He didn't need to guard Lord Malleus this evening, because Lord Malleus didn't need a weak half-fae protecting him. But soon Sebek would prove him wrong.

His afternoon classes passed in a blur of pain and hunger. The ache in his jaw never stopped now, a fiery pain that didn't cease and made him dig his fingers into the wood of his desk. He ignored worried, pitying glances from Ace and Deuce, and got up to leave as soon as the bell rang.

"Hey, what's the-nyaa!" Grim yowled as Sebek nearly kicked him in the hall. "Watch the tail!"

"What's his problem today?" Ace said from behind him.

They were pitying him. Laughing at him. Sebek whirled, clenching his jaw, the pain so bad already that gritting his teeth didn't even hurt further anymore. "Do you have something to say to me, humans?" he snapped.

"Whoa," Ace said. Grim cowered.

"Don't think you can push me around!" Deuce shot back. He slammed his hand into his fist. "You've been a huge jerk all day!"

"Deuce, c'mon, he's clearly sick or something," Ace whispered. "Besides, we shouldn't mess with Diasomnia."

"I am not sick!" Sebek shouted. Grim put his paws over his ears. "Maybe I should put you in your place!"

These two weren't Silver. But he could still show off his strength if he made them afraid of his strength, the way humans should fear fae. He put his hand on his pen, still gritting his teeth, the pain a red haze in his vision. Ace backed up, but Deuce held his ground.

"Sebek, there you are."

He whirled, his eyes narrowing.

Silver.

"That's enough," Silver said. "Ace, Deuce, go on."

Deuce shot him one last glare, but Sebek didn't care. "How dare you interfere again!" he shouted at Silver. "I don't need your help!"

Silver shook his head with a sigh. "Sebek, please. I've wanted to talk to you since this morning, but—"

"Did you fall asleep again?" Sebek snapped. "Pitiful!"

"Enough! I wanted to ask you how you're feeling. You look…"

"I'm fine!" Sebek shouted. "I'll prove it to you. Train with me." His gaze sharpened, anger and excitement simmering in his blood. "I want to train." I need to prove I can beat you.

"Train?" Silver's eyes went wide. "Now? I'm pretty sure you're injured, and the ramshackle prefect mentioned you weren't eating and nearly fell in flight class."

When had that cursed prefect had time to notice? "Are you afraid?" Sebek said. "A pathetic human, afraid to fight me?"

Silver frowned. "Sebek, you know Lilia doesn't like you talking like that."

"Master Lilia to you!" Sebek shouted.

"Sebek, please, I'm worried about y—"

How dare he. "Don't you dare pity me!" Sebek shouted, slamming his hand into the wall. Claws scored the plaster, and he fought not to let his fae form show further.

Silver jumped. "O-kay," he said. "If I train with you, will you please…get some rest after?"

If it meant he would get to fight. To prove himself. "Fine," Sebek growled. "Now let's go."

Silver turned, his movements jerky and awkward. Weak. He winced as Sebek strode next to him, glancing out of the corner of his eye beneath his curtain of floral-scented white-blond hair.

Pathetic.

My mother never should have married a human.

I can't think a human is beautiful!

Sebek followed, his hands curled into fists against his own frustration and the pain in his jaw. His heart began to beat harder when they went through the mirror to Diasomnia, headed toward their typical sparring ring by the curve of the castle walls. Usually they practiced with swords, although here at Diasomnia no one would turn them in if they practiced a few combat spells.

"Alright," Silver said with a sigh. "Let's do some training, and then can we just talk?"

Sebek grinned, his eyes flashing.

"We don't need to talk!" he shouted. He grabbed his magical pen, drawing an arc of bladed leaves in the air. "I'll show you how weak you are!"

"Sebek, wait—" The rush of magic headed straight for Silver, and Sebek's smile grew wider. Surely that would do it. He would show Silver just how much stronger he was!

Silver drew his pen, the long shape more like a sword, and flicked it, fire burning the leaves before they hit and ashes drifting into his face. "You can't just attack without warning!" Silver shouted.

"Don't tell me how to fight!" Sebek bellowed. He called up his magic, the pain in his tooth somehow worse, as he pulled water from the air.

"I thought we were training!" Silver said.

In response Sebek sent blades of water in Silver's direction. This time the human didn't counter with a spell, opting instead to dive out of the way. The water hit the stone wall of the dueling ring with a loud slap. Chunks of stone hit the ground, shattered from the force.

Silver's eyes went wide. Good. He was afraid. He should be.

"Sebek, stop!" Silver said. "This is too much!"

"Fight me!" Sebek shouted. "Don't you dare patronize me!" He called up more water, more power, his head ringing from the magic he wielded as he formed more blades. Silver couldn't dodge them all.

Slow. Weak. Half-human. That's what they had always called him. He would show them he was just as powerful as any fae. A human couldn't compare!

He sent the water toward Silver, a shimmering wall of force formed from the sheer amount of magical power he wielded.

Suddenly leaves pounded his head and chest, vines encircling his arms. Plant magic. His water smashed against the stone, and the rest pelted a vine-clad shield that had erupted around Silver. The human's pen glowed white with power.

"Sebek, enough!" Silver shouted, the vine shield retreating. "This…this isn't like you. Just talk to me!"

As he spoke, the vines tightened. Like Floyd had. Overpowering. They tightened around his wrist, his grip on his magic pen loosening.

No. He wasn't weak!

He narrowed his eyes, tightening his jaw. Lightning began to gather. His signature spell.

Silver threw a hand out, pleading. "Sebek, don't!" he shouted. Just like he had that day at the pond.

But Sebek wasn't going to stop this time.

He called the lightning, and immediately pain bloomed in his mouth. But the power scorched the vines, forcing them back, and he gripped his pen tightly.

This was power. His power! He clenched his fist, the lightning slamming the ground around him. Now he would win. He would show Silver!

He called more lightning, ignoring the pain as it struck the ground and sent small shards of stone into the air and toward his legs. He swung his pen, about to send the electrical currents crashing toward Silver. The pathetic human with no defenses. No fae strength or resilience.

Sebek grinned, his fangs showing. Now he would prove to Lord Malleus—

Something flashed in his vision. A sword of light.

For a moment Silver stood silhouetted, his arm raised, his wand in the shape of an enormous blade that headed straight toward him. It happened in a blink.

It crashed into his chest, Sebek flying off his feet. The sky and ground spun, his teeth clacking together when his body struck the stone wall. The pain burst, and his mouth filled with blood, the injury a thousand times worse.

No. He struggled to get up, but the ground rolled beneath him like water. He grabbed at his pen, not noticing how dark the gem was. Nearly black. His muscles shook, the light magic having run through him almost like a real sword, the magic residue leaving weakness and agony instead of cutting and slicing like a real sword would have.

"Sebek, I'm sorry, I didn't want to use my signature—"

How dare he. How dare he! "I don't need your apology!" he shouted. Blood spilled from his mouth, and it looked black when it hit the ground. He had wanted to show off his strength, to prove himself to Lord Malleus. He had to beat Silver.

But he couldn't even do that.

"You said you'd rest. Can you please just rest?" Silver said.

"I don't need to sleep all the time like you!" Sebek spat. He wiped his mouth with his hand. The blood was dark black, and he shoved himself to his feet, turning his back on Silver when the human moved closer as Sebek stumbled.

Pathetic. Pitiful. He couldn't even beat a human.

"Sebek, please. Lilia…Master Lilia recommended the pond, right? Maybe rest there? It's warm and relaxing. I'm sure Master Lilia would say the same if he were here. "

Sebek's stomach roiled, and he swallowed a mouthful of foul-tasting blood. Why wouldn't his tooth stop bleeding? He spat again.

"Sebek? Is it…your tooth, right? Maybe I can ask Trey…"

"Leave me be. I'll go!" he said, and it felt like another defeat.

He couldn't face Master Lilia or Lord Malleus or anyone else in Diasomnia. He wasn't worthy to even be here.

A half fae who couldn't defeat a human, even when he was using his full strength. Maybe being half fae meant he was weaker than both.

Sebek trudged through the overgrown weeds, his stomach still spinning with a mix of hunger and nausea from not eating. His jaw ached fiercely, the pain so bad he couldn't sit still. His head hurt from Silver—pathetic Silver—throwing him against the wall with his magic. A mere sword of light, but the force of it had shaken him to his core.

He was pathetic. Pitiable. He would never serve Lord Malleus. Once Lord Malleus found out how weak he was…no, he already knew. They had always known, hadn't they?

The pond was still, but at least the wind off the surface of the water brought warmth. Sebek didn't bother disrobing or transforming. His fae form was as pitiable as the rest of him.

He had to do something. But he couldn't think with the pain. There was nothing he could do.

He was weak.

"Oh?" the water rippled and splashed, and a head with finned ears broke the surface. "Little half-croc is here again."

Half-croc. Sebek's teeth grit. Black blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Are you going to be a little half-croc again?" Floyd swam in a circle, the fin on his long tail forming a u in the water.

Sebek gripped his magical pen. Maybe he couldn't beat Silver. But he could beat Floyd.

He stood at the edge of the water, raising his pen. He could still be strong. Still be a guardian to Lord Malleus.

Floyd paused, his large finned ears twitching as the static charge grew in the air. "That's dangerous, half-croc," he said. "Put your pen away. I'll tell your precious Malleus on you."

"Good," Sebek said, his fangs showing when he smiled.

He kept channeling his signature magic, pouring more power into it, building the charge so high that static sparks leapt between blades of grass. Floyd should have left the water. Sebek would fry him like he should have the first time!

"Sebek, stop!" Silver's voice. Again. What was he doing here?!

"What's happening?" He didn't turn at the sound of Deuce's voice, past caring what the other first year might be doing here. The lightning began to build, making Sebek's hair stand on end and the air smell like ozone.

"Sebek, stop!" Silver shouted again, frantic. "I brought Trey, from Heartslaybul. He can help you!"

"Seriously, calm down!" Ace's voice. Annoying. The two must have followed Trey. Coming to make fun of him, see how weak he was. Thinking that he would need a human's help.

Floyd had vanished, a ripple telling Sebek he had dove deep underwater. The fool.

"I don't need any of your help!" Sebek shouted. "I'm stronger than you!"

He cast the lightning, pouring as much power into the bolt as he could. He would show Floyd, and Silver, and everyone else just how powerful he was!

In his hand, his pen shattered, black ink spreading over his arm.

Oh.

His vision darkened, covered by a mass of blot.