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“Miklan, quit joking around!” Sylvain attempted to sound nonchalant as his brother held him by the back of his collar, dangling him over the mouth of the well. Since when was he so strong?
“Who said I’m joking, my precious baby brother?” Miklan laughed as Sylvain began to struggle, “Even if you manage to get out of my grasp the only way is down.”
Sylvain reached one of his hands behind him, as far as he could reach, and dug his nails into Miklan’s wrist, causing him to cry out as he let go of Sylvain’s collar, grabbing his wrist and holding it close to his chest. Sylvain barely caught the ledge of the well, his small arms beginning to slip as he struggled to pull himself up.
Miklan walked around the well, so he could face Sylvain, looking down at him in disgust, “You shouldn’t have done that, you damned, spoiled brat.”
Just as Sylvain was about to pull himself up, Miklan shoved him off by his shoulders, watching as he fell with a smirk on his face. The freezing well water splashed once Sylvain hit the bottom, the sudden stop causing the wind to get knocked out of him. He gasped desperately to catch his breath, slumping against the wall, the water reaching his shoulders as he sat with his back against the stone wall.
Sylvain could vaguely hear his brother mutter something along the lines of, “Damn, he survived.” He wanted to shout up at his brother, but he was still struggling to catch his breath as his heart pounded in his ears, bruises already beginning to form on his pale skin. Once he was finally able to speak, Miklan was long gone, having walked away within seconds of seeing Sylvain at the bottom of the well.
With a deep, calming breath, Sylvain reminded himself that he wouldn’t be down there long. His parents would be getting worried any second now, and would surely send out some sort of search party to come get him soon. Once he was back home he could take a nice, warm bath to make up for the freezing water that he was currently sitting in.
Any second now they would come and find him.
Any second now.
Any second.
Quickly a few seconds turned into a few minutes. Then a few minutes turned into an hour. Then a few hours.
Day turned into evening which turned into night.
There were no stars in the sky. The moon overhead facing directly over Sylvain.
His body was becoming numb, fingers and hands turning a light shade of blue. His clothes and skin soaked in the iciness of the well water.
Days passed, and still no one had come for him. His small body became thin and sickly, his eyes sunken, cheeks hollow.
His teeth were becoming loose, falling out of his skull. His skin began peeling of its own accord, fingernails sliding off. His nose started to become loose, threatening to fall off.
Just as he was losing hope, Sylvain heard the distinct sounds of people talking, nearing the well. However, as he attempted to call out to them, alerting them to his presence, no noise escaped his throat, his mouth suddenly dry, but no matter how much of the water he drank still his voice wouldn’t come out.
Changing tactics, Sylvain decided to splash the water and bang his hands against the wall, to make as much noise as possible, but when he went to bring his arms up they would not budge. When he looked down in confusion he saw monster-like hands holding down his arms, the claws beginning to dig into the skin on his arms, easily puncturing through the sleeves of his shirt.
No matter how much he attempted to thrash around his arms wouldn’t break free, the grip of the claws tightening. Somehow, despite the numbness he had been feeling for days, he felt nothing but excruciating pain, blood beginning to dribble out of where the claws stabbed his skin. Before he could even think to move his legs, even more hands sprang up and grabbed them in a vice grip.
Quickly more hands shot out of the water, grabbing onto his shoulders, head, and face, dragging him down, underneath the water.
Unable to scream for help, Sylvain began to cry as all attempts to escape proved in vain.
As he was pulled underneath the water he could hear the laughs of his brother getting louder and louder, before suddenly he was there, at the top of the well and staring down at Sylvain.
“Not so special now, huh, my precious baby brother?” Miklan laughed like a madman, his head tilted backwards as his whole body began to shake.
Though it was likely only a few mere seconds, it felt like an eternity as Sylvain’s vision faded, everything going to black.
Suddenly Sylvain shot up in bed, gasping desperately for air. Despite it being the middle of winter, Sylvain was sweating buckets, his skin becoming slick and clammy as sweat dripped down his face and body. Tears spilled out of his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. His heart pounded in his ears, preventing him from being able to hear Dorothea whisper words of comfort as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head to rest on her bosom.
“It’s okay, Sylvain, I’m here. Shh, you’re safe. It’s okay, you’re okay.” Dorothea gently whispered into his ear, rubbing one of her hands up and down his back as he shook in her arms. “It was just a dream. I’m here with you.”
Slowly but surely Sylvain stopped shaking, his heart no longer pounding in his chest. His eyes still shut tight as his breathing returned to normal, the sound of Dorothea’s heartbeat helping to calm him. Dorothea gently lifted her hand to wipe away his tears before leaving a soft kiss on his forehead.
This wasn’t the first time Sylvain had woken up in a fright from a nightmare, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. The first time this happened when Dorothea was next to him had been before the war while they were still studying at the Knight’s Academy, she had been so startled by it that she panicked for a second before doing her best to comfort him.
Once Sylvain had calmed down enough, Dorothea carefully pried herself away from him, going to the adjacent bathroom to grab and wet a small cloth. She walked back into their bedroom after ringing out the excess water, and gently wiped the sweat off of his face, arms, and torso. She dropped the wet rag into the bathroom sink, and then lied back down in bed. Once she was fully lying down in bed Sylvain reached over, and held her close.
“Thank you, Dorothea.” He whispered as he rested his head on her bosom, beginning to fall back asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. “I love you.”
“I love you.” She whispered gently, kissing him on the top of his head while hugging him close. She closed her eyes, ready to fight off any demons that dared to disturb her husband.