Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Subject Two follow me. There is someone I want you to meet.”

The child - who looked no more than five years old, tilted his head in confusion but nodded anyway. “Who is it Master?” he asked, keeping his tone polite and respectful.

After all Master did not tolerate anything less.

“You will see soon enough. He is like you. I made him a few months before you.”

They walked in silence through the ruins, their footsteps echoing softly against the broken stone. The path is unfamiliar for him, he’s never been allowed to explore beyond the lab he was created in and he knows better than to wander.

At last Master stops before a heavy door. Pushing it open she gestured at him to step inside. Inside the air is colder. The room itself is dim, lit only by a few lanterns on a desk. He squinted into the dark room, trying to make out whoever Master had brought him to meet.

“Hello?” he called.

There was no answer at first, only silence and then, from behind a stack of crates, there was a faint shuffling sound. A moment later something moved before a head appeared from behind the boxes.

“Master?” an unfamiliar voice called out.

Subject Two stared at the creature in surprise. It did not resemble him at all. His thoughts turned quickly to the books he had been allowed to read, searching for a match. Scales, horns, wings and claws.

A dragon.

That’s what this creature resembled.

“Durin meet Subject Two.” Master said calmly. “He is another one of my creations.” The creature stepped into view, revealing itself fully as it turned its head toward Subject Two looking at him with clear curiosity.

“He doesn’t look like me.” Durin repeated, his head tilting slightly as he continued to observe Subject Two.

“I designed him to resemble a human.”

Subject Two didn’t say anything. He felt the weight of being observed, but he did not know what type of response was required of him at the current moment, so he stayed silent. After all It was better than accidentally saying something stupid.

“At present you are the only two of my creations capable of holding a conversation.” Rhinedottir continued. “I expect you will be able to coexist.” She turned to leave, pausing only briefly at the door. “Subject Two do not leave this room. I will come back for you in a bit.”

Subject Two wanted to protest. The words formed in his mind, but never reached his mouth. He knew better than to disobey. So he said nothing.

The door shut with a heavy thud, leaving only Subject Two and Durin inside the room.

Durin remained where he was, those bright red eyes fixed on Subject Two. Subject Two looked down almost immediately, unable to hold the eye contact. He had never been alone with another being like this before, not anyone who wasn’t Master- he didn’t even know that there was another being here other than him and master.

Still… he found that he wanted to be friends with Durin.

“So when did Master create you?” Durin asked at last, breaking the quiet.

“Five weeks ago.” Subject Two replied softly.

“Wow!” Durin said, sounding genuinely impressed as he circled him slowly. “And you’re already this big.”

“I’m small compared to you.” Subject Two said, glancing up. Durin was enormous, his head nearly brushing the ceiling, dwarfing even Master’s presence. Yet Subject Two felt no fear.

“Because I’m a dragon of course you’ll be tiny!” Durin said as if it was common sense which to be fair it was. Then he paused. “But don’t worry. You’ll grow.”

Another pause.

“Although I’ll get bigger too.” he added after a moment. “So you still won’t be taller than me. Sorry!”

Subject Two let out a small giggle before he could stop himself. “It’s okay!” he said quickly. “Master said she made you before me. How old are you?”He hadn’t known Durin existed until today. That meant he couldn’t be much older than him… right?

“Master said… around five months?” Durin replied, frowning slightly as he tried to recall. “It’s hard to keep track of time down here.” As he spoke, he stretched out his wings. Subject Two’s attention snapped to them immediately. They were enormous, so large they seemed almost too wide for the room itself but most importantly they were beautiful. Just like the dragon himself.

“You’re so pretty.” Subject Two said, the words slipping out before he could stop them. “Can I touch your wings?” He asked without thinking and then regretted it immedietly afterwards. He didn’t know much about dragons- what if they didn’t like being touched there?

“Of course!” Durin replied without hesitation. Any fear he had vanished.

Subject Two stepped closer and gently placed his hand against one of the wings, his expression turning to quiet awe. The surface was unlike anything he had ever felt, both firm and strangely soft in its own way. “Can you fly with these?” he asked, looking up in curiosity. In the books he had read, dragons always soared through the skies with their wings.

“Of course I can!” Durin exclaimed with pride, then glanced around the room and let out a small disappointed sigh. “But this room is too small for it.”

“Maybe if you ask Master she’ll let you go outside.” Subject Two said thoughtfully. “There’s a lot of space to fly in the ruins.”

“I doubt it.”

Subject Two tilted his head slightly at that. He didn’t understand why Master would keep Durin confined to such a small room. It was far too cramped for something like him. “Don’t worry Durin.” Subject Two said, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure you’ll be able to fly one day. Master wouldn’t have given you wings if she didn’t intend for you to use them.”

That was how things worked. Everything Master created had purpose.

Durin gave a soft hum in response, neither agreeing nor disagreeing and the conversation slowly settled into silence after that.

“You know…” Durin spoke up after a while and Subject Two paused, lifting his gaze from the scales beneath his hand. “You should call me big brother.” Durin said.

“Huh? Why?” Subject Two asked, clearly confused.

“Because silly Master said she created you before me. That means you’re my baby brother!”Durin replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hm… okay. From today onwards you’re my big brother.” Subject Two agreed easily. It made sense to him. They were both creations of Rhinedottir. In the books he had read siblings were defined by shared parents, but neither of them had been born at all. Still if they shared the same creator then the concept had to apply in the same way. That was only logical right?

Durin made a pleased sound almost immediately, then leaned forward and bumped his head gently against Subject Two in what was clearly an affectionate gesture. “I’m so happy you’re here!” he said.

“Me too.” Subject Two answered softly, allowing himself to lean into the contact. He rested his head against Durin’s neck. “I’m happy I’m not the only one here.”

That day for the first time since his creation, Subject Two felt like something finally mattered and for a brief moment the emptiness inside his chest did not feel as overwhelming as it usually did because as long as he had his older brother beside him he truly believed he would never have to face that same hollow feeling again.

-

Dorian woke with a horrible, suffocating pain in his chest. It felt so much worse than being stabbed through his chest- physical pain was always more bearable than emotional pain. He laid still for a moment, unmoving while tears silently tracked down his face, his gaze fixed on the familiar ceiling of his room while a heavy emptiness pressed through his body. Even the smallest movement felt impossible, as if he had been drained of all strength.

That was not a dream.

It was a memory and not of either of his deaths. It was the first time he had met his brother.

Looking back it was obvious that Durin had already considered him his brother from the moment Rhinedottir introduced them to each other, especially since he had wasted no time at all in making Dorian call him “big brother”. It was a sweet realization and yet Dorian still felt his heart stutter in pain as he realized that the reason behind it was probably loneliness on Durin’s part, the same kind of loneliness Dorian had always known himself.

Back then, Dorian had never understood why Rhinedottir allowed the two of them to become close and even now he still did not. Or perhaps he had learned the reason at some point before losing his memories, but if he had then he could no longer remember it.

Dorian closed his eyes as a flood of memories hit him all at once. There were so many. He didn’t even know he had been alive long enough to have that many memories. For a brief moment it felt like his mind could not keep up, as if it might shut down under the sheer overload, but fortunately it only left him with a pounding headache and a gaping hole in his heart. He had gotten most of his memories back. The awful experiments Rhinedottir had forced him through. Everything she had taught him and the days he had spent with his brother before that awful woman had ruined everything.

He could remember his first death, but everything before it remained blank leaving him unable to clearly see what had happened in the moments that led up to it or what had caused Rhinedottir to decide to discard him in the first place. Dorian knew was a failure but what exactly was a failure in Rhinedottir’s eyes? He closed his eyes and searched through the memories that had returned, hoping that somewhere among them he would find the missing pieces and the answers to his questions.

While searching through his memories he realized something strange. The Dorian from his memories felt like a completely different person compared to the present version of himself, that earlier Dorian had been almost… gentle? It made no sense especially when he thought about how Rhinedottir had subjected him to countless strange experiments that would have easily pushed the current version of him over the edge and yet that earlier Dorian had remained calm through it all, never once feeling any sort of anger and even breaking down in tears from sorrow when Rhinedottir instructed him to use alchemy on a bird and he failed which resulted in the creature’s death.

Dorian supposed that back then he had simply been naïve, although he had changed drastically compared to who he once was he could not say he was surprised by it, after all five hundred years in the Abyss and two deaths were more than enough to change a person beyond recognition.

Other than that- unfortunately he found nothing useful in his past. Even though most of his memories had returned, it still felt as though the most important ones remained just beyond his reach leaving behind huge blank spaces where answers should have been, trying to remember them only made his head hurt even more.

Maybe the rest would come back with time.

Dorian didn’t know how long he had been lying there staring blankly at the ceiling while his thoughts drifted, he was aware that he was losing track of time as usual- so easily pulled into his own mind that everything else blurred away, but he didn’t care because his thoughts kept circling back to the same point over and over again until it became impossible to ignore.

His brother.

Even the thought of him made it feel like something was squeezing in around his chest, making each breath harder than the last. It left him stuck with that heavy, suffocating awareness of what he had lost. Before he had recovered his memories Dorian had believed Durin was nothing more than an evil dragon and even remembering that belief now made him feel sick because how could any version of himself have ever thought of his own sweet older brother in that way and reduced him to something so cruel.

So undeserving of what he truly was.

Now that Dorian had remembered how Durin had truly been, a burning sense of rage began to rise inside him. From what he could recall of his first death Durin had already been corrupted by the Abyss, but that only raised more questions that made his stomach twist because if that was the case… then had Rhinedottir been the one responsible for what happened to Durin? Had she been the one who pushed Durin into corruption until there was nothing left of his mind? Until he was forced into a situation where he ended up devouring his own brother.

The thought alone made Dorian feel physically ill because he could not stop wondering if the real Durin had still been there, somewhere trapped beneath the corruption and fully aware of what was happening while being unable to control his own body, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop himself from killing his own brother and that possibility clung to his mind so tightly that the image refused to fade no matter how much he tried to force it away.

Rhinedottir.

He knew he would likely never find her again, but if he ever did… if fate ever forced her back into his path once more then there would be nothing in him capable of letting her walk away because what she had done to Durin was not something that could ever be forgiven and she would pay for it, he would make sure of that, her and that fake Durin-

Right. The fake Durin.

As the first light of morning began to spill through the window, Dorian slowly became aware of the world around him again as if his thoughts had only just finished dragging him back into the world of living, after keeping him buried too deeply in memory and rage for so long.

His wrists felt cold, the metal biting into his skin and he knew without testing it that any attempt to sit up would be met with the sound of chains.

He wasn’t surprised to find himself like this.

His memories from what he assumed was the previous night were already beginning to surface again. He had tried to kill the fake Durin and he had failed. It was almost laughable how easily he had let his emotions take over, attacking without a proper plan, without thinking about anything beyond the immediate need to kill the imposter and now he was back here again restrained like a prisoner.

Another failure to add to the list.

How pathetic he was in chains- courtesy of his dear older brother most likely, after they had repeatedly tried to assure him in the past that they never saw him as a prisoner, he had still ended up in chains anyway.

Whatever. Dorian didn’t care.

There was no point pretending this was unexpected because it wasn’t. No one had betrayed him- if anything “betrayal” didn’t even apply when he had never placed trust in them to begin with. From the very beginning he had been fully aware of how they saw him: unstable, dangerous, something that needed to be controlled.

That was why he was never left alone.

That was why every move he made was watched.

And in the end he had only proven them right.

He had tried to kill someone.

He pushed himself upright, his jaw tightening. As expected the chains rattled loudly the sound ringing through the silent room.

Dorian didn’t regret it. Not even slightly.

If anything, he knew he would do it again. No he had to. He needed to find a way out, to get rid of the imposter who had taken his older brother’s place and stolen what was rightfully his. Archons he had spent these past few months playing family with a fake. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

Dorian will make that fake Durin pay. He will give him the most painful death possible.

That was a promise.

There was a knock at the door. Dorian’s head snapped towards it as it opened and Albedo entered carrying a tray of food. “Good morning Dorian. I assumed you’d be awake by now, you’ve always been an early riser.”

Dorian didn’t respond to his words he only stared at him with open hostility. Albedo crossed the room and placed the tray on the side table beside the bed. Dorian felt the brief impulsive urge to throw it straight back at him but he stopped himself. He knew better than to do something so embarrassingly childish.

Albedo met his glare with a frown, his gaze dropping briefly to the cuffs around Dorian’s wrists. For a moment- perhaps Dorian was still half-asleep, he thought he saw something like guilt flicker across Albedo’s expression. “I’m sorry. It’s just a precaution.” Albedo said, quieter than before.

“Spare me your meaningless apologies.” Dorian scoffed. Did he really think that shitty excuse would justify Albedo treating him like a caged animal? “Why put me in chains instead of just killing me?” he asked bluntly, eyes narrowing.

“Why would I kill you?” Albedo replied, sounding genuinely confused by the suggestion, as though Dorian was the idiot here.

Dorian stared at him with a look full of disbelief because it almost felt insulting that he had to even explain it. “I literally tried to kill your precious brother.” he said coldly. “The only reason he isn’t six feet under is because of his fast reflexes.”

Dorian noticed the way Albedo’s jaw tightened at that, a small but unmistakable sign of irritation slipping through his otherwise composed expression. Seemed like Dorian had managed to get under his skin.

And it had only been a few sentences into the conversation before it happened. That must be a new record.

“I am displeased with your actions and you do deserve punishment for them-” Albedo began.

“Then why keep me alive?” Dorian cut him off, not bothering to let him finish the sentence.

“I will not kill my own brother.” Came the immediate reply.

Dorian almost laughed at that, though it came out more as disbelief than anything else because the confidence in Albedo’s words was almost impressive considering how far detached his words were from reality.  “Are you pulling my leg?” he asked, staring at him in clear disbelief. “Or have you conveniently forgotten what you’ve done before?”

Albedo for his part didn’t even flinch. “What happened in the past is one of my greatest regrets and as much as I wish I could change it- I know I cannot. The only thing I can do now is ensure it is never repeated. I will not harm you Dorian. Ever.”

What a drama queen.

Dorian held his gaze for a moment, completely unamused. “Nice speech.” he said flatly. “But I don’t really care.”

A slight edge of frustration entered Albedo’s voice. “You were doing so well these past few months. I don’t understand why you would suddenly do something like this.”

Dorian only shrugged, staying silent. He had no intention of telling Albedo anything- not yet. He needed to be careful with his words. Without a plan in place every word was a risk and he couldn’t afford to lose even the faintest possibility of escape.

“Dorian.” Albedo’s voice hardened. Dorian lifted his eyes, meeting him with a cold glare. “I can’t let you go free unless you explain why you did what you did.”

“You know…you kept on insisting I’m not a prisoner but your actions say otherwise.” Dorian said dryly, refusing to answer Albedo’s question.

Albedo let out a quiet sigh. “It seems you don’t realize the gravity of your situation. Dorian, you tried to kill Durin.” He studied him for a moment, expression tight. “I do not understand what led you to that decision. I never intended to treat you like a prisoner but surely you can see why I can’t ignore this and why I have to take precautions.”

“And you know what I don’t understand?” Dorian scowled. “Why Durin was carrying a sedative.”

“What are you-”

“Shut up.” Dorian snapped, cutting him off. “You said this is a necessary precaution because I tried to kill him. Fine. But if you really trusted me before all this then why did he need it in the first place?”

When Dorian had attacked the fake Durin, the dragon had panicked begging him to stop, but he hadn’t listened. Durin had eventually managed to knock the sword from his hands and they had both crashed to the ground in a violent struggle.

Dorian remembered fighting like an animal backed into a corner, even trying to claw at the dragon’s face but it hadn’t been enough. The difference in strength between the two had become obvious quickly, he had been overpowered and pinned despite every attempt to break free.

He had still been struggling when he felt a sharp prick at his neck. After that his body had grown heavy. His movements slowed and then everything had gone dark. Though Dorian hadn’t seen it directly he wasn’t stupid. It was obvious enough the fake Durin had injected him with a sedative.

“Did you already expect me to do something like this?” Dorian fixed Albedo with a hard glare. “Of course you did. Neither of you ever trusted me from the very beginning.” He didn’t care, not really, whether they trusted him or not but if there was even a weak point in Albedo’s reasoning he would push at it until it broke.

After all, it wasn’t every day he got the chance to get the upper hand on Albedo.

“You’ve come to the wrong conclusion. ” Albedo said. The confidence in his voice made Dorian’s stomach sink. “The sedative wasn’t intended for you.”

Dorian’s brow furrowed. “Then who was it meant for?”

“Your flower companion.”

For a moment, Dorian simply stared at him. “Fellflower?” he said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.

Albedo nodded.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Dorian shot back. “Why would Durin need a sedative for Fellflower?

“I know you’ve been trying to fix it Dorian but alchemy is dangerous when it’s not handled properly-”

“I know that!” Dorian snapped.

Albedo didn’t flinch. “If something had gone wrong and the flower lost control do you think you would have been able to stop it?” Dorian’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer but the silence said enough. “You’re clearly attached to the whopperflower which is why in the event it became unstable I assumed it would be better for you if we sedated it rather than… eliminate it.”

“Of course I know that. I was prepared for that possibility.” Dorian said, letting out an irritated huff. “But I haven’t even begun experimenting on Fellflower yet. A sedative at this stage wasn’t necessary.”

“My apologies.” Albedo replied. “We weren’t certain what stage your experiment had reached. I believed it was safer to take precautions.”

“Precautions, precautions, precautions.” Dorian repeated bitterly. “That’s always your answer, isn’t it?” He glared at him. “I don’t care about your excuses. Don’t ever sedate me again like I’m some sort of wild animal. Do you understand?”

Albedo regarded him quietly for a moment before speaking. “It was the only way Durin could stop you without injuring you.” he said. “Would you have preferred he used force instead?”

“Yes!” Dorian shot back without hesitation. “If he wanted to stop me he should have fought me properly instead of relying on cheap tricks.”

To Dorian’s annoyance, a faint smile tugged at Albedo’s lips. “He simply could not bring himself to hurt you.”

Those words made Dorian feel ill.

“We’ve only ever thought of you as our little brother.”

Dorian’s lip curled in disgust. He didn’t want any affection from that fake. The idea alone was enough to make his stomach twist. “How tragic for him.” he sneered. “Because I don’t share his feelings.”

The smile faded from Albedo’s face.

“Yes… I’m aware of that.” he said quietly. His gaze lingered on Dorian for a moment before he continued. “What I didn’t expect was that you would actually try to…..” He trailed off, more to himself than to Dorian but the meaning behind his words was clear enough.

I’ve literally tried to kill you twice idiot- this is nothing new to me

It was silent for a bit before Dorian spoke up. “I gotta ask… why keep me locked up here instead of just sending me back to prison like last time?”

“That is not an option.”

“And why is that? Are you- Dorian paused, a thought had just occurred to him. “Oh that’s right. It’s because you lied.”

Albedo’s expression tensed. “Dorian-”

“No don’t.” Dorian cut him off. “Did you really think I wouldn’t hear about it? I may keep to myself but that doesn’t mean I’m deaf.” His voice took on a mocking lilt. “I’ve heard the rumors. ‘The Chief Alchemist’s twin brother was corrupted by the Abyss and attacked Mondstadt. Thankfully the Honorary Knight purified him before he could cause any real harm.’” He chuckled. “A neat little story.” Then his smile faded. “But what surprises me isn’t the lie itself.” His eyes locked onto Albedo’s. “It’s who you lied to. The Knights… Barbatos… even the Traveler. I never took you for someone willing to deceive all of them.”

“It was the only way I could get you out of that prison.” Albedo said, defensively.

Dorian let out a short, hollow laugh. “And that’s the problem, isn’t it? If anyone outside this family finds out I’m still unstable, still dangerous then they’ll lock me up again and you’ll be the one held responsible.” His eyes narrowed. “So you can’t risk letting me go.”

“I’m not doing this for my own sake.” Albedo said firmly. “I don’t want you locked away forever. Yes, I’m technically keeping you chained here but it’s not meant to be permanent. If the Knights of Favonius had learned what you did, I wouldn’t have been able to protect you a second time- they would never have let you go again.”

Dorian didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say. The silence stretched between them as Albedo’s words settled in his brain. He was right and that was the most frustrating part. It was either being chained in Mondstadt’s prison or being chained here in his so-called “home” and to Dorian neither choice was any better because both still meant he was trapped, both still meant he had no real freedom.

So much for being the city of freedom huh? But I suppose I deserve it

Silence lingered between them. Albedo made no move to leave instead he remained seated, watching Dorian with unsettling intensity. The scrutiny made Dorian uneasy as though he were being examined piece by piece like a specimen rather than a person. He was just about to tell him to fuck off when Albedo spoke.

“Dorian.”

“What now?” Dorian snapped immediately, his patience already worn thin.

Albedo didn’t look away as he answered. “Please allow me to examine you for any signs of abyssal corruption.”

Dorian stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. “What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “We’re immune to abyssal corruption.”

“You cannot know that for certain.” Albedo replied without hesitation. “It is true that most forms of abyssal corruption cannot affect us but there are several exceptions.”

“Bullshit!” Dorian shot back, his expression twisting in annoyance. “There are no exceptions.”

“There are exceptions.” Albedo continued. “For example, the original Durin’s blood was highly dangerous, I could not come into contact with it without being affected.”

“What?” Dorian asked, clearly unconvinced. “How do you even know that if you never touched it in the first place?”

“My research-”

“That’s not enough proof, you were just being paranoid.” Dorian cut in, rolling his eyes. “And anyway, I never came into contact with the original Durin’s blood so regardless of whatever reasoning you’re trying to use there’s no way I’m corrupted.”

“I said it was one of the exceptions.” Albedo replied. “There might be more. We cannot rule out other possibilities. If you would just allow me to examine you, I can-”

He never finished the sentence.

The moment Albedo reached towards him, Dorian slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.” he hissed. His hands curled into fists as he fixed Albedo with a furious glare. “I am immune to corruption.” he said through clenched teeth. “Or are you saying I’m defective?”

It was a topic neither of them liked to talk about and Dorian noticed the small change in Albedo’s expression- the way his eyes hardened slightly and his face grew more tense, subtle enough that most people would not have noticed it at all.

But Dorian did.

After months spent learning how to imitate Albedo down to the smallest detail, he knew his expressions better than most people ever could. If anyone was capable of noticing even the slightest change in him it was Dorian.

“You’re twisting my words Dorian.”

“Am I?” Dorian sneered. “Poor defective Dorian-discarded because he was faulty, clearly the kind of being that would get corrupted by the Abyss. Unlike perfect Albedo over here.”

A long silence stretched between them again as Albedo continued to watch him, something faintly sorrowful lingering in gaze. Eventually he exhaled. “Very well. It seems you’re not in a receptive state right now.” He rose from the bed. “I will return with lunch later.”

“Do not-”

“If you feel unwell or if you need anything just call for me.” Albedo added, already turning away.

The door closed with a soft click and Dorian was left alone, his anger lingering in the empty room long after Albedo had gone.

At least he had the decency not to provoke him further. Dorian let out an exhausted sigh and let himself fall back onto the bed, the tension in his body slowly easing as his anger cooled. Albedo’s words lingered in his mind.

Abyssal corruption.

Did he really think Dorian had attacked the imposter because his mind had been influenced by the Abyss? A humorless chuckle slipped out at the thought. Of course- that would be the convenient explanation wouldn’t it? The easy one. Poor Dorian not in his right mind just needing a little “fixing” before he could go back to playing happy family again.

What a joke. Still Dorian wasn’t surprised Albedo had come to that conclusion. He had even thought it himself at first, back when he started feeling strange after touching Durin’s heart. At the time he didn’t understand what was happening to him, only that something inside him had changed in a way he couldn’t even begin to understand.

But now it made more sense. It wasn’t the abyss effecting his mind.

It was grief.

His heart remembered what his mind did not.

He’s never coming back

Dorian let out a shaky breath and pressed his face into the pillow. Now that he was alone with nothing but his own thoughts, the grief he had been holding back began to creep in again. He blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears as he forced himself to steady his breathing. He needed something else to focus on- anything before the grief swallowed him whole.

He had to… yes. He had to kill the fake Durin and fix Fellflower. He couldn’t let the pain in his heart stop him from doing what needed to be done. He had to get revenge. He had to fulfill his duty.

Just focus on the anger, Dorian. You owe it to your older brother you’re the only one who can avenge him after all.

The following few weeks passed in a blur. It wasn’t anything new to him considering that even in the past he’d spend most of his time lost in his own thoughts. A normal person might have started to go crazy under the isolation, but he was used to it. Compared to the centuries he had spent stuck in that dark void this was nothing.

Still, the thought that he could spend the rest of his life trapped in this room without anyone other than this family noticing was kind of unsettling, but then again it was Dorian’s own fault because he had always refused to socialize with other people and kept himself at a distance, until there was no one left who would even notice if he disappeared and he found himself wondering, if he had ever made even a single real friend- would they have cared enough to realize he was gone? Would they have come looking for him? Maybe that would have been his ticket out of here, but at last the reality was unavoidable. No one was coming for him and if he wanted to escape he would have to do it by himself.

Albedo came by at least three times a day without fail, bringing food and checking on him. Sometimes he’d even bring stuff like books and puzzles to keep Dorian entertained. Dorian however ignored him completely. He could tell it bothered Albedo- especially the untouched meals but he said nothing about it. Not yet. Still Dorian didn’t expect that to last. Sooner or later Albedo would find a way to make it an issue. How exactly? He didn’t know and he didn’t care enough to think about it.

Dorian knew he could go without food for a long time and still be fine, he was an artificial being after all but the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll, dulling his focus and fraying his thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes, he would dream of his memories and no matter how happy they were- he would wake up crying, feeling grief so strong it felt like it was tearing him from the inside.

So he found an obvious solution to his problem: if sleeping only led to painful memories then he simply wouldn’t sleep.

He wasn’t human. Sleep shouldn’t have mattered but he was starting to realize it did.

Dorian stared at the book in his hands, but the words blurred together without forming any meaning in his mind. With all the free time he had he’d tried to focus on new formulas to fix Fellflower, but his body wasn’t cooperating. Without sleep or food even thinking properly was becoming difficult.

You can’t ignore both his mind reminded him. Your body still needs some form of energy to function.

He let out a frustrated groan and leaned his head back against the headrest. If he was honest, the reason he wasn’t eating had little to do with logic. It was sheer pettiness. He knew it would make Albedo worry and a part of him took satisfaction in that helplessness, in knowing there was nothing Albedo could do to easily change his mind.

It was the only thing he felt he could use to get under Albedo’s skin right now.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Albedo entered with a tray of food in hand. “Good morning, Dorian.” he said as usual. Morning? Dorian hadn’t even noticed the sun rising. Maybe he really was losing it. “I brought you breakfast.”

“You already know I’m not going to eat it.” Dorian replied impassively. His eyes flickered briefly to the untouched dinner from the day before still sitting on the table. “Why do you even bother?” He gave a small huff and turned his gaze away from Albedo, staring out the window instead.

He felt so exhausted that even keeping his eyes open was becoming a struggle. The rational part of his mind told him to stop showing weakness in front of Albedo, but the more spiteful part urged him to let it show, to make Albedo deal with the consequences of his actions.

He heard the faint clink of the tray being set down, followed by the mattress dipping slightly.“You look unwell.” Albedo murmured.

“I’m fine.” Dorian scoffed, though the bite in his voice was noticeably duller than usual. He kept his gaze averted from Albedo.

“Those dark circles suggest otherwise.” Albedo said gently. “You haven’t been sleeping well.”

“It’s difficult to sleep comfortably like this.” Dorian replied, lifting his chained hands slightly with an irritated roll of his eyes. “They make too much noise.” It was a lie, but he wasn’t going to admit the real reason. Not infront of Albedo of all people.

“You aren’t eating either.” Albedo said, his expression faintly disapproving. He was sitting closer than Dorian liked, close enough to make him tense.

“No shit.” Dorian muttered.

“We are artificial beings yes, but our bodies still require energy to function.” Albedo explained, as if Dorian didn’t already know that. “If you continue like this your body will eventually shut down.”

“If this was such a big issue for you then maybe you shouldn’t have kept me chained up.” Dorian replied wryly.

“Will you attack Durin if I let you go free?”

Dorian turned his head sharply, sending him a glare. “Do I look like I’m in any condition to attack anyone?”

“So you would attack him if you were feeling better?” Albedo countered.

Dorian didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Albedo already knew his answer.

Albedo’s eyes lowered briefly in disappointment, then returned to Dorian’s face. “Dorian…” His voice softened, almost pleading now. “Please. Tell me why you attacked Durin.”

Dorian looked at him in brief surprise at the pleading tone, but quickly forced his expression back into something cold. “I have nothing to say to you.” he said plainly.

Albedo frowned, a flicker of frustration crossing his face but he didn’t push it. For a moment he simply studied Dorian in silence. Then almost as if shifting tactics, he spoke again. “You know… Klee keeps asking about you.”

Dorian’s expression shifted instantly, his eyes widening. “What?”

“I told her you’re sick.” Albedo said. “That you need to stay in your room until you recover, so whatever you have doesn’t spread to anyone else.” A faint, rueful smile crossed his face. “She’s quite upset we couldn’t have our family picnic.”

The picnic…

Dorian blinked and let out a shaky breath. He didn’t want to feel it, but guilt still slipped through anyway. “Why are you telling me this?” he asked bitterly. “If you’re trying to make me feel guilty, congratulations, it worked.” His gaze hardened. “And don’t forget the reason I can’t see her is because you’re the one keeping me locked in here.”

“I can’t let you go free until I’m certain you aren’t a danger to the rest of the family.”

“So I only get out if I let you examine me like a lab rat?”

“No- I just need to understand what’s going on in your mind Dorian.” Albedo said wearily. “How am I supposed to figure anything out if you won’t talk to me? You attacked Durin. I can’t ignore the possibility that you might do the same to Klee.”

What?

Dorian’s eyes widened in surprise before his expression snapped into anger. “How low do you think of me?” he shouted, grabbing Albedo by the collar and yanking him closer. Albedo didn’t resist, only watching him with a brief look of surprise. “I would never hurt her.” Dorian said fiercely. “Unlike you I don’t go around killing my own siblings.”

For a moment, Albedo looked genuinely confused, as though he was missing something obvious. “But you attacked Durin?” he asked.

Dorian let out a short, almost hysterical laugh. “You and that fake aren’t my brothers.” he hissed. “And you never will be.” He shoved Albedo back, fixing him with a venomous glare. “Now get out!” he snapped. “Just looking at you makes me feel sick.”

Albedo stared at him, eyes slightly widened, a look of hurt crossing his face. It gave Dorian a twisted sense of satisfaction. Dorian didn’t look away keeping his hostile glare fixed on him. Then Albedo’s expression shifted- like something had clicked into place.

After a brief pause, his face returned to its usual calm. “I see. I cannot force you to accept us as your family if you do not wish to.” he said. “However, I am glad to know you do not harbor any ill intent towards Klee.”

“She hasn’t done anything wrong.” Dorian replied before he could think better of it, the words coming out too quickly.

Albedo studied him for a moment, as though assessing something only he could see, before speaking again. “Surely you don’t intend to break her heart by starving yourself to death Dorian.” he said dryly.

Dorian shot him an irritated glare. “Stop messing with me.”

“I’m not.” Albedo replied without hesitation. “Klee isn’t the only one who’s been affected by your absence. That flower companion of yours has been worried sick waiting for you to return.”

Dorian felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice cold water on his head. “What are you saying?”

“I’m simply stating the obvious.” Albedo remarked. “You are the only one it relies on. No one else knows how to care for it in its current condition. If you’re not there anything could happen, a monster could find it, or-” He stopped, holding Dorian’s gaze. “-someone could locate its hiding place and kill it.” His tone remained calm, almost detached. “In its current form it would not survive for long.”

Dorian’s composure shattered. “You stay away from him!” he shouted, getting off the bed and stepping forward despite the chains biting at his wrists. He understood exactly what Albedo was implying. He wasn’t stupid.

Albedo raised a hand in a small, placating gesture. “I will not harm the flower as long as you cooperate Dorian.”

“Cooperate?” Dorian repeated, incredulous.

Albedo’s head tilted slightly, as if the answer should already be clear. “I will return with lunch. By then I expect you to have finished your breakfast.” He turned toward the door, already ending the conversation. “Have a good day, Dorian.” he added calmly, before stepping out and letting the door shut behind him.

Once again Dorian was left alone. This time his hands trembled slightly- fear, anger or maybe both. He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that Fellflower was in danger. As long as he “misbehaved” it was at risk. A bitter laugh slipped out as he dragged a hand down his face. So Albedo had finally found a way to control him.

He sank back onto the bed and stared at the tray on the table. After a moment he reached for a sandwich, hesitating before picking it up. No cutlery had been provided, of course Albedo wouldn’t risk giving him anything that could be used as a weapon. Despite his reluctance, Dorian forced himself to eat. The food tasted like ash and he had to fight the urge to gag with every bite. He would play along for now. He would endure it- for Fellflower’s sake but he needed a way out and soon. He couldn’t stay here.

Once he had eaten what he assumed was an acceptable amount, Dorian immediately shifted his focus to escape.  His gaze dropped to the chains around his wrists. They were the same as before- long enough that he could move around the room and use the bathroom inside without issue, but still short enough that he could not come anywhere close to the door handle, no matter how far he stretched. He had tried alchemy on them once already and it had done nothing. Whatever material Albedo had used, it completely nullified it.

Back then, no matter how hard he struggled he hadn’t been able to break them and now the answer remained unchanged: the only way out was if Albedo chose to let him go.

Dorian groaned in frustration, letting his head tip back against the wall. If only he had a Vision right now, everything would be simple. He could break free, get to Fellflower, hide it somewhere safe where no monsters, no adventurers, no one at all could find it and then return to deal with the fake Durin once and for all.

But nothing happened. Of course it didn’t. Fate was never that generous.

He let out another slow breath, forcing himself to think past the irritation. Struggling against the chains had gotten him nowhere before and Albedo clearly wasn’t going to let him free, unless Dorian proved himself trustworthy again.

That left only one option.

“Please allow me to examine you for any signs of abyssal corruption.”

If force wouldn’t work, then he would have to use something else entirely.

He would have to trick Albedo.

“Why does Master call you ‘Subject Two’?”

Subject Two paused mid-sentence, lowering the book slightly as he looked at Durin with a raised brow. “Where did that come from?” he asked, confused.

The book he had been reading was about a hero who tamed a dragon and went on adventures with it. Obviously it was Durin’s favorite book, considering he made subject two read it to him at least three times a week. Each time, he’d pay attention to the book as closely as he had the first time subject two had read it to him. Which was why the sudden interruption mid story was so surprising.

Durin huffed softly. “In the book the hero was flying with the dragon and I started thinking… it would be fun if we could fly together too, once Master finally lets me out of this room.”

“Fly together?” Subject Two repeated, clearly puzzled. “I don’t have wings.”

“I know silly! I meant you could sit on my back  and I’d fly us around. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Durin said with a giggle.

Subject Two looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. “As long as you don’t drop me.” he said in a mock-stern tone.

“I would never!”

“Alright alright. I’ll fly with you.” Subject Two said with a quiet chuckle, before his expression shifted slightly into a frown. “But what does that have to do with your original question?”

“It’s because when I was day dreaming-“

“You weren’t paying attention to the book?”

“I was thinking “I can’t wait to go flying with subject two’ but then I felt weird because that does not sound right.” Durin had a sad expression on his face.

“How so?” Subject two didn’t really get what the issue was.

“Is your name really Subject Two?” Durin asked.

“That’s what Master calls me.” Subject Two replied.

“But that’s not a name.” Durin pointed out.

He was right. It wasn’t really a name. Sometimes Subject Two did wonder why Master had given Durin a real name but not him, though it wasn’t something he thought about for long.

“I don’t have anything else.” he said simply.

It was quiet for a while. Subject Two watched Durin who looked like he wanted to say something but kept hesitating. Subject Two tilted his head slightly, waiting for Durin to talk.

“Then…” Durin finally spoke, sounding a little nervous. “Can I pick a name for you?”

Subject Two blinked in surprise. That was not what he had expected. Still after a moment he found he didn’t mind it. “Sure.” he said. “Just don’t pick something stupid.” It made sense, in a way. Aside from Master, it felt right that his older brother would be the one to give him a name.

Durin immediately brightened. “Okay! Let me think.” His tail swayed lazily as he fell deep into thought, scanning the room. After a moment, his eyes landed on something and lit up. “How about…blueberry?”

Subject Two stared at him displeased. “…You picked the first thing you saw.”

“Your eyes are blue like blueberries!” Durin insisted.

“It’s not even the same shade of blue.” Subject Two muttered. “Don’t call me blueberry. I told you not to pick something stupid.”

“Well I think Subject Two sounds stupider than blueberry.” Durin mumbled, sounding a bit childish.

“Sure.” Subject Two replied, rolling his eyes.

“Valberry!”

“No.”

“Mushroom!”

“No.”

“… Honey?”

“Ew no.” Subject Two said immediately, making a face. “Isn’t that what couples in books call each other?”

“I was thinking about the stuff bees make!”

Subject Two stared at him for a moment, then leaned back against the wall with a groan. “Why are you thinking about food? Are you hungry?”

Durin paused, before glancing away. “…No.” he said quickly.

…

“…Okay maybe a little.”

“Naming me after food so you can eat me later, huh?” Subject Two responded with an amused look.

“Huh? Never!” Durin blurted out, eyes widening in panic. “I would never hurt you!”

“I know, I know.” Subject Two said calmly, reaching over to pat his head in reassurance. “I’m just teasing you.” He let his hand drop, tilting his head slightly. “Now are you going to give me a proper name or not?”

Durin made a small, frustrated sound and flopped back dramatically, as if thinking too hard physically hurt him. He stared up at the ceiling, clearly struggling to come up with a name that wasn’t food-related.

“You don’t have to decide right now.” Subject Two said gently, leaning over to pat the side of his neck in a familiar, calming motion.

Durin immediately relaxed under the touch. “But I don’t want to call you Subject Two anymore.” Durin whined, turning his head slightly. “Why did Master give me a name but not you?”

“No idea.”

“And why are you subject two doesn’t one come before two?”

Subject Two paused. He had never really thought about it before- why there wasn’t a Subject One?Why he had been named the way he was. Now that Durin pointed it out, it felt strangely obvious, and a little strange that he had never questioned it.

Maybe… he could ask Master about it someday.

“How about… Dorin!” Durin suddenly exclaimed, his mood shifting again as if nothing had just happened. Subject Two blinked, a little thrown by how quickly he had moved on.

“That’s literally just your name.” Subject Two said, frowning slightly.

“No it isn’t! I’m DU-RIN and yours would be DO-RIN!”

Subject Two stared at him for a moment. “…That’s just your name with one letter changed.”

“It’s not!” Durin insisted. “It’s different!”

“It still sounds stupid.” Subject Two said bluntly.

“Everything sounds stupid to you!” Durin huffed, turning away dramatically.

“Sorry but I don’t want your name.” Subject Two said with an apologetic tone, shaking his head slightly.

“I told you it’s not my name- it’s different!” Durin protested. “And what’s wrong with my name? It’s nice!”

Subject Two let out a small hum, glancing at him with quiet amusement. “It is a very nice name,” he said at last. “It suits you very much.” Durin paused, watching him expectantly. “But I don’t think ‘Dorin’ would suit me.”

Durin hesitated at that, his confidence briefly slipping. “It will… it just needs a little adjustment.” he muttered to himself. “Dorin, Duran, Doran, Durun, Dorun, Durian…”

He paused suddenly.

“That’s another fruit.” Subject two added dryly.

“Wait- Dorian!”

He jolted upright so fast he bumped into Subject Two, pushing him off balance. Subject Two almost tumbled backwards before Durin quickly steadied him with one of his wings. “How about Dorian?” Durin said excitedly. “It’s similar to my name but still different enough to be yours!”

Subject Two stared at him in surprise for a moment, clearly taken aback. “That…” he said slowly, almost in disbelief. “That works.”

Durin froze for a second as if processing what he had just heard, then his whole face lit up. “It does?” he asked quickly like he couldn’t quite believe it.

Subject Two- no Dorian chucked slightly. “Yes.” he said more happily this time. “It’s… acceptable.”

“You mean it’s great!” Durin immediately cut in, clearly delighted with himself. “See? I told you I’d find a good name for you!” he added proudly.

“Hmm. Right. I never doubted you for a second.”

“Liar!” Durin huffed, though the complaint quickly melted back into excitement. “Dorian, Dorian, Dorian!”

“Don’t overuse it.”

“But it’s such a nice name…” Durin said, swaying slightly as he grinned. “I can’t wait to go flying with my cute younger brother Dorian!”

Dorian paused for a moment, the expression on his face softening just slightly before he answered. “Yes… me neither.” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Dorian woke with a loud gasp, bolting upright in bed. It hadn’t been a nightmare. If anything most people would have called it a pleasant dream. Yet his heart was pounding so hard it hurt and a heavy feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach. He pressed a hand to his face and let out a shaky breath.

How had he fallen asleep?

The last thing he remembered was trying to plan what he would say to Albedo. He must have been far more exhausted than he realized. Dorian glanced toward the window and froze. The sun had already set, it was nighttime. His eyes widened in shock. Had he really slept for over twelve hours?

Slowly he curled his trembling hands into fists. The dream kept replaying in his mind no matter how hard he tried to push it away.

Durin..

So that was how he had gotten his name. Another important piece of his life he had only just remembered.

Dorian stared blankly at the ceiling as the memory replayed in his mind. He had never given much thought to where the name had come from before. It had simply always been there, one of the few things he had managed to remember even after losing so much else. Maybe there was a reason for that. Maybe his mind had clung to it because of how precious it was.

Durin had chosen it for him.

A name he had spent so much time trying to come up with. A name he had been absurdly proud of once he finally decided on it. A name deliberately chosen to resemble his own.

They had been all each other had.

Dorian and Durin.

Dorian choked on a breath.

No. No. Stop it. It’s fine.

He repeated the words to himself over and over, a desperate attempt to regain control of his spiraling emotions. This was exactly why he hated sleeping. When he was awake, he could ignore it. He could stay angry. He could focus on escaping, on hating Albedo and the fake Durin.

But sleep brought back his memories and those memories- no matter how happy there were hurt. They hurt because he knew he’d never get those precious moments back. Dorian lowered himself back onto the bed and curled in on himself, drawing his knees to his chest. His vision blurred as tears spilled down his face, no matter how hard he tried to stop them.

He missed him.

Archons he missed him.

He missed his older brother so much it felt unbearable.

Dorian pressed a trembling hand over his mouth, trying to muffle the sounds threatening to escape. His breaths came too quickly, each one shallower than the last. He knew he was hyperventilating but he couldn’t seem to stop.

Stop. Stop. What if someone hears you?

Dorian kept repeating the thought to himself, trying to force his breathing under control. It didn’t work. The grief was too strong. It drowned out every logical thought he tried to hold onto. He knew he should calm down. He knew he should be quiet.

But his heart didn’t listen.

It hurt too much for reason to matter.

So Dorian stayed curled up on the bed, trembling as wave after wave of grief crashed over him. Eventually the tears stopped coming. Not because he felt better but because there were none left to shed. His breathing gradually slowed. The tightness in his chest eased just enough for him to think again. Exhaustion settled heavily over him, leaving him feeling hollow and drained.

Dorian lay there staring blankly at the wall, eyes red and swollen. People usually say that crying and letting it all out makes you feel better. Dorian had eventually calmed down but he didn’t feel better at all. If anything he felt worse… Just empty.

I miss my older brother.

The thought refused to leave his mind.

He wanted to play with him again. To sit together and read stories like before. To hear his voice. To feel safe.

He swallowed hard staring at nothing.

I wish he was here… to hold me.

He stared blankly at the window. His body felt heavy like it was made of lead. The pain in his chest had faded, replaced by a cold emptiness instead. A part of him, the part that still tried to think logically, told him he needed to fix himself, before Albedo came back. He needed to act normal. He needed to trick him, escape and then kill that fake Durin.

But the thought didn’t carry the same weight anymore.

What was even the point?

Dorian closed his eyes, exhausted. He tried to find the anger again, to bring back the feeling that had kept him going before.

Nothing.

It wasn’t there anymore.

You knew this would happen Dorian. Look at you- chained up like an animal for weeks. How long did you really think anger alone would be enough to keep you going?

At some point even anger starts to wear down and now that it’s gone, what’s left?

Silence. Exhaustion. Emptiness.

How is he supposed to keep living like this? Every plan he had before- trick Albedo, escape, get to Fellflower, deal with the fake Durin suddenly felt distant, like it belongs to someone else. Someone who still had the strength to care about anything.

A world without his older brother… did it even have meaning anymore? Dorian would have given anything to bring Durin back. Anything at all and that was the worst part because there was nothing he wouldn’t have done… and nothing he actually could do.

Is there really no way?

.

.

.

Dorian’s eyes snapped open. He shot upright in bed, breath catching as a sudden thought broke through the fog in his mind.

Rhinedottir’s creations couldn’t die.

Of course. How had he forgotten something so important? No matter what Albedo had done to create that fake Durin, he couldn’t have completely erased the real one. Not entirely. Something had to remain, some trace, some fragment, some piece of what the original Durin once was.

And if even the smallest part of Durin still existed…

Dorian’s hands tightened around the blanket, his knuckles whitening. Then it wasn’t over. It meant there was still a chance.

Durin could come back.

Think Dorian. Think.

How did Albedo create the fake Durin? He forced himself to focus, digging through his memories for something he knew was there. It had been right after they freed him from prison and brought him back home. Back then, Dorian had thought the “Durin” he met was the real one reborn in a human form. Without his memories, he had been cautious, even afraid of the being who shared the same name as the monster that had once swallowed him whole.

To calm him, Albedo had explained-

“You do not need to be wary of Durin.” Albedo said, standing beside him as they looked out towards the backyard. “He is not the same dragon that ate you.”

Dorian didn’t respond at first. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his eyes stayed locked on the dragon outside- on Durin who was happily playing with Klee. “Same name, same draconic features.” Dorian said at last. “Do you really think I’m that stupid? I’m not going to fall for your lies.” He stepped a little closer to the window, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Durin more carefully. “You’re going to make him eat me again aren’t you?”

Albedo blinked at him, clearly caught off guard. He turned his head slowly, looking Dorian with visible confusion. “What?” he said after a pause. “No. Of course not- how did you even arrive at that conclusion?”

Dorian turned sharply towards him, eyes burning with anger. “What other reason would you have for freeing me from the prison you put me in yourself?” he snapped.

“I’ve told you multiple times that I-” Albedo began, then stopped, exhaling through his nose. “No never mind. I can see you’re not going to listen no matter what I say.” He pinched the bridge of his nose briefly, collecting himself. “Then let me at least make this clear, if only to ease your mind. The Durin currently living with us in Mondstadt is not the same dragon that once ate you or brought destruction to the nation.”

“Then why is he-”

“Let me finish.” Albedo interrupted, raising a hand slightly. “I’m sure you’re aware that the original Durin intended to resurrect himself. After all, you were his accomplice in the attack on Mondstadt.”

Dorian sneered immediately, rolling his eyes. “I couldn’t have cared less about what that dragon wanted. All I cared about was revenge on you and he just gave me the chance to get that by bringing me back.”

“Right…” Albedo studied him for a moment, expression unreadable before continuing. “Regardless in order to stop the original Durin from resurrecting, I had to drain the life force from his heart. I then merged what remained with the ‘good’ Durin and stabilized it by turning him into a human form.”

Dorian’s brow furrowed. He looked at him with open confusion. “What do you mean ‘good Durin’?” he asked, not understanding.

“One of Master’s friends, saddened by the real Durin’s tragedy, created a fictional world called Simulanka. In it she made a ‘good’ version of Durin, one that wasn’t tainted by the Abyss and one whose tale would have a much happier ending.”

Dorian stared at him for a moment, then frowned. “Why didn’t you just start with that? You’re terrible at explaining things.”

A faint, almost amused smile touched Albedo’s lips. “If I had started with that, you would have said it had nothing to do with the topic at hand.”

“…Whatever. So you’re saying you merged the real Durin with the one from the storybook?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘merging,’ exactly.” Albedo replied. “After all, the only thing remaining of the original Durin is his heart, now beating within the body of the Simulanka Durin but yes that is the closest way to put it.”

“…”

“He will not hurt you Dorian and neither will I.”

Dorian’s eye twitched as the memory came back in full detail. Just thinking about it made his stomach tighten.

Calling that fake Durin the “good” one.

Like it meant anything good. Like it made what happened acceptable. As if it justified what had been done to the real Durin- taking his life force and forcing it into another body, another version, another existence as if that could replace him.

Back then, Dorian hadn’t remembered anything so he didn’t care about the injustice done to his brother- but now it was different. If Albedo said something like that again- Dorian’s hands tightened around the blanket without him noticing. The fabric crumpled under his grip. He had thought that anger was gone earlier- that it had burned out completely, leaving only emptiness behind.

Clearly he’d been wrong. As always Albedo had a way of getting under his skin like no one else ever could.

Maybe he should kill Albedo too.

And what the hell was wrong with that witch? How could she feel sorry for his brother and then go on to create an entirely different version of him that got to live happily, while the real Durin was left to suffer and be forgotten? As if he never mattered at all- what kind of twisted sorrow was that supposed to be anyway? But then again… what did he even expect from one of Rhinedottir’s friends? All of these witches were clearly insane.

Dorian pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. The memory had irritated Dorian to no end, but he would still take it over the emptiness he had felt just moments before. At least now he had something to hold onto. He knows what he needs to do.

He needed to get out of here- that was the first step obviously. Then after that, he’d rip the real Durin’s heart out of that impostor’s chest. If the fake died in the process… which he almost certainly would, Dorian wouldn’t mind. In fact he would enjoy it.

The next step was harder. He would need to find a way to bring his brother back properly. If Albedo could create a human body for this fake Durin, then Dorian could find a way to do the same for the real one. Now that he had gotten most of his memories back. He was confident in his alchemy.

But that still left the problem of time.

What was he supposed to do in between?

If he took the heart too early and it died without a host… no. No that could not happen.

First, he needed to get out of here. Out of the chains. Out from under Albedo’s control. That was the only real starting point. Then he needed to find a way to build a body for Durin- something stable enough to hold what was left of him.

Only then would he take the heart.

For now, he supposed he would have to let the fake Durin live and continue pretending everything was normal a little longer. That thought made him nauseous, but it’s not like he had any other choice. If he wanted any real chance of moving forward with his plan, he needed their trust.

If Dorian was being honest with himself, it was a terrible plan. Barely a plan at all. There were too many unknowns, too many things he hadn’t thought through properly. Too many ways it could fall apart the moment he tried to act on it. He didn’t know how he would create a body, or even how he’d get rid of the fake Durin- considering how badly he had failed last time, Dorian was sure his second attempt was not going to be easy.

He only had the first step planned out properly, anything after that felt like a blur but none of that uncertainty outweighed the one thing that stayed fixed in his mind. If there was even the smallest chance, no matter how fragile or impossible it seemed that his brother could be brought back-

Then Dorian would take it.

No matter how long it took and no matter what he had to pretend to be until then.

Dorian felt a new sense of purpose and sat up a little straighter. He went over his plan again in his head. The emptiness was still there, but it no longer controlled him- he wasn’t a stranger to it after all. ‘Empty’ was how he had felt all the time before Rhinedottir had introduced him to Durin. As long as he had a purpose- the emptiness would not bother him.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past dinner. Tomorrow morning Albedo would come with breakfast as usual. Dorian’s eyes lingered on the door before he slowly looked away.

No.

Tomorrow was too soon.

If he changed too suddenly, Albedo would notice. After everything that had happened, it would be suspicious if he woke up tomorrow acting as though nothing was wrong.

He needed time.

A week should be enough.

Over the next seven days he would slowly let his guard down. He would stop glaring at Albedo. He would answer his questions without snapping. He would eat his food like normal. Every day he would act just a little calmer than the day before.

By the end of the week, it would look as though he was finally healing. Only then would he begin the first real step of his plan. Dorian let out a slow breath. He couldn’t afford even the smallest mistake. If Albedo sensed even a hint of hostility, the entire plan would fall apart before it had even begun.

Fortunately for him and unfortunately for Albedo- pretending to be someone else was nothing new to Dorian. He was confident he could fool Albedo, just like how he had fooled his group of friends back then. All he had to do was be patient. He couldn’t rush this. He needed to make this believable.

It was the only chance he had to save his brother

Over the next week, Dorian did what he needed to- he acted.

The change in his behavior wasn’t sudden. He made sure of that. It had to be slow and natural. He ate the meals Albedo brought him, even when he didn’t feel like it, forcing himself to finish them anyway.

“Pancakes again? I told you I don’t like sweet food!”

“I don’t recall you mentioning your food preferences but I can make something else if you’d prefer.”

“You must’ve forgotten. Just leave it- I’ll eat it before it goes to waste.”

“Apologies. I’ll prepare something savory next time.“

“I want hash browns.”

“Of course. I’m glad your appetite has seemed to return.”

He also changed how he spoke. At first, it was only small adjustments, he argued less, snapped less and didn’t react as strongly when Albedo said things he disliked.

The irritation was still there. It didn’t disappear. Sometimes it still showed in his voice and he allowed it to because acting too friendly would seem wrong. That wasn’t who he was and Albedo would notice immediately if he changed too much.

“Your hair seems a bit matted. Would you like me to brush it for you?”

“Obviously not!”

“Are you sure? There are quite a lot of knots. It might make washing it difficult next time you shower.”

“Then just get me a hairbrush. I’ll do it myself.”

But overall, he was no longer as openly hostile as he had been in the past few weeks he was held captive. Day by day, he appeared a little calmer. A little more relaxed, as if he was gradually recovering. It looked like he was slowly becoming the Dorian they had known, before everything went wrong- before he tried to kill the fake Durin.

The biggest problem for Dorian was still sleep. He knew that sleeping brought back memories. He didn’t not want to relive another memory which could cause him to shut down again. So he tried to avoid sleep altogether again. This time because he was eating properly, he still managed to regain his strength. For a while, it seemed to work. He still felt tired but his mind was clearer than it had been, compared to the time he wasn’t sleeping OR eating.

That changed after four days.

Albedo eventually noticed the dark circles under his eyes and with concern asked if he was still having trouble sleeping. Since Dorian was meant to be building trust- he lied and said he was having strange dreams that kept waking him up. It wasn’t entirely false. Dreams were part of the reason he avoided sleeping, but they weren’t exactly nightmares either and he had to avoid explaining what he was actually seeing in them.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly do you see in these dreams?”

“A void.”

“A void?”

“I’m alone in it and no matter how much I scream or beg, no one finds me until I slowly just… disappear.”

“Dorian…”

“It’s quite stupid. Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s not stupid, but since you clearly don’t want to continue talking about it I won’t press you anymore. However, in regards to your sleep issue, I can make a potion that could help you rest properly.”

“A potion?”

“There’s no need to be wary. It’s a mild relaxant. It will calm your body and give you dreamless sleep so you won’t experience those nightmares anymore.”

Since then, Albedo had started giving him tea mixed with the potion. Dorian would have gotten rid of it immediately if not for his plan, but he needed to keep up the act that he was improving. If he refused it it would raise questions. So every time Albedo offered it, he drank it in front of him.

He was past the point where he distrusted the food Albedo offered him. He was fairly confident Albedo wouldn’t risk breaking his ‘trust’ by secretly drugging him in a harmful way, especially not after everything that had already happened between them. That at least made things a whole lot easier.

Annoyingly, the potion worked perfectly. Dorian had never slept so well in his life, no dreams, no memories, nothing disturbing him. Just deep and peaceful rest. If only… he had this potion back when he kept reliving his deaths in his dreams. It would have made everything so much easier, but there was no point thinking about what-ifs now.

He felt guilty for pushing away memories of his older brother, but he also knew that the more he remembered the more it would break him apart. He couldn’t risk anything that might disrupt his focus, or interfere with the plan. Besides, he told himself he would make it up to his brother once he brought him back.

After a week had passed, Dorian decided he had done enough acting. It was finally time to move forward and finally get out of the chains. It was almost time for Albedo to arrive with breakfast and with it the moment the plan would begin. A knock came at the door, signaling his arrival. Dorian straightened slightly and took a slow breath to steady himself as the door opened.

Here goes nothing.

“Good morning, Dorian.” Albedo stepped into the room carrying the usual breakfast tray, setting it down with the same quiet routine he had followed every morning for the past week. Resting on the plate as expected were hash browns.

Dorian had to fight the urge to sigh. He had mentioned liking them once- once and somehow Albedo had taken that as a reason to serve them every single morning since.

“You seem displeased.” Albedo tilted his head slightly as he looked at him, it was an observation rather than an accusation.

“You’ve been feeding me hash browns for breakfast every day for the past week.” Dorian replied, keeping his voice as even as he could. “I’m getting sick of potatoes.”

Albedo blinked once before raising an eyebrow. “But you said you liked them.”

For a split second, Dorian nearly buried his face in his hands. “I don’t like any food enough to eat it for seven days straight.” he said dryly. “I’m fairly certain that’s true for most people.”

“I wouldn’t say most people.” Albedo replied thoughtfully. “Klee and Durin would happily eat their favorite meals three times a day for an entire month, if I let them.” A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “I assumed you were similar.”

“I don’t have a favorite meal.” Dorian said simply.

“I just have foods I dislike less than others.” With another quiet sigh, Dorian reached for one of the hash browns and took a bite. “…And after today,” he muttered between chews, “this won’t be one of them anymore.”

“I’ll make you something else tomorrow.” Albedo said with a quiet chuckle before taking his usual seat on the edge of the bed. It had become part of his routine. He never left immediately after bringing breakfast. Instead he stayed until Dorian finished eating, making idle conversation as though they were simply sharing breakfast together instead of one of them being chained to the bed. Dorian still hadn’t figured out why. It was almost as if Albedo simply wanted to spend time with him. After a moment, Albedo spoke again. “You look better.”

Dorian glanced up from his plate. “Do I?”

Albedo studied him for a second before giving a small nod. “You no longer look half dead.”

“I don’t know. I can’t really say since someone took all the mirrors out of my room.” Dorian said with a small huff, taking another bite of his food.

“It was for pre-”

“Yes yes, I know.” Dorian interrupted, rolling his eyes. “So I wouldn’t break one and use the shards to hurt someone, right?”

Albedo shook his head lightly. “It was more so that you wouldn’t hurt yourself.”

The correction made Dorian pause for a brief moment, his expression flickering before he continued eating again as though nothing had changed. “…My head does feel clearer now compared to a few weeks ago.” He admitted after a moment, his voice quieter than before.

“A proper amount of sleep and food does wonders.”

“It’s not like you gave me a choice.” Dorian said, his thoughts briefly returning to the threat made against Fellflower.

“I am sorry.” Albedo apologized and his voice was sincere. The tone made something in Dorian twist uncomfortably. He suddenly lost his appetite. “You really left me with no choice Dorian. It was either that or watching you slowly kill yourself.” Dorian didn’t respond. He just looked away instead. “If it makes you feel better- which I know it won’t. I never intended to follow through with that threat.”

Dorian let out a quiet breath through his nose, his shoulders dropping slightly. “It doesn’t make me feel better.” he said flatly. “But at least now I can relax.”

“I am sorry.” Albedo said once again. Dorian’s irritation flickered but he forced it down, keeping himself composed no matter how badly he wanted to reach over and strangle Albedo.

“I’m done.” he muttered, pushing the plate away and refusing to acknowledge the apology any further.

“I’ll see you during lunch.” Albedo replied, standing up and picking up the tray. It seemed he assumed the conversation was over and Dorian simply wanted space so he turned to leave.

“Albedo wait!”

The words came out louder than Dorian expected and despite this being said for the sake of his grand plan- Dorian still felt incredibly embarrassed with how desperate he had sounded.

Albedo halted immediately, turning back with a look of clear surprise. “Is something the matter?” Albedo asked, sounding a little taken aback. Dorian couldn’t understand why he reacted that way. It was as if simply calling out to him had been enough to break some unspoken expectation.

Right… this is the first time you’ve said his name.

He looked away and gripped the blanket a little tighter to steady himself. “I… I have a request.” he said, deliberately adding a nervous edge to his tone.

Albedo set the tray aside properly this time and turned his full attention to him, his expression shifting into something more curious. “What is it?”

“If you can just-” Dorian cut himself off mid-sentence, letting the silence stretch for a moment as if he were struggling to find the right words, carefully crafting the illusion of hesitation. “I want to apologize to… Durin.”

Albedo’s eyes widened instantly, the surprise so plain on his face that for a brief second Dorian had to suppress the urge to laugh at how easily it worked, though he made sure none of it showed.“Apologize?” Albedo repeated, his voice catching slightly, as though he hadn’t quite processed what he had just heard.

Dorian kept his expression lowered, his gaze dropping to his hands. “Only… if he wants to see me.” he said after a pause, deliberately subdued.

He felt the bed shift slightly as Albedo sat beside him. “Of course he wants to see you.” Albedo said without hesitation. “More than anything else, he’s been begging me to let him come here but I…” His voice faltered, trailing off before he could finish the thought.

For a moment, Dorian didn’t respond at all. That didn’t make sense. Was the fake Durin stupid? Why would he want to see him after everything that had happened? “I… didn’t think he would want to.” Dorian admitted slowly, his voice quieter now.

Albedo shook his head. “He misses you a lot. He asks about you every day, and-” he paused, letting out a slow breath. “He also blames himself, for what happened back in Dragonspine.”

Of course he did. That did not surprise Dorian in the slightest. The idiot had always been like that-far too self-sacrificing, far too naive for his own good. “He should not think that way.” Dorian said flatly. “I was the one who attempted to kill him.”

“He said he provoked you.”

Dorian shook his head. “That is not enough justification for what I did.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I…” Dorian purposely didn’t finish his sentence and stayed silent for a moment, looking up at the ceiling as if he was trying to find the right answer there. He made sure the pause felt natural like he was struggling to put his thoughts into word. He was aware of Albedo’s burning gaze on him. He wasn’t surprised, this was after all something Albedo had wanted to understand from the very beginning.

“Dorian, please.” Albedo said again, almost pleading. “You know I can’t let you see him unless you tell me what happened- unless you explain your actions.”

“I understand.” Dorian replied, his tone hollow. “However, there is nothing to explain. I genuinely do not know why I did it.”

Albedo frowned, the confusion finally breaking through his calm composure. “I don’t understand. What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I mean precisely that.” Dorian answered quietly. “I had no reason to attempt to kill him.”

“Then why-”

“I do not know how to explain it.” Dorian said after a moment, his voice tightening slightly as if the words themselves were difficult to shape. “In that moment, it just- never mind. It would sound foolish.” He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to continue. “You do not need to bring him into the room. Simply have him stand in the doorway and I will apologize from a distance.”

Dorian shifted, already moving as if to end the conversation but Albedo’s hand closed around his arm and held him in place. “No. Wait.” Albedo said, firmer this time. Dorian stopped and looked at him with mild surprise. “I need you to answer me truthfully.” Albedo continued. “At that moment… did it feel like you were not yourself?”

Dorian’s eyes widened slightly. “What are you-”

“Think carefully.” Albedo interrupted. “When you attacked him, did it feel as though someone else was controlling your actions?”

Dorian fell silent, his expression tightening in faux concentration as he pretended to search through the memory. “No.” he said at last. “I was in control of my body. It was not as if I was being puppeteered but something felt… off. As though my emotions were not entirely my own, as if-”

“-as if something was pushing you to react in ways you normally would not?” Albedo finished.

“How do you know all of this?” Dorian asked, letting a faint tone of shock slip into his tone, just enough to sound unsettled rather than defensive.

“I had my suspicions.” Albedo replied. “Durin also mentioned that you had been behaving unusually for some time.”

At least that fake had been useful for something.

Dorian fell silent for a moment, as though weighing the words carefully. “Suspicions of what exactly?”

Albedo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his analytical gaze stayed fixed on him as though he were putting together pieces he had been collecting for a long time. “That what happened was not entirely a matter of choice.” He said at last. “That something may have been influencing your emotional state… your reactions.”

Dorian shook his head. ““No no.” he denied. “You are mistaken. I am not corrupted by the Abyss.”

“Dorian please. Let me examine you.” Albedo said again, his voice laced with concern.

“It is not the Abyss.” Dorian replied immediately. “I am certain of that. Rhinedottir ensured I am immune to corruption.”

“Then how do you explain what happened?”

Dorian paused, just long enough to make the answer sound more thoughtful. “It could have been a side effect of my experiment with the Whopperflower.” he stated. “I did inhale some unusual fumes during the process.”

“Durin said you were acting strangely before that as well.” Albedo replied immedietly. Dorian’s hands tightened, mock irritation flashing across his expression. “Do you recall anything unusual before that?” Albedo asked.

“I don’t-” Dorian stopped mid-sentence, as if something had suddenly surfaced in his memory. His eyes widened slightly. “I went to the cave.” he said, his voice sounding almost breathless.

“Cave?” Albedo repeated.

“The one where the original Durin’s heart was.” Dorian clarified.

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“I was collecting Starsilver nearby.” Dorian replied, his tone turning faintly bitter. “When I felt a strange pull towards the cave. I suppose it had something to do with it being my burial site before I returned to life.”

Albedo made a quiet sound of acknowledgement. “That does make sense.” He said. His eyes narrowed slightly. “And inside the cave?”

“Do not lecture me for this.” Dorian said after a brief pause, “But I touched the hollow husk where the dragon’s heart once was.”

“I cannot even begin to describe how poor a decision that-” Albedo began, his tone sharpening.

“I know.” Dorian cut in, crossing his arms to dismiss the reprimand before it fully formed. “I assumed it would be harmless, considering it was empty, but…”

“But you touched it and were affected.” Albedo finished for him.

“I am not corrupted.” Dorian repeated immediately, a thin edge of urgency slipping into his voice.

“Durin said he found you outside the cave having a panic attack.” Albedo continued with a displeased tone. “With what you have told me, it all points toward exposure to residual abyssal energy left near the heart.”

“That is not sufficient evidence.”

“Isn’t it?” Albedo asked. “You yourself said the change began after you visited the cave. The pattern is consistent.”

Dorian’s expression tightened. “Look at me.” he said. “Do you see any signs of Abyssal corruption? If I were truly corrupted, I would not be capable of holding a conversation like this.”

“That doesn’t prove there was no Abyssal energy at all.” Albedo replied. “It may still have been there, just in a weaker form. Not strong enough to take over your mind, but strong enough to affect it.” He paused briefly before continuing. “So the fact that you didn’t lose control doesn’t necessarily mean you were immune.” Dorian shot him a venomous look. Albedo raised a hand slightly before the tension could escalate. “I am not implying you are… defective.” he added, the word chosen with visible hesitation, as though he disliked saying it at all.

“Is it not? Because it clearly seems that way.” Dorian scoffed.

“For the past five hundred years- you were within the remains of an Abyssal dragon. It is possible that over time whatever resistance you had was gradually weakened.” Dorian went still, the explanation was infuriatingly reasonable. “I am not accusing you of dishonesty.” Albedo continued, before Dorian could cut in again, “And as I said before, even I am not entirely immune to the effects of Abyssal corruption relating to Durin-“

“That’s quite literally just you being paranoid.”

Albedo didn’t pause. “But at present, there is not enough evidence to treat your immunity as a guaranteed fact.”

A heavy silence followed. Eventually Dorian let out a slow exhale, the tension in his posture easing into something closer to reluctant acceptance. “Fine.” he said at last. “You have made a valid argument. Go ahead and examine me.”

Albedo gave a small nod, though he did not speak immediately. Instead he raised his hand and paused just before making contact, as if giving Dorian a final moment to object. “I will only observe your condition.” he said quietly. “If there is anything affecting you, it should become evident through direct examination.”

“Go ahead.”

Albedo’s hand moved closer, stopping just short of Dorian’s face before soft golden light began to gather at his fingertips. Dorian tensed at once, every instinct urging him to pull away but he forced himself to stay still. After a few moments, Albedo withdrew his hand, a faint frown forming as he studied the result.

Dorian met his gaze with an unimpressed look. “Found nothing?” He said knowingly.

Albedo frowned. “No.” he said quietly. “I did find something.” Dorian felt his heart drop. “There are traces of Abyssal energy within you.”

Huh

“W-What?” Dorian’s composure cracked for the first time since this conversation started. “That… that is not possible.”

“Do not panic.” Albedo said, noticing the alarm in his voice. “The traces are exceptionally faint and they are already fading. Whatever remained is dissipating on its own. It never fully settled within your body.”

Dorian stared at him in disbelief. “No…” he muttered. “There should not be anything left to dissipate.” His voice rose in volume. “I am immune to Abyssal corruption. Immune.” He did not know whether he was trying to convince Albedo or himself. “Rhinedottir told me specifically that I-” The words caught in his throat.

“Dorian?” Albedo’s voice was filled with concern. Dorian didn’t answer. His eyes had gone distant, unfocused as if he was no longer fully present in the room. “Dorian.” Albedo said again, firmer now, reaching out to steady his shoulder. “What is wrong?”

It took a while before Dorian blinked, as if he had just woken up from a long dream, then slowly refocused his eyes on Albedo. His posture sank almost immediately, shoulders drawing in. “How long was I out for?” he asked quietly.

“Not long.” Albedo watched him closely. “You remembered something didn’t you?” he asked, more quietly now.

Dorian avoided his gaze. “Yes.” he said at last. “I believe it was a memory from before my first death.”

“I will not force you to speak about it if you do not wish to.” Albedo said carefully. “However, if it is relevant to the cause of this issue, then-”

“I will tell you.” Dorian interrupted. “There is no need to prolong this. I have always remembered Master telling me I was immune to abyssal corruption but that was only part of the memory.”

“And I am assuming you got the rest of the memory back just now?”

“Yes.” Dorian continued, bitterness creeping into his voice. “How convenient that the rest returns now.” A hollow laugh escaped him. “Rhinedottir said I was immune to Abyssal corruption… but not to the Abyss’ influence.”

Albedo furrowed his brows. “You mean the effects it has before true corruption takes hold?”

Dorian nodded. “As you know abyssal corruption does not happen all at once. The energy first affects the mind. It stirs emotions, clouds judgment, amplifies impulses. If enough of it accumulates, it eventually takes root within the body. Once that happens…” His expression darkened. “…it begins to consume the person until there is nothing left of who they once were.”

“I am familiar with that.” Albedo replied quietly. “But you have never reached that stage of corruption, no matter how much exposure you had to the Abyss.”

That was true. Dorian had spent centuries in one of the deepest part of the abyss and yet, he had still come out fully sane, as if something within him had simply refused to be consumed no matter how long he remained there. The abyss had never been able to erode his mind the way it did with others.

Dorian lowered his gaze to his hands. “My body rejects the corruption before it can take root but it does not prevent the abyss from affecting my mind while the energy is still present.”

Albedo’s eyes widened slightly as the pieces aligned. “That explains the traces I detected.” he murmured. “The energy never properly fused with your body. It was already in the process of being expelled.”

“And while it was being expelled.” Dorian said resentfully, “It was still warping my thoughts.”

A brief silence settled between them.

“I had assumed your susceptibility was a result of prolonged exposure to the abyss within the original Durin.” Albedo said at last. “But if what you describe is true… then your constitution differs from mine by design not circumstance?”

“Yes.” Dorian pointed briefly towards Albedo. “I told you you were being paranoid.” He let out a short, dry chuckle. “You are immune to the abyss altogether. I am only immune to becoming corrupted by it.” He looked away, his jaw tightening. “One of the many reasons Rhinedottir considered me defective I suppose. Convenient for you though. Every flaw she saw in me, she corrected in you.”

“I’m sor-”

“Save your apologies. I have no need for them.” Dorian cut in “Rhinedottir ensured I could never be fully corrupted but she failed to consider what would happen before the corruption ever reached that stage. She only realized it after running a series of tests on me… and noticing that I had begun to behave differently.”

“Behave differently… so similar to how you acted in Dragonspine.” Albedo said quietly.

“Yes.” Dorian admitted. “Now that I think about it, it was the same feeling. That constant edge of anger like anything could push me over it.” His fingers tightened slightly against his palm as he continued. “Because of my advanced healing any physical effects from the Abyss were eventually repaired. However, the mental effects remained for as long as the energy was still present.” His expression darkened at the memory. “When Durin told me he would follow me to Dragonspine every day because you had asked him to… I do not know what changed in me but in that moment I felt such intense hatred towards him that-”

“You tried to kill him.” Albedo finished.

Dorian looked at him with a carefully arranged expression of guilt. “It was a significant overreaction.”

“You can say that again.”

“But as you stated my body is filtering out the energy from the abyss which means I-”

“You are going back to normal.” Albedo interrupted, tilting his head slightly as he studied him. “I thought it was unusual. Over the past week you became progressively more subdued. I assumed it was due to concern for your flower companion. It appears I was incorrect.”

“I do not know how long it will take for the remaining abyssal energy to disappear completely.” Dorian admitted. “But it no longer seems strong enough to cloud my judgment the way it did before.” His gaze drifted towards his hands. “Each day my thoughts became a little clearer. Looking back it was as though I had been watching myself through a haze. Only today did I fully manage to understand the weight of what I had done.”

“I see.” Albedo said stoically.

“See what?” Dorian asked, confused.

“It would be logical to keep you under observation until we can confirm all remaining abyssal energy has been fully cleared from inside your body, only then can I release you.” Albedo continued.

Dorian hesitated. “I’m fine with that I think it may take another week for the energy to completely disappear. Until then just bring Durin here so I can properly apologize.”

“….”

Albedo said nothing. He only continued to look at him. Dorian despite his familiarity with Albedo’s expressions, could not interpret this one. “…Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Dorian.”

“Yes?”

“Are you aware that when you lie you subconsciously start imitating my manner of speech?”

What?

Dorian’s throat went dry. “What are you talking about?”

“It is mostly your tone.” Albedo continued. “I find it rather interesting. Almost… endearing. Do you do it because you believe it makes you sound more convincing?” Albedo’s expression remained calm but his tone carried a strange lightness that didn’t match his gaze at all.

“I d-do not.” Dorian replied quickly, composure slipping. “I was not lying.” He forced himself to steady his voice. “You are the one who said there is abyssal energy within me.”

“That’s true.” Albedo said. “And as much as I wish abyssal energy were the reason for your actions, I know it is not.” He exhaled softly and rose from the edge of the bed. Dorian stayed seated, watching him with a thinly contained anger. “If I let you go now-” Albedo continued. “I know that you will try to kill Durin again. Regardless of abyssal corruption or not… your intent will remain the same.”

Dorian inhaled deeply. He could not afford to lose control now- there had to be a way to pull this back into his favor. “That is ridiculous I have no reason to hurt Durin. Are you certain you are not the one affected by abyssal energy?” he said sharply. “You are not thinking clearly Albedo.” He hesitated, then continued with a tone of worry. “Maybe you got affected when you touched me.”

“I highly doubt that is the case. After all you yourself stated that I am immune to any form of abyssal corruption.”

Dorian gave a small shrug. “I thought it was the same for me until a few minutes ago. Turns out I was wrong.” A faint, almost sweet smile tugged at his lips. “So we cannot completely rule out the possibility that you might be the one losing your mind Albedo.”

Albedo just sighed. “Dorian… please stop this act. I am already aware of your relationship with the original Durin.”

Dorian went still.

“…What relationship?” he asked.

“I admit at first I could not understand why you would go so far as to attempt to kill Durin.” Albedo said, pacing slowly across the room. “I could not find a reason that made sense, no matter how I examined it. That is why I initially assumed abyssal corruption was responsible.” He glanced toward Dorian as he continued. “When I spoke with Durin he insisted you attacked him because he reminded you of the original Durin. He was convinced you were corrupted, that the Abyss was distorting your perception and making you see things that were not there.” Dorian sat completely still, his expression blank, his body going rigid as the Albedo continued talking.“However instinct told me I was overlooking something- that this was not the full story and a week ago I was proven right.”

“Right how?” Dorian asked faintly, though he already knew he did not want the answer-something in him already suspected it was undoubtably his own fault. He must have said something stupid.

Albedo paused for a moment before speaking again. “You said to me, ‘you and that fake aren’t my brothers’,” he repeated calmly. “Those were your exact words.” Dorian’s shoulders sank as the realization settled in.

It really was over.

Albedo continued. “After that I went back to Durin and asked him to recount your last conversation with him- specifically what was actually said not what he assumed had happened.” He glanced aside briefly. “And from there it became clearer. You reacted angrily when he called you ‘little brother.’ You told him he was a fake and that he would never be him.” A faint, almost tired expression crossed Albedo’s face. “I’m assuming the ‘him’ in question referred to the original Durin?” He asked Dorian.

Dorian did not reply.

Albedo took his silence as confirmation, a faint wry smile forming on his face. “After that connecting the dots was fairly straightforward.” he said. “Although,” he added, “if Durin had explained everything properly from the start, I likely would have understood the reason behind your actions without your slip-up.” His expression softened slightly. “But I cannot blame him for not reading too deeply into it. You snapping at either of us is… not exactly unusual.” Then his tone grew quieter. “And neither of us could have predicted that you were once close with the same dragon that consumed you.”

Albedo tilted his head, waiting for Dorian to speak but Dorian said nothing he only stared back at him. No words came because there was nothing left worth saying. Everything he had spent so long planning had collapsed into nothing. It was over.

And it was his own fault.

He had been so careful around Albedo, deliberately avoiding any mention of the accident because he knew how easily he could slip and say something he shouldn’t. He had told himself that as long as he stayed cautious, nothing stupid would come out of his mouth, but in the end, even with all that effort, he had still messed up anyway.

He felt so angry- it felt like he could explode. He had wasted the one chance he had and now he would probably never be able to escape from these chains.

“Dorian.” Albedo’s voice carried concern as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Dorian reacted instantly. He grabbed Albedo’s wrist and pulled him forward, forcing him down onto the bed. The sudden movement made Albedo fall back onto the mattress. Before he could fully process it, Dorian leaned in and pinned him there, his hands wrapping around Albedo’s neck.

“You’re saying you figured it out last week… so if that’s true, if you already knew-” Dorian struggled to get the words out, his hands still around Albedo’s throat, though they shook too much to truly apply force. “Then all of today… you knew I was lying to you from the start.”

And that was what made Dorian the angriest, because now he knew that Albedo had been playing him for a fool from the very beginning, that all the concern he had shown was nothing more than a lie and the more he thought about it the more he was convinced that Albedo had probably been enjoying it in some sick, twisted way, mentally laughing at him the entire time as Dorian made a fool of himself without even realizing it.

“That is correct.” Albedo replied without hesitation. He brought his hands up and placed them over Dorian’s but made no attempt to remove his grip.

“Why humor me then?” Dorian let out an angry laugh. “You sick fuck I bet you probably get off at humiliating me!”

Albedo attempted a small shake of his head, though the movement was restricted by Dorian’s grip. “You asked to speak with me and when you said you wanted to apologize to Durin… I thought perhaps you had realized your mistake. That you understood killing him would not achieve anything.”

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

“But then-”

“I started imitating you and you figured out I was lying. ” Dorian said sharply.

“I had hoped it was excess Abyssal energy amplifying your hatred towards Durin.” Albedo said “But once I examined you properly, I realized that wasn’t the case. You were… normal. Unfortunately.”

“Normal?” Dorian repeated with a frown. Then his eyes widened. His grip around Albedo’s throat tightened. “So you lied to me. I wasn’t corrupted after all.”

“No- I did not lie,” Albedo forced out. “You are corrupted Dorian. There has always been Abyssal energy within you. Why do you think your eyes are red?”

It felt like someone had just slapped him.

“How about…blueberry?”

“…You picked the first thing you saw.”

“Your eyes are blue like blueberries!”

Right Durin had said his eyes were blue hadn’t he? How the hell had Dorian not noticed something was wrong-

Dorian’s hold loosened slightly, as realization broke through his anger. Albedo slowly raised a hand, gently cupping Dorian’s face and if Dorian hadn’t been so shocked he would have surely recoiled away from his touch. “Physically you and I are almost identical.” he said softly. “Everything except the eyes. That was never intentional-Master always meant for us to match completely but the years you spent inside the original Durin changed that.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Abyssal energy did not corrupt you in the usual way because of your immunity. Instead, it merged with you over time. You never lost your mind but it became part of your body. Ever since your resurrection there has always been a low level of abyssal energy within you.”

Dorian’s voice dropped. “…How can it merge with me? You said my body filters abyssal energy out.”

“When you were inside the original Durin’s stomach you were constantly exposed to abyssal energy, your body filtered it out as much as it could, but as quickly as it removed it, you were exposed again, creating a cycle that continued until eventually a portion of that Abyssal energy became permanently integrated within you and now your body cannot filter out what has already become part of you because doing so would only kill you.” Albedo explained. Dorian didn’t respond, instead shifting his gaze away and looking anywhere except at him. “When I examined you.” Albedo continued. “I had hoped I would find excess abyssal energy within you- energy that was not naturally part of you and yet I was wrong.”

Dorian stared up at the ceiling, his expression blank. “Maybe there was and my body managed to clear it out before you examined me.” he deadpanned.

“That is unlikely.” Albedo replied. “It has only been a month since your hypothetical exposure. That is not enough time for complete filtration.”

“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you.” Dorian said with a weak chuckle.

“That is generally how conversations work.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I noticed you acted a bit strangely the moment you learned there were traces of Abyssal energy within you.” Albedo said after a brief silence.

Dorian turned his head back towards him. “Quite the expert at reading me aren’t you?”

Albedo tilted his head slightly. “I assume that was not part of your plan?”

“My plan- ” Dorian let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “Since you’re so clever and always ten steps ahead, why don’t you tell me what you think my plan actually was Albedo?” he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Albedo let out a quiet sigh as he pushed Dorian off him. Dorian didn’t resist. It was not like he was going to strangle Albedo anytime soon- that was simply not possible with the strength difference between them and the position they were in was starting to become awkward. “You were going to claim you attacked Durin because of abyssal corruption.” Albedo said actually staring to explain his plan.

Dorian blinked. “I was being sarcastic.”

Albedo continued as if he hadn’t heard him. “It was a risky plan,” he said, “but given your situation you likely had few options.” Dorian scoffed and looked away. “You expected me to find no traces of Abyssal energy in you.” Albedo explained. “In that case, you would have said your body had already filtered it out but you did not anticipate me detecting it.” He paused briefly.“You were also certain you were immune to Abyssal corruption.” Albedo continued. “You intended to act as if that wasn’t the case but ironically that assumption turned out to be correct.” His gaze stayed on Dorian

“Perhaps that is why you devised this plan in the first place.” he added. “Because somewhere deep down, you already suspected you were not entirely unaffected by the Abyss.”

What a load of bullshit.

Dorian had come up with that plan in the first place because it was the only way he could shift the blame away from himself and onto something else, not because he genuinely had some gut feeling about not being immune to abyssal corruption or anything like that. Regardless of that, now he knows that there was yet another reason his plan was never going to work from the start because unlike what he had assumed, one week simply had not been enough time for his body to return to normal and if he had insisted that he simply filtered out abyssal energy the way he had originally planned to claim, then Albedo would have seen straight through it and called him out on the lie immediately.

Dorian grimaced. “When did you realize I dropped the act?” He deliberately ignored the last part of Albedo’s statement.

“It was fairly obvious.” Albedo replied. “The moment you remembered what Master had actually told you, you lost all your composure.”

Right. Of course.

That was the moment Dorian had lost control of himself. That memory had caught him off guard, never mind the fact that his brain had terrible timing, it had also shattered his belief in something he had been so certain about. He had believed so firmly in his own immunity that hearing otherwise had thrown him off balance. How was he supposed to react? He had intended to pretend he wasn’t immune. Instead, he had discovered that his immunity had never been what he thought it was.

For a moment, he’d completely forgotten he was supposed to be acting. Once the shock wore off, he’d convinced himself the memory could still be useful. If anything, it made his explanation seem more convincing. Everything had still been working out in his favor. He had been convinced Albedo believed every word.

He was wrong.

“Well then.” Dorian said with a short huff. “It seems that my grand plan failed.” He rolled his eyes. “Now then what do you plan on doing?” He looked at Albedo with a raised brow. “How about you just let me go and drop me off someplace far from here?”

Albedo deadpanned. “So you can come back later and kill Durin.”

Dorian let out a short, amused laugh. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.” he mused. “Are you going to keep me chained up in here forever?”

“Of course not.”

Dorian’s expression tightened. “You see the problem, don’t you? There isn’t any real solution to this. You can say you don’t want to keep me here forever all you but unless you keep me restrained indefinitely, nothing is stopping me from going after that fake again.”

“Dorian please- there is no reason for you to hate him.” Albedo said, his voice softening in a way that almost sounded pleading. “Durin loves you more than you could ever imagine. He was the one who refused to leave you in that prison, the one who convinced me to bring you here and unlike me, he wasn’t blinded by ignorance or suspicion because he saw you as a real person from the very beginning and understood you for what you truly were.”

Maybe those words would have meant something, if they had been about literally anyone else, but they were about the fake Durin and that alone was enough to make them meaningless because Dorian could not bring himself to care about someone who had stolen his brother’s place, no matter how kind he acted or how genuine his feelings seemed.

“That sounds like a him problem.” Dorian sneered.“He’ll regret getting me out of that prison the moment I put a sword through his chest.”

For a brief moment, Albedo’s calm expression cracked, a flash of anger crossing his face. It wasn’t really surprising after all Dorian knew that the image of his precious brother being killed was not something he was willing to tolerate. “Durin is innocent. He has done nothing wrong-“

“Nothing wrong?” Dorian snapped, cutting him off. “You killed my real older brother and you still think you can pretend to play family with me?”

“Your real older brother?” Albedo repeated, his expression shifting into something confused before his shoulders sank slightly. “I see… this is more complicated than I expected.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you already know that?” Dorian asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

He pressed his fingers to his temple, a faint frustration in his voice. “I knew you two were familiar with each other but I misread the situation. I assumed your anger came from Durin calling you ‘little brother’ despite being younger than you because he was claiming the identity of the original Durin- someone who would have been older than you.” His gaze lifted slightly, thoughtful. “I did not realize it was because you truly considered the original Durin your older brother.”

“For someone as intelligent as you.” Dorian said looking at him unimpressed. “That was a lot of mental gymnastics just to convince yourself that Durin wasn’t my older brother when the correct explanation was quite literally obvious.”

“That is because I wasn’t aware that it was even possible, given you were both under Master’s care at the same time and that she made it clear we creations were not meant to see each other as family.”

“Oh we made sure she didn’t know.” Dorian began, then stopped abruptly, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter.” His eyes snapped back to Albedo, burning with fury. “I will never forgive either of you. Not for as long as I live.” Albedo said nothing, only watching him with a quiet, sorrow filled expression. Dorian let out a tense breath. “I may be the one in chains but you’re the one backed into a corner Albedo.” he said bitterly. “This idea of yours- this so-called happy family it was never going to work.” His gaze hardened. “You have two choices.” he continued coldly. “Let me go so I can kill the fake Durin… or you kill me.”

“I refuse.” Albedo said immedietly, his voice tight with anger.

Dorian tilted his head slightly. “Why? It’s nothing you haven’t done before. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that difficult for you.” He raised a hand to his chin looking almost deep in thought. “I can even help you with the excuse for Durin and Klee. How about ‘Dorian ran away. He left a note saying he didn’t want to be found.’ Yes that would work. It sounds convincing enough.” His eyes drifted away for a moment. “Then just like before you can just bury my body somewhere no one will ever find it ” A brief pause. “Or better yet just bury me in the backyard. That way if you ever miss your darling little brother, you can come visit whenever you want. You seem rather intent on keeping me close after all.”

Albedo looked genuinely shaken, Dorian had never seen him like this before- it was quite a shock. “I won’t do any of that.” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.  “I told you before I will make sure the past never repeats itself.” He looked at Dorian with so much open grief that for a brief moment, the anger churning inside Dorian faltered.

He had never seen Albedo wear an expression like that. “…Why are you looking at me like that?” Dorian asked, unable to hide his disbelief.

Albedo was silent for a long moment, as though he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he spoke. “I…” He drew a shaky breath. “I wish you didn’t see me that way.” His eyes lowered. “But I can’t blame you for it.” He paused. “After everything… it is my own fault that this is how you see me. I am responsible for the way I treated you.”

Dorian wanted to laugh in his face. He wanted to mock him, to twist the knife while Albedo was finally showing the guilt Dorian had wanted him to feel for so long. He should have been satisfied. He should have enjoyed this. He should have felt vindicated.

Instead…

He felt nothing.

“You may not believe me.” Albedo said softly, “But I love you… as much as I love Durin and Klee.” At those words Dorian felt his body go rigid. “I won’t choose between you and Durin.” Albedo continued, his tone growing steadier now. “I won’t sacrifice either of you.” His expression hardened with resolve.

“I will find another way. I have to.”

It’s a lie. Dorian knows it’s a lie. So why does Albedo say it like those words carry any real meaning? Why does he stand there with that expression of guilt as if it could possibly undo what has already been done?  Does he really think this is enough- that not killing Dorian now somehow balances everything out? Is Dorian supposed to be grateful for that? Supposed to collapse in relief, forgive everything that happened in the past and call him brother now?

The very thought feels insulting. It’s absurd.

Dorian stared at him, disgust flickering across his expression. He didn’t even try to hide it. Albedo deserved this. After a moment he spoke. “Good luck with that.” he said coldly. “Nothing you say is going to change my mind and if you’re too much of a coward to kill me again then just knock me out and leave me somewhere far away-somewhere I’ll never find you or your precious family again.”

Albedo didn’t react outwardly but from his voice Dorian could tell he was drained. “You’re part of my family too. I won’t give up on you Dorian.”

“And I won’t give up on my real brother.” Dorian glared, crossing his arms.

“What?” Albedo’s voice came, laced with confusion.

Dorian froze.

Oh shit.

Another slip up. Another mistake! He slapped himself mentally in irritation.

You moron! How many times will you let your emotions get the better of you!

It’s fine. He can still salvage this. “I mean-” he corrected quickly. “I will get my revenge. I won’t let that fake live happily in a life that belongs to my brother.” There. That sounded incredibly convincing. There was no way that Albedo would-

“You plan to bring back the original Durin.”

Dorian had never hated himself more than in that moment. “I never said that.” he replied smoothly. “But if you’re telling me there’s a way… then I might consider it.”

“I’m sorry.” Albedo said, “But there is no way to bring him back.” Dorian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he would say that. He didn’t trust a word out of Albedo’s mouth anyway. “I see you don’t believe me.” Albedo added quietly.

“There’s nothing to believe.” Dorian said. “I’m not trying to bring him back. I know it’s impossible.”

“Dorian.” Albedo said more carefully, “The original Durin’s ‘heart’ has already merged with the current Durin. At this point, separating it would result in its immediate death.”

The audacity to lie to Dorian’s face again and again- “You mean your fake Durin would die without the real Durin’s heart.” Dorian shot back, glaring at him. “Because the real Durin’s heart had been sustaining itself for centuries.”

Albedo shook his head. “The ‘heart’ can no longer sustain itself independently.” He continued. “At this point, it only remains stable because it is bound to a host.” Albedo’s expression grew more serious. “Even if you made a new body to support the ‘heart’ it would not survive the extraction process. If you detach it there is nothing left to support it. The moment it’s removed from that bond the remaining energy collapses. It would burn out and die almost immediately.”

“You’re lying.” Dorian shot back immediately, though his hands had already begun to shake.

Albedo looked at him with that same pained expression again- one he’d been wearing far too often and one Dorian had come to resent. He hesitated as if weighing whether he should continue.

Don’t

“The ‘heart’ you’re referring to is no longer a heart in the way you understand it.” He said at last. “It is now functioning purely as a condensed energy source.”

Don’t say it.

“I’m sorry Dorian but-“

No please.

“The original Durin cannot be brought back anymore- his fate has already been rewritten.”

No no no no.

“The only thing that remains of him in the current Durin’s body is his abyssal energy.”

…

Dorian couldn’t breathe and for a moment it genuinely felt as if the air around him had been stripped away entirely, leaving nothing but a heavy, suffocating pressure in its place while Albedo’s voice continued somewhere in the distance, distorted and indistinct as though it belonged to another world entirely and not the one Dorian was currently trapped in.

All this time I thought that I could-

His heartbeat pounded in his ears so violently it drowned everything else out. His hands trembled uncontrollably. He knew this sensation all too well. It was the same crushing weight that had swallowed him in the cave, the moment he stood before Durin’s empty heart and felt something inside him crack.

Why does nothing ever go the way I want it to?

He could feel it happening again now, the slow draining of strength from his limbs, as though something invisible was pulling it out of him second by second, yet even as grief threatened to overwhelm him completely, there was something else beneath it that refused to let him fall the same way he had before, something far more volatile that flared hotter the more everything else tried to drag him under.

Hatred.

My life has always been so damn miserable

It steadied him in the worst possible way, locking his knees before they could give out, forcing his spine to remain upright, even as everything inside him trembled because no matter how much of him wanted to collapse under the truth of what he had just heard, there was another part that absolutely refused to give Albedo the satisfaction of seeing him break.

And it’s all his fault

His vision stayed unfocused for a moment and he stubbornly refused to accept that it might because of tears. He blinked hard, forcing the blur to clear up only then realizing that Albedo was much closer than before.

Now he could hear him clearly.

“Dorian, you’re having a panic attack. You’re safe-”

Albedo didn’t get to finish.

Dorian’s fist connected with his face.

Albedo stumbled back a step, then quickly regained his footing. His hand rose to his split lip, a faint frown forming as he assessed the damage, but there was no surprise in his expression, as though he had already anticipated exactly this outcome.

Well he would be an idiot not to expect that after what he had just said.

“I suppose I deserved that.”

Dorian didn’t bother responding. Instead he seized Albedo by the collar and drove him back into the wall, pinning him there with enough force to make the impact echo through the space.

Albedo didn’t resist and Dorian already knew he wouldn’t- yet that certainty only made the anger inside him burn hotter. Albedo knew Dorian couldn’t beat him in a fight. Durin had known it too. That was always how it went.

Neither of them ever fought back.

Not even when they absolutely should have. They simply endured it, standing there and taking it as though his rage was something that didn’t require real response, as if he were nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum they could safely wait out.

And that was the part Dorian couldn’t stand. The feeling that even now, even in moments like this, where Dorian so clearly wanted to end their lives, they still did not see him as something worth fearing at all.

“Albedo.” Dorian spat his name like a curse. “I thought you were supposed to be smart, someone who actually thinks things through before speaking.” His gaze locked onto those striking blue eyes, eyes that once in another life he might have shared and he had to force down the violent urge to rip those eyes right out of Albedo’s head. “Weren’t you trying to fix this?” he went on, his head tilting slightly as if trying to make sense of something absurd. “So explain to me why you would say something like that when you knew or at least should have known exactly how I would react the moment those words left your mouth?”

Albedo closed his eyes for a moment, as if collecting himself before reopening them and meeting Dorian’s gaze with a tired look. “I understand what you are feeling.” he said quietly.

“Don’t lie to me!”

“But I cannot hope to fix any of this if I avoid addressing what I believe is the root cause of the situation itself.” Albedo continued despite the interruption.

Dorian’s expression darkened immediately. “The root of the problem being my brother?” he demanded, disbelief and anger bleeding into every word as he stared at Albedo. Whatever he was implying was unacceptable.

“No no I didn’t mean it like that.” Albedo said quickly, shaking his head as if he could physically undo the direction the conversation had already taken. “I just-” He stopped again, his expression tightened with frustration at his own inability to phrase things correctly in a way that would not immediately worsen the situation between them, while Dorian simply stared at him with an unimpressed look. The sight alone was almost absurd enough to be laughable- Albedo of all people, stumbling over his own speech. Dorian’s grip on his collar tightened in a silent warning, pulling him just slightly forward as if to make it clear he was running out of patience. “How was I supposed to fix things between you and Durin-” Albedo tried once more.

“Fake Durin.”

“Durin.” Albedo corrected, emphasizing the name as he continued and Dorian immediately shot him a dirty look. “As I was saying how was I supposed to fix things between you and Durin if you had kept trying to kill him by tearing out what you believed was the original Durin’s heart in order to achieve something that was never even possible to begin with.” He spoke slowly, choosing his words with care, trying not to make things worse, while Dorian’s jaw tightened harder with every word, the tension in him building as he forced himself to listen without interrupting. “I know it was wrong of me to bring this up so abruptly but it is better that I tell you the truth now and remove any false hope before it can settle any deeper because allowing you to continue believing it would only lead to a much greater and far more painful, outcome for you later on.” Albedo continued after a brief pause.

Unfortunately Dorian realized with frustration that Albedo was right. If Dorian had gone with his plan and ripped the heart out of Fake Durin’s body only for it to die immedietly then…

He doesn’t know how he’d react to something like that. He just knows that it’s something he’d definitely wouldn’t be able to handle.

However regardless of him being right or whatever- he was not going to thank Albedo.

He was the entire reason why Dorian was in this sort of predicament in the first place.

I’m definitely going to kill you later

“You’re an idiot!” Dorian said, the words leaving him with a tired roll of his eyes, as he finally released Albedo’s collar and gave him one last shove before turning away, as though looking at him for another second would only make the pounding in his head worse. “You do realize this changes absolutely nothing don’t you? I’m still going to kill that fake Durin.” He dropped onto the edge of the bed and leaned his head back against the headboard, staring up at the ceiling in frustration. “…Actually.” he said after a moment, a humorless laugh escaping him. “I suppose one thing has changed.” He glanced at Albedo without lifting his head. “I’m adding you to my kill list.”

For a moment, Albedo simply blinked. “…Wait I wasn’t already on it?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused as he slowly made his way towards the bed.

“Shut up.” Dorian said, his voice now rough with exhaustion, as if the earlier burst of anger had burned itself out and left him drained, “And get out. I don’t want to hear your voice anymore.” He refused to look at Albedo keeping his eyes fixed on the window instead, maybe forcing his attention onto something other than the reason behind his anger would stop him from spiraling back into the overwhelming state he had just escaped from, even though his breathing was still uneven and his hands were still slightly shaking.

From the outside, it might have looked like he had finally calmed down, but that wasn’t what had actually happened at all because the surge of grief and anger that had taken over him only moments earlier had simply burned through its peak and collapsed under its own weight, leaving him completely drained in its aftermath. That was the only reason he had released Albedo and walked back to the bed in the first place because if he had stayed standing any longer while his body was still in that numb state, his legs would have given out beneath him completely.

“Dorian.” Albedo let out a frustrated sigh, as if he was trying to keep his patience from slipping. “You said you would never hurt Klee, correct?”

“Correct.” Dorian replied without hesitation. “Even if it would be the most efficient way to make you and that fake Durin feel even a fraction of what I’m feeling.”

Albedo went still at that, his gaze locking onto Dorian. “That suggests you’ve thought about doing it before.” he said quietly.

Dorian didn’t even blink. “Not nearly as many times as I’ve thought about killing you or that imposter.”

“Imposter.” Albedo repeated, his mouth tightening into a flat line as the word left him.

Dorian lifted a brow, watching him with annoyance. “You want to say something?”

“I was going to ask you to give Durin a chance.” Albedo said carefully, forcing himself to continue despite the tension in the air, “Because just like Klee he hasn’t done anything wrong-”

“It’s almost impressive,” Dorian cut in, voice edged with mockery. “that you can still stand there and say that after everything we’ve talked about today and expect me to agree with it. Seriously Albedo… has your brain stopped working completely?”

“I know nothing I say will make this easier for you to accept but we were backed into a corner. If I hadn’t found a way to stop the original Durin permanently, he would have brought calamity to all of Mondstadt.” Albedo said, his voice tightening in desperation.

“I don’t really care.” Dorian shot back immediately, sounding exhausted by the conversation as though he had run out of any real capacity to engage with the explanation anymore.

“I am not asking you to see this Durin as a replacement for the original one-” Albedo began again, speaking more quickly now, as if trying to get the thought out before Dorian shut him down completely.

“If you were I would have ripped your tongue out.” Dorian said coldly.

Albedo didn’t react to the threat in the slightest, not even pausing for a moment, as he continued speaking. “But I want you to try to give him a chance, to see him as his own person and not as the shadow of the original Durin.”

Dorian stared at him in disbelief for a long moment, as if he genuinely could not decide whether what he was hearing was ignorance or deliberate cruelty. “If you wanted me to treat him as his own person.” he said at last, his voice rising with disbelief and anger, “Then maybe you shouldn’t have given him that name in the first place because you don’t get to ask me to separate him from my brother when you’re the one who tied him to that identity and now you expect me to look at that imposter who has stolen my brother’s life, his dreams, his right to exist and call him another person?” He let out a short, bitter laugh. “If you hadn’t used him to replace my brother then maybe I could have accepted your little idea but as it stands, I will never accept him because he is nothing but a shallow copy… an imposter.”

The room went completely silent after that, the only sound left coming from the faint rhythm of crickets outside and Dorian was already on the edge of telling Albedo to leave, to take every last one of his miserable suggestions and never speak them in his presence again, when-

“But Dorian… didn’t you try to do the same thing?”

Dorian froze.

“…What did you just say?”

Albedo did not hesitate. “Isn’t it hypocritical to hate Durin for something you have also attempted in the past?” Something inside Dorian shifted all at once, it wasn’t the familiar surge of anger but something else entirely, his skin felt like it was being pricked with a thousand needles as his thoughts briefly broke apart and failed to settle into anything coherent. “The only difference is that Durin succeeded where you did not.”

“Get out.” Dorian said in a steely tone, though the effort to keep his voice from shaking came through in every word despite how hard he tried to suppress it.

Albedo however, did not move. “I never held a grudge against you for your attempts to kill and replace me.” He continued, speaking as if he were explaining something reasonable rather than saying something that only made the situation worse. “So I assumed that in time you might be able to extend the same understanding toward Durin as well, even if it would take you a while to reach that point.”

“I said get out!” Dorian shouted this time, whatever restraint he had left finally snapping as he grabbed the nearest object within reach- a book resting beside him and threw it straight at Albedo.

Albedo caught the book without any effort. “Alright, I do not wish to stress you any further.” he said and Dorian almost laughed at that- at the sheer contradiction of hearing something so considerate after everything that had already been said and done. “I will return in the afternoon with-”

“Do not.” Dorian cut in immediately through clenched teeth, his voice breaking slightly, as if even the idea of Albedo coming back was something he could not tolerate for another second. “If I see your face again I will kill you.”

Albedo did not react in any visible way, holding his gaze for a moment longer with an expression that revealed nothing of what he was thinking while Dorian stared back with exhaustion and hatred burning behind his eyes, neither of them willing to look away first. Then after a brief silence Albedo finally broke eye contact turning towards the door without argument and walking out as if he had already accepted that nothing further he could say would change the outcome of this conversation. “Have a good day, Dorian.” He said on his way out before the door closed behind him and left the room in a heavy silence.

Finally.

Only when Albedo’s footsteps had completely faded into the distance did Dorian’s strength give out at last, as though whatever had been holding him upright had simply snapped leaving him no choice but to drop onto the bed, before curling inward on instinct as his body stopped pretending it could endure any longer.

His chest felt unbearably cold, heavy and empty all at the same time, as if something important had been taken out and left behind a space that refused to close no matter how tightly he pressed himself into the mattress and when he buried his face into the pillow- it only muffled the world around him without easing the pressure sitting deep behind his ribs that made every breath feel painful and difficult.

He waited for tears that never came.

The absence of tears felt worse than crying itself because crying would have meant there was still an outlet for him, still a way for him to release him emotions, but instead there was only a strange, heavy emptiness that spread slowly through his thoughts, dulling them one by one until even the ability to fully feel things began to slip away. It left him feeling wrong in his own body as if he no longer fully fit inside it and for a brief moment, he had the urge to crawl out of his own skin just to escape the quiet, emptiness that had taken the place of everything.

A hypocrite.

That was what Albedo had called him and maybe in the simplest sense of the word it was even true.

So what.

Dorian had never claimed to be a good person and he had no intention of pretending otherwise. He wasn’t about to start now, just because someone had decided to hold a mirror up to him at the worst possible moment. Back then, he had rationalised it in a way that made sense in his own mind, telling himself that Albedo had already lived out what he considered a full existence. In Dorian’s mind what he had tried to do was not theft it was more closer to correction or reclamation because Albedo’s life had always been something that should have belonged to him in the first place, even if the world had decided otherwise.

That was the difference.

That had always been the difference between him and that fake Durin. Dorian had been trying to reclaim what he believed had been stolen from him, while the fake Durin had taken something that never belonged to him at all and acted like as if it was naturally his, as if there had never been another version of that life before him. As if he deserved this life more than its actual owner did.

But it did not matter anymore.

His brother was dead.

His brother was dead and repeating it over and over again in his mind did nothing to soften the reality of it. Everything he had been as a living being was discarded without consequence. All that remained of him now was his abyssal energy. He had been reduced to a power source for the imposter to use freely.

His older brother.

His kind, gentle older brother who had always looked at the world with warmth and care, who had given his kindness freely without expecting anything back was gone. Leaving behind only fragments of what he once was, none of them enough to feel like the whole person Dorian remembered.

Dorian stared up at the ceiling without really seeing it, wondering just how many times in the past month he had already arrived at the exact same conclusion, only to force himself to believe it meant something different each time.

The first time it had happened, he had let anger take over completely because it was loud and gave him something to cling to. Anger was strong, strong enough to drown out everything else, especially the grief that came before it.

The second time, he had tried to replace that anger with hope instead, convincing himself that maybe there was still a way to bring Durin back, even though somewhere deep down he had already known it was pointless, but he had refused to accept that truth because he did not know how he was supposed to continue existing if even that small, fragile hope disappeared.

And now there was nothing left at all, no anger to burn through and no hope to hold onto.

“There has always been abyssal energy inside of you.”

This entire damn time he had been carrying the abyss inside of him. Slowly, he lifted a hand to his eye, the movement instinctive despite knowing he could not see his own reflection, but he did not need to. He already knew what he would find. Red. The same red as the Abyss. A wave of nausea settled heavily in his stomach.

So that was it.

That was why he had been so different in his memories, why his anger had always felt so overwhelming and so difficult to control, no matter how hard he tried to hold it back and now that he had finally understood the reason- he realized the answer brought him no comfort at all because instead of helping him come to terms with his actions, it only left him questioning how much of the person he had become had truly been Dorian.

How much of his anger had actually belonged to him and how much of it had been shaped by the abyss that had lived inside him for centuries?

How many of his choices had truly been his own and how many had been made by something he had never even known was there?

Thinking back to his past, Dorian knew with absolute certainty that the version of himself from back then would never have been capable of hurting another living being, not out of anger, not out of hatred, not for any reason really and yet here he was now- someone who had tried to kill more than once, someone who had become everything his younger self would have been terrified to become.

But that no longer mattered because the damage had already been done- whether Abyssal energy had influenced his emotions or not Dorian had already decided what he was going to do next. If he could not bring his brother back, then he would have to go back to the very start. There was only one thing left to do and that was to make someone pay for it, to take revenge. In his mind there was nothing else left that felt possible or worth considering.

Maybe the Dorian from the past would have hated him for this, but the Dorian from the past had also ceased to exist and he was not the one suffering like the current Dorian was, so no- current Dorian was not going to let a shadow of his past self control his actions. Just like he had planned before, he would kill both Albedo and that fake Durin because if he could not undo what had been done, then least he could do was make sure his brother was avenged.

.

.

.

Oh who was he even trying to fool.

Dorian slowly lifted his hand, his eyes settling on the chains around his wrists and he stared at them for a long moment, as reality sank in more clearly because no matter how much he thought about revenge or escape none of it mattered, while he was still trapped here. His plan to escape had failed, it was entirely his fault because he couldn’t control his emotions and words and now there was nothing left to do, but face the consequences of his failure.

Even if by some impossible chance he managed to free himself then what? He had already tried to kill both Albedo and Durin before and both times he had failed, so his only real chance would be to catch them off guard, to wait, to plan, to hide and think through every detail of how he would carry out his revenge so that there would be no room for failure again.

Despite the emptiness in his body, despite how drained everything inside him felt, despite how badly he wanted to just give up- he knew he still had to escape no matter what because otherwise this would be his life from now on, locked in this room and treated like a pet- kept here like some sort of fragile possession under the twisted excuse of Albedo and Durin’s so-called affection.

It almost felt like he had fallen back into the void again, except this time there was still a chance he could break out.

He had to.

I don’t need anger or hope to keep me going

He would take these chains off.

All I need is a purpose

Even if it meant tearing his arms off.

He would get revenge. He owed that to his brother. It was the least he could do.