Somnus felt strangely uneasy as he tiptoed back to his room. He made sure to shut the door to the stairs after he carefully descended. It felt almost like there was a weight on his shoulders. He shivered and rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe it was because he was scared, he thought to himself.

The boy passed by a mirror in the hallway, glimpsing his own reflection, and immediately froze. He let out a gasp when he saw not only himself but the shadow right there behind him. The figure had its hands around his shoulders, its faceless visage seeming as if it was staring at him even without visible eyes. Somnus bit back a scream and, as always, the shadow was gone an instant later.

Somnus let out a faint whimper and shuddered in fear, clutching Draco to him. He hated this. He knew there was nothing there. Monsters didn't exist. So why did he keep seeing the figure? And why was he so afraid ?

The child hurried to his bed, only just remembering not to slam the door to his room. He leapt into his bed and cocooned himself and Draco in his sheets. Somnus clenched his eyes shut, just wanting to fall asleep so the night could be over. The heavy feeling didn't leave him, even as he finally felt himself drift off sometime later.

Somnus had another nightmare.

In it, it was Somnus and not his brother that was chained and locked away in the attic. He could feel the weight of the chains, the cold metal against the skin of his wrists. There was only darkness surrounding him and the boy found himself terrified of it. He called out for someone to help him. His parents, his friends, the police, anyone .

But no one came for Somnus. He was left alone, sobbing in the dark as he pulled at his restraints. The boy felt so helpless, alone and terrified.

Somnus awoke the next morning with tears in his eyes, the feelings of the nightmare lingering even as he realized it was just a dream.

Somnus lay in bed for a while after he awoke. He found himself feeling terrible for Ardyn. Had his brother felt like that? Did he scream and yell and cry and have nobody come for him? Ardyn was alone in that attic pretty much all day. He must have been so lonely up there. Thoughts like this swirled in the boy's mind as he stared at the ceiling of his room.

The child forced himself out of bed when he heard his mom and dad rummaging around in the kitchen. He realized it was probably best to get up and get some breakfast for himself. After Somnus changed, he headed towards his door and found it open a crack. He was confused and then thought his parents might have checked up on him as he was asleep. The knowledge sent an icy chill through him. They could have easily found out he was not in his room had Somnus stayed too long with Ardyn.

Somnus knew he would have to be careful now. As the child opened the door fully to let himself out, he noticed something else amiss. The symbol his dad painted on the door was damaged. The paint had been scratched off, breaking the winding pattern. Had Somnus done that in his fear the other night when he'd backed up into it? Or had he scratched it off by accident some other time? He hadn't really paid close attention to the symbol for a long time.

Whatever the reason, the boy hoped his dad didn't notice. He'd been the one to carefully paint on all the doors in the house. Somnus didn't know what the symbols meant but his parents seemed to think they were important.

Somnus left the room quickly, shutting the door behind him. He went into the kitchen where his parents were. His mom was cooking and his dad was at the table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. Both smiled and wished him a good morning and Somnus responded with the same. The boy then sat down at the table as his mother began to mix some batter for pancakes.

The family sat down together before they began eating. Somnus looked at the fourth chair at their table and thought it would be nice if Ardyn could take a seat here too. He felt a wave of sadness thinking of his brother. The boy glanced at his parents, wondering why they did that to their eldest son. His parents didn't notice their son's gaze or wandering thoughts, beginning to dig into their breakfast.

Somnus made a promise to himself in that moment. One day, Ardyn would sit and eat at a table like this just like a regular person. With Somnus. Now feeling a little better, the child then proceeded to drizzle an obscene amount of syrup on his pancakes before he began to eat.

Throughout the rest of the day, the feeling of being watched returned. The boy's parents were working upstairs and Somnus could sometimes hear them talking to each other and one of the many people they occasionally called. The child kept looking around, feeling like he should see someone. He was glad he never did but it didn't make the feeling go away. He felt constantly on edge. Somnus wished he could just walk right on up the stairs to stay in the company of his parents. But he knew that would not happen and so he would have to suffer feeling this way alone. Even when his parents were only a floor away.

Somnus tried to stay busy to make the day go faster and to help ignore his fear. He watched cartoons, played with his toy sword collection, went out to play pretend in the backyard with Draco and then finally wound down with some coloring before going to bed. He sat against his headboard, not laying down in case he fell asleep. He had a habit of falling asleep wherever he laid down and he refused to succumb to it tonight.

Ardyn was waiting for him.

The child watched the clock on his bedside table, waiting for a full hour to pass after his parents went into their own bedroom. He felt anxious as he slipped out of his bed once enough time passed. This time he was more careful. Somnus tiptoed around his room and picked up a pile of clothing and toys to stuff under the blankets of his bed. If his parents looked in his room, they would assume Somnus was asleep.

… He hoped at least.

After Somnus was done, he turned towards the door. It was time to go to the attic again.

Despite his heart feeling as if it would burst out of his chest the entire time, Somnus made it to the attic without incident. He brought Draco, his flashlight and some pizza just like the other night. The boy had to hide the slices deep in the fridge and pretend he'd eaten it for dinner. His parents had not made anything for themselves today and instead eaten some of the leftovers. They'd left two slices for their son which normally would have been enough for a child.

But Somnus wanted to give them to Ardyn. And so he decided he'd just go hungry and give what was left to his brother. The child snuck some snacks later on and that had helped ease the hunger he'd felt from not eating.

"You came back again." Ardyn said, seeming almost surprised when Somnus appeared from behind the boxes. He was sitting by the nightstand, the light already on.

"I said I would. And I brought pizza, see?" Somnus said with a smile as he proudly held out the plate of food. "It tastes even better warm but the microwave is too loud. I hope that's okay?"

"It is. I'd be willing to eat anything you bring me at this point anyway. As long as it is edible, of course." Ardyn responded, looking eagerly at the food.

"Mom and dad haven't been giving you anything to eat?" Somnus asked cautiously, not knowing how Ardyn may react. Even he could tell he didn't seem to like them. He remembered seeing the containers in the garbage. Was Ardyn refusing to eat? And maybe he had a good reason since they locked him away like this. But it was hard for Somnus to see his parents doing something like this to their son for no reason. They were busy but he knew they loved him. They would love Ardyn too, wouldn't they? There had to be something else going on.

Ardyn froze at the question and Somnus could see his brother's face change at the mention of their parents. His eyes narrowed and his lip curled. His expression caused Somnus to take a step back, feeling a little scared.

"Let's not speak of them right now, little brother. You may not like what I have to say." The chained man finally said after his face had returned to a more neutral expression.

"Oh… Okay." Somnus was still curious but he knew when to let things go. Ardyn might tell him another time. Though he had been scared just a moment ago, Somnus felt something at being called 'little brother'. It was strange, but also a little nice. In his mind, it was helping him accept the fact that he did in fact have a big brother.

"Let us change the topic to something we would both enjoy." Ardyn offered. "Stories. After I eat I will tell you one."

Somnus nodded, cautiously walking towards his brother and handing over the plate. Ardyn took it eagerly, immediately biting into a slice of pizza. This time he took his time with it, eating it slowly. He probably hadn't had time to even taste his food last night with how fast he'd devoured it. It was different today.

The boy stood by and waited for Ardyn to finish but his stomach suddenly rumbled at the smell of the pizza. Somnus hadn't felt hungry before but as he watched his brother eat he began to feel the beginnings of hunger as well. He hadn't been able to eat a full dinner today, after all.

Ardyn paused before finishing his first slice and looked over to Somnus. The child blushed and looked away from him . He mumbled out an apology as his stomach let out another sound.

"Are you hungry?" The older man asked.

Somnus thought about lying but his stomach had already given him away. He nodded. Ardyn frowned in response and Somnus found himself hurriedly explaining why.

"There wasn't much pizza left so I had to pretend to eat it." Somnus admitted, feeling a little silly as he did. He should have just grabbed something for himself when he got Ardyn's food or just eaten something more filling after dinner. His parents had been upstairs the entire time but he'd been too afraid of being caught and questioned. He didn't trust himself to not say something he shouldn't. "... And then I got scared mom and dad might ask why I was eating so much again. I didn't eat much afterwards either."

Ardyn just blinked at the explanation. But then, a slow smile began to form on his face.

"That is rather considerate of you. But I am not someone that would allow my brother to go hungry as I eat in front of his face. Come here." Ardyn motioned for Somnus to come and, though once again hesitant, the child did and sat down beside him. He felt unsettled being so close but forced himself to relax. Ardyn hadn't hurt him last time. He promised. He would trust his brother to keep his promises.

And Somnus was right. All the older man did was set the plate he brought on his lap. One slice of pizza remained while half of the other was still in Ardyn's hand.

"It's yours." Ardyn declared, taking another bite of his own slice.

"Are you sure?" Somnus asked, surprised at the offering. Ardyn had been so hungry last night. He was probably just as hungry now.

"I am." Ardyn answered. "Now eat up. I can't keep you up here too long. You won't get any sleep otherwise."

Somnus gave Ardyn a big smile and thanked him. He felt a warm feeling growing in his chest, overcoming his unease. In his mind, he really questioned why mom and dad did this to Ardyn. He seemed nice, at least after the first incident.

Both brothers finished their pizza in companionable silence. After they were finished, the elder began to tell his story.

Ardyn told a tale of a young boy named Astra, a child who was very kind and brave. He lived outside a small village and was loved by all who resided in it. Astra was always willing to help those in need, whether they be humans or beasts. From helping farmers till their fields to hunters catching food to even helping stuck kittens out of trees, this child would do it all to make others smile. He was loved by everyone almost immediately upon meeting him.

Well, almost.

For this poor boy had the most vile of parents. They were witches... And not the good ones. They were terrible people and enjoyed causing suffering to others. They barely raised their son, leaving him to his own devices. They didn't know just where their son was going throughout his days. And when they finally did realize where he went and saw how much their son was loved, they became angry and even jealous.

And so the parents decided to lock away Astra from the outside world. They refused to let him see anyone in the village. They didn't allow him to see the animals he'd saved and befriended. No one knew where the kind child they loved disappeared to. No one knew where he lived after all. Astra hid that from them, fearing what might happen if any of the people he befriended tried to go to his home.

Astra spent years locked away, longing to be free once more. The boy's parents tried to make him like themselves. They wanted him to be cruel and heartless so he could hurt others like they did. There was a reason they lived outside the village and were even banned from entering it.

Astra refused to become evil until one day his parents had enough. They decided their own son would be used in their next spell. His life would be used to make his parent's more powerful and even curse the village for making their son into a 'weakling', as they put it.

The boy learned of this and decided he would not allow it. He broke free of his prison and ran from his parents to warn the village. He made it in time and the very people he once helped, helped him in turn. The witches were stopped and imprisoned like they once imprisoned their son.

After that, Astra was adopted into the village. There he lived happily, far away from his uncaring parents with people who actually loved him.

Somnus listened intently to his brother's story. He felt bad for Astra throughout it. He even felt frightened when Ardyn described what the witches wanted to do with their child for their evil spell. The child found himself happy that Astra was able to run away and find somewhere else to live. His parents shouldn't have treated him like that and they deserved to be locked away for what they'd done.

Somnus yawned when the story was finished, his eyes felt so heavy. He still hadn't been able to sleep very well thanks to his nightmares.

"That was a good story. I'm glad the Astra made it out." Somnus said, while stifling another yawn.

"So am I. I would offer another tale but you seem a bit tired."

"No! I can stay up." Somnus tried to argue even if what Ardyn said was true. Honestly, he didn't think he could last through another before falling asleep.

"Not tonight." His brother shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Perhaps not even tomorrow. I've had you risk yourself already for me. I don't want you to get in trouble. Spend a night or two without coming here. Children need an ample amount of sleep to grow."

"Alright." Somnus agreed easily. Mostly because he liked that Ardyn seemed to care so much for him already. He stretched, and the plate and Draco fell from his lap.

"You haven't introduced me to your friend here. And who might he be?" Ardyn said as he stared at the dragon toy.

"Oh. This is Draco." Somnus said as he picked up the stuffie to show Ardyn. "Umm.. Dad got him for me. For when I get scared or lonely."

"Did he now." Ardyn said, his face changing slightly and his eyes seeming to darken for just a few moments. "And does Draco help?"

"Yeah, especially when mom and dad can't."

"Can't? And why can't they help?" Ardyn asked, now looking back at Somnus.

The boy froze, not wanting to say the reason. Mom and dad had told him not to mention certain things to other people. He was sure this was one… But this was his brother.

"Because they are busy. They work a lot. They are always in their study or outside." The child finally admitted.

"And so this toy is their replacement for them? And out you say? Who do they bring to watch you when they are out?" Ardyn seemed angry, but not at Somnus.

Somnus hesitated and looked away from Ardyn's intense gaze. "No one. I'm home alone."

"Somnus…" Ardyn waited until his brother looked at him before continuing. "You know that is not right. You are only a child."

"Yeah…" He wanted to say he was a big kid like his dad said but maybe he didn't believe it in reality. He'd been so scared lately. He wanted someone to stay with him when he was frightened. Big kids didn't get scared like he did.

"Are you afraid?" Ardyn asked when Somnus remained quiet.

"Sometimes." Somnus admitted. "I keep seeing things... A monster. I know it's not real but... I don't want to be alone."

"I see…" Ardyn murmured. He moved closer and put a hand on Somnus's shoulder. "Well, know you have me here even during your most frightened times. If I were free, know that I would not treat you like they do."

The boy felt something warm in his chest again. It would be nice to have someone else here with him, Somnus thought to himself. Ardyn didn't seem that bad. A little strange but the boy was told not to judge others.

Despite the warmth, the child began to feel his eyes water. Somnus looked away without responding to Ardyn.

"Are you alright Somnus?" Ardyn asked, seeing that something wasn't. He grabbed hold of his brother before he attempted to shy away. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Somnus hesitated just a moment before basically tackling Ardyn in an embrace. The chained man let out a startled cry, but then quickly recovered to return the embrace. The dark-haired child buried his face into Ardyn's clothes to try and hide his tears.

… Somnus absolutely hated that his parents were busy. He didn't like being alone. He didn't like feeling like he was bothering them when he wanted to play with them. He didn't want to feel like a baby when he was scared. He felt his body shudder, resisting the urge to bawl. Why couldn't his mom and dad be like Ardyn? He seemed to care for him more than they did most of the time.

"Somnus." Ardyn cooed and gently raked a hand through his brother's hair. "It's okay. Know that I am here for you."

"Sorry." Somnus apologized some time later, sniffling slightly but now a little more in control of his emotions. He let go of his brother, causing Ardyn to do the same. He stayed close however. Ardyn, in turn, just wiped the tears still trailing down the child's face.

"No. It is not your fault." Ardyn sighed, his voice carrying a tone Somnus didn't recognize. He didn't say whose fault it was but Somnus had a guess. But it wasn't, was it? It's not their fault mom and dad were busy. It… Just was. They said he would understand one day. He just had to wait until then.

"Now, I am truly sorry but you must return to your room. Please give yourself a night or two to rest before you come back, alright? And whenever you feel afraid, remember that I am here. You are not alone, not with me on your side."

Somnus nodded, not really trusting himself to speak. He gave his brother a quick but fierce hug, which Ardyn returned, and then picked up the things he brought with him.

As Somnus pushed the attic stairs back up, he thought he heard something. He froze and listened intently, thinking he could faintly hear Ardyn's voice speaking... But there was no one for him to talk to up there anymore, was there? But maybe Ardyn had a friend like Draco too, Somnus thought to himself. He sometimes liked to talk to his toy when he was lonely.

The child decided to ignore it and quietly headed down the stairs.