Chapter 7

The next time Somnus saw Ardyn was two nights later. He brought him something to eat again, which was more of his own favorite pizza that his parents ordered earlier in the day. He also remembered to bring Draco along and placed him on the nightstand before going to his brother.

"You must adore that toy." Ardyn said as he eyed the stuffed dragon.

"Yeah." Somnus nodded as he handed over the plate of cold pizza. He did want to warm it up for Ardyn but felt the microwave was too loud and would alert their parents.

"Does it still help you when you're scared?" Ardyn asked.

"Sometimes." More often though it was Ardyn that helped him now. When before he'd been scared, Somnus now felt far more comfortable up in the attic than anywhere else in his home. The child was still quite attached to Draco though. After throwing him across the room that one night, he'd picked his friend back up the next morning and apologized to him. He'd just been so upset that day.

"I was never given such things to help alleviate my own fears." Ardyn's voice was sad. "I wonder if our parents had not locked me away if I would have received such gifts as well."

"... Is it okay if I bring him up?" Somnus hadn't realized how Ardyn might feel seeing the toys his brother had been given when he'd never been gifted anything of the same. The attic was bare, no toy or TV in sight. The boy felt some guilt creep up on him for even having Draco. Maybe he shouldn't bring it up so his brother would not be sad.

"It is alright." The older man said but Somnus didn't feel like it was. The child resolved not to bring his friend next time. He could go up without Draco. He had last time, mainly from all the worry he'd been feeling for his brother, but he could do it again.

"... If you get out, what would you do?" Somnus changed the subject and asked the question he wanted an answer to most of all. The boy attempted to ask it casually but was uncertain if Ardyn could detect that his voice was just a bit too eager in learning the response.

Somnus saw a flicker in his brother's eyes, they once again seemed to darken but it was only for a second or two.

"I do not know, Somnus. If our parents do not release me themselves then I must leave. It would not be possible for me to stay here otherwise. I would of course try my best to visit you but I may not be able to do that often."

"Oh." Somnus's face fell at the response. It was not what he wanted to hear but he knew it would have to be the only option in such a case. Maybe their parents would reconsider? Or maybe they never would. Somnus didn't know.

"Do not be sad, Somnus. I would never abandon you even if it were possible for me to escape." Ardyn consoled. He then smiled widely and chuckled. "Perhaps I'd even take you along instead so we could always be together."

It was meant to be a joke perhaps. Somnus smiled back but didn't say anything as Ardyn began to eat his pizza. The boy opened his mouth to speak but then thought better of it. He wanted to tell Ardyn that his suggestion didn't sound all that bad to him but couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

The shadow figure was back again, now standing behind a vase of flowers on a small table. The vase was a gift from Somnus's dad to his mom for their first wedding anniversary. It meant a lot to the both of them so their son was always careful around it. He'd always known it would be a disaster if the vase was damaged in any way.

Somnus didn't like that the figure was near it even though he knew it was not real. It was just another hallucination. The boy watched the shadow from the corner of his eyes as he lay on the couch. He had been watching TV but the dark figure at his peripheral was both frightening and distracting. He could no longer focus on the anime that was currently playing on the screen.

Somnus closed his blue eyes, trying to will the figure away. He didn't want to deal with it today. He was in a bad mood from all the nightmares he'd had the night before. He just wanted this all to stop . He hadn't had a decent night's rest since summer began.

When the child next opened his eyes, he was startled to find himself standing upright and no longer laying down. He felt a wave of vertigo and then heard something shatter on the floor beside him. The child looked down and saw the worst thing he could think of.

The vase was broken. Shards of the container and the fake flowers they once held lay scattered across the wooden floor. The boy could only stare in horror at what had happened.

A shrill cry came from Somnus's mother almost immediately. She'd been in the kitchen, preparing some soup. Her cry was terrible, sounding both angry and pained.

" Somnus !" Never had the boy heard his mother shriek his name with such fury. It terrified him, causing a wave of dread to engulf him. Despite that, he tried to speak as she appeared in front of him.

"I- It wasn't me!" Somnus cried out, already realizing just who she'd be trying to blame. He'd just been standing by it, nothing more. Sure he couldn't remember when he'd gotten up but that didn't mean anything. He would have known it he'd stumbled into it. He hadn't. It must have just fallen.

" Enough with the lies!" His mother's eyes were narrowed in her fury. Somnus shrank back and anything else he might have said got caught in his throat. His mother was furious, her face twisted in an expression Somnus had never seen but for his nightmares. All at once, all the nightmares he'd had of both his parents played across his mind. As a consequence, his fear only increased.

The boy's mother continued. "I do not want to see you. Go to your room. Right now!"

Somnus instantly did, stumbling as he complied. His body shook but he was too scared to cry. There was a pit in his stomach and he felt cold all over. He'd never been this scared by one of his parent's before.

The boy sprinted into his room and glanced around wildly until he found what he wanted. He pulled Draco out of his toy chest and then grabbed his blanket off his bed. In his terror, he went to the one place that he felt a little more secure, his closet. It was only when he was huddled and shivering under his blanket and in the darkness that he felt the tears finally begin to flow from his eyes.

A small cry emerged from his throat as he realized just how much trouble he might be in. After that, the sobs began in earnest. The child cried in the darkness of his room, feeling such utter terror and helplessness. He clutched Draco to him but it did little to calm him down. The toy was again just a reminder of his parents, the ones he now feared. It brought him no comfort. The child wished for Ardyn instead.

Faintly, and despite his harsh breaths, the boy heard his mom and dad's raised voices. His father must have come down from the study to see what just happened. His mom must have been telling him how their son broke the vase when he didn't actually do it. The thought caused another wave of fresh tears to drip down his face.

Somnus wondered if they would lock him up now. Chain him up and leave him where he could never escape. Only free him when he was fixed, like they had Ardyn. And that may not be for years. Had this accident been the final straw?

Somnus wished so fervently that Ardyn was by his side. He wished he was free to comfort him. But his parents might never allow that. And if somehow his brother freed himself, he would have to leave.

It just wasn't fair.

Somnus curled up in his bed as he heard two sets of heavy footsteps draw closer to his room. He gulped, feeling his heart race as his parents neared. The boy waited when the footsteps stopped, anxiety causing his stomach to hurt.

Suddenly, he heard the door open with such force that it hit the wall. No doubt there would be a hole from where the doorknob struck it if Somnus looked. But he didn't. The child lay underneath his blankets and refused to move an inch.

The child clenched his eyes shut and held his breath. He was still, pretending to be asleep and praying he could get out of this somehow. His body trembled however, betraying him if they could see the blankets move from that.

Somnus's parents didn't buy their son's act, rapidly approaching his bed. The boy felt as if his heart would stop when the blankets were ripped off of him. Before he knew it, his arm was then roughly grabbed and he was pulled from his mattress.

Somnus cried out as his body fell into a heap on the floor. His eyes teared from the pain of his fall. He lay there, shivering in fear and refusing to look up at the two who'd never raised a hand on him before this day. He prayed this was just a dream. Neither his mom or dad said a word to their son as he lay where he'd fallen.

The child heard the rattling of metal on metal and then the thump of something heavy being dropped before him. He flinched but still didn't open his eyes. Only when he heard his name being called in a cold voice by his father, did he finally look.

Somnus opened his eyes to see a pile of metal on the ground in front of his face. He sniffled and let out a sob of fear as he saw the same type of chains that held Ardyn. So this was going to be his fate too. He didn't even try to move, knowing he could do little against two grown adults.

"I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry !" The child apologized again and again as the hands of both his parents reached for him.

Somnus woke up with a start, his heart racing inside his chest. He panicked when he glimpsed only darkness around him. He tried to scramble to his feet but got tangled in his blankets and tripped. His body hit the wall and he grunted in pain. He ripped the blanket off of him and tried to figure out where he was.

It took him another minute to realize he was still in his closet. He'd ended up falling asleep as he anxiously waited for whatever repercussions would be decided for him. He'd just had a nightmare.

The child's body ached from sleeping in such an awkward position inside the cramped room. His eyes were crusty from all the tears he'd shed. Even so, it took him some time to pluck up enough courage to leave his hiding place. He cautiously stepped out into his darkened room, afraid for what he might find within.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, thankfully.

It was well into the night as the stars were visible from his window. Somnus had been in his room since his mother screamed at him earlier that afternoon. His dad hadn't even come to see him, likely also upset with him. The boy felt an ache but was also relieved. He wasn't sure what his parents would say to him or what they would do. He was unsure how to defend himself, though it hadn't been him that broke the vase. It had probably just fallen and it was just his luck that he'd been nearby.

As Somnus moved to his bed to lay down, he heard something outside. His gaze snapped towards his door and he saw that it was open a crack. There was a glimpse of a dark shape outside and the boy froze in horror. Quickly though, it disappeared.

Letting his breath out, the child quietly tiptoed towards the entrance of his room. He peered through the crack and saw nothing. Once again finding the courage in himself, Somnus opened the door and looked out into the hallway. Still no one.

Somnus did notice something on the table that was outside his door however. There was a platter, with several plates and a juice box laying on it. There were some pieces of cut fruit and what looked to be a peanut butter sandwich. The open food was covered by a layer of plastic wrap. His parents left some food out for him.

The child's stomach rumbled at the sight of it. He was starving, having eaten nothing since that morning. He wondered what this meant. Did that mean his mom and dad weren't as mad as he thought they were? Had they maybe tried to come to him while he was asleep? Somnus had always been a heavy sleeper, unable to be awakened easily.

Before the boy could reach for the platter and the food it held, he heard the low murmur of voices. Somnus froze, thinking he should return to his room. With the platter of food, of course.

But the child's body didn't comply with his demands. Almost like he was not the one in control, he began carefully move towards the sound. Somnus could not resist, feeling a heaviness in his being once again. He was scared but his legs continued to take him forward.

Somnus stopped in front of his parents room. He slowly pressed his hands and then an ear against the door.

"-can't do this anymore." The boy heard his father saying.

There was a muffled response from his mother. "-can we do?"

Somnus knew he should go back to his room. It was not right to eavesdrop like this. But he remained at the door, listening intently. The child's head began to ache as he fought with himself to go back to the safety of his bedroom. The voices of his mom and dad became fuzzy and garbled like there was something wrong with his hearing.

"- rid of him-" His father said. Instantly, Somnus stopped trying to fight and his body went cold. Rid of who? Did they mean Ardyn?

"-Somnus-" It was then the boy heard it. His own name. Him ? He thought to himself in horror. They wanted to get rid of him ?

"-try again-" Try again? Maybe have another kid just like they did with Ardyn?

Somnus backed away from the door in panic, now able to control himself. He hurried back to his room and didn't bother to take the food inside with him. His hunger was forgotten, now replaced with fear.

The boy believed his parents were going to do something to him. He felt that his nightmare was right. His mom and dad were going to lock him away or just get rid of him entirely.

Somnus fell asleep again despite his intense fear of what might happen to him. He dreamed of his brother. This time, Somnus did free him when asked by the disembodied voice. Ardyn looked towards his brother, his savior, with such happiness when the chains were unlocked from his wrists. Seeing this, Somnus felt like he'd done the right thing.

Together the two brothers left their old life behind, escaping their home and all the bad memories contained within. Their parents angrily tried to stop them but could do nothing. Ardyn protected his younger brother. In his dream, the boy felt such contentment when they walked off into the sunshine.

All that dissipated when Somnus awoke next and realized he was still at home. The fear returned, swiftly turning into outright terror when his parents knocked on his door minutes later.

Somnus didn't respond, too afraid. But all his mom and dad said was that they were leaving on another trip and would be back in the evening. They said they wanted to speak with him after that. Somnus managed to respond with a soft 'okay'.

And so the adults left, letting their son know there was food in the fridge if he was hungry.

Somnus was in fact very hungry. He left his room for the kitchen now that he knew his parents were gone. He noticed that the platter outside his door had been taken away as he walked towards the kitchen. The child thought about going up to his brother but decided against it. He felt uneasy. What if his parents were just lying? What if they came back sooner, only to catch him up there?

The child spent the rest of the day trying to keep himself as calm as he could. He dreaded his next, inevitable encounter with his parents. He prayed they would do nothing to him. A part of him did realize he hadn't heard much of his parent's conversation and that he might be overreacting but it did little to ease his worries.

When his mom and dad came back home, Somnus was already in bed. It was early but that didn't matter. The two adults spent some time in the kitchen, likely eating some of the leftover food they'd told their son of. After that, they went to their Somnus's room.

Somnus heard his parent's voices as they neared him. Their footsteps reminded him of his dream and he shuddered. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep when his mom and dad opened his door to call his name. The child prayed it would work, that unlike his dream they would believe his act... And they did.

His parents left when their son did not respond. Somnus let out a sigh of relief once he heard their retreating footsteps.

That night, the boy went to his brother. Without Draco this time as he did not want to make him sad. He then revealed to Ardyn everything that had been going on.

"My poor little brother, if this is true then you are no longer safe. I would not wish this fate upon anyone else." Ardyn consoled, giving his brother a hug. "If only… If only I could aid you but I am helpless, stuck in this awful place. My only wish is to take you away from here… Our parents may very well do to you what they've done to me."

"No…" Somnus denied when he heard it aloud. A small nagging sensation said that this couldn't be it even though he too feared it. The child had been hoping Ardyn would tell him he was just being paranoid and overthinking things. But... If he too thought this, then his fears may be correct. "They wouldn't really do it, would they?"

"I know you don't want to believe it. And as much as I wish for you to stay innocent of such matters, you cannot anymore. I was once like you. They neglected me just as they did you. No matter what I did, I was never enough for them. They liked to blame their problems on me. I admit, I may have acted out because of such actions but only to get their attention… I never could have guessed what they would do next. Instead of realizing their mistakes they locked me away and had another child in my place… Look at me, Somnus. Do you think this was right?"

Ardyn raised his arms and showed the metal encircling them.

"No." Somnus instantly responded. "This is not right."

"I did not want to involve you in any way. I did not wish to force your hand to betray your parents for my sake. But there is no longer any other option. You must free me, Somnus. I can only help you if this is done." Ardyn's expression was desperate, he grabbed hold of his brother's hands. "We can be free, you and I. I promise to take care of you and love you as family should. You will never have to be alone again, never have to fear again. I will not allow anything to happen to you."

The boy felt his eyes tear up at the words spoken. His brother cared for him so much. Somnus didn't have to think much about it. He trusted Ardyn. More than anyone else in his life. And all he wanted was to be with his brother, the one who cared for him more than his parents seemed to.

Somnus was also glad Ardyn was asking him to come with him. They could escape like the boys from his stories. They could run away for a better life just like they did.

The boy nodded and Ardyn smiled, eyes flashing gold again.

Somnus had another dream after he returned to his room and fell asleep in his bed.

A small young red-haired boy was looking at him as they both sat on his bed. He resembled Ardyn which Somnus found rather strange. The dream child was frantic, shaking his head vigorously. He was speaking too but Somnus couldn't hear him. He knew whatever the child said was important though.

"Don't-"

And that was all Somnus heard before the shadow appeared. Even faceless as it was, the child could tell it was furious . The world darkened and he awoke with his heart hammering in his chest. The boy didn't understand why he'd had such a dream but hoped his nightmares would end once he was out of this house.

The thought of leaving caused a wave of nervousness, fear and excitement to run though Somnus. Could he really do this? The child wondered to himself as he lay in bed. He had to though. To save both Ardyn and himself.

Somnus didn't see his parents in a favorable light. Not for a long time but this was the first time he admitted it to himself. The boy knew that his parents didn't act as they should. They were neglectful. They were usually too busy in their study or with work to play or talk to their son. They never read stories to him. They didn't stay with him when he was scared. They treated their eldest son terribly. Ardyn was suffering because of them.

And to top it off, their youngest son was now afraid of what they might do to him.

Somnus did end up having a conversation with them though. He was filled with anxiety throughout as they sat him down in the kitchen. He expected them to yell but they didn't do anything of the sort.

Instead, they apologized to him. The child was confused. His mom and dad explained they were not mad and they were sorry for being so distant with him. They said they wanted to start again and forget everything that happened in the past. They would overlook his behavior and the breaking of the vase if he could overlook some of their own faults.

It had hurt that they still did not believe him about the vase. But Somnus agreed even though he found himself suspicious of this whole thing. Both adults hugged their son but the boy found it brought him little comfort.

After that, things seemed back to normal in the house. They weren't though. Somnus was wary, Ardyn's words and all the nightmares he'd had were still fresh in his mind. The elder brother had even warned Somnus something like this may happen.

They will try to lull you into a false sense of security. Ardyn had said. Do not believe them. They will strike when you least expect it… That was what they did to me after all.

And recalling those words, any bit of relief Somnus felt vanished.