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“Wither and decay.”
Varian watched, trembling, as Rapunzel's hair slowly began to dip into an inky black, spreading throughout her originally thin, blonde locs of hair like a black decay. The darkness spread into her eyes until they stared blankly forwards as dark, empty voids.
It looked nothing like the Rapunzel he knew, and as far as Varian could see, it was absolutely terrifying.
“End this destiny.”
Varian's eyes widened when he saw the amber begin to melt. The amber that had held his father for almost two years, gripping onto the most important person in Varian’s life like an unforgiving cage. The amber that had trapped his dad in a way that made him, for months, appear to be dead. That made Varian believe he was dead. That he was gone forever, his corpse encased and preserved just like a fossil.
Until today, Varian thought, watching the amber slowly drip down like honey. Rapunzel had promised. Today, he would finally get his Dad back.
“Dad… Dad!! DAD!!!” Varian yelled, unknowingly losing his grip on the wooden water bucket he had been previously holding as he stumbled forwards, reaching to his dad with his gloved hands. He was so close to seeing his dad again. Just a few moments more, and he could be wrapped in his father's arms once more, forgetting that the past two years had ever happened.
The bucket clattered on the ground behind him, the water inside spilling out quietly.
“Break these earthly chains.”
Tears welled in Varian's eyes as he watched the amber melt like wax over his frozen dad. Varian’s mouth split into a soft smile, his lip trembling as tears dripped down his cheeks. “Dad!” Varian sniffed, now standing before the melting amber, looking up to his father's blank, frozen face with wide eyes and a weak, hopeful smile.
He would finally be able to cry in his father's arms again. After months of thinking his purpose was meaningless. Months of thinking the one person he carved the love of was dead forever. Those days were over.
Black hair curled around the melting amber like tentacles of death, rippling with poisonous power.
“And set the spirit free.”
Varian’s breath hitched when he saw his father's face revealed, dripping with the amber as it flowed off of his face.
It was almost as if his father was melting, too.
“V.. Varian?” Quirin murmured, his eyes clouded as they attempted to focus on his son before him.
“Dad! Y-you're okay!” Varian said shakily, looking up at his father with teary eyes.
His arms now free, Quirin leaned forwards, reaching towards his son for a hug. Varian accepted it, crashing into his father and returning the loving embrace.
Varian sniffed and cried into his father, leaning into him like a lost child. He shook as he sobbed.
The past two years had felt like a dream, like they weren't real. Varian had felt like his mind had been in fog for the entire time he was 15. But this, this was real. His Dad was real. His Dad was here, right here, holding Varian like he was the most precious being in the entire world.
“Wither and decay.”
Rapunzel.
Varian had forgotten about Rapunzel.
Varian sniffed as he turned around, his eyes red and swollen from tears. A few meters behind him, Rapunzel stood, shrouded in darkness and looking nothing like the girl he knew before. Varian stiffly took a step away from his dad, but was stopped by an arm grabbing onto his shoulder.
“Varian, stop! It's too dangerous!” Quirin pleaded, and Varian looked down to see that he had almost stepped onto a lock of Rapunzel's long, curling, inky black hair, rippling with dark magic. The floor beneath the hair sizzled, breaking apart just like the amber.
“Once I start, I won't be able to stop,” Rapunzel had told him, handing Varian a bucket of water. Varian took the bucket and held onto it carefully, making sure not to spill a single drop.
“End this destiny.”
“Rapunzel?” Varian said, frantically searching the area around them. The bucket. Where was the bucket? Oh no. Oh no nononononono-
Suddenly Varian was shoved aside, realizing that he would have almost stepped on Rapunzel's hair. It seemed as if it could melt his entire foot off if he touched it, the power growing as darkness began to seep into the ground.
“Be careful, Varian!” Quirin said, his face gripped by fear, his eyes wide. Varian whipped around to face his father. “Stop! I have to stop Rapunzel! She didn't give up on me! I won't give up on her!” Varian broke away from his father's grasp, running towards Rapunzel.
“Break these earthly chains.”
“Rapunzel! Stop, please!” When Varian grabbed Rapunzel's shoulders with his gloved hands, his gloves immediately melted off, his hands stinging as the gloves he had previously wore flowed down to the ground like honey.
Varian screamed.
“Varian!” Quirin yelled, and Varian could barely process what was happening when he was shoved away from Rapunzel just as the blackness and decay of her incantation spread to the area he had been standing.
In that same spot, where Varian had been, was his father, who had pushed him out of the way. Quirin stood protectively, a fire in his eyes after he had saved his son. Inky black decay spread to his boots like a black death.
No.
Not again.
“And set the spirit free.”
Varian couldn't move. He couldn't move as he watched his father's facial features begin to droop. He couldn't move as his father's skin paled. He couldn't move when his father stumbled, barely attempting to catch himself before he slipped to the floor on his knees. He couldn't move as he watched the inky black color kill his father from the inside.
And when Quirin opened his mouth to say something to his son, how proud he was of him, of how much he loved him, only the low, raspy, croak of someone on their dying breath was able to exit his mouth.
It all happened so fast. One moment, Varian had been trying to stop Rapunzel from saying the incantation, and the next, he had been pushed out of the way by his father, and now, his father was dying.
Varian was frozen in shock for all but the tears flowing down his cheeks.
Rapunzel still stood, her void, emotionless eyes boring holes in his soul. The darkness was still spreading.
Among surprise, grief, and shock, finally, a coherent human instinct was able to make its way through to Varian's mind.
Run.
And so Varian turned around and ran, his boots thumping on the ground as he escaped as fast as possible.
“The spirit free.”