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1. The Curse Of Empathy by Mermaidpancakes2

   Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger  

   • Not Rated
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
   • No category
   • Complete Work

   05 Oct 2026

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Graphic Depictions Of Violence
   • Sophie Foster/Keefe Sencen
   • Keefe Sencen & Fitz Vacker
   • Cassius Sencen & Keefe Sencen
   • Ro & Keefe Sencen
   • Keefe Sencen & Alden Vacker
   • Keefe Sencen
   • Sophie Foster (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • Ro (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • Cassius Sencen
   • Fitz Vacker
   • Biana Vacker
   • Alden Vacker
   • Elwin Heslege
   • Mr. Forkle (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • Keefe Sencen Needs a Hug
   • POV Keefe Sencen
   • Keefe Sencen Gets a Hug
   • Keefe Sencen-centric
   • Touch-Starved Keefe Sencen
   • Awesome Elwin Heslege
   • Bad Parent Cassius Sencen
   • Cassius Sencen Being an Asshole
   • Cassius Sencen's A+ Parenting
   • Bad Parent Gisela Sencen
   • The Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • The Black Swan (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • Hurt/Comfort
   • Child Abuse
   • Empathy
   • No beta we die like Keefe's parents love
   • Keefe Sencen Needs Therapy
   • Good Parent Elwin Heslege
   • Ro is the best
   • Panic Attacks
   • Nightmares
   • Snuggling but not weird. He has trauma and is touch starved
   • The Vackers help Keefe
   • Keefe Sencen Has ADHD
   • Foxfire (Keeper of the Lost Cities)
   • Ro and Keefe curse like sailors

   Summary

   When a conversation with Lord Cassius escalates too far, and Keefe starts going into self destruct mode, there's only one person there to help him. Trapped in the massive tower that is Candleshade, his own body guard—who he has been set on hating—realizes what's going on, and reluctantly tries to help.

   It's only when Ro and Keefe finally start to get along that the ogre princess realizes how badly Keefe's father treats him. Can she do something about it? Can Elwin? Can his friends?

   Hopefully. Because otherwise, he's stuck living in agony, feeling his father's horrifying emotions firsthand.

    

   Or... a KOTLC AU taking place sometime after book 4 with my ANGSTY head cannons 😅👍

   ---
   Whumptober 2026 Day 5: Enemy to Caretaker

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   English

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