Chapter 8

Breathe.

Somnus repeated the order in his mind so he would remember to. There was a pit of anxiety in his gut, getting more painful as the day progressed. He hadn't been able to eat, feeling far too sick. He had to be strong though... For tonight was to be the night his brother walked free of his prison. And together the two could leave their home behind. Together they would be free of their parents and could finally be as brothers should be.

But the boy also began to have doubts. It was a few days before school started and Somnus's parents went out with him earlier to buy school supplies. This normal activity, and the seemingly normal few days beforehand, began to cause the boy to question if he should really do this. Wouldn't it be a waste to buy all of these school supplies if his parents wanted to get rid of him? Of course Somnus still wanted to free Ardyn but he began to wonder if his parent's really wanted to do something terrible to their youngest.

… But the child's brother was sure their parents would try something. Ardyn warned him to be guarded and not let them trick him. Somnus felt divided on what he should do. He wasn't as sure as he once was that he should also flee. The boy would have to make his decision soon, he knew. Ardyn wanted very much to escape tonight. He'd even told his brother to wait for this particular day.

Luck was on Somnus's side as his parents did not sleep in their study tonight. They were currently in their bedroom. The boy had been careful to make sure they stayed there. He'd silently tiptoed over from his own bedroom to sit by their door after hearing them settle down. He felt he could make an excuse that he'd had a nightmare if they discovered him.

An hour passed and no sound was audible. It was only then the child rose from his spot by the door. Somnus felt and heard his joints crack from staying in his position from so long. He winced from the sensation of pins and needles as he limped away. Thankfully the feeling passed after a short time.

A flashlight in hand in case he needed it, Somnus made his way through his home and towards the coat closet. He felt such a wrongness in his being for doing this. He felt as if he were a thief in his own home. But all he was doing was borrowing the key, the child convinced himself and was able to subdue the feeling. The boy quickly found his dad's jacket and immediately dug into the pockets. He was careful, slowly moving his hand and rummaging around until he found what he was looking for.

The metal of the keys were cold in Somnus's hand. He pulled them out slowly, gripping them tightly so they would not jingle. Once out, he looked over the many keys for the one he needed. There were several on the keychain and the boy hoped one of these would be the right one.

However, luck was not on his side for this. None of them was the right one for Ardyn's chains. The older brother was certain the key required for them was a golden color. One with several symbols engraved upon it. He'd even shown Somnus which symbols as they were some of the same ones that had been engraved into the attic's floor and walls.

Somnus felt a wave of despair at the key not being here. What if he couldn't find them? He began to doubt himself. He felt he would let Ardyn down after promising to free him. But quickly, the boy shook these thoughts from his head. He still had time, all night possibly. There were a few other places to check.

The next place was his mother's purse. Somnus pulled down the bag from the closet and began to dig through it. Unfortunately for him, that search too came up fruitless. The boy was even reminded of the times his mother accused him of going through her purse like he was now. It made him feel guilty that he really was doing it. The boy put the purse back in its place and stepped away from the closet.

Ardyn had said their parents may not keep the key in obvious places. And it may be in places no one else but they have access to. Over any other place in the house, the key might be in their study. Possibly even their bedroom if the child could not find it anywhere else. That would mean waiting another night however and Somnus did not want to do that. The boy hoped it was upstairs and, with his dad's keys still in hand, Somnus walked over to the stairs and ascended the steps.

Once up, instead of taking the familiar path to the attic he padded towards the study. This was the room he'd never been allowed inside for his entire life. He'd been curious about but could never bring himself to defy his parents to glimpse what was inside. Today Somnus would and was nervous of what he might find. The child was hesitant to step inside but he knew he had no choice.

The child took another breath in an attempt to calm himself before trying the keys. The anxiety was still there. Somnus was cautious, slowly inserting the key and turning it so it made as little noise as possible. He knew he was being paranoid but he was terrified of being caught red handed like this.

The first key did not work. Neither did the second. Frustrated, Somnus tried the third but it too was not the right one. By the fourth, Somnus was getting impatient and even more nervous as he stood there.

Finally, the last key caused a soft click to be heard. Somnus let out a sigh of relief. The boy removed the key and opened the door. Giving himself a few moments to gather his courage, the child stepped inside with his flashlight turned on.

It was far less sinister than the boy had expected.

The room was messy, looking almost like a library. There were books and papers all over the place, on the floor and on top of several desks. Somnus could even see some dishes and cups that had been left lying around after his parents finished eating. That caused a spike of irritation to rise up in the child as they always reminded their son to put his dishes in the sink but they didn't seem to follow their own rules.

Before he forgot, Somnus turned around and checked the door. Sure enough, there lay painted the same mark as in all other rooms in the house. The boy carefully used his fingernail to chip at the paint until the mark was broken. He didn't know why Ardyn wished for him to do this but he'd said it was important. He'd wanted Somnus to do this to all the marks in the house earlier that day. And the boy did.

The boy felt a chill once he stepped back from the door. He shivered, seeing a black shape dart inside the study almost out of the reach of his light. But when Somnus moved his flashlight to check, he saw nothing. He shivered, feeling rather unsettled. He could not shake the feeling that he was not alone.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Somnus began his search. He dug through the papers and books scattered over the desks in the room. It was messy, far messier than he ever thought his parents would be. They'd always been tidy and wanted their son to be as well.

The child ended up knocking over a book and froze at the soft thump it made when it hit the ground. Heart in his throat, he quickly knelt down underneath the desk and waited. Had his parents heard the noise?

Minutes passed and there was no sound of movement from outside. Somnus relaxed then and continued his search. He rifled through the drawers, the cabinets and the closet. It was frustrating whenever he came up empty handed.

Finally, Somnus found the golden key lying on a small table beside some empty plates and glasses. He almost cried out in joy when he realized what it was. The key was in his hands, the exact one Ardyn described. An excited feeling began to bubble up within Somnus. Ardyn would be so happy. He could be free.

Though he wanted to run from his room straight to his brother, the boy took a few minutes to clean up any mess he made. He wanted to make it seem as if no one else had been in here. He and Ardyn may need all the time they could get to make their escape.

The child felt uneasy at the thought of leaving again. He still questioned if he should go along as well. His parents were being nice and the thought of leaving them was beginning to cause an ache in his heart. Somnus still loved them, he knew. It was not something he could help.

Somnus looked over at the desk again and an open book caught his eyes. He glanced over it curiously. The title of the chapter it was on was Scourge of the Stars. The boy brought his flashlight close and began to read.

Also known as The Scourge or The Starscourge. A type of powerful daemon that requires a human host to manifest itself. The host is irrevocably changed after the possession, their mind twisted to become as monstrous as the daemon.

Before Somnus could read more, a few drops of something cold splashed onto his face. Somnus flinched back when something fell on the book.

"No…" The boy moaned as he realized what just happened. A half-full wine glass near the book had tipped over and spilled all its contents over it. Somnus was unsure how as there was nothing nearby that could have knocked into it. The child tried to dry the pages with his sleeve but ended up just ruining them even further as the ink ran.

There were still some passages the boy could read but they made no sense to him.

Weaker in sunlight... Moonlight can be effective if... called Scourge of the Stars for this very reason... No known cure…. violent, obsessive… desire to take lives... become fixated on objects or...

It must have been a horror story of some sort and Somnus didn't understand what it all meant as he could not read the pages in entirety. The child decided he didn't have any more time to waste so he left the book as is. Maybe his parents would believe the glass tipped over by itself overnight, which really was what happened.

Ardyn was waiting for his brother when he made it back up to the attic. He was standing, the light already on.

"You have it." The older man stated, his voice failing to hide the eagerness behind it when he glimpsed his brother's form coming towards him.

Somnus nodded, clutching only the golden key to his chest. He'd returned his dad's keys to his coat before coming back up to Ardyn. The child knew there may be no turning back now. Once he freed Ardyn, his parents might never forgive him if they found out he had done it.

"You can let me out." The desperation and longing were clear in his brother's voice and Somnus felt his heart ache. He would never understand what his brother went through in these last ten years. Freeing him would be worth it, Somnus thought to himself. Even if his parents hated him afterwards.

Ardyn raised his chained hands toward Somnus, offering them to him. The child stepped towards his brother and attempted to hand him the key. But immediately, the man snatched his hands back.

"... Please Somnus, you may have the honor of releasing me. This is possible because of you after all." Ardyn said at his younger brother's questioning look.

Somnus paused, once again feeling as if something were terribly wrong. He wanted to free his brother but something was causing him to hesitate. A flash of a dream he had suddenly came to his mind. The red-haired boy that looked like Ardyn trying to tell him something before he was interrupted by the shadow.

… But with Ardyn staring at him with such a hopeful look, Somnus just brushed off his reservations. He raised the key and his brother raised his hands once more. The child found the lock easily enough on the left wrist and inserted the key. At first, he thought the key might have been the wrong one as it would not budge. But, with some force, the key turned and the first chain unlocked.

Ardyn let out a shuddering breath, his eyes gleaming as he looked over his free arm. There were marks where the chain once was, scars that may never heal from the many years pulling at the metal. Somnus felt terrible seeing them in full for the first time.

Somnus could almost swear he could feel his brother's anticipation palatable in the air as he inserted the key in the second lock. This one too was a struggle to open. But finally it did and the second chain fell away from his brother's arm, the golden key still attached. His right arm also had scars littering the wrist area.

With the chains unlocked, Ardyn was finally free.

When the boy looked up at his brother, he noticed Ardyn staring down at where the chains once encircled his wrists. His eyes were wide, almost like he was shocked he was finally unchained.

And then the older man grinned.

To Somnus's rising unease, Ardyn began to laugh. The child flinched and stepped back seeing such an odd reaction from his brother. The laughter did not sound quite right to the boy. He just stared as his brother continued.

Ardyn laughed for a while, almost to the point of tears. He was breathing faster when he finally managed to calm himself.

Ardyn then turned to Somnus, his eyes flashing bright gold once more. Somnus took another step back, feeling a spike of fear as his brother walked towards him. But all the man did was sweep him up, lifting him up for a hug.

"I am free…" Ardyn whispered into his brother's hair. "And it's all thanks to you, Somnus. My dear little brother... Look how you've saved me."

Somnus felt a kiss be planted on his head. With that, the boy finally hugged Ardyn back. He felt bad for feeling afraid of his brother just before this. He should have known by now he could always trust him. Ardyn set his sibling down afterwards.

"Thank you, Somnus. And now, it is your turn to be saved." Ardyn promised as he held his hand out to him.

Somnus took it.

"You're not going to hurt them?" Somnus glanced at his brother to ask as they departed the attic. It was strange but Ardyn did have his younger brother do something first before he left his former prison. He asked Somnus to scratch at the engraved markings around the room, just like he had the symbols on the doors of the house. Only then did Ardyn follow his brother downstairs.

Somnus wondered how Ardyn felt, taking his first steps out of his prison in ten years. Happy, of course as his brother could not stop smiling. But was he sad or angry it took so long? Did he remember what his home looked like after so long in the darkness?

"Do you think I would?" Ardyn responded, seeming a tad offended.

Somnus paused and looked away. He wanted to say no but… Everything felt weird. He expected to feel relieved after freeing Ardyn but he did not, at least not entirely. Something seemed to be nagging at him, like he'd done something wrong or that something bad was about to happen.

Ardyn gave a sad sigh at the lack of response and Somnus immediately felt guilty. Before the boy could speak up though, his brother did.

"It's alright, Somnus. I understand." Ardyn said. "We were never given the time to know one another like siblings should. Let me give you my solemn vow upon my own life that I will not raise a hand against our parents. Does that ease your worries?"

Somnus felt some relief and nodded. The bad feeling did not entirely leave him but it lessened.

"Now, go grab your things. I will scavenge what we may need on our trip and meet you outside the front door. Quickly now."

"Oh… Okay." Somnus agreed hesitantly.

"Is something wrong?" Ardyn asked, noticing his brother's hesitation.

"No." Somnus shook his head quickly. He didn't want to admit his reservations since Ardyn looked so happy. It really did seem like he wanted his younger brother to come with him.

Ardyn gave Somnus a look like he knew he was lying but didn't say anything.

"I'll be back." The child promised and quietly rushed off before he admitted everything. It was too late to change his mind, he felt.

Somnus crept back into his room for his things. He saw that it was 2AM when he looked at the alarm clock by his bed. Thankfully, he'd already packed most of his belongings earlier that day and only needed a few minutes to finish up.

Ardyn had told his brother not to worry about anything and that he had a plan in place for the both of them once they were out. He promised they would always have a roof over their head and food to eat. Somnus trusted his brother and believed that he was telling the truth.

Finished with the final preparations, Somnus looked over his little travel bag packed to the brim with his clothes and toys. It couldn't fit everything he'd wanted to take but he'd packed the most important items. Clothing, Draco, a few small toys he was fond of, some photographs of himself and his parents, his little piggy bank that held all of his life savings and more. To be honest, his life savings didn't amount to much but he was proud of what he'd managed to save.

Suddenly, the uneasiness Somnus was feeling earlier came back and enveloped his entire being. The boy glanced around himself in fear. He whipped around and looked at his door for several long moments. Once again, he felt as if he were not alone. The feeling was much worse this time.

The boy gulped and turned around to snatch his bag up in a hurry. He felt the desire to return to Ardyn as soon as possible. The child carefully lifted his bag and began to walk to his door. He froze when he saw something already there however.

The shadow was back, it's misty body at the entrance to Somnus's room. The thing that had haunted Somnus for months was here again. Its appearance almost caused the boy to drop his bag but he clenched his hands and held onto it.

Somnus knew it wasn't real. It never was. The boy felt a surge of anger overpower the fear he always felt. He'd had enough. He refused to be afraid anymore.

The shadowy figure began to creep closer and the boy held his ground. He raised his head and glared at it.

But that show of defiance only lasted for a short time. Slowly, the shadows began to melt and shift and the figure began to change. It's body became more distinctive. The shadow had eyes now, piercing golden ones that shined with an unearthly glow. Somnus could not look away from them. They reminded him of his brother's eyes when they seemed to flash a similar color. There were gnarled, blackened antlers on the creature's head too. Its open mouth held jagged teeth. It grew taller and taller as it approached the boy. It towered over him, it's antlers almost touching the ceiling by the time it was a few feet away.

"Go away." Somnus whispered, backing up and letting go of his bag. The child's fear took over at this new turn of events. The imaginary being had never done that before and he found himself terrified.

It wasn't real, the child kept repeating in his mind to try and calm himself. The mantra did not help.

"Ardyn…" Somnus begged for his brother as the figure reached for him with eerily long talons. Each ebony claw was the length of the boy's arm. The boy instinctively swatted at them but stilled as soon as he did. The creature's mouth opened in a grin when Somnus realized that he'd just felt his hand touch the creature.

… It didn't seem to be as imaginary as he thought it was.

"Tavian, did you hear something? A feminine voice whispered.

"Wha?" Tavian responded, groggy from being awoken after a scant few hours of sleep.

"Did you just hear footsteps?"

"Camila, you're imagining things again. Somnus is always in his bed when we check."

"I sometimes wonder if it could be…" Camila trailed off before she finished.

"It's not." Tavian quickly replied. This was a conversation they had far too many times these past few months. The house has just been a little noisy lately, the man felt. "We are safe. Somnus is safe. And one day, Ardyn will be too. We just have to figure things out."

"... I'm losing hope." Camila's voice was already wobbling.

A sigh and then Tavian said. "We can't. Who else will he have? We are his parents."

"We're neglecting Somnus." Camila admitted. Tavian didn't deny it. They already knew they were. "This is why he's acting out. That's why he broke the vase."

"... I know." They'd watched their son turn from the carefree young boy to this depressed, sour child. He'd even begun to say terrible things to them and later acted as if nothing was wrong. He'd been hiding their things around the house and then denied doing any of it. Camila had watched her son smack their precious vase off the table and then act as if he hadn't.

"He worries me... He acts like Ardyn. He spaces out like he used to. Keeps denying the things he's done like he doesn't even remember them. He even says things like him. Are we ignoring the signs again?" Camila's voice was breaking.

"He's fine." Tavian's voice was harsh. They'd already had this talk after the vase incident. Camila had been hysterical, thinking Somnus was turning into another Ardyn. It had taken hours to calm her down and she'd been too terrified to look at their youngest, thinking she would see the same thing in him as they once had in Ardyn. An exhausted Tavian had checked up on the boy later and left some food when he hadn't responded.

"Sorry." Tavian apologized after. "I just… We won't make that mistake again. Somnus is fine, just a little troubled. It's not going to happen again."

Both parents knew Somnus was acting out because he wanted attention. But Camila and Tavian were exhausted from spending almost every waking moment on their eldest. It was Ardyn that required most of the attention right now. Visiting him every night was mentally taxing. Researching and calling in their spare time after work, just as much. They needed to make ends meet and provide as much help as they could for Ardyn. It had been expensive calling in all these specialists that said they could cure him. Most had been quacks but they were willing to try anything.

Somnus would understand one day, at least they hoped. Camila and Tavian had been trying to be better for him lately. They were willing to look past everything that had already happened and start over. The two already knew they would likely make the same mistakes again but they would try their best not to. All they wanted was for the four of them to be a family but that day didn't seem to be happening any time soon.

Both adults lay back down but the regrets they carried with them kept them from falling back asleep.

"... We shouldn't have done this." Camila whispered after some time. It was something she'd felt more than a few times.

"Maybe not. But we are stuck on this path now." Her husband murmured back.

"I still think about them. That girl's parents. Do you think they wonder what happened to their daughter?"

"Camila... " Tavian sighed. That line of thinking never went well when it was brought up.

"If it was your child, wouldn't you want to know what happened to her?" The woman insisted.

"... I would." Tavian admitted as he always did. "I would think about it all my life otherwise. It would at least be closure so I'd never be left thinking she would one day walk through my door."

"They'll never get that. Because we were too selfish. We could have gotten Ardyn help, real professional help. But we locked him away instead because we were too worried what others would think of us. We just pretended he'd gone missing like the girl did... We hid her body."

"It wasn't just that." Tavian responded, knowing a part of it was. They had been worried what the world might think of the parents of an 8 year old murderer. And it wasn't just one murder either. Ardyn's parents were sure he'd been killing animals in the neighborhood before that, and possibly even another two children that had also gone missing around that time.

Few in the world have believed the real cause of all of this was a silly little artifact the family had brought back on holiday.

It was true, Tavian and Camila had been warned. But why would anyone believe some crazy old man that ranted at them after he saw their son carrying an old stone figure they'd just bought? He'd warned them that items like that were used to seal daemons and that they were making a terrible mistake by taking it. They just thought the man a lunatic and hurried away with their son to catch their flight.

What a mistake that had been to ignore the warnings. So much had happened since then, beginning with Ardyn accidentally breaking the figure and releasing whatever had been trapped inside. At first, the strange things that began to happen around the house could be easily explained away. The lights were just malfunctioning, it was just a nightmare, they were just seeing things and so on. But things became harder to ignore, especially when their son began to act like a completely different and violent child and that thing began to show itself. So much more had happened afterwards, none of which either parent wanted to remember.

Now, the couple knew that man that warned them had been right. Daemons were real and one had taken their son's body for its own. All the pain and fear Ardyn's parents had gone through could have been avoided if they just listened. They'd had no choice to stop their son anyway they could. And they had chosen to imprison him until they could find some way to save him.

"No one would believe that Ardyn was possessed. They'd just throw him into a psych ward and he'd be left there for the rest of his life. We wouldn't be able to help him if that was the case. You'd think they'd let exorcisms be performed there?"

"But this didn't help him." Camila argued. "Nothing we do gets rid of that thing inside of him. It's latched onto him so tightly. He's always in so much pain after the treatments..."

"I know… Just remember it's not our boy right now. What he goes through will be worth it once we free him. We'll have our kind little boy again once this is over. We just need some more time."

"I want that with all my heart." Camila said. It was quiet after that as both adults were lost in thoughts.

But then they heard a noise. This time they both did. Loud footsteps, two sets of them. Too heavy to be Somnus.

The couple turned to one another in horror. Had intruders broken in?

Before they could do much but try to scramble out of bed, the door flew open and cracked against the wall.

"Hello Mother. Hello Father." Their son smirked triumphantly at the both of them. A humanoid figure stood behind Ardyn, it's body too tall for its face to be seen clearly. It was clothed in rags and bones. This was the daemon, finally able to take a completely solid now that its host was no longer subdued. The new moon tonight made sure that the two that had once been locked away were now at the height of their power.

Ardyn stepped into the room as his parents watched on in horror. Behind Ardyn, the once shadowy figure bent down to enter. It's long clawed hands ripped into the frame of the doorway as it pulled itself through. It's glowing eyes fixated on the two in the bed. It's mouth opened wide in a gleeful smile knowing it would soon sate its lust for blood after ten long years.

"The mark…" Tavian whispered, frozen at the sight of their son and the daemon that controlled him stepping across the barrier. They shouldn't have been able to so easily step into the room. The mark painted on the door and doorframe should have hindered then even if it would not be enough to stop them entirely.

"Broken. As all others are in this home. You may thank Somnus for that." Ardyn chuckled and motioned for the creature behind him to advance. His brother had been kind enough to do just as he asked in sabotaging the symbols.

Tavian and Camila didn't stand a chance against the daemon that used their son as its host. This was the friend Ardyn told Somnus of, the one that stayed by him all those years of imprisonment.

As Ardyn did make a promise to his brother, he did not in fact raise a hand against his parents. It was only the daemon his parents so desperately tried to rid their son of.

"Somnus…" The woman croaked in her last few moments, blood spilling from her lips as she gasped for breath. She already knew she would die here today. She could only pray that her other son was alright and that maybe he would be able to make it out of this.

Tavian was already dead, his blood soaking into the bed. He'd been killed first.

"Oh, do not worry about him." Ardyn grinned at his dying mother. "He has already been dealt with. Perhaps you'll see him again soon."

Camila couldn't even manage a scream as the daemon reached for her again. Her last thoughts were of her own regrets at what had occurred.

Afterwards, the daemon dissipated. Ardyn looked over at the bloodied mess his friend made and smiled. He felt such satisfaction that his parents had been punished for their many crimes even if he had not been able to participate in the punishment himself. There were many others in the world Ardyn could use to sate his own bloodlust now that he was free. There was always such a feeling of euphoria when witnessing life draining from the eyes of living creatures by his own hand, humans most of all. It had been far too long since he had been able to partake in that.

Tavian and Camila had made many mistakes in their lives. But the one that doomed them was neglecting their youngest in the process of trying to save their eldest. They had not meant it but they were driven to desperation. In the end, that was what had destroyed them. They really should have paid more attention to Somnus. Ardyn was glad they had not as it made his poor, little brother easier to manipulate.

Black ichor began to seep out of Ardyn's eyes and mouth, a side effect of calling upon the daemon's full power. The man cleaned himself up with his sleeve and left his parent's bloodied bodies behind.

It was time to leave.

Somnus opened his eyes, blinking several times to clear the bleariness. His head hurt and so did his ears like someone had been screaming nearby. He could almost hear a faint echo of them.

The child shook his head, causing a bout of nausea to hit but the movement caused his vision to clear. He found himself confused when he realized he was standing upright. But there was not much time to think about it because Somnus could only freeze in horror at what he saw before him.

It was blood... And it was everywhere. Splattered across the walls, soaked into the carpet and covering his parents bed. There were also two figures lying upon that bed, far too still to be okay with everything around them. The boy closed his eyes before he could glimpse any more.

"Ah…" Somnus managed a small cry but was otherwise frozen at the sight. He knew his parents were dead. The child felt the urge to vomit, to collapse onto the floor and scream but he just stood there with his eyes closed instead.

Only when Somnus's palm began to hurt, did he realize there was something gripped in it. The child opened his eyes and looked down, seeing a knife in his hand. It too, as well as all his clothing, were covered in gore.

"No…" Somnus moaned softly. He… Hadn't done this had he?

Why couldn't he remember?

The door behind him burst open and Somnus whirled around in shock, finally free to move his body. He tried to let go of the knife but his body wouldn't let him.

"Drop the knife." A voice commanded from the doorway. There were two large men in police uniforms with their guns raised towards him.

Somnus felt his body tremble and he tried to let go of the weapon, he really did. But his fingers only tightened their grip instead.

"Drop the knife kid!" A second voice repeated the command.

But Somnus did not. He found himself unable to control himself again. The child stepped forward and raised the knife.

"Drop it!" The first policeman warned once more. As if someone else took over his body, Somnus defied the order and charged at both men.

There was a shot, a sharp pain in Somnus's leg and he stumbled. He screamed loudly in agony, the cry burning his throat.

… But he still kept going.

Another shot, more pain and then the world began to darken as Somnus collapsed to the floor. The knife finally fell free from his weakening grasp as the boy closed his eyes.

Somnus woke up on the floor with a small whimper of pain. With tears dripping down his face, he looked around in confusion. He quickly realized he was still in his room. There was no blood and no police. His parents were okay. It was just a nightmare.

The child wondered if he had passed out somehow as he pushed himself up. And then had another awful nightmare, one of the worst yet. His thoughts shied away from what his mind had conjured up while unconscious.

Somnus glanced at the clock and saw that it was after 3AM. Something about that seemed wrong until he realized just what he was supposed to be doing.

Ardyn!

He was supposed to meet him almost an hour ago. Somnus panicked and rushed to snatch up his things from beside him. The child noticed a strange metallic scent in the air but didn't think much of it in his hurry.

Finally at the front door, Somnus hesitated. He felt the need to say goodbye. To maybe leave a note for his parents. It hadn't been all bad with them, at least for himself. He believed they did care for him.

Somnus mulled it over a bit but decided against it. It was probably best not to. The boy opened the door and stepped outside into the cool air.

Ardyn was sitting by the tree in their front yard. His back was to Somnus and he was staring out at the night sky. Stars speckled the heavens but there was no moon in sight. The older man seemed entranced, his body relaxed as he gazed out at the darkness.

"Ardyn?" Somnus called out. He felt apprehensive thanks to the nightmare he'd had.

"There you are, I almost thought you'd changed your mind." Ardyn turned his head to look at his brother. His eyes were bright amidst the darkness and he was smiling.

"I…" Somnus wanted to admit his feelings to Ardyn. He was beginning to feel some regret, not for freeing Ardyn, but for telling him they would leave together. He was afraid. He wasn't sure if this would work. Maybe Somnus could visit Ardyn instead?

Ardyn seemed to be able to tell just what his brother wanted to say. He frowned and Somnus looked down in shame. He'd promised to leave with him after all.

The boy heard his older brother sigh. "You may go back."

"What?" Somnus's head shot up and he stared at his brother in shock.

"I can see on your face that you are questioning your decision to come with me. I will not force anything upon you as our parents did for me. As much as it pains me, you may go back." Ardyn explained. "I suppose I could be wrong. Perhaps they never intend to lock you away… But know if they attempt such a thing that I will come save you."

"But… You'll be alone." Somnus said and knew it to be true. If Somnus stayed then his brother would have to go off alone. He'd never be allowed to visit Somnus often as he could not risk being found out and locked away again.

"Dear Somnus, I have been lonely a long time. I will manage this too." Ardyn smiled at his brother and Somnus felt his heart break. "We will meet again of course, but it may not be for some time."

Ardyn pushed himself to his feet and turned away from. The child felt a wave of love for his brother. Even now Ardyn cared about him so much. He would not guilt him for wanting to stay and even promised to save him if something should happen. Did he really want to stay with his parents over him? His parents had one another. Ardyn had no one.

"Wait!" His back to his younger brother, Ardyn grinned and his eyes flashed bright gold when he heard Somnus speak up. When the older man turned back, his face was schooled into a concerned expression and his eyes were their normal amber.

"What is it?"

"I want to come." Somnus stated, looking into his brother's eyes with determination.

"It's alright, Somnus. You do not have to do this for me."

"No. I want to." Somnus insisted. He trusted Ardyn. He would be safe with him.

"Are you sure of this? You cannot take this back. It is alright if you are scared."

"Yes." Somnus nodded. "I am scared. But… I'm going to face my fears. I want to do it with you."

At Ardyn's soft smile, Somnus felt like he made the right choice.

"Do you have everything then?" His older brother asked as he approached him.

The child was about to say yes but then thought of something. "Hold on."

With Ardyn watching on, Somnus set down his bag and dug through it to pull out his favorite toy. Draco had been the boy's trusted companion and he'd been able to help Somnus whenever he was scared or lonely. But now he had Ardyn for that.

Somnus walked over and placed his cherished toy by the house, half hidden in a bush. He didn't want it too noticeable. If his parents missed him, maybe it would help them once they found it. They may not have been the greatest of parents but Somnus found his heart aching in response to leaving them.

After that, Somnus returned to his brother.

"Good boy." Ardyn praised and held out his hand. Once again, Somnus took it. The red-haired man quickly moved to take hold of his brother and lift him into his arms.

"Woah!" Somnus cried out at the sudden movement.

"This may be a long walk, so allow me carry you." Ardyn explained as he bent down to pick up his brother's belongings afterwards. "Permit me to finally be the big brother I should have been for you all these years."

"Okay..." Somnus felt a warmth from his words and quickly agreed. He wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and whispered softly. "Thank you."

Ardyn began to walk away from the house with Somnus staring back at it. And together, the two brothers quickly disappeared into the night.

Several nights later the local news covered a story about a fire that engulfed a suburban home. The inferno was so hot that it melted most of the house into an unrecognizable mass. The partial remains of Tavian and Camila Lucis Caelum were found but the son's were not. He was presumed dead however.

A few hours away from the site of the fire, two adult female bodies were also discovered stabbed to death in the woods. The police had no leads and the public was warned the killer was still at large.

What the world did not know at this time was that the two women were to be the first victims of a very prolific serial killer that would terrorize the country for many, many years to come.

And this is finally done. Thank you all for reading this story and I do hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions feel free to ask. We feel this story ended up a bit too long, and possibly a little convoluted, so there are likely some inconsistencies and loose threads. I will try and explain and/or fix them if I am able.