Work Text:
The night was still young, and the Ramshackle dorm was buzzing with energy.
Students from various dorms had gathered for a spontaneous game of Spin the Bottle: Truth or Dare.
The room was filled with mismatched cushions, discarded snacks, and half-empty soda bottles, a lively mess only Night Raven College students could conjure.
In the middle of it all, a circle of players sat cross-legged on the floor—Kalim, Deuce, Ace, Ruggie, Ortho, Silver, Yuu, and a few others, their faces lit by flickering candles.
Most of the earlier participants had either been eliminated or wandered off, but the remaining group was still buzzing with excitement, eager for whatever the game would throw their way next.
Kalim grinned, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief as he picked up the bottle in front of him.
"Alright! Let’s see who’s next!" He gave the bottle a playful spin, and it whirled wildly across the floor, making soft clicking sounds against the wooden surface.
All eyes followed its dizzying spin, leaning in unconsciously as the bottle began to slow. It clinked to a halt, the neck pointing directly at Silver.
"Silver!" Yuu announced brightly, clapping their hands together.
But the boy in question sat perfectly still—his head tilted slightly downward, eyes shut, breathing soft and steady.
Deuce blinked. “Wait… Is he asleep again?”
Ruggie let out a low snicker, elbowing Kalim.
"Man, this guy’s got it down to an art form. Falling asleep right in the middle of a party."
Kalim couldn’t help but laugh along, clutching his stomach. "How does he do that?!"
"Unbelievable," Ace muttered under his breath,
"How do we even play with someone who naps at every opportunity?"
Yuu rolled their eyes good-naturedly and leaned over to give Silver a gentle shake.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, wake up. The bottle picked you."
Silver stirred, his silver lashes fluttering open. His gaze was soft and unfocused for a moment, as if he were trying to piece together where he was.
"What…?" he murmured, sitting up straighter with a slow blink.
"You’re up," Yuu said with a grin. "Truth or dare?"
Silver rubbed his eyes slightly, a yawn escaping his lips.
"Truth," he answered in his usual calm, unhurried tone, as if he were unaware of the small crowd eagerly awaiting his response.
The room instantly buzzed with excitement. Ruggie snickered and leaned in toward Kalim again, whispering,
“Truth, huh? Bet it’s gonna be something boring, like ‘I slept for two days straight.’”
"Shush, Ruggie!" Ortho whispered with bright eyes, his sensors whirring softly.
“This is exciting! We never get to hear Silver talk about himself.”
Vil crossed his arms, his sharp gaze on Silver, clearly curious despite himself.
"Well, Yuu? You asked for the truth. Don’t waste the opportunity."
Yuu tapped their chin thoughtfully, considering what to ask. After a moment, they leaned in slightly, their curiosity getting the better of them.
.
"Alright, Silver," they began with a grin.
"What’s the most unusual thing that happened during your childhood?"
The room fell quiet, the playful air giving way to genuine intrigue. Even the ever-cheerful Kalim stilled, resting his chin on his hands, while Ruggie’s grin became less mocking and more curious. Ortho leaned closer, sensors glowing a bit brighter in anticipation.
At the back of the room, Lilia and Malleus sat side by side on a worn-out sofa, quietly observing the scene unfold.
Lilia’s crimson eyes twinkled with amusement, and Malleus gave a faint smile, as if anticipating an amusing memory—or perhaps one they already knew.
Silver’s expression softened, his gaze becoming distant as he let the question settle over him.
.
.
.
.
“The most unusual thing...” he repeated quietly, as if pulling the memory from some faraway corner of his mind.
Everyone waited in silence, hanging onto his every word. Even the crackling of the fireplace seemed to soften, as if the room itself held its breath.
"Most unusual…?" he repeated softly again,
Then, his expression shifted—a fleeting but genuine smile, delicate as a memory surfacing after years of being forgotten.
“Ah. The White Knight in the forest ”The room stilled at those words, curiosity sparking in everyone’s eyes.
" White Knight?" Deuce repeated, leaning forward. Even the normally aloof Vil seemed intrigued, his gaze sharper now..
Ortho’s sensors hummed quietly as he recorded every detail, analyzing the strange memory.
At the back of the room, Lilia’s easy smirk faltered, his sharp crimson eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of those words.
.
.
.
White Knight?
.
.
.
For the first time that night, his playful demeanor gave way to something more serious.Yuu tilted their head, a grin tugging at the corner of their lips.
"What do you mean, a White Knight?"Silver’s gaze softened, as if the memory were unfolding before him like the pages of an old storybook.
He exhaled quietly and began to speak.
"When I was a child, I got lost in the forest," he said, his voice low but clear.
"It was supposed to be a short walk. I remember following a butterfly—just a little too far. And before I knew it... the trees were taller, the path was gone, and I couldn’t find my way back."
The circle of students grew silent, hanging on his every word. Even Ruggie, who often masked his interest behind sarcasm, had set aside his teasing for now.
Kalim was practically sitting on the edge of his seat, his golden eyes wide with anticipation.
"It was still daytime," Silver continued,
"but it felt... strange. Like the forest was different somehow—too quiet, as if it was waiting for something."
A soft chill seemed to creep into the room, the flickering candlelight casting shadows that danced along the walls.
Ortho's lenses adjusted with a soft click as he absorbed every detail of Silver's account.
"I wandered for what felt like hours," Silver said, his gaze distant.
"The ground was uneven, and I tripped... scraping my hands and knee. It hurt more than I thought it would, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying."
There was a soft murmur of sympathy from Kalim, and even Deuce looked a little awkward, as if the thought of a young Silver in pain stirred something protective in him.
Silver's silver eyes reflected the flickering flames as he continued.
"And that’s when I saw him. A man in white armor... his hair shining like the sun. At first, I thought the light was playing tricks on me, but when he reached out his hand..."Silver paused, his voice taking on a dreamy, nostalgic tone.
"He looked... like an angel."Vil arched a perfectly groomed brow.
"An angel?" he echoed, his skepticism evident, though he didn’t sound dismissive.Silver nodded slowly.
"That’s what I thought he was, at least. His armor was bright, almost glowing. He knelt beside me and didn’t say much—just smiled gently, as if he wasn’t surprised to find me there."
"Did he say anything?" Yuu asked softly, their eyes wide with fascination.Silver nodded.
" I remember... he knelt beside me and asked if I was hurt.”Yuu tilted their head.
“Did you tell him who you were?”
“No,” Silver replied.
“But it didn’t seem to matter to him. He picked me up in his arms and told me everything would be alright. I felt... safe.
Safer than I’d ever felt before, like I knew I could trust him, even though he was a stranger.”
The room was eerily quiet now. Even the usually boisterous Kalim and Ruggie were subdued, caught up in the dreamlike quality of Silver’s story.
“We stayed in the forest for a while,” Silver went on.
“It started to rain, and the knight carried me to an old abandoned house where we could wait out the storm. I sat by the window, watching the rain."
The circle of students sat spellbound, hanging on Silver’s every word. Even Ruggie, despite his earlier teasing, seemed captivated by the rare openness in Silver’s tone.
The knight’s gaze drifted toward the candlelight, as if the flickering flames mirrored the hazy edges of his memory.
"The rain kept pouring outside," Silver continued quietly,
"but inside, it was calm. The man knelt in front of me and pulled out some herbs and bandages. He treated the scrape on my knee with such care... like it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like that."Kalim leaned in with sparkling eyes.
"So he was a healer too?"Silver gave a small nod, his expression softening.
"He was... gentle. He didn’t say much, just worked quietly. But I remember how warm his hands were. After he finished, he stayed by my side until the rain stopped."
The room was silent, as if no one dared interrupt the fragile memory unfolding in Silver’s words.
Vil rested his chin on one hand, studying Silver with keen interest, while Ortho’s mechanical hum softened, processing the story as if trying to find meaning in every detail.
"Did you ever get a look at the painting?" Yuu asked gently, breaking the silence with just enough curiosity to keep the story going.Silver’s lips twitched in a small, wistful smile.
"I tried. The cloth draped over it was heavy, but I was curious. Just as I managed to lift it a little, the man stopped me."He paused, as if still hearing the soft but firm voice from that distant moment.
"He told me, ‘Not yet. This isn’t for you to see... not today.’"
"That’s cryptic," Deuce muttered, frowning in confusion.
"Did he ever tell you what it was?"Silver shook his head slowly.
"No. He said I would understand one day. And for some reason... I believed him."Ruggie chuckled lightly, though there was no malice in his tone.
"Man, if that’s not the most mysterious thing I’ve ever heard. What kind of person does all that and then just... leaves?"Silver’s smile was faint but sincere.
"He wasn’t just anyone. I could tell he had somewhere important to be... but he stayed with me until the rain stopped."
"And then?" Yuu asked softly, their eyes bright with anticipation.Silver’s gaze grew distant, as if the next part of the story was particularly precious to him.
"When the rain finally let up, he stood and offered me his hand again. I didn’t want to leave, but... he told me it was time to go home."The circle of students watched him in rapt silence, waiting for the conclusion of the strange, bittersweet memory.
"He carried me out of the ruins and walked with me through the forest until we reached the edge where the trees thinned out. I remember feeling... sad. Like I knew, even as a child, that I would never see him again."
Not noticing that Lilia’s gaze darkened, his expression unreadable. Malleus, sitting beside him, glanced over with mild curiosity, but said nothing.
Silver exhaled softly, as if releasing the weight of the story with his breath.
The room remained silent, the warmth of the fire and candlelight mingling with the strange, comforting melancholy of Silver’s tale.Finally, Ruggie broke the silence with a playful grin.
"Well, guess that settles it. You’re officially a fairy-tale prince."Kalim laughed, clapping his hands together.
"A prince with his very own guardian angel! That’s amazing, Silver!"Silver chuckled quietly, the sound soft and rare.
"Maybe. Or maybe I was just lucky."Yuu smiled warmly, feeling a sense of peace settle over the group.
"Either way... that’s a memory worth holding onto."
.
.
.
.
.
As the laughter and chatter resumed in the room, the lively atmosphere gradually seeped back in, but the weight of Silver’s story lingered like a delicate fragrance, permeating the air.
Ruggie leaned back, a mischievous grin on his face as he nudged Kalim. "Maybe you’ve got a White Knight too, Kalim. Who knows?"
Kalim chuckled, brushing off the comment with a wave. "I’ve had plenty of adventures, but none quite like that. Silver’s is special."
Yuu smiled warmly at Silver, appreciating the moment. "That kind of connection is rare. It must have meant a lot to you."
Silver nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It did. Even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time, it felt... significant."
The bottle was spun again, laughter bubbling up as it whirled across the floor. The anticipation of the next turn gripped everyone’s attention, but every now and then, Silver would glance toward Lilia, who remained quiet and contemplative, his expression heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"Who’s next?" Deuce asked, eyes gleaming with excitement as the bottle pointed to Ortho.
As the game continued, Lilia’s mind wandered back to the story.
It was strange how Silver’s experience resonated with him so deeply, the way the young knight spoke of feeling watched over by someone he hardly knew.
"You’ve always been there, haven’t you?" Lilia thought, recalling the memories of his own past. He then stopped as he breath in deeply as relaxes his own hand that was digging through his own palm.
Malleus, sensing the shift in Lilia's emotions, leaned closer.
. "What is it?" he asked quietly, his tone gentle.
Lilia shook his head slightly, pulling himself from his thoughts.
"Just... memories. It’s nothing."
But Malleus was not convinced. He could see the shadows flickering across Lilia’s face, the conflict brewing within him. ..
"You’re lying," he stated plainly, his voice laced with concern.
Lilia let out a soft, weary chuckle. "Perhaps. But it’s complicated. Silver’s story... it reminded me of things I’ve tried to forget."
The tension in the air shifted again, but the laughter from the others masked the deeper conversations waiting to emerge. Malleus glanced back at Silver, who seemed blissfully unaware of the storm of emotions swirling around him.
The bottle spun again, and a wave of playful energy surged through the group, momentarily lifting the heaviness that hung in the air.
But as Ruggie pulled Ortho into another round of dares, Lilia couldn’t shake the feeling of nostalgia mixed with a pang of sorrow.
Lilia then looked outside the window as the earlier scene hit him...
.
.
.
"Do you remember what his face looked like?"
.
.
.
.
"...No. I don’t remember his face or had seen them. Just his eyes—they were kind. .. it felt like coming home."
.
.
.
.
" Home? "
.
.
.
.
" Yes..... "
.
.
.
"And.. even now, sometimes I dream about him. And when I wake up, I feel like I’m being watched. Protected."
.
.
.
.
.
Lilia then snap out in his thoughts as he felt warm hands covering his cold hands and saw that it was Malleus looking at him with worried face.
Lilia just smiled. Lilia thenglanced out the window at the glowing moon, his expression unreadable. In his heart, he whispered silently to the night.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"It seems you’ve been watching him all along…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.