Chapter Text
A lone, warm light flickers from the corner of a cold and dark room. Beneath the light sits the lone fae, Malleus Draconia. His face is solemn, bothered as a frown tampers with his usual pristine and calm expression. The weather past the window pane reflects his emotion, with dark clouds ever present and low rumbling, like a beast lying in wait before it strikes from the sky into the ground with killer intent. His grip tightens onto the letter, nails threatening to puncture the paper and his very own flesh, knuckles white with frustration. He looks from the letter to the window, expression dark and green eyes illuminating in the dark room
His mind goes over the last portion of the letter, it looping and repeating over and over in his mind,
‘I hate it here Malleus. There was no warmth waiting for me here. I really never truly wanted to go back. I don’t know how much longer I can take it- the loneliness, the misery of being away from those I love. Why won’t you respond to me? You never respond to me’
Oh Dear Child of Man. He knows you don’t truly blame him, that you are simply venting out your frustrations, he knows that you probably aren’t even aware he had received your letters of frustration, of desperate venting and pleading. You didn’t even know that they had crossed the threshold between your two worlds, neither did he.
It had been four months since that day. Since the day he last saw you. You all stood in the Mirror Chamber: You, with Malleus at your side, Ace and Deuce at the other, Grim at your feet, and Crowley- the devil across from you. Oh how that man boasted, about how benevolent he was, about how clever he was. How he, the Wonderful Crowley, was the one to find you a way back home. All you had to do was to step through the mirror behind you. The magical illumination of the mirror casted long silhouettes across the ground.
Malleus watched as you questioned, “How?” and “Why now?”, as Crowley boasted. You had tried to ask, ask about why after months had Crowley just now found you the way back to your homeworld. After months of stress, of overblots, highs and lows with your new friends, after months of building a life in a new world- in a new home. Why only now?
Crowley just laughed you off, spoke over you. The others didn’t like that. Malleus certainly didn’t. He doesn’t know what exactly Ace had retorted, something short and furious towards Crowley, the anger redirected towards you as you tried to talk him down before he got expelled for talking to Crowley in such an extreme manner. Ace snapped at you. Deuce snapped at him. Malleus’s eyes trailed and locked onto the mirror in a cold squint. He should have been paying attention.
It just took a simple push. Crowley laughed as Ace and Deuce bickered, placing a firm hand on your forearm, and pushed you back. Pushed you back into the mirror. It was too quick for reaction or response. Malleus’ eyes widened, a panicked gasp not even having the time to exit his throat as he reached out, pushing towards you with his hand and his magic. Ace and Deuce whipped around. Grim yelped, having been at your feet only moments before. It was too late. You fell back and through the mirror, disappearing from their sights behind the glass.
Malleus reached the mirror first, pushing his hand out. To reach you. To catch you. The palm of his hand smacks against the cool surface of the enchanted mirror rather than through it. He presses against the surface gently, fingers extending across the glass the harder he pushes.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING??” He remembered Ace scolding, taking a hand and punching the glass.
Upon contact a harsh metallic ting sounded. Ace’s eyes widen before his brows knit together. With a dark expression he reaches back, taking his fist and hitting the mirror again. The corner of the mirror that his fist makes contact with shatters upon impact, a spider web-like formation of cracks created as small flakes of glass fall to the floor. He goes to punch again, Deuce catching his wrist and stopping him before he can.
Deuce’s gaze meets Crowley’s, Crowley standing there with a toothy grin. Deuce’s face was dark, “Open the gateway back up.” he says in a cold, calm tone.
“I’m afraid I simply can’t do that Mr. Spade”
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Open it back up!” Deuce shouts, letting go of Ace’s wrist so he can prepare himself properly to hit Crowley, with left hand tightening into a first, the right reaching for his magic pen.
“Oh Mr. Spade, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Violence towards me won't be tolerated.” Crowley’s tone is chilling.
Deuce just spats, “Does it look like I care?! Bring them back this instant!” his voice drips with venom and rage. Malleus' eyes leave the shattered glass of the mirror, quick enough to see Crowley’s expression shift into fake despair as he lets out an elongated sigh.
“It simply doesn’t work like that, I’m afraid. You will come to understand as you continue your education here. Some magic is greater than what we know. What we ourselves can do, Mr. Draconia.” Crowley directs his statement towards the paralyzed housewarden, “There are magics and magical objects that are ancient, that are strong- magic that has been present since any of us were. I used one of these objects and magics to return our dear Prefect of Ramshackle back to the land from which they came. This is a glorious day! This is a happy day to which we should celebrate! Rejoice even! This is all thanks to my doing!” He was right, this was all thanks to him.
Malleus would reward him as such. A clasp of lightning suddenly echoes the hall, Malleus’ hair beginning to lift from his shoulders as his magic peaks to a violent height. Vicious storm clouds emerge and roll in outside, the thunder growing louder and louder, ready to strike and devour whatever Malleus so ever wished. Rejoice. Pray. Crowley was a pathetic man. Malleus turns, teeth sharp and gritted together. The Child of Man once saved him and the other students from his overblot and rage but they would not be here to defend Crowley from his wrath.
Malleus is interrupted from his thoughts- the past- by a knock at the door. He sets down the letter but doesn’t bother to welcome the person in. Silver opens the door, meeting the eyes of an exhausted Malleus. He dips his head in respect, “Dad wanted me to retrieve you. You haven’t come down in quite a while. Have you eaten?” he inquires but receives no response, “Did you receive another letter?” To this Malleus nods silently. Silver is silent for a moment, hands behind his back as he thinks of how to respond next.
“May I see?”
Malleus freezes at this. He looks at the letter, over the crinkled paper and the scribbled out portions and the delicate handwriting. With a shaky hand he retrieves it, holding it out to his adopted brother. Silver’s eyes widen at this, but he doesn’t forgo an extension of Malleus’ trust. He hurries over, taking the letter. His hands tracing the words, even frowning at points. Malleus knows exactly why. The letter clutched in Silver’s hands is one written out of desperation, frustration, and fear. These such elements do not transfer to writing parchment as legible to read but rather as distorted reflections of the soul and the heart’s ailments. Silver hands it back silently
“Have all of their letters been like this?”
Malleus nods.
“How many have you received so far?”
Malleus is quiet for an awkward moment before finally speaking, “They send one every few days, at least once a week. There was a gap of four weeks before this one arrived.” What a horrid time of wondering.
Silver sighs, “How are you even receiving these letters Malleus?” Silver finds a chair, pulling it up to sit by Malleus’ side.
Malleus pushes his hair back. It looks unbrushed and unkept, “I don’t know. No magic I have utilized can detect or tell me why. Lilia offered to take it to another student who could examine it potentially but these words are too delicate. I don’t want to expose the Child of Man at their weakest after all that they have done for me. They have seen me at that low, as have all of you. I know that burden of guilt and embarrassment. You are the first that I have shown this to.” Malleus responds, looking away from SIlver and towards the window.
Silver perks up at this momentarily before settling back down. “Malleus,” he begins quite quickly, “-from the tone of their words, they need serious help. They’re back in their original world.. a place they don’t seem to enjoy. Maybe they didn’t really ever belong there to begin with.. just because you're born to something doesn’t mean it’s your true home and sanctuary. Maybe this could have been their new home. Lilia said that you’ve been randomly receiving these letters in different nooks and crevices of the dorm- what if there was a way we could use the letters as a way to respond back to them? To communicate? Maybe even find a way to connect to their world- There must be a piece we are missing in all of this. Maybe others have received letters too-” This causes Malleus to look back to Silver
“Do you think so?..”
“I won’t mislead you brother, I don’t know. I don’t think any of us could know, not even Lilia. But it’s worth it to try, to talk to others and see.”
It takes him a moment but Malleus’ head eventually nods, finaling Silver’s posed posture, “We shall try, for them- maybe there’s a solution to all of this. Maybe we can bring them back.” The prince affirms outloud, standing quickly. Silver scrambles upwards, standing as well as quick as he can.
“Right- exactly! If they managed to find a way here, and Crowley managed to find them a way back, then I am certain we can find a way to bring them back here once more. Weirder things have happened.” Silver reassures. Weirder things had happened. Malleus could not disagree with this
“Then we shall start in this moment” Malleus voice lets out a soft hum.
“Like this moment- this moment?” SIlver inquires to which his brother nods, “-who are we even asking first Malleus? Dad? Crowley?” Malleus scowls at both of these options. He loves Lilia, but he doesn’t want to share these letters with him, not at this moment. He goes to the corner of his room, retrieving a small green keepsake box with a handpainted gargoyle on its side. He shoves the new letter inside, amongst a stack of others.
“Silver, we shall go pay the Heartslabyul Dorm a visit.”