Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He should've known better than to check the comment section.

He'd sworn himself that this time he would just publish the episode of the visual novel, close the page and game for the rest of the night.

That plan lasted exactly ten minutes. And all because Idia was, in fact, a liar and a masochist.

@FaeFangirl69: WTF was that ending?? Malleus deserved better!!!
@LiliaEnjoyer: You made the most romantic character in the whole VN die for nothing, you coward.
@HornyForHorns: I waited 87 hours for the route lock, and THIS is how you reward me?

Idia stared at the glowing screen, hood pulled up, biting hard at the end of his sleeves to calm down the anger boiling inside him.

This project was just a hobby, yes. Something mindless and low effort he had created to pass time. But it was his mindless and low effort creation. And people loved it, his VN was a total W. It was not his fault his fans didn't appreciate realistic, tragic, endings. Tragedy was the crib of storytelling, and Malleus was the perfect tragic hero!

His fingers hovered above the keyboard, trembling with the weight of every negative comment.

Another notification popped up.

@Anonymous: You hate your own characters, don’t you? That’s why you killed him. You couldn’t stand that everyone loved Malleus more than you.

"I don’t hate him! He’s just… unbalanced, narratively speaking, it was the most logical ending for someone like him!" he yelled at the screen and got up from his gamer chair in a tantrum. He paced his room, surrounded by glowing monitors, candy wraps and empty energy drink cans.

"What did you all expect!?" he continued to scream at nothing "To kiss him and— boom, all problems solved? Malleus is much more complex that that!"

He stomped his way to the kitchen, opened the fridge and chugged down another energy drink. To hell with his health, if he dies at his thirties, so be it. Games were his safe space: no responsibilities, no expectations, no 'Idia Shroud, next CEO of Estigia'. And now, even that part of his life was being hated on.

Back in his room, he slumped in his chair and scrolled further, reading post after post of heartbreak and fury. They’d called him cruel. Heartless. A murderer of happy endings.

Apparently, the forums were already circulating memes about "the great Malleus Massacre of Chapter 5."

@DragonApologist: I just can't believe the author fucked up this hard, 'Thorns and dreams' had everything to be the VN of the year.

He brought his hands to his head and gripped his dyed-blue hair in frustration. Maybe he did go too hard with the dragon.

See, the story went like this:

The protagonist, Malleus, got lost mid sea due to a storm when he was a child. He ended up in a high tech secluded land, the Island of Woe, where he befriended 'Thanatos', the guardian of the underworld's gates.

But, Thanatos grew jealous of Malleus, as he was well loved, and revered, by the people of the Island while he was seen as the plague, unable to get away of his duties. So, when the gates grew unstable and impending doom was on its way, he planned to get rid of Malleus in silence.

Things got out of hand very quickly, and it ended up in a public disaster. The island's soil ripped in half and Malleus' draconic heritage was revealed. Shielding under the pretext of fear, Thanatos pushed the hero straight to the underworld, to his impending death.

Yet Hades wasn't ruthless and gave him the opportunity to come back if he completed his trials. Malleus was meant to be immortal after all, the underworld couldn't retain him for long anyway.

After he got out, he traveled the world— That's where the player came in— to help Malleus in his journey through the lands. They met new places and forged great alliances even if he wasn't looking for power. The Queendom of Roses, the Shaftlands, Sunset Savanna, the Scalding Sands and even Coral sea trembled in fear at his magical prowess.

All Malleus' wished for was companionship, something he couldn't get if even his allies were frightened. His mind couldn't help but go back to Thanatos and, angered by the betrayal and new-founded loneliness, he came back to the island demanding explanations.

In rage, he ended up dismembering Thanatos' body. The players loved that part after learning of the protag's traumatic past. But, after that, Mal appeared more empty than ever— came to the realization that the world went faster than him, and that he was, in fact, very much alone in a ever-changing world.

Thus, he tried to submit everyone to a never ending slumber, so that he would never again be alone. It didn't make him happy though, and, after a while (when the player notices all after Thanatos' death was a dream) he wakes everyone up, and secludes himself, in his dragon form, in a large cave within a mountain, becoming a myth over time.

Which was synonym of character death, apparently. Well, he might have hinted his death in the epilogue but— still. He thought it was good enough, but people wanted to date him— become the savior of the broken hearted sweet protagonist. They didn't even notice that Malleus' relationship with the player wasn't that strong to even justify an ending like that! All because they had the hots for him!

He groaned. "He literally tried to end the world. You’re not supposed to date that."

Idia sighed, scrolling through the angry threads again.

@TheQueen'srose: "We waited 200 hours for THAT?"
@Malleus'husband: "At least give us an ending where the player saves him!"
@Mal'srighthorn: "How could you do this to him, you monster?"

Maybe they had a point. Maybe it was too bleak. In another screen, he opened the file and squinted at the game's code—the raw, digital threads of his woven little world. There, there was every single line, every bad ending and hidden scenario variables. Maybe he should just add an alternate ending to please? A hidden post-ending, something symbolic.

An image flashed in his mind: Malleus, older, softer, meeting the player again in another life. Just a few lines of code, a new CG. Nothing serious.

He cracked his knuckles and began working. He opened the doc with the discarded dialogue and ideas, then created a new script file, titled "alt_end_heart_healed". He would use existing assets for now, then he'll design the rest before publishing.

If player affection > 80 && time == after_ending:
Then resurrect protagonist.
Else:
Stay asleep.

When he tried to press enter and write the next line of code, it all bugged: the screens froze, his cursor stopped moving and then, power went out.

"Wha—" the monitors shone blue, the script appeared and started writing itself. Idia stood up, alarmed, trying everything to stop whatever was going on— he even unplugged the PC tower.

Somehow, it was still going.

[PATCH DETECTED. REWRITING NARRATIVE FRAME.]
[ERROR: AUTHOR PRESENCE CONFLICT.]
[SOLUTION: REASSIGNING ROLE.]

"Reassigning what—?"

The room around him started to bend.

[Welcome, Administrator.]
[New identity: THANATOS, Guardian of the Underworld.]

"Wait. WAIT—"

The monitors imploded in a burst of light. The last thing Idia saw before everything went white was the error message flashing in dark green:

[May your story find balance, good luck! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-]

He opened his eyes, startled, and immediately stood up. This wasn't his room. The place was dark, filled with screens shining in light blue— the floor was covered in papers, scribbled notes scattered everywhere. A wardrobe was wide open, none of the clothes seemed modern: they were all tunic-like, even what he was wearing felt too soft on his body to be his.

He was on a bed— covers blue and black, in modern, geometric, designs. Blue light was coming from behind him, but, when he turned around, nothing was there.

Idia got out, desperately looking for anything that would explain his current situation. Two doors were on the room, one smaller than the other. Trying not to touch anything on the floor, he got to one and opened it: a bathroom was behind it. His reflection in the mirror stared right at him, what in the cosmetic DLC was that? Omgomg he's gonna die— he grabbed one of the towels and smacked himself with it repeatedly, his head was on literal fire, for Hades' sake!

[Achievement: The guardian's secret, unlocked! Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations! +10 Plot points, +10 Character depth!]

Idia screamed from the top of his lungs. Rising his arms to cover himself form the unknown, yet familiar, voice. Ortho was there, his little brother was there— no, not his little brother. Something, speaking in his voice, flickering in blue dim light, was there.

It floated in front of him, waiting for something. "What's going on?" Idia asked at last.

[ Greetings, Admin! You have successfully integrated into the character model "Thanatos." Body sync at 98.7%.]

He flinched. The voice wasn’t coming from a speaker. It echoed inside his skull, none of what it said made sense. "Ortho?" he called, even if he knew that wasn't him.

A translucent-blue hologram of his little brother stood before him. He looked a bit older than what he remembered, half his face was covered by an electronic mask with a little screen on it.

[Correct! System 'Ortho' Online. Good morning, Big Bro!]

The screen showed a check mark as he spoke.

Idia froze in place, unable to react to this— thing. He clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened, anger, disbelief and grief all spiraling inside him, but seeing Ortho again, even in this holographic state, was all he's ever wanted. "Why are you wearing my brother's face?"

[This system used the face, voice and personality of the most frequent person in your memory logs to ensure user comfort. Would you rather another face is shown?]

Idia swallowed hard. His throat felt dry.

"Comfort," he repeated, voice small and bitter. "Yeah. Sure. That’s what this is."

The towel, still clutched in one hand, slipped to the floor. He shook his head and turned back to the mirror, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He's been isekai'd for Hades' sake! And in the body of the villain he himself had created out of all things! All he wanted to do is defend his honor as a game developer.

Idia advanced a few steps forward, brushing his fingers against the glass. Then he brought his hands to his head, brushing the flaming strands of hair— it didn't burn. Also, he didn't notice until now but, his face was weird: his lips were now lapis lazuli blue, so were the corners of his eyelids.

He took a couple steps back and stared at Ortho with empty eyes.

[Waiting for a response...]

"No, yes— this face is fine," Seeing him like this, even if it was fake, was better than never seeing Ortho again. "Can you explain why do I look like this?"

[Big Bro hasn't given a face to Thanatos,so the system filled the information with your data. Appearance can not be changed.]

He knew that, he wanted to give Thanatos the mysterious aesthetic. Not even his name was given, even if the character was important to the plot! That was because he felt too close to home, he projected a lot to that character, a major kin for him— thus why Idia never actually named him, and why he's killed him. "I-I mean, why am I on fire?"

[That's part of the plot you have to discover!]

Idia’s laugh came out strangled. "Plot I have to discover? I wrote this world, what is this, NG+?" His voice cracked halfway through, the sound echoed against the marble walls, making him feel more alone that what he already was.

"Okay, Ortho," he called, still staring at his reflection, dragging a hand down his face, forcing himself to breathe. "What’s the rulebook here? How’s the point system supposed to work?"

Deep down, he already knew there was no menu option to quit. The idea of lying down and just wait to respawn was extremely appealing, but that would mean taking an L to his own creation. And Idia Shroud didn’t lose— not when it came to games.

[Plot points determine progression within the narrative, Character depth points determine the complexity of the characters and B-points are gained when you perform a badass action, they can be used to unlock scenarios!]

Idia nodded, listening attentively to this world's tutorial. Ortho continued speaking.

[Player's— Administrator's job is to complete quests to ensure that the current storyline reaches a satisfactory resolution! Mission: ‘Repair the fractured narrative. Create a happy ending for protagonist Malleus Draconia.']

Idia blinked. "Repair the narrative? You mean, fix the ending everyone threw a fit over? Also— what happens if a quest is not completed?"

[Affirmative! This world has reached 73.4% instability due to user dissatisfaction. An uncompleted quest can trigger deletion.]

He froze. "Oh. Okay. Great. Love that. Permanent death. No pressure." He rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath, "So if I screw up, I basically softlock myself out of existence. Nice."

Idia started walking around the bathroom, biting the sleeves of what he supposed were his new pajamas. "W-wait," he stopped mid-track when he made a realization "I'm an admin, not a player— what does that entail?"

[Big Bro can change aspects of the game such as scenery and NPC's reactions and actions. You can also mildly interfere with the supporting cast, and act slightly OOC without the ability unlocked!]

He nodded, thinking about his game strategy, "What about changing mayor plot points of the story? Can I change Thanatos' end?"

[Thanatos' fate can be changed by your actions, not code. Every Malleus Draconia has to go through Hades' trials.]

He was so fucked, why didn't he have any checkpoints? A 'restart playthrough' option? "So— I have to push Malleus to the underworld AND keep his favors so he doesn't kill me?"

[Affirmative! Admin also has to achieve Malleus Draconia's happy ending!]

Idia blinked once, then twice, grabbed his head with both his hands and crouched on the ground. He's dead, he's sosososoSO dead.

He spent a couple minutes rolling around in the bathroom's floor, grinding his teeth in desperation, until Ortho spoke up.

[Thanatos has to complete today's tasks, Big Bro has to cover his face to avoid OOC behavior, the incompletion of this quest can result in -50 Plot points. Good luck, Big Bro!]

Ortho's screen showed a radiant smile before disappearing in the air. Idia stared at the empty space. -5o Plot points?! for a simple task?! Seeing he had no other choice, he finally stood up and got out— he would bath later, he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts now, or ever.

Back in the room, he walked to the open wardrobe, searching for everyday clothes. He created this place based on ancient Greece, so half of the closet was filled with cloth, all in the tones of black, blue and purple. A peplos —a rectangular piece of cloth, pinned at both shoulders leaving one of the sides kinda open — would do. He got a Himation too, a piece of clothing similar to a shawl, to cover the side that was exposed— dammed him for designing this character like this for the 'AEstheTIcS' or whatever.

The Himation was long enough to cover his face too— but he couldn't see anything with it. What did Thanatos use to cover himself? Yes, he designed the character, but he never specified what kind of garment it was. It was just a face covering or whatever.

Rummaging through the wardrobe he found a shorter piece of clothing. Curious, he put it on over his head. It became attached like magic— how convenient, videogame logic. He jumped a couple of times, just to see if it fell off, but the dammed thing didn't even move. Plus, he could actually see with it on.

Hesitating, Idia looked back to the bathroom, catching his reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a shroud. Idia Shroud, wearing a shroud over his head—the veil to cover the dead —posing as 'Guardian of the Underworld' Thanatos, future dead villain of the story. How poetic, now that's foreshadowing. Srsly? F his life.

He sighed, looking around the room— at least he made the Island after his first love: technology. He actually made it more advanced than the tech of the real world. Fuihihihi~ How exciting! If he was going to die, at least he would spend his time tinkering around. He deserved it!

Smiling, he got out of the room— the other doors were electronic, activated with just this fingerprints, what a dream~ He explored the labs, going around with what little he remembered of his planning. The labs were never actually drawn as the protagonist was never allowed inside, just the living spaces.

Going down an elevator, a spacious circular room appeared before him: in the middle, the gates of the underworld were on the floor, decorations chiseled in stone all around it, a semi-circular tactile monitor displayed beside it. He assumed that's were he worked.

It all came very natural to him, as if this was the job he did all his life, "Okey, so," Idia muttered, typing commands into the screen, half expecting something to pop up. "Stabilize souls, don’t let anyone come to life and die twice, keep the Island running steadily and the apocalypse on cooldown. Got it."

He completed it all swiftly— it turns out that in this world, guarding the gates of the underworld was more of a maintenance work. What was more complex was caring for the island: the climate was controlled artificially to ensure the best possible conditions for produce, structures were monitored to ensure the buildings didn't take a toll on the island, so were grand social gatherings like manifestations. They didn't have much contact with the outside world, probably because of the gates to Hades, so they were mostly auto-sufficient and economy was a bit stiff. He hated it. He could manage, but gods, how boring.

A siren started to ring, the magical activity levels shown on the screen skyrocketed. India rushed to it, trying to understand where was the source of such force— the gates on the ground started to tremble.

"O-ortho!" He called, frantically typing on the screens to stabilize "Wha-?"

[System 'Ortho' has connected to source of power 'Malleus Draconia']

Oh, so that's why Thanatos hated his guts— "W-where is he?!" He yelped, he had no way to normalize anything with him near. It's no use! What's the point of the antagonist if he dies on the first scene!

[Quest: 'Meeting the dragon' accepted, meet Malleus Draconia outside the lab and stop the gates from opening. Time remaining: 3 minutes]

THE HELL YOU MEAN 3 MINUTES? Idia practically threw himself at the elevator, spamming the button like his life depended on it. (Because, apparently, it did.) His breathing came in short gasps— and he hadn’t even left the building yet. When the doors finally opened, he slammed his hand against the control panel so hard reality glitched for a second.

Longest elevator ride of. His. Life.

He ran, as he could, to the outside doors of the lab— the sunlight hit him like a slap. Outside, he saw him. Malleus was standing outside, admiring the building facade with a hand on his chin.

His horns didn't appear yet, Idia felt a bit weirded out by that—that detail came later in the story, after Hades' trials. His clothes were those of the island, not the elaborate fae-like clothes he'd wear mid-game,but the pointed ears, the otherworldly grace, the way the wind seemed to pause around him…protagonist material. His raven hair rested gracefully on his shoulders, shining faintly under the sunlight. Malleus' emerald eyes shifted to him, Idia couldn't help but stay still. S-tier, he's such a SSR character! Those piercing eyes and sharp features. Dude, that was a real ikemen!

[One minute left, failing completion will result in termination!]

"EEK!" His whole body stiffened after hearing Ortho's voice.

Panic overrode dignity. Idia bolted toward Malleus, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him away from the gate with all the strength of a caffeine-deprived shut-in.

A warning flashed across his vision

[Alert: Character behavior inconsistent with pre−scripted role.]

He ignored it, gritting his teeth. "I don’t care— thank Hades for admin privileges!"

Malleus blinked, startled but unresisting, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Thanatos? What’s the rush?"

"Gate— unstable— death— later— I’ll explain!" Idia wheezed, half-running, half-tripping over himself as the clock ticked in his head.

[Quest 'Meeting the dragon' completed! Gates to the underworld are steady. Good job, Big Bro!]

Idia blinked, clutching Malleus’s arm like a lifeline. His mind struggled to catch up with the sudden calm. The readings were normal. The warning messages stopped flashing. Everything was… fine?

"Wh—what?" he gasped, whipping his head toward the skyline, they reached mid-way to the village. "That’s it? It just—fixed itself?!"

Meanwhile, Malleus was watching him closely— or rather, intently. Green eyes filled with quiet curiosity.

Idia realized that he was still gripping the dragon’s sleeve like a terrified maiden. He immediately let go, stumbling back two steps, hands flailing. "I—I wasn’t—uh— just,—uh—safety protocol! Yes, that!"

The faintest smile appeared on Malleus’ lips. "I see," he said slowly, tilting his head. "It's been a while, Thanatos."

"Y-yeah, It's been a while," Idia shifted his gaze to look at anything but him, it was not like Malleus could see him, but, still— why, why had he made the man who was destined to kill him so stupidly handsome?

The silence lingered for a minute, the dragon stared at him with both his brows raised. This whole exchange was top-tier cringe, even for him. He felt like the Y/N of a middle-school girl's fanfic of his own VN with all the stuttering and clinging.

"I've barely seen you, old friend," Malleus finally broke the silence. "I thought of visiting you in the labs, but I can’t seem to understand your technology quite yet…"

"Please don't come near the labs ever again." the words slipped out of Idia's mouth, he quickly covered his mouth over the cloth as to shut himself up. Nice going, idiot, his brain hissed. Insult the overpowered dragon fae to his face.

Malleus stared at him in silence, he was so scary Idia wanted to cry. He could practically feel the pressure of his aura, as if he were standing in the eye of a hurricane. His throat tightened. He’s so scary. He’s so pretty. I’m going to die.

Finally, Malleus smiled, faint but sincere. "As you wish. I wouldn’t want to disturb you."

"W-wait! That's not—" he was going to get himself killed quicker if he continues to fumble like this, "When you come near the lab, it starts to malfunction… It's not like I don't want to see you, dude. I MEAN—"

Idia wanted the ground to open and swallow him already. Malleus was still looking at him, not angry nor offended — just thoughtful. The kind of expression that made his stomach twist because he couldn’t tell what the dragon was thinking, and that was terrifying.

"You’ve changed," Malleus said softly. "You used to speak more easily to me."

Idia blinked, Thanatos was supposed to be cold, not easy to talk to. Not a single OOC warning came out this time, he supposed this was all kinda in character as the villain was just a meaner, more badass, version of himself. "Eh? No, I—I mean, I’ve always been like this!" he stammered. "Quiet. Uh, antisocial. Practically invisible! I—uh—barely qualify as an NPC!"

Malleus shook his head. "You underestimate yourself, Thanatos. You’ve always had a strong presence. Even the air around you listens."

"Y-yeah? Well, the air should mind its own business," Idia mumbled under his breath, turning away to hide his embarrassment, even if Malleus couldn't see his face at all.

[+ 5 affection points!]

The notification flashed across his vision, Idia froze in place.

No. No, no, no. We are NOT doing this. He’s just talking. It’s NPC small talk. Don’t you dare count that as affection, you—Ortho! please help! He called in his mind.

[What can I help you with, Big Bro? (˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) ✧ ]

The system responded, appearing right in front of him. The dragon didn't seem to notice anything out of ordinary, what he did see was Idia's apparent worsening bashfulness.

"Oya? You seem to be quite flustered, Thanatos."

"EEK!" What was going on? What is wrong with his OP protagonist? Idia laughed, rather awkwardly, to save face. "M-me? Not at all, nope. Not me."

[+ 5 affection points! It seems you have unlocked a new variable to achieve progress, good luck! Affection points: 10/150]

Huh? What happens if I reach 150/150? Do I survive if I do? Can I avoid pushing him to the underworld if I do?

[Loading... I'm sorry Big Bro! ( ;´ - `;) I don't know what will happen, but the probability to survive increases with affection points. Every 'Malleus Draconia' must go to The Underworld.]

Idia stared blankly at the glowing hologram, then at Malleus—still watching him with polite curiosity. "Oh, this is so cursed," he muttered. He was fairly sure the affection points meant there was a romantic secret route, Idia played enough otomes to predict that.

There had to be another way to survive other than 'flirt with the protagonist, push him into the underworld and expect to be forgiven by the power of love', he didn't want to fall in love with the dragon that would rip his limbs apart, thank you very much, plus: that would be a wack ending for his VN, this was not a D*sney story.

The dragon blinked. "Did you say something?"

"Uh—No, nothing at all." he mumbled, dearly wishing to go back to the lab and hide in his room already.

The protagonist covered his mouth slightly with his hand, adverting his gaze for a second. "How cute…" he mumbled.

[+ 5 affection points!]

"Well, It seems I've taken enough of your time," Malleus said, as he admired the skies with contentment. He looked ethereal with the leaves making shadows in his face, sunlight bathing softly his features. "I'll come to see you soon, dear Thanatos. I assume you will know when I am near?"?"

"I— yes, I'll know," It was hard not to when everything went high-wire "Uh— so, TTYL."

He turned around to, finally, go back to the lab. The dragon´s eyes were still fixated on his every movement, it made him so self-conscious that he stumbled with his own feet, his legs still tired from the run, barely regaining balance before falling to the ground. He stole a glance at Malleus, feeling embarrassed.

The protagonist just chuckled, looking a bit sadistic behind those amused eyes, and waved goodbye.

[+ 5 affection points!]

Idia almost tried to tear out his own hair out of desperation, this was going to be one hell of a playthrough.

Chapter Text

Idia got used to looking like the Ancient Greek version of a modern ghost real fast. Turns out, wearing literal cloth attached with pseudo-belts is comfy, and the see-through shroud that covered his face became barely noticeable overtime, as videogame logic allowed it to stay still on his head.

What he didn't get used to was the death threats that the system slammed into his head each time Malleus got near the lab.

[Protagonist 'Malleus Draconia' is approaching! Get him outside the area before the magic levels spike and the gates open! Remaining time: 5 minutes]

Dumbfuck plot! Dumbfuck novel!

For some reason, the world decided that the reason why Thanatos was so cold with Malleus, apart from jealousy, was because he interfered with his research. And he gets it, 'cause now he had to leave his new robotic baby-in-progress alone to rush to the dragon.

What's worse, each time Malleus got near, residual magic lingered and so, the gates started to become unstable. And that meant the end, his end, was near. No wonder Thanatos planned to throw him in, a shame he wasn't fast enough to not rip the island in half.

As he spammed the elevator's button, he felt the tips of his hair grow hotter. That also was a thing now— It was not his fault he often wished to burn the world to the ground, he had no way out!

The underworld was slowly opening and he had to push the dragon in, the only thing he could do was delay the inevitable— but, in doing so, he played a game of chance. A game he had to play, as death was the other option. If by the times the underworld opened, Malleus' affection points were low, then death was assured. If the points were too high, then the heartbreak the dragon would feel would also assure his death. The safest bet was getting to 90/150 and then push him in— not low enough to die, not high enough to break his heart.

But, still! Why was he the one gaining points? How was he meant to give him a happy ending while pushing him to the underworld at the same time?! It wasn't his wish to change the story, but the player's— wouldn't Y/N be the best option to make him happy? Who would want a hermit like him as a partner? Not the dragon fae-prince, that's for sure. And, again, a 'love conquers all' ending would be so lame.

He got in the elevator, pressed another button and ran through the most efficient route to get out— he had rearranged the furniture just for this. Not a fun time for his weak-ass body.

[Remaining time: 3 minutes!]

Yes, yes I know! I'm going as fast as I can!

Never in his life had Idia run this much, turns out playing 'Just Dance' wasn't enough to level up stamina stats.

Outside, he rushed through the rundown path, straight to the dragon that was approaching calmly. He almost tripped over the overgrown roots of a tree— one day he was gonna build himself a paver to make the path more walkable. The timer was still ticking, and before Malleus could say a word, Idia grabbed his arm and pulled until it stopped.

[Side quest completed! New quest: 'City Rendezvous' in progress, good luck, big bro!]

Wha? No accept or decline option? Is this a main quest?

[Yes! Protagonist 'Malleus Draconia' has decided!]

Before he could ask anything else, the dragon prince spoke:

"Mmh, It seems you know whenever I approach indeed," he smiled, showing off the fangs that would grow even larger when his draconic features unlocked. "Have you set a tracker on me, perhaps?"

"I- No! Not at all! Everything goes highwire whenever you get near, I can't do anything else but come to you!" Omg, stop— that came out so weird.

"I see" Malleus' eyes glimmered as Idia squirmed.

[+10 affection points!]

NO, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU DON'T SEE AT ALL.

"Well, I'm glad you are so… responsive to my presence," He said, quietly enjoying Idia's distress. "I was hoping you would accompany me to the village today?"

Idia blinked once, then twice. What do you mean responsive? Oh, no, Hades— Malleus thought he had a crush on him. Yes, he is objectively attractive with those emerald eyes, raven straight hair, luscious milky skin, elegant yet toned arms, magical prowess and his soon-to-appear horns and scales— you get the picture. He was the protagonist! Of course he was going to be attractive! And maybe Idia was a bit of a monsterfucker, but that didn't mean that he had a crush on the one that was going to tear him apart, and not in the fun way!

He remembered the pop up screen Ortho had shown him merely seconds ago, it was not like he had another option. Idia nodded slightly, the dragon was staring at him as if he were the food he was playing with.

Idia didn't want to go to the village, people already used to treat him as if he was gum sticking under their shoes in the real world. Now that he was quite literally the villain of the story, it would be even worse.

Malleus was still waiting for a response, even though Idia was sure he had seen him nod— he wanted to scream. "I—uh—right! Accompanying! Let’s… go. Totally normal hero-villain bonding moment."

The path to the village bathed in soft light. Birds scattered as they walked—well, as Malleus walked and Idia awkwardly shuffled two meters behind, tripping over every single root in existence.

It was infuriating how effortlessly the dragon moved: tall, graceful, every step calculated. Meanwhile, Idia looked like a gremlin escaping sunlight. It was so unfair how different their charisma stats were.

When they reached the village edge, people began to appear: bypassers, vendors, children, etc. It was weird, like NPCs spawning right when the hero got near— he didn't think Malleus noticed.

The moment their eyes landed on Idia, the air changed. Conversations stopped, gazes hardened, a few mothers subtly pulled their kids aside. They all switched from gen-chat to whisper mode, as they always did.

He didn’t need Ortho to tell him why. In game, Thanatos was the cursed guardian, the one whose magic-tech came from death itself. Even now, he could feel the faint pull of the underworld’s gate beneath his skin, and the fire underneath the shroud flaming softly.

He forced a small laugh though, tugging on his own sleeve. "Haha… see, everyone’s… thrilled to see me."

Malleus looked around, expression unreadable. Where the villagers hid from Idia, they bowed to him—respectful, but distant. None dared approach.

"Do they always look at you this way?" He asked quietly, guiding him through the city. "I thought they would be thrilled to see you, you're the ruler of the island after all."

"Yeah— well, I don't go out much, just help with… y'know, the climate, economy and stuff," Idia muttered. "Socially, they rule themselves."

"The…climate?"

"Uh— yes, the climate here is artificially moderated, to make it more effective for produce— you know, to assure we stay auto-sufficient…" Idia explained as if it were as simple as that. "Though, sometimes it doesn't work, I still can't figure out why but sometimes it just—bursts into thunderstorms."

Malleus hummed, stared at him as if he were thinking about something, and nodded. Then, he continued walking, dragging Idia with. The path cleared wherever they went. Malleus walked tall, unbothered, practically glowing in confidence. Idia, on the other hand, trailed behind, painfully aware that the only reason the villagers didn’t run was because of the fae beside him.

It was fine, he never needed those normies to approve of him. If he didn't interact with them, then he wouldn't pass through the humiliation of failing socialization norms— boom, crisis averted.

They went through the Agora, admiring the crafts and other products the market had to offer. Malleus spoke calmly with the merchants who stole cautious glances at him from time to time, when he got tired, they left, wondering around until they reached a fountain in the middle of a plaza. The dragon sat, softly fanning himself with his hand, even if not a single drop of sweat could be seen.

"I've always wondered, dear Thanatos," he began, breaking the silence. "Why do you cover your face at all times?"

How was he supposed to answer that? 'Well, for starters, my hair is on fire. Thank you very much.'? Idia opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He turned around in direction to the agora, now it was full of people— not empty as it were when they were near, and frowned.

"I'm afraid they don't like my face much," he opted to say instead, voice small.

"They don’t like your face," Malleus repeated softly, as if testing the weight of the words. His gaze also shifted toward the market square—toward the people laughing and moving freely now that they were gone—and something in his expression darkened. "That’s quite the foolish reason to avert one’s eyes," he said at last. "To fear what they do not understand."

It was so easy for him to say, he might not know it yet, but he was a prince! An all powerful immortal dragon! People didn't avert his eyes out of disgust, but out of respect— the strength that emanated out of him was noticeable even with his powers locked. And he was so pretty to look at. So, so, so pretty.

Idia wasn't anything like that. This body he was now in was cursed, he himself in the other world felt cursed— avoided by everyone, being seen as the weird, gross, otaku that was unfortunately heir to a major company. You know, wasted potential.

If he had Ortho still with him, not the system but his brother, things would be so much better. His brother was everything he wasn't— brave, cheerful, charismatic. He used to put a face of confidence for him, but now he had no reason to pretend, to continue. But rotting to death would have made his brother sad, so he did it fo him.

Idia shifted uncomfortably, clutching at his sleeves. "Y-yeah, well… people fear weird things, right? Like taxes, or clowns, or prolonged eye contact—"

Malleus turned his gaze back to him. "But why do you comply to them?"

"I-it’s not like I have a choice," Idia mumbled, looking away. And maybe because I get it. I’d be grossed out of me too.

The dragon studied him quietly. Thanatos looked fragile like that, for someone so used to hiding, he seemed to wear his heart on his sleeves— an unwilling gentleness born from long isolation. It unsettled something deep in Malleus’s chest. "If they fear you unjustly, then they are undeserving of your protection."

That tone made Idia’s brain short-circuit. "Wha— no, no, you can’t just despawn the villagers! That’s, like, step one of becoming a tyrant!"

He might be a villain, but becoming a tyrant was too much work and social interaction!

Malleus’s lips curved faintly, in a shy smile. "You misunderstand me. I do not wish to harm them, merely to understand why their eyes hold fear for the one who sustains their little world." He paused, tilting his head slightly, and his voice softened again. "You may hide your face if it comforts you, but you need not hide from me."

What flag did he raise to unlock this CG?! Idia’s throat went dry, the tips of his hair turned pale pink. "W-what?"

The dragon just smiled at him, as if that were an explanation.

[+10 affection points!]

"Wha— no! That wasn’t flirting! That was emotional damage!" Idia sputtered, clutching his head.

Malleus blinked, a small chuckle escaping him. "You’re quite the strange one, Thanatos."

[+5 affection points!]

"I’m gonna combust, like literally, dude," Idia muttered, which, given his hair, wasn’t entirely metaphorical.

"I'd rather you stayed in one piece, my dear Thanatos."

Yeah, I'm sure you would.

He could feel Malleus’s eyes on him, calm and unrelenting, like the guy was trying to solve him instead of talk to him. Which was terrible. Absolutely nightmare fuel. Being perceived was bad enough, but being understood? Known? That was catastrophic.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "A-anyway! I should probably go back before people think I'm about to abduct you or something!"

"Abduct me?" Malleus repeated, one eyebrow lifting. "They would think you capable of such cruelty?"

Idia was getting so nervous that he babbled whatever came first to his mind "I mean—look at you!" he gestured vaguely at all of him. "You’re, like… six feet of ominous grace with a voice that could convince anyone to commit arson. It’s a vibe!"

Malleus actually laughed at that—soft, unguarded, and warm enough that Idia forgot how to breathe for a second. Damned SSR+ protagonist and his buffed charisma stats.

[+10 affection points!]

"Ah—no, wait, stop! Don’t laugh so nicely! It’s a trap route!"

The dragon only looked more amused. "Your way of speaking never ceases to surprise me."

[+5 affection points!]

Mission: 'avoid getting affection points' is failing miserably! Abort! Abort!

Malleus stood up from the fountain, shifted his head slightly upwards and sighed, his eyelashes creating soft shadows over his skin. "Well, I suppose it is getting late. Shall I accompany you to your home?"

Please don't, if you do earth will break in half.

"Uhm— that's not necessary, really, it isn't that far…"

The dragon gave him one of his overconfident smirks. "Please, I insist."

There was no way out, specially when Malleus thought he was being shy. Idia bit his lower lip. "J-just until halfway there, alright?" He hoped that was far enough to not trigger more magical shenanigans.

"As you wish, dearest Thanatos." Malleus offered him a hand.

Idia looked at it for a second too long, unsure on what to do— this was too much, way too much for his nerdy brain to process. Under the pressure to act, he took it. Goosebumps traveled up his spine when the soft warm skin touched him. The dragon subtly beamed at their connection, then led the way.

In their next encounter, they ended up at the beach.

Idia hadn’t even gotten a prompt this time—no "Quest Accepted," nor "New Route Available." He’d just woken up, and suddenly Ortho chimed:

[New quest: Seaside encounter! Location: Southern beach. Good luck, Big Bro!(๑>؂•̀๑)]

"Huh?" he asked when he noticed that the magical sensitivity of the gates were stable. "Do I have to go there to trigger the scene or something?"

[Yes! Going to the southern beach will trigger the event, you have until the end of the day! Though, it is advised you go as soon as possible for better results!]

Idia lifted one of his brows as he walked to the bathroom to do his quick self-care routine, the hologram following him humming happily. "And what do 'better results' mean?"

[Uhh~ Plot points and character depth can be gained during this quest, affection points can be gained in every interaction with 'Malleus Draconia'ᕙ(•̀ ᗜ •́)ᕗ]

"Thanks, Ortho," He mumbled after dressing himself up. Of course every single interaction with the dragon was a risk, if he did the math correctly, which he did, right now he was at 60/150 affection points. And that was dangerously close to his goal of 90.

But he needed the plot points, desperately— things didn't go very fast in chapter one, apparently— the novel seemed more interested in leveling up their relationship, you know, for the emotional bonus of the betrayal. It was a shame Idia was a genius and would not fall in the 150/150 trap! Fuihihihi~

He finished his lab dailies, reorganized three data sheets that didn’t need reorganizing, overwatered the only plant in his room, and—after a full twenty minutes of pacing and procrastinating— he finally gave in.

"Fine, fine, I’ll go," he muttered, throwing on his himation and veil. "It’s not like the plot is gonna advance itself."

The southern beach was just as he remembered designing it—black sand, pale seafoam, and a horizon that looked like the world’s prettiest loading screen. They were based on the black beaches of Greece, so that meant there had to be an inactive volcano somewhere in the island. The water glimmered faintly with traces of magic and the air smelled faintly of humidity, like it was on the verge of rain.

Malleus was already there, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing towards the sea. His clothes danced in the wind, and the faint green light of his sealed magic reflected against the water.

Of course he looked like he’d been taken straight out from a cinematic cutscene.

He turned around, slightly startled when he saw Idia standing there in silence. He smiled, softly this time, and made a delicate gesture with his hand asking him to come. "Thanatos, it's a pleasure seeing you here."

"Uh, Yes. Y'know how it is, daily maintenance—long day—magic calibration—uh, I needed a break from the lab," what on earth was he saying? That didn't sound like him at all!

[Be careful! Slightly OOC behavior!]

Yeah, no shit.

The fae chuckled softly. "I see. Then let us rest a while."

He gestured toward a spot near the shore, where the waves lapped gently against the sand, and sat were the water couldn't reach. Idia sat stiffly, folding his legs in what he hoped was a 'casual' pose and not 'existential panic mode.'

They sat in silence for a few seconds. The sky was slowly turning pale gold as the sun reached its zenith, clouds drifting lazily. Idia picked at the sand beside him, waiting for the inevitable dialogue trigger. It came soon enough.

"Sometimes I dream of the sea," Malleus said quietly. "From before I came here."

Idia glanced up. "Uh, ocean nostalgia DLC unlocked?"

Malleus smiled faintly. "What?"

"I- nothing, sorry. Please continue," Go, greek boy, go! what a way to ruin the moment.

"Mmh, worry not. I was just thinking," The dragon's eyes got lost in the immense sea again.

Idia would lose plot points if he didn't say anything. "I— no, sorry. I want to listen to you, it's kinda important."

"Am I important to you?"

Of course he had to open his mouth and keybord smash his way out of dialogue, of course Malleus would interpret the auto-corrected version like that. Why is he such a mess?

"I- Uh…" Idia fidgeted, unsure of what to say to salvage that.

[+10 affection points!]

The fae's face relaxed, he close his eyes, took a deep breath, smiled and moved a bit closer to him. Idia froze in place— omg he's going to pass out right here right now, cause of death: handsome dragon proximity.

"When I was small, I lived near the cliffs— there was a deep, black forest around and I… I can´t remember how the place was named. Lilia raised me—he was my guardian. There were others too… a young boy named Silver, and a half-fae child, Sebek. They were my family," His voice softened, warm with memory. "Lilia used to tell me stories of the world beyond the mist. I thought the sea was only another one of his tales. Until the day I saw it myself."

His eyes turned distant, empty. "It was on the night of a storm. We’d gone to the shore for the first time. The waves rose higher than I had ever seen, and lightning touched the sea. I remember reaching out for it—and then nothing."

Idia felt something twist in his chest, sharp and painful. Maybe guilt or maybe it was empathy. "And you ended up here, alone."

[+10 affection points! +20 plot points!]

Of course, cry about your past so the game thinks we’re soulmates.

The dragon closed his eyes and rested his body on the soft sand— something you'd never see in-game, at least in the previous version. It made him feel more vulnerable, human. Idia let the quiet linger for a few moments more, until the words crept up his throat.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault you can't get out." And now I'm trapped here too.

Malleus' eyes snapped open, hurt and confusion spread across his face.

"I-it's the gates," Idia started to explain quickly. "The gates react to ambient magic like, uh, black holes with a caffeine addiction. Too much energy nearby and they start sucking it all up indiscriminately. So I had to isolate the island—less input, less chance of implosion. Simple risk management! I don't know how you managed to break through and get in but— there's no way out."

[+5 plot points!]

HOW DOES THAT COUNT! I made the plot, I already knew this! Do I have to say random facts to the air to get points? What kind of wack cheat-code is this!?

"I- I could change it now," he continued talking out of nervousness. "Lift the magical barriers, and change the tech that stabilizes the gates but— that would mean that the gates would stay open while I change that…"

"...What would happen if they did?" Malleus asked quietly.

Idia grimaced. "They don’t stop once they start—it’s not like they have an ‘off’ switch. Once they begin drawing in magic, they keep going until there’s nothing left. Then they shut down, reset, and the whole draining cycle starts again.— or, well, until I fix it and close them off."

And that's exactly why Thanatos had pushed him into the underworld. It was also the reason why the fae's magic was sealed in here. The gates closed if they absorbed a lot at once, even if at first it was under the excuse of upgrading the tech, when he discovered that Malleus was a dragon it was the safest bet to reduce the collateral damage while upgrading.

The dragon's face was now blank, Idia couldn't guess what on earth was he thinking until he finally spoke: "It's not your fault then, you shall not feel guilty."

If only he knew this world was shaped out of his will.

Then, the dragon’s gaze softened, and it was somehow worse—too kind, too understanding. "It must be lonely, guarding the gates alone," Malleus murmured. "You and I, we seem to be the same."

Oh Hades, he was handsome.

[+15 affection points! +10 plot points!]

Idia took a deep breath, struggling to not get lost in the narrative and succumb to the dragon's charms. Remember his plans of not leveling up more than 90/150? Well, it went all to hell because right now the points were at 95/150 and he couldn't figure out how to lower them without rage-baiting Malleus to death. Plus, he had to figure out how to get out without rising it more and stay hidden until the underworld rips open.

Ortho, this is so sad. Play Despacito.

[Despacito, by Luis Fonsi, featuring Daddy Yankee is playing! ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜]

WHA— NO, WAIT—

Idia slapped a hand in his mouth to contain his laugh, the strangled sound came out as a very weird sob. Ortho, please stop!! Pause! Press pause!

[Song paused, do you want to add it to a playlist? (๑>؂•̀๑)]

Malleus couldn't hear the music, so he thought that his companion was, indeed, crying. His eyes widened a fraction, revealing his concern but also the sadistic part of him that kinda enjoined watching him in distress. "Thanatos… are you—crying? I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"Wha—no! No, no, no! It’s, uh, just—" Idia waved his hands frantically, trying to come up with something.

The fae, still mistaking his spiraling panic for sadness, sighed softly. "You bear too much on your own, my friend. You do not have to carry it all in silence."

"I—" Idia’s voice cracked. "That’s—wow, okay, that’s dangerously close to therapy talk. Let’s not unpack that!"

"Thanatos."

"Y-yes?"

Malleus looked down at him, eyes calm but menacing, the kind of gaze that felt like it could see straight through him, leaving him bare. "When I see you, and your loneliness… it is as though I am hearing my own heart."

Idia blinked, brain blank. "You—you can’t just say stuff like that. There should be, like, an emotional cooldown timer between lines!"

"Oya? Do I usually make you emotional?"

[+15 affection points!]

WHY FIFTEEN? Does he like to— I don't know, make me cry? So scary! So pretty!

He covered his face with both hands, groaning. Ortho, I’m at 110! I’m gonna hit the soft cap at this rate! Do something!

[Would you like me to decrease affection points? Warning: This may affect narrative cohesion. (ง ื▿ ื)ว]

Yes! Drop them! Drop them like the stock market in a recession!

[Error: Affection points with ‘Malleus Draconia’ cannot be reduced manually. Try communicating honestly! ✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)و ✧]

Communicating honestly—are you trying to kill me faster?

[Of course not, Big Bro!( ˶°ㅁ°) !!]

Malleus’s expression softened further. "You are trembling," he said gently. "Is it my presence that disturbs you so?"

Idia laughed, awkwardly, looking towards the exit of the beach, to the path to his lab. "I-not at all, you are just— uh, uhmm. I gotta go, bye!"

Nope, no, he wasn't doing this anymore. Running like a coward was the best option, so he did just that. In a lapse of judgment, he peeked backwards to see Malleus staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"EEK!" the blue-haired man squeaked.

The dragon covered his mouth gracefully with one hand, hiding his delighted smile.

[+10 affection points!]

He was so doomed.

The first warning was the siren. Loud, strident and absolutely not on the daily schedule. The second was the fact that the ground—the one under his feet, the whole island—started to tremble, like an earthquake.

He didn't write earthquakes into this world, not for the Island of Woe.

Idia shot up from his chair, nearly tripping over a pile of tools as he sprinted to the nearest screen. Red error messages popping out, warnings all around him. He ran to the elevator, it was too soon for the gates to open! What was going on!

Nothing happened, it didn't respond. That only meant that it was on lockdown. He rushed back to the computer, to see if he could check the cameras instead, it took him a couple minutes and— the gates were opening, the floor around it cracking.

The screens turned off, the system didn't respond. Useless! It was all useless!

"Ortho! What—what the hell is going on!?" He yelled as he ran outside.

[Critical alert! The Underworld gates have collected too much power! Magical activity—catastrophic! \(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ ]

"I know it’s catastrophic, you lovable toaster—give me coordinates!"

[Source of instability: Southern beach region. Magical resonance detected, protagonist 'Malleus Draconia' has reached the barrier!]

Of course. Of course it was him. "Oh, for the love of Hades," Idia groaned, shoving the emergency keys into the keyhole to get out. "Can’t you just stay idle for five minutes!?"

The air around the island was crackling when he stepped outside—raw, violent, untamed magic rolling like thunder. The sea rampaged gruesomely at the shore, the sky piercing an open wound of green lightning and black clouds and, at the center of it all, the figure of Malleus stood still over the water.

He got to the beach as fast as he could, people panicking coming to him, desperately asking for help. Idia shoved them all aside, focused on just one thing— please, Hades, if I have to die let me at least keep him alive!

"Malleus!" he shouted, stumbling over the shaking ground, struggling to get further into the water than the shore.

[Quest: 'Into the underworld' in progress!]

This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

He turned at the sound of Idia’s voice, relief flickering across his face before it gave way to something deeper— guilt, confusion and anger. His emerald eyes now shone, giving away the magic within him. Obsidian scales now decorated his temples and the upper part of his forehead, over his head rested two precious dragon horns. Malleus looked beautiful, yet deadly and in— oh, so much pain.

“Thanatos,” Malleus said quietly.

Idia's voice cracked. "W-why now?"

The dragon's gaze shifted to the water underneath his feet, then to the long, black, scaled, tail that grew out of his lower back. "You knew about this, that's why I could never go near you," he lifted his eyes, to stare at Idia. "Thanatos, I—I was never meant to leave this island, was I?"

The ocean split in half. Echos of haunting souls screeching, calling the dragon in, started to be heard— the wind swirled around them, violently, as if trying to tear them apart.

['Malleus Draconia' has to fall into the underworld in 2 minutes!]

Idia's stomach dropped. “Oh no. Oh no no no—this isn’t fair! We were supposed to have more time!” He tried to reach further, only for the wind to stop him, throwing him to the sand as if he weighted nothing.

A lot of things happened at once— all his clothes got soaked, sand scraping his skin ruthlessly. Tears started running down his cheeks, and shroud that covered his face slipped away, flying in the wild wind. Malleus' eyes fixated on him, on the cursed blue flames shifting lively, on the dead-like bluish tone of his skin, unnatural colored lips and eyelids. The wind howled. The earth ripped wider.

Malleus reached for him then, his hand warm even through the storm, his face unreadable. "Did you fear this would happen? Did you fear me?"

Idia’s heart lurched. “D-don’t say that—don’t make this worse!”

He could feel it, the magic surging, the world splitting apart second by second. His body moved before his mind did, raw panic overriding everything else. He shoved Malleus back, hard.

The dragon fell down into the rift, into the agonizing dull pain of the Underworld.

“Malleus—!” He called again, but it was too late. The earth sealed itself with a thunderous plaf, the seas turned back to normal and the island fell into an eerie silence.

Then, a single notification sound echoed through the emptiness.

[Quest: 'Into the underworld' compleated! +50 plot points, +30 affection points, +110 heartbreak points! Affection: 150/150, Heartbreak: 110/100. Route: 'The dragon's will' locked!]

Idia let his body drop to the soil, the water softly caressing him, the wind finally dying and the world horribly still.

“Oh,” he whispered, voice breaking into a laugh that wasn’t quite sane. “Guess that’s the bad ending again.”

Chapter Text

Deep underwater, someone was gripping on his clothes.

He opened his eyes. It was calm, he couldn't hear anything— soft warm lightning reached him, the water swinging him gently.

Desperate souls, angry and agonizing, clung onto him as if he were a savior. He didn't really mind, they couldn't hurt him anyways. Still, something inside pulled him upwards— he had to get out of the body of water.

When Malleus finally broke through the surface, there was no circling air— yet, he had no trouble breathing at all. Upon him laid an obscure endless sky, torches on the walls lighting the place up and the river he was in reflected nothing at all.

As he slowly regained his sense of awareness, the ghosts that lingered on him started to let go. The dragon’s magic hummed in his veins, so ancient and commanding that even death itself hesitated around him.

Malleus didn't know where he was, just that he didn't belong here.

At the side of the river, a child was staring at him. He had facial features similar to Thanatos', eyes heliodor yellow, greek nose, sharp cheekbones slightly rounded by baby fat. The difference was that his hair wasn't on fire— it looked more like burnt out charcoal.

"Malleus Draconia" the kid called, waving at him with a smile full of sharp teeth.

The dragon swam up to him, took his hands out and leaned on the wet soil to get out. A couple stubborn souls gripped on his legs, pulling him in with muffled screams. He got rid of them out of sheer force.

Malleus was dripping wet. His clothes stuck to his body like an uncomfortable heavy blanket and his hair laid flat against his cheeks and neck. It felt sticky. When he tried to at least get the hair out of his face, his hands stumbled upon a pair of imposing horns. So the Underworld was, indeed, real.

The dragon exhaled slowly, and the memory of what had happened on the island came to him unannounced. He held his head in his claws in an attempt to alleviate the intense pain. Thanatos’s face—his actual face, not the veil—rose to the top of his mind. The trembling hands, the panic in his voice, the way his eyes had widened right before the push and the desperation behind those gorgeous golden eyes.

He pressed his lips together, water dripping down his chin. It made no sense, none of it did. He’d known fear before, but that look on his friend's face had been different: he didn't fear him, he feared for him.

But why? Had Thanatos meant to destroy him? Or was he doing just what he was meant to do?

Maybe it was his fault for being curious, or for believing that he could figure out how to elude the borders— he did it once when he arrived to the island, why couldn't he do it twice? Looking for his family, figuring out where he belonged, coming back home to Thanatos— was that too much to ask?

He remembered the tremor beneath his feet, the way the island tore itself apart. Thanatos had looked so small, standing alone between the dragon and the storm.

Yet, despite the fear— Thanatos knew what he was, and he was expecting it to happen, he just thought they had more time. Malleus was sure of it, Thanatos screamed it to the air himself.

"Why did you do it?" Malleus murmured under his breath."Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah, so the hero has his first mental break down!" The voice was light, youthful, and far too casual for the Underworld.

Malleus turned to look at him in a whim, he had forgotten about the child. He stood at the river’s edge, kicking his bare feet in the water. He looked unbothered, almost amused, as if speaking to a dragon were an everyday occurrence.

"Do you…not fear me?" Malleus asked softly, searching for a hint of horror in the kid's face.

The boy blinked. "Should I?"

The dragon glanced at his scaled tail, resting still on the ground. "Yes, I suppose so."

"It's hard to find things scary when you're dead," He grinned, bright and a bit eerie all at once.

"Ah, I see." He studied his surroundings, one of his hands resting on his chin. The souls in the river didn't seem as lively as this one. He recalled the kid calling his name, an existence different from the others in the Underworld. "And, how did you know my name, If I may ask?"

"Well, I'm supposed to guide you to Lord Hades now, we've been waiting."

Malleus' eyes narrowed slightly. "And who are you to guide me to a god?"

The child tilted his head, thoughtful. "The brother of one, I think…I don't know if he counts."

It was quite cryptic, but it was not like he had any other option than to follow. "Very well," Malleus said at last. "Lead the way."

The boy beamed and started walking through the deep labyrinth that was the Underworld with ease. The dragon struggled to keep up with the pace, his wet clothes holding him back. Only their steps on the dry soil could be heard. The exception being the kid's light chuckle each time he turned to check up on him.

They reached a clearing, air started to flow and the Underworld expanded before their eyes. There were three clear divisions: The Elysium —where heroes went—, The Asphodel Meadows —where the common people laid— and a horrific staircase that he assumed leads to the Tartarus. On the center of it all, a domus rose— it was ornamented with gemstones, some polished, others not. Flowers grew all around it, even if the soil underneath seemed as dry as the one he's stepping on.

Ortho made a movement with his head in the direction of the building, then sprinted all his way down. Malleus ran behind him.

They stopped before a massive set of obsidian gates that seemed to endlessly upward, it was weird— they weren't noticeable from a distance. It was carved with symbols older than stars themselves. Pale blue flames flickered along their edges, faintly whispering something unintelligible.

The child turned to him, gold eyes gleaming faintly in the dark. "He already knows you’re here. Try not to make him mad, okay?"

Malleus inclined his head. "I do not fear gods, nor death."

The boy smiled, proudly. "Then you’ll do fine."

The gates opened, leading up to a cobblestone path in a well-cared garden. With all the resolution he could muster, the dragon marched proudly through it, until he reached the doors of the domus. He knocked on it once, waiting patiently for an invitation.

And suddenly, he was inside, in the throne room. Hades, in the shape of a tall man with flaming blue hair, sharp teeth and grayish skin, sat on one of the thrones. In the other, Lady Persephone sat, she looked as a young woman with tanned skin, a flower crown on her hair and a silky dark dress, skulls embroidered at the hems.

"My Lady, my Lord. Sorry for the interruption, I didn't mean to come unannounced" the dragon bowed.

The goddess smiled warmly at him, yet the god regarded him in silence for a moment before speaking. "A dragon in my domain," he said, his voice deep and commanding, carrying through the chamber with force. "It’s been a long time since one of your kind came to me."

Malleus kept his head low, waiting for the permission to rise. To say that he didn't fear the gods didn't mean he wouldn't show the respect they deserved. They were gods after all.

Hades' gaze lingered at the dragon's clothes and overall state, with the flick of a hand, he fixed his sorry state. Malleus felt clean now, dry.

"Yeah, Styx tends to do that. Makes every hero reek of misfortune," the god commented, standing up to approach him. "Y'know?"

"I do not, sir. It's the first time I've fallen."

Hades chucked at the fae's sincerity "I know, kid. My boy 'Thanatos' made a number on you, huh?" the man circled him, as if studying his composure. "It's not as if he had any other choice. You shall rise."

Malleus whole body shuddered, he knew about Thanatos?

"If I might ask, sir. You said he didn't have a choice?" he dared ask.

The god blinked, then made a funny, weird, face. "Well, yes. He told you about how the gates work, and you have enough magic within to trigger them open and then close them for a while. It was either you, or half of the living population of the island."

The dragon swallowed dry, clutching his fists until they turned white— the horns on his head now weighted as if they were made of lead. "My Lord, I don't mean to impose but, why didn't he say anything if he knew what I am? if he knew what was going to happen?" he closed his eyes, struggling to his face motionless. "Did he fear me? Actually want me gone? I though…of us as friends."

"Young hero," the god spoke. "It is not my place to say, you should talk to him when you go back."

"Go back?"

"You don't belong here," Hades explained. "You never will."

"I— what?"

"You are a dragon, Malleus Draconia." he said slowly. "Dragons don't die, they erode as they please and reborn."

For a moment, Malleus forgot how to breathe. The fire flickered, bending towards him as if his magic had startled them awake. He tried to speak, but the sound that came out was little more than a whisper. "So that is what it means," he said, voice trembling despite himself. "To be a dragon, to live forever."

Hades watched him quietly.

Malleus' hands clenched at his clothes. "You call it rebirth, my Lord, but what is rebirth if everything around me withers away? If every name I know turns to dust, every voice fades, and every heart forgets how to call mine? What is the point of my existence if I am condemned to live the same over and over again?"

He looked down at his reflection on the dark stone floor, his own face staring back at him— what was he? Not quite human, not a monster either. Just another way of existence, separated from any other. Was loneliness his fate since he came into life?

"If I get out of here on time, will I see them again?" He never got the chance to see them again—Lilia, Silver and Sebek. Lilia and Sebek had an expanded lifespan, right? They were fae, for all that he could remember, but— how old would Silver be now?

"When they are gone," Malleus continued talking. "Who will say my name? Who will I protect, if all I ever do is outlast them?"

The god let the silence linger. It wasn’t cruel, but patient. Matters of death were never simple, regardless of species.

"I don't have the answers you are searching for, young dragon." Hades spoke at last. "Nor will you find them here. Live knowing that the world’s beauty lies in its impermanence. Understand that every experience is what makes your life worth living."

And what about Thanatos? He didn't know what he was— not human, not fae, not beastman nor merman, definitively not a dragon. What even was his life-expectancy? Would he be forced to watch him grow old, live his life, then vanish in the blink of an eye? "And what of him?" he asked softly. "Of Thanatos?"

The god’s gaze softened. "He, too, is learning what it means to live again. You will find him waiting."

"At the end, where will his soul belong?"

"He will always have a place here, if he wishes so," Hades explained, gazing towards the exit, where the boy that has guided him here was peeping, the god’s gaze softened even further. He stepped back, his expression turning stern. "Now, young dragon, I can't let you return to your world just like that. There are three trials you must pass, then you can return to the hearts that still remember your name."

The marble floor beneath his feet began to tremble, and the torches dimmed until only a faint blue glow clung to the edges of the hall. The shadows at the far end of the chamber began to move — slow at first, then quicker, sharper, until they came into form. Heavy footsteps echoed, claws scraping against the stone. A low growl was heard, deep enough to resonate in Malleus' chest.

A three headed dog came into view, menacing and imposing, fangs bared, ready to attack. Its fur was black as pitch, and its breath burned with the same pale-blue fire that flickered in the torches.

It was Cerberus, the Hound of Death.

"The first trial," Hades said, his voice carrying through the darkness, "is that of loyal—" he sighed, utterly bored, and went back to the throne besides his wife. "Honestly, this whole 'trials to prove oneself' and yada yada is just protocol. Zeus wants it that way, I still don't know why— but, we are getting bored to death —wink, wink— here. And it's not as if I could actually kill you, being a dragon and the protag and all that, so, play with Cerberus for a while, will you?"

Malleus blinked, caught between awe and absolute confusion. "You want me to play… with it?" he repeated slowly.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Hades said, waving a lazy hand. "Toss a bone, make it fetch, establish dominance, whatever floats your immortal boat. Just don’t destroy anything valuable— last guy who did that still owes me half a domus in repairs."

The dragon opened his mouth to protest, but the three heads of Cerberus had already turned toward him, each rumbling in a low, expectant growl.

Persephone sighed from her seat beside her husband, resting her chin on her hand. "Dear, you could at least pretend this is a test of virtue. You were doing so fine!"

"Sweetheart, I did what the kid needed, that was enough seriousness for one chapter! Poor thing is in the middle of a existential crisis and the only one he can turn to is the literal god of death, he deserves a break! I can go back to pretending if you want, look— stern god face." He gestured at himself, lips pursed in mock seriousness. "See? Totally divine. Very intimidating."

Malleus exhaled slowly through his nose, pinching the bridge of it as if that would somehow make sense of any of this. "You are…very confusing."

"Young dragon, you are going through a lot— all of what I said is true, yes. And I have to test you, per protocol, before letting you go. But, " He made a vague movement with his arms, pointing to Malleus. "It's not every day someone like you falls here, and— when you go back, either you bring my adopted-but doesn't know it yet-son to me, or you make him happy. That's a win-win in my book."

"What? Who?" Was he talking about Thanatos? Malleus had no idea of what was going on. He supposed it was a family thing, apparently.

"It doesn't matter! The point is, take this as a vacation to die for!" the god lifted both his hands. "You won't find any other livelier place than the Underworld!"

The three-headed dog snarled, cutting their conversation short. One of its heads barked once, sharp and echoing, while another tilted slightly, almost playfully.

"Okay, okay," Hades clapped his hands together. "Trial time! Let’s make this official." He snapped his fingers. A small podium appeared beside the throne, holding what looked suspiciously like a whistle carved from obsidian.

Persephone arched an eyebrow. "Really, love?"

"What? It’s thematic."

The child that guided Malleus here, came running into the room, covering his giggling with his hands. He sat on the floor, besides Persephone, and swung his feet while looking at the fae and the dog with glee.

Hades gestured for Malleus to take the whistle. "All you gotta do, Scaley, is get Cerby here to listen to you. Loyalty, trust, yada yada, lesson about leadership or whatever— you dragons like that kind of stuff, right?" he nodded enthusiastically and gave him two thumbs up on fire.

Malleus hesitated, glancing between the god and the beast. "And if he doesn’t listen?"

Hades leaned back. "Then you’ll probably be eaten. But hey, I'll give you a consolation prize in your next life."

The dragon narrowed his eyes, was he being threatened? He had to come back, find a way to see his family again, to talk to Thanatos again, so he reached for the whistle anyways. The air grew thick the moment his fingers brushed it. Cerberus’s eyes flared brighter, the torches flames went higher, and Hades threw a hand to his chest dramatically.

"Very cinematic! Don't you love when things work?"

Malleus ignored him, stepping towards the beast with absolute resolution. The hound growled low, testing him, one head barking and snarling at the air. Malleus raised the whistle, but didn't blow it. Instead, he bowed and offered it to the dog, hands steady.

"I do not command loyalty," he announced. "I earn it."

For a heartbeat, the room kept still. Then, slowly, the middle head bowed too. The dragon straightened up, the dog did too. Cerberus' tail started wagging happily, it strutted around the fae with excitement. Malleus chuckled, delighted.

"Well now, dear Cerberus. Would you like to play?"

The heads barked twice, and it took little leaps of joy as he circled him. Malleus ran to one of the walls, took a torch and blew the fire. He swung it in front of the dog, and threw it as far as he could, outside the domus, for the dog to catch.

It came back to him in a second, such a wonderful creature.

They repeated the game until the dog became tired, Malleus had to run after him a couple of times to retrieve the stick, but he found out that he didn't mind it. It almost made him feel…normal.

Hades blinked at the spectacle before him. "...Huh. Okay, I didn’t actually think that would work. The kid is way too smart for being fun."

Persephone smiled faintly. "Well dear, isn't that perfect? Look at how happy Cerberus is!"

Malleus brushed his damp hair from his face and fixed his clothes. "Then, this trial is done?"

"Done, dusted, certified," Hades said, pointing finger-guns at him. "Trial one complete. You’re a natural, kid. I’d hire you if the Underworld had vacation days."

The dragon exhaled, feeling exhausted by the god's eccentricity. "And the next trial?"

"Oh, that one’s more of a feelings kind of thing," Hades said, waving a hand dismissively. "You’ll love it. Probably cry a little. Anyways, little Shroud, would you be a dear and show him the way?"

The charcoal-haired boy stood up in a instant, beaming. "This way, Mister Dragon!"

Malleus sighed, resigned, and followed. Behind him, Hades leaned toward Persephone, whispering, "My kid made that life of his a mess creating such a protagonist, I'm kinda glad he came to this world, though, it's easier to reach."

Persephone chuckled softly. "Try not to break him before the ending, dear."

"No promises." The god gave his wife a sweet kiss on the cheek, as they watched the dragon leave with their young boy.

The kid took him to a river, another river. This one seemed to be more calm, it went around a cave and descended into Tartarus. Malleus approached it, but the child stopped him mid-way.

"That's Lethe. If you touch it's waters, you will forget everything."

"I won't attempt the challenge if there's a chance I forget."

The boy giggled, showing up his sharp teeth. "No, I want you to remember," he turned around in the direction to the cave. "Come, follow."

They got inside, the place was covered in soft cushions and blankets made of silk or wool, there was incense burning somewhere, calming up the atmosphere. A man with wings on his head woke up from its slumber.

"Mmh? Oh, you're here…" he patted a soft spot besides him. "Come, I've been waiting."

Malleus hesitated and stole a questioning glance at the kid, the child nodded as a response. "This is Hypnos," he explained. "He will help you remember what's worth living for."

The dragon laid down and inhaled slowly, bracing himself— when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the Underworld. The sound of laughter reached him first.

It was Silver’s. Soft, airy, tinged with sleepiness. The warmth of a sun he hadn’t felt in ages spilled across the courtyard of a castle, it felt like home, more welcoming than the Island of Woe ever was. Silver looked just as he remembered: a small child with soft cheeks, white hair, and long lashes. Lilia was there too, his smile sharp as ever, eyes filled with mischief. Sebek’s voice boomed somewhere behind them, shouting about "training schedules" and "youthful discipline."

The young half-fae ran up to the sleepy boy, he took both his hands and started gushing about the 'duty of a knight' and 'loyalty'. He was also a child, with green wild hair going everywhere, tight brows and eyes full of determination.

For a moment Malleus just stood there, frozen. He could almost smell the scent of cedar, rain and earth. Flowers were blooming at his feet, as beautiful as they were every spring, and the grass felt as if it were soften by morning dew.

Lilia turned to him, smiled gently and whispered: "You’ve grown so quickly, my little hatchling."

And then, the scene shattered like glass.

He opened his eyes to a raging storm.

Malleus gasped as he saw himself, a much younger, powerless, version, clinging to the remains of a shattered mast, eyes widen with terror. He let go, and the water tossed and turned him around until he lost consciousness.

Then, on dry land, a familiar voice called to him.

"Uhm, are you dead?"

There, standing awkwardly in the rain, was a boy about his age. His clothes were soaked, sticking to his thin frame; his face was covered, not even under the damped cloth he could see his features through it. Still, by the shape of it, his hair seemed to be oddly hard— like charcoal, except for the tips.

The boy held a long staff — or maybe just a stick — trembling between his hands like he didn’t know what to do with it. When Malleus stirred, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Hades! You’re alive! That’s— Uh, not good for me, actually. But great for you! I think, uh— don’t move! I’ll call— I don’t know, the Underworld management team?!"

Little Malleus blinked. "Who are you?"

"...Thanatos," the boy muttered, as if embarrassed. "Guardian of the gates. Sort of. Temporarily. It’s complicated."

"Thanatos," kid Malleus repeated softly, trying how the name felt on his tongue.

It was a weird feeling, watching this now, knowing that his…friend realized what he was even then.

Despite the cold, his little self smiled faintly. "Little guardian, you’ll help me stand?"

Thanatos frowned at the nickname, hesitated, then sighed deciding that, if this strange boy could survive a shipwreck, he was too stubborn to die anyway. "Fine. It's not as if I can ignore you either way."

He reached out, and Malleus took his hand. Then, the spaced around him turned to the aftermath of that fatidic day.

Thanatos was lying on the sand, his body half-soaked in the tide. The waves reached for him, pulled back, reached again — gentle, rhythmic, like the ocean was trying to comfort him. Where the saltwater brushed his hair, the blue flames dimmed to coal, until only faint wisps of smoke remained.

Malleus sat besides him, the man didn't move. The stars above were strange, he didn't remember this happening at night.

"I used to hate you," the guardian said suddenly. "You came from nowhere, and everyone respected you like you were the sovereign they’d been waiting for. You didn’t even try, must you be this perfect?"

The dragon waited for him to stop talking. The memory of that voice stung deep in his chest.

"But I couldn't truly do that, hate you. You have everything I wanted but, you gave opportunities unlike any other," His lips curved slightly into something broken, he straightened up and stared into Malleus' eyes. "You are one of the best thing this life has given me, also the one that has caused more trouble. It's a shame, really."

Malleus lowered his gaze, avoiding those heliodor eyes. Thanatos took his hands and guided them to his neck.

"You feared me," the dragon said quietly, caressing the neck of his companion, pressing faintly.

Thanatos chuckled, it was bitter. "Yes, no. It's complicated."

"I did not wish for your hatred," he answered in a whisper. "Only your understanding."

"You always wanted too much, dragon." Thanatos' hair was slowly turning aflame again, warmth reaching his shaking hands.

"Perhaps," Malleus murmured. "But even dragons dream of warmth." He pressed harder, and as the air was leaving the guardian's body, the dragon leaned closer to give him a light kiss on the lips.

Thanatos’s body dissolved into light. The sea went still again. His throat tightened, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Hypnos and the child were staring at him. Softness surrounded him, silky cloth and comfy blankets, the faint scent of lavender clinging to the pillows. Even so, his head felt unbearably heavy. His cheeks were wet and his lashes clumped together. He had been crying, why is he crying? Why did his chest hurt so much?

"Welcome back," the kid said, voice gentle. "Take your time."

Malleus nodded slowly, blinking through the haziness. "It seems the heart remembers even what I would rather forget."

Hypnos clapped his hands, wings fluttering with grace. "Then you already passed the trial."

"Did I?"

"You remembered what made you human."

Malleus tilted his head, was that what made him human? Truly? He thought about the last dream of them on the beach, that was no memory of him—that wasn't his Thanatos either, his words weren't right, but he felt real. "And yet, I am not."

"Well, then you're close!" the younger one chimed in. "Are you ready for the next one?"

The dragon closed his eyes, still laying down, and allowed himself to breathe for a moment. "Yes, I am ready," he mumbled after a while, when the soft mattress couldn't give him any more reassurance.

Then, the cave ripped open into a vast emptiness— no sky, no earth, no sound. He floated down, until his feet reached the mushy soil of a meadow. He felt it before he heard it: the beat of his own heart, slow and distant, like it was coming from somewhere else entirely.

A dragon flew up to him. It was covered in obsidian scales, had emerald eyes, and the same pair of horns that rested on his head.

Malleus took a step forward. "Are you…" His voice caught in his throat. "Are you the future version of myself?"

The dragon bowed its head and grumbled. "I am what the fates had written you to be," it then laid on the ground and stared up at him with his own piercing eyes. "You seem to have changed that path, so I might have been your future once, but not anymore."

The fae-boy nodded, admiring his own full draconic form. He looked powerful, yet unattainable. More than what he already was. "How did we…end?"

Silence. Only the steady beat of their synchronized hearts could be heard, echoing from within his chest and the creature’s at once. Malleus wondered whether immortality had ever been a blessing at all.

"We didn't, eternal sleep was the option for us."

He stayed in silence, looking at the ground under the older dragon in contempt. Was this all that awaited him—this endless, hollow divinity? Eternal sleep after losing everything and everyone he loved? "But what about Lilia?" he whispered. "What about Sebek and Silver?" His voice trembled, raw with hope. "What about Thanatos?"

The great dragon before him shifted, its wings curling to cover himself. The silence that followed was heavy and dense. When it spoke, its voice was a low rumble that seemed to crack through the earth— too calm to be sane. "They lived long, without us. Lilia faded first—his magic returned to the wind. Sebek followed him into the earth, guarding his grave. Silver… lived until he forgot our name."

The words sank in Malleus' chest. He opened his mouth, but the older dragon wasn’t finished yet.

"As for Thanatos—" The pause stretched too long. Malleus felt the need to claw at his own ribs. "We killed him."

He felt as if his blood turned to ice. "No," he said instantly. "No, I would never have—" his voice cracked. "I just want to talk, not— he was my friend!"

"And yet, we did." The dragon interrupted, words final.

The meadow began to tremble. The wind blew wild, screeching in his ears, and the clouds turned deep gray, green lightning coming down to strike. The grass blackened under his feet, withering to ash and the horizon filled with fire, blue.

"We killed him, as we hurt many others," The dragon rose up, expanding his wings, blowing green fire around the. "We are not meant for companionship, Malleus."

Then, he saw it. Not as a vision, but as a memory. They were on the Island again, Thanatos and Malleus, screaming and fighting out of their lungs. He couldn't hear any of it, only white noise. He saw claws descend—his own—and strike. He heard a scream, then silence. His friend's body, mangled, laid still on the cold floor. Blue flames dying down, turning into strands of hair as dark as coal.

Malleus' breath caught, choking him. "Stop," he whispered, stepping back. "Stop, I don’t want to see—"

"But you must," said the elder dragon, voice almost kind now. "This is what we are when love turns to despair. When we yearn for companionship."

The younger dragon clenched his teeth, shaking his head as to wake up from the nightmare. "I refuse," this time it was him who interrupted, his willpower stronger than the haunting mirage. "You said the fates are changing. This time, I won't be alone— I won't allow him to die."

The older dragon’s eyes flickered, showing something between sadness, grief and amusement. And with that, the world cracked apart. The older dragon dissolved into ash, carried by the wind, smelling faintly of cedar and smoke. Malleus stood alone once more, the meadow now serene, grass swinging gently with the breeze.

He let himself fall to the soft earth, eyes closed.

And when he opened them again, he was not longer in the meadow, but back at Hades' throne.

"Okay, so," Idia said, fixing his hair as he stared at the holographic whiteboard. "Plan 'Save a dragon, Save your life' in progress. First things first, powering up the island."

Ortho, the system, nodded twice. Showing a pair of thumbs up on his own screen.

After Malleus literally fell into Hell, the Island of Woe was a mess. The buildings were torn into shambles by the magic storm, and his whole population has been scared to death. That without mentioning the possible product shortage that they would face soon if he didn't do anything. And, what's more, he also had to fix the whole 'Gates to the Underworld' thing.

The only good thing was that he could now get out of the Island if he wished so, and everyone will if he figured out how to reduce the magic field to the lab.

So, even if he preferred to play solo, he needed co-op to do this efficiently enough to have time to complete his project and defend himself by the time Malleus came back.

EZ, all he needed to do now, was making a call.

Yup, EZ, no trouble at all.

[Big Bro! Your heart-rate is spiking! Are you fine? I can't detect any other symptoms Σ(ﾟ口ﾟ;)//]

Ugh, who was he kidding? He had no social skills, zero, none.

But he could do this, he was behind a screen, no need to actually talk face-to-face. He was meant to be the next CEO of Estigia in the other world, for Hades' sake! A phone call can't be his final boss! Boost, Idia! You can do this!

"Ortho, can you access to character 'Azul Ashengrotto' s files?"

['Azul Ashengrotto' s data is downloading!]

Well, time to strike a deal with the devil.

Chapter Text

The call went as well as expected, considering he'd just tried to blackmail a morally gray mafia lord. Now said mafia lord and his goons were on his way to The Island of Woe.

And, considering that he was a recluse that hadn't invited anyone to his own home before, living alone on a hidden island with no interaction with the outside world until now, it was safe to say that he was panicking.

Especially after realizing that, in his atrocious attempt to make a call, he had accidentally gushed about half of Mostro Lounge's top-secret criminal activity.

Well, if he died here, then he wouldn't have to worry about the dragon.

Idia tugged at his hair, gritting his sharp teeth until they screaked. He started pacing, muttering incoherently to himself as the lab’s lights flickered "Okay, okay, think, think! Step one: survive the mafia. Step two: survive the dragon. Step three—" He glanced around, looking for all the possible escape routes. "There is no step three! The only objective is 'survive' followed by a question mark!"

He spent the next hour buzzing around all the rooms in the facility, looking for the best one to have a conversation with a mafioso in. He had no security other than a few alarms and the lock-down system— and why would he? The only actual threat he had to deal with until now, was Malleus in his 'before-the-betrayal' state!

Idia also had the three robot-dogs he's been experimenting with in his free time, trying to connect Ortho's system with at the request of his pseudo-little brother himself. But those were still a WIP.

Maybe he could use them to impress. Or better yet, to guide them to the conference room! He could even discuss everything via meeting, no actual interaction unless it was absolutely necessary! Totally professional, totally unsuspicious.

He nodded to himself, convinced for a full three seconds, until his panic kicked back in. That’s when he realized he’d wandered somewhere unfamiliar.

This room—on the highest floor of the facility—wasn’t one he’d ever really visited. To reach it, you had to climb a staircase. A staircase. And, well, he’d decided long ago that no piece of architecture that required physical effort was worth exploring. But now, he found himself there, panting slightly as he pushed the door open.

It seemed normal at first, like a small storage room full of lab equipment, metal scraps and a bunch of other tools. Idia wandered around, poking through the clutter to see if anything could be salvaged. Some of the components looked ancient, like Microsoft Altair BASIC era tech. The others were in top-notch state, he would figure what to do with them.

Then, his elbow hit something. A soft click was heard, and the walls shuddered. The entire back wall slid open, revealing a narrow passageway hidden behind the furniture.

"...Huh," Idia muttered, blinking. "Okay, cool. Secret hallway. That’s definitely not cursed or anything."

He hesitated only a moment longer before stepping in. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose—if he died exploring, at least it would be a more dignified end than getting whacked by Azul, out of all people. Because, yes, Azul was dangerous— but in the original story, he was meant to be a logistics helper to Y/N. If the villain were to die to him, he would turn into a clown.

More of a clown that he already was, anyways.

The air of the passageway felt more dense, breathable, but the kind that made you dizzy. There was none of his tech here, no electricity either, so he tugged off his shroud, letting the blue flames of his hair burn freely.

The instant he did, the stone door behind him slammed shut.

"EEK!" he yelped, spinning around and smacking the wall repeatedly. "Open, open, open!" He pushed, pulled, even tried voice commands out of sheer panic. Nothing. It was useless. Oh god! The flames will consume all the air— he wasn't going to die by a mafioso or a dragon, he was going to die from suffocation!

The blue flames of his hair shone brightly, illuminating the scriptures carved on stone.

The light from his hair flickered wildly as his breathing quickened. Then, slowly, he noticed what the flames illuminated.

Carving covered every inch of the tunnel walls. The lines were sharp and delicate, telling a story in symbols and half-faded figures. Idia stepped closer, squinting at the patterns—flames, gates, a figure cloaked in shadow standing before them. Beneath, an inscription in ancient greek ran along the base of the wall. He couldn’t read all of it, only understanding a quarter of what was written, but he knew what it was about: Thanatos. The original one.

He ran his fingers across it, tracing the shapes. The deeper he went, the clearer the story got: many years ago, young Thanatos, a normal human, was the next ruler in line to a small coastal country. He was shy, awkward, much like himself. He had a younger brother, extroverted, courageous and with a will of steel.

And everything was fine, until war and the plague came.

Thanatos had to stay in, he was an intellectual after all— he had to ensure warriors had supplies, that the sick had access to medicine, and that resources were spent accordingly.

His younger brother wasn't like him, so he fought.

Soon, they had no other option but to surrender. Thanatos had a plan: to escape with the last of his people to a hidden island, The Island of Woe. A place believed to be uninhabitable, but that was their last hope.

When the ships were ready to set sail, they were ambushed. The last soldiers standing fought to death to protect them all, his little brother included. He tried to retrieve the body, putting the survivors in danger, but couldn't reach too far.

It was hell from there. They managed to reach the island, but the land was as dry as sand and the climate was harsh and unpredictable. People did what he said, but despised him. Thanatos knew what he was doing but he was no leader, and the blame for all the loses, the inability to make peace, to protect his sunshine of a brother, fell on his shoulders.

So Thanatos, in a fit of rage, blamed the gods for his misfortune. Blamed Ares, Athena and Hades for his inability to do a proper burial. The lord of Death was the only one than answered.

Believing that Hades is evil, is as wrong as thinking that ancient Greece's buildings were pure white. Of course no-one would like to draw his attention, he is the personification of Death, but that doesn't equal to evilness. In the myths he takes a young maiden out of her mother's arms because that is what death does, it's just the way things are. People don't call his name so that death doesn't look for them, and yet, Thanatos did.

And death understood, for he knew, better than anyone, the pains of the living.

He offered Thanatos a deal, he'd help with his people and, in exchange, the gates to the underworld would be placed in the island, and Thanatos had to swear to protect them until death took him. His new appearance— the flaming hair, sick-pale skin, blue lips and eyelids were the mark of the contract.

Thanatos wasn't his actual name, but the one he took after the deal.

And, still to this day, death was yet to come.

"...So that’s what this is," he whispered. "The cursed blue flames."

[+30 Plot points! +15 Character depth!]

"EEK!" Idia felt his heart on his throat. "Gods, Ortho— please at least let me know you're here first!"

[Hehe, sorry Big Bro! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ‹𝟹]

After calming himself down, he glanced at the end of the passageway. It opened up into a small circular chamber. In the center stood a stone basin—half-fountain, half-altar—its water shimmering faintly by the fire's light, magic pulsing beneath the surface. The sound of the water was soft and rhythmic, as if it were breathing.

He stepped closer, staring at his reflection in the basin. His hands wandered to the base,crouching down to the floor, feeling the water flow underneath the stone. Somewhere deep down, there was a big body of water.

From how much he had walked, he suspected he was now inside the mountain that was used as support to build the lab. The air now smelled faintly of earth, he got up, glanced at his surroundings once more, then back at the reflection.

Idia's fingers brushed at the water, it gave him an odd sense of calmness. "Ortho," he called. "Is there any data about this place?" this wasn’t part of the world he’d written.

[Searching...]

The familiar hologram of blue light formed in front of him, Ortho’s projection spinning for a few seconds before answering.

[No data found! ( ˶°ㅁ°)!!]

Idia frowned. "Huh? What do you mean no data? There’s always data—this whole world’s basically a walking USB stick!"

[This area is unregistered. According to the archives, this chamber was constructed by 'Thanatos' himself. Purpose: emotional regulation, spiritual grounding, offering site. Estimated age: 300+ years.]

"Threehund— HOW OLD IS THIS BODY?"

[Host 'Thanatos' body's currently 23.]

"How did he build this three hundred years ago if he was only twenty-three?"

[∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ? No data found!!!]

"Mmh…" Idia blinked, maybe there was another way to find out what this room was about. "Did this Thanatos know?" He asked instead, dusting his knees nervously.

[Host 'Thanatos' mind wasn't aware.]

He paced slowly around the fountain, his steps echoing softly in the small chamber. The place felt alive. Every time his flames flickered, the shadows seemed to shift just a little too much. He got to one of the walls, studying the carvings again searching for a hint. Idia looked up to the sealing, a sky-blue rectangle was painted there— it had a skull-like drawing in the center, it resembled his lock-screen.

"Ortho," an idea came to his mind. "How many playthroug—"

Idia couldn't finish that question. The eyes of the skull started to shine green, as if he was being watched. He froze. "Ortho…?" he whispered.

[No other energy signatures detected nearby!]

The hologram's pure blue light now was slightly more turquoise. He didn't even ask, how did he know? Something was wrong, like— really, really, wrong. Someone, powerful enough to hold power over Ortho, was watching. He had the ill feeling that, if that someone knew he knew, it would all be over again. Wait, again?

"T-thanks, I must be imagining things. This place is really spooky," he mumbled, going back to the fountain, ignoring the eyes over his head. "Note to self: never explore secret passages again. Ever. Curiosity is not a valid survival trait."

[Big bro will be fine!]

"Fuihihi…" he put on his shroud, it was an attempt to further ignore the feeling of being watched. The instant the flames dimmed beneath the fabric, the air around him shifted—the ill feeling faded and, with a heavy grind, the walls behind him began to move again.

"…Okay," he whispered, taking a careful step forward. "That’s my cue to leave. Respect to ancient-me for building this creepy therapy room, but, uh—hard pass on 'theraping' today."

Idia didn’t wait for an invitation. He bolted out, sprinting down the passageway faster than he’d ever moved in his life. By the time he stumbled back into the storage room, he was pale as chalk. Panting, he clutched the fabric of his shroud with both hands.

He sat down on the dusty floor, as his chest furiously went up and down.

[Characters 'Azul Ashengrotto', 'Jade Leech' and 'Floyd Leech' are approaching the facilities!]

Idia groaned, throwing his hands at his head at the verge of crying. Right, the mafiosos.

Why did his life end up being like this?

"I can't return you to the Island of Woe, young dragon," Hades explained. "The doors won't open for you, they weren't made for the like of us, honestly, but for the ghosts here. So I can't get you there."

Malleus nodded, waiting for further explanation.

"So, I'll send you to a big city, and you'll have to make do from there. Is there anything you want before going?"

Malleus straightened his back, though his throat felt tight. "Before I return," he began softly, "I wish to see them—those I once called family. Just once more."

Hades leaned back on his throne, lips curling in something between a smirk and a sigh. "A sentimental dragon. Fine, I’ll allow it." He snapped his fingers.

The torches, burning in blue, flared to life with pale gold flame. One by one, images began to flicker across the air—fragile and translucent, yet surprisingly vivid.

First, he saw Lilia— he was in a kitchen, cooking something that looked straight up awful. His hair was short, a pair of rebel strands of hair stood up in horn-like forms. He seemed happy, even if he was clearly terrible at what he was doing. Malleus thought that maybe, just maybe, sacrificing his taste buds for him wouldn't be that bad.

Then he saw Sebek, barking orders at a group of young guards, his posture unbending, his expression proud. He thought the guards were older than him— he has always been exceptional, it wasn't surprising that he had surpassed his companions so easily. Yet when he thought himself alone, his gaze softened—it was melancholic. The sadness lingering just beneath the discipline.

And Silver— he was also a guard. He was watching, serene, half asleep against an old oak tree, sunlight spilling over his pale hair. A tiny smile ghosted his lips, peaceful in a way Malleus had not seen since their youth.

Malleus' chest tightened. These weren’t illusions, they were moments still unfolding in the world above. He could almost reach them, and yet, they slipped through his fingers like mist.

And then, the scene shifted to the Island of Woe. Thanatos was in a cramped round room, looking at his reflection in what looked like a small fountain placed in the center. The room was dim, lit only by a single source: his hair was out this time, flaming exactly like Hades'.

Malleus reached forward instinctively, his fingers brushing the edge of the vision. The walls were filled with carvings of old, figures that were familiar. Thanatos turned. It was subtle, but his movements were too sharp, too quick—as if he had felt the dragon’s presence across worlds. His eyes, bright and terrified, met Malleus' through the veil of the underworld.

"...He sees me," Malleus whispered, his body trembling.

He took a sharp breath. 'Dear Thanatos' Malleus thought, as the scene was swallowed by shadows, 'This time I'll make things right. For all of us. You have my word.'

"Well, that's enough." Hades smirked. "The world of the living is waiting, y'know? And, even if I have all the time in the world, you don't want to overstay your welcome, do you?"

"Ah, yes. I do apologize," The dragon bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Good answer." Hades lifted a hand, magic stirring around them, "Now, let’s get you out of my domain before Persephone realizes I’ve been sentimental again."

The underworld began to tremble. "Farewell, Malleus Draconia," the god said, his voice both amused and fond. Then, blue flames consumed the dragon.

When Malleus opened his eyes again, the air was sharp with heat and sunlight. The low murmur of countless voices filled his ears. He stood in the middle of a vast city, surrounded by sandstone towers and bright canopies that fluttered in the wind.

A bustling market stood before him—spices, silks and laughter blending into a chaos of color. People passed by with hurried steps, but when their eyes landed on him, they slowed. Conversations faltered. One by one, the crowd parted instinctively.

He walked forward, quiet but confident, and the crowd kept its distance. For all his composure, though, there was an unfamiliar heaviness in his chest. Why do they stare so? he wondered. Why must he inspire such terror?

"Jamil, look!" a cheerful man with white hair, clothes loose and bright—was pointing at him with childlike excitement.

Another man, with long straight black hair and wary eyes rushed behind, was fast enough to position himself between them, protecting the other. "Excuse us, sir," he said quickly, bowing slightly. "We didn't mean to bother."

"Oh, It's not a problem at all," the dragon answered, a bit bewildered. "If I may…where are we?"

The cheerful one grinned. "Is it your first time in Scalding Sands? Oh, Jamil, we should show him around! He looks so— so magical!"

"You—" the more serious boy, Jamil, he assumed, tried to speak.

"Please! Nothing bad is going to happen, it's not everyday you find someone like him!" he insisted, beaming. "Come on! He seems nice!"

"But we don't even know—" Jamil sighed, closing his eyes with force and pressing a hand to his forehead, visibly fighting an oncoming headache.

"I would appreciate the guidance," Malleus inclined his head slightly, much to Jamil's distaste and the giddy boy's enthusiasm.

It was as good a starting point as he could hope for.

There he was—Idia Shroud, cosplaying as bedsheets—playing virtual chess with the most feared mafioso on record, Azul Ashengrotto, and his equally terrifying goons.

Well, "playing" might have been generous.

Jade stood neatly at Azul’s side, calm and poised like he’d been born to loom ominously over nervous wreaks. Floyd, on the other hand, had given up on the match five minutes in and was now crouched beside one of Idia’s prototype robot dogs, gleefully trying to pry off its metal leg. He is sure he even tried to bite it off more than once.

Idia’s hands twitched over the keyboard. He wanted to get out of his hiding spot and yell, That took me three months to calibrate, you overgrown eel! But he valued his life, and Floyd’s grin looked way too happy for someone who might decide to drown, or squeeze, him for fun.

Jade was a sadist, sure—but a refined one. He liked to savor fear, observe it. At least he was predictable. Floyd, though? That man was chaos incarnate.

That left Azul himself—the mastermind, the businessman, the "calm one." Except, he wasn’t calm. Not entirely. Idia saw it in the slight delay before each of his moves, in how his gloved fingers drummed against the table before he placed a piece.

It was subtle. But Idia had spent enough time gaming to recognize hesitation when he saw it. Azul was calculating, but nervous. And there was only one reason Azul Ashengrotto, self-proclaimed king of contracts, would leave the safety of Mostro Lounge. Because someone had something he wanted.

Or something he feared.

Y'know, like having all of Mostro's secret data.

Thank you, Ortho. I love you.

[I love Big Bro too! Big brother is the best! ♡(˃͈ ˂͈ )]

"So," Azul said at last, his voice smooth, yet sticky, as if it were oil. "To what do we owe this… invitation, Mister Thanatos?"

Idia swallowed, failing miserably to sound confident. "Y-you see, it’s like this—uh, I’m currently, like, slightly understaffed. Just a bit. And I need manpower."

Azul tilted his head. "Manpower?"

"For reconstruction," Idia said, tapping nervously at his tablet, avoiding making eye-contact with the mafioso's image on the bigger screen. "The island’s infrastructure’s kinda… fried. That, and I need new components to keep the stabilization systems functional…"

Jade’s gaze sharpened. "And what do you…have, for us to accept?"

They were going around in circles, it was clear they wanted to know how much Idia knew, without asking directly. He scrolled further into his tablet, pressed a button. Now, on the screen where they were seeing him, all of Mostro Lounge's data popped up.

Idia grinned, confident in his tech and the anonymity. "If you accept, I won't leak all of your internal data to the entire continent. You know, privacy isn't exactly a thing for me."

A dangerous silence followed, even Floyd stopped playing with the robotic dog.

"Fuihihi~" he laughed out of nervousness, he felt as if he were to combust. "And, if you accept, I’ll let you have partial access to my waterproof tech designs. Limited license, nothing proprietary, but good enough for aquatic distribution systems and maybe weapon mods. You can totally make that work for, like, deep-sea expansion or smuggling stuff—whatever you mafia people do."

They stared at each other, communicating in silence. Azul left the holographic chess piece back where it belonged, and nodded."You drive a hard bargain, Mister Thanatos. Blackmail, bribery, and technology all in one breath. Quite the negotiator for someone who hasn’t left his island in years."

"Is that a compliment?"

"It’s a deal," Azul said. "You’ll have your manpower. And I’ll have your tech."

Idia exhaled so hard he almost collapsed against his chair. He’d done it. He’d survived a meeting with the mafia. "Great, cool, awesome. I’ll, uh… SMS the rest of the terms later, I guess"

Behind Azul, Jade let out a low chuckle. "Oh, but you’re our host, aren’t you? Surely you wouldn’t send us away without showing us around?"

He froze. The true horror began to dawn on him. "…Show you around," he repeated weakly.

"Of course," Jade said, smiling pleasantly. "We’d hate to miss such an impressive facility, or the wonders of the island."

"Right," Idia said faintly. "Impressive. Totally. Lab and island tour." He let his head fall against the desk with a dull thunk. Now this, this, was the hardest part.

He could handle code, robots, negative comments, and even mafia negotiations apparently. But entertaining guests? That was the real nightmare.

"I'll meet you at the entrance, follow the dogs." Then, he cut communication.

The night at Scalding Sands fell late, yet, the event hall of the Al-Asim family was full of life. Music resonated through its walls—drums, strings, and laughter, all woven into a dizzying rhythm that made the floor itself seem to sway. Kalim's voice carried above it all, cheerful and loud, greeting anyone who entered the courtyard.

Malleus had never seen anything like it. The colors, the scents, the sheer noise of it all—it was overwhelming, yet strangely captivating. He stood at the edge of the celebration, tall and composed, his eyes scanning the crowd while his mind traced its own, quieter path.

He sighed, it seems there was no such thing as 'quiet' for him now. The corner he was leaning on was unnaturally empty, and the guests seemed to stare at his horns with mistrust. There was no way for him to enjoy the party, much less looking for information about Briar Valley or The Island of Woe.

He closed his eyes, sighting.

Luckily, Kalim found him before he could disappear into the corner completely. "Malleus!" The young man beamed, dragging Jamil along with him, who looked like he’d rather evaporate on the spot. "Isn’t this amazing? You’ve got to try the saffron sweets—oh, and the spiced croquettes! Jamil made them!"

"I am honored," Malleus said, smiling faintly. "Your hospitality is most generous."

Kalim grinned wider. "Hey, if you’re going to stay in the Sands, you’ve gotta celebrate! Oh—oh! You should meet my friends!"

Malleus smiled, luck was indeed at his side.

The white haired boy dragged him to a small circle of people. A beastman with long, chestnut hair and brown skin, a man with blond hair and violet tips, beautiful as a model, and a… person with pitch black hair and dark eyes. They had a cat companion. It was strange, the dragon couldn't quite figure out what their features were like.

"Guys!" Kalim exclaimed, bouncing on his heels. "Meet my new friend, Malleus!"

The three of them stared at him in silence, the beastman arched a brow. "And for how long have you known him?" he asked.

"Exactly four hours," Jamil muttered under his breath, so quietly only Leona’s ears and Malleus’s sharp hearing caught it. Then, with the bone-deep exhaustion of a man holding reality together by sheer will, he straightened and said, "Excuse me, my presence is required in the kitchens."

He was gone before Kalim could protest. Poor man, Malleus thought watching him vanish through the crowd, he looked really tired. The beastman's tail whipped twice, as he continued to stare in questioning silence.

"Leona, at least pretend to have manners," the model said, fluttering his eyelashes. "The name's Vil Schoenheit," he introduced himself. "You stand out, even here. And that’s saying something."

Malleus inclined his head politely. "Malleus Draconia."

Vil nodded approvingly, offering a very practiced smile. "Charmed. And this," he gestured lazily toward the beastman, "is Leona Kingscholar. Our companions here are Yuu and his… energetic familiar, Grim."

The small gray creature puffed up. "Hey! I ain’t no familiar! I’m Grim, future number-one magician of the world!"

"Of course you are," Vil replied sweetly, not even looking at him.

Leona smirked, clearly entertained. "So, what’s your story, Draconia? Not every day someone strolls into Kalim’s palace looking like they stepped out of an ancient fairytale."

"At least he's refined. You look like you just stepped out of bed, fix your tie, you're a prince." the model muttered, closing his eyes in exhaustion for a second.

Leona smiled at him, loosened his tie and unbuttoned two of the buttons of his vest. Vil's brow twitched twice, but kept quiet with a pleasant smile plastered on his face.

Malleus regarded them calmly. "I am searching," he said simply. "For knowledge of two places—Briar Valley, and the Island of Woe."

That got their attention. The laughter and chatter around them seemed to dull for a moment, or, perhaps, Malleus' focus simply drowned it out.

"The Island of what?" Yuu asked, blinking. "Never heard of it."

Vil folded his arms. "Briar Valley, I know. But the other name… it doesn’t sound like anything from this continent."

Leona leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing. "And what business do you have with Briar Valley? It’s not exactly open to outsiders, last I checked."

"I was born there," Malleus said, his tone even.

"That explains the horns."

"Does it?" Grim asked.

Leona shrugged. Vil's eyebrow twitched again, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but the beastman interrupted. "Do you want to get into Ivory Springs or not?"

"You'd better give me a good time."

"Don't worry, I'll show you the time of your life." he grinned menacingly, showing off his fangs.

Oh, so they're a couple. Malleus smiled.

Kalim, who had been listening intently and not understanding half of it, brightened. "Then, if you want to get to Briar Valley, you’ll want to go through The Queendom of Roses! The route’s direct and totally scenic—well, except for the coup thing."

"The what," the dragon asked flatly.

"The coup," Leona said, already bored again. "The Queendom's in a power struggle. Half the nobles support the queen, the other half, and the people, want the young prince to take the throne. Classic mess. Wouldn’t recommend sightseeing there right now."

"And yet," Malleus said quietly, "that is the only path that leads to my home."

Vil’s brows lifted. "You’d risk walking into a revolution?"

"Well, yes."

Yuu stood up from their chair, brushing off their sleeves. "If you’re really going," they said, "you’ll need someone who can get you through safely. I know a man in the Queendom—Riddle Rosehearts. He’ll help us if we can reach him."

Leona blinked, "You know Rosehearts?"

They nodded, shrugging.

"How did you even? Knowing that he's the—" he cut himself off. "You know what? Yeah, sure. Call me when you find out so I can laugh at you if you're still alive."

Malleus ignored the interaction and inclined his head slightly, respect for the human clear in his eyes. "Then I would be grateful for your company."

"Wait! Us?" Grim squawked. "You mean me, too?!"

Yuu sighed. "Yes, Grim. You too."

Kalim clapped his hands together, eyes sparkling. "It’s settled! A grand quest! I’ll have Jamil pack travel snacks!"

Jamil, who was carrying a new tray of food, appeared out of nowhere. "We are not going, you're the heir to the Al-Asim business. Do you think I am crazy enough to let you dance your way into a civil war? Plus, regardless of who wins, you'll have to go to secure market routes." He left the tray on a near table, then dissipated in the crowd again.

Kalim closed his eyes, disappointed, but accepting the other's words. "Still, I'll prepare something for you all."

"Thank you. I shall repay you, you have my word," Malleus allowed himself the smallest smile. "Then it seems fate has chosen my companions."

Leona groaned. "You’re all insane"

Vil squinted his eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree."

Time passed quicker than he expected. Idia couldn’t believe it, but—against all odds—his deal with Azul had actually worked. GG, Idia. WP.

The power grid ran smoother than it ever had, the gates were stable, and the city’s buildings gleamed with a fresh coat of paint that screamed 'government-approved optimism.'— They didn't go through scarcity, as he managed to get provisions out of the deal.

All thanks to his totally legitimate, not-at-all morally questionable partnership with a mafia lord.

He sighed, sinking into his chair and spinning halfway around to stare at the ceiling. "Dude, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but organized crime is kind of efficient."

Well—mostly. He had to doxx a bunch of people that apparently owed money to Azul. But it wasn’t like he cared. It wasn’t his reputation on the line. Besides, it felt normal, like your everyday Sunday activity. Some go to church, others commit mild cybercrimes for breakfast. Balance, right?

Plus, Azul was really happy with his performance—so happy that he’d personally commended Idia for "saving him both time and capital," which, coming from a literal mafia boss, was basically an award. So yeah. Everything was fine.

[Quest: 'the reunion' will be available in one month!]

Perfectly, wonderfully, really fucking fine.

Thank Hades that during the last couple weeks, he threw himself into upgrades. The lab’s systems became smarter, more secure. His automated sentries now patrolled the halls. His bots cleaned, sorted, and monitored everything from the island’s weather to its magical stability.

No one could get in, or out, without him knowing. Basic safety protocol.

It didn't feel like enough. The OP protagonist was coming after him, and it was not as if they parted their ways merrily.

So, because he was sure that everything else he had arranged would flop, he had a plan. Something to fight off a dragon to exhaustion.

No, of course he wouldn't try to kill him! He still had to figure out the 'give Malleus a happy ending' part. Maybe the comfort of his lost family? Changing the route so that the MC falls in love with him? Now that would make the players happy.

…A part of him didn't like that idea.

Because, truthfully—Malleus was his hero. Overpowered, mystical, humble, a loner with a heart of gold who yearned for companionship—he was the man. A literal dragon prince! Of course Idia liked dragons.

He groaned, pressing a hand over his flaming hair. Because he wasn’t just a programmer anymore. He was a nerd with a crush and a death sentence, sitting at 110 out of 100 heartbreak points. He broke the love-meter! Hopeless, it was hopeless.

He paused, blinked, then buried his face in his hands as a thought hit him. "Only I could have a massive crush on the guy coded to end me!" he said miserably. Then, quieter, "Well—he could destroy me any other way, honestly—no, wait, no. Focus, Idia. Stop gooning!"

He slammed his hands on the desk, face burning pinker than his hair

"Okay. New plan. No more thinking about draconic charming smiles."

[Would you like me to add that to your personal reminders, Big Bro? (⁀ᗢ⁀)✧]

Idia screamed into his sleeve. Work! He had work to do!

He bolted up from his chair and hurried through the lab, calling over a few of his robots to follow. and waited until Ortho fell into sleeping mode, something he discovered the system did if he stayed idle for much too long.

He climbed toward the storage room, each step measured and quiet, as if the walls themselves were listening.

He didn't have much time.

Chapter Text

After saying their goodbyes to Vil and Leona, Kalim and Jamil accompanied them to the port. The air heavy with heat, the sea stretching out under the sun. Dock workers shouted over the crash of waves, gulls circling lazily overhead. It was chaos, but somehow cheerful. Malleus wondered how life would have been had he been born as one of them.

Their ship loomed nearby, and when the final call for boarding rang out, Jamil turned toward them, his expression composed as ever, and handed each of them a small backpack.

"A gift for your trip," he said with a polite bow. "We sincerely hope you get there safely."

"Yeah!" Kalim chimed in, "I regret not being able to come, but— Oh well, we'll see each other soon!"

Yuu grinned, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Yeah, we'll see each other soon enough."

Jamil’s lips curved faintly at that. Malleus inclined his head, his voice sincere. "Your kindness will not be forgotten. May the winds favor you, as they do us."

As they stepped onto the boarding ramp, Kalim waved so energetically that even the sailors stared. Jamil just sighed, muttering something under his breath before giving a small, almost fond wave of his own.

Malleus gave a small wave back, thoughtful. There was something curious about the relationship between those two. Jamil was a servant, Kalim his master— yet, the white haired boy regarded him with the utmost respect and trust. But, still, it was obvious that Jamil yearned for more— his eyes were still lost in the distance, on the boats and the faraway lands that he surely could reach if he only took the leap.

Even so, Jamil stayed at Kalim's side. Why was that so? Malleus was sure the man was clever enough to escape, so why stay? It was parasitic, and a bit broken, he guessed— Kalim held Jamil’s freedom in his hands, and in turn, Kalim depended wholly on Jamil.

He wondered, if the servant were to ask something of his master, anything, would Kalim simply accept, without even thinking about it?

No, it had to be way more complicated than that. He simply didn’t know enough about humans to understand.

From the deck, the dragon let his gaze drift to the sea. The port was already shrinking behind them, swallowed by distance. The water, once shallow and see-through green, had deepened into a deep, endless blue. He thought of how easily mortals met and parted, how quickly bonds were made and broken. It was both fragile and fascinating— but not enough for him.

He found himself drawn to the sea. It reminded him of the Island of Woe—beautiful, lonely, and the holder of ancient, lost, secrets. The waves seemed to whisper in a language long forgotten and, for a fleeting moment, he thought he could understand them.

How strange it was, he thought, that the sea would remain long after every kingdom fell. Just like him.

And perhaps that was why he felt closer to things like this— to the storm, to the night sky, to the ocean’s endless blue. They were constant in the way he was. Not kind, not cruel— just there.

Was this how the gods felt? Part of what Hades understood but he didn't? Was this the meaning of his existence—to accept the ache of watching everything you love vanish, until they were replaced by mere echoes?

The wind blew past him, carrying the scent of salt and something sweet, flowers, perhaps. He closed his eyes, listening to the creak of the wood, the steps of the sailors rushing on deck. He took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the sun was setting, painting everything in gold.

Yuu leaned on the railing beside him, interrupting his thoughts. "First time traveling by sea?"

"Not the first," Malleus said softly, eyes on the horizon. "Yet, this time, no current will guide me to the place I've already been."

"That's…" Yuu sighed, turning back to look at Grim, who was running around scaring the poor sailors. "Are you that far away from home?"

Malleus blinked "From Briar Valley? I'm afraid I don't know how far are we…"

"No, not Briar Valley. Home."

The dragon stared at his new friend, frowning. What does 'Home' entail?

He tried to remember the halls of Rose Castle— he used to live in a castle. Were his parents soldiers? He saw himself practicing magic, something now unknown to him, he also saw himself fabric spinning with his grandmother, and sewing too. Fabric was important, he couldn't remember why. He thought of Lilia’s patient guidance, Silver’s quiet loyalty, Sebek’s thunderous voice that had once filled every corner of the courtyard. They were his kin, his heart. And yet, he was far away from them.

He thought of The Island of Woe. Of the strange stillness of it, the smell of wet stone and the electric hum that clung to the wind. He never quite managed to understand Thanatos' technology, even after spending more than a decade in the island. He lingered at the memories of the man whose flames burned blue— that strange little hermit, so unlike any other he had ever met. Timid in spirit, yet with a mind that could outshine gods.

If home was where his heart pulled him, then it was scattered around the world.

"I…" He exhaled. "I do not know."

Yuu smiled and softly patted once on Malleus' shoulder. "Well, I don't know either, so that's fine too." then, they shrugged "Guess we'll have to figure that one out, huh."

The dragon smiled slightly. "Yes, it seems so."

The Queendom of Roses drew nearer. From afar, it looked picturesque— a place full of rose gardens, colorful hedge mazes and brick houses. But, as the ship approached the docks, the illusion shattered.

The port was almost empty.

Where once there should’ve been merchants shouting over boxes of produce and sailors rushing to set sail, there was only silence. The few people that remained moved like shadows, their eyes darting from side to side nervously, their steps quick and hushed.

Yuu slowed down as they descended the ramp, Grim tugging nervously at their sleeve. "It's… worse seeing it in person."

"Too quiet," the dragon replied, his voice a low murmur that still seemed to fill the air around them.

He could feel it— the residue of magic clinging to the streets, like smoke after a fire. Anger. Fear. And something else that whispered of rebellion and bloodshed. A banner, half torn and singed, hung from a broken post. Its red sigil ,once the Queendom’s proud crest, had been crossed out with black paint, a patch of a half-black half-red heart had been sewed in its place.

"This place reeks of conflict," Malleus murmured, his pupils narrowing. The air here felt wrong, fueled with magic stained with violence. "Stay close to me."

They exited the safety of the port as the workers quickly dropped off the cargo, then moved cautiously through an abandoned market. Every now and then, distant sounds echoed— a scream, the clang of steel and the rush of hurried footsteps. Yuu flinched each time.

"Shouldn’t we… help?" they asked in a whisper.

"Who? and how?"

"I don't know, you're the dragon."

"If I were to intervene directly, we'd draw too much attention." Malleus said, making a swift movement with his hands to create a magic barrier around them as the cries of war became louder and louder. "We should find your friend first."

Covered in faint green light, they turned a corner—a line of armored guards standing near the city gates, their crimson uniforms marked by the crown of the reigning monarch. Opposite them stood a group of rebels, some also in armor, others with their faces hidden by scarves and dust.

Before any of them could say something, one of the rebels stepped forward, shouting something indistinct, and chaos broke loose. Shouts turned to screams, magic lit up the air in erratic bursts, and the ground shook beneath their feet.

Malleus' barrier shimmered, deflecting stray spells and fragments of stone. "Humans," he muttered softly. "They sure are complicated." He knew of war, pain and injustice. But, after living secluded most of his life, he couldn't say he comprehended it fully.

He extended a hand, and the faint shimmer of green expanded— warping the air around them, bending light and muffling sound. For everyone else, the pair simply vanished to thin air into the chaos. It came natural to him now that he went through the underworld, as if the knowledge that was sealed from the past was finally freed.

They slipped between the fighting sides unnoticed. Ash, blood, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. The nobles, outnumbered, began to retreat toward the upper levels of the city, leaving behind mangled banners and broken shields.

Yuu stopped abruptly, eyes widening. "Wait— those two—!"

From between the rebels’ ranks, two familiar faces appeared, arguing as they hurled spells toward the guards.

"Deuce?! Ace?!" Yuu shouted before Malleus could stop them.

The pair froze mid-swing, nearly getting caught in an explosion before Deuce grabbed Ace by the arm and pulled him behind cover. "Yuu?! What are you—how—?"

Ace's grin was feral even through the dirt on his face. "Took you long enough to get here! Thought you’d missed the fun!"

"Fun?" Yuu gestured around incredulously. "You call this fun?!"

"Better than sitting around watching rich idiots choke the city!" Ace shot back.

Before Yuu could reply, Deuce interrupted, glancing nervously at the towering fae beside them. "Yuu… who’s your friend?"

Malleus inclined his head slightly. "A traveler seeking passage through your Queendom," he said, voice calm despite the circumstances.

Deuce blinked, clearly unsettled. "Right… a traveler."

"Long story," Yuu said quickly. "How is Riddle? He’s still alive, right?"

Ace exchanged a look with Deuce. "Alive, yeah. And pissed."

"He's leading the resistance, we're almost there but the queen never gives up." Deuce added. "They are in the base…we'll take you there."

As the adrenaline of the battle died down, the rebels started to set camp. A small group of them rushed to treat the injured, others set their way to the base alongside Deuce and Ace. They followed through the desolated streets until they reached a bakery, underneath it, there was a labyrinth of secret passageways.

They marched through it, the smell of dirt and lack of air slowing them down, until they found a ladder. Malleus was surprised on how the rebels seemed to know their way by heart, even without being able to see quite well due to the lack of light.

Going up, they got inside a building. Only one room was lit, a small man with red hair studied a map, muttering something to himself as he connected some dots with string and stuck notes on a whiteboard. Five others were with him: two of them looked like residents of the Queendom, but the other three were dressed in clothes far too fancy for being in the middle of a war— a man with a fedora and white hair, and a pair of twins with teal hair and mismatching eyes.

The red-haired man turned as they entered, his expression turned fierce and unrelenting. "Who dares intrude—?"

Yuu took a step forward. "Riddle! It’s me!"

The man's eyes widened. "Yuu?" Then his gaze shifted to Malleus, and for a moment, his composure faltered. The dragon's presence was all-imposing. "Yuu," Riddle said carefully, "who have you brought into my court?"

"Your court?"

Riddle blinked twice. The men from the Queendom covered their mouth with their hands, two of the foreign ones stayed still, staring, but the last one busted out laughing like a madman. "Oi, Shrimpy, Goldfishie here is the Prince of Roses."

Riddle glared at him, but the damage was done. The white haired man snorted at them, his expression flickering briefly in surprise before settling into a polite smile. "Yuu. I must say, you have quite the talent for appearing where business thrives." His eyes slid to Malleus, and his tone shifted—warmer, but cautious. "And who might this be?"

"The name is Malleus Draconia," he answered politely, he didn't trust that man.

Riddle looked up sharply, his focus snapping from the map to the stranger now standing in his war room. "Draconia?" His hand went instinctively to the hilt of the rapier at his side. "You’re a long way from Briar Valley."

"How do you know I'm from there?"

The man stared at him, then at the horns on his head. He opened his mouth, then stole a glance at the white-haired man and his companions, and closed it. "Your surname is known," he finally said, calming down. "Forgive me. Tensions have made me wary"

The dragon inclined his head. "Understandable. I seek only passage—to return to Briar Valley." Malleus replied eventually. "Through your Queendom."

Riddle’s jaw tightened. "You must know our borders are unstable. Passage isn’t—"

"Free?" the man interjected smoothly, flashing a disarming grin. "Now, now, Your Highness, perhaps we can arrange…something. A mutually beneficial trade, as always."

"Safe, Azul, I was going to say 'safe'." Riddle warned, voice sharp.

"I'm just saying he seems powerful," Azul answered. "You could get the queen to surrender."

One of the twins hummed softly. "Indeed. Plus, few armies would dare to cross a Queendom allied with a dragon."

"Or one burned by one," the other added, getting a knife out of his pocket, flipping it. "Either way, we win~."

The silence that followed was thick. Riddle pressed his fingers to his temples and exhaled sharply before regaining his poise. "Draconia, forgive my associates’ lack of decorum." He gestured stiffly toward his people. "These are my advisors, Trey Clover and Cater Diamond."

Trey gave a calm nod. "A pleasure, sir."

Cater threw up two peace signs. "Welcome to the resistance~."

"And these three," Riddle continued, barely concealing his irritation, "are Azul Ashengrotto, and the Leech twins—Jade and Floyd. They… provide support, in exchange for future trade privileges."

"A delight to be of service," Azul said smoothly.

"Charmed," Jade murmured.

"Bored," Floyd added.

Malleus regarded them all in silence, then turned back to Riddle. "You lead them?"

Riddle lifted his chin. "For now. Until the Queendom is free again."

"Then perhaps we can help each other." Malleus' tone was calm, but every word had an authoritarian touch to them. "You seek to end your Queen’s rule. I seek a path home. If I lend you my magic, you will open your borders and grant me safe passage to Briar Valley."

Riddle hesitated. "You would involve yourself in a mortal war?"

"It would restore balance," Malleus said simply. "And you can reclaim what was lost."

Then, silence.

Finally, Riddle extended his hand, the faintest spark of defiance in his eyes. "Then we have an agreement, Malleus Draconia. Help me bring the Queen to surrender, and I will see that you reach your homeland unharmed."

The dragon took his hand, the faint crackle of power sparking between their palms. "Then we are bound by word and will, Prince of Roses."

Azul clapped once, the sound sharp and satisfied. "Ah, nothing like a good contract to brighten the mood."

Floyd grinned. "Heh, let’s see if the Queen screams are pretty when she surrenders."

"Floyd." Riddle pinched the bridge of his nose. "Out. All of you. Now."

As the rebels cleared the room, Malleus glanced once more at the prince, something like respect flickering in his eyes. "You have courage, Riddle Rosehearts. Perhaps your crown will fit better than hers."

Riddle didn’t answer, he turned back to his maps and closed his eyes after a while. "I just hope it’s worth the cost."

Riddle handed him a device— similar to a phone. He didn't know what to do with it so he passed it to Yuu, Grim chuckled and said something that probably was annoying. Riddle sighed, then nodded and went back to the map. Today, they were taking the castle.

"Telecommunications have been down for weeks," he explained for everyone out loud. "But Azul has access to high end technology, so these phones have their own built-in receptors and transmitters. The point is, if anything happens, the signal will come from there."

Then, he pointed to the map. "Everyone remembers their position?"

The crowd cheered.

"Good." Riddle smiled, his gaze full of appreciation. His fingers brushed the edge of the map one last time before he turned to face the gathered rebels.

The rose prince stood straight, he took off his crimson cloak and the ornament that decorated his hair, his rapier gleaming at his side. Behind him, the emblem of the Queendom — a single rose wrapped in thorns — hung torn and faded.

"Today," Riddle began, his voice clear and commanding, "we reclaim what was stolen from us."

» "For years, we were told that perfection meant obedience. That order meant silence. That a single voice — theirs — was the only one that mattered. And we obeyed. Out of duty. Out of fear. Out of love.

But love, when twisted, becomes control. And obedience without reason becomes slavery."

Riddle drew his sword and raised it high, its polished steel catching the flame’s reflection. "We have bled enough for a crown that does not protect us. We have mourned enough under rules that strangle our hearts. But from now on, we say no more!"

» "Tomorrow we will be free, but tomorrow is yet to come. Today is the day we fight with nail and tooth for what is rightfully ours!

No more children will grow afraid to speak up! No more mothers will weep for sons condemned by the abuse of power! Today, we tear down the thorns that choked our country— and pray for the roses to bloom again!"

Riddle turned slightly, glancing at Malleus, who stood beside him. Then, he stabbed the map right on the royal castle, turned to his troops with fierce eyes and exclaimed: "For the Queendom!"

"For the Queendom!" they all roared in reply.

"Now," he took his magic pen and pointed towards the castle. "Let's take back our home!"

As the troops rushed forward, Malleus noticed the pain in Riddle's eyes. They had turned glossy, as if he was trying not to cry, When the prince noticed the dragon was watching, he stiffened, looked away and muttered. "Let's go."

Malleus nodded. What a strong young man.

The prince's army divided swiftly: the rebels attacked from the front and sides, while the prince led his inner circle through the old service tunnels beneath the palace.

The sound of war had already begun to rise— the agitated screams, the shock of magic and the shattering of steel armor breaking under spells. The small group rushed through the tunnels, as time was running thin.

"This way," Trey murmured, lighting up their path with a torch.

Malleus walked at the back of the group, the stone walls felt alive beneath his fingertips— he made them move, closing the way behind them so no one could follow.

Yuu kept close to Riddle, phone in his hand, Grim clutching to their shoulders. "Are you sure the frontlines can hold?" They whispered.

“They have to” Riddle said, heading straight forward.

Azul chuckled softly from behind them, “I must say, Your Highness, this level of trust in untrained forces is brave.”

Riddle didn’t even glance at him. “Spare me your commentary, Ashengrotto. You’ll have your reward when this is over.”

“Ah,” Azul murmured, smiling faintly. “Music to my ears.”

Floyd hummed tunelessly, tossing his dagger between his hands. “Will goldfishie give me a reward if I do well too~?”

“Floyd,” Jade said mildly, “focus.”

They got inside, the empty aisles opening up to rooms ornamented in gold. They heard metal steps running towards them, at least four soldiers.

"Ace, Deuce, Cater." Riddle commanded. "You know what to do."

They took a sharp turn as the card-soldiers nodded, drawing their magical pens out. Before them, there was a marble staircase, as they went up Malleus started to feel it: the pulse of magic underneath his skin.

The throne room was just a couple steps before them, guarded by a group of six soldiers in steel. Riddle made a signal with his left hand, Trey and Azul nodded in unison, the twins got ready to fight. Malleus and Yuu stared at the prince, as a response he said: "With me. Yuu, stay away from the fight." and then, the guards attacked.

Floyd chuckled and bashed in like a mad-man. Jade went right behind him, the only difference was that he actually had other weapons than his magic pen and teeth. Tray stayed behind, changing the properties of the guards' spells. Azul stood beside him, pen in one hand and a heavy tome in the other, murmuring lines under his breath to shield his goons— Malleus supposed he was reading for spells.

The prince pressed forward through the chaos, barging in the throne room, avoiding all the guards thanks to the others. Malleus followed close behind, carrying Yuu effortlessly in his arms. The doors closed.

Malleus set Yuu and Grim down gently. “Stay away from the fire,” he warned, voice low.

"Did you finally stop this nonsense and decided to come with mother?" the queen commanded, venomous. Four more knights guarding her sides.

Riddle frowned, but said nothing. He was analyzing the room with silent despair. Columns lined with gold reached toward a domed ceiling painted with roses. The scent of iron and perfume hung in the air, heavy.

At the far end of the hall, the Queen stood before her throne—tall, unyielding. Malleus could sense the power them both were hiding. Riddle's fingers brushed the hilt of his rapier.

The Queen’s expression darkened. “So be it.”

The knights stepped forward in unison, metal boots ringing against marble. Malleus felt the air shift—magic, twisted, coiling around the Queen like smoke. Riddle went heads on to meet their attacks, it was a bit scary, how a man so small could yield such power and fierce determination.

"Your Majesty," the dragon finally warned, it was time to fulfill his part of the deal. "Stand down."

She turned to him, amused. "And what are you, foreigner? Another boy trying to play hero?" Her eyes narrowed on his horns. "No, not a boy. A monster."

Malleus' expression didn’t change, yet, outside, a storm unlashed. Around him, green sparkles filled the air. The guards stopped, Riddle stumbled too. Malleus nodded, shielding his allies, and said: "Spinning wheel of fate, spin the threads of calamity," the words came natural to him, as if they were stuffed in his brain from a long time ago. "I, the Lord of Malevolence, offer this curse. Fae Maleficence."

The queen and the guards fell on the ground.

Riddle opened his eyes wide, filled with panic. His rapier fell to the floor, the sound echoing through the whole room. The calm and collected facade he wore, was destroyed in shambles. "Mother!" he yelled, voice strangled, as he ran to reach the queen on the floor.

He checked her vitals, they were sleeping.

The prince's expression was one of pure pain and resignation. He got up, walked to get his rapier, trembling, stared at his mother figure, and performed his signature spell. "Off with your head!" A restraining collar appeared on the queen's neck.

He glanced at Malleus, and various emotions passed through his eyes. "You could have—" he mumbled, struggling with words. "They are still fighting and you could've just—!"

He turned around to face the doors and made an order "Yuu, notify everyone: the queen has fallen." Then, he ran towards them to join the on-going, already won, battle.

Yuu did something with the device, people started to cheer outside, but the echoes of violence didn't stop yet. They hugged the phone close to his body, Grim stood at the floor, baring his teeth at Malleus, also trembling.

"I- wasn't that what I was meant to do?" the fae asked.

They stayed silent, staring at their feet. "People…" Yuu started, "People were dying because of this."

Malleus blinked once, then twice— he hadn't thought the guards to be that powerful. He thought it was more of a logistics sort of thing. Or a emotional one. He grimaced, understanding Riddle's sudden outburst, and silently got out, following the prince's path.

The Queendom of Roses got back on its feet rather quickly— it was not that they were alright now, and that there was nothing left to mend, but that the morale in general was so high and Riddle was such an organized and hard working ruler, that it was positive to say they were thriving.

Their relationship became amicable after Malleus' demonstration of power and a few conversations about the value of people— that is to say, Malleus let Riddle talk his ear off in an impromptu scolding. And now, the rose prince was doing everything in his power to let him set sail to Briar Valley as soon as possible.

The palace was turned into a provisional hospital to tend the wounded, and slowly amend relationships between the royal forces and citizens. Riddle was currently tending to Floyd's wounds as he fought recklessly during the coup for "the funsies", as he said.

Malleus knocked on the door and got inside.

"Ah, Draconia." He called him "It's nice you're here, I have something to tell you."

The dragon nodded and got nearer, acknowledging the mafioso with a small wave.

"You can set off to Briar Valley tomorrow's noon," he said, then grimaced. "I'm afraid you'll have some company, if you don't mind. Azul and his crew are… eager to go too."

Malleus nodded, happy yet nervous to hear the news. "I see," he smiled, faintly. "Thank you, Rosehearts."

"It's no problem." He said, as Floyd tugged from his clothes.

"Nee~ Goldfishie, I'm gonna go now. Wanna bother Shrimpy for a while." He got up so fast for someone that was supposed to be injured, ruffled Riddle's hair, and ran away as if he didn't just fight in a civil war.

The prince looked as if he wanted to scream his lungs out, but instead, he sat down on the stretcher.

"I was angry before," He sighed, "but, I'm sorry. I never got the chance to thank you."

"It was part of the deal we made," Malleus stated, not fully understanding where this was going. He thought the man feared him underneath his facade after what happened in the throne room.

"No— not for that, I-" Riddle avoided his gaze, looking at the other resting patients. "I thought I had to kill her."

Malleus' brows rose, he stayed still, expecting the prince to continue.

"It was the easiest option," he clutched his fists. "I didn't want to. I hate her, but she's still my mother."

From what little he remembered, Malleus' family was distant, but there was no hatred involved— never. Was this what happened when bonds broke? Would something like this happen when he returned? Would he not be what Lilia, Sebek and Silver expected? How will Thanatos react when he comes back to him? Were they family, too? With a broken bond like Rosehearts'?

"It's… complicated." Riddle continued to fill the silence. "Love is… I wanted to be loved by her, and it made me afraid. Because, no matter what I did, she never needed me. One day I woke up, and realized that she always knew how to live without me.”

Malleus felt the words shock him like cold rain.

“That’s what frightened me most,” Riddle said softly, eyes still downcast. "That I'm not needed, not wanted— and that I will lose the opportunity to, well, make her love me."

Silence lingered between them. The steady hum of the infirmary, the soft breaths of the wounded—it all seemed very far away.

"It's too late now, anyways. And life continues."

Malleus looked at the prince then, truly looked. In that fragile human, he saw the reflection of something that had been sleeping in him all along—a quiet, terrible fear of being left behind by the ones he loved.

And though he did not say it, that fear began to grow.

Azul, Jade and Floyd already were on board. Yuu and Grim were waiting for him on the docks. When Malleus came, Yuu grimaced, pointed to the mafiosos and grumbled: "why are they here? They can literally swim faster than the boat!"

"Maybe you can ask them to catch tuna for me the next time!" Grim exclaimed.

The dragon didn't know what a proper response to that was, so he just said his goodbyes to the prince and his card-guards, and got on the boat.

Azul politely waved at them, he was talking with someone through the phone. Jade gave them a respectful smile, Floyd just grinned.

As he was going to settle for the voyage, Malleus caught a familiar voice from Azul's phone-device.

"Yeah, yeah, dude. Of course the phones worked as expected! I'm a pro! Fuihihihi~!" it was Thanatos.

Azul said something as a response, but the dragon disregarded that. Why did this man have Thanatos' contact? How did they know each other? Was Thanatos in danger?

He listened closely, thanking the gods for his sharp hearing.

"I just wanted to give you a heads-up," the guardian’s voice continued, a nervous edge creeping into his tone. "I, uh… might be MIA for the next few days. Or weeks. Depending on whether I get murdered or not."

"Murdered?" Azul repeated, baffled.

"Okay, okay, before you freak out—hear me out. So, hypothetically, let’s say there’s this super powerful guy, like ‘could-sneeze-and-cause-an-apocalypse’ powerful, right? And hypothetically, I might’ve thrown him into the underworld. Y’know, for science. Or safety. Or both."

There was a pause on Azul's end. "…I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, I know how it sounds! But it’s not like I did it out of malice, okay? It was… it was damage control! Like, big brain containment plan, totally logical. Except now he’s probably, uh—" He gulped audibly. "Back."

Another pause. Then a groan. "And you think this ‘powerful man’ is—"

"Coming for my head, yes!" Thanatos blurted. "I mean, wouldn’t you if someone used you as a bug fix? Like, ‘oops, system crashed, better shove the dragon prince into the underworld, lol’? Classic case of self-sabotage meets divine retribution!"

Azul muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "I need better business partners."

But Malleus didn’t hear him. He froze. His heart faltered for a beat. Was Thanatos speaking of him?

Did he truly think… Malleus would return only to kill him?

The dragon’s chest ached. “Even he fears me,” he murmured. The words tasted bitter. “Even the one who called me friend.”

He looked out toward the sea, where the horizon bled into mist. Everyone left, eventually— mortals, family, fae. Was he unlovable, perhaps? Was this his fate, to be brought into a world just to be feared?

It hurt, way too much.

But— couldn't he do something about it? Thanatos was his dearest, he would understand that he has no ill-intentions, he had to— he would make him understand.

[+30 heartbreak points!]

WAIT, WHAT?

Chapter Text

The ship swung slightly from side to side as if it were a cradle. They'd spent a couple days at sea, and Briar Valley now could be seen from the distance. Waves rose and fell and seagulls flew in the skies over them. Yuu, Grim and him became friendlier over time. His friend seemed to have a good relationship with the mafiosos, yet Malleus couldn't trust them at all. So he kept them at an arm's length.

Thanatos’s voice still echoed in his mind. That faint static hum, the nervousness tangible in his voice— 'I might or might not have thrown a powerful man into the underworld…'

He’d replayed those words too many times already.

Malleus' fingers tightened around the railing. Yuu wasn't here now, he had no one to talk to, and the silence was unbearable. He inhaled deeply, letting the sting in his lungs distract him. There was no point in letting his thoughts wander, he always ended in the same place, after all: doubting himself.

Instead, he turned his focus forward— to the dark silhouette of mountains rising in the distance. Maybe there he would find a clearer state of mind. Now, he would return to his own kind, to his own people. To Lilia, to Silver and Sebek. To the lives he had once left behind.

As for Thanatos, he would have to wait.

His gaze shifted toward Azul, standing at the ship’s bow, his coat whipping with the wind as he spoke with his subordinates. There was something calculating in the man’s every move, something Malleus didn't trust.

He didn't like the man; 'untrustworthy' was the first word that came to his mind. And the idea that he had established a relationship with Thanatos so quickly left a bitter taste in Malleus' mouth. How could that man, a stranger, cross a distance that had taken him years?

It wasn’t fair. He’d spent a decade on that island, and only in the final month had the guardian begun to look at him — to speak to him without calculation. There had been warmth there, once. Perhaps even the beginnings of something more. Malleus actually wanted something more.

But now?

Now, Thanatos spoke freely with others. Trusted them, but feared him.

Malleus exhaled slowly, the sea breeze cooling the heat beneath his skin. He understood why Thanatos had pushed him, he now knew how unstable the gates were. It was the feeling of not being trusted that hurt.

There was nothing he could do about that now, the only thing he could do was keeping Azul relatively near. The mafioso had to know where the Island of Woe was, and Malleus had every intention to go. This time, the dragon swore, the guardian would have no reason to fear him.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breath, letting the weight of the wind press against him until the ache dulled into something manageable. Emotions clouded reason— Lilia had taught him that long ago.

This was not the time for longing. Nor for the ache of what could have been.

So he turned away from the horizon where the sea met the sky and looked instead toward the misty outline of something that resembled home.

He blinked once. Twice. His brain blue-screened.

"…Excuse me?" he whispered. Then, louder, "Excuse me?!"

Deep in the labs of S.T.Y.X (Yeah, he decided to name his lab after the company he was supposed to manage IRL. Yes, he knows it's not very creative), Idia was one pop-up away from bashing his head against the workbench.

Being +10 points above the max was already bad, but being +40 points? Dead. That's what he was. Idia was speedrunning 'death: the route', like an idiot.

"Ortho! ORTHO!" he cried, desperate. "WHAT EVEN HAPPENED?!"

[New emotional milestone reached! Your relationship with Malleus Draconia has deepened! (⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯)♡]

"You call that a milestone?!" Idia jumped up from the chair he was sitting, nearly tripping over a pile of cables. "How did it even—!"

[Points can change whenever Malleus Draconia sees, hears, or is affected by your actions!]

He went dead silent. Completely still. Then, very slowly, his face paled as realization hit. The score had jumped right after he’d hung up on Azul. Malleus was with Azul. He had been wondering how the dragon was even going to get to the Island when the timer ran out, now he had his answer.

With all the exhaustion of a man too done to scream, he whispered, "I’m literally doomed by my own narrative." Then, quieter, covering his face with his hands, "It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy."

A chill crept down his spine. "Ortho," Idia called again, his voice cracking slightly. He had to make sure he hadn’t accidentally rushed the timeline. "How long until the quest ‘The Reunion’ unlocks?"

[There's only a week left! ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ) ]

Okay. So nothing changed. He was fine. Everything was fine. The only difference was that he now had an extra-enraged dragon gunning for him.
Nothing he couldn’t handle. Totally fine.

His eyes drifted toward the two-meter-long robotic hand resting on the worktable—then to the half-assembled replica his drones were piecing together on the lab floor.

He exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temples. "Right. Okay. Just… extra defense. That’s all I need."

He forced a grin. "Easy. I just have to outsmart an immortal dragon prince with unresolved emotional trauma. What could possibly go wrong?"

The air of Briar Valley was sharp and humming with magic so dense that even Yuu could feel it against their skin. The port itself shimmered faintly under enchantments. Every rope, pulley, and lantern moving on its own accord. No mortal machinery here, only the quiet precision of spells.

Malleus smiled. This, he could understand— it was in his blood, running freely.

The dragon stepped onto the dock first, his boots echoing softly against the carved obsidian stone. The others came behind him. Azul and Jade had already started to take notes on a notebook, Floyd chased Grim down the port, avoiding all the workers and magic objects easily.

Yet, something was off.

The fae who worked the harbor—slender figures with various animal features and luminous eyes—had gone still. Conversations dropped into whispers. A merchant carrying glowing fruit froze midstep.

They were staring at him. Not in fear, not in respect, but in confusion.

He caught fragments of murmurs as they passed.
"—looks like him—"
"—but the air’s wrong—"
"—it can’t be, he vanished ages ago—"

Malleus slowed his pace, a faint frown settling over his features. This wasn’t how he imagined his return. He thought—naively, perhaps—that stepping on Briar soil again would bring comfort. That people would look at him, recognize him as just another, and move on with their lives.

Instead, he still drew attention. But why?

Yuu tugged lightly on his sleeve. "Malleus… are they—afraid of you?"

He turned his gaze toward the mist-covered cliffs that marked the valley's horizon. "This is my home," he murmured under his breath. "So why does it feel as though I no longer belong?"

Yuu looked up at him, unsure whether to say something or stay quiet. The dragon's expression remained calm, but his hands had tightened slightly.

Malleus' gaze lingered on a nearby mural—its weathered surface depicting a dragon crowned in thorns, his emerald fire devouring the night sky. The inscription below was nearly faded, but he could still make out a name: Draconia.

It was his name, yet the face was not his own.

He took a step back. The sound of boots striking the stone snapped through the air, sharp and imposing. A young man in a royal guard’s uniform came running down the dock, shouting at the top of his lungs: “IMPOSTOR!”

Yuu jumped. “Oh no.”

The young fae stopped a few meters away, panting, his mint-green hair gleaming under the lights. His expression fierce, enraged, yet filled with deep sorrow. "How dare you impersonate our lord Malleus Draconia! Do you think I, SEBEK ZIGVOLT, would allow such disrespect?!"

Malleus blinked. "...Sebek?"

"Silence, pretender!" Sebek's voice was loud enough to make the dock tremble. "You may mimic his horns and his regal bearing, but you cannot fool my loyal heart! He died ages ago! Guards, seize them at once!"

Yuu facepalmed. “Oh, great.”

The guards hesitated, uncertain—some looking between Malleus and Sebek in visible discomfort. The resemblance was undeniable. His presence, however, was even more so.

Still, it was their duty, so they charged in. The clash of armor echoed through the docks as the guards surrounded them. Malleus made no move to resist. His magic spiraled relentlessly in the air, like a quiet storm ready to break. He restrained it, this was his childhood friend— he didn't want to hurt him.

"Sebek," he tried again, his tone even, patient. "You know who I am."

The knight's hands trembled, he scowled and averted his gaze, unable to even look at him. "Lord Malleus Draconia is gone." He stated, voice cracking at the end.

They chained them all. Azul was looking livid, stabbing daggers at Malleus with his eyes. Floyd was laughing far too much for someone under arrest, while Jade looked almost pleased at the chaos. Grim clung to Yuu's neck, and the human did their best to cover the little creature with their body.

Malleus glanced at them, at himself reflected in the knights' anxious eyes—and the truth settled heavily on his chest: here, he was nothing but a ghost of his past self.

When the first spear touched his shoulder, the dragon said nothing. Only lowered his gaze and walked through the city's streets, not with shame, as he carried himself as proudly as ever, but drowned in sadness.

They reached a palace, the one he recognized from his memories, and entered through a small side-gate. The dungeons smelled of dust and old magic. The light that filtered in was faint, flickering alongside the hum of the magic that powered the place.

Azul sat cross-legged in the corner, pretending this was all 'very beneath him', while the twins tested the durability of their chains for 'fun.' Yuu was pacing, mumbling about being too young for this kind of nonsense. Grim was munching at the bars, trying to burn them down to no avail.

Malleus, however, sat still on the stone bench, his gaze distant, fixed on the faint runes carved into the wall. He sighed and with a swift movement of his hands, the handcuffs on his wrists broke open. He did the same thing for the rest of them.

And, before Azul could even protest, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The door opened, and time seemed to freeze.

Lilia stood, framed by the scarce sunlight, in the archway, his red eyes wide for the first time in centuries.

He said nothing at first. Only approached, slow and trembling. Malleus did the same, holding to the bars of the cell with both his hands.

They stood there for a while, one in front of the other, until Lilia reached to caress one of Malleus' cheeks. The young fae could only kneel down, close his eyes, and lean into the caring touch.

"Malleus," he whispered, voice breaking on the edge of disbelief.

The dragon opened his eyes, hesitating, unsure. "…Lilia."

The silence between them said everything. Recognition, relief, and the dull pain of the lost years. The older fae finally smiled. "You came back."

Malleus nodded, stood up, and separated the bars with his bare hands. He stepped out of the cell and hugged Lilia's small but strong frame. He returned the hug.

Rushed steps coming down approached, "Silver, wait!" Sebek's voice echoed. "He's not OUR prince!"

A young man with white hair barged in, the knight with green hair right behind him. They both stared at the scene with wide eyes for a while, then Silver was the first to react. He knelt down on the floor with his right hand over his heart and bowed his head down.

Sebek hesitated, but did the same.

Lilia and Malleus separated, the dragon smiled faintly and said "rise, please." A little startled by the sudden reaction.

He turned around to see his companions, Yuu, Azul and Grim were watching the whole scene patiently, the twins looked disappointed at the sudden lack of chaos, but still remained silent. And that said a lot considering Floyd was there.

Lilia chuckled, relieved, raising a brow, "Well, it seems we have a lot to catch up on."

The first day within the castle walls was exhausting. Maids came rushing to dress him up in the most complex clothes he had ever worn, others to clean the room meant to be his, now covered in dust.

And when he finally could come out, Sebek hadn’t stopped apologizing once. Every time Malleus so much as breathed in his direction, the half-fae would immediately drop to one knee and start his speech again—louder, more frantic, and somehow more dramatic each time.

"Sebek," Malleus sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, "I already told you—there is nothing to forgive."

"That is precisely why I must seek forgiveness, my lord! Your magnanimity only deepens my guilt!"

The dragon rubbed his temple. It was a lot, still— a part of him found it endearing. "Sebek," he called once more, "You are a great knight, you did what you thought was correct in a confusing situation."

The knight rose his head to look at the dragon.

"It is reassuring to know a knight as loyal as you is guarding the Valley," the dragon continued. "Please, rise."

Sebek beamed, Malleus swore that he could see him sparkling. He stood up, saluted, and left to his guarding spot.

The dragon felt his shoulders finally relax.

He stared at his surroundings, the palace itself was overwhelming in its familiarity. Every corridor was both known and foreign—the light softer, the air quieter. The servants whispered as he passed, torn between awe and confusion.

Lilia had been the one to explain what the world now knew: the Draconia prince had returned.

He wasn’t the son of a knight. He never had been. The truth of his lineage—his birthright—had been buried beneath layers of time. Now that it was revealed, the castle moved like a living organism around him: advisors summoned, tutors reappointed, rooms refurbished, banners dusted off in his honor.

'The dragon prince', that's what Thanatos had called him when talking to Azul. He didn't think about it then, but now— it made sense. Malleus didn't want to think about it right now.

And then came her.

Queen Maleficia Draconia, his grandmother. The last remnant of his bloodline.

Her presence commanded the room, all imposing and powerful. Even seated, she carried the quiet gravity of centuries. Her eyes, sharp and cold, were softened by something almost tender—when they met his, he felt the weight of everything they’d both lost.

"My grandson," she said softly, her voice steady but distant. "You’ve returned to us at last."

He bowed his head. "It seems so."

For a brief moment, her hand hovered over his shoulder, trembling—hesitant—but then fell back to her side. She smiled, serene and proud, though her gaze was glassy. “You look so much like your mother.”

That single sentence felt like both a blessing and a curse.

They spoke for an hour, about diplomacy, the state of the valley, and the shadows of the wars that had reshaped their people. But neither dared speak of what truly mattered—the grief that still lingered between them, or the ghosts of the past that stood silently at their backs.

When they parted, she touched the sleeve of his robe. “Rest, Malleus. There is much to prepare.”

And just like that, she was gone.

What followed was a blur of instruction. Diplomacy, court etiquette, military structure, history—every lesson he’d missed during his time on the island. His tutors spoke at him, not to him. The servants bowed deeper than comfort allowed, and nobles whispered about legacy and destiny.

And though the halls were filled with the echoes of his name, he felt an ache that no familiarity could cure.

He was in the Valley. But it no longer felt like home.

Late at night, he snuck away to the gardens. When he was alone, he covered his face with his hands and thought of his travel companions— the mafiosos didn't waste a single minute, as soon as they figured out he was a prince, Azul came to him offering deals and unsolicited gifts or advice.

It bothered him greatly, not only because he thought of it as opportunistic but also because it meant that either he didn't care about Thanatos at all or that he simply didn't hear what he had said.

The dragon grimaced slightly, and continued walking.

The gardens were quiet, too quiet. The air felt heavy with the scent of roses and rain-soaked soil, the trees, tall and silver-barked, bent slightly toward one another, their branches forming arches that filtered the moonlight into soft green hues. Fireflies flew lazily through the air, their glow mixing with the faint remnant

The stone path wound through patches of flowers—night-blooming lilies, ghostly white orchids, and roses so dark they almost looked black. Malleus walked slowly, letting his fingers brush the edges of the tallest blooms.

When he reached the marble bench, it stood half-wrapped in creeping ivy and illuminated by the soft silver light of the moon. He sat down, and the faint vibration of magic rose up through the stone, into his hands.

For a moment, Malleus allowed himself to close his eyes and listen to the sound of the wind, the hum of distant spells, and the faint whisper of his own power echoing back from the soil.

And then, he did hear something else—soft footsteps, and a voice humming a tune he hadn’t heard in years.

Lilia Vanrouge stood at the edge of the garden, half-shadowed by the ivy-covered archway. The years had changed him. His hair was shorter, his posture straighter, but his eyes, always mischievous, were the same.

At first, neither of them spoke.

Then, Lilia smiled, but it trembled at the edges. "So it really is you."

Malleus inclined his head. "I have returned."

"So you have," Lilia said softly, his voice caught somewhere between laughter and a sigh. "You always did enjoy worrying the old bat out of me."

The dragon felt something in his chest twist. "Forgive me."

Lilia’s expression softened, but he didn’t step closer. "There’s nothing to forgive, we all thought you left this realm after that day."

"Yet, I can not die." Malleus murmured.

"Not in the usual way, no," he averted his gaze. "Death comes in many ways."

For a while, neither of them could utter a single word.

"Where are they?" the dragon asked at last. "Silver and Sebek"

"At this time? usually sleeping. But tonight, I'm not so sure," Lilia shook his head.

Malleus sighed, tilted his head up and stared at the starry sky. "Then, I shall let them rest. It's been a long day."

A week had already passed, and he never had the chance to connect with them.

Every morning began the same—lessons with various scholars, brief appearances in court, and endless reminders that he was not simply Malleus, but Prince Draconia, heir to a nation that had learned to move on without him.

He saw Lilia often, though rarely alone. The old fae carried himself with the same playful grace, but now there was distance in it, as though something invisible lingered between them. Whenever Malleus tried to bring up their old travels or the lullabies he half-remembered, Lilia would smile, fond and faintly sad, hurt, and redirect the conversation.

Silver greeted him warmly. His tone was gentle, respectful, the same kind that one would use with nobility—never a friend. They sparred once in the training fields, but Silver’s movements were slow, hesitant, careful not to touch. Malleus was too powerful to even spar with them, he too was gentle. It felt like walking on eggshells.

Sebek was worse. His loyalty burned as fiercely as ever, but it was directed toward the idea of Malleus—the noble, untouchable prince of the legends. The living one standing before him seemed to confuse him. Every time Malleus spoke to him, the young guard straightened his spine too much, and bowed too low.

Sometimes, when he was occupied, he could see them laugh together from the castle's windows. They would share quiet glances, tell stories and reminisce about things that didn't include him. Malleus realized how much time he had truly lost. The bond between them had grown without him, and though it had once included him, it no longer needed to.

And so, he stayed quiet and watched.

It was not their fault, he knew they were trying their best to indulge him, to spend time with the dragon and include him when Malleus had free time. But, still, it was all so… stiff.

If only he could come back in time.

In his perfect life, he would have spent his childhood with Lilia, Silver and Sebek at his sides. He would have met Thanatos somehow, and convinced him to leave the island— Thanatos would live with them in the palace, he would even create a special laboratory for him and his technology. He would reestablish a relationship with his grandmother. In his dream life, he would actually belong.

The air around him shifted. His magic, restless for days, stirred in answer to his grief. Outside, the roses in the garden trembled, their petals curling into themselves, hiding from the light. A faint crack ran through the marble beneath his feet.

Why couldn’t he go back? Why couldn’t he remake the world as it should have been? A world where they were all happy, in where Lilia didn't have to look at him with sorrow in his eyes, where Silver could actually move carelessly around him, where Sebek could see him in the eyes. A world in which Thanatos stayed at his side.

A world where he didn’t have to worry about the cruel passage of time, where death did not exist. Where he could protect them all.

Where no one left him behind.

He could feel it—the same ache that came before lightning, before storms. The same pull that had nearly consumed him once, when he first lost everything at the sea's mercy. Malleus lifted his head. The sky above Briar Valley was murky, thunder rolled in his ears.

Something warm slid down his temple, burning against his skin. He raised his hand to wipe it away—

It was ink.

The clock was ticking.

Idia sat down at the storage room, waiting in silence as the minutes passed. His hands were sweaty, he didn't know for how long he'd been there, staring at a fixed point on the laptop he brought.

Malleus was about to arrive any second now.

The screen flickered. Just a blink, barely just a second— but his tech never blinked. Something was off.

Or maybe—yeah, maybe he was just being paranoid. (Totally normal when you’re hiding from a two meters tall demigod dragon prince with emotional issues, right?)

"Ortho?" he whispered, fingers freezing above the keyboard.

No answer.

He opened up the security system, switched from one camera to another. One by one, they went out.

Somewhere deep in the corridors of the lab, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed— heels against steel, slow and deliberate, shifting the place with each step.

Idia got up, left the laptop on a table, and as silent as he could, moved backwards. The steps were getting closer and closer, now going up the stairs, until they stopped right in front of the door.

"It's me," He knocked twice. "Open, I know you are in there."

Idia froze. His brain crashed. Then rebooted. "Who's—uh—‘me’?" he stammered, hammering the button for the secret passage like crazy "Ha… hahaha! You gotta be more specific, dude!"

Please open. Please open. Please open.

"…Malleus Draconia," the dragon said, even in his voice the irritation was tangible.

[Quest: 'The Reunion' unlocked! ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊]

Oh? Really? He wouldn't have guessed! "EEK! I-I know you're mad b-but—"

The wall was almost open—almost.

And then Malleus quite literally destroyed the lab door.

Idia froze. Oh, he was dead. He was so dead.

Malleus stood framed by the sparks and smoke, glowing faintly green, black scales tracing from his forehead to his hairline. His horns curved high and regal; his cloak shimmered like stars up in the black night. The man looked like he stepped out from a fairytale. It was a critical hit to Idia’s heart— +999 to charm, -5000 to sanity. If he didn’t die by dragon hands, it’d be from cardiac arrest, because there was no way someone looked like that in real life.

"Thanatos, I'm not mad," he took a step forward, smiling gently. "I know you are afraid— but don't be, I just wish to make you happy."

Yeah, right.

Malleus' dragon tail swung behind him. And there, he saw it. His eyes went wide, his blood ran cold. Trapped in the curve of that tail, limp and very much not okay, was someone’s body.

Oh my god, he's got Azul.

The dragon followed his gaze and grimaced. Then, as if remembering who was with him, he chuckled lightly and set Azul down on the floor— gently. "Oh, this? Don’t worry. He’s just sleeping—rather happily, if I must say. His mind was kind enough to tell me where you were."

“A-ah. I see…” Idia squeaked, nodding way too fast. "Casual psychic kidnapping. Love that for us."

Then he bolted.

He turned around and rushed to the passageway, ripping the shroud off just in time to feel the mechanism trigger behind him.

He heard the steps behind him and turned his head slightly, his heart was in his throat, his hair lighting the corridor as he fled deeper and deeper into the dark.

Malleus tried to open up the walls, but they sealed shut on him. Idia kept running forwards, trying to ignore the dragon's cries echoing down the corridor.

He reached the fountain, his lungs burned so much that he had to lean on it. Breathing hard, gripping on the marble, he tilted his head up to the eerie, sealing. The sky-blue rectangle was still painted there— so was the skull-like drawing in the center. His lock-screen.

And, again, the eyes of the skull were shining in emerald green.

"Malleus," he began, "I know a part of you can hear me from here…"

The entire island shuddered in response.

A screeching sound tore through the stone, vibrating through his bones as if the roar came from the earth itself. From outside came the screams of the islanders, panic and confusion creeping through the walls. Smoke poured from the green light above, filling the air until he could no longer see right.

Malleus was no longer human, nor fae. He had become the dragon.

Idia's heart was beating so fast it hurt, but he forced himself to stand. He gathered every scrap of courage left in him, squared his shoulders, and yelled into the storm of magic watching his every move.

“Malleus! If you want me, then you won’t have me without a fight! Meet me at the beach!”

Then he ducked down, reached under the basin, and slammed his palm against the hidden button.

The mechanism came to life—gears grinding, stone trembling. A section of the floor groaned open, splitting to reveal a narrow entrance leading straight down into darkness.

Even though he hadn’t tested the slide, he didn’t think twice. Thinking was for people who weren’t being hunted by a dragon.

"Guess it's final boss speedrun time," he muttered—and jumped right in.

He shot downward, his hair lighting up the tunnel like a streak of blue flame, until—

He landed in a boat. A motorized one.

Idia blinked. “Ha! Just as I thought!” He slapped the console, starting the engine, muttering to himself as it fluttered awake. “Eat your heart out, Malleus, because this nerd just engineered his way out! Fuihihihi~!”

Hearing himself, he grimaced. "Yeah… maybe not. That was cringe."

The small boat moved forward, cutting through the dark water at full speed. The further he went, the wider the cavern grew—until the ceiling opened up into a vast underground lake, so still and black it looked like a mirror to another world.

The air smelled of iron and ozone—proof of the countless tests he’d run down here, the hours of tinkering that had turned this cave into both a sanctuary and a graveyard of half-finished prototypes.

And right in the middle of it all, his masterpiece slept.

A twenty-meter colossus lay half-submerged by the far shore, the glow of the lake outlining its angular frame. The metal was painted pitch black, the only exception was the neon blue vein-like tubes were magic circulated.

Idia grinned, excited. "Oh yeah! My magnum opus, baby!"

The ground trembled again, some rocks fell to the lake. Idia Yelped. "Hades, I forgot about that…"

[Big Bro... You are going to die here if you don't move...(ᵕ —ᴗ—)]

"Right! That— gotta go fast, or whatever!" He ran to the head, going up the ladder as fast as he could, and opened the gate. Turned on the switch, reached to his seat and took the controllers. The inside was cramped but immaculate: rows of monitors, tangled wires, and a pilot’s seat custom-fitted to his posture (because, of course, he’d 3D-modeled it himself).

The robot straightened slowly, towering to its full twenty meters, its shadow stretching across the lake. Idia gripped the controls, eyes darting across the screens. "Heh. First test flight—no biggie." His laughter cracked mid-sentence. "Oh, Hades, I’m so dead."

He flipped the next switch, a massive gate hidden in the rocks split open, like a gaping wound. Daylight pierced through, cutting across the dark lake, dust and mist swirled in the air as the gate opened wider, revealing the sea beyond.

The machine stepped forward, each movement deliberate and heavy, then leapt through the open gate and into the open sky.

If you thought that he, Idia Shroud, would fight a dragon with anything other than a mecha, you were gravely mistaken.

Idia gritted his teeth as the mecha hit the sand, its feet sinking halfway into the shore before stabilizing. Wind howled through the coast behind him, carrying the scent of salt. Graphics lighted up across his console, informing him about the pressure, heat, and magical interference. All things that he had expected.

A dark figure tore through the clouds above, wings stretched wide. Black scales gleamed with green light, his horns, larger, curved like a crown, and his eyes glowed bright emerald.

The dragon descended right in front of him, his sharp claws almost scratching the metal as he reached for the ground. He stared directly at Idia, his eyes meeting his through the blue-tainted glass of the robot's head.

[+20 Heartbreak points! Warning: If it goes higher, quest 'Give Malleus a Happy Ending' will be failed!]

DID YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THIS NOW? RIGHT NOW?

[Sorry, Big Bro! Σ(°ロ°)]

Even if Malleus didn't have the right muscles in this form, the expression in his eyes looked devastated. With or without the points, Idia didn't want to hurt him— his plan has been the same from the start, to tire him enough so that they could talk, so that Malleus would have mercy on him and he could apologize— so that Idia could work on giving him the happiness he deserved.

He just had to power through.

The dragon was the first to move. Green fire hit the beach, vaporizing the sand around him. Idia yanked the controls hard, the mecha jumping back, its metal legs sinking slightly when he landed.

Malleus didn't waste a second and rushed in. The robot spun, blocking the hit with its arm shield. Fiery sparks rained down.

The dragon's response was a deafening roar, and another strike. Idia raised the metallic arm and took the hit, skidding backward across the sand. Alarms and warning signs popping up in protest.

Idia bit his lips. He sent the mecha sliding forward in a burst of blue flames. Its giant hands grabbed at Malleus' tail, trying to throw him off balance. The creature flew upwards, dragging the robot with him. Then, he counterattacked, twisting midair and slamming into the machine’s torso.

"Stop wrecking my build, you beautiful, emotionally unstable giant lizard!" Idia cried, slamming another button. The mecha's boosters fired, launching them both into the cliff.

The glass that was protecting him from the outside broke from the impact. Through the cracked glass, Malleus' glowing eyes met his again— Idia's throat tightened. He whispered, dead tired and still dizzy, "I’m not your enemy, Mal… I’m just trying to save you."

The dragon let out another roar, shaking even the calm waters of the sea.

Idia’s reply was a trembling laugh, hands steady on the controls now. What an idiot he was, bracing for another round knowing that he'd rather break his machine to pieces than lay a single real hit on Malleus.

A fierce storm gathered outside, the sun could no longer be seen and the wind blew so strong that he had to activate the safe locks to stabilize. The mecha's arms raised defensively and pushed with all its force.

Them both fell straight into the ground.

The dragon got up rather quickly, Idia reached for the control sticks just as Malleus lunged. The dragon's claws collided with the mech's shield, the sound mixing with thunder. The ground cracked beneath them.

He could see the tired, confused expression in the dragon's eyes. Just a bit more, Idia thought, only a bit more.

The robot blocked another blow, sending the dragon flying towards the sea. Malleus recovered mid air and flew up to the sky, showing his claws menacingly, ready to strike like a bird of prey.

For a heartbeat, everything went still, the dragon hesitated.

Then, every ounce of doubt left. Baring his teeth, Malleus launched at him. Idia got ready to shield the strike.

When obsidian claws touched metal, the world stopped. No thunder, no sea and no sound. Only black—thick and endless.

Idia stayed sill, letting the soft waves of water swing him from side to side slightly.

Someone was at his side. He didn't know who, he didn't care either. All that mattered was the ode sense of calmness that filled his body. He sighed, then finally opened his eyes. Above him, a starry sky expanded, shining brightly but cold.

As his vision focused, he noticed it: across the stars, words spill out. Lines of text. Dialogue. Code. All of it, his own writing.

"Wait—no, that’s—" Idia choked, realizing what he was seeing. "That’s my code… the entire world's code!"

Malleus, human form Malleus, was the person floating by his side. He turned his head slightly, nodding— this version of him looked wiser, as if he had already seen this before, then his gaze went back to the sky.

"I don't get it… this world, it bends to my will," he closed his eyes, tired. "Yet, each time I try to reach you, it resets. And I forget, until I'm here again."

Idia stared at him, stunned into silence. He's been reloading the same safe-file this whole time?

"This time, though…" The dragon tried to reach him, his fingers brushing against his, but he drew back. "It's the first time you're here with me."

The stars above flickered—once, twice—then glitched. The constellations of scipt turned words to static, static to shapes, and shapes to broken fragments of light.

“Malleus…” Idia whispered, the air suddenly too thin to breathe. “What are you—”

“If the world resets when I reach for you… then this time, I’ll stop the world before it can," The dragon smiled faintly, the kind of smile that made the universe feel small. "We will all live in the same never-changing state of eternity, wouldn't it be wonderful, Idia Shroud?”

Chapter Text

Idia blinked at him, twice. It was the first time Malleus called him by his name— the first time someone in this whole world called him by his actual name. Not guardian, not Thanatos, just Idia.

So, he did what any stable, reasonable, rational person would do: he launched himself at the dragon.

Which, in hindsight, was insane. He was built like a stick-man held together by anxiety, and his idle state was gamer posture. He had no business attempting physical combat, much less in the middle of a glitching, half-liquid cybernetic river.

But logic had left the chat.

He jumped over Malleus' face, grabbing onto his horns as he shook him with the force of a panicked chihuahua trying to fight God, water splashing everywhere. The dragon froze, stunned by the sheer audacity.

Then, very slowly, he tried to pry the human off — hands on his hips like he was removing a particularly determined cat.

Idia did not let go.

"Idia?" Malleus asked, baffled.

"Yes! Yes! That's my name!" He screamed, now trying to hit him with his weak legs. "Now stop touching the world's source code as if it WERE YOUR PLAYTHING!"

The dragon was now pushing harder, he could manhandle him with such ease that Idia had to hug his horns with full arms so he didn't fall.

It backfired, and they both plunged into the water.

Malleus was the one who got them to the surface, finally managing to get him off of his head, keeping him in place by his wrists.

"Stop it, let go."

"No??" He kicked the water, trying to free himself. "You are literally trying to DELETE THE WORLD?!"

A few stars flickered, dying out like light bulbs. The dragon's expression twisted, first his brows raised in confusion, mouth slightly parted as he observed Idia's face. Water ran down his cheeks, hair dripping, heavy and wet.

Idia must look a mess, with his flaming hair turning charcoal black, flushed face out of exhaustion and clothes soaked, sticking to his body.

Suddenly, irritation appeared all over Malleus' face. Well— not really, he wasn't that expressive, but the human could tell. Then, irritation shifted to hurt. Idia froze, but not from fear, but because the dragon reached the wrong conclusion.

"Why," the dragon said, voice cracking just slightly, "must you always run from me?"

"Malleus—" he tried, out of breath, hands still trapped in his, "I’m not running from you. I-I’m trying to stop you from accidentally nuking reality."

Malleus' fingers tightened at his wrists.

"And before?" He asked, softly. "Were you trying to stop me those days on the beach?"

» "In every timeline, you knew who I was. You knew what would happen. Yet you pushed me into it. You left me alone inside the underworld. Without telling me anything," His eyes lowered. "I would have jumped into the underworld myself if you told me to, If only you were sincere."

The dragon's expression twisted, and he made a small pause, hiding away from Idia's gaze.

"Was that not running?"

"Every Malleus Draconia has to fall into the underworld." He repeated the phrase he hated so much. "I just— I thought that…"

"You always knew the fate of this world, your own destiny— so why?"

"Why what?" his voice trembled, fearing he'd have to reveal everything now.

"In every timeline, you die by my hands," He whispered, his grip loosing "This is the first time you ended up with me. Is my company so terrible that you would rather die than explain? Again and again?"

His breath caught. "What— no! Malleus, that's not—" Idia tried to talk, to tell the truth right there, but the current beneath them lurched violently, the river buckling as if the world itself protested. Water surged around them, pulling them forward with force.

Idia grabbed onto Malleus' arms, fingers digging in hard. The dragon reacted instantly, instinctively, wrapping himself around Idia, shielding him with his body even though it would make no difference.

A couple meters ahead of them was a great waterfall, there was no time to run. No way to swim back. No magic strong enough to stop it. They only had each other.

"Malleus—!" Idia gasped, panic ripping his voice apart as they were dragged closer to the edge.

He had never feared death, but he was terrified of this. Of losing the chance to tell the truth, to stop being a coward, to finally choose differently.

He feared making the same mistakes again. The same mistakes he made when Ortho was still alive.

"I’m so sorry!" Idia choked out, clinging so tightly his knuckles turned white. "For everything! I should have told you— I should have given you a better destiny— I— I’m sorry!"

Malleus held him tighter, arms locked around him, "Idia—" his voice was raw, desperate, and before he could say anything else, they fell.

Sunlight was hitting his face.

He flinched at it, instinctively lifting an arm to shield his eyes. The surface he laid on him was solid like stone, not soil. It was too hard, too cold. His head pounded as if he had fallen through every layer of reality (which, technically, he had).

Something brushed his forehead.

Idia sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly, forcing his eyes to focus.

Malleus was crouched beside him, his expression unreadable.

Idia pushed himself upright too fast, dizziness lancing behind his eyes. He grabbed his temples and tried to breathe through it. Malleus immediately stepped back to give him space.

Silence spread between them, uncomfortable.

"I don't know where we are." Malleus said at last. His voice was quiet, controlled.

Idia followed his gaze. They stood in the middle of a vast agora, above them, a glass dome protected the city, holding back a whole ocean. Buildings stretched around them in clean white and gold, all inspired by Ancient Greece's architecture. But, details were missing: no people, no texture, no life. It was an unfinished map, a mere WIP.

The first version of the Island of Woe. The place the story was born.

Idia felt his heartbeat kick irregularly. He wrapped his arms around himself without meaning to. He tried to look anywhere but at Malleus— but the silence pulled him back, tightening around his ribs, pushing against his throat.

He swallowed.

"I," he said at last, voice unsteady. "I know where we are."

Malleus didn’t move. He didn’t question, just listened. Idia's hands trembled. He forced the words out before he could lose the nerve.

"I— I made it." A ragged breath. "I created this world. All of it."

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.

"This place," Idia continued, voice cracking, "was the original Island of Woe. It never even made it to the Beta. It wasn’t meant to be… inhabited. It wasn’t good enough for you."

His gaze dropped to the unfinished marble beneath them.

"You were my favorite," he whispered. "The protagonist. The one I… admired. I built this world to escape my own. Your story was my comfort. Your life—your hope—kept me going."

His voice turned small. Brittle. "But when it came to the ending…" He laughed, soft and broken. "I didn’t think I deserved to give you a happy one, I'm not worth that."

He couldn’t look at Malleus. He couldn’t even breathe in his direction.

"So I ruined you," he said. "Because I was petty. Because I gave you every chance I never had, every kindness I never received—just to prove that even with all of that, the world still ends in suffering."

Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, refusing to fall. "You deserved better. So much better." His voice shook harder. "Everyone loved you— your family, your people, Yuu— even the players loved you. You were meant to have peace, joy, everything I couldn’t imagine for myself."

His breath hitched.

"But when I got here—inside my own story—everything spiraled. I lost control of the narrative, and couldn't do anything to rewrite it. And you—you—were the one doomed by my failure."

"And I'm so sorry, so very sorry," He lifted his arms, as if presenting himself, vulnerable. "You fell for the character who was supposed to be the worst part of me. The one meant to die by your hands. The monster. The mistake." His voice broke completely. "You fell for me."

He lowered his arms. No defenses left.

"And that isn’t fair to you."

Malleus did not move for a long moment.

Inside, something old and aching stirred — the memory of centuries spent waiting, watching, loving things that time always took from him. A fate that never asked what he wanted.

And Idia was now telling him that pain was written into him from the start. As if tragedy itself had been his purpose.

But more than that—Idia was saying that he believed he was the villain in this story.

That Malleus loving him, choosing him over and over, had been a mistake.

His hands curled at his sides — not to fight, but to keep them from shaking. His gaze dropped to Idia's raised arms, to the gesture of surrender, of offering himself up as if he did something shameful — and something in the dragon's expression broke. Malleus had never been this angry.

"Is that," Malleus began, voice low and strong, "what you believe I am?"

Idia flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for punishment.

"A story," Malleus continued, eyes darkening like the stormy sky. "Built only to suffer. A creature doomed by design. A fate written without mercy or meaning, a human machine of suffering, not an individual with will."

the human's breath caught. Malleus took a slow step forward, light glinting against the glass dome above them.

"My immortality is not just a story," he continued. "It is not just a thing you wrote. It is not a tragedy for the sake of a plot." His voice softened, though nothing about it felt gentle. "It is pain. Real pain, lived and felt."

He stopped in front of Idia, took his hand, and guided it to his beating heart.

"S-sorry, I—" Idia mumbled, pushing into Malleus' chest slightly to feel the blood pumping "I know you are a person, you have free will— I no longer have control over you, a-and, I understand, I deserve every punishment you desire to give me."

"Stop it. That is what wounds me more," The dragon tightened his grip. "The fact that you believe loving you is a curse."

The human's fingers trembled, Malleus lowered his gaze. "You were the first person I ever chose for myself," he confessed.

Idia's breath faltered. His fingers twitched under Malleus’ hand, like he didn’t know whether to hold on or run. The human took a step backwards, hesitating.

"I don't know how to be chosen." He blurted.

The dragon's gaze softened, but he didn't say anything, just waited to see what he had to say.

"You still have a chance," he continued, whispering. "With your family. Your kingdom. Your people. You can still fix things. You can still go back— I can't."

His eyes glistened, but he forced himself to keep looking at Malleus now.

"My brother is gone, it was an accident," he took a breath before continuing, "It was my fault. And now I can’t say sorry, I can’t take anything back."

Idia played with his hands nervously, looking for the words in his head.

"I'm sorry about your pain but, when I look at you all I can think is— you still have time. You still have everything I already lost."

Malleus exhaled — a long, quiet breath. He shook his head, closing his eyes. He reached out and placed one hand over Idia's. "I'm not a stranger to grief." he made a long pause, "Idia, I saw you die more than once."

"That's not— You forgot, you came back."

"I know it's not the same," The dragon's voice was steady, strong despite the sorrow. "We both have ghosts. But yours are not a sentence, and mine are not destiny."

The human looked away, blinking fast so tears wouldn't run down.

"Yes, you cannot return to your family," Malleus continued, voice warm and aching, "but you are not forbidden from being loved again."

The dragon cupped his cheek and leaned just close enough for their foreheads to touch. Idia's breath shuddered, uneven. He didn’t hide it this time. His fingers curled in Malleus' clothes, and the dragon didn't try to move them. He simply stood there, steady, grounding.

After a while, the fae gained the courage to get closer, and embraced the human in his arms. He tensed up at first, but reciprocated right after.

"Share your pain with me, and I will share mine with you." Malleus’ hand slid up, slow and unhurried, until his palm cradled the back of Idia's neck — warm and steady. His thumb brushed once, gently, through the hairs at his nape. "Choose me too, this time."

Malleus' embrace was steady—too steady. Idia could feel his own heartbeat against his chest, frantic and uneven. He loosened his grip first, pulling back just far enough to see the dragon's face. Grave mistake.

Aphrodite help me, he thought as he was coming back to his senses, he still has his hand on my neck.

The tips of Idia's hair turned pink, sparks flicking in embarrassment. He let out a nervous laugh and—very carefully—lifted the dragon’s hand from his skin. Malleus sulked, just a bit, not like it was noticeable.

"O-Okay," the human broke the silence, "I'm not going anywhere this time."

"You won't fear me anymore?"

Idia blinked—once, twice—then immediately looked away. The dragon was staring at him so intently, those emerald, slit-pupiled eyes searching through him like he was something precious. Oh he was scared, alright? Just didn't fear for his life anymore. "I- I mean…"

Malleus made a face, pressing his lips. He watched him more expressions today than is his whole life, and he designed the sprites. "D-don't look at me like that!" he stuttered. "I don’t—fear you like that. But you still—uh—you make me feel… a lot, so…"

The dragon stared, watching as the blue fire slowly turned into a pink shade. He smiled, faintly, cheeks rosy. "I see," he nodded. "We'll take it slow then."

"Y-yeah…" Wait a minute, take what now?

Malleus' smile went wider, showing off his fangs. "I'm glad," his eyes roamed through Idia's face. "… I like looking at you like this, without the veil."

The human froze. What was this—some hidden event? Some secret romance CG unlocked by emotional honesty?! …He had accidentally D*sney Princessed himself.

"Oh," he said, you know, like an idiot. Then again: "Oh."
And finally, defeated: "Uh. Th-thanks. I, um… like looking at you too."

This time, Malleus covered his grin with one hand, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. It was unfair. Actually illegal. Someone should nerf him.

"Come," the dragon said at last, offering a hand. "There must be a way to return home"

Idia took it without hesitation this time. They still had a lot to talk about, things that went unsaid. But now they were exhausted, it was not the time.

They moved through the empty streets.

The air didn’t move right. It behaved in loops, repeating wind patterns like an idle background animation. The artificial clouds slid across the sky but never shifted shape. Every few seconds, faint footsteps echoed, the steps of villagers who didn't exist, sound assets Idia had recorded once, then forgot to remove.

For one frame, the houses around them flattened into wireframe grids—neon green lines on black. Then reality snapped back in.

Malleus' hand tightened on his. He turned to look at the human with wide eyes, waiting for the confirmation that what he saw was true. Idia nodded, then tugged on their hold for them to continue. He didn’t comment on it. If he acknowledged it out loud, he might scream.

They got out of the city. In the distance, they could see the hill where the lab used to be, only that now, a Greek temple rose.

Idia stared. "I did not model that."

Malleus hummed, thoughtful. "Then, is it something added later? Something this place generated?"

The human flinched. "Or someone else's edit."

A chunk of the ground ahead of them glitched, grass texture turned into a dark green cube before tearing open into a pixelated hole. Idia gasped, Malleus tugged him back just in time.

"Careful, dear," the dragon murmured, far too calm for someone navigating a metaphysical software collapse.

They kept walking, cautiously.

The trees around them began to lose their detail first, the leaves flattened into polygons, branches repeated in mirrored loops.

Then, a bird call sounded above them, bright and crisp. Exactly twenty seconds later, the same sound again, and again. A lone wolf howl followed every two minutes like clockwork, looping with no variation.

This wasn’t a place meant to be lived in. It was a zone the player, Yuu, was never supposed to linger in.

Malleus noticed.

From the outside, he looked as composed as ever—shoulders relaxed, steps steady—but Idia saw the concern in his eyes. The faint furrow of his brow as he watched a tree flicker and revert to its low-resolution model.

A piece of ground collapsed into a flat, neon green square, losing its texture. It didn’t vanish this time; it just sat there, refusing to be anything else.

They both stepped around it.

"Is this…" Malleus began, voice quiet but heavy, "how the world once appeared to you?"

Idia opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He swallowed, fingers tightening around Malleus' hand.

He didn’t know how to explain it—the way life loses shape when the reason to look closely disappears. How everything starts to feel like a screenplay, something happening without you.

"Yeah," Idia murmured at last, voice small. "Something like that."

The real world had always been dull after Ortho was gone.

The path narrowed, not because it was meant to, but because half of it never loaded. The grass underneath their feet flattened completely, the sky glitched: it went through sunset, noon and midnight before stabilizing into something that looked like late afternoon. But it felt wrong, way too symmetrical.

They reached the top.

The temple rose in front of them—white marble, columns perfect and straight. It was a temple of ionic order, its frieze telling an unfinished story— the figures carved on the marble looked suspiciously like them. Idia hadn’t modeled any of this. He hadn’t even sketched it. And yet, it looked like it had always been here.

They stared at each other.

"I-I think we have to go in…" Idia mumbled.

Malleus nodded, then turned his gaze towards the structure, reading the images on the frieze. "Yes but— Idia, dear, I would like to study the images first," he took a breath, analyzing what was before him, "it could give us clues on how to get out…"

His name on Malleus' tongue felt foreign, but welcomed. It made him happy, like in the times he put his own name as the player's to test the game, pretending it was actually his reality.

He guessed his wish came true, only that things were complicated by being the villain. By being himself.

They went around the temple, reading in silence the story they knew all too well: Malleus in his dragon form wasting away in a lonesome mountain. Then Idia, accidently stepping into this world, waking as the villain. Their first encounter, the stroll around the market, the day at the beach, and the other times where they crossed paths. At last, the fall into the underworld.

On the other side of the building, the story continued. The carvings showed Malleus completing his tasks, meeting Hades, meeting Hypnos. A little flame accompanied him, Idia didn't know what that meant.

It also told of his comeback to earth, of Scalding Sands and the Queendom, up until the mecha fight. The human covered his face, embarrassed— that looked so weird on the temple.

As they were finishing walking around the structure, the story was coming to an end. The marble told of their way here, of the stars of code and the waterfall, of the empty streets and the temple.

But the story didn’t stop there, it continued.

The figures thinned, cracked—and then the frieze glitched, the carvings scraping into jagged scratches.

This was the present.

The moment where the story broke, and beyond the glitch— the stone changed.

The lines grew simpler, softer. More rounded.

Childlike.

Drawn in the naive confidence of a kid who believed endings could always be fixed.

A person with horns, throwing an apple at a person with messy flame hair. In the middle of a plaza, in front of a fountain.

Idia's hair turned pink.

That scene was something out of his childhood. Once, vacationing in Greece, his brother and him saw a rather funny proposal. A pair of tourists, a couple, were taking pictures in front of the fountain— suddenly, when the woman wasn't watching, the man took an apple out of his pocket and threw it at her.

She turned around, looking mad, but her expression softened when he saw that his partner was on his knees. 'In Ancient Greece, people used to propose throwing apples at each other," the man said.

He was wrong, of course— it was more of a 'I shall throw an enchanted apple at you so you fall madly in love with me' sort of thing, but they looked happy anyways.

To the little version of him and his little brother, the scene was disgusting. That's what little kids tend to think about romance after all. So when kid Idia expressed his dislike towards romance, little Ortho said that 'he was just jealous because princess charming didn't come throwing apples at him yet'.

And the joke stayed, each time their parents were watching a romance movie, or anything slightly romantic happened, after Idia expressed his disgust, Ortho always chimed in saying he was just jealous no one had thrown an apple at him.

Which could only mean one thing. His little brother was involved in this, somehow.

He let go of Malleus' hand and ran towards the temple without second guessing.

"Idia—!" Malleus called after him, startled, but the human didn't stop. His footsteps echoed up the marble steps, breath rough and uneven, hands trembling as he walked into the naos.

Idia's heart stopped.

At the center of the temple, instead of the statue of a god, was a pool of glowing water— stars shining in its surface, making constellations. And sitting at the edge of it, swinging his feet lightly, was—

"Ortho," The name came out broken.

The small boy lifted his head.

It was not a hologram, but his little brother just as he remembered— soft features, warm skin, big blue starry eyes and curly dark hair. The tips of his hair was now on fire, just as his, but tamer. He was wearing a peplos too, like the ones he has been wearing since he entered this world.

"Big Bro," Ortho said, smiling like no time had passed at all. "You came."

The human stumbled forward, then stopped. His whole body shook.

"But— you are…"

"Dead?" Ortho finished gently, He smiled, soft and bright, in the way only a child who loved without conditions could. "I know. But I’ve been with you the whole time. So you didn’t have to be alone"

Idia's throat tightened. The world blurred. His knees gave out and he dropped in front of his brother, hands shaking so badly they could hardly move. He pulled Ortho in and held him close, spouting nonsense.

Ortho hugged back without hesitation, small arms around his neck, warm as sunlight.

"I missed you," Idia choked out, voice destroyed, cracked open. "I missed you so much. I’m sorry, I’m so— I should’ve—"

"No," Ortho leaned back just enough to place both hands on Idia’s cheeks. His thumbs wiped tears before they could fall. "Big Bro," he said, gentle but firm, "you don’t have to apologize to me anymore."

Idia bit his lip and closed his eyes. He always would be sorry, he didn’t know how to stop. But he couldn't say that out loud, Ortho would be mad at him if he confessed that.

Malleus waited outside in silence, watching the scene unfold before him. When Idia finally leaned forward again—forehead pressed to Ortho’s shoulder, shoulders shaking— he lowered his head to give them privacy.

This, he understood. He knew this ache, the loss always present in every waking moment, the love that lingered past one's lifespan.

For the first time since this story began, the pain in his heart soothed.

After Idia had calmed down, Malleus approached them, slowly, and knelt beside them, lowering himself to their level rather than towering above.

Ortho looked at the dragon and smiled, eyes lighting up. "Long time no see, Malleus Draconia."

He smiled back, politely and grateful. "It's been a while, little Shroud."

Idia blinked, swiping the last of the tears from his cheeks with his sleeve. "…You know my brother?"

Malleus hesitated. A rare, almost awkward expression crossed his face.

"Ah, yes. We met shortly… on multiple occasions." He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand — uncertain, sheepish in a way Idia would’ve sworn was impossible. "I just didn't know he was your brother… or that I had met him before."

Ortho laughed at him, shoulders shaking. "I had to stabilize everything multiple times because of you." He shook his head, smiling. "I would have reset everything myself if it weren't for you, though. I want to keep my brother alive and happy."

Malleus grimaced, thinking about all the alternate endings they went through, then nodded. Ortho's gaze softened, something in his eyes told him that this talk wasn't done yet. Which was good, he had a lot of forgiveness to ask for.

And for a moment, the three of them shared the same comfortable silence, then, Ortho stood, small hands smoothing his peplos like he was preparing for something important.

"Now, is it time for you two to go home, and finish this story. The world is unstable, it has been reset way too many times— and now that I have interfered, its worse." he sighted, looking at his big brother one last time. "The world you've built is as real as any other, it has ties to the underworld now."

He looked at them — really looked at them. "And because of that… you can’t stay.

Idia swallowed hard, throat tight again — but this time, not with panic. With understanding. This was goodbye.

Ortho stepped closer, hands reaching for Idia's again — small fingers warm and steady. "You won't lose me again, a part of me is in the system," he smiled, bright. "You will see me again, I promise."

The boy reached forward and wrapped his arms around his brother, "Goodbye," he whispered. Then pressed a kiss on Idia's forehead.

With a care that could only belong to a brother, Ortho gathered him in both arms. He stepped toward the pool of stars and lowered him slowly, gently, into the shimmering light. The water accepted him without splash, without ripple, as if it had been waiting.

"He's home now." He said, softly.

Malleus lowered his head, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad at you," he sighed, "My brother literally wrote you killing him into the story." He gave a breath of laughter. "And you kept trying anyway. Even after dying. Even after forgetting. So I know your feelings are real."

"But still," Malleus murmured, the words cracking, "I regret every time I lost myself. I adore him. I do not know why I—"

"You two," Ortho interrupted gently, "and your catastrophic communication issues." He offered a sad smile. "Just… talk to him this time. Tell him what you went through. Don’t protect him from it. Let him understand you. That will heal more than you think."

"Then, I will." Malleus nodded, determined. Then, the silence stretched. "And…" the dragon hesitated. His hands curled at his sides before he continued. "If he wishes to return to his original world—should I let him go?"

"Mmh?" the kid asked, tilting his head. "He always had the option to do so, he just never asked. I think— he's happier here, under all that nervousness." he chuckled.

The dragon blinked, baffled. Not once has Idia asked to return? Not even in the first timeline? He brought a hand to his face, covering the smile that threatened to appear. "Ortho Shroud," he said quietly, "I intend to ask for your brother’s hand in marriage someday. May I ask for your blessing?"

Ortho looked at him, analyzing his expression, searching for any trace of hesitance. There was none. "Under one condition," he said, commanding.

"Anything."

The kid smiled, "Throw an apple at him when you propose."

Malleus paused. "…I do not understand."

"You don’t have to," Ortho said. "He’ll understand. That’s all that matters."

Malleus' expression softened into a helplessly smitten smile. "Then, I will do so." He bowed his head, deeply. "I swear I will make him happy."

He rose, stepped toward the pool, and turned back one last time.

"Shall I take my leave now, little Shroud?"

Ortho smiled, warm and proud. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Malleus Draconia."

Malleus nodded once.

And with that, the dragon jumped into the pool.

The world dissolved in a soft, white blur. The temple, the columns, Ortho's small warm hands—all of it folded away. And then, impact.

It was like being slammed back into his own body.

Idia jolted upright at the exact moment the mecha's systems crashed. Alerts flared red across the screens, his controls locked, alarms screamed. The machine's knees buckled, he barely had time to brace before the whole robot collapsed, falling sideways into the sand.

Somewhere nearby, something else impact-cracked against stone. Hard.

Malleus hit the ground too— half-human now, half-dragon still, one horn split clean through. The broken piece rolled across the sand. He pushed himself upright, breath ragged.

The broken glass shield of the robot busted open, smoke coming out of it, staining the beach gray. Idia dragged himself halfway out, gasping for clean air. His hands trembled. His lungs burned. Malleus ran up to him, and pulled him out, carefully.

Idia exhaled, long and uneven, leaning on the dragon. "…I didn’t want to fight you."

"I know," Malleus whispered, gathering the human into his arms—one arm under his knees, one supporting his back—and carried him away from the wreckage

Idia swayed — the exhaustion of multiple timelines, a fight, a fall, and a confession finally catching up to him. His vision blurred at the edges. Malleus said something, gently, asking if he was hurt.

"It will be okay," he whispered, softer. "I will be right here."

Idia tried to argue. He failed halfway through the first word. His head dropped forward, forehead pressing against Malleus' chest. His fingers curled into fabric by instinct.

He shifted just enough to support him fully. Then, careful not to shook him much, he ran towards the city. He did not look back at the broken horn. Or the fallen robot.

He only held on.

Idia woke up to the sound of someone breathing beside him.

His eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above him wasn’t the lab. It wasn’t the temple. It wasn’t even the disastrous mess of his mecha. It was smooth stone, painted pale cream. Lantern-light flickered on the walls. He was in the Island's infirmary.

Someone had placed a familiar shroud over his head, the one that let him look out but no one look in. Which felt really weird in hindsight, considering that he almost died just recently. He felt hands on him—gentle hands—checking his pulse, adjusting bandages he didn’t remember getting.

His gaze shifted to the side.

Malleus sat there, in a chair too small for him. With his back straight, arms resting lightly on his knees. His hair was still damp, darker and wavy from seawater. His clothes were torn. One horn broke clean through. One of his horns was broken.

Idia's breath caught. His brain decided to think later and act now. He threw off the blanket with the velocity of a desperate stray cat, tried to sit up too quickly, and instantly blacked out for half a second. Malleus caught him by the shoulders.

"Easy," the dragon murmured, steadying him. "You are still exhausted."

Idia ignored the nurse insisting he lie back down. His eyes stayed locked on the horn. He lifted a hand—hesitant, slow—then brushed his fingers along the fractured curve.

Malleus' breath hitched. His eyes fluttered closed.

"Please," he whispered, trying for composure, "do not concern yourself. You were hurt far worse. It does not hurt me."

Silence stretched between them. The dragon looked at him as if he were precious, some kind of treasure.

And Idia couldn't take it.

His hair flamed pink as he tried to avert his gaze, and, staring at the cream walls, he started giggling out of nervousness. He slapped his hands over his face, even though the shroud was still on. It didn’t feel like enough privacy to survive this level of emotional exposure. He waited until the nurse left the room, then yanked the shroud off.

His hair flashed even pinker.

"I—" he started, then cracked, laughter bubbling up and spilling out. "I’m just—so embarrassed. I can’t believe—"

He doubled over slightly, half-laughing, half-crying.

"I had a boss fight with you," he wheezed. "I literally built a mecha. A mecha. I had my Evangelion moment. I—oh my god—"

The laugh broke, turning wet.

"And I saw Ortho again," he whispered, voice trembling. "I saw him. And now I— I just—"

He couldn’t finish. His voice dissolved somewhere between hysteria and relief and grief and joy tangled so tight they were the same thing. He laughed again—small, cracked, breathless.

Malleus reached out, slowly, giving room to pull away, and placed his hand over Idia's.

Idia wiped his face with the sleeve of his hospital gown, breath uneven but slowly settling. The laughter had faded into small shivers of exhaustion. Malleus didn't let go of his hand.

Idia’s eyes drifted back—unavoidably—to the horn. The break was clean. Sharp.

"…Is that," Idia whispered, voice suddenly thin again, "like—bad?"

Malleus didn’t answer right away. Instead, he touched the broken horn lightly, barely grazing the edge, as one might touch an old scar. His gaze lowered.

"In Briar Valley, these are a sign of power," he said softly. He then made a pause for a few seconds, and shook his head slightly. "I don't know if power is something I ever wanted."

"I'll figure it out, don't worry." He lowered his hand, resting it atop Idia's again. He finally looked up, those green eyes were soft, open, and unbearably earnest. "Having you is more important."

Critical hit! That should not have been legal to say. The emotional damage was beyond repair. Idia's hair flamed into a shade of pink so bright it was practically neon.

He tried to respond, but his throat did the awful tight thing where it was either cry or combust. His mouth opened. Closed. He made a small sound, nonsensical, and pressed his lips together.

Malleus only smiled, full of tenderness. They just sat there for a moment—close enough to feel each other's breathing, holding hands over the clinic's sheets. The world was quiet, safe, and warm.

…Until Idia's eyes widened in horror.

Malleus blinked. "…What is it?"

Idia grabbed both sides of his head, fingers clawing through his hair. "MALLEUS. AZUL."

The dragon froze, frowning. "…Azul? What about him?"

"YES, AZUL!" The human's voice pitched up like a kettle. "He's still in my lab! Unconscious. Alone! In my lab!"

Malleus paused. "…Ah."

Idia was already spiraling, hands flailing. "What if he wakes up?! What if he wanders around?! What if he touches things?! My precious equipment! MY BROWSING HISTORY! MY CHILDREN—"

Malleus blinked. "Your… children?"

"MY TECH, MALLEUS. MY TECH."

The dragon looked like he had just learned his romantic rival was a 3D printer.

"We should go retrieve him," Malleus admitted with the solemn patience of a man reconsidering his life choices.

"Yes!" Idia pointed dramatically at the ceiling, as if summoning a doomed prophecy. "Before the leech twins come to find him!"

"That's…" The dragon winced, "I don't think they're fast enough to do that."

Idia tried to get out of bed, and immediately fell sideways. Malleus caught him— again. "Perhaps," he murmured, lifting him effortlessly, "I should carry you."

"Y-yeah. Running is more of a— later thing… Azul probably hasn’t moved yet. His base stats are, like, trash-tier."

Malleus nodded solemnly, as if this were ancient wisdom.

And so—the mighty dragon prince and one exhausted, emotionally obliterated gamer—set off to retrieve one (1) unconscious frail capitalist octopus, before Floyd Leech decided to shake him like a maraca.

Two days passed.

The storms had cleared and the Island of Woe breathed again. The sea was calm. The sky was blue, devoid of any clouds, and the sun shone brightly.

Malleus stood by the shoreline, cloak brushing the sand. Idia approached slowly, the wind tugging lightly at his flaming hair, soft and steady for once.

They didn’t speak at first, they didn’t need to.

"I must return," Malleus said eventually, voice low. "My family, I left them in the middle of turmoil. And I cannot—" His voice faltered. Just a little. "I cannot lose them again."

The human nodded. "Yeah. I know."

Malleus turned to look at him—really look. His expression was steady, but not guarded. "I want you to come with me," he said. Quiet, pleading.

Idia's breath hitched. His fingers curled at his sides. For a moment, he said nothing—because what do you say to something you've wanted so long you convinced yourself you didn't?

"…I want that too," he admitted. "But I have things to fix first." His gaze dropped to the sand. "The island, the gates. I can’t just leave it like this. And you—"

He looked up again.

"You need to figure things out with your family. Properly this time."

Malleus closed his eyes. The truth stung—but in the way that helped wounds heal. "Yes," he breathed. "You are right."

Idia shifted a bit, then reached into his sleeve, pulling out a small device—reinforced, enchanted, his best tech in use to create something that would last. "This," he said, placing it in Malleus’ hand, "is a phone. But like—my phone. I made it myself. You can’t break this thing even if you go full dragon mode."

Malleus smiled. A small, warm thing. "And this is how we remain in contact?"

"Yeah. Let me teach you how to send an email." He pointed. "And no, you don’t need to speak into it, unless you are on a call."

Idia spent the next hour teaching the dragon how to send a mail, and another half-an-hour going over it again for good measure. Fae and tech didn't like each other much.

The human celebrated with a little, awkward, victory laugh when the dragon managed to send one on his own. Malleus huffed a quiet laugh. Then, softer, he said "I will write to you."

"I’ll respond."

The wind rolled gently between them, Malleus reached out, offering his hand. Idia hesitated only a heartbeat before placing his hand in his.

"I will return," Malleus promised, playing with his companion's slender fingers.

"And I’ll be here," Idia said, and chuckled. "I promise not to attack you with a robot this time."

Silence again, the good kind. The dragon placed a hand in his cheeks, caressing the skin softly, and took a step forward, eyes glancing down to Idia's blue lips.

"We promised to take it slow, but, dear…" he whispered, voice low, "Can I?"

The human's breath caught. He could feel the heat gathering beneath his skin, hair flickering from blue to pink. "…Y-Yeah. You can."

Malleus leaned in slowly, like he was approaching something sacred. His hand stayed warm on Idia's cheek, thumb brushing once, gently, deliberate. There was no rush nor hunger, just care.

Their foreheads touched first. It was a quiet press, grounding.

Malleus' smile softened. Only then did he tilted his head, closing the last bit of distance to kiss him—softly, tenderly.

Idia's fingers curled into the front of the dragon's clothes, holding just a little tighter than necessary. Malleus kissed him once more, then drew back, resting his forehead against his.

The dragon then stepped back, the sea swirling faintly with his magic. His form changed, half-dragon, half-human.

He paused.

"Idia."

The human looked up.

Malleus' voice softened. "Don’t forget to eat."

Idia choked out a laugh. "Don’t forget not to reset the world by accident."

Malleus smiled. And then, he lifted into the sky, wings, dark as night, glimmering underneath the sun's golden light.

Idia watched until he disappeared into the horizon.

[Quest:'Create a Happy Ending for Malleus Draconia' Completed! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!]

Oh, Lady Aphrodite, help him.

Chapter Text

To my dearest, Idia

It has been one year since I returned to Briar Valley.
One year since the sand and tide of that island carried you back to my arms.
I count time differently now.

The castle is quieter than I remember. I think it was always this quiet, but now I notice it. I am still making amends with my family; things are proceeding very well. Now, I spend more time with them, and they speak to me freely.

I feel more at home. The only thing that pains me, is that you are not with me— yet.

Worry not, beloved, I told my family of our promise. They are thrilled to meet you soon.

Sebek still speaks with the volume of a parade, yet even he softens his voice when your name is mentioned. Silver has taken to napping in the gardens; when I asked why, he said he is “keeping a spot warm for our next guest.” Though, I do not think you will take a liking to napping outside, knowing you.

Lilia seems delighted by all of this. I cannot tell if he is genuinely pleased or merely amused by the implications. He has begun calling you “my fourth troublesome child.” You may interpret that as affection. I am certain it is, though in Lilia’s case affection and mischief are siblings sharing the same face.

As for my grandmother, Maleficia, has asked about you.
She does not do so often, but when she does, she chooses her words carefully. I suspect she approves, though in her own way.

Even from here, I have heard of your progress.
The port. The automata. Even the gates of the underworld have settled under your watch. They say the Island now welcomes travelers, though no one who arrives realizes what you have done to keep its foundations steady.

I am proud of you, my love.

I would like to request something, if I may. Come visit soon.

I have prepared a room for you, a place you can turn into your own lab. If you were to come, I would love to help you set it up— and, believe me dear, you can ask for everything. If you want to expand it, or need any kind of supplies, I shall take care of it.

But, I beg of you, come back to me.

The roses have bloomed early this year. The night lilies, too. Sebek insists it is a sign of divine favor. Lilia says it is simply because Silver watered them too often.

Personally, I believe the valley is waiting for you. Just as I am.

If you cannot stay long, then stay only for a night.
And if a night is too much, then only for a moment.
Come stargaze with me again.

I promise the skies here will be gentle to you.

Yours, truly,

Malleus Draconia

Idia almost sent a keyboard smash as a response. It was not fair! The things this man could do to his heart! Critical hit! +99999 affection points!

Malleus had the human choking with just the comma after 'dearest'.

He stared at the email. What was he supposed to do?
Malleus just casually wrote poetry. Casual yearning. Casual 'I am waiting for you,' with zero concern for the emotional stability of the recipient.

The audacity.

Idia dragged both hands down his face.

He almost fucked it up instantly. Almost.

Because the very first thing his fingers typed was:

'YES, WHATEVER YOU DESIRE. JUST TAKE ME. DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH ME. I’M YOURS.'

He stared at it, then screamed into his pillow with the intensity of a dying kettle and backspaced so hard he nearly broke his keyboard.

"No. No. Nononono, NO. We are not sending that. I am a mature adult. I have dignity. I have composure. I—"

Dignity was a lie. Composure was a myth. His hair was flickering pink again.
He was one (1) comma away from proposing marriage.

"Stop gooning, Idia," he muttered into the pillow. "This is the love of your miserable, pathetic gremlin life, pull yourself together."

He tried to write again.

Dear Malleus,
Thank you for your letter. I will visit soon—

He paused, and deleted it. It was too stiff, too formal. Too 'sir I am filing taxes.'

He tried again.

Hey,
Miss you. I’ll come over soon.

No. Too nonchalant.
Too “we hooked up once in college and now we pretend it didn’t mean anything.”

He tried a third time.

Malleus,
I want to see the night lilies too. I have been waiting for the perfect time to tell you, but, I would like to stay there for an undetermined period of time, if you'd still have me.
My heart calls for you, and I wish to take our relationship further.

And then he froze.

Because that one was honest, and sincerity was terrifying.

But he didn’t delete it.

He read it once. And again. His hands shook, and hit send.

He immediately curled into a ball on the floor, next to his bed, and screamed into the void.

“WHYYYYYYY DID I DO THAT I CAN NOT DO THIS I’M GONNA DIE—”

And yet—he didn’t regret it, not even a little.

His hair glowed a very soft pink.

Malleus sat at his desk, the faint glow of evening came through the curtains. Letters were stacked neatly in front of him—reports, petitions, diplomatic drafts—but none of them mattered the moment his phone chimed.

The message opened, he read it once.

Then again.

Then, slowly, carefully—a third time.

His breath left him in a soft, unsteady exhale.

'My heart calls for you.' 'I wish to take our relationship further.'

The dragon closed his eyes.

For a moment, it felt like the world went quiet around him. Like the castle, the Valley, the long halls and windows all fell away. It was just him, and the words Idia had chosen.

He brought a hand to his chest, fingers pressing lightly over his heart.

"…I see," he whispered to no one.

He rose from his seat, and walked to the nearest window.

Looking down at the roses blooming in the garden, Malleus smiled—small and soft.

Then he sat back down, opened a new message, and typed, slowly, with care:

To my beloved Idia Shroud,

Your words reached me.

If your heart calls for me, please know that mine has been yearning for you for far longer.

You will have a home here, should you choose it. At your pace, in your time.

I look forward to your arrival, and to the life we shall build—together.

With all that I am,

Malleus Draconia