Chapter Text
It was cold, bordering on freezing, the soft drizzle of rain somewhere in the distance as he sat in front of his table. The smell of fresh ink and old paper strong in the room, the scribble of a feather across pages the only sound that reached his ears. He haltered for only a moment, leaning back to think before he continued writing.
With a sigh Mikleo leaned back, looking at the portrait of Sorey he had drawn himself all those years ago. Back then he hadn't known that really was the last time he'd see him, but he was glad he drew all those pictures while his memory was still strong. He wondered how much longer it would take until those drawings really were the only memories he had of his childhood friend.
"Sorey", he whispered.
Suddenly he felt another aura in his domain and Mikleo jumped in surprise as it was way too close to himself. How did he not notice the intruder before? From what he gathered they must be right in front of the ruins he used as a hideout! He was almost out of the room when he decided it would be best to conceal his nature for now so he went back to take his cloak from the chair and slip it on before he started running to the entrance.
He stopped in the shadows of a corner to scan the intruder in the dim light of the lantern they carried and Mikleo's heart almost stopped. The person standing in the entrance of his hideout was a boy, barely 17 years old from the looks of it, dressed mainly in black, though the white boots stood out to Mikleo. The hood of the boy's thick, dark blue winter coat was draped back, giving him a good view of the boy's hair. Even though it was blond and a little longer than his, tied in a small ponytail, he sported the same untameable strands, seemingly sticking out to any direction. But worse than that, he had the same green eyes that Mikleo had only ever seen on one other person. His breath hitched and he believed his heart stopped for a second. No matter how he looked at it, the boy reminded him of-
"Sorey."
He didn't realize he whispered the name until the boy turned into his direction, asking: "Is someone there?"
"Leave", Mikleo said, loud enough for the boy to hear this time. His mind kept screaming at him that this wasn't him, it couldn't be him and Mikleo wanted him gone this very instant.
"Who's speaking?", the boy asked, taking a few steps into Mikleo's direction.
"You do not need to know. Just leave this place." I won't have someone spite my memory of him like this.
"Why?", was the only thing the boy said, now in front of the corner Mikleo was hiding in.
"Because this land is inhabited by a horrible monster", Mikleo answered, stepping out of his hiding place and into the light of the boy's lantern.
The boy could be heard muttering: "A person!", under his breath, obviously surprised to see the one speaking to him reveal themself. Though he wasn't taken aback at all, looking at him directly as he said: "Then you should leave as well."
Mikleo almost laughed at how much this boy sounded like him, the concern for someone he only just met so obvious in his voice. "I have stayed here for as long as I remember", Mikleo sighed. "I'm not leaving this place. But you should.."
"If you're not leaving", the boy interrupted him, "then I'm not going anywhere either."
"But it's dangero-"
"Can't be that dangerous if you're staying here!", the boy said with the biggest smile and walked past Mikleo. That smile...
"Hey, where do you think you're going!"
The boy shuffled through his backpack for a moment before turning back to Mikleo with a book in his hand. A book Mikleo knew way too well. "I'm chasing the ruins mentioned in this book", he exclaimed happily. "This place was mentioned as well and I'm so excited to see all of it for myself!"
"The Celestial Record", Mikleo mumbled, more to himself though the boy seemed to hear it. It's not him, it's not him, Mikleo's mind repeated the line like a mantra. Even if this boy looked so much like him with that very book in his hands and that goofy grin, there was just no way..
"Oh, you know the Celestial Record? This is the second volume of the reworked and updated version written by the Shepherd Sorey and his Sublord Mikleo though!"
A cold laugh escaped Mikleo at the mention of their names. "I own a copy of all their books", Mikleo nodded, glad the cape of his cloak was covering his face at that moment. He had changed in those years and there probably was little chance of the boy recognizing him from that sketch Sorey had drawn, but he was glad to have his features concealed anyways.
"Isn't it amazing?!", the boy almost jumped at Mikleo in his excitement. "All those places they mentioned, don't you just want to go out and explore them all?!"
"No", Mikleo answered sternly. He didn't. He had travelled them all before but it just wasn't the same without him by his side."And you won't either. This place is my hideout so you will refrain from sneaking around here!"
"But- I- I won't break anything, I promise! I'm really careful with ancient relics and places, so please! I'll be silent as well! You won't even notice I'm there. And I'll leave as soon as I'm done too, like I've never been there."
Seeing the hurt in those beautiful emeralds when he told him no pained Mikleo like he'd been shot. He could tell himself this wasn't Sorey as much as he wanted, part of him just saw his late partner in this boy. That must have clouded his better judgment, Mikleo later told himself, as he sighed and finally said: "One should at least announce their name when trespassing into someone else's home, am I right?"
"Oh", the boy's eyes widened as if he hadn't even noticed he had yet to introduce himself. "It's Sorey, nice to meet you!", he chimed, offering his hand to Mikleo. "What is your name?"
Mikleo turned around to leave, hiding himself from the other's view as he turned around the next corner. "You don't need to know."
Of course. Of course it had to be Sorey .