Chapter Text
“It's okay, Noxxie, it's okay.”
A bloodied hand cupped his cheek.
“Go live out the life we dreamed of.”
“It's not the life I dreamed of if you're not in it!” Sobs shook through his body.
“I know…I love you.” The hand slowly fell as its owner closed their eyes. The boy sobbed as his companion breathed his final breath.
~~~~~~
Nox stared out into the dimly lit Lost & Found of the Sugar Springs Library. He and Violet had just escaped with Silver from Ex Libris. He remembered running with the pages and key they stole while Violet carried Silver.
Silver was cracked and needed Narratonin to recover, something neither Nox nor Violet could provide. It was a gamble, but they decided to place her in a hollowed out book for a hopefully diligent reader to find.
About a week had passed before the light of the spellbook filled the room. Nox and Violet rushed over to see Silver's symbol glow in bright white.
They decided to give the keyholder a few books to repair Silver before Nox would enter and demand that they give her back. When the spellbook lit for the fourth time, Violet glanced at Nox before switching to her keyform.
Nox placed her into the paper and vanished in a flash of light.
~~~~~~~
When Nox appeared in the book, he noticed that he was in a castle. The noise of classical music and idle chatter filtered into the dark hallway.
Nox carefully made his way towards the light from the ballroom, before pausing once he noticed something, rather someone strange.
Near the entrance of the ballroom was a rather short person in the odd sort of clothing Nox had seen people wear in the Sugar Springs Library. This person must be Silver's keyholder.
Before they could get too far, Nox quietly approached.
“Now to spend hours listening to him yap about archery, or whatever this prince does,” Nox overheard the keyholder sigh. Now's his chance.
Nox yanked Silver's keyholder by the hood and pressed him against the wall.
“Found you.”
Startled brown eyes looked up at Nox. The anger in Nox's expression was briefly replaced by recognition.
No…there's no way. It's impossible. He died. This was just someone similar to him.
“You have something that doesn't belong to you,” Nox stated, slipping back into character, “that Key is not yours.”
“I found it! Finders keepers!”
Nox ignored him and grabbed the chord Silver's Key was looped through. He turned her Key over to find it still cracked. He scowled.
“I promise I didn't crack it! It was like that when I found it! Who are you anyways? What do you know about these keys? Cause I found some info on a piece of paper and it was kinda vague-”
“Listen. To. Me. You are going to do yourself a favor and put that Key back where you found it and never enter a story again.” Nox grasped the other boy by his shirt. Anger seeped into his mind. How dare he wear his face. How dare he have his voice.
“Let me go! I'm not putting it back! I need it! Tell me who you are and maybe we can work something out instead!”
“You are in no position to make such demands,” Nox spoke with a low voice.
“You won't get anything out of me by being a bully!”
Nox tilted the other boy's chin up to get a better look. He looked just like him, but a little bit older. His honey brown eyes were filled with hate. Good. He should hate Nox. It would be better for both of them if they never get attached.
“After all that, and it's just a weak little idiot like you.” Nox gave the blond a final shove before walking away.
~~~~~~~
With a flash of light, Nox reappeared on the particle board shelf. Violet approached him, setting down her empty vial.
“How did it go?”
“He…refused to give up Silver. Her Key is still cracked.”
“That filthy, good for nothing human! I knew this was a bad idea!”
Violet paused her rant upon noticing her brother's forlorn expression.
“Vi, he…he looked just like him. He looked just like Charles.”
Violet’s brows furrowed as she placed a hesitant hand on her brother's shoulder. She wasn't sure how she should respond, so she just continued to rub circles into Nox's back.
Nox's mind flurried with emotions. It was not him, but those eyes…those eyes were so painstakingly like Charles, a boy who died over a century ago.