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cyber-dump-171 · 11 months

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Chapter 16: Get ready

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 15 | Masterlist | Chapter 17 →

WARNING: mentions of psychological and emotional abuse (reader's father)

Note: Hello everyone! I apologize for the late update, but there have been several blackouts due to storms where I live so it was a bit complicated to write the chapter, since I wanted to conserve battery power. But I'm back! So, without further ado, please enjoy this chapter that kicks off the Savanaclaw arc :D

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You lean your head against the ceramic tiles of the shower wall as hot, almost boiling drops of water fall on your back, washing away the sweat that has accumulated on your skin from your sleep and the dirt that has clung to your body. Your eyes stare blankly at your bare feet, countless thoughts swimming in your brain, forming a complex tangle of emotions that gives you a headache.

With a sigh, you tilt your head back so that the water hits your face and blindly reach out for the blue shampoo bottle that sits on a metal rack attached to the wall. Today is the day you can't afford to make any mistakes, not only because of the mission but also because this will be the first time you’ll formally attend a public event of nobility as an adult.

Your first public event as a young adult should’ve been your debut party, an event in which teenagers belonging to noble families are formally introduced to society and essentially their parents declare that they can be invited to other events without the need to bring a chaperone and they can begin receiving marriage proposals. In case the family lacks sufficient funds, are of lower class or multiple children of the same family are of age, they attend a communal debut party held at the royal palace and can even have the possibility to be sponsored by the Empress which opens a huge road of opportunities.

While your three eldest siblings had their debut party as it was organized by your mother and Sigurd got his as he used some of the inheritance money that Aunt Frøydis left for him, you didn't have that opportunity, since your father flatly refused to organize the event, calling it a waste of time, money and food.

No matter how you proposed the event or how important you said this party was, it was always met with a firm "no" accompanied by a mumbled insult or a “get out of my sight”. So after a while you gave up and the opportunity disappeared as you became much more focused on your work in the guild.

The lack of that debut party, your family's isolation after your mother's death, and your father's refusal to accept invitations to parties and events have left you with very little experience interacting at such events and moving within social circles inside the nobility and even in society itself.

Of course, you are not completely ignorant of what goes on there and how to interact with people in general. You have complete etiquette and good manners, and your experiences on missions and in the guild have made you better at interacting with strangers; telling stories around campfires, and dancing in the mess hall with companions and friends after an expedition, has begun to break your shy and quiet demeanor.

However, fear gnaws at your innards, as interacting with the nobility is intimidating. These people have too much time on their hands, so building relationships with other nobles for business and obtaining higher positions through talking is their daily bread and butter. They have a very sneaky way of getting information out of you and manipulating your deepest weaknesses to see what reaction you elicit. A shout, a hesitation, or a half-hearted insult can spread rumors like wildfire and can cost you your connections, your position, and even your business.

Reputation is the most powerful thing in the world since it brings with it money and power. Moreover, it is your reputation that will define how you are remembered in history.

You harshly scrub your legs using a loofah sponge slathered with some lavender-scented soap, hoping that the repeated action of cleaning your body can distract your mind from the stressful situation. But one way or another, your thoughts come back to square one, specifically to your frustration as to how little time you've had to properly prepare.

This could be an unspoken "punishment" that Malleus has imposed on you for mishandling the situation with Riddle and the first Divine Beast. Perhaps it might also be a test, to see how well you can handle information with little time to examine your surroundings while you're under stress, as the only evidence he has of your ability to handle situations properly is word of mouth from comrades close to you. You don't know the Prince, (however, you don’t think he’s cruel) so it remains unknown to you if this new mission was a mismanagement of time and dates, or the option mentioned above.

You can't even think about withdrawing and telling him that you don't want to participate in this mission and the whole project anymore. It's too late, especially after the bizarre actions of Guddommelig Raseri, who merged what was left of his power with your soul. You sigh in frustration at the situation, remembering the macabre smile that adorned the divine beast's lips as the memento began to fade, his bizarre final words still lingering in your mind.

You step out of the shower, wrapping a robe tightly around your body and quickly begin to dry your head, shaking the material vigorously against your hair to remove as much water as possible. Without looking, your hand reaches for the doorknob and quietly turns it, the door opens with a soft creak and you step out of the bathroom, removing the towel from your head as you breathe a sigh of relief, the heat from your body clashing with the cold temperature inside your room making you slightly shiver,

It's time to get ready.

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“Pleasant evening to you, madam or mister. I’m (Y/N) (L/N), the youngest child of Duke Theodore and Duchess Annette (L/N), it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” you whisper your introduction, though the sentence feels more like a command programmed into a computer rather than a natural response to a greeting. The coldness and rigidity of your words might be because you're more focused on covering the prominent bags under your eyes with makeup.

You let out another sigh as you place the concealer on the dresser, it makes a small "thunk" sound as it hits the wooden surface, having lost its balance and now lying on its side. You ignore it as your fingers grasp at the crumpled sheet that has various incoherent words and sentences on it, painting a small part of your personal history that you hope and pray will be enough to keep people off your back and leave you to investigate in peace.

After having persuaded Rook to spend the night, as darkness had fallen and the temperature had dropped to a bitter chill accompanied by strong winds, Epel and you finished packing and the apple boy went to bed early, his eyes filled with sleepy tears and a big yawn as he wished you goodnight and quickly disappeared to his room.

Before your other friend could slip away to sleep, you gently grabbed his wrist and asked Rook for an explanation of what would happen at the tournament and some advice on how to successfully deal with the new, scary situation. After following you to your room and taking a comfortable seat on the edge of your bed, Rook began to recall some important information.

"A week ago, when I attended the last Spelldrive training, I heard that some noblewomen were surprised to see your surname and were eager to meet the youngest child of the (L/N) family," his gaze was distant as he tried to remember everything he had heard. "Tomorrow, when you arrive in Sunset Savanna, there will be an exclusive welcome party for the invited nobles and the players of each team participating in the tournament, so that's where you'll have the most trouble.”

You also fall silent as you begin to think. The "trouble" you're going to have is that you don't have a solid story to tell the people who are going to want to inquire about you and your family's whereabouts. And you will have no one to help you during the party, as Epel will be unable to attend as he is your "butler", and while Rook will be present, he will be chatting with other people.

You need to avoid giving away any details about the mission and any private information about your family, since you’re still facing a delicate situation with your father and the disappearance of Sigurd. Delicate in the sense that although you would like to expose the parasite that is your father to the world, doing so suddenly and with little planning will bring with it a sea of terrible consequences. Not only will you be sinking your father's boat and yours, but you will also inadvertently drag your siblings and innocent third parties who do not deserve to suffer anymore into the depths of this dark sea.

So you must think carefully about what to say and what to keep secret, as such, you suggest that you and Rook write down together a long list of possible questions, with specific answers that you might be asked, and any other details to form a believable story. And you came up with the following:

You, the youngest child of (L/N), have devoted most of your life to researching monsters and plants, and as such, you have been unable to attend many social events. The reason for your family's isolation was that each child takes their work seriously, as each of them, including yourself, faithfully follows the example set by your ancestors and elders, which is to put wisdom and informational services to society first. You also enjoy your work very much.

You were unable to make your debut or assist the communal party as you were away on an expedition to investigate the claims of mysterious healing waters that appeared near the borders of the Coral Sea. Upon your return, you convinced yourself that your time had passed and it was not worth organizing the event.

Finally, as to why you accepted the invitation to the Spelldrive Tournament, you came here to support and cheer on your friend, Rook Hunt, who's participating in the tournament. Regarding Sigurd’s disappearance, you’re still looking for any clues that can point to his current whereabouts.

Simple, clean, uncomplicated, and at no point in your story do you tell lies. You did have an expedition close to where your debut should have been and it had something to do with those mysterious waters, your siblings are dedicated to their work, you love your work and are fascinated by the process of studying and discovering species and how the world works.

All you've done is dance around the full truth, shining the light on the details you want other people to see, obscuring the terrible situation you're going through. You did sprinkle in some more “darker” details in your story to make it believable. It was a piece of advice from Rook, who told you that if you present them with a picturesque and somewhat perfect story, it will raise doubts and they will try to dig deeper into your private life.

You finish covering up the various dark spots and faded scars that adorn parts of your face and neck. "Damn it", you whisper in frustration as when you look at yourself closely in the mirror, you realize that your make-up hasn't blended well and you look like you have paint marks all over your face.

Makeup and skincare have always been topics that have caught your attention, but you are always overwhelmed when your four siblings invade the bathroom and start debating what works best for your skin, what your routine should be, and various other topics that end up confusing your brain. As a result, your knowledge is basic and, due to a lack of practice, you are not very good at applying any sort of product to your face.

Well, you'll just add it to your bucket list for the future. Maybe when this is all over, you'll have time to practice as much as you want.

Scrubbing off the product with a make-up wipe, you decide it would be better to move on to your hair and make-up. Using the low setting on your hairdryer to make as little noise as possible, as Epel and Rook are still asleep, you run your hands through your locks as the heat removes the remaining water from your hair.

After a few minutes of blow-drying, you turn the appliance off and grab a mahogany paddle brush and gently run it through your hair, taking care to be gentle with the tangles caused by the shower. You're mainly looking to get the hair out of your face and have a simple yet elegant-looking style, so you alternate between using different brushes such as combs and a vented brush to achieve the look you want.

Once you have finished playing with and fixing your hair, you leave the tools on top of the dresser and walk over to your wardrobe, opening it and taking out one of the outfits Rook gave you. It's a beautiful formal suit, the fabric is light making it very comfortable to wear in the heat, and the marine blue and wisteria colors in the outfit make the clothes shine underneath the light.

You quickly slip on the several pieces of clothes, ironing out any wrinkles with your hands and adding a few accessories such as a belt, a pair of silver earrings, and two rings to adorn your fingers. As you finish, you take a final look in the mirror before you put on your shoes.

Flowy, bell-bottomed trousers swing freely with every step you take. The shirt is a little tight, it has a bit of a high neck and the top of your shoulders is missing, but there are some butterfly sleeves midway down your upper arm that tie the whole outfit together.

"I should really thank Rook's friend, this is gorgeous,” you whisper once again, unable to take your eyes off the fabric. However, your admiration is interrupted by a soft knock on your door. You tell the person to come in and the door quietly creeks open, lavender hair peeks through the entrance crack.

"Good morning, (Y/N), I came to help you get rea--, " his words are cut short as his eyes widen as saucers, and a fiery blush spreads across his cheeks. He stumbles over his words for a few seconds, his eyes darting around the room as his hands flail around everywhere. Meanwhile, you take the opportunity to examine Epel's current appearance. His hair is neatly combed, not a single strand poking out; he's also dressed in a black suit, with shiny dress shoes, white fabric gloves, an ironed shirt, and has a navy blue handkerchief neatly folded in his suit pocket. He truly looks like a butler.

The apple boy snaps out of his trance and blurts out a few words. "Y-you look stunning!" his expression turns to one of horror as his country accent slips out, his hands shooting up to cover his mouth in embarrassment. Your cheeks feel warm as you can only laugh, finding his shyness rather endearing and reassuring him that he needn't be embarrassed. "Thank you, Epel. You look very handsome yourself," your compliment seems to soothe him, but the blush remains on both of your faces.

You walk towards the dresser as the lilac-haired boy closes the door and approaches you. You turn to face him, holding up the small bottle of make-up concealer and some brushes in your hand as you give him a sheepish smile. "I remember you told me you were in Pomefiore in high school. So I was wondering if you could help me cover up some dark spots on my face?" you ask, and he nods happily, telling you to sit on the bed as he begins to look through your small make-up kit.

You're aware that various of Epel's memories of Pomefiore don't seem to be happy ones, it's especially obvious by his hostile attitude towards Rook and another man called Vil. But you've also noticed that he's proud of the various skills he's acquired while studying at Night Raven College. You noticed this since he still seems to practice some of his makeup skills. Yesterday, when you went to deliver some clothes to his room that he had left in the laundry, you noticed that on his desk there were some open bottles of what you believe to be foundation and some brushes covered in powder. This is why you asked him to help you after your failed attempt earlier.

"Alright, sit still and don't move," he says as he stands over you, the bottle of concealer in his hand and a small brush tucked between his fingers. He applies the cool material to some parts of his face as his gaze becomes determined, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrows furrowing as he taps the brush against your skin, mixing the concealer.

There is a comfortable silence between the two of you, only the sound of the wind outside gently moving the leaves and branches of the trees, and a door opening in the hallway, signifying that Rook is already awake. The sky is still dark as you close your eyes and allow Epel to continue painting your face, occasionally gently holding your face for more precision when applying the makeup.

A few minutes pass before the apple boy tells you that he's finished and that you can open your eyes. As your eyes focus on the room once more, you find yourself looking at your reflection as Epel holds up a small mirror to show you his work. A small smile graces your lips as you turn to look at him, giving him a broad grin of satisfaction. "It looks perfect, thank you Epel," he nods, taking the mirror back and turning to look at the clock hanging on the wall. "No problem... we should be going though, the car will be here soon".

The two of you leave the bedroom and walk towards the foyer, a spontaneous conversation sparks between you as you laugh at the silly jokes you tell each other.

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"My goodness, bel oiseau! You look absolutely wonderful! Why, your beauty belongs in a museum, to be admired by all, like a work of art!" more compliments fall from your eccentric friend's mouth as he grabs your right hand and plants a soft kiss on it. Your cheeks turn red as tomatoes due to the embarrassment at Rook's bizarre public display of affection, even though you are not a couple.

When the car arrived at the mansion and Rook descended the stairs, he couldn't even say hello as Epel had shoved him unceremoniously into the passenger seat and slammed the door firmly shut. When asked why, he explained that he wasn't in the mood to deal with Rook's behavior and that he wanted to have a peaceful morning. The whole drive was deadly quiet, but you couldn't help but chuckle as you caught a glimpse of Rook out of the corner of your eye, looking out of the window with a small, adorable pout, probably annoyed by Epel's actions.

However, the apple boy's plan completely backfired, for as soon as you arrived at Shaftland's main harbor and the car sped away after you thanked the driver, Rook jumped on you and began to loudly praise your appearance.

Epel's hand slaps the hunter's arm away (though you notice it was actually a rather gentle slap) as he begins to scold him quietly. "Stop it. Can't you see you're embarrassing (Y/N)?" he whispers as Rook holds his hands to his chest. "Ah, but Monsieur Pommette, why should we hide their beauty?"

Before the two of them could begin to argue, you quickly intervene, pointing to the building behind you where you needed to make a rather urgent stop. "All right, stop it, both of you. I'm going to the post office as I need to write a letter to someone, so I'll be back in a bit," the two men nod quietly as Epel informs you that he'll go ask when the boat will arrive and Rook explains that he's seen his teammates hanging around near the pier and that he'll go say hello.

The three of you split up and you make your way to the small wooden building. The inside is rather cozy, with warm lights illuminating the large wooden desk where a man is sleeping rather comfortably, his face covered by his arms. 'Poor guy, he must've been here a long time,' you approach the young man and tap him gently on the shoulder, waking him from his nap. His eyes blink open groggily as his hand lazily wipes the side of his mouth, his bones cracking as he stretches his arms. But his actions stop abruptly when he notices your presence.

"Oh, Great Seven! Ah... welcome! H-how may I assist you?" he springs to life as his hands slap the wood and he gives you a broad smile, the dark bags under his eyes becoming more pronounced. You smile back at him. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to wake you, but I have a rather urgent request. Do you have a messenger bird?"

The young man nods his head and points to the door behind his desk. "Not to worry! We do have a messenger bird delivery service! It's a bit more expensive than our normal delivery, but we can guarantee that your letter will be delivered today," you nod and take out your coin pouch, asking the man how much it would cost. You hand him a bunch of coins and the young man thanks you and points to a smaller desk near the large window where there is a pen and paper. You thank him for it and he gives you a smile and quickly disappears out the back door.

You sit down on the wooden chair and take the pen to start writing to Prince Malleus, even if he does show up in Sunset Savanna, it's better that he's made aware that you need to speak to him as soon as possible.

To his majesty, the Crown Prince Malleus Draconia,

I apologize for sending a letter with a somewhat urgent tone, however, my nervousness comes because I have obtained information of great importance that I must relay to you as soon as possible.

I feel insecure discussing such sensitive details through this written medium in case there is some kind of interference from a third party.

If you could reply to me with any means by which we can discuss this matter directly as soon as possible, I would greatly appreciate it.

Regards, (Y/N) (L/N).

Satisfied with the contents written on the letter, you fold it into a smaller piece so that it can be tied to the bird's tiny limbs. As you approach the desk, the door behind the large wooden counter opens and the young man emerges, this time with a pigeon perched calmly on his left wrist.

He asks you for the address of the letter, and when you tell him it's for the Royal Palace in Briar Valley, there's a momentary shock on his face before it's quickly replaced by a smile. "Alright, it should arrive this evening, depending on the weather. The skies look clear, so hopefully we won't run into any trouble," the pigeon coos softly as the bird ruffles its feathers in response. The man carefully ties the letter to the bird's tibia with a thin blue ribbon.

"If you get an answer, shall we send it somewhere in the Shaftlands, or are you exiting the country?" he asks, stroking the pigeon's head with a finger. "To Sunset Savanna's Royal Palace, I'll tell the staff to receive the letter," after jotting down a few sentences of additional information, you thank the young man and leave the post office, the cool and salty air hitting your face as you watch the beautiful sunset appearing at the edge of the sea coast.

In the few minutes you've been in the small building, a crowd of people has already poured into the harbor, the place coming to life in a matter of seconds. People are loading boxes with unintelligible names onto cargo ships, you can already see some people wearing silky and expensive suits and dresses slowly walking through the pier, snack and souvenir shops are beginning to raise their shutters and open their doors to the general public, hoping that the large crowd of people present at the place this early in the morning can bring good sales to them.

You walk quietly towards the edge of the harbor, Epel and Rook nowhere in sight. You lean over the wooden railing, which shakes and creaks with the slightest weight placed on it, and enjoy the sound of the waves and the distant chatter of people.

It's peaceful, a feeling that has become strange over the past few weeks, and if you're honest, you haven't felt at peace for years. Turbulent situations always seem to get in your way, and you've had very little time to spend alone with your thoughts, other than in the shower or when you go to bed. It's not that you don't appreciate the company of your friends and new acquaintances, but you like these little moments of solitude.

Suddenly, a figure walks beside you and leans over the railing, trying to copy your pose. But as soon as the figure places its arms on the fragile wooden railing, it snaps, sending the mysterious figure flying forward and almost falling into the clear blue water. Luckily, your hand instinctively shoots forward in panic and grabs the person's coat firmly, breaking their fall, although the fabric does crumple under your hand, creating some noticeable creases.

You pull the person back, but you use a little too much force as the figure stumbles backwards and falls onto its back onto the ground. "Oh Great Seven! Are you all right?" you say, quickly running over to help them get up and checking for any injuries, sighing in relief as you only notice a slight redness on their palms. It is then that you realize who that mysterious figure was.

“Riddle!? What are you doing here?” you help him get up from the floor, fixing his disheveled hair and using the palm of your hand to smooth over the part of his coat where you harshly grabbed him. As you lower your head, you notice that his face is the same color as his hair and he keeps clearing his throat while constantly fixing his tie. 'He's kind of adorable when he’s flustered', you think with a small smile as you give him a few minutes to calm down and focus your attention on a sailor who ran towards the two of you when he heard the commotion.

The man apologizes profusely, bowing his head up and down while saying that the railing will be fixed as soon as possible. You place your hand on his left shoulder to stop him from bowing over once again, telling him that it's all good, no one got hurt after all, but you do advise him to fix the hole as soon as possible since someone else could tip over and fall into the water. The man nods and quickly runs towards a group of other sailors who are watching the interaction from afar and you quietly laugh as the sailor flings his hands around his head, most likely ordering his men to fix the issue.

You hear a loud cough come from your side and turn to look at Riddle, his blush has faded to a lovely carnation pink that suits his features very well, making him look almost like a porcelain doll. "Forgive my sudden appearance, I recognized you from afar and wanted to talk to you, but..." his sentence trails off as he looks to the side, embarrassed to have made a fool of himself in front of you and broken the railing.

You raise your hand to the height of your shoulder and wave it gently. "Don’t worry, I’m glad you’re not hurt. Anyway, how are you feeling after the possession?" you whisper the last question, wanting only your ears to hear about the incident. Riddle quickly catches on and takes a step closer to you. "I feel fine, but it's a pretty bizarre feeling after I woke up from the disaster. It's as if something invisible that has been weighing on my soul has suddenly been lifted... it's left me with a feeling of peace, but also... loneliness," he mutters the last word, but you still manage to hear it, though something also strikes you as odd.

If Raseri's sudden disappearance makes him feel lonely, it could mean that the Beast didn't invade Riddle's soul a few weeks or days before the Overblot incident... the more frightening possibility is that the divine Beast has been dormant in the young man for years, or has been quietly toying with his actions without his knowledge for who knows how long. “Riddle… can you remember how long ago did you felt this weight on your soul?” the young man’s bluish-gray widens and his expression switches to one of concentration, silence befalls the two of you.

Minutes pass as Riddle searches his mind for a possible answer to the question, though he lets out a defeated sigh after a while, his brow furrowing. "I... don't know. My memories are so jumbled and everything feels a bit fuzzy, but I know it has been present for a while, so much so that it did become a part of my daily life," you nod at his answer and change roles, his eyes concentrating on the deep blue sea while you fall into thought.

There's very little chance that Riddle's case is unique. After Raseri's interaction in his memento, there's a clear indication that his other six siblings are scattered around this vast world, either sharing a body with a human soul or adapting a smaller form and hiding somewhere else while they recover some strength.

Their presence here suggests that whoever awakened Raseri and his siblings from their sleep is trying to bring back Guddommelig Ulykke and gain something else in the process. It's the only logical answer, at the moment, since the beasts didn't wake up on their own, someone brought them here. But why?

Who would want to bring back such a destructive presence that almost caused the end of the world so many years ago? For now, the answer will remain unsolved. It's too early to tell what this person's motives are, or what the future holds, so for now it's best to concentrate on finding and defeating the rest of the divine beasts.

A loud horn from one of the boats jolts you from your thoughts as you feel Riddle jump up beside you and bump into your side, his hand quickly shooting up to his chest in an attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart. Instinctively, you place your right hand gently on his back, rubbing small circles on the fabric, his back shooting up straight from the sudden contact and you notice from the corner of your eye that his ears are dusted with a red blush.

‘He gets flustered really easily, maybe he's not used to this kind of comfort,' you think, removing your hand from his back, thinking that he might be uncomfortable with physical touch. You do not notice that Riddle's expression changes to one of surprise, which quickly turns to sadness as he finds your touch comforting and reassuring.

A few minutes later, he clears his throat one last time before turning to face you. "I came to thank you for freeing me from Guddommelig Raseri. I heard from Trey about the battle the guild fought against the beast and about your deeds," his face turns to you and he gives a small and rare smile. "Thank you, (Y/N). I hope we can meet again in the future."

Then he slips away quietly, leaving you standing near the broken railing with your eyes wide open and a huge blush on your cheeks, his sudden warmth leaving you quite dumbfounded.

The sound of the waves gently lapping against the harbor and the salty smell of the air return your sense of peace, but this time you feel your heart beating faster than usual.

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Tag list:

@r0texe @hellokittykuroo @d3nz3lm0rn @alureasoley @kirmalight @xxrabbitcultxx @warcelia @lucian-kinnder @maximumphantomlover @hillichurl @keqingsfavbestie @stardustgreydragon @raimenshko @h0n3ysgh0st @valveii

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cyber-dump-171 · 11 months

Text

Chapter 15: Divine Fury

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 14 | Masterlist | Chapter 16 →

WARNING: N/A.

Note: Hello everyone! This chapter was meant to be posted earlier but this week has been wild from my computer dying to an entire day without light because of a storm. But hey, we’re here! Savanaclaw’s arc starts next chapter and remember that if you want to be notified whenever I upload a chapter, you can find the tag list on the masterlist. Enjoy!

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You open your eyes to find a vast sea of darkness. No stars or clouds are dancing in the sky, just a black void that eerily yet quietly calls your name.

You turn your head to the side, focusing on the ghostly hues of white and dark green grass that act as your temporary bed. It's a strange sensation, to be lying on top of it without feeling the annoying and pointy blades of the lawn poking and stinging at your exposed skin, causing itchiness and irritation; instead, you feel nothing, only a bizarre sensation of floating and dizziness alongside the heaviness of your eyelids, a silent plea to just close them again and drift off into a deep sleep.

Yet, you ignore those signs, your curiosity taking the lead, wanting to find the answer to the question as to where you are. You get up from the ground, discovering that you're still in your pajamas and barefoot, and turn your body towards the north, only to encounter the ominous void that acts as a wall, preventing you from seeing what's beyond this place. You look down at the ground, finding that a few meters away from where you are, the grass ends, swallowed by the darkness. It's as if you're on an island, but the sea has been replaced by the night sky, and all that remains is a small patch of land, isolated from the rest of the world.

‘Yeah, I'm definitely dreaming.’

You turn around and let out a soft gasp as you witness the small yet dilapidated structure that lies in front of you. A cemetery.

There are several graves hidden behind a thin cloud of mist, in the middle of the structures is a path of gravel and muddy earth that leads to a small church made of dark oak and brick whose color looks worn, almost gray. The wood of the building looks rotten and is full of holes of different sizes, the dirty windows are broken and some pieces of glass are scattered on the lawn, and an unknown structure that sits on the highest point of the roof is rusty and split in half, its counterpart nowhere to be seen.

‘Even a small gust of wind could cause that building to collapse.’

Intrigued by the sinister scene ahead of you, your feet move of their own accord as you traverse the rather small graveyard, though you notice at the distance that some of the tombstones have also been swallowed by the darkness. How far does this graveyard extend? You hear the crunch of the stones and earth beneath your feet, though your brain panics as you can't feel the texture of the elements touching your skin. The sensation of floating returns as your footsteps feel more like small jumps that remind you of the video of the first man landing on the moon.

Your gaze falls on the graves near your path. They're incredibly old, with faded words and unintelligible epitaphs carved into them, their structure showing various cracks filled with small cobwebs and moss.

Some of the tombs still have offerings placed in front of them, or at least what's left of them; the years have reduced many of these items to complete dust. Wilted flowers with delicate and dead stems, rotten items of food infested with small bugs, letters reduced to a tiny pile of mush or their contents completely erased by the rain, and some pictures that held memories of the dead no longer show their faces, only a semblance of what was once a happy remembrance.

However, something caught your eye when looking at one of the graves. The date... these people died away centuries ago. You crouch down, careful not to step on the remains of some candles, your fingers gently brushing on the stone.´

In loving memory of: Opal Vaughn. (1276 - 1302) Beloved wife and mother.

And then the next one…

Here lies: Sebastian Caldwell. (1285 - 1302). Loved by all

Wait… you recognize that last name! The Caldwells are the only other family of nobles that live in Sleepy Hollow. Unlike your family's home, which is tucked away in the mountains and surrounded by lush forest and tends to be more introverted, the Cadwells live in a huge house near the center of the village and have a more prominent presence in society. They're practically known for running the whole town, with their children holding high positions such as mayor and head of the Neighbourhood Association.

They have invested much of their money in making Sleepy Hollow a tourist destination, funding the International Museum of Medicine, attractions that highlight the more macabre aspects of the town, and they even organize the annual town fair. Recently, however, you have noticed that many of the buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been completely abandoned, such as the police station which you recently visited.

You got along with the eldest son of the family since he was around your age and he was nice and told good jokes. However, your meetings with him became more complicated and less frequent as your father had the bright idea of picking petty fights with the Caldwell patriarch. In the end, you and he went off to live your own lives and you lost touch. You look back at the grave and think how impressive it is that the Caldwells have kept their surname for so long.

You keep looking at the epitaphs on each of the graves in this row, even glancing at some of the tombs behind you. The text in some of them is incredibly difficult to make out, however, you reach the conclusion that each tomb has a different date of birth, but they all have something eerily similar that twists your stomach into knots:

All these people died in the year 1302.

You stand up quickly, stumbling a little due to the force you placed on your legs and the wobbly, slippery terrain. That date gives you a feeling of déjà vu. You don't know if you've seen it in a history book or heard about it somewhere, but something is telling you that this number is important.

You squeeze your eyes shut and try to concentrate, digging deep into your brain to find that particular date somewhere in the vast library of information stored in your mind. But your train of thought is interrupted as you are startled by the sound of the dilapidated church doors slamming open, echoing against the outside walls of the building.

Taking a few steps back to get some distance between yourself and the entrance, you squint your eyes to see what's inside that may have caused the noise. In real life, your first instinct would have been to run out, get a good distance away from the place, and perhaps call for reinforcements, since setting foot inside the house would most likely mean death. However, you are aware that you are in a kind of lucid dream; the lack of sensation of textures and the feeling of floating, but being aware that this place is not real, are the first indications that you are dreaming.

This does not mean that you want to set foot in the frightening church, but rather you want to keep your sanity and not have your heart explode or burst out of your chest because of some fright from whatever or whoever is roaming inside that building.

You begin to creep slowly towards the building, ready to bolt in the opposite direction if anything jumps out of the church. Details of the interior become clearer as you realize that it is a wreck, which explains some of the damage done to the exterior, such as the holes in the walls and windows.

Pews and tables have been split in half or thrown against the wall, sending small pieces of wood flying all over the room; a simple, quaint chandelier that once hung from the ceiling is now completely smashed to pieces on the floor; pieces of cloth that may have once belonged to mantles are scattered around the room; and the few paintings that once adorned the walls have huge gashes on them.

But what catches your eye is the large object that sits in front of the altar. It's a coffin, one that from the looks of it was built with really cheap wood judging by the prominent scratches and the thin quality of the material. The lid has been busted wide open, the hinges barely holding on to the material by only two tiny and rusty screws, you also notice from the angle that you're standing on that there's no padded cloth inside of the hexagonal box.

It reminds you of the “plague caskets”, a somewhat crude term used in Sleepy Hollow to describe coffins used during plagues or other disasters. In your hometown, they were known to be funerary boxes made of common and cheap wood, such as pine, and their utility was, as their name suggests, an object that could be quickly mass-produced and used to store the bodies of the deceased when catastrophes struck. So, needless to say, your rotten curiosity has once again taken the reigns.

You carefully maneuver your way toward the middle of the room, avoiding the shards of glass and the splinters from the wood, completely forgetting that you can't feel anything. After a bit of tiptoeing through the disaster, you're finally a few steps away from the coffin, a familiar combination of nerves and anger settling deep in your stomach as you begin to lift your head to see who's inside. But you let out a sigh as a sense of relief washes over your body when you realize that the only thing inside is a dusty but very elegant jacket and a dirty handkerchief.

"The body is sitting right here, human," the momentary relief is gone as your entire body jumps at the sound of the voice dripping with malice. You quickly turn around and take up a defensive position, ready to strike whoever has suddenly appeared behind you.

Your heart beats loudly in your ears as your eyes focus on the figure sitting on one of the pews that managed to survive the unknown disaster that swept through the small building. The man sits in a slumped position, his head hanging low as his long red hair spills over his face, obscuring his features, his wrists resting lazily on his knees as his hands sway loosely but gently with the movement of his body, and your eyes widen as you see the pale, long set of nails he sports that could easily tear through flesh.

Before you can even mutter a word, you hear the person grunt in annoyance as his shoulders become tense. "You really gave me a good beating. You did so much damage that it took me way too fucking long to get in touch with you," he murmurs in a low tone, standing up as the bones in his neck crack loudly. You freeze in horror as you feel an angry and murderous aura emanating from the mysterious man, bright purple eyes peeking out of his hair to stare at you.

"Who-" you can barely get the words out as the incredibly tall man slowly approaches, his footsteps echoing in the empty church and filling you with even more fear. How is this possible? You're not easily frightened after all you've been through, but this man's mere presence makes you tremble with terror!

"What do you want?" you finally manage to sputter out some words, your eyes never leaving the man who has finally stopped a few inches away from you. He leans down to stare directly at your face, and you try to shake off your nervousness and put on a brave face. Whoever this person is, he's probably enjoying seeing you tremble with fear, judging by the small but very prominent smirk that adorns his lips. "Not so brave now, are you?"

After a stare-down that lasted a few seconds, but seemed like hours to you, the man lets out a snort before lifting his head and stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets. "Enlighten me, faithful servant of the night, do you not recognize the power that stands before you?" his sudden change to a more 'polite' language gives you whiplash as the fear disappears from your body, replaced by utter confusion. "Am I... supposed to know you?"

You did not think that your genuine question would irritate the man any further, though you're proven wrong as his eyes light up in anger and he opens his mouth to reveal a set of very pointy teeth. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, STUPID HUMAN? You destroy the jewel that gave me life, weaken my host and destroy my glorious form, and yet you don't remember me!?" this man is a lunatic. He turns and stomps over to the pew, harshly taking a seat and making the wood creak under his weight. He reminds you of a child throwing a petty tantrum, especially when he starts mumbling incoherently as he stares daggers at you.

Yet, the mention of a jewel and a host brings forth a surge of very fresh memories, and your eyes widen in pure confusion and surprise as you stare at him. "Are you... some bizarre incarnation of Guddommelig Raseri?" at the mention of the divine beast, the man jumps to his feet, joy lighting up his face as he laughs out loud. "BRAVO! YOU DO HAVE A BRAIN!" he shouts, and you finally understand why you felt so much anger coming from the man. After all, the beast is the pure form of anger and recklessness itself. However, as you narrow your eyes another question pops into your head.

"But aren't you supposed to be... you know, more... beastly?" your hands help you to visualize your question better, using your index fingers to act as fangs as you make a "scary" expression. The man stops his celebration as he once again stuffs his hands in his pockets, and the angry expression returns to his pale face again. "Ha! I would, if it weren't for the fact that your damned powers have torn my mighty form apart!" he spits once more with malice, a scowl on his face.

"I'm getting distracted. I don't want to be here with you for long, so let's get on with the introductions," the man spreads his arms and makes an exaggerated bow, the aura of fury once again invading the walls of the church. "As you already know, I am Guddommelig Raseri, the Divine Beast of Fury and the King of Fire. I welcome you (Y/N) (L/N), to my own memento," the beast says, and you move a little closer out of curiosity. "Memento?" you question with a slight tilt of your head, Raseri nodding with a wide and menacing smile.

"That's right, you goblin. I have summoned you to my memento, a place that only exists in the dream space. We divine beasts have the ability to place our consciousness in our favorite memories, where we can regain our strength and rest," you ignore the man's insult, preferring to concentrate on his explanation of this unusual place. Before you can ask anything else, Raseri continues. "Even though I want to pulverize your damn skull for what you did to me, I have summoned you here because I recognize that you have a power that few humans are lucky enough to wield... and..."

The man makes a disgusted face and sticks out his tongue as if he were going to vomit. After a few seconds of Raseri continuing to make stupid faces, you let out a frustrated sigh and prick the bridge of your nose with your fingers. "Stop your nonsense and spit out what you have to say. I'm tired of your act and your insults," you mutter the last part, completely fed up with the childish and eccentric behavior of this divine beast. The man turns to you with a furious expression, letting out a short sigh of anger. "SHUT UP! This is not easy to admit, much less to someone who is my enemy..."

Sighing in frustration and rubbing his hands roughly over his face, Raseri finally spits out the words stuck in his throat. "I need your help," he mumbles softly, embarrassed and disgusted by what he has just said.

You, on the other hand, are completely surprised. Your eyes widen and a broad smile spreads across your face. ‘Ah, this son of a bitch. He has the balls to ask me for help after he spent every second insulting me.’ You're about to open your mouth to taunt the divine beast, but he silences you, knowing exactly what you're going to do.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND LET ME EXPLAIN!" he shouts, frustrated by your expression, while you just let out a slight laugh, the Cheshire cat grin never leaving your mouth. "Ugh, I was summoned out of the blue a week before your foul presence appeared. But instead of appearing in my beautiful beast form, I possessed a human," he explains with a sigh, closing his eyes as he leans his forehead on two of his fingers. "It's an insult to us to share a body with a human. After all, we have so much power that we could rule the heavens... but this possession... it wasn't something I did voluntarily. Someone forced me to possess that weak human. And I couldn't even fight my captor back for control."

You let out a small gasp of surprise. This was no joke. Ancient texts and legends explain that Divine Beasts are indomitable animals with such power that they can fight and win against all-powerful gods and wipe out humanity in an instant. There's a reason they ruled ancient Twisted Wonderland for so long, and it took millions of men and some good strategy on the part of monster hunters to put them to sleep. Even that didn't stop them, they woke up several times and wreaked havoc, and again it took too much manpower to defeat them.

"Someone with enough power to control a divine beast is terrifying. With that power they can cause too much destruction," you mutter under your breath, your eyes blank as a thousand thoughts run through your head. Raseri nods his head in agreement and continues his story.

"It's good that we at least think alike... Whoever it was, they took so much of my power that the spell you casted practically obliterated my physical form and a good part of my soul. There was hardly any traces of my power left, so when you fell unconscious, I was able to escape the hands of my invisible captor and merge what little was left of me with your soul," upon hearing the beast's declaration, your hands shoot up to cover your chest, near where your heart beats a thousand times an hour. He did what!?

Your blood boils in anger as you want to punch this guy until he stops talking. Raseri, however, raises his hand to rudely silence you. "Don't worry, I won't do anything. Well, I really can't do shit. It already took me too long to bring your consciousness to this memento, I only have a short time left before this disappears completely. Besides, I don't feel like dealing with another stupid human, much less someone like you," he comments with a tired tone. Meanwhile, you frown and cross your arms, wanting to know what you could do in this situation.

"Alright, but why do you want my help? Don't even think you're going to convince me to find you another host or vessel so that you can cause more chaos, you already pissed me off so much," you reply somewhat frustrated, the surprise that the power of a divine beast now resides in your soul not fading from your mind. He simply responds with a short laugh.

"No, you idiot! As I told you, I'm currently too weak to possess a body," he finally lifts his head to look at you with an intense stare. "I want you to stop whoever brought me here. I have a feeling that the bastard will also involve my brothers and sisters soon enough and will hurt them as the captor did to me," he sounds genuinely worried at the mention of his siblings, his expression dropping as dark thoughts most likely plague his mind. "I also feel that this asshole probably stole my power to bring Ulykke here, for what purpose? I don’t know, but I feel that the bastard will soon make his appearance," his voice shakes at the mention of the ultimate divine beast.

There is something strange about Raseri’s statement. He regarded the other divine beasts with warmth and even concern, calling them siblings even though the legends describe that each beast was born from a different source and ritual, but at the mention of the ultimate divine beast he shudders with fear and disgust.

"Is Guddommelig Ulykke also your brother?" you ask quietly, his purple eyes widening in surprise before quickly turning to anger. "That asshole!? No, not in a million years will I call him a brother! That bastard is an omen of death and he won't hesitate to kill us all!... he has no regard for us, we are nothing but stepping stones for him," he whispers the last part, the angry and furious façade slipping away.

You're shocked to find that this divine beast is incredibly complex regarding his thoughts and emotions. It's almost as if he's a human being who was cursed and transformed into a terrifying monster with so much power that he throws away his emotions and uses a trait to instill fear in anyone who crosses his path, wreaking havoc on innocents. Yet, in this dream plain, he reverts to a human form, a thing he considers weak and stupid, but he copies the same traits of those same mortals, spewing his feelings for people he holds dear or he detests. You’re truly mesmerized by Raseri, though he’s a complete asshole.

You approach him with a blank expression, wanting to know more about his plan and what he has in mind. He seems to understand your silent plea and continues to speak. "You will most likely have to fight my siblings soon enough, and while you can control the power of darkness, you will be pulverized if you go up against one of them alone, especially since you are still grasping at straws for your unique power," he explains.

"So when it's time to face one of them, call my divine name and summon the fire that once burned down hundreds of nations and ruled over the world. Rage is a powerful element, and when combined with your unique power... Oh, I shudder in excitement at what magnificent combination of power humanity could witness in that battle!" his eyes shine brightly as he begins to imagine the battle that will take place in the future, a huge smile painted on his face

You, on the other hand, let out a long and exhausted sigh as you rethink the situation. Yeah, that admiration for Raseri’s complexity? Gone. You’re angry since it seems that there's no room to even refute the offer since this divine beast’s power is already deeply embedded inside your soul. From the way he put it, it's a command on his part that you will have to use in battle if you want to preserve your life and not suffer a brutal death at the hands of a divine beast.

'This motherfucker left me no choice in this matter. Thankfully, at least it gives me some comfort that I can protect myself better in the next battle. Though I'll have to tell Malleus of this development, hopefully, I don’t get myself into more trouble,' you think before turning to the young man, wanting to ask him a few more questions about the situation.

But as your eyes focus on his figure, you let out a gasp of surprise as his form begins to blink in and out of reality, his legs becoming more transparent. “What’s happening to you!?” you ask in a panic as your eyes dart around the room when pieces of rubble begin to fall from the ceiling. The room suddenly begins shaking, as if an earthquake had suddenly appeared on this small, isolated island.

The man looks down at his transparent legs and simply smiles and lets out a long breath, his reaction completely the opposite of yours. "Finally! Well, our time is running out. Any last questions, human?" Raseri celebrates, your hatred and anger coming back in full force as you stare at him in utter confusion.

You have thousands of questions fluttering in your head, yet your brain momentarily freezes when you see Raseri's body starts to disappear. At the last moment, you remember all the graves that are outside the church and the date of death engraved in all of them, the year 1302.

"What does your memento represent!? Why is it a graveyard!?" you ask agitated, your brow furrowed as you watch the divine beast's expression turn neutral. Suddenly, a macabre smile spreads across the face of the divine beast, showing its sharp teeth as the man watches you with a sadistic expression.

"Outside there are a total of 876,478 tombstones, you can't see them in their entirety because, as I told you, I was left with little power to project the entire memento. All those people... were the ones I killed when they summoned me for the second time to this world… That is the proof of my power and my nature as a divine beast. Goodbye and good luck (Y/N)," with that last message, Guddommelig Raseri , and his memento vanish from your sleep, leaving you floating in a black sky, confused, dazed, and tired.

You open your eyes once more but this time, rather than being greeted by a void, is the ceiling of your bedroom. It's time to wake up, you must get ready to leave for Sunset Savannah.

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cyber-dump-171 · 11 months

Text

Chapter 14: I promise

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 13 | Masterlist | Chapter 15 →

WARNING: mentions of kidnapping, physical violence, and injuries.

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As the grand wooden doors of the manor close after the departure of Sebek, the green-haired vassal of Prince Draconia, you and Epel are left in a somewhat tense silence. You have so much to do and there's so little time left of the day that you'll have to bolt if you want to at least get a few hours of sleep. And so you begin.

The two of you divide up various tasks, such as cleaning, storing food, getting the suitcases out, checking the material the knight left behind to organize the main clues and other important information, and most importantly, leaving Grim in a safe place until the current mission is over.

Wasting no time, Epel dashes up to the second floor, master key in hand, and begins to lock the doors and windows while you call the Institute of Beast Study and ask to begin the process of obtaining a permit to keep an assimilation beast.

You also apologize profusely to the lady on the phone for the urgency, explaining that there was an emergency and asking if the beast could be temporarily housed at the Institute. She says it's fine and gives you two options: you can either bring it in or arrange for a collection service to pick it up in the morning. You confirm to the young woman that you'll be there in a few minutes and hang up, rushing into the kitchen to pick up Grim, who is happily munching on a can of tuna he's found in one of the upper cupboards.

He starts to complain as you pick him up and run into the darkly lit foyer, looking for your car keys. You celebrate quietly as your free hand finds the set of keys attached to a blue jellyfish keyring, a gift from your brother Svein.

"Epel! I'm going to drop Grim off! I'll be back soon!" you yell, trying to open the heavy door with one hand. You can hear Epel's footsteps on the second floor as they approach the banister as you successfully pull the door open. "All right, have a safe trip!"

The doorway shuts close with a loud "bang". The cold air makes you shiver for a moment as you watch the sky turn orange with various purple patches, signaling that night will soon fall. You quickly run to the old car and press one of the buttons on the key to unlock it. When you heard the click, you opened the co-pilot's door and carefully place Grim inside, the air blowing with great force and picking up some of the leaves and sticks scattered on the dirt.

You walk around the other side of the car, hugging your torso in a vague attempt to produce some warmth. Once inside the vehicle, you let out a sigh of exhaustion, and without wasting any time, you put the key in the ignition and turn it, the engine springs to life and the radio turns on.

While you wait for the car to warm up, you turn around and see the beast sitting comfortably on a pile of books you forgot to take out when you moved in. ‘Ah, that's where I left them. I'll probably take them out when I get back’ . You notice that Grim is a little lost and not in his usual energetic mood, his eyes lost as he sadly looks out the window. You guess that he's probably afraid that you'll drop him off at the Institute and never return for him, remembering the words of panic he said earlier in the kitchen.

You place your hand on the raccoon-cat's head and gently pet it, catching the creature's attention. "Don't worry, Grim. The Institute specializes in the care of beasts, I'll come back for you when I've finished what I have to do," because it's still your responsibility to look after him. Besides, you've grown a little fond of him.

"But I can take care of myself!" he demands with a little pout, turning his head towards the window to avoid your worried gaze. It's like a small child putting up a strong front, shouting that they don't need help, but in reality, they're scared to admit their true feelings.

"Even if you can take care of yourself, it's not right for you to stay alone in a house... I'll make you a proposition," what Grim is looking for is for you to promise to come back for him, that you won't leave him alone.

'I know this reaction very well, after all, Sigurd acted like this the first time I left the house for a long period of time. But a day before I left, his façade broke.'

"Please, promise me that you will come back!"

It was a cry for help, a plea for you not to abandon him and leave him alone.

"I promise I will not leave you. If I break my promise, I'll cut off my right hand."

That's an exaggerated expression, you think you read too many romance and horror novels before you left. But you want to show Grim and assure him that you'll be back for him. You never break your promises, no matter what.

"This mission will last a week at the most. If I'm not back for you in a week, I'll cut off my right hand," Grim's eyes widen like saucers and he almost jumps at your suggestion. "Are you out of your mind? The Great Grim believes you, don't talk such nonsense, henchman!" you sigh in relief at the creature's words.

You pet his head again and apologize for the sudden suggestion, but the promise seems to have calmed the Grim down considerably and he seems to have returned to his normal self. “We should be able to get there in half an hour”, you mutter under your breath as you back out of the driveway.

The drive starts out quiet, as your eyes focus on the road while Grim admires the outside world, his face almost glued to the window as he watches trees, light poles, and structures pass by. Your hand instinctively reaches for the radio and changes stations, intercepting into the broadcast of a local news station. The host clears his throat before continuing with the program.

“In other news, Ivette Nicodemus and Eustacia Couture, both 17, were recently reported missing.

They were last seen leaving the Crescent Emporium, a 24/7 convenience store in the City of Flowers located in the Shaftlands at around 9:43 p.m.

Ivette has short ashy blonde hair, green eyes, is 174cm tall, and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a cartoon shark, blue pajama bottoms with white stripes, and black sandals. She was also wearing a prayer bead bracelet on her left hand.

Eustacia has long black hair, brown eyes, is 158 cm tall, and was last seen wearing a long purple nightdress and white sandals. She was wearing a silver necklace with a small heart in the middle as well as a silver ring on the index finger of her left hand.

According to close friends, both girls were at a slumber party at a friend's house when they went to a nearby shop to buy some refreshments.

After an hour had passed and both girls had not returned home, friends became concerned and called the authorities, who found several plastic bags filled with drinks and food, along with Ivette's wallet and Eustacia's coat, thrown behind some trees a kilometer away from the shop.

At this stage, authorities have no leads as to where the girls might have gone or where they might have been taken. Ivette and Eustacia are currently the third and fourth victims in a series of disappearances that have taken place in the Shaftlands this year, the others being Cirillo Sal and Sigurd (L/N).

If you have any information about these disappearances, please contact–”

“Great Seven, poor girls. I hope that they’re okay”, you mutter under your breath, gripping the steering wheel harder as your stomach twists itself into knots, a familiar sensation that you felt when you began searching for your brother. Two more people are missing. What the hell is going on?

In less than a year, not even six months have passed and four people have disappeared under strange circumstances. Cirillo Sal disappeared a month before Sigurd, and there are still no clues about his whereabouts to this day.

Cirillo was an ambitious and kind young man, described by his parents as someone whose achievements and personality would take him far in life. He was president of his school's student council, graduated with honors, was a volunteer in various activities for charity, and his greatest achievement was getting into Meadow Willow University, one of the most prestigious colleges in all of Twisted Wonderland.

On the day he received his acceptance letter, Cirillo and some friends went to a bar to celebrate. However, four hours after entering, Cirillo left the establishment to walk a drunk friend home. Two blocks later, a luxury car with tinted windows followed the two boys until it parked in front of an abandoned building. Four people got out of the vehicle, grabbed Cirillo, beat his friend until they were unconscious, and took him away, the car speeding away. Minutes later, several people came up to help the friend and called authorities, reporting hearing Cirillo's cries for help and the screeching of tires of the vehicle that sped away from the scene. Security cameras failed to record the car's route, but it is believed to have left the city as police reached the scene of the kidnapping.

Since then, no one has seen the eldest son of the Sal family.

‘The only thing these cases have in common is that there was no ransom note or demand for money in exchange for a safe return’, you think to yourself as you turn on your right indicator. You turn the wheel to enter a small street with several houses, one of which is the headquarters of the Beast Institute.

You park the car near the building and turn it off, sighing and stretching out your arms, exhausted by the day’s events. You unbuckle your seatbelt and turn to look beside you, laughing softly as you notice that Grim is still hunched over watching out the window with his tail wagging slowly.

"Are you ready, buddy? Remember, I'll be back for you in a week," you put your hands on his head to get his attention. He turns to look at you and lets out a yawn, stretching his body in a sign that he is drowsy. “The Great Grim is also ready for a nap”, he mumbles under his breath as you get out of the car. The air outside is no longer as cold as it was back at the mansion, however, the sky has already darkened and the street lamps have begun to light up.

The nightlife suddenly awakens, as many houses begin to turn on their lights and close their windows. Some kids exit a house dressed in flashy clothes as they say goodbye in a loud voice to a woman standing at the door, who shouts at them to be careful and to be back before 10 pm.

A few cars pull into the street and out of each of them come out people dressed in office suits with their backs arched and their faces pale, yawning and complaining under their breath about how awful or boring the day was. As soon as a gust of wind blows, they shiver and quickly rush into their homes, some being greeted by their significant other, their pets, or simply to an empty house, as they unlock their doors and turn on the lights.

It is impressive how in a few minutes this little street has come to life. Well, you'll have to hurry.

You go to the opposite side and open the passenger door, taking Grim with you and placing him comfortably in your arms, one of the books he was sitting on, slides from the top and produces a ‘thunk’ sound as it lands on the car’s floor. "You can take a long nap in a comfortable bed, we just have to sign some papers."

The huge doors bring back memories of rushing to deliver a document or a study you finished the night before, of sleepless nights finishing reports, the adrenaline and nerves of leaving the building when the sun was just rising, and getting into a vehicle that would take you to your next expedition. Many bittersweet memories come from this one building, let alone how many more you have done in the main Guild headquarters.

The guard near the entrance greets you warmly, remembering your face, and opens the creaky doors. You thank him and quickly enter, wanting to shield yourself from the cold. However, the hurriedness of your steps halt suddenly when another wave of memories rushes through your head as you enter the Institute's common room.

Nothing has changed, the walls are still decorated with various pictures of the founders, photographs of expedition groups, trophies, medals, and awards that the Institute and some of the Guild have received. You can also hear the bustle of people moving from room to room, including a group of students following a veterinarian explaining the classification of beasts.

"Ah! Mx. (Y/N), welcome!" you hear a sweet woman's voice calling your name, snapping you out of your thoughts. You turn your head to see the receptionist greeting you shyly, quietly waving her hand.

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted. Thank you, I spoke to you on the phone," you walk over to the desk as Grim glances around the room with curious eyes. The receptionist nods and quickly introduces herself as Maia, a new recruit recently hired by the Institute to fill in the role of the previous receptionist, who retired.

You give her a warm smile and reply that it is a pleasure to meet her. Apparently, your reaction causes her to blush and she begins to search hastily for the papers as she stammers a few words that you cannot hear. She's quite adorable.

"Uh, G-Grand Master Yuuken also told us about the situation with little Grim. So we'll start right away!" Maia shyly smiles and places a small stack of papers in front of you, handing you a blue pen. "This would be the paperwork to get the permit. At the bottom is the permission to host and take care of Grim," you nod and place the raccoon-cat on the desk, who complains about touching the cold surface.

The paperwork you are signing is standard protocol, basically agreeing to take care of the beast, bringing it to the institute once a month for a health check, allowing surprise visits from the institute to check on the animal's condition, and so on. There are also other references to the fact that if the beast becomes dangerous, the Institute has orders to take the creature away, and if the beast wishes to return to its natural habitat, the person must obey the creature's wishes.

After a few minutes, you place the pen down on the stack of papers, cracking your neck due to the awkward position that you were in. Was this desk always so small? The receptionist quietly thanks you before taking the pile of documents and placing it next to the desk phone. "All right, the permit should be ready in a couple of days. We'll give it to you when you come to pick up Grim," she smiles and you nod, placing a hand on the beast's head and petting it.

The beast tries to swat your arm away, claiming he doesn't need your comfort. "I'm the Great Grim, after all!" yeah, right, this cat can't fool you anymore. You deduce that he's probably embarrassed to receive affection in a public place, especially after hearing the receptionist chuckling softly at the beast’s antics. "I'll come back in a week. I'll call you if I'm done early," you tell Maia but also say it loud enough for the beast to hear, perhaps to give him some comfort.

After saying goodbye to Grim and thanking the young woman again, the raccoon cat is gently picked up by the quiet receptionist and taken to the back where the rooms to house beasts are located.

Suddenly, a sense of loneliness overcomes you as the main hall of the place falls silent, the only sounds being the distant opening and closing of doors and the unintelligible discussion of people in other rooms.

Perhaps it is the mention of two other disappearances that has left you feeling blue. Or it could be that your rambunctious new buddy is no longer accompanying you on your car ride home. It's probably also the exhaustion that has finally taken over your body. Leaving the hospital after a very close dance with death and not having a single day's rest to get ready for the next mission could kill someone.

But your body has already been trained to deal with this kind of situation. Years of practice to withstand and quickly adapt to the sudden changes in life. It seems that this feeling is just a consequence of losing a few months of practice. You'll probably get used to it quickly anyway, so you're counting on it being a fleeting moment.

However, deep in the back of your mind, there is a little voice that screams and nudges at your conscience: "If you go on like this, you'll kill yourself".

You don't pay much attention to it. You hurry out of the institute and get into your car, your eyes dry and a little heavy. Without wasting any time, you pull out of the parking spot and exit the small street, leaving behind you the gentle bustle of families and people going about their evening routines.

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You return home back tired, dragging your feet as you walk towards the main entrance. A yawn escapes your mouth, causing your eyes to fill with tiny tears. In your mind you try to motivate yourself with your ultimate goal: after you finish everything, you get to sleep in your big, comfy, warm bed.

When you reach the door, you raise your hand and knock hard, letting Epel know that you have arrived and to open the door for you. After a few seconds of silence, you can faintly hear footsteps descending the stairs at a rapid pace, heading for the door. With an unbearable creak, the two pieces of wood open to reveal…

"Rook!? And what are you doing here?" the so-called "Le chasseur d'amour" welcomes you into your own home. He gives you a big smile and quickly takes your hands. "Bonjour, bel oiseau! I hope my appearance has been a good surprise to you," he replies contentedly, one of his hands releasing yours to rest on your back and gently nudging you to enter your home.

As you enter, you also bump into Epel, who has a frown on his face and his arms crossed. "Sorry (Y/N), the fucker got in before I could do anything," you chuckle slightly at the lilac-haired boy's statement, but double over with laughter when you see Rook's expression, his eyes wide as saucers and his mouth hanging open. "Goodness, Monsieur Pommette! Your words hurt me deeply!" he exaggerates, bringing his free hand to his forehead to feign pain.

Your laughter ceases as your attention is drawn to a clothing rack filled with various beautiful outfits in the living room. You break away from the duo to take a closer look at the beautiful garments, your fingers gently stroking the soft fabric, admiring the work of whoever made these costumes. "What are these clothes doing here? They're beautiful. Are these yours, Rook?" you ask without turning to look, mesmerized by the colors.

"Actually, my dear (Y/N), these clothes are yours," you turn to look at the hunter, surprised and blushing slightly at the nickname he used for you. "How so? I don't remember buying these clothes, or even seeing them," you mutter slightly as Rook approaches and places his gloved hand on the wardrobe knob, smiling slightly at you. "Roi du Dragon informed me of the mission you would be undertaking and I nearly had a heart attack when he mentioned that you wouldn't be going undercover... because I remember the state of your wardrobe.”

You are very offended by what Rook has just said... but you dare not argue with him because he is right. Years of expeditions and investigations have accustomed you to wearing light clothes and not being too fussy about your choices. You've also grown accustomed to a simple wardrobe, without many choices, just shirts, trousers, boots, and other comfortable footwear. Even when you stopped working for the Guild, you didn't buy many clothes, much to the disdain of your older sister, who was horrified at how empty your wardrobe was.

"I took the liberty of contacting an old friend and asked him to design some outfits for your stay in Sunset Savannah," Rook admits proudly, and without thinking, you throw yourself on top of him and hug him tightly. You can hear the surprised gasps of the two men in the room, but you don't pay much attention, your chest is warm and happy. This man... he's so considerate of you. You had planned to stop at some boutiques in Savanahh and buy some outfits, and yet Rook went the extra mile and even asked a friend to design them, especially for you.

Noticing your sudden actions, you quickly let go but give him a big smile. "Thank you, Rook, you don't know how much I appreciate this," when you hear your thanks, the surprised expression disappears from the young hunter's face and is replaced by a warm smile.

... But something comes to your mind.

“Wait a minute, how did you know my measurements?” after hearing your question, your eyes open wide as he doesn't answer, walking away and quickly ascending the stairs to the second floor. You chase after him, demanding an answer with a flustered face, hearing Epel scream at you to be careful since he just mopped the floor and you could slip and hurt yourself.

You will definitely not get enough sleep today.

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cyber-dump-171 · 11 months

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Chapter 13: Pudgy paws

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 12 | Masterlist | Chapter 14 →

WARNING: mentions of injuries.

Note: Alright, we’re back! If you would like to know why I didn’t post for a very long time, please check my previous post in which I explained what happened. Again, thank you for your support!

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The blue flame dashes towards the end of the hallway and then takes a sharp left, going directly to the study and painting rooms, the hallway shrouding itself in darkness once again as the momentary source of light disappears.

What the hell was that? Fearing it might be a beast and set the house on fire, you throw your things on the floor and proceed to chase after it.

You turn down a few corridors, following the little blue light that disappears at every corner and turn you make. Whatever it is that is running is quite fast and agile, but you know that after a few more turns it will run into a corridor that has a dead end, so you can corner whatever it is running.

You take a few more turns and hear a door swing open before the final corridor. Damn it, it entered the painting room! Immediately after that, you hear a large number of objects fall and a screeching sound leaves the entire hallway in complete silence. Hurrying, you enter the room and see that the blue flame has made a complete mess in the room.

The white curtain that covered the dirty window has fallen from its holdback and something is moving underneath the fabric. Whatever it might be, is kicking as it curses under its breath at the stupid piece of curtain. You reach out carefully and grab the corner of the fabric, taking a deep breath as you prepare to fight whatever is down there. You pull with all your might and the curtain flies off into the corner of the room and you see what was making such a mess.

“You!?" it's that raccoon-cat you found in the forest! What's it doing here? The creature looks at you in surprise but quickly stops and takes a defensive stance white it bares its teeth at you. "Fugya! Stay away human, don't even think of touching the Great Grimm!" ah, right, it called itself by that strange nickname.

Although the little animal tries to put up a façade of being strong and fearless, you notice that it is trembling a little. It is likely that when the curtain fell on him, he got scared and stunned.

"What are you doing here? Everything was locked," the monster slowly blinks, but as he remembers something, his gaze becomes annoyed. "Ugh, that weirdo left me in the living room. He said you'd be back in a few hours and to stay put," Grim comes down from his defensive position and lets out a sigh, as you watch him.

He looks somewhat embarrassed and avoids looking you in the eye as he evades answering the important part of his story. "I don’t think he let you loose inside the house, I assume you escaped from the cage," you know Rook, he wouldn't be foolish enough to let a monster that has flames in its ears run loose all over the place.

It looks like you've got it right, as Grim shrugs his ears and again, avoids looking you in the eye. "The Great Grimm can't be stopped! So I melted the lock!" he says proudly as he stands on two legs and crosses his "arms" with a big grin.

You feel an incoming headache. You let out a sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose, well, you'll have to take care of this little menace until you can find a way to put it back where it came from, after all, you promised Rook that when you finished this mission you would take care of the beast.

You look carefully at Grim, who is now back to standing on all four legs. "So, why were you running like crazy down the hallway? You looked scared," the cat seems to be surprised to hear your words, his eyes widening like saucers and his mouth hanging open slightly, revealing a set of pointed teeth.

His embarrassment disappears in seconds, however, as he stands back up on two legs and gives you an angry look. "Not at all! You think the Great Grim would be scared because the house was dark and I was alone!?" he says in a slightly shaky voice but tries to hide it with an assertive tone. You let out a laugh, it's a somewhat detailed excuse that he demands to be taken as the ultimate truth.

You can't help but quietly coo at his adorable puffed cheeks as he crosses his tiny little arms. Oh! And those absolutely squishable paws.

'Ah! He almost looks like a cute plushie,' the initial scare from the blue flame running at full speed down the hallway and the headache from the disaster caused by the tiny menace have completely disappeared as Grim reminds you of the house cats your aunt used to have. "Oi! What're you staring at?" Grim asks confused while you watch him tenderly.

The cat keeps wondering why you're not moving and why the hell your eyes are shining so bright. Did you die? Or maybe you are so overwhelmed by the presence of the Great Grim that you can't say a single word? That's what the monster thinks as he laughs to himself and places his little paw on your thigh to wake you up.

Before you can answer him, you hear something fall behind you. Turning your head, you realize it was that strange painting. You had forgotten to take it off the canvas and put it away with the other sketches. "Don't move," you warn the cat as you stand up and walk over to the slumped sheet that lies on the floor, the canvas faces down on top of it.

With a sigh, you bend down and pick up the unfinished painting, being careful not to scratch or damage the art in front of it. You place it back on the easel, the sketched figure of Guddommelig ulykke stares at you crudely.

You briefly wonder why did your mother even sketch this. It's bizarre, that for a moment you thought someone else had painted this and left the half-finished painting here when your father decided that no one else could set foot inside the house, leaving the lively hallways that once populated the house to fill with dust and cobwebs while your mother's cherished garden rotted and withered over the years.

'Then again she did paint that absolutely terrifying picture of the angler fish that gave me nightmares when I was a kid.'

But something tells you that this was no stranger who painted the picture, it was your mother. Even as you gently brush your fingers across the canvas you can imagine the paint pots surrounding the bench, the sunlight streaming through the window, and in the background, you hear children running up and down the hallway laughing at something.

Your mother picks up the paintbrush and smudges it with green paint, in front of her lies a canvas that has smooth penciled lines dividing it into eight sections. Without wasting any time, she paints each of the sections with different colors and when she is done, she gets up and leaves the room, leaving the paint behind.

However, your thoughts are interrupted when you hear footsteps approaching the room. You turn around to face the door and see Epel approaching with his eyes closed. "Hey (Y/N), dinner's ready. I made some- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Shit.

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After calming the lilac-haired boy and catching Grim before he could run out of the room, you explain to Epel everything that happened and how such a strange creature ended up inside the house. Despite the apple boy's insistence that he doesn't mind a cat on fire roaming the halls of the house, you get a great deal of doubt when you notice that Epel keeps glancing sideways at the creature.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you? I'll take care of Grim anyway, but you don't seem very convinced," you ask him somewhat worriedly as you tie a black and white lined bow around Grim's neck. The cat sits on all fours on top of the kitchen counter, his nose inhaling the smells of the dinner that was just cooked as he mumbles that he's hungry.

"A little. I just don't want him to set the house on fire," hearing that response, Grim's ears perk up and his face turns angry. "Oi! I wouldn't do that! The Great Grim knows how to control his magnificent power," you can’t help but let out a small chuckle as you remind yourself that the creature set fire to the sleeping tent out of sheer desperation. "What are you laughing at, henchman!?"

Henchman?

“Excuse me, what did you just call me?” the cat turns its body to look at you and with a mocking smile, stands on two legs to try to level itself towards your face. "That you are my servant. Look! You've even dressed me," the creature turns to show off the bow tie. It seems that the fear you saw in the paint room has completely vanished.

You don't feel like fighting against his bizarre claim. You let out a sigh and turn to Epel, a tired look decorating your face. "We don't have much time, tomorrow we'll have to go somewhere else as per Draconia's instructions. Let's have dinner and I'll go drop Grim off at the Institute of Beast Study," at the mention of his name, the cat stops his ears and turns quickly, lowering himself to all four paws. "Ah!? Where are you going to dump me!?"

"I'm not going to dump you! It is illegal to keep an assimilation beast without a permit given by the Institute. Besides, I don't recognize what breed you are and I'm not going to leave you locked up in the house for days or weeks," you say as you head toward the cabinet to take out some plates and glasses. The creature follows you, jumping from the cabinet to the dining table.

"The Great Grim can take care of himself! The 'great' is in my name for a reason!" the creature shouts, trying to maintain its magnanimous appearance. However, you can tell that its tone sounds desperate and although it tries to hold its ground, you notice that its little paws are shaking a bit.

“The people at the Institute are not going to hurt you, they're just going to examine you and take care of you while I’m gone. Either way, I cannot afford to make any more mistakes after the last time”, you mutter the last sentence in hopes that the creature doesn’t hear your laments. Thankfully, the creature doesn’t appear to have heard you.

The discussion is interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. You take the opportunity to leave the room and ignore the exaggerated demands of the little creature. As adorable as it is, you're not crazy enough to let it wander the corridors of the old house while you're off solving problems elsewhere.

Arriving at the front door, you wipe your trousers and fix your hair as quickly as possible, an action you now do unconsciously after Dorothea scolded you for greeting guests with a few flyaway hairs on your head. You looked fine and there was nothing wrong with your appearance, but the insults that fell from your stepmother's rotten mouth have scarred you for life.

You open the doors of the mansion and the cold air from outside enters the house, which is only tepidly heated. Lately, the place has been getting colder and colder as the days go by, and it is most noticeable at night when the wind blows hard, shaking the trees and blowing a lot of leaves and branches to the ground.

But its effects are most evident on the poor boy standing outside your door. Half of his face is hidden behind a black scarf, and the tips of his pointed ears are slightly red because of the cold.

When he notices your presence, Sebek stands up straight and his eyes, which resemble those of a crocodile, widen like saucers, though he quickly fixes his appearance.

"Good evening, I apologize for my late arrival!" he shouts in a loud voice. His tone reminds you of a general commanding his soldiers. You step aside to invite him into your home, and he quickly enters, removing his scarf as you close the wooden doors.

"Don't worry about being late. Lord Malleus informed me that you would be coming to give me information on the next mission," at the mention of the Prince of Briar Valley, the boy turns and nods enthusiastically, an aura of pride emanating from his body. You notice that he no longer seems to regard you with such hostility.

Without another word, you begin to lead him toward the living room to discuss the details of your next mission. You try to offer him something to drink, but Sebek flatly refuses, saying that he doesn't have much time to stay here and must return to Briar Valley.

Once you are both seated in opposite armchairs, the door to the room opens, and in comes Epel, holding a small tray with some glasses of water. He gently places it on top of the table as Sebeks takes out various documents from his bag.

The lilac-haired boy takes a seat right next to you and extends a hand towards the green-haired, who stares back at him a bit surprised. “Good day! I’m Epel Felmier, Mx. (Y/N) assistant. It’s a pleasure to meet ya!” he excitedly says. Sebeks seems to snap out of his trance and takes Epel’s hand, slightly shaking it as he introduces himself back. Afterward, the green-haired clears his throat and begins to speak.

"As you know, your mission will take place in the Sunset Savannah. Recently, there have been several reports of players who were supposed to participate in the Spelldrive Tournament being injured," Sebek hands you several documents with the faces of the players, the teams they were on, and the circumstances of their injuries.

At first glance, most of the wounds are the result of falling down stairs or tripping during practice, but the one that stands out the most is a recent one which details the fall of one of the players from the second-floor balcony of a hotel they were staying in.

"He ended up with his right arm broken, a concussion, a broken nose, and a sprained ankle. Goodness, how did he survive?" you mutter to yourself, your eyebrows furrowed as you continue to read the documents. There is another piece of information that also catches your attention.

You raise your face to meet Sebek, who sits still with his arms crossed. "Most of these players were chosen by King Falena to be part of his special team," the green-haired man smiles at you, satisfied with your answer.

"You have a good eye, Mx. (Y/N). After receiving these reports directly from the queen of the Sunset Savannah, we have a theory that this series of injuries were caused intentionally and is some kind of threat against the king," the knight points to one of the lines on the document. "Do you see another similarity?

"Yes, all but two of the documents mention the presence of a mysterious figure at the scene of the crime. The most recent was the one Lord Malleus told me about, that one of the palace maids saw the figure slip away early in the morning," you reply, your head full of questions.

Strange, what is the point of hurting these people? It seems like a bizarre kind of threat and at first glance, it can be interpreted as some type of revenge executed on a specific player or group of people. You think that if they truly want to threaten Falena, they would’ve had a more direct approach, rather than injuring various players who are most likely innocent.

Also, the Spelldrive Tournament is no big deal. Yes, it is presented to the public as an opportunity for teams from different nations to come together in friendly competition and win a trophy through the teamwork of the players, but that's it. It's no coronation ceremony or a royal baby announcement, just a competition.

...Hang on, something just popped into your head! It could be that this is exactly what the perpetrator wants. To downgrade the situation as much as possible and to not be taken seriously by anyone, because this is the Spelldrive Tournament, an event that most people consider to be a day of entertainment.

"It is possible that this is an intimidation tactic against the king. As you said, a kind of threat, quietly telling him that whoever is doing this damage may do more vile things in the future," you comment on your theory. "It may be that this is the beginning of a series of actions intended to sabotage Falena's place as king."

The details will certainly need to be refined as time goes on and you gather more information, but it is a solid theory with which to begin this investigation. Somewhat far-fetched, but it does work and it fits inside the realm of possibilities.

"Exactly, after what happened at Rosehearts Manor and Miss Meiji's testimony, we shouldn't take such a situation lightly," Sebek adds, and Epel sits up straighter as if something has occurred to him. "Could it be that this sabotage is being done by the cult?" the lilac-haired boy asks.

"It’s a possibility, however, we still can't point fingers and accuse someone without sufficient evidence," the knight's intense green eyes focus on his figure. "This is where you come in.

Sebek buries his hands in his bag and pulls out a rather elegant invitation and hands it to you. "As Lord Malleus told you, you will be going to the event not undercover but as yourself, who is part of a noble family. Your objective is to discover who is behind these attacks and what their intentions are."

You gently take the invitation and look at it more closely, your name embedded elegantly in the small cream-colored envelope.

It's been too long since you last attended one of these events, your family stopped attending formal events after your mother died and they started denying invitations to parties when your father married Dorothea.

Your hands suddenly feel cold when you start to overpress everything: your manners, how to start conversations, what is the correct outfit to wear on these types of invitations, and many other things.

However, your thoughts are interrupted when you feel Epel's hand rest on top of yours. It seems like he knew you were nervous and was attempting to calm you down. "You said that we would be working with two newbies, who are they?" the boy asks.

"Oh, that's right. Forgive me, I almost forgot. You will be accompanied by Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade."

…What!?

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cyber-dump-171 · 11 months

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An apology for my sudden hiatus

Hello everyone! If I’m suddenly appearing on your dashboard you might have followed my account for my Twisted Wonderland fanfiction “Left for Carnage”.

A few days after the last update to my account, which was an annoucement that I was back, my life became a bit hectic as I started my fourth semester of university and I was filled with homework. In addition, personal issues prevented me from pursuing my hobby for a while.

But now that I've finished my first internship and I'm organising my time better, I have a set time to continue with my writing.

Chapter 13 of Left for Carnage is already halfway done, so it should be published today or tomorrow.

I thank everyone for their likes and comments, I read them all! I'll do my best to continue writing these stories as I'm very fond of them.

Thank you all and see you soon!

#announcement

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cyber-dump-171 · 2 years

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Announcement

Hello everyone! Due to me being currently in exam week and having a lot of projects, I will not be able to post Chapter 13 of Twisted Wonderland X Reader until friday.

I’m really sorry, but still, thank you so much to everyone for your support and I’ll hopefully see you all on friday!

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cyber-dump-171 · 2 years

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You mean I have to write it first?!

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cyber-dump-171 · 2 years

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october when

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cyber-dump-171 · 2 years

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Chapter 12: No time to rest

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 11 | Masterlist | Chapter 13 →

Word count: 4.2 k.

WARNING: mentions of feeling ashamed and embarrassed, scars, bruises, creepy love letters, and cursing.

Note: Alright, Savanaclaw’s arc starts next week! I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you again for your support!

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After being discharged from the hospital, you thought you would return home and rest while you await the instructions for the next mission...

Instead, you're sitting inside a car, on your way to Sleepy Hollow, while anxious twiddling your fingers after receiving a nerve-wracking call from Roger.

"They found a suitcase with his belongings near the train station back home... Whenever you can, please come see us".

You feel the gentle pats of Epel's hand on your shoulder as you stare into the seat in front of you. You're only thinking of one thing. You can finally start getting some answers as to where he is or what happened to him.

The black car stops in front of the dilapidated arch stone that is the entrance of your hometown. You give a short "thank you" to the driver and exit the vehicle, quickly making your way inside of the nostalgic town. Epel follows closely behind, not speaking a single word, instead he chooses to admire the surroundings and old buildings.

A chilly breeze passes between the two of you and you burrow further into the dark and warm coat. Your eyes briefly look up to the sky to come across a sea of gray clouds that cover the sun and you hope that this time, it won't start to rain once again.

While hastily making your way to the police station, you feel the many gazes of the townspeople as they focus on your figure while exchanging unintelligible whispers.

Well, it's not every day that a former resident comes back to this cursed town, they usually leave for good and never come back. Not to mention that your appearance isn't exactly the most presentable, your face has various scars and bruises, pale skin, your hair is a tad messy and tangled because of how much you've been messing with it out of nervousness, and there are very prominent bags under your eyes.

You don't pay attention to them and instead increase your walking speed as you focus your view up ahead. However, you find yourself with another bad memory, as in the distance, high up in the mountains and surrounded by fog, you see the house where you grew up all your life. Where those two parasites now live their best life. Just thinking about them churns your stomach and you feel your blood boil with anger.

But before you can continue walking, someone grabs your wrist and stops you, pulling you out of your thoughts. "(Y/N), we're here... sorry for stopping you like that, you looked distracted," you turn your head to look at the apple boy who timidly points towards the small building. You quietly thank him and also apologize for not having said many words to him the whole way. Epel gives you a small smile, reassuring you that everything will be fine and without wasting any more time, the two of you enter the police station.

The building is about the size of a dormitory and it looks like it is close to the brink of collapsing into rubble. There are countless cracks in the walls, several dark stains that are caused by dampness and cobwebs decorating the walls, as well as several posters for advertisements and of missing persons, the newest having the face of Sigurd. There are only two wooden desks that have piles of abandoned paperwork, some knick-knacks, and coffee cups whose liquid has already cooled down.

On the floor there are several buckets strewn about collecting the water that falls through the cracks in the ceiling and at the back of the room, there are two cells that usually contain the town's drunks who always seem to get into some kind of trouble.

"There's no one here," you mutter as you notice that the police station is completely empty. You are about to turn around and go out to find a phone to call your siblings when the door suddenly opens and in walks Svein, who looks tired. Though, when he sees you, his gaze seems to soften and he comes over to give you a sudden hug. You reciprocate, happy to see your older brother.

“It’s good to see you again (Y/N), how have you been?”, he lets go of you and you quickly explain that you’ve been fine and that you finally went on your first mission. You also introduce him to Epel, who seems to be concentrating on admiring your brother's appearance.

Svein is someone who at a distance is quite intimidating, he is rather tall and is quite built due to working as a lumberjack a couple of years ago, not to mention that his neutral expression can be quite terrifying and menacing to others. But he is actually a very sweet person who is kind to others.

Svein extends his hand and gives the apple boy's delicate hand a firm squeeze. The two introduce themselves with a small smile and let go of each other's hand after a shake. Your brother, without saying a word, walks to the back of the room, near the cells, towards a small table on which there is a large object on top of it.

You follow closely behind and take a peek over your older brother’s shoulders, concentrating on the mysterious rectangular object. You step to the side to take a closer look: the suitcase is made out of brown leather and strewn around are various blotches of yellow stains, the straps on the side and the handle are completely worn out since certain pieces are broken or have cracks. However, the most puzzling part is that the entire suitcase is covered in a thick layer of dirt and gravel. Did someone try to bury this?

"Where did you say they found this?", you now stand beside Svein who hands you a pair of white gloves for you to put on. "According to the ticket collector, two suspicious people were hanging around the train station late at night", you slip the gloves on as Svein continues. "After the last train left, he found that they were trying to dig something near the railway, however, he spooked them off and instead found the suitcase half-buried on the ground."

You suddenly get nervous when thinking about what could be inside the suitcase. What if...? No, stop thinking about those gruesome things, there's no way that they would let you search that thing if it contains what you're thinking of. Noticing your sudden shakiness, Svein places his hand on top of your head and ruffles your hair, in an attempt to calm you down. "It's okay (N/N), I won't force you to look at it if you do not want to", you shake your head in response but you still thank him for worrying for you.

Before you can start opening the suitcase, however, you feel Epel gently tap your shoulder, and when you turn to look at him, he is pointing at the door with his thumb. "I'll be outside if you need me," you nod with a small smile, grateful that he understands that things are going to get a little personal. You tell him that across the street is a cozy café that he can wait inside so that he doesn't freeze in the cold. He nods and quickly exits the building, bidding the two of you goodbye in the process.

You turn your attention again to the suitcase and Svein quickly opens it, though chunks of dirt now litter the wooden table and it causes the two of you to cough from the dust. You let out a sigh of relief when you notice that the contents inside are not the gruesome things you imagined, but instead, it brings you a lot of questions.

You start by taking out each individual thing: a guidebook for places to visit in the Land of Pyroxene, a brochure for Mostro Lounge, a broken camera, some folded sweaters, a pair of black dressing shoes, a damaged notebook, a dirty bag with expired mint candies, a silver necklace with a heart charm, a crumpled letter and an empty bottle of perfume. You reach out for the letter and unfolded it, reading the contents out loud:

"You love me, don't you? I love you too, so much so, that I'm willing to throw myself into the abyss for you. I don't want to live without you, scratch that, I can't live without you. Let's meet near the Spelldrive Stadium, I want to tell you something. I love you so much", the rest of the letter is unintelligible, having been damaged by the humidity and dirt.

You and Svein shared a worried look as you finish reading the letter. Whoever wrote this, sure is obsessed with this other person. However, this isn't Sigurd's handwriting. This person wrote in cursive, while Sigurd used bold letters, since you remember that he hated having to read or even write in cursive. Could it be that this is someone else's suitcase? You put down the letter and Svein quickly grabs one of the sweaters, unfolding it to look at the pattern. You instantly recognize it.

"This... wasn't this a gift from Aunt Frøydis to Sigurd?", Svein asks in a quiet tone and you nod, remembering that your brother used to wear that sweater on many formal occasions. It was one of his favorites. Svein keeps examining the letter but cannot find who was this address to or who even wrote this, the only contents being the love words written on it.

Suddenly, the door of the police station slams open, and two figures step inside. “Great Sevens, Roger, you need to start practicing your parking”, you recognize the voice of your older sister and turn around to find your two other siblings having a discussion near the entrance.

“What!? I did fine! I only scratched the bumper twice this time!” Roger proudly announces before removing his scarf and crossing his arms, most likely offended by Astrid’s statement. Your sister rolls her eyes before they scan the room and find the two of you standing near the suitcase.

“Oh! There you are. It’s great to see— GOODNESS (Y/N)! What happened to your face!?” in a matter of seconds, Astrid sprints towards you, and with her cold hands, she gently holds your face to examine the bruises. You quietly giggle and tell her you’ll be fine, though, you withhold the entire story of a divine beast possessing a noble and almost killing you in the process. Instead, you only tell her that you got them after a mission that the guild assigned to you.

She releases your face and lets out a short sigh. “Oh (Y/N), please take care of yourself next time. I don’t want you getting hurt,” you nod and she gives you a small smile in response. Her attention is drawn to the table as she watches the open suitcase and the miscellaneous objects scattered through the surface.

Svein points at the corner where a box of gloves is and silently tells Astrid and Roger to put them on before they touch anything. They comply and your brother explains your findings to them.

“A love letter? I thought that Sigurd didn’t want to date anymore after Émile passed away,” Roger mentions as he takes the letter from Svein and starts reading it. You remember the day of her funeral.

Sigurd couldn’t stop crying that day. He took your hand and walked towards the large tree behind the house. He cursed and screamed at the sky, he begged for whoever was out there for them to stop ruining our lives. He then hugged you and kept crying. You could only hug him back and let him use your shoulder to cry.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that Sigurd actually started dating someone and didn't tell anyone. Émile died when you were 16 and it's been six years since her death, so it wouldn't be strange if Sigurd fell in love with somebody else. However, he always had a soft spot for her, the two of them knew each other for as long as you can remember and her death hurt him a lot; for a year he spent most of his time locked up in his bedroom and always wore a fake smile around company.

Sometimes you heard him crying when everyone else went to sleep and he even told Astrid that he would never marry anyone else because his heart belonged to Émile.

"Could it be a stalker who sent him the letter?" it’s the question you fear the most, since sadly, it’s one of the more possible options. Sigurd's easy approachability and easy-going attitude meant that he knew a lot, and you mean A LOT of people. From nobles, to foreigners, to even the strangest of people, he would be friends with them. Hell, you even remember that he somehow was friends with Lilia Vanrougue, the right-hand man of the queen of the Valley of Thorns, and Prince Malleus's guardian.

His friendliness meant that he had many admirers, some of them were obsessed with him. You hope that this is a letter from somebody who he was dating.

You don't pay attention to the rest of the conversation your siblings are having, instead, you investigate the rest of the items. You grab the brochure and search for any clues. It shows a lovely lounge that has in the background a grand aquarium, at the top of the flier written in cursive lettering is the name "Mostro Lounge" and underneath is the promotion for various dishes. You look at the date, the promotion ended a few months ago, in fact, it seems that it ended around the time of Sigurd's disappearance.

You drop the brochure once again in the suitcase and instead grab the guidebook. You pass the pages filled with information about the history of the Land of Pyroxene and stop once you find a number of red circles littering the two-page map that's in the middle of the book. They mark various entertainment places such as restaurants, museums, boutiques, a flower shop, and a shopping center. But after that, there's nothing else of interest.

"The camera doesn't have a battery," Svein announces before placing the device back in its place. The four of you let out a disappointing sigh, since other than a note and a few clues this doesn't bring you any sort of information as to where Sigurd could be or what happened to him. "Well, the only thing that we found in this mess is that Sigurd might've been dating someone or that he may have a stalker," Roger says before pushing up his glasses and taking a seat on a nearby chair.

The room falls silent, each sibling lost in their own thought bubble. Whoever was trying to bury the suitcase either wanted someone to find it or was trying to hide some piece of evidence. Now is just a matter of figuring out what exactly all these pieces mean together.

Starting with the guidebook, many of the places marked within it, seem to be perfect spots to go out on dates or buy gifts. Expensive restaurants and art exhibits are usually the number one spot for dating in Pyroxene, so matching it with the love note asking someone (most likely Sigurd) to meet them in the Spelldrive Stadium, it seems that he was getting ready to go out on a date. But why all the way out in the Sunset Savannah? Wouldn’t it be better to have a date in Pyroxene?

This also pairs up with the expensive sweaters and the dressing shoes. Why would he place only those three things in a suitcase, scratch that, why would he carry around a giant suitcase that only has two sweaters and a pair of shoes to go on a date? … Wait.

It could be that he left those clothes at the house of the mystery person he was seeing. He probably gave them to them either because they were cold or for another reason. The shoes may be a gift for Sigurd. Look, your brother is your best friend, but that doesn't mean you know all the clothes he wears or the shoes he has, in fact, even you forget certain clothes you keep in your closet and you’re worse with jewelry, since that damn earring that Astrid gave you keeps going missing.

Now, the creepiest option, and the one that makes you nervous, is that the mysterious person who left the note may have stolen those clothes and kept them as some sort of object of obsession.

You look at the clothing, it doesn’t seem like they were washed for a good while. And the shoes have various marks and even dirt at the bottom. What you need to concentrate on now are the places mentioned in the letter and brochure: the Spelldrive Stadium and the Mostro Lounge. However, before you can keep examining even the smallest detail, the door of the police station slams open, and Epel hurries inside.

“(Y/N)! We have an emergency!”

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“We’re dealing with a cult,” you sit in front of prince Malleus, who has a cold and serious look plastered on his face. You feel the atmosphere in the room is tense and it makes your hair stand on end while your stomach ties itself in knots. The dragon leans back in his chair and continues.

“According to the information given to us by Ms. Meiji, she was encouraged to join by a former lover named Telesphore Cooper with the promise that the two of them could have a happy marriage, and according to her words ‘a place where I could get away and live without the prejudice from my parents’,” you nod and let out a sigh, remembering the frightened face of the poor girl.

“Apparently they call themselves 'The Followers of Gwendolen' and from what I could find, this Gwendolen seemed to be a devout follower of the beast Guddommelig ulykke ,” Malleus shakes his head and closes his eyes. “But that’s all I know. The only extra information we have is that the cult is no longer allowing any new followers and that they have a strange initiation ritual.”

The room falls into a deep silence as you think about what the prince just said. Gwendolen was a figure that was only mentioned in a few scrolls. She was a menacing and powerful witch, who gave up her life to protect Guddommelig ulykke in the final war against the divine beast thousands of years ago. Sadly, not much is known about who she was, where she came from, or why she was so devoted to the Divine Misfortune. To many scholars, she doesn’t even exist.

So, an entire cult dedicated to her is extremely strange and poses many questions, The biggest one being what is their ultimate goal. The hypothesis you currently have is that they want to bring back Guddommelig ulykke, but for what purpose, is what you don’t know.

It is likely that they believe that by bringing back the supreme divine beast they will have a way to create some kind of utopia, due to them being followers of the beast. Though it can definitely be for other reasons.

But there is already very little information about these beasts, much less how to summon them, so there you go blank. It is still too early to have a definite answer. You raise your head and carefully observe the prince. "Do we know if the cult has eyes on anyone else?" if they used Riddle to host the Divine Fury, it stands to reason that the cult is looking for its next victim.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. The International Spelldrive Tournament will be held in a few weeks. The teams from each region have already been chosen and many are already staying at Sunset Savannah, where the stadium is," he stands up from his chair and walks over to the window.

"However, several of the players have been seriously injured and have had to withdraw from their teams. The circumstances of their injuries are suspicious and in addition, we received reports that one of the servants that work for the Kingscholar’s encountered a mysterious figure wandering inside the palace in the early hours of the morning."

The prince turns his entire body and stares at you, his green eyes intimidate you. “This time you’ll attend the Tournament, not undercover but as (Y/N) (L/N), since you’ll need to access various areas using your position as a noble or with your position in the guild,” he hands you a folder and you begin to flick through the pages, coming across the various profiles of the players and important people that will be attending.

“You leave tomorrow and will work together with two newbies. I’ll send Sebek to give you more information later on,” you nod and stand up from the chair, holding the manila folder close to your chest. But, as you’re about to exit the room, the voice of the dragon prince stops you.

“Hold on a minute, (Y/N). I wanted to discuss something else before you go,”, you turn around to face him and feel nervous at the sudden stare he gives you. “I trust your abilities. You’ve been helpful in getting us information regarding this case and it was thanks to you that the Divine Fury was defeated.”

“However, you disappointed me by speaking confidential information with the various people that surrounded you on the last mission. You were meant to be undercover and yet, you seemed to forget your position,” you feel your hands get clammy as you let out a shaky breath. Shit.

You were so distracted by wanting to find out what was going on that you completely forgot that the people that were surrounding you were not comrades from the guild but innocent people that were thrusted into a dangerous situation. You feel so stupid.

He stands up and walks closer to you, while you lower your head in shame, feeling your stomach twist in various knots. “You were lucky that no one outside of the affected found out what happened. I’m sending you on this mission with a warning, if you mess up like this again, you will be removed. Do you understand?”

You nod and look up to face the prince, despite the frown that decorates his face, his expression is gentle. That still doesn't take away your embarrassment and shame, since you finally thought you could successfully integrate back into the field, but instead, you've screwed up by revealing sensitive information and involving other people in the mission. "I-I understand. I promise it won't happen again."

Satisfied with your answer, the prince returns to his desk and takes a seat. "Good. Remember, you have one chance. Don't waste it. Tomorrow you'll be picked up by Sebek and you'll meet the two companions you'll be working with on the mission." You nod your head again and say goodbye to the dragon, and as you close the door, you feel your eyes begin to burn as you scurry away towards the entrance.

"Don't be pathetic, stop crying. Learn from your mistakes and make sure you don't screw up again."

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You arrive at your house completely exhausted. Most of the car ride was spent in complete silence, as you wallowed in shame and cursed yourself into oblivion while Epel fell asleep due to exhaustion. You can’t blame him, it’s been a brutal day.

The keys softly jingle as the handle of the door is turned, the heavy doorway opening up to reveal a dark hallway. Epel is the first to take a step inside and grabs your coat before hastily walking up to the small closet to hand the pieces of clothing. You follow closely behind and shut the door, letting out a sigh as you stretch, some of your bones popping in the process.

“I’ll start making dinner while you change your clothes!” not allowing room for a discussion, the apple boy quickly sprints towards the kitchen, leaving you behind with a shocked expression. You sigh and shake your head, you will help him later with some of the other chores, but for now, it is best that you start packing another suitcase since you’ll be leaving early next morning.

However, as you start ascending the stairs, you feel that something is off. You can't put your finger on exactly what's bothering you, but you feel there's something strange in the air. Is it your exhaustion? Maybe you are hallucinating or overthinking things.

You continue walking down the corridor and head towards the room, still thinking about all the clues that were found inside that suitcase. Before you left, your siblings informed you that they’ll keep you up to date in case they find some new information about Sigurd’s whereabouts or who exactly left this suitcase buried. Since you’ll be going to the Sunset Savannah, it might be a good place for you to check out the Spelldrive Stadium and look for any clues, since the note mentioned the place.

You hope that you’ll get some answers soon.

But, you stop dead in your tracks when something runs past you and dashes at the end of the corridor.

FWOOSH

Was that a blue flame?

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Tag list:

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cyber-dump-171 · 2 years

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FLASH WARNING

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Well this is just annoying accurate...

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Chapter 11: When you come back

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 10 | Masterlist | Chapter 12 →

Word count: 5.1 k.

WARNING: mentions of verbal fight (between the reader and their father), beasts, injuries, blood, scars, cursing, hospital room and IV tube.

Note: I’m really sorry for uploading this late! I started my fourth semester at uni and I had a lot of things to do so this got pushed. I also started publishing this fanfic on Wattpad but I’ll post the link in the afternoon since the Uni Wi-fi blocked the website (I have no idea why xd). Anyways, thank you for your support!

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“(Y/N)! Wake up!”, somebody grasps your shoulders and shakes them harshly. Annoyed, you swat away the hand before turning to your side and snuggling further into your hands that were placed below your head, acting like a pillow.

The atmosphere around you is calm and serene, in the distance, you hear the chirping of birds, and the soft wind that passes through the trees shaking their leaves and branches. The grass you are lying on used to sting and itch you, but now it acts as a comfortable mattress which, together with the warm sunlight, encourages you to continue your deep sleep.

You hear a chuckle come from behind you. "At least sleep under the tree. You'll burn your face if you keep exposing yourself to the sun," you feel the person gently poke your back and take a seat near you. Knowing that he will continue to bother you if you pretend to continue sleeping, you slowly open your eyes and let out a groan as you stretch your limbs.

"Is the party over yet?" a yawn escapes you and you roll onto your side, to find yourself face to face with Sigurd. Your brother shakes his head and points his thumb over his shoulder towards the large garden where you hear the thunderous music and unintelligible cheers of drunk people.

"They've just started. Eline knocked down the whole champagne tower and Uncle Mikaeli got into a fight with Dad. So, things are going great!" you roll your eyes at Sigurd's sarcasm and sit down next to him. "And you? Did you get tired of imagining making out with Émile?", you give him a smirk and watch Sigurd's eyes widen like saucers.

"W-what? N-no, not at all! Svein sent me to tell you that lunch is being served! Also, I don't like Émile!", Sigurd stumbles over his words and crosses his arms with a frown. You let out a laugh, knowing that practically everyone but Sigurd and Émile knew that the two of them had a crush on each other. "Oh yeah, and I'm a vampire," your brother shakes his head with a smirk and gives you a teasing shove, muttering for you to shut up.

The two of you fall back into silence, choosing to observe the nature around you and listen to the ruckus that is happening in the distance. These last few days have been a complete blur for you, a mix of various white dresses, different flavors of the many meals served at the various banquets, greeting relatives whose faces you had never seen before, all while your anxiety and discomfort skyrocketed due to nerves and the number of people that were surrounding you in a very small room.

But you'll be leaving in a few days and even if it's only for a couple of months, you'll be glad you won't see your father's face for a bit. Sigurd turns his head to look at you and you notice he has a somber expression. "Hey... I heard you had a nasty fight with dad today, in the morning... are you okay?" he asks in a soft tone and you cringe as you remember the words that came out of him.

"It was nothing new, just him always blaming me for everything. Only this time, I got fed up and talked back to him and that's why he got mad," you care very little that today was his wedding day to Dorothea. The woman doesn't bring you good vibes after the many dinners you've had with her and you're not exactly excited to have her in the house.

You'll never forgive him for the fact that he also got engaged to her three days after Mom's funeral.

You feel Sigurd lay his head on your shoulder as he lets out a long sigh. The anger you felt previously at the memory of the vile words that came out of your father's mouth fades and you calm down. "...You know, I was so happy when I saw you excited when you got the letter from the guild...what a stupid grin you had on your face, and what was up with your laugh? You sounded like a duck!", rolling your eyes with a smile, you slap him hard on the shoulder and Sigurd lets out a laugh. "Wow, way to ruin the mood, dumbass," you tell him between laughs.

Between laughter and stupid jokes, you forget your anger and sorrows. It's a moment of calm and joy before you must venture back to the garden. Sigurd is the only one who could make your day with just one dumb joke. He is your best friend and brother.

Even though you are only 14 years old, in a few days you will join the guild and participate in the initiation and training program of Herald’s of the Empire together with Yuuken Enma, a childhood friend of yours. Although you have heard terrifying stories about those who are sent to hunt monsters, you are excited since you will dedicate yourself to the observation and documentation of beasts.

A chance to get away from the home that brings only bad memories.

A chance to stop feeling the hateful gaze of your father and the pitying looks of your siblings.

A chance to forget what happened to your mother.

You will miss Sigurd, but you have promised to write to him every week.

You are excited about this new adventure.

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Sigurd, where are you?

I miss you. We miss you.

Please come back home.

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“A parcel arrived for you this morning, (L/N)”, a rectangular-shaped box wrapped in brown manila paper is gently placed in front of you. You move around some of the papers and photos to take a closer look at the address of the package. A smile forms on your face when you recognize the familiar series of numbers and the name of the sender.

You turn to look at the person who has left you the package and give her a small smile. "Thanks for the delivery, Fleurette. Good job today, by the way," the redhead smiles back at you and heads for the door. "Same to you, (L/N)! Don't miss dinner today; the commander decided to be nice to us today and told the cooks to make minestrone!" you let out a quite laugh and say goodbye to the girl, telling her that you'll go eat in a little while.

Fleurette waves goodbye and leaves the cabin, the flimsy wooden door slamming shut and the cabin returns to a calm silence. You watch through the dirty window as the red-haired woman catches up to a group of people and they head towards the mess hall, exchanging laughter and jokes throught the way. You return to your work, typing away at the keyboard and revising your notes as you fill out the long and tedious report.

Afternoon turns to night and with it comes the pouring rain. As thunder rumbles in the distance, you hear your comrades running outside seeking shelter from the rainfall as they scream and curse because they got wet. You even hear a guy laugh out loud when one of his friends falls in the mud and gets his uniform dirty.

And you never went to dinner, too invested in finishing the damn report so you could have some extra time to read before you went to sleep, since the group would be leaving the abandoned village before the sun came up the next day.

You finish typing the last words of the report and let out a happy sigh, taking a quick look to fix any spelling or grammatical mistakes. Satisfied with the final product, you save the file and shut down the computer, tidying up the table and putting everything away into the worn-out satchel that you always carry.

It was handsewed by Svein, who gave it to you the day you got admitted into the guild. He looked really proud.

You walk around the room, stretching your body in hopes of getting rid of the tingling in your extremities. It had been a brutal day, one that started with everyone waking up to a monster raiding the camp and almost killing one of the soldiers since it snuck inside one of the cabins. Thankfully, they managed to avoid the attack and came out with only a few scratches.

The rest of the day was spent trying to take out a massive beast known as an Hodeskalle Knuseren that was terrorising a nearby town. The beast is fast and violent, and they are difficult to kill due to their enormous stature. After hours of battle, the monster was defeated and everyone went back to celebrate, well you didn’t join them, since you went back to your cabin to finish some reports and paperwork.

You finish stretching and let out a yawn as your eyes feel droopy. Yet as you're about to grab the mystery novel that you left half-read, you remember the parcel that was delivered earlier in the afternoon. You take the heavy box and head towards your bed, wanting to be in a more "comfortable" spot. Well, at least the harsh and weathered mattress was way better than the chair full of splinters that every time you move you feel that it was about to break.

You tear at the manila paper to reveal a varnished wooden box. It opens quite easily, since it lacks a latch, and a smile immediately appears on your features once you recognize the items inside.

The dark blue sweater is definitely from Astrid since she was always worried that you could easily catch a cold, the pocket knife is from Svein since you recognize the familiar beautiful carvings on the handle of the weapon, the thriller novel is from Roger since he and you always shared your thoughts on various books, and the dried fruit is from Sigurd since in one of the last letters you wrote to him you mentioned that you wanted to eat some.

Nestled in between all of the items, is an envelope that has the name of each of your siblings written in fancy handwriting that addresses you. But before you can tear it open to read it, the door of your cabin swings open and harshly hits the wall, catching you off guard and in the process, almost dropping the box to the floor.

"Rook? What're you doing here?" you ask as the blonde hunter steps inside and holds up two bowls full of soup to show you, shutting the door behind him. " Bonjour, bel oiseau! I noticed that you missed dinner, so I have brought it to you!" he happily waltzes towards where you are and takes a seat on your bed across from you. He hands you the bowl and you thank him quietly.

The ceramic is warm against your fingers and the delightful smell of the minestrone makes your stomach rumbles in response. You hear him let out a quiet chuckle but don't pay much attention to it, distracted by the hunger you feel at that moment. Taking the spoon you scoop up some of the broth with chopped vegetables and bring it to your mouth, the liquid warming up your body and quieting the noises coming from your stomach.

You and Rook eat in silence but it's not awkward, it's nice and you don't feel the need to start any kind of conversation with him. However, your eyes wander and you find yourself discreetly watching the hunter.

He is an extremely strange guy; his constant praising and calling everyone and everything beautiful weirded out some of your coworkers and as such, he usually ended up working by himself. You were paired up with him for a short mission and working with him is great, as his skills help to avoid any kind of casualties and he has a sharp eye to notice even the smallest of details.

However, after that, he always kept looking for you. He would wait for you outside of a meeting you were in to walk you home, would greet you when you came back from a mission and there was even a rumor that he would look for jobs in which you were participating to be near you. Though you really doubt that last one.

You’re curious as to why he does that but he never tells you the reason. Even when you ask him directly, he’ll either make you blush by showering you with tons of compliments or will quickly change the subject.

Still, his company is never unwanted by you. Setting aside his eccentric personality, you find him to be rather pleasant and interesting to talk to. You snap out of your thoughts once you notice that you've eaten the entire plate of soup. 'I must've been more hungry than I thought’ , you place the ceramic bowl on your bedside table and turn to face the hunter, whose empty dish sits snugly in the center of his folded legs.

"Oh wow, I didn't notice how long your hair got," you vaguely point at his long blonde locks that now pass his shoulders. "Didn't the captain Leandro scold you for that?", Rook chuckles. "Oui , he's quite stubborn about it. But, I've explained to him countless times that I always put my hair up!"

"Although, I'd only cut it shorter if you cut it for me," the bastard winks at you and you feel your cheeks turn red. However, you don't let his compliments get to you and look at him with a slightly amused expression. “I say because the captain will surely pay someone else to cut it off for you while you sleep," unfortunately, it will not be the first time that the captain has done that to one of his underlings.

"Ah well, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Anyways! Bel oiseau , I am very curious about the package that you have in front of you”, lowering your eyes towards the box, you explain to the hunter that it is a present from your siblings.

When you finish speaking, your eyes focus on the bag containing the dried fruit. It contains several pieces of fruit, enough to share between two or three people. Without much thought, you grab the bag and hold it out to Rook.

"Do you want to share? There's enough for both of us and it will take me a long time to eat them on my own," the hunter gives you a broad smile and nods excitedly. You open the bag, the smell of various fruits wafting through the air and place it between the two of you, taking a dried orange and popping it into your mouth. The faint citrus taste brings back a series of nostalgic memories.

You spend your 19th birthday eating dried fruit and chatting with the eccentric hunter. In two days, you will return home and see your family again after being away on a year-long expedition.

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I came back to work with the guild and can you believe that the very prince of the Valley of Thorns is the one who gives me the missions?

You had told me several times that you wanted to meet him, that you thought he was an interesting person

...

Astrid has already set a date for her wedding. She will get married at the beginning of winter.

Svein wants to buy a small place near the Coral Sea. He wants to open a restaurant.

And Roger adopted a dog, he named him Pluto.

...

I don't know why I keep writing letters.

I think it has become part of my routine.

But I'll keep doing it, so when you come back you'll know what happened.

Sigurd, where are you? Are you all right?

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It has been five days since (Y/N) was knocked unconscious after using their unique magic and vanquishing the divine beast. The unbirthday party went according to plan, no mistakes were made and nothing out of the ordinary happened during the celebration. However, the host of the event and several of the guests did not look cheerful, nor did they seem eager to participate, only making short conversations and quietly slipping away from the party.

The host, Riddle Rosehearts, the so-called “Red Tyrant”, could not stop thinking about the past day’s events. Even when his mother angrily whispered at him to pay attention, the boy gave a short greeting and went back to thinking.

He remembers waking up amidst the debris of nature, hundreds of leaves, branches, and rocks decorated the ground, as well as huge cracks. Someone shouts his name. He groans, confused and in pain, as he feels as if someone is trying to break his back in two. His head spins, his vision is blurry, and he hears the screams of several people in the distance. His body felt so weak; he could barely lift his head up to look… That's when he notices the figure lying face down just a few feet in front of him.

He recognized the hair color and the different uniform. His heart began to pound even faster when he saw that they didn't move a single muscle.

He felt Cater and Trey's hands gently grasp his arms and began helping the red-haired stand up, but the young man never took his eyes off the figure. He watched as Yuuken ran up to them and place a hand against their pulse, but he couldn't hear what he shouted. To the sides of his vision appear Ace, Deuce, and Epel, who also run towards the figure.

Riddle tries to ask what happened and if they are okay, if they are still alive. But he can't get the words out of his mouth, as if his voice had disappeared.

Panic begins to set in at the bottom of his stomach when Rook gently lifts (Y/N)'s head. Their eyes are closed, but underneath their eyelids are several streaks of blood that seem to represent tears. Their veins are also much more prominent and even appear to be a darker color, they remind him of the cracked skin of a porcelain doll face. They sport a number of scars and bruises, some still bleeding profusely. They also seem to be much paler.

He doesn't know what overcame him, but he suddenly has the desperate need to hold them. To satiate his thoughts that they were still alive. Mustering all his strength, he shakes off his two friends and runs toward (Y/N), hearing behind him the two men shout his name in shock and tell him to stop running. But he doesn’t listen. Riddle collapses in front of them but manages to grab their shoulders and hugs their body closer to his. Tears well up in his eyes as he feels their weak yet warm breath tickle the side of their neck.

Great Seven, they were still okay. You aren't dead.

"Riddle, sir!" he shears the voice of Deuce, who places a hand on his left shoulder. "Ah! Dude, don't do that, you're just gonna hurt yourself and (Y/N) more!”, Ace exclaims in complete surprise. But Riddle ignores their comments and looks directly at Yuuken. He can barely get a word out, but between sobs and trembling, the young lord murmurs if they are all right. His heart beats a mile a minute and he feels the pain in his head grow even stronger, he’s silently begging that you'll recover from this.

Yuuken nods fervently. "They are fine, this is just an effect of their magic. We just need to get them to a hospital. Don't worry, Riddle,” the red-haired slowly and gently lets go of (Y/N)’s body and allows himself to be carried by Trey.

From there, the young lord only recalls certain bits and pieces of that day. The sounds of soldiers running up and down the corridor outside his room, Prince Malleus arriving until nightfall and fixing the mess in the garden, the silence after (Y/N) and other guild members were taken to the hospital, Epel dressing his wounds, Ace bringing him food, Deuce healing some of his wounds and Cater helping him change his clothes and bandages.

However, for the first time, after many days, Riddle felt that an invisible weight had suddenly disappeared. During those five days, he always felt that there was someone watching him, constantly making him say things that he never wanted to say, or forcing him to do things that he absolutely would've refused to do. He felt as if somebody controlled him like a puppet, barely having control of his own body and emotions.

But deep down, he knows that he’s felt like that since he was a child, his mother making almost every decision for him and never letting him think for himself or do things without having somebody constantly watching over his shoulder and criticizing every single move. He finally feels that he’s able to take control of his own emotions and actions.

"Thank you. (Y/N), for everything... and to the rest of my friends too", whispered Riddle to the empty room. He then closes his eyes and falls into a deep slumber.

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Ace walks alone through one of the many bustling streets of the Rose Kingdom. Behind him, the sky has turned orange and visiting hours will end once the sky turns dark and the stars come out. He quickens his steps.

He is wearing his headphones, which are blaring rock music. In his left hand, he holds a bouquet of colorful flowers wrapped in light brown tissue paper. He turns right and stops in front of a crosswalk, waiting for the traffic light to turn red so that the cars will stop.

His destination? Red King Hospital, where his new friend now lies unconscious.

When the cars stop, he starts walking across the street with a group of people who were waiting with him. He holds the flowers a little tighter, being careful not to break the stems, and watches out of the corner of his eye as they gently rise and fall together with his steps.

He spent almost half an hour attempting to buy the flowers. Since he is completely ignorant as to what each flower means, he just picked the colors he liked and if they had a nice shape. It also didn't help that he had to take pictures of each type of flower and wait for Deuce and Epel, who took their sweet time to text him back with their choice of flower.

He enters the large white building and his nose is immediately invaded by the smell of bleach and other cleaning products. The hospital is relatively quiet, with a couple of people sitting in the waiting room and a woman heading down the hallway towards the patient rooms.

Ace heads towards room 413 and unplugs his headphones from his cell phone, cutting off the music. He hears machines beeping in the background and quiet conversations come from other rooms. However, he stops a few rooms before when he recognizes two figures standing outside (Y/N)'s room. "Hey! What are you guys doing here? I thought you had other things to do" at the sound of Ace's voice, Epel and Deuce turn their heads to look at him. They wave at him and the ginger walks over to the two.

"My mother is feeling better from her cold, so I decided to come visit (Y/N). My grandmother said to give them this," Deuce holds up a small book that appears to be a collection of stories. "I managed to escape from Rook and ran into Deuce so we both came together," Ace recalls Hunt taking the apple boy with the intention of "meeting up with an old friend again."

"Oh, got it. Well, since we're here, let's go inside," but before Ace can grab the door handle, the blue-haired man stops him. "Wait, there's someone else in the room with (Y/N). They were awake when we got here but whatever they’re talking about seems to be important" Epel whispers and Ace watches them in confusion. However, curiosity gets the better of him and the three of them put their ears to the door.

Two voices are heard in the room, one from an unknown man and the other is the familiar voice of (Y/N). They seem to be coming to the end of the supposedly “important discussion”, which is probably about their work. "We thank you for your time again, (Y/N)!", a more cheerful voice interjects and the three hear a small chuckle coming from the commander.

"You're welcome. As I told you, the final details will have to be discussed with Yuuken," (Y/N) mentions in a hoarse and somewhat hushed voice. They cough, hearing someone gently pat their back. "W-We want to apologize for coming to discuss work stuff with you when you just woke up, (Y/N)-shii," mentions the other voice, only this one is deeper.

"No need to worry, Idia. I still thank you for coming to visit me. I thank you too, Ortho," the high-pitched voice lets out a small laugh. “It was good to see you again, (Y/N)! I hope that we can see you more often!”, the person named Ortho replies and each of them says their goodbyes.

Quickly, the three of them outside, remove their ears from the door and pretend not to have heard the whole conversation. The blue door opens softly and out of the room come out two boys with fiery blue hair. The taller one ducks his head and avoids the gaze of the other three, while the smaller one happily waves at them before catching up with the other one who hastily walked away.

With the two unknown men gone, Ace, Deuce, and Epel quietly take a peek into the room. (Y/N) sits upright on the bed, an IV tube is connected to their left-hand wrist and a dark blue letter sits on their lap. Ace notices that (Y/N) looks exhausted, their wounds already healed, leaving only behind some scars, and there are dark circles under their eyes. Seeming to notice some new presence, the commander turns their head and comes face to face with the three boys. They give them a small smile.

"H-Hello. It’s nice to see you three. You guys can come in," they say in a hushed voice before coughing once again. First to pass is Epel, who gives (Y/N) a short hug, followed by Deuce who greets them and gives them his gift. Ace is the last to come in, closing the door behind him and placing the flowers near the letter they had left on the table.

"How are you feeling?" asks Deuce. "I feel fine, just a little headache and those annoying coughs. How are you guys doing?" Ace drags a chair over and places it next to the bed, taking a seat and crossing his leg as he lets out a sigh. "We’re fine, only a few scars and bruises that is,” (Y/N) nods before grabbing a glass of water that was placed on a nearby table and taking a sip.

“I see… what about the rest?”, they ask in a hushed tone. “Trey and Cater are also fine. And Riddle, well… he actually seemed a bit lost during the celebration but he after that he looked happier and went back to his normal self,” Epel says and at the mention of the young lord's new change, the commander let out a small sigh, most likely out of relief.

Ace is reminded of the blank stare that Riddle carried throughout the entire celebration. He played the role of a host well and would put on his best expression with the nobles who approached him, but once he was left alone, he swears that Rosehearts looked utterly bored and completely lost.

“He recovered somewhat quickly, although the doctor recommended that he take it easier after the celebration, other than that, he seemed to be fine”, Deuce says and (Y/N) nods, their expression turning serious. “I see. I'm sure Yuuken has informed him that he must report to the guild at least once a month for a health check-up, right?”, Ace nods remembering him being present when the black-haired man gave Trey the instructions.

However, the ginger remembers what happened a few moments ago and curiosity once again takes a hold of him again. "Hey, who were those two that were here a while ago?" (Y/N) directs their gaze towards Ace. "Ah, they were the Shroud brothers. I can't tell you what we talked about because it's confidential," the commander lets out a somewhat quiet laugh, and Ace sulks at the answer.

"Ah, how unfair! If you told us about the beasts, why not about this?" Deuce nods along with ginger, seeming to agree with him. Still, (Y/N) doesn't say a word about the conversation. "It's business with the guild, specifically, between commander and captain of another organization," the commander says with a smile.

Everyone continues to talk about various topics, sharing laughs and anecdotes, until visiting hours are over. The three say goodbye to (Y/N) and each returns to their respective homes on their own. Well, Epel heads back to the hotel where he was staying.

On the way home, Ace thinks about the events that happened last week. It almost doesn't feel real, as if it was a product of his nightmares. The only thing he has to prove that it was real is some cuts and bruises that linger on his skin.

As Ace gets closer and closer to his home, his mind wanders to (Y/N). He remembers when the smoke cleared and the hideous monster disappeared, he saw in between the ruble two bodies. Riddle was the first one to start moving but he went into a panic when the commander did not move a single muscle.

He thought they were dead.

But as Yuuken quickly searched for their pulse and shouted that they were alive, Ace felt incredibly relieved... happy that they were okay.

He wonders why he worries so much for a person he just met not even a week ago. He accompanied them to investigate an abandoned campsite, when he heard Avery scream he bolted towards where they were worried that something happened to them, he didn't mind fighting a monster with them...

"Why?" he wonders as he arrives at the front gate of his house. "Am I... Am I so desperate for... a friend?"

His thoughts get interrupted when his brother comes out of the house and greets him, ushering him inside to eat dinner.

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Sigurd, I wanted to tell you that I think I finally made some friends.

I met them during a mission.

I really like them, they’re very interesting and funny people.

I hope that one day you get to meet them.

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Translation:

Hodeskalle Knuseren (Norweigan): Skull Crusher.

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WAIT WHAT!? WHAT HAPPENED!!!?

#twisted wonderland #i mean i'm not complaining #watch me get no luck on future pulls xd

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Vil x MC thoughts

Vil, staring at MC blushing: I can't believe I, Vil Schoenheit, fell in love with such a stupidly dense person.

MC in eye contact with Vil: lmao who're you crushing on

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Animal Crossing Switch Pins made by MikkuStudios

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colors Nihonbashi

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Chapter 10: Riddle Rosehearts

Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

← Chapter 9 | Masterlist | Chapter 11 →

Word count: 5.9 k.

WARNING: mentions of blood, violence, weapons (spears), possession, beast, body horror, cursing, and child abuse/neglect (Riddle's mother and also the reader's parents).

Note: Ok, I kinda got confused, but next chapter is the end of heartslabyul story arc. This one is a long one, so get ready! Thank you again for your lovely comment and support!

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There is an invisible tension pervading the atmosphere of the room. Everyone is completely silent, pondering over the theory you have just stated. Your eyes focus on Lord Rosehearts, who has lowered his gaze and his hands are shaking. He is completely different from the image with which he normally presents himself: pristine clothes without any wrinkles, no hair out of place, and he walks with his back straight and his gaze always facing up, it's the spitting image of what a nobleman is supposed to behave and look like.

And now in front of you, is a young man who is terrified of what he has been told, he no longer follows the rules established by parents, society, and tutors, right now he's vulnerable and scared, a human with flaws and fears.

"However, we must consider this to be just a theory at the moment", after all, you're going on a hunch and you might be completely wrong. The creature and the weird anomalies may just be caused by something else and Riddle's outburst might be the product of his anxiety or something else.

Though it still doesn't take away the feeling that something is definitely wrong.

"If this were to be true, how would we know if a divine beast truly possesses Roseheart’s body? And how do we even get it out of his body?", Malleus asks with a calm tone, though the frown that decorates his face clearly states otherwise. You scratch your arm absentmindedly, racking your brain for any sort of information.

The divine beasts have been a great mystery to mankind, including when they roamed Twisted Wonderland. Many of the manuscripts that speak of them are in very poor condition: parts torn, letters erased either by poor preservation, water, mold, among others. The letters are difficult to read and because of the language in which they were written, many of these pieces seem more like riddles than descriptive entries.

And those that have been rescued in their entirety hardly give any information about them as they tend to concentrate on the fiercest beast of all, Guddommelig ulykke. Its power was so magnificent and terrifying that one of the manuscripts describes how the beast enveloped in complete darkness two villages and with the palm of its hand eradicated an entire city.

"That's the problem. Even though divine beasts are a big part of history, there is very little information about them, the most concrete fact that we have are their names and from there, much of the information about these monsters come from legends, theories, and hypotheses," Yuuken explains with a hushed tone.

'Wait a minute... Legends... That's it!'

You let out a sudden gasp and your eyes widen in happiness, reminding you of an old legend of one of Sleepy Hollow's inhabitants. The three men turn to look at you with curious stares. "Ichabod Crane, was a somewhat strange schoolteacher, who lived in Sleepy Hollow a few years after its initial founding. He was a superstitious man and his goal was always to find someone to take care of him, usually chasing after widows," you continue.

"I'll get to the point because the story is long. Legend has it that Ichabod, after a party, went back through a forest and came face to face with the Headless Horseman, another famous legend of Sleepy Hollow. The children are told the version that Ichabod returned home safely, but the original legend doesn’t stop there," Riddle raises his head and looks at you with crystalline eyes.

"Ichabod returned to town with tattered clothes and a pale face. He did not attend to his work due to terrible nightmares that prevented him from sleeping. His behavior became more drastic, he had constant outbursts and he was more violent and erratic. He became paranoid and did not allow anyone to enter his home. However, five nights after the headless horseman incident, Ichabod stood in the middle of the central square and his back snapped in two," Riddle's face becomes even paler.

"From his back, a huge creature came out that looked very much like one of the divine beasts, though they never specified which. Ichabod's veins were dark and his tone of voice became distorted. The creature roared and began to attack the villagers, who took refuge in the church. Finally, after two days the townspeople managed to defeat the beast by using magic and attacking its weak point: a crystal in the middle of its chest", you continue, "Ichabod got out of the situation safe and sound, but he fled the town and no one saw his face again”, you finish the story and take a deep breath.

“What I am getting at, is that if there is a possibility that Riddle is possessed by a divine beast, we can attack the monster that possesses him by destroying the crystal in his chest," you turn to face the red-haired Lord. “Now I would like to ask Rosehearts something, how long ago did you have your first nightmare?", Riddle is silent for a moment, his gaze lost. After a few seconds, the red-haired man looks up and watches you somewhat tensely. "... Five days ago", your nerves increase but you show no signs of fright. You don't want to scare him anymore.

"So, if something were to happen, it would have to be today," Yuuken mentions with a frown and stands up from the chair. "Going back to Malleus' initial question, how do we know if Rosehearts really is possessed?", you nod and let out a silent sigh.

"If we follow the same version of the legend, we can deduce that Ichabod exhibits similar patterns to Rosehearts situation, due to the fact that they both suffer from nightmares and demonstrate erratic and out-of-general behaviors. We can only know if he is truly possessed until a few moments before the beast appears, for example, his veins will turn dark, his voice may be distorted and if I remember correctly, another legend mentions a change in his physical appearance", you hear the door behind you creak a little but you don't pay much attention to it, since you are watching Riddle directly.

"I have a question," says Riddle with a hushed voice and unable to look at your eyes. "This Ichabod... what happened to his back after the beast appeared?", his voice is quiet but he doesn't seem to be as frightened as before. "According to legend, Ichabod didn't suffer much damage other than some pains in his body. And as I recall, as he fled the village, he died of old age and not from the incident," you decide to add the last part as you had a feeling that was the next thing Riddle was going to question.

Satisfied with your answer, the red-haired man is quiet for a few seconds and then stands up from his chair and looks at you determinedly. "I see. What should we do to get rid of this beast?" asks Riddle, this time you notice that his nervousness has mostly disappeared, however, you notice that his hands are still shaking.

"First, we will have to have a spacious and free area, as the beasts are rumored to be of great stature. Also, we want to keep the monster from getting within reach of any objects that could potentially be used to harm anyone who is going to fight," the red-haired man nods and the prince decides to step in.

"Our main concern is to keep the arriving guests and the rest of the volunteers safe. I'll take care of that. Enma and (L/N), I can trust you to take care of Rosehearts," Malleus orders. You and Yuuken nod, however, before either of you can speak, the door to the study slams open.

"I refuse to leave (Y/N) alone! I volunteer to help," it's Deuce, who has burst through the door shouting. Behind him follow Ace and Epel, the lilac-haired boy with the same look of determination while Ace looks somewhat worried. Looking over his shoulder are Cater and Trey who are standing by the studio entrance. The orange-haired one gives you a thumbs up and a smile, while Trey nods at you with a serious look.

"All of you! Didn't you just hear what Mx. (Y/N) just said? This is dangerous!" says Riddle in surprise. Epel steps forward with a serious look. "I made (Y/N) a promise that I wouldn't leave them alone no matter what. So I'm staying too!", Epel says. Ace crosses his arms and shakes his head. "I'm not too excited about fighting a giant beast. But, after what the two of us went through, I'll help out too. Besides, I was already starting to like you," the boy gives you a smirk.

You feel happy. Even though they know the danger they are facing, they have decided to stay to help you. You will protect them from any danger, even if it is until your last breath.

Enthused, you nod to them with a smile. "If you think you are strong enough to help with this, I won't object. But remember, you are responsible for your injuries and to an extent, your own death," Malleus' words seem to startle the group for a bit, but they still nod. "Well, we must plan this well and fast, before something else happens to Riddle," Yuuken orders.

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Malleus has left the mansion in order to entertain guests at one of the more luxurious hotels in the Rose Kingdom, while you and Yuuken have taken Riddle into the expansive garden and placed him in an open area, tying his hands and strapping the chain to a metal pole. Riddle has put on simpler clothes and has been stripped of any jewelry or belongings that could serve as a weapon.

Enma has retreated to the main hall to make a call, he told you that one of the battle squads belonging to the guild is already on its way, so now is just waiting until they arrive. The other five volunteers went to help some guild members with other preparations, such as setting traps at the entrances to the Tulgey forest in case Riddle escapes, covering the windows facing the garden, and checking the perimeter to scare off any innocents that are wandering around the area.

And then there's you. You've taken it upon yourself to supervise Riddle along with other members of the guild. You will be analyzing and studying the behavior that Riddle demonstrates as a host of one of the divine beasts. You hope that you can also find different solutions to ease the pain or get the monster out of the host's body. But for now, the only thing that you can do is wait for the monster to appear.

"Are you alright commander?", you snap out of your thoughts when you hear the voice of one of the members. He seems to be one of the newer recruits, judging by his appearance and attitude. Many of the newbies tend to be more positive than some of the veterans, which is nice since they can boost the morale of other members.

You shake your head and maintain a neutral expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. I hope I'm wrong about all this, that everything that happens is just a big coincidence," you look at Riddle, who unlike a few hours ago, is completely serene. It is disturbing to see him this way. His gaze is lost and he hasn’t moved a single muscle for a while, it reminds you of arduous times when you were just starting out in the guild.

You were on a boat that had a destination towards an abandoned island. You don't remember what the mission consisted of, since those memories are blurry and not exactly something that you want to remember, but the most vivid memory of that incident was the lively yet tense atmosphere.

The older members sang stupid songs while drunk, cheering up a large part of the crew, others drank from large mugs filled to the brim with beer, and then there were the newer ones, the “rookies". Neither beer, food, nor music distracted them, they were sitting in a corner, hugging their weapons close to their bodies, and had a blank stare. It seemed that those poor guys were accepting that they would die that very day. From what you can barely remember, they all made it out alive but were heavily wounded.

“Don't worry commander. Whatever happens, with your guidance, all of us will be alright", with all that positivism he has, he is definitely a rookie. However, you give him a small smile and the young man excuses himself, going to help some companions.

You turn your gaze back to the young Lord and something pops into your head. Ichabod demonstrated behaviors that he kept hidden, even in other versions of the legend, it said that he demonstrated various attitudes that he had left abandoned in the past. So, regarding the obsession that Riddle previously demonstrated for everyone to follow all the Red Queen's rules, it must be a behavior that he had acted upon in his past since this morning he spoke about regretting his sudden behavior.

And that brings you to another question, why was it only this morning that Riddle completely changed his behavior? When you entered the study, the tense aura and harsh stares that came from Riddle seemed to completely disappear, and in front of you, there seemed to be a totally different person.

Well, the only way to find these answers is to ask the red tyrant directly. Even if he only gives you a little bit of information, that should do it.

You walk towards Rosehearts and stand in front of him. The young man seems to snap out of his thoughts once he feels your presence and turns to face you. In return, you give him a small smile and take a seat in front of him, crisscrossing your legs and placing your hands on top of your knees. “How are you feeling?”, you start with a simple question. “I'm fine, I don't feel anything new," he says in a hushed tone.

You nod and decide not to waste too much time, as at any second the beast may appear. "Forgive me if this is a bit sudden, Mr. Rosehearts, I need to ask you about how it is that you behaved in the past, specifically with your insistence for the Queen of Hearts rules to be followed," the red-haired man looks up and his eyes widen in surprise. "You can call me Riddle, you mustn't be so formal... and may I ask, why do you want to know that?", his gaze turns serious.

"The legend of Ichabod spoke of him demonstrating behaviors he had previously left in his past. I have a feeling, that your sudden outbursts and your demands for everyone to follow the rules are not just the effects of the beast taking control, but something else that has to do with your past," the red-haired man turns his head to the side, avoiding looking you directly in the eye.

His expression turns from serious to something akin to regretful. He closes his eyes and lets out a sigh after a few seconds and looks back at you, returning to his neutral expression. "The story is long, so bear with me while I tell it. It's not exactly a time in my life when I was proud of the way I behaved, but the attitude you witnessed during your stay was exactly the way I behaved when I was a teenager," Riddle takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Since I was little, my mother controlled every aspect of my life like my clothes, food, studies, and especially my time. I was always surrounded by lessons I had to finish, sometimes, they would even extend longer. While many children had enough time to play and study, for me, I was locked away studying all of the time, that was always my 'normal'”, he continues with a sigh. “I still remember that on my 8th birthday she made a sugar-free birthday cake filled with nuts. It was made from soy flour. I asked her if I could, just for that one occasion, eat a tart filled with bright red strawberries... just like the one displayed in the shop window of a bakery. She immediately told me that I couldn't eat that, since desserts filled with sugar like that are basically like poison for the body".

Riddle starts to stumble over his words, his eyes go glassy but that doesn't stop him. “That same year I met Trey and a boy named Che'nya. They knocked on my window and asked me to play during my free hour. Playing with them was very fun. They taught me so many new games. So during each free hour, I always snuck out of my room without my mother’s knowledge. And one day, I finally got to eat one of those tarts...", his gaze is lost but rather than the grim look that used to decorate his face there is now a faint smile.

"The one bite I took was so sweet, and it was so delicious, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before… and then I lost track of time... my mother found out and harshly scolded me. I broke the rules, so even those fun times were taken away from me. That’s why, I had to listen to every rule that Mother said, because she, who was known by everyone in town, would always be right".

Riddle grips tighter the hold on his chains and continues. "So I followed her rules until I became Headwarden of one of the dorms at my high school... but I lost control, and I started lashing out for even the tiniest of mistakes, using my magic to seal away those who broke the rules because I felt as if it was my obligation to keep everyone on track", a few tears fall from his eyes and his voice becomes shaky. "It got so bad that I lost control... I just wanted to eat a lot of tarts even if it was only on my birthday, I wanted to play outside a lot, I-I wanted to make lots of friends. Instead, I hurt so many people".

"I vowed from that day on that I would never repeat that day's mistakes. I accepted the fact that not everything has to be perfect, that it is completely fine to commit those mistakes, and yet... I repeated those exact same actions just a few days ago… I’m so ashamed", he finishes his story and he lowers his head.

The air between the two of you is quiet, the only things that you can hear are Riddle's sniffles and the distant chattering of some members of the guild. You gently place one of your hands on top of his and gently squeeze it, in hopes to bring some type of comfort, yet your gaze is lost as you think upon Riddle's words.

The way he describes his mother reminds you a lot of the way your father and to an extent, your own mother, were. Not because they had a similar way of raising the two of you, in fact, you remember that your parents barely pay attention to you and your siblings, but because they were never meant to be actual parents or guardians.

When you think about it, even if Riddle were to become one of the strongest mages, he would be miserable. He was desperate to have some connection with others, to be a normal child that could go outside to play and eat some sweets from time to time. Instead, his mother isolated him from other children and forced him to study from the moment he woke up to when he went to bed.

You don't wish to think about your parents at the moment, it will just make you more upset. Instead, you give one more squeeze to Riddle's hand and turn to face him. "I want to apologize for making you remember such awful things. I know that it isn't easy to retell those memories", the red-haired man looks up and a couple of tears fall from his eyes and stain his cheeks. Using the sleeve of your sweater, you gently wipe away some of them.

"You said it yourself, you vowed to never become that person. So, keep following those words and if you ever slip up, reflect, apologize and move on. If you are constantly reminding yourself of only bad memories, you will only continue to hurt yourself even more", you hear in the distance a door opening and some excited chattering as well as some laughs, and suddenly somebody shouts.

"Commander (Y/N)!", you turn around and find one of the guild's soldiers shouting at you. "Mr. Hunt asks if you could come to see him!", you yell back that you will be with him shortly and the soldier scurries back inside the mansion. You turn to face Riddle once again. "It will be over soon. I promise that I will protect you and everyone else that is here against any danger that appears", the red-haired nods with a smile at your response.

You stand back up again and bid farewell to Riddle, who returns the goodbye. As you walk towards the house, the red tyrant looks up into the sky and notices that it has suddenly turned darker.

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A half hour has passed since Rook and the battle squad arrived at the mansion. The rest of the volunteers have finished with their tasks and everyone has gathered in the main hall to go over the fighting strategy.

The plan is simple: you and Rook will be in charge of attacking the crystal and if there is a shell protecting the artifact, you two will be in charge of destroying it. Trey, Cater and Ace together with the battle squad will attack the monster's limbs and help weaken it, while Yuuken, Deuce, and Epel will be in charge of providing support, either by attacking or acting as nurses in case there are wounded.

Everyone is going over the plan and discussing different attack tactics when the conversation is interrupted by a loud bang that shakes the windows and furniture. "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD," shouts Riddle's voice, followed by the shrieks of the various soldiers outside who were guarding him.

Wasting no time, you run out of the room, the rest following close behind. The door of the garden swings open as you step out into the garden and find every single soldier wearing the exact same collar that Ace had a few days ago. "What happened?!", Yuuken asks urgently to one of the nearby members. "W-We don't know! Mr. Rosehearts was fine a second ago and then the ground started to shake and then we had these collars around our necks", the young member responds, dazed and confused. “AGH! Get out of my head!”, yells the red-haired. And suddenly, he goes completely limp.

You bring your gaze to Riddle who is standing in the middle of the garden. Moving a little closer you notice his appearance; his eyes have rolled to the back of his head, leaving only his sclera visible and some tears flowing from them, his body trembles slightly and his veins have turned a dark color, almost black. The young Lord moves his mouth but no words come out, only strange sounds and moans. However, Riddle manages to get out a few halting words. "(Y/N)... h-help me... please... p-please".

You fail to answer him as Riddle's body is violently thrown into the air, now levitating, the only thing keeping him tied to the ground are the chains that were wrapped around his wrists.

You slowly back away from the body but never tear your eyes away from him, watching as his extremities turn and crack in natural ways. "What the fuck is happening?!", screams Ace in a panic, the rest of the soldiers also run away from Riddle. The sky turns dark all of the sudden, with hundreds of gray clouds blocking the rays of the sun, the trees shake violently as a powerful and freezing breeze passes through them.

"EVERYONE TO YOUR POSITIONS NOW!", you yell and the soldiers move into their respective places. The wind increases its intensity as Rook goes to stand beside you. He suddenly points upwards to where Riddle's body is. "Great Seven, what is that?", you look towards where he's pointing and your stomach ties itself into various knots.

The clouds form a massive hole that begins to grow bigger and bigger as the wind increases. Thunder now can be heard, as bright lighting bolts crack upon the earth, making some of the soldiers scream and curse in surprise. The rocks from the ground also begin to float and suddenly, Riddle's body arches forward and from his back, something comes out.

Tens if not hundreds of thin lines of black and gray smoke begin to dance around the sky as they start to form the shape of a creature. They increase their speed as a more cohesive yet macabre figure begins to appear. The lightning and thunder increase as now red smoke joins the rest of the other lines as the surroundings become extremely chaotic.

And suddenly, the wind stops and you gasp in pure shock as you witness the monster that stands in front of you. It's taller than the trees, and its body is completely white but you can see blotches of reds and oranges scatter through its skin. It has four massive arms, one that holds Riddle's now limp body, and each hand sports five fingers with razor-sharp claws.

On the back of its head sprouts a number of red and orange flames that dance with the wind, they seem to simulate hair. And finally, the creature opens his eyes, revealing scarlet orbs that glisten like rubies, and it unhinges its mouth to show a row of sharp teeth from which a dark goopy substance emerges. And there, in the middle of its chest, is a small crystal the same color as its eyes.

It lets out a powerful roar that shakes the foundation of the house and sends stumbling back some of the soldiers. "YOU FOOLISH HUMANS; YOU DARE INTERRUPT THE PLANS OF THE ALMIGHTY GUDDOMMELIG RASERI!?", the creature roars in a distorted voice. So this is the Divine Fury.

"YOU WEAKEN MY HOST AND NOW YOU PLAN TO KILL ME!?", the creature lets out a mocking laugh, before stepping forward and emitting a second roar. "YOU WILL ALL PERISH TODAY FOR THINKING YOU ARE BETTER THAN ME". The creature slams down one of its hands, opening some cracks on the ground. Lowering its head, it opens its mouth and spits out a blast of fire that almost engulfs some of the soldiers. Fortunately, they managed to evade the attack and jump into safety. "Use water and ice attacks. NOW!", Yukken yells and everybody starts attacking the beast.

Ace is the first to attack one of the shoulders of the creature using an ice spell, while Deuce manages to summon a cauldron that falls right on top of the monster's head, with Trey quickly following behind and casting a water spell that hits the beast's ear. The soldiers on the ground begin chanting ice spells that make the giant divine beast stumble on its feet while the soldiers who had collars use spears and other weapons to do physical damage to the monster's limbs.

You and Rook quickly run forward, casting various water spells that attack directly to the cristal. But the creature immediately covers the crystal using the thick black smoke from earlier.

Even with the large number of people fighting it does nothing to stop the divine beast, who angrily roars and once again slams his hand upon the ground. The powerful shake sends some soldiers and even Cater flying through the air as they harshly fall against some bushes and the ground.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!", in between the commotion you can hear Epel yelling before he casts another spell this time directed at the head of the creature, but hits the side of its forehead. Cater stands up once again and uses his unique magic to summon some of his clones and each of them cast various different spells that attack the creature.

Yuuken has joined the collar soldiers in stabbing the legs of the creature, though he quickly backs out with an injured soldier. You manage to cast a spell that hits directly into the divine beast's eyes. The strike causes the beast to momentarily lower its defense and you can see that the thick smoke that protected the crystal becomes a bit transparent. "Attack the cristal", Rook nods at your command, and the two of you cast powerful spells, but that only manages to produce two cracks on the crystal.

Feeling the pain, the divine beast screams out another roar but this time is so deafening that you cannot help but cover your ears. The rest of your comrades follow your exact same motion, feeling the shrill tone of the beast's scream pierce through their ears. The creature takes this distraction to lurch forward and attacks you and Rook. The hunter yells at you to watch out and the both of you successfully avoid one of its fire attacks by jumping to the side.

But it's relentless, since it swings one of his hands towards you but you once again avoid it, the creature hitting a tree. As the beast lifts up one of his hands to repeat the attack, you cast an ice spell that manages to burn its wrist. "(Y/N)! BEHIND YOU!", Cater yells but before you can turn around something sharp stabs through your back. The wound feels like it's on fire and you can fill the droplets of your blood falling to the ground.

Slowly, whatever is stabbing you, begins to lift you up in the air, digging even further into your back. You scream in pain and turn to look over your shoulder and find out that it's one of the smoke lines that formed the body of the creature.

"PAINT THE ROSES!", it's Trey's voice and as he casts the spell, the black smoke disappears, instead, turning into various playing cards. This also means that nothing is holding you and you start to fall to the ground at a fast speed. However, Rook manages to catch you before you hit the ground. You look directly at the green-haired man who ran towards you as you stood up again.

"W-what was that?", you ask somewhat dazed as your heart fastly beats against your ribcage. Trey shakes his head hurriedly. "It was my unique magic, it gives me the ability to temporarily overwrite certain things, like magic", you'll have to ask him for a further explanation later. Right now, you need to kill that thing.

Lightning keeps striking the ground as the beast's movements become erratic and more violent. It grips the body of Riddle even tighter and keeps striking the ground with its free hand. The harsh winds and levitating rocks have managed to leave various scratches and bruises all over your body. You even saw a rock hitting Ace directly to the face and one hit Deuce on the mouth.

Your comrades are also starting to get hurt, Trey and Rook have various scratches on their faces and neck, Epel has a cut on his lip and is holding his stomach and Yukken has a cut on his forehead that’s bleeding profusely as well as various scratches. This is not going well. ‘All of them look so tired, they must’ve used a good amount of their magic.’

The beast lowers its fist once more to the ground and you fall due to the impact, slamming your face against the ground. "YOU THINK YOU CAN’T DEFEAT ME, YOU PUNY HUMANS", it mockingly laughs and you stand up again a bit dizzy, your nose bleeding.

You take a look around and see everyone fighting, their faces and body have a number of scratches and surface wounds, meanwhile, others are bearing worse, their injuries too deep and they're nearly holding it together.

You start to lose hope. But in between your dizziness, you examine your surroundings. Darkness... there is darkness that you can use to your advantage. The clouds have created a number of shadows and the harsh winds have knocked down various lamps. With the crystal having two cracks and everyone attacking at the same time, you may be able to use your unique magic to give a powerful strike to the jewel, and then it is just a matter of the rest of your comrades casting various spells to break it.

You take a few steps forward making sure that there aren't any people surrounding you. Your new position catches the attention of the beast who prepares to strike down once again. But you won't let it. You extend your wand and point directly towards the cristal, as you prepare to cast the spell. As quickly as you can, you gather the darkness that surrounds the entire battlefield, forming a small ball of dark matter that floats right above the tip of the wand.

The light inside the mansion flickers, the breeze picks up speed, the storm rages even more violently and you can hear Yuuken in between the ruckus yelling at you to stop, knowing what you’re about to do. Silently apologizing and watching as the divine beast lowers its fist you yell the command. "DEAD MAN'S WISH!"

And suddenly, you feel as if the world stops for a single moment. Everything becomes quiet for just a second... and then... you scream in pain.

The sound comes back with a roar and it feels as if your entire body has been set on fire, as the black almost purple lighting bolt shoots from your wand and hits directly to the crystal. This time the beast yells in unison with you, and tears start falling from your eyes as the pain almost makes you go numb. But you keep pushing, the crystal cracking more and more.

The beast in a futile attempt tries to cover the jewel, but the spell quickly burns at his fingers, making him recoil his hand almost instantly. Feeling numb and dizzy and your voice starting to go hoarse, you quickly put an end to the spell, the chaotic atmosphere stopping and the crystal almost completely cracked.

You fall to your knees and begin to take deep breaths as you hear Yuuken yell from somewhere behind you. "ATTACK THE CRYSTAL NOW!", you lift your gaze up as you watch tens of blue rays strike at the same time the crystal.

The beast keeps roaring but this time from the pain and as the crystal is almost completely broken, the creature slowly starts to disintegrate, Guddommelig Raseri yelling its final curses as the smoke slowly consumes his form once again. Riddle's body falls from the sky but it's quickly caught by Cater and Trey. The dark cloud begins to disappear from the sky, revealing the beautiful sun once again, and as you hear the soldiers and fellow comrades celebrate this brand new victory, your vision turns dark.

And you pass out.

After all, you will protect them from any danger, even if it is until your last breath.

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