Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moon hung high, casting silver light across the campus as Malleus set off toward Ramshackle Dorm.

He took the long path, savoring the stillness of the night and admiring the shadows that played across the walls and statues.

The neglected charm of Ramshackle had always drawn him, and tonight, it seemed even more alluring under the stars.

As he neared the old dorm, a sudden, high-pitched voice cut through the silence.

Malleus halted, curiosity piqued. He moved quietly, his presence masked in shadows as he approached the cause of the sound.

Just ahead, he spotted a small, fiery-eared creature—a direbeast, fiercely nudging an unconscious figure sprawled across the path.

Revealing himself with a faint step forward, Malleus allowed his gaze to settle on the scene. At once, the creature turned, hissing as blue flames flared from its ears, standing protectively over the boy.

Malleus raised an eyebrow, his interest deepening as he looked upon the peculiar duo.

“Calm yourself, little one,” he said in a low, even tone. “I mean neither of you harm.”

The creature—whose voice Malleus recognized as the source of the high-pitched cries—bristled but didn’t retreat, clearly torn between defending the boy and assessing Malleus’s intentions.

“Stay back! My henchman doesn’t need your help!” the creature hissed, though its words wavered with uncertainty.

Its eyes narrowed, suspicious. “Plus Why should I believe you?"

Malleus raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing in his gaze. “If I intended harm, you’d already know.”

The casual remark only made the creatures fur bristle, but after a moment, he huffed, tail twitching in reluctant defeat. “Fine, but don’t try anything funny! I’m watching you!”

Satisfied, Malleus stepped closer, examining the boy more closely.

No fresh injuries were visible, though most of his body was already wrapped in bandages.

The boys dark hair contrasted sharply against the white of the P.E uniform he wore.

Malleus knelt, pressing two fingers to the boy’s wrist to feel his pulse. It was elevated, but nothing immediately concerning just as Malleus was about to pull away the boys eyes snapped open.

A Hand shot out, gripping Malleus’s arm with surprising strength for someone who had seemed so frail. His voice, weak and slurred with sleep, whispered, “Mari… please don’t leave.”

Malleus’s expression softened, if only slightly. His mind turned over the name, trying to place it—someone important to him, no doubt. The faint flicker of desperation in the boy’s voice stirred something in him, a quiet curiosity.

He spoke gently, lowering his voice. “I am not this… ‘Mari.’ But rest assured, you are not alone.”

The boy’s eyes fluttered open fully, and he gazed up at Malleus with a mix of confusion and the lingering haze of sleep. His grip on Malleus’s arm loosened, though he didn’t immediately pull away.

Grim, ever vigilant, edged closer. “Hey, henchman, are you alright?” he demanded, his tone a mix of impatience and genuine concern.

Sunny’s eyes shifted, as if just recognizing Grim’s voice, and then refocused on Malleus. Slowly, he released Malleus’s arm and pushed himself up slightly, taking in the dark figure towering over him.

“Who… are you?” he asked quietly, his voice slightly raspy.

Malleus raised a brow, surprised—and perhaps a bit intrigued—that the boy seemed not to recognize him. “I am but one who roams the night,” he replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “My name, however, is of little consequence… unless you prefer to give me one of your own choosing.”

Sunny’s gaze fell, something unreadable flickering across his face.

Malleus watched him with a quiet interest, letting the silence hang before speaking again, his voice calm and measured. “Child of man, you should rest in whatever place you call home. Wandering alone in the night is a heavy burden for one already so injured.”

Sunny looked away, clearly unsure how to respond. Grim—never one for silence—quickly cut in. “Well, we were just on our way back to Ramshackle! I was taking care of him perfectly fine before you came along!”

Amused by Grim’s fierce protectiveness, Malleus raised an eyebrow. “Ramshackle, you say? I’d thought that place long since abandoned. My apologies, then, for treading upon your territory. I have enjoyed the quiet there from time to time.” He glanced at Sunny, “Then rest well… and be wary of testing your limits so closely.”

After a pause, Malleus added, “may I know your name?”

“Sunny,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Sunny…” Malleus repeated, the name sounding foreign yet oddly fitting on his tongue. “Unusual… but it suits you well.” He paused, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement. " i shall not bestow my name upon you but as i mentioned before i am willing to take whatver name you see fit.. even if you come to regret it at a later date”

With that, he inclined his head in farewell, stepping back into the shadows. As he faded from view, the faint glow of fireflies drifted along the path, the only sign he’d been there at all.

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Sunny's thoughts were racing. For a moment, he was convinced he was seeing Mari again—just another trick of his tired mind, another ghost from the past.

But no... it was someone else. A stranger. Some weird guy with horns who had spoken to him in a way that made his chest tighten with something..

Next to him, Grim broke the silence. “What a weirdo…” he muttered with a huff, glaring at the spot where the stranger had vanished.

Without thinking, Sunny reached out and pulled Grim into a tight hug. The creature squirmed at first, his fur bristling, but he seemed to sense that something was off so with a resigned sigh, Grim let himself go limp, awkwardly patting Sunny’s shoulder with his paw.

“Hey, uh, henchman,” Grim said, his voice softer now, “you sure you’re okay?”

Sunny nodded against Grim’s fur, feeling the creature’s warmth grounding him. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Let’s just get back to Ramshackle. It’s... it’s been a long night.”

They walked back to the rundown dorm, the moon had climbed higher in the sky, casting a pale glow over the path. When they finally reached Ramshackle, the front door creaked open, and the familiar spirits drifted out to greet them.

“You’re back late!” one of the ghosts exclaimed, hovering around Sunny with a worried air. Another clucked disapprovingly, shaking its translucent head.

Sunny managed a weak smile, raising a hand in a gesture that was somewhere between a wave and reassurance. "I'm fine," he said softly, barely meeting their eyes. He didn't linger long—his body felt too heavy to stay upright much longer.

Ignoring the dust clinging to his clothes, he headed straight to his room, not even bothering to clean up. The exhaustion had set in so deeply that it was all he could do to pull off his shoes and flop onto the bed. Grim curled up at the foot, mumbling something Sunny didn’t quite catch before slipping into sleep.
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Sunny’s dreams twisted into a surreal landscape—a garden that seemed pulled from the pages of a dark storybook. Thorn-covered roses, black and shadowed, tangled around wrought iron gates and ancient, gnarled trees. The air was thick with the smell of something sweet, yet faintly rotten.

At the garden’s center, a figure stood, blurred and distant, surrounded by strange, faceless silhouettes moving with a bizarre, hypnotic rhythm. Their voices wove together in a haunting melody, words lost to the wind but filled with urgency.

The roses, stark and colorless at first, began to drip crimson as if stained with blood, the vivid red spreading like ink. A sharp sensation of being watched tightened in Sunny’s chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to move, to cry out, but his voice failed him. The garden wavered and then gave way, sending him plummeting into a black, endless void.

Knock, knock, knock.

Sunny jolted awake, heart pounding in his chest. The echoes of the dream clung to him, lingering like a shadow. Disoriented and half-awake, he struggled to piece together what was real and what wasn’t. Then the knocking came again, sharper this time, drawing him fully back to the present.

He forced himself to breathe deeply, though the sense of déjà vu sent chills crawling over his skin.

Not wanting to wake Grim, who snored softly at the foot of the bed, Sunny carefully slipped out from beneath the blankets. His limbs felt heavy, like he was moving through water, the remnants of the dream clinging to his senses. He moved as quietly as he could, each step down the stairs creaking under his weight.

There was still a lingering sense of being watched, a feeling he couldn’t quite shake as he crossed the dark hallway, moonlight spilling in through the cracked windows.

He hesitated his hand hovering over the doorknob.

"It's me, Ace! Just let me in, all right?" came a muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Sunny blinked, still shaking off the lingering fog of his dream, and opened the door.

Ace stood in the doorway, a somewhat sheepish grin on his face and—strangely—a collar fastened around his neck. Sunny eyed the odd accessory with an unspoken question.

Ace caught the look and sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's a long story."

Sunny crossed his arms. "It better be important"

Ace cast a wary glance back over his shoulder. "I can't go back to Heartslabyul. I'm joining your dorm. For good."

Sunny raised an eyebrow but stepped aside to let him in. Once he was settled, Ace launched into his explanation, his tone indignant. "It’s all because I ate one tart! Just one! I got a little hungry, see, so I went down to the dorm kitchen and found some tarts in the fridge. Three whole tarts—big ones!"

Sunny listened, arms still crossed. "So... you got this collar put on for eating a tart?"

"Yup! That's it!" Ace threw up his hands, clearly aggrieved. "I mean, okay, I ate one slice, but there were three tarts just sitting there! It's not like the housewarden could eat 'em all himself. I thought he wouldn't notice if I just had one slice, but... well, he caught me"

Sunny’s expression remained neutral, though he let out a small sigh. “They might’ve been for something important,” he said, his tone even and unjudging.

Ace blinked, then scowled. "What, you think they were for some fancy event or something? Okay, maybe they were… but still! This collar? It seals away my magic! For one slice! You don’t think that’s overkill?" He leaned forward, his arms flailing dramatically. "For a mage, losing magic is like having your arms and legs shackled! It’s not fair!"

Sunny’s gaze softened, but he shrugged a little. “It’s… a bit much,” he admitted, “but you still ate someone else’s food.”

“Ugh! Seriously?” Ace huffed. “I thought you’d be on my side! I’m the victim here!”

Sunny’s silence in response made Ace pause. After a moment, Sunny gestured for him to sit, then said, “If you apologize, maybe they’ll take the collar off.”

Ace groaned, throwing himself down on the couch. “Apologize, huh? Fine, I’ll do it… but you’re coming with me,” he demanded, pointing a finger at Sunny. “Since it was your brilliant idea.”

Sunny hesitated, then nodded. “Alright,” he said softly.

Ace looked momentarily triumphant, but then his grin turned sly. "Oh, and while we’re at it, how about letting me stay with you tonight? I’m real slim. I won't take up much space."

“No,” Sunny said, shaking his head immediately.

“Tch. You’re about as flexible as a brick,” Ace muttered, pouting as he leaned back on the couch. "Fine, I’ll take the sofa. Happy now?" He flopped down dramatically, closing his eyes. “Goodnight.”

Sunny watched him for a second longer, a faint hint of amusement tugging at his lips, before turning away and heading back upstairs to get what little rest he could salvage from the night.