It took almost two weeks before Somnus made the decision to go back upstairs despite his fear of Ardyn. He had occasional nightmares throughout that time but they were not as terrible as those first few nights. Even they were enough to make the child feel exhausted though. He had dark circles under his eyes from his inability to sleep longer than a few hours at a time.
The boy's parents noticed and told him to get to bed earlier. They believed he spent far too long playing with his toys instead of going to sleep. Their son didn't tell them the real reason, not wanting to be questioned on what kind of dreams he'd been having. He thought he might accidentally reveal what he'd done by mistake.
Instead of going to his parents for comfort, the frightened child lay in bed almost every night with the unsettling fear that he was not alone. He'd awaken in a cold sweat thanks to his dreams or the occasional noise from the attic. The sounds came more frequently now, as if Ardyn was restless or maybe still angry.
Somnus still imagined things but he tried to do as his father said and face his fears. The boy would close his eyes when he glimpsed something. He would take a breath, calm himself down, and then open his eyes to see that everything was alright. There was no tall, dark shadow in the corner of the room, in his closet or behind his parents. He was just seeing things. Somnus was terrified when he was alone but he was managing it better than before as he had no choice. Mom and dad just had too much to do to stay with him.
The child thought about the man more and more as the days passed. About what he implied. He had so many questions. Ardyn was his brother? But… Why were his parents hiding him up there? And why didn't they tell Somnus? Was Ardyn 'sick in the head'? Like his friend said about her grandmother? The girl said her mom and dad put her in the hospital. Maybe his mom and dad didn't want to do the same?
But... It didn't seem like Ardyn was having a good time up there. He looked like the people Somnus's teachers told all the kids at school to stay away from. A kind of person that lived on the streets because they had bad habits. His teachers never really explained what those habits were though.
Somnus found himself feeling sorry for Ardyn. He recalled the man's hand reaching out for him. Even through his terror, the boy had seen the marks on his wrists. What looked like scars and bruises, maybe from trying to free himself from the metal. His skin had been really pale. Somnus remembered his own skin looking like that once when he'd gotten really sick and could barely eat or sleep for a week. His parents spent all day with him, making sure he was cared for. But that was a long time ago.
If Ardyn was sick, the boy didn't think it was okay for him to be locked away like that. But he knew he wasn't an adult and didn't know everything. His parents said he had a lot to learn still when he whined about things he didn't understand.
But unlike those other times, Somnus could not ask his parents what was going on. He knew they would be angry with him and he didn't want to get in trouble. He knew something was wrong with this situation however.
Did other people have strange men chained up in their home too? Somnus wasn't sure. And he wasn't sure if he was supposed to ask if they did. No one else had ever said anything to him about having someone like Ardyn in their house. His curiosity was slowly getting the better of him. As the days passed he began to feel the need to know what was going on. His nightmares made sure he could not forget about the man in the attic.
The boy knew there was only one person, save his parents, that he could try and to go for answers. Ardyn himself could tell him everything if Somnus was brave enough to go back.
The thought of the man caused an instinctive shiver of fear in the boy. He'd looked so angry when he'd reached for Somnus. But lately Somnus had begun to think. If his parents locked Somnus away for a long time maybe he'd be angry too. Or maybe that Ardyn just couldn't help it.
The boy knew the man would not be able to get him if he was careful. Ardyn could have caught him easily enough in the attic if he really could free himself. Somnus could just go up there one more time. Just to ask a few questions.
Somnus lay in bed and waited for his parents to go to sleep. Thankfully they went to bed early. They'd been out all day from morning until well past evening. They looked pretty tired when they came home. Somnus had noticed his mom's eyes seemed red, like she'd been crying. His dad too, had been rather quiet.
Mom and dad sent Somnus off to bed while they went upstairs. The child noticed they brought a few containers of food with them when they arrived home. He saw them take them upstairs.
The boy was careful to wait a full hour before he snuck out of his bed. He almost didn't want to but he knew he might never know the truth if he didn't do this. Even if he was afraid, he had to be brave.
Somnus was already ready, not having changed into his pajamas and having kept his flashlight underneath his pillow. He'd even thought about bringing one of his many toy swords but knew they wouldn't really help. He also thought about bringing a real knife but he felt he'd just hurt himself. And he didn't think Ardyn would appreciate seeing that.
What Somnus did want to bring was an offering. Maybe if he gave Ardyn something he'd be a little nicer? He didn't really know what Ardyn liked but Somnus liked pizza. And there was almost a full one left over from Somnus's dinner. As an apology, his dad had ordered pizza to be sent to the house since they were not going to be back in time. The child now had enough of his favorite food for another day, maybe even two.
Somnus wasn't sure if Ardyn would like it but he snuck out of his room to the kitchen anyway, making sure to take Draco too. The toy still helped him feel less afraid.
While grabbing the pizza out of the fridge, the boy smelled the food his parents had brought earlier. He looked around, wondering why the scent was so strong. He saw the top of one of the take-out boxes poking out the garbage and went to investigate after setting his pizza box, flashlight and Draco down.
The child frowned at what he saw. All of the containers his parents brought were open and spilling out their contents into the bin. It looked as if they had been full when thrown away. There were many tissues, soiled with the very food thrown out. Somnus wondered if something was wrong with his mom and dad. It wasn't the first time there had been food tossed out like this.
Putting it out of his mind, the boy then gently grabbed a plate off of the dishrack and set two slices of his favorite food upon it. He returned the pizza box to the fridge and made his way to the stairs.
The door was thankfully not fixed yet and Somnus opened it with ease. He carefully crept upstairs, once again anticipating being caught. He ascended slowly, straining his ears to make sure no one was coming. The night was silent but for his own soft footsteps. The child knew he shouldn't be doing this but he felt like he had no choice. Once upstairs, he set everything he'd been carrying down to pull the cord leading to the attic.
After that, Somnus had to stop for a moment. He could feel his heart pounding with the fear he was feeling. He imagined Ardyn reaching for him again, his form mixing with the shadowy figure he'd been imagining these last few weeks. It caused him to freeze.
The boy breathed in and out, willing himself to calm down. Ardyn can't hurt me. Somnus repeated to himself as he forced himself to grab Draco and held the toy tightly against his body. I can face my fears.
Slowly, the mantra helped. The child's fear subsided enough that he was able to grab the plate and flashlight and then take his first step onto the stairs. He then turned on his flashlight, carefully maneuvering so that he could walk up without dropping anything.
Once up, Somnus heard a soft voice whispering. He was confused for a moment. Was Ardyn... Talking to himself? Mom and dad were still downstairs, Somnus was sure of that. He began to feel uneasy as he walked further into the attic.
The child told himself to be brave and opened his mouth to speak, albeit softly. "Ardyn? Are you here?"
"You're back." Ardyn said from the darkness. His voice caused Somnus to feel a jolt of fear but he pressed forward anyway. Ardyn was still in the attic. This meant for sure everything he'd experienced outside this place was just his nightmares and his fears getting the better of him.
"Yeah…" Somnus responded as he tentatively rounded past the boxes, seeing now the broken remains of the plate from last time were gone, and stepped to where Ardyn was. He was careful with the flashlight, shining it near the man but not directly at him.
Just as he thought, Ardyn was still chained up. The man was sitting on the floor, looking rather tired. He looked at Somnus with a guarded expression.
"And why might that be?" The man asked.
"I umm, brought some food for you. Do you like pizza?"
Ardyn was silent for a moment, but then barked out a laugh. "I made you run off scurrying like a frightened mouse and you come back to offer me a meal?"
"I'm not scared anymore." Somnus said, trying to believe it himself.
"Is that so?" Ardyn smirked at the obvious lie.
Somnus didn't respond. Instead he asked, while holding the plate forward. "Did you want it?"
"You know what? I think I would." Ardyn pushed himself to his feet, stumbling for a brief moment. He stepped towards Somnus and the boy felt the urge to run back. He stood his ground however.
As Ardyn came to him, chains clinking, he touched something on a nightstand nearby. Instantly a soft light illuminated the attic from above. It wasn't very strong but it was better than Somnus's toy flashlight. With the light things seemed worse up here. The engravings and markings he'd seen before were all over the walls. Even around the floor, mostly where Ardyn 'lived'. That being wherever the chains reached.
The man didn't seem to have much. There was an old bed in one corner, the sheets printed with a character from an old cartoon Somnus didn't quite recognize. There was a bookshelf beside that that held a fair number of books. There was no TV or game system that the child could see. Ardyn must have been really bored up here if he was left like this all day.
Ardyn himself looked pale, even more so than before. He also looked much skinnier than before, with dark bags under his eyes. He really did look both sick and tired. The child found himself feeling sorry for him.
Somnus held out the plate when Ardyn was close enough, at the very limits of his chains. The man didn't take the offering and looked at Somnus sharply. In a neutral tone, he then ordered. "Take a bite out of each."
Somnus tilted his head curiously. "Why?"
"A precaution."
Somnus was confused. Maybe Ardyn was like his friend's grandmother, he thought to himself. Who wanted someone to take a bite out of their food? But as Ardyn instructed, Somnus took a small bite of each slice. Even cold as it was, the pizza was really good. Somnus found himself hungry for more even though he'd eaten just a few hours prior. If Ardyn wasn't going to eat this, then Somnus just might.
Ardyn waited until Somnus swallowed before he held his hands for the food.
"Do you parents know you've come up here?" Ardyn asked, moving back to set the plate on the nightstand nearby. Somnus noticed a cord laying on top of it with a switch. That must be what Ardyn flipped to turn on the light. It seemed the man wasn't going to eat his food right away.
Somnus froze when questioned, wanting to lie. But he realized quickly that he wasn't a very good liar. And he wanted Ardyn to be honest with him too. In a small voice, the child admitted… "No."
"Really?" Ardyn was looking at him rather intently, uncomfortably so. "So you just decided to wander up here by yourself?"
"... I keep hearing noises at night. Mom and dad don't let me upstairs at all… I just wanted to know what was here."
Ardyn continued to stare. Did he think Somnus was lying?
"What do you think they might do once they find out? What if I were to tell them tomorrow night?"
"I'd get in trouble." Somnus hoped he wouldn't though. Ardyn didn't tell his parents about him yet. Maybe he wanted to keep it a secret?
"And so why then would you return?"
"I wanted to ask why you're up here... I wanted to know if you really are my brother." The child said truthfully.
Ardyn's eyes were narrowed on him and Somnus felt like he was being judged. For a brief second, the boy thought he saw something behind Ardyn. A shadow, leaning over to whisper in his ear. But it was gone in a flash.
Somnus rubbed his eyes. Mom once said people see things when they're tired. Somnus was scared and tired. He'd been this way since he'd come up here the first time.
Ardyn's demeanor seemed to change after hearing Somnus's answers. He relaxed and finally looked away from him. The man stepped away to pick up the pizza, staring at instead of taking a bite.
"It's really good." Somnus urged, hoping Ardyn might accept it. It was his favorite, made with lots of cheese and sauce and topped with chicken. The boy felt he could easily eat that every day and never get bored of it.
Ardyn took a hesitant bite and chewed it slowly. He seemed tense, still staring at the food like it would hurt him. When it didn't, he seemed to perk up. He smiled and proceeded to tear into the food. Somnus was surprised at the ferocity of it. He reminded Somnus of his neighbor dog with a piece of meat.
"I am quite famished." Ardyn said between bites of food at the look Somnus gave him. "And I haven't had pizza in ages ."
"Really? It's my favorite." Mom and dad brought take-out a lot. They tried to cook but usually ended up letting the ingredients go bad before they remembered about them. Mom did try for a while to cook more but it didn't really work. It was back to take-out now but they tried getting the healthier options.
"A good choice." The man sighed as he finished his meal. "You don't even understand how much I needed that."
Somnus felt he might. He noticed it before but Ardyn looked rather sickly. Was he not eating properly? Or… Were his parents not giving him enough food? He would never think they would do that to someone. Yes they were busy but they always made sure Somnus had food to eat. He'd thought the food they brought was for Ardyn yet it had been thrown out without being eaten.
"It was Somnus, wasn't it?" Ardyn asked, nearing him again with the empty plate in hand.
The child nodded.
"Thank you, Somnus." Ardyn said as he offered Somnus the plate.
"Oh, uh. You're welcome." Somnus said as he took it, relieved his plan worked. Ardyn seemed nicer now that he'd eaten.
"I think I owe you an apology." Ardyn continued. "I am very sorry for frightening you. I was rather upset last time you saw me."
"Oh. It's okay." It kind of wasn't. But Somnus was going to try and be nice. He'd been told that was proper.
"Is it? May I hug you then? As an apology?" Ardyn slowly reached out a hand. Somnus shied back, remembering how angrily he'd reached for him before.
"Oh, umm." He wondered how he was supposed to say no without being mean. Ardyn did seem nicer but...
"You know I'm your brother, right?" Ardyn murmured softly, looking at Somnus with a gentler expression. It didn't help much, his golden eyes casting an eerie glow, maybe from the light.
"Mom and dad didn't say…" Somnus wasn't sure about all this still.
"Well, mom and dad didn't say I was up here either." Ardyn reasoned. "I wasn't going to hurt you before and I promise not to hurt you now. I'll show you if you come here."
At Somnus's continued reluctance, Ardyn sighed. "Please? I've been alone all this time. Did you know I've been up here for ten years? I don't think you know how lonely it's been. When you came to be the other night, it was only then I learned I had a younger brother. I regret how I treated you. I swear it won't happen again."
Somnus tentatively stepped closer, feeling a wave of sympathy. Ten years was a long time. The child felt lonely in this house with his parents always so busy. But he at least could go to school or go outside. This man was a little strange but it was probably true he was family. Why would he be here otherwise? Ardyn was probably his brother just like he said.
Mom and dad always said you should give family a chance. They were talking about a cousin of theirs who'd done something wrong but it must mean the same to all family members. This meant he should give Ardyn a chance too.
Even though he was afraid, Somnus took another few steps forward. Ardyn, in turn, knelt down to wrap his arms around Somnus once he was close enough. The child felt he should do the same to give a proper hug but he found himself completely frozen, his flashlight and Draco still in his hands. Staring over Ardyn's shoulder, he felt a sudden jolt of fear surge through him and his heart began to beat faster. He felt the urge to run, it felt as if his body was screaming it at him.
It was beginning to feel like Somnus couldn't breathe. It felt like Somnus was back in his nightmares. The unsettling presence returned and was felt all around him. The child blinked and something manifested in front of him. The shadowy figure was here, it's featureless face up close to Somnus's own. The boy shuddered, his eyes wide in terror and still frozen in the grip of his brother.
"I can feel it…" Ardyn whispered, and the spell was broken. The figure was gone and Somnus felt as if he could move again. Even here, he was still seeing things.
Somnus managed a weak response, almost breathless. 'What?"
"Your heart. It races. You are afraid." Ardyn said, continuing to hold him tight.
"Yes. But I'm… Confronting my fears." Somnus's voice grew stronger as he said this. He was not afraid. He told himself that over and over again. This was his brother. He said he wouldn't hurt him.
"What a strong, brave brother you are." Ardyn praised, moving one of his hands and beginning to run his fingers through Somnus's hair. "I'm proud of you."
It might have felt nice as it was similar to something his mom used to do but Somnus was still afraid. Eventually, Ardyn let go and backed away. Somnus took a few steps backward until he was safely out of reach.
"See? No harm." Ardyn smiled at Somnus. "No need to be afraid of me."
Somnus was unsure what to say. Thank you? For not hurting him?
"If you want, we can be a family. You'd just have to let me go." Ardyn said as he held out the chains to him. "I can tell you how to open these."
"I…" Somnus wasn't sure what to say. Mom and dad had to have a reason for doing this, right?
"No?" Ardyn sighed, not looking too bothered at Somnus's reluctance. "I suppose you don't trust me."
"... Sorry." Somnus said, looking away. He did want to help Ardyn but he just wasn't sure. He wished he could ask his parents.
"It's alright. I understand I am asking for too much. You know nothing about me."
"Can you tell me about yourself? Why mom and dad keep you up here?"
"It is… A long story. One not for the ears of children."
"I like stories." Somnus quickly argued, knowing he was close to learning the reason. "And I'm eight! I'm a big kid now."
"If it's stories you want, I can tell you plenty. Maybe I'll tell you mine… But not yet." Ardyn offered. "Just come visit me when you want to hear one."
Some of Somnus's friends said their parents read them stories almost every night. His used to but they never did anymore. They were too busy in their study reading stories for themselves.
Somnus nodded and then added. "Mom and dad don't read me stories anymore."
"They don't? Well, do not worry. I can do it for them. I am, after all, your big brother."
The thought of having a big brother seemed nice. He could be someone Somnus could go to when mom and dad were busy. It didn't seem like Ardyn was as scary as he first thought. He still really wanted to know why he was up here but he would have to wait to learn the reason. He might tell him eventually.
"Okay."
"Good. And perhaps… You could come with some more of that pizza next time?" Ardyn asked, looking almost embarrassed at his request.
Somnus found himself smiling at his brother for the first time and he nodded enthusiastically.