Chapter Text
The quiet rays of morning light gently kissed Alhaitham’s book as his eyes scanned through its contents. He slumped his elbow over the comforting arms of the divan, his small fingers softly sifting through each page.
The prattling of other children could be heard through the windows, lost in a forever-fleeting scape of youthful joy and wonder, but Alhaitham was absorbed in the book enough that he did not mind nor partake in it.
It was his seventh birthday today- and when he recalled this fact, he could not help but feel slightly startled. He was aware that he was to be met with a horizon of new opportunities brought by the hands of many academic institutions, even the renowned Akedemiya itself. Still..it was a little overwhelming, too much then his preference for quietness could endure.
In the middle of analyzing the linguistics of a particular page, his grandma’s footsteps suddenly clanged through the floors and walls of the study room, awakening him from his read.
Alhaitham paused, tilting his head to peer into his grandma’s eyes. But they then shifted down to her arms once he saw that she was hiding something behind her, concealed enough that he couldn’t surmise what the shape was.
“What are you holding?” he asked as she neared to the sofa beside him.
She shook her head, the curves of her mouth slightly tilting. “First, before worrying about your gift, happy birthday.” She placed the gift away from line of sight, and her eyes shone with pride as they met him. “I am happy to see the boy you are becoming.”
Alhaitham’s features softened at her words, a glimmer of sincerity that he did not bother to leave much for others. It was the comforting presence of his grandma which laid a foundation to Alhaitham’s happiness, a role she gently partook in ever since the death of his parents.
“I am almost done with The Feats of Nagarjuna ,” he said, noticing her sudden attention on the book. He prodded on about the linguistic and historical contexts of the book and his grandma gave bits of comments and clarification along the way. But she then paused to ask, “And what were your own personal thoughts?”
Alhaitham hesitated a moment before replying. “Well, the tales were interesting in the beginning, but.. I found it became a huge bore in the middle. I don’t want to finish it.”
He expected some response of disapproval, considering that it was gifted by an esteemed scholar who chattered on about Alhaitham’s ‘destiny for early success’ , but his grandma chuckled at his response.
“I felt the same exact thing when my old professors made me read it. However, unlike you, I forced myself in reading the entire book.”
“I will do the same, then-“
“There is absolutely no need in that, Alhaitham.” His grandma took the book from his hands and gave him an earnest look.
She held the very figure of an accomplished Kshahrewar scholar, Alhaitham thought, from the assured way she carried herself, to her clever eyes as if she knew the very framework of life itself.
“You know there are a handful of scholars chasing after you like hounds so they can get you admitted in archons knows what. These offers will all, no doubt, lead you to a great path, but is that what you truly desire?”
Alhaitham’s lips pursed at the mention of his abundant amounts of academic offers. Even before he reached schooling age, letters from the Akademiya for potential early admission flew in with no haste.
He knew what people expected in him. They viewed him as a sacred remnant of his parents, reflecting the same goals and ambitions as they did. But a yield of power, ambition..none of that aroused him in the slightest. He wanted knowledge for the simple sake of his curiosity.
He looked at his grandma, who was examining the brilliant young boy. “No,” he admitted. “I don’t like what people want me to be.”
“And I would not like it if you were unhappy.” She brushed a strand of hair out of his face. “You are still so young, deciding things that most people do not even think about until years later. You are remarkable, Alhaitham. You gained a gift that allows you to view the world through a beautiful and honest way. And I hope that this ability will help you find not only the truths of this world, but your true self.”
Alhaitham gave a tiny smile in response, unable to put it into words for how much her company and solace meant to him. But his grandma always understood, returning his smile. “Enough chatting now, I’m sure you want to see your gift now.”
She turned around to grab and set it down on Alhaitham’s lap. It- was—he squinted. A stuffed doll of a lion. It contained a fluffy bronze mane and cute cartoonish face that coyly stared at his bemused face.
He held it up, the paws brushing his knees, and blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
“A.. toy?” He could not hide confusion at how random this choice of a gift was. He did sometimes play with puzzles and trinkets the Kshahrewar students of his grandma made, but if he ever had an interest in plushies, it would’ve been before he could even speak.
On the other hand, his grandma looked content with the choice of her gift as if it were the perfectly reasonable option. “I find that stuffed dolls give you warmth and assurance, especially for snuggling at night. And soon you will be fond of those simple comforts.”
She gave Alhaitham an affectionate stroke in the head before showing her exit, leaving Alhaitham with his lion doll.
He glared at it irritably. Despite his little care for birthday presents, he was hoping for a new book on ancient runes, silently pestering his grandma through off handed remarks and hints. He walked away, not particularly caring if it was left neglected and eventually worn.
But as midnight soundlessly came and sleepiness overtook Alhaitham, he found himself unable to control his thoughts of finishing the new book he picked up. To his dismay, sneaking wasn’t an option with his grandma constantly accentuating an importance in sleep, and who had easily caught him reading late up more times then he would admit.
And as if Alhaitham’s grandma was reading his mind, he suddenly realized that the lion was next to his bed lamp. He pictured her smugly placing it there, well aware Alhaitham very much wished to abandon it in some forgotten corner.
Alhaitham half-heartedly sighed. He did not want to lose to this imaginary situation against his grandma he conjured in his mind, but it was also the middle of the night and he was way too tired to be so worked up over a birthday gift.
Besides, he did intend to take the Akademiya admission tests for the sake of seeing how it’d be like- there would be a plethora of ancient runes books in the grand House of Daena. He wordlessly grabbed the lion and cuddled against it, the mane’s fluff nuzzling his chin.
He admit, it was rather soothing.
The soft material made a tender cushion for him to rest his head on. At long last, he found his restless thoughts slowly surrendering to coziness and before he knew it, he was lost in a sleepful trance.
A state of childlike peace dawned upon him- and for that moment, he was simply a boy with a future blissfully unknown beyond dreams. His eyes closed and he felt his body drift to a wondrous realm far away from clutch, a home where his wishes lay and memories had an abode to rest.
__________________________
“Archons, I imagined you would at least have a reasonable sleep schedule.”
Alhaitham softly groaned at being woken up to Cyno’s irritating bellowing, rubbing his head in annoyance. He shot a glare at Tighnari, whose chuckles he could also hear very well in the background.
“Do you always have to be so irksome?,” Alhaitham grumbled. “And I don’t think you, of all people, have any right in judging my sleep schedule.” The scribe adjusted himself from laying his head down on the table, glancing at his present losing position at their TCG duel due to dozing off. Right. He was at Lambad’s Tavern, not his old house with his grandma.
“Unfortunately, Cyno doesn’t listen when I tell him that his Mahamatra duties can sometimes wait,” Tighnari said, shaking his head.
“Unfortunately, there are too many incompetent fools roaming around doing illegal research in the Akademiya.”
Tighnari hummed in understanding, no doubt having to deal with his own fools as Forest Watcher. Cyno continued, “And then there’s that recent predicament with the element instability. Even during the whole fiasco last year with Azar and Lesser Lord Kusanali, there wasn’t anything quite like this.”
A new spark of discussion among everyone has been the unpredictable sprouts and fluctuation in elemental power out of nowhere, be it from vision-holders or creatures like fungi. A few instances have already occurred where Alhaitham’s intention to use a small amount of his power spiraled out of control into bigger ruptures, or his vision randomly glowing repeatedly.
“It is intriguing,” Alhaitham mused, “The only case I can find even remotely alike was a change in elemental quantity found in a person affected with Eleazar, but..that is no longer a worry.” He knew the thought of Collei flashed in Tighnari and Cyno’s minds, relief sagging down on them even now.
“I visited the Spantamad researchers this morning, and they were dismissive in answering my questions,” Cyno sighed, rubbing his head. “Either zero leads have been made, or they’re too terrified of me to speak their thoughts.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to investigate some nearby land. It is likely this originated from a visible natural predicament,” Tighnari responded with an uncertainty laced in his tone, swirling the drink in his cup. “And at least for now, the situation isn’t nearly urgent enough for severe worry. It has barely been two days.”
Concluding the topic with a lighter temperament to his voice, Cyno and Alhaitham both nodded. For now, the lack of pinpoint and ambiguity of the situation still had a good deal of time to be solved.
Cyno placed his card down in their TCG duel, and a triumphant grin quickly engraved his face. “My dear Nari, it seems you have lost. But I will not put you at fault for not being able to defeat the ultimate -’ a dramatic wave of the hand towards himself, “genius TCG champion.”
Tighnari gave him an exasperated look. “I'm sure if Alhaitham wasn't knocked out for a good half a hour, he could've defeated you.”
Cyno laughed. “Is that a challenge, then?” Alhaitham gave a tiny smirk as his response.
A prolonged amount of TCG and conversation ensued afterwards, Alhaitham and Tighnari unfortunately being victims to Cyno’s ruthless puns, and Alhaitham discovered from a brief glance at the window that it was well past evening which was when he assured himself to leave.
He was busy moving everything out to his new home, wanting to get most of the work off his hands so he could peacefully engage in his academic endeavors without bother. Unfortunately, he had many things stored in his house- mostly books- which led to more boxes and tiresome packaging. He stood up.
His head throbbed from the action, last night’s lack of sleep catching up to him. He silently cursed himself for the dumb decision of having alcohol while already being sleep deprived, a perfect combination for a headache. “It’s late now. I’ll get going,” Alhaitham said, retreating from his set of cards.
“Already? If you need help with moving all your things, just let us know,” Tighnari responded. Cyno nodded in agreement.
“There is no need, I’ve almost managed all my belongings. Once I’m finished, I’ll join in the investigation.”
“Perhaps we’ll find the source of the elemental unpredictability before you can even join us,” Cyno quipped. Alhaitham amusedly raised his brows before dipping his head in farewell.
__________________________
Alhaitham found the rushing breeze of night to calm his thoughts. Indeed, there was not the cacophony of noises and chatter accompanied in the day that perturbed his peace and quiet.
His thoughts traced back to the dream he had earlier with his grandma and stuffed lion doll. It was odd, recollecting a time not much different from Alhaitham’s current daily routine yet felt worlds apart. He was rarely one who felt nostalgia, but a state of melancholy pierced him at the memory of his grandma comforting him.
You are remarkable, Alhaitham. You gained a gift that allows you to view the world through a beautiful and honest way. And I hope that this ability will help you find not only the truths of this world, but your true self.
Alhaitham reached his new estate, unlocking the door with his keys when his eyes immediately wandered at the sight of dozens of boxes anticipating to be sorted. For perhaps the first time in his life, he regretted having so many books.
He decided to unbox a few more before going to bed. Rummaging through his belongings one by one, carefully handling the glassware and ancient books, he decided to lastly tackle the large box by the sofa. Upon closer inspection, Alhaitham realized this wasn’t one of the moving boxes. He must’ve brought it here in mistake. Alhaitham peered inside as he opened the flaps.
His eyes widened at the sight of his childhood lion plush. The paws had become worn and the edges spattered with lint, perhaps from being kept in a box for so long. But otherwise, it kept the same general appearance that Alhaitham grew to cherish at his bed. The cute stylized expression, red cheeks on either side and a copper colored mane. He reached down to pick it up, and subconsciously felt happiness in finding that it was still as soft and fluffy as it was when he was eight.
However, he noticed there was a slip of paper attached to the foot. He peered at it.
“Kaveh is the name.”
Alhaitham traced the words with his fingers, the handwriting refined yet with a touch of rushed scratchiness he knew his grandma wrote like. He could not stop staring at the paper, stop staring and wondering when his grandma wrote this, why she put it in a box for him to find years later, and if she knew how much her grandson missed her presence.
Though he eventually learned to move on with his day to day life from her passing four years ago, there were instances when he was left with only his memories and a pain in not having his wise, thoughtful grandma alongside him. He closed his eyes, and was infinitely grateful for all the past merriment he shared with her, whether it be from her words of advice or affectionate stroke in the head.
His attention transferred to the lion plush. He did not know if it was for his shock at finding the doll almost a decade later, a wistfulness in the past, or self-reproach for leaving it in the dust for so long (something he once himself remembered desiring), but when he went to sleep soon afterwards, he carried it with him.
He knew he was far older than his child counterpart, but the same sense of tranquility and ease filled him with the doll underneath his chin. His hair was gently caught between the fluffy mane, and its red cheek pressed against his own.
Sooner than he expected, he was lulled into sleep by the comfort of his position and warmth circulating around his lion. His eyes drifted shut, his mind tuning into the glowing plane of his dreams.
Alhaitham, a few months after turning eight, launched into bed and tenderly clutched his lion plush. Any past urges to abandon the doll in a forgotten corner dimmed in its urgency by the day. He suddenly accepted, dumbfoundingly as if it were some shocking academic revelation, that he did not particularly mind this toy.
“I no longer prefer my hypothetical ancient runes book over you as a birthday gift,” he mumbled into the non-sentient doll. “Be thankful.”
The doll blankly stared at the boy, since it obviously was not not real, but Alhaitham still continued to speak. “I got accepted into the Akademiya, and it had even more books than I imagined,” he said dazedly. He looked up at the empty ceiling. “I do not plan on accomplishing anything noteworthy, but pursuing the truths of the world is rather interesting.”
And at that, he peacefully slept.
__________________________
He felt a breezing warmth of morning light gust through tickling his face. He groaned absentmindedly, desiring nothing more but sleep. Archons, how late did he stay drinking with Cyno and Tighnari for him to be in such a drowsy state?
He grasped onto the arms of his lion doll, seeking a soft cushion.
He paused.
This was not even remotely soft. He was met with what alarmingly felt like.. a human arm.
And as he was becoming more alert from waking up, the fluff of his doll’s mane struck him as soft strands of hair. A face pressed against his chest. And what may have been the most appalling of it all, a bare, naked body was entangled with his.
He widened his eyes almost immediately after his alleged lion plush draped an arm over his torso and muttered an incoherent string of rumbles. Most unfortunately, he was right.
At first, he believed him to be an entity completely unrelated to his old toy, but as he observed this stranger more...saying that it may have been his lion didn’t feel as far-fetched as it should’ve been. He had smooth golden hair that faded into bronze, lightly nuzzling his neck. His body was light tan, glistening in the sunlight and had a lean physique with soft muscles. There were.. other observations that entered his mind as rapidly as it left.
But once the stranger hesitantly opened his eyes, squinting from the sunlight, Alhaitham realized that there was no mistaking this man to be his lion plush. Not just his appearance, but his essence and spirit had an explicit resemblance to the lion. Indeed, he had an expression on his face eerily familiar to the one Alhaitham grew to put up with.
Alhaitham’s childhood lion doll had, through some abnormal occurrence, become a human. And that doll was also sleeping with him naked.