping in our shared room. Legs tangled up in the sheets and drool dripping on his pillow.
I made a dash for the stairs, taking two at a time to reach him faster. If he’s not here, I will have to carry out my vengeance myself, all alone. I wouldn’t have anyone to hold onto or lean on. Noone to smile at me the way he does.
As our shared room came in my line of sight, I sprinted towards it. Turning the door knob, I opened it wide. Nothing…there was no sound. No sleep talk. Not even the light was on.
My heart sank, along with my body. He wasn’t here…
Tears clouded my vision at the thought of losing him. Of never having any contact with him. I have the memories….all of them but if I’m correct, He doesn’t.
He’s not even in paris for all I know and here I am, on the floor sobbing. Low whimpers left my throat, only to go silence when the door to my right opened. And out walked a worried Noe, hair damp and a towel around his waist.
I stood up faster than light itself, clutching his shoulders, making sure he’s here. His muscles tensed for a bried second before he fumbled to grip the loose towel around his hips.
“Vanitas!!!??!?! What the hell are you- when did you-“ his words got cut off by a crack in his voice, eyes glistening as he gripped my back with his right hand.
“you idiot!! You had me so worried…I was afraid you’ll never be back again,” he cried and soon, I was crying even more.
“I’m not gonna leave you so easily you moron”.
He laughed in between tears, dropping to the ground and holding me tighter. His bare torso made it hard for me to focus on what he was saying.
After we were done wailing like the children we are, he went to dress himself. Leaving me to wonder what the hell I changed if not his life purpose. Is it possible that Louis wasn’t saved? Perhaps he’s here despite not having a personal reason.
I shook off the thoughts and walked towards my bed, flinging myself on top. This is perfect. Not too small, and not too big. It’s bliss.
As my eyes drooped shut and my consciousness faded, all I managed to hear was Noe saying “Louis won’t be happy”.