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Isabeau and his friends kept their heads up. Even with the King wreaking havoc freezing towns left and right, finally, they were about to put a stop to it.
It was said that the King lived in a tower in the woods - not too far from Dormont, or their House of Change. It was said that the key to end the King’s reign was hidden away in that tower.
And now, Isabeau and his friends were finally here! Finally back in Dormont - where Mirabelle grew up, and was tasked with finding people to help her traverse the tower.
Mirabelle herself was much stronger for the journey than when she started. She kept her head up, and even with the frozen people they encountered, or the sadnesses, she kept going. It would all be worth it, once she found the key.
Isabeau was also stronger than he was when he left Jouvente to join her. Still compassionate, still kind, but also the ROCK of the group! Keeping everyone anchored, and helping the rest of these highly motivated people take a break when they needed one!
Odile was a surprise to encounter on the journey. A master of craft, and plenty wise, she was invaluable to the group. Her sharp eyes had kept them safe many many times!
Bonnie… well no one expected Bonnie. A child, fleeing the curse, and on their last legs when the group spotted them. There had been no one else around, and the area was too dangerous for a child alone, so they came with. Now, the group couldn’t imagine traveling without them.
So, they spent the night in Dormont’s House of Change, spoke with the Head House Maiden in the morning, and then were on their way!
According to the Head House Maiden, the King’s artifact was hidden deep in the tower. Whatever the artifact was, it must be powerful to give the King the ability to freeze time. But, she said, without the artifact the time craft should fray and break - freeing those people frozen in time.
The group was determined! And now, standing at the foot of the tower, and looking up up uuuuuup at it’s imposing height…
“HOW DO WE GET IN, THERE’S NO CRABBING DOOR!” Shouted Bonnie.
“Language.” Odile chided as the group circled the tower.
True enough, there was no door to enter the tower from the bottom. But looking up, there was a window. Isabeau startled, pointing up at it. “PERSON!”
The person ducked out of view at being called out, though Isabeau was quick to correct himself. “Wait! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you! We just need to get in! Can you help us!?”
The person peeks back out the window, even as Odile turns to Isabeau and starts whispering. “Isabeau, we have no idea who that is, and they’re in the King’s tower! You think they’ll help us??? They probably work for the King!” He simply shrugs at Odile.
“We need to get in to stop the King, and they’re already in. Even if they do work for the King, maybe they can help us.” He turns back up to keep shouting to the person in the window.
“Please! Can you help us? We’re trying to save Vaugarde!” The person leans further out the window at the news.
“Save Vaugarde?” The voice is very very soft, but that might just be the distance between them.
“Yes! Please can you help us? If you throw us a rope or something we can get up there and save the kingdom!!!” The person looks over their shoulder, into the tower, and disappears from the window. Isabeau deflates. Mirabelle pats his shoulder.
“It was a good try! M-maybe the King just hid the door really really well? He has to protect the artifact, after all, so it makes sense he wouldn’t make it easy!” Bonnie pouts and crosses their arms.
“Stupid King being smart and hiding his ultimate weapon…”
“Um!” Calls the soft voice from above. The group looks up. “I can throw you a ………. Can you climb up?” Wow they really talk soft, Isabeau didn’t even hear that middle bit! He looks at the group, and… shakes his head.
“Can you pull us up?” He asks the person. There’s some kind of movement, and then.
That. Is a lot of white thread. It’s not a rope, but at least it’s something. Isabeau collects the thread into a more rope-like shape, and gives a testing pull. Solid! Isabeau sends up M’dame Odile and Mirabelle first, then Bonnie, and then, it’s his turn to get hauled up into the tower. He’d try to help, but it seems their new friend has fallen into a rhythm and he doesn’t want to distract them!
Then, he’s at the window, and climbing into the tower, and he stops, dumbfounded.
The person who’s hauled him all the way up into the tower is barely bigger than Bonnie. Their hair is pale, and so so so long, and suddenly he realizes that that wasn’t just thread, that was their hair, and! And!!!
His brain keeps repeating how smoothly he was pulled up into the tower, and how small this person is. He is absolutely staring.
“Ahem.” M’dame Odile clears her throat and Isabeau jolts back to himself and stops lingering in the window like a creep!
“Thanks!” He grins at the person, and they flush and duck their head, mumbling something indistinct. “Really, it was a huge help - wow thank you!” And then, he has a thought. And well. He can see it going one of two ways, but… He darts a glance at Mirabelle. And, almost as if she read his mind, she chimes in.
“Yes, thank you so much! Now we can find the artifact to save Vaugarde!” She grins brightly at the person, who really doesn’t seem to know what to do with all the attention, hiding their face in the hem of their cloak. Their brow furrows, and Isabeau tries to not let his eagerness get away from him.
“Artifact?” They ask. Yes!!!
“Oh yeah, the artifact! Everyone says it’s here,” Oh crab, he was not ready for those guileless eyes to be watching him so curiously - come on Isa, just a little fib to the cute person! A tiny one! He can do this! “And, I know it’s important to the King, but we really really need to borrow it. To save Vaugarde!”
They seem confused, thinking for a moment. Isabeau can’t help holding his breath. Then, a light enters their eyes and they perk up. “Oh, okay.” Then, they shrink down again. “Oh… then, you'll be leaving? Already?”
That is… less than reassuring! Isabeau looks to Mirabelle, and she comes in with the concern. “Oh, I’m sorry, is the artifact not here?” The person shakes their head, and starts tugging their hair into a pile beside themself. You can feel the disappointment hit you, and it must show on your face, because they stutter and stammer quickly.
“Oh no -it’s not not here - I mean - it is here -it’s just! It! Um.” They plant their face in gloved hands and mumble something indistinct again. They… don’t seem inclined to continue, there, but… the group needs to know.
“It’s just… what?” Isabeau asks. They pull their face out of their hands enough to respond.
“It’s…” They point down to the floor. “At the bottom?”
Oh. Oooooooh. Isabeau shares a look at the rest of the group, and Mirabelle meets his gaze hopefully. Odile’s frown sharpens into something worse, and Bonnie just crosses their arms harder, pouting.
“Do you…” He swallows thickly. Please, please, please, please. “Do you think you could show us the way?” They seem shocked at the question. M’dame Odile is not amused.
“Isabeau, a word.” You offer the person an embarrassed grin, and step away to whisper with Odile. The room at the top of the tower is small - tiny really - so it’s a little cramped, but you manage just a bit of space.
“Isabeau, we can’t ask them for help - they’re here in the tower, and not frozen in time and I really don’t know what that means to you, but to me that means they’re working for the King. We can’t trust them! We don’t even know their name!!” Her voice raises there at the end, and Isabeau winces, because she’s right. They haven’t even introduced themselves, nor has the stranger.
“Oh!” They pipe up, obviously having overheard at least some of that. “I’m sorry, I forgot to uh. Do that. I, um. I’d be happy to show you the way down, if you want!” They grin widely at you all, their eyes closing with the expression. “My name’s Bright One! I use he/they pronouns.”
Isabeau stares, and then looks at Odile. Her expression is stuck in her ‘I’m both disgusted and confused’ face. Why is pretty clear, too. Bright One is… not a name.
“Okay, he can come.” Odile caves quickly.
“Yay!” Cheers Mirabelle with a little giggle. Bonnie sulks, and sulks hard.
Bright One is not a name, but when asked for a nickname, they seem confused on what that is. Bonnie tries to explain it to him, using their name as an example, and they just… don’t get it.
Bonnie huffs and refuses to call him anything but Bright now, and then there’s no stopping it - not even Odile deigns to call them Bright One.
Bright explains that their room at the top of the tower is safe, but that further down there’s sadnesses along the way. The group all nods, because they really didn’t expect anything else. Bright seems happy to have them here, even if he doesn’t know what a stuffed animal is, or a pottery wheel, or even a sharpening stone! There’s a kitchen in this room and they don’t know what a sharpening stone is!!
He obviously knows how to use it, at least, but what it’s called? Not a thing.
The first couple of floors down are easy, the sadnesses are easy to fight, and Bright knows the way very well. They let the group handle the sadnesses because Isabeau had asked him to. After all, this is his home, they shouldn’t have to protect guests on top of everything! The smile Bright gives him is some combination of confused, indulgent, and just plain happy.
That’s the second weird thing. Bright is so happy to have them here, to be invited along to show the group the way, to just be near them. After taking Bonnie aside for a very rapid whispered conversation, the group is finally all on the same page.
Whatever is going on with Bright and the King is probably not good? And (this was the part that nearly had Bonnie in a shouting fit fit enough to get them caught) they should probably not mention the King being who they’re saving Vaugarde from. Because that’s the third weird thing.
Bright is very fond of the King. Says the King saved them. Which, no one wants to believe him at his word, but at the same time why else are they here?
Odile asked once, when they got to the first floor that Bright said was safe from Sadnesses. “Why are you here?”
Bright got sad, and quiet, and said, “Where else would I be?” And the group let the topic go.
As the group continued the descent into the tower, the sadnesses got tougher. They were still keeping up, but the sporadic rooms where no sadnesses gathered were more and more welcomed. The group started taking small breaks to look at things in the room, and that was where the fourth weird thing came in.
“Why do you have so many books about Vaugardian customs?” Mirabelle asked, after finding the fifteenth bookshelf in a row with nothing but Vaugardian writing on the shelves.
Bright grinned wide. “To keep them safe!” Now, Bright was very clearly not well versed with people, but they were also very clearly a quick study. The glance the group shared clued him in that this answer was not satisfactory - they all looked concerned. Their smile eased, and they took the book Mirabelle had in hand and plucked another, identical book from the shelves.
“Here, see?” The group looked, and saw the books were the same, the same, the same - until Bright opened them to a specific page. Bonnie gasped!
“They’re different!” Bright nodded, smile indulgent.
“This book doesn’t have this section. It’s newer, and they took it out.” He didn’t get very far in the explanation before his expression fell. “It might be the only book with this part still in it. We need to keep it safe.” Gently, lovingly, Bright closed both books and shelved them in their spots. Their touch lingered, until Odile cleared her throat gently.
“Oh, right! This way!”
The fifth weird thing…
That got to them all.
Bright said they were about halfway there. Halfway, and they’d been going down for hours now. Bright seemed ecstatic though. When questioned, he grinned and said they’d be seeing his friends soon.
Friends? This far into the tower? The group shared a concerned look, that Bright didn’t catch because they were leading the way quickly now.
Bright spotted his friends first, and called out. It was… just enough warning for Mirabelle to smother her scream into a tiny yelp behind her fists. Odile pulled Bonnie into her side, and murmured to close their eyes. Isabeau…
He didn’t know which part hurt more. That there was a gallery of frozen people in the King’s tower, or that Bright interacted with the motionless people so eagerly, talking a mile a minute and introducing the group to the frozen people, and the frozen people to the group. He didn’t like the way Bright’s eyes took on a certain… look. Like they were losing their grip on the real world to live in a place where people actually existed instead. Even if that place was in his head.
Bright spent… a long time in that room. Talking to the people and responding to a conversation that was half missing. Seems like there was a lot of news to share, including that the group was here for an artifact to save Vaugarde. That seemed like it got a lot of response out of the imagined people, based on how Bright spun and grinned at every statue.
Isabeau cleared his throat and cut in as soon as he could. “R-right! Saving Vaugarde! Bright, we really should keep going, y-yeah? You said we were halfway there.” His head snapped back to Isabeau - who was thankful the look faded when they looked at him - and he nodded.
“Right! I’m really sorry, we’ll have to talk later! Saving Vaugarde now!” And off they lead.
The group follows, and tries to forget that particular room.
At the next floor that’s quiet, Isabeau tries to ask, gently. “Um, Bright… Have you ever left the tower?”
He blinks, confused. “No. Why would I? It’s not safe out there.”
The group shares a look, but no one argues that with him.
Down down down they go. Darker, gloomier, they’ve been going down for hours and hours at this point. Will it ever end?
The sadnesses get stronger, and stronger, and stronger. The group is keeping up, but barely.
Until they aren’t anymore. A sadness gets around Odile, Mirabelle, and Isabeau. It screams and strikes at the pair of noncombatants.
It strikes at Bonnie. The group screams for them - run away, get away, be safe! Bonnie freezes in panic, and trips over their own feet. They cover their face, and wait to be hurt. There’s a grunt, and the sadness screams again. They open their eyes, and…
And Bright is there. A knife, previously buried in a sadness, clatters to the floor. Bright turns to Bonnie, blood pouring down their face, and Bonnie is terrified. This person just killed a sadness so easily, and they like the King, they like the frozen people, they LIKE THIS! But Bonnie also likes him, and doesn’t want to see him bleeding like this, his eye closed as he looks down at Bonnie and holds out a hand, and they flinch, but all he says is… “Are you alright, Bonnie?”
And today has been hard. Today has been a lot. Bonnie bursts into tears and launches themself into Bright’s arms. They take only one step back, and arms come around bonnie, and hands run through their hair. Bright hums a song without words, and it twists weird in Bonnie’s brain, but. Even if Bright does like what’s happening to Vaugarde… he likes Bonnie too. And Bonnie feels safe for the first time in… in a while.
From that point on, the group asks Bright to fight with them, and they do. They make quick work of pretty much every sadness they come across, and the group moves quicker for it.
Another quiet room, and Bonnie tucks themself right next to Bright, and… the other adults said not to, but Bonnie has to know, now. “Why… why do you like the King?”
Bright blinks at them. “He saved me.”
“He’s hurting Vaugarde!” Isabeau and Odile try to cut Bonnie off, but they will not be stopped, not now. “He froze my sister, and my home, and and he’ll freeze everything!” Bright is frozen, staring at the child beneath their arm with wide eyes. “He’s ruining Vaugarde! He’s- nothing will change! I don’t want to sleep forever, I want my SISTER!”
Bright has no response, stunned frozen himself. Bonnie turns teary eyes up at them. “Why… why does he want to freeze everything?”
“He- we-” Bright stammers, and they haven’t stammered in a while, so it gets attention. “We’re helping. ” Bright protests weakly.
Odile frowns. “How? How are you helping?”
“We-” He takes a deep breath in, and out, clearly calming themself. “We’re keeping people safe.”
Bonnie closes their eyes, and pulls away. “I don’t want safe, I want my sister.” They stand and walk over to Mirabelle.
Isabeau and Odile are the only ones to notice the shattered expression on Bright’s face.
Things are quiet after that. Bright leads the way in silence, and fights in silence, and if the group weren’t following behind him, they would never know he was there.
Isabeau wants to reach out, to help, but. There’s nothing he can really do, is there? Bright will think what he wants to think and they think the King is helping. He shares a glance with Odile behind Bright’s back - still, despite the argument, Bright is leading them.
Odile’s expression makes it clear she thinks this is a trap. Isabeau isn’t so sure.
After a while more of descending deeper and deeper, Bright stops in a door frame. “It's here. Take what you need.”
Odile remains suspicious, but. Isabeau can't shake how they helped perfect strangers up into the tower. Whether it was loneliness or something else, it was real. He enters.
It's a library. That's the best word for it. Eventually, everyone follows him in, and Bright lingers by the door.
The group wanders through the stacks together, alone for the first time, and yet…
“I can't read any of these.” Odile murmurs.
“Do you think Bright would…?” Mirabelle trails off.
Bonnie scoffs. “They want this, they won't help us!”
“Bonnie…” Isabeau sighs, and crouches to be on level with the preteen. “Bonnie, I know you love your sister. And I want to save her, and everyone else too. But I don't think Bright is trying to hurt us.”
“But they said-!”
“I know what they said. And I think they believe it. And I think…” He pauses, trying to think of how to explain it. “And I think they need to believe it, too, or it hurts.”
Bonnie is confused, and defensive. “What do you mean.”
“It's like…” Hmm. “It's like a bandage. When you're really little, and you get hurt, it's the worst hurt you've ever felt, right?” They nod, following along so far. “And your parent, or sister wraps it up for you. And even if it's a tiny little hurt, like a paper cut, it's still the worst thing - until someone puts the bandage on for you, right?”
Odile picks up the analogy. “And now that you're older, you still like putting bandages on. Even if it won't really help, putting it on makes you feel better.”
“So… so Bright's trying to bandage himself up? And…” They think about it. “And it's like we're saying they don't need it?”
Mirabelle nods. “Yes, exactly like that.”
Bonnie considers that. “Um. How… How do we tell him he doesn't need it, without making him feel hurt?”
“You can't, Bonbon.” Isabeau pats Bonnie's shoulder. “All we can do is show them that they don't, and be ready to help him when he decides he doesn't either.”
Bonnie nods, and then declares, “I'm gonna go get them!” And runs off. The rest of the group shares a fond, if worried look.
“Bright!” They jump a little at Bonnie's sudden presence. “Bright, we can't read any of these, can you help?” Bright gives a tentative smile.
“U-um. Sure. Which ones are you looking at?” And Bonnie drags them to the group.
“These ones!”
“Oh, these are some folk tales.” The group blinks at Bright, looks at each other, and moves on, asking Bright to help with the books.
A lot of it doesn't seem useful. Folk tales, cookbooks, gardening, sewing and fashion, it's a lot and it's all very interesting, but none of that is the artifact - they're sure!
“Do you have anything on craft?” Odile thinks to ask, after some more mindless wandering. Bright smiles.
“Of course! Here, this way.”
The craft shelf is full of more headache inducing books, but notably, there's a few in Vaugardian. The group selects those books of course, and begins to read.
Time craft theorized to be impossible. The diary of a man who claimed to be able to duplicate himself with something called… “What's wish craft?” Bonnie asks Bright.
They laugh, like Bonnie just told a joke. Bonnie gapes. “I'm serious!!! What is it, I've never heard of it!” He stares at Bonnie, a dawning realization - verified in the confusion of the others.
“You don't know wish craft?” The group shakes replies in the negative. Bright seems pained, but recounts wish craft for them.
Using wishes to do things normally impossible. “Such as, freezing time?” Odile asks.
Bright shifts uncomfortably, looking away from the group. “I… I guess?”
“That sounds like what we're looking for.” Isabeau tries to cheer up the conversation. “Could you pick out some of the most helpful books? If we take them to Dormont, the Head Housemaiden could use them to help people!”
Bright offers a weak grin, and does so. It's a stack of five or six books, and hearing them thump on onto another hints at just how heavy they are.
And then, back up the tower they go. At the first break, Bright asks, hesitantly, and full of caution, to see their friends again on the way up.
Isabeau, Mirabelle, and Odile share a look between them, and Odile opens her mouth.
“Sure, Frin!” Bonnie interrupts. Everyone blinks.
“Frin???” Bright questions.
“Yeah, cause you like your friends! A new nickname for you.” Bonnie grins, and Bright blinks.
Odile hums. “A meritorious idea, Boniface. Though something a little longer for me, I think. Surfrin?” She makes a face at her own suggestion.
“Siffrin!” Mirabelle beams, Odile smiles and nods.
“Siff!” Isabeau shortens it even further.
The newly dubbed Siffrin is burying themselves in their cloak grumbling unintelligibly, but when they finally reappear, they seem happy.
The stop in the “friends” room is shorter this time, Siffrin telling their friends about the new nicknames, and that the group found the artifacts they needed, and that Vaugarde should be saved soon.
Eventually, they're standing once more in Siffrin's room. He seems reluctant the closer they get to the top, but once there and the group loudly asks to spend the night since it's gotten dark, he eases up. A little more time.
The sleepover is… crowded. Siffrin isn't used to sleeping near so many people. But for as much as he wants to hold this moment just a little longer… he falls asleep.
“You ready?” Isabeau asks Siffrin in the morning. They blink, confused and nervous, but smiling.
“Ready for what?” Isabeau laughs.
“We can't read all these, and the Head Housemaiden needs to read them, right? So, you have to come with and read them to her!” Isabeau continues quickly seeing the panic wash over Siffrin's face. “Plus! This way you can make sure the books are safe, right?”
Siffrin's freak out pauses, and eventually, he nods. “Okay.” And it's shaky and quiet when they say it - vulnerable. The group just smiles warmly.
Siffrin let's them all down on his hair again, and then…
He's never left the tower since he came here. It's safe here. He doesn't forget things here. And if he does, it's all written down somewhere. But… they want to go. They can feel a need clawing at their skin and they want to go - have wanted to go for a long time. Their friends have said they should go - many times. But it always comes back to the King.
He needs them.
But… he's not here right now, is he? Siffrin will be back before the King even notices they've been gone.
They're lowering themselves before they think about it again.
Grass, beneath their boots. How do you walk on grass? They don't know. But they're willing to tr-YYY!
Isabeau catches them when they immediately trip. He laughs. It's a nice sound. Siffrin likes it. “Can't help falling for us, huh?” That's a pun. All the books say so. The others groan and chuckle, and Siffrin grins, feeling the flush on their cheeks.
“It's my favorite trip.” Isabeau stares at Siffrin, and then laughs so hard he has to sit down and Siffrin laughs with him. Bonnie boos him, and Odile hides her smirk badly, and Mirabelle just grins brightly.
He can't remember a time when he was happier.
The group heads off, back to Dormont and the House of Change.
Only a few hours in, Mirabelle huffs and stops the group. “Let me braid your hair.” She practically demands of Siffrin, and they agree with a stutter.
…braided hair is much easier to walk with, they find.
They get to the house, and go all the way up to see the Head Housemaiden. The group introduces them as Siffrin - not Bright One, not Siff, not Frin. Just… Siffrin. It’s so nice.
They smile at the Head Housemaiden, and offer the books. She reaches forwards, about to take them, about to have the artifact she needs, to break the King’s curse. To refuse his help. Because it’s not help is it? Bonnie can’t wish - can’t talk to their sister when she’s frozen in time. And Bonnie isn’t the only one this help is hurting. They asked Siffrin to help, and they wanted to help - it’s all they’ve ever wanted. To help, to be helped, and loved, and cared for, and they do! They do. They didn’t just take the books and leave - they took Siffrin with them. Invited him, and didn’t make him leave. He loves them. He’s only known them for two days, and already they’ve burrowed into the dark spots in his heart, where things forgotten have disappeared, and yes those holes will not disappear, but. It’s easier with them.
He doesn’t hurt as much. He might be tearing up. But the books enter the Head Housemaiden’s grip, and-
“Bright One.”
And suddenly, all that good feeling is gone. Their grip on the books tightens, curling around them and pulling them away from the Head Housemaiden.
The King looms behind Siffrin, their friends, the Head Housemaiden - tall tall tall enough to reach the top and have space yet. Their breath catches. The books burn in his grip - too many to hide away his crime. He’s supposed to keep them safe, and he’s brought them out of the tower. Miserable, disgusting, pitiful creature, and the King’s sigh punctuates the feeling.
“I see.” There’s a powerful silence as Siffrin shrinks into their cloak - their hair pulled back, it won't fall in their eyes, won’t block their view like they so desperately want it to. “Come, Bright One. We will go back, and this will be forgotten - as the things before.”
Siffrin flinches. They don’t want to forget this, but they know they will. He drags his feet forward, and his new friends protest, looking between the King and Siffrin.
“He doesn’t have to do things they don’t want to!” Isabeau.
“Siffrin is not yours!” Odile.
“He’s our friend!” Mirabelle.
Bonnie is the loudest. “NO! You can’t have Frin too!!!”
The King moves, quicker than anyone could stop. Bonnie, in his grip, and Siffrin can’t breathe, staring at the sight in front of them. Numb fingers locked on their books. Everyone screams for Bonnie, but the King looks at Siffrin. They don’t know how they ever thought he wanted the best for them.
“Bright One. You love them, don’t you?” Siffrin’s friends fall quiet, looking at them. Siffrin nods, watching Bonnie struggle in the King’s grip. “Then wish for me. Wish to help me, so that we can finally protect the things we love.” The King squeezes, and Bonnie cries out, Siffrin is frozen in place, unable to do anything but stare, even as the King locks their friends in place.
“Frin!” Bonnie cries, reaching for them. Siffrin licks their lips, and speaks their wish aloud.
“I wish…” I never met you.
“I wish…” You never lied to me.
“I wish…” I was smarter than this.
The thoughts bleed into each other, wish on wish on wish falling from his lips. None of it has the power behind it it needs to have. The King knows, and squeezes just a little harder. Bonnie’s scream rings in his ears, and the feeling in his chest finally spills over. He locks eyes with the King behind a curtain of hair.
“I wish…” I could protect you from yourself.
The smell of burnt sugar hits the air, and the King sighs, pleased. “Was that so hard, Bright One? And there you are, everyone safe and sound.” Bonnie is released onto the House’s roof, the rest of Siffrin’s friends released from a partial time stop.
He ducks his head as everyone stumbles around Bonnie, frantic and worried. “Thank you.” They say. They close their eyes, because they know what happens next, even if they don’t want to know. “I love you.” Siffrin says, quietly and warbling.
“And I love you, Bright One.” The King goes to freeze the House in it’s entirety.
Siffrin’s friends shout. They don’t look.
Things go quiet. So quiet. Siffrin doesn’t want to see it, what they wished for.
“F-frin?” Bonnie’s trembling voice is the nail in the coffin.
Siffrin collapses into the arms of their friends, sobbing their heart out.
For years and years to come, the King stands as testament to his own ideals - frozen in time.