Heyyy it's me. Again. Sinister fic Round 3! Bc I love the concept of Guardian, but it was unfortunately verrry choppy etc being my first and all, I don't think it did Bughuul and Syl much justice lol! But I do soooo appreciate the favs/follows it got! That still makes me so happy!

Anywho, I decided to make a sequel vs a major reconstruct of the original. And uhhh this references Guardian enough so it's not necessary to read it (me? embarrassed? Naaah.)

Thanks a BUNCH for checking this out! Hugs, -st0rmy

((And if doing this isn't a "thing" let me know and I'll just add on to the original?))


She woke up cradled in his arms. Something wasn't right. Mind still foggy, she looked up at him, trying to focus her eyes. "Bughuul?" she asked, voice slightly hoarse. "What's...happening?"

"I'm sorry," she heard his rich, soothing voice murmur in her mind. "You won't really remember this," he said quietly, smoothing her hair.

She didn't know why she felt this way. She didn't know why he sounded so upset. She didn't know if this was even real. "Don't leave," she pleaded, weakly stretching her hand to his. "I don't feel well."

He grasped her hand, slowly stroking it with his thumb. She was ice cold. "Ensley... in order for you to become immortal, I have to absorb your death." Syl nodded weakly. "But in order for me to absorb your death," he hesitated, squeezing her hand gently and letting out an almost shuddering breath. "You have to die." The voice in her mind became a barely-audible whisper. "Which means I have to-"

"Kill me," she finished. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew she didn't want him to have to say it out loud.

"I'm so sorry." His telepathic voice broke as he gently caressed her face.

"But, I'll be alive again, right?" Syl asked. Part of her didn't fully realize what she had just heard, but the rest of her was willing to go through with it.

"Of course," he replied. "Of course. But I didn't tell you that until now. I-"

"Hey," Syl interrupted. "Whatever it takes. I still want you. I want to be with you always." Her body shook with a chill.

"I promised I would be your guardian. I don't want to do this to you."

"You're still protecting me. I trust you. I'd rather die by your hands and get to be with you for eternity than die alone by my own hands." That would have been her eventual fate. He sighed deeply at her comment. "You won't leave?"

"No, I will not leave you. I promise you."

"When this is done, you'll be here?" she confirmed. He nodded, slowly running his fingers across her face. She was getting progressively colder. Her eyes were getting blearier. She reached her hand up to him, letting it rest on his face and neck. "Don't leave me."

Those were her last words as a mortal human.

She would die, he would absorb the death, and she would be alive again. Her death - the only darkness she had - would give both him and his realm an immense amount of power. He would not have to require a sacrifice for a while, giving her plenty of time to adjust to her new life before subjecting her to one of the rituals. Her death would become a part of him; it would become part of his realm.

It was dark and cold. It felt like she was underwater, but she was dry. She could breathe. Sounds resonated around her, but she didn't heed them. She kept walking, the ground a liquid metal under her feet. It was like a tunnel, and there was a break in the darkness up ahead.

There was a large rectangular spot of light. She focused on the light, though she thought she would be safer in the tunnel itself. She kept walking towards it, but it kept getting farther away.

He went to her periodically, but he never stayed long. He would talk to her while smoothing her hair. He'd let some kids in at times. Every time he left, he felt he should go back. He promised to keep her safe, to watch over her, did he not? But she was safe.

He knew she had made her decision without much thought, he knew it was impulsive but sincere. He knew more than she did, but failed to tell her. She knew enough, but not everything. For one, immortality itself would be a huge adjustment. But now she would be surrounded by darkness, though she would adjust. She would never be able to go back to her normal, mortal life. She could feel trapped, if not now, then a few weeks. Days. Months. Years. Centuries.

An endless life, that he would do everything in his power to make better than her old life. Her future, her happiness, her life, all would rest in his hands. The promise to protect her was relatively easy when she had control over her life and her surroundings.

But his promise now leaned more towards giving her a good, happy life, without cares, without heartache, without being alone. He laid his forehead on hers and uttered an apology, hoping she would hear.

Syl kept hearing voices. For a while, she heard her name being spoken. She thought she heard him, but he wasn't ever there. She heard other, younger voices at times, but didn't look in their direction. She thought she felt him, but she was alone. She would feel pain from deep inside, sometimes. It made her want to call out for him, but she knew he wouldn't hear.

She wanted nothing more than to be with him in his arms. But why wasn't he there? Why couldn't she get out? The light ahead periodically flickered, making the nonexistent waves rush around her.

The light went out.


The apartment was as still as night. On her bed laid Syl's phone, which rang nearly constantly. The vibrations were the only sound in the whole building, it seemed. The phone died.

Mason knew it was futile. He knew there was no way Syl would pick up. He knew she was gone. Even so, he dragged his thumb down his screen, searching through his contacts. He scrolled back up when Nat's name caught his eye. She answered sounding groggier than a usual morning. "Who's this?"

"Natty, where's Syl?"

"Huh?"

"It's Mason. Where's my sister?"

"Oh, sorry, Mase." Nat cleared her throat. "What? I haven't been home in a few days."

"When did you hear from her last?" Mason asked, trying not to sound as impatient as he was feeling.

"A few days ago, when I left, why?"

Mason held his phone away from him, squeezing it and gritting his teeth. He slowly put it back to his ear. "I need you to pick me up at the airport this evening. I'll call you when I have the flight info. Understood?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure," Nat replied. "What's going on, Mason? Where's Syl?"

"I can't explain right now, just don't worry about it, ok? Just be at the airport when I tell you."

"Of course."

Mason hung up. "Damn it!" He slammed his phone down hard enough to crack the screen. Taylor walked in then, having heard some of the conversation and his outburst.

"Mason..."

"I need to go tonight."