Chapter Text
✧˖°── .✦────☼༺☆༻☾────✦.── °˖✧
It really had happened out of nowhere. Sebek had cast his gaze off of Malleus's overblot form for just a split second, daring to look at where Yuu laid there, injured but seemingly out of the way. His newfound... friendship with them and the other first years clouding his judgement.
He rushed towards them, eyes locked on his liege's terrifying form. Reaching out his arm towards the prefect, Sebek had expected to feel the weak grip of the human, not the blinding pain that came next. The sudden intrusion of a thick bramble piercing through his stomach, the horrific squelch and crack that had accompanied it as his bones splintered inside of him.
Oh. He stood there in shock, bramble keeping him standing in place even as his knees knocked together. For once in his life, Sebek stayed there, silent and unmoving. Locking eyes with the Ramshackle prefect, Sebek listened to the shrill scream that rang out from their mouth.
"Sebek!" Yuu's voice calls out, as the bramble rips itself from his body. He lurches forwards, tumbling down into Yuu's arms.
Sebek can feel how their arms clutch at his shoulders, his vision becoming blurrier and blurrier as every second passes. His nose twitched at the filthy flavor of iron that had overtaken his mouth. A small stream of it ran down his mouth, only for Yuu to gently rub their thumb on his chin, wiping the blood off.
Is this... the end?
Had he been a good guard for Malleus? Sebek knew he was loud, and just maybe a little zealous about his liege... but he didn't know if he was ever really good enough. ̶I̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶M̶a̶l̶l̶e̶u̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶b̶l̶o̶t̶t̶e̶d̶.̶
And his family... what would his mother and father think? His elder siblings? He could feel tears silently roll down his face from both his physical pain and his emotional turmoil. I should've treated Father nicer...
Sebek moaned in pain as he was moved, two more pairs of hands placing themselves on his body. Cracking an eye open, the blurry faces of Lilia and Silver greeted his sight. Silver looked at him, eyes seemingly wet and voice broken as he wailed.
Trying to push himself up, Sebek was stopped by Lilia himself. Calloused hands gently combed through his hair, as low, soothing murmurs reached his ears. "Lil'a?" Sebek questioned, attempting his tilt his head up towards him, "M-Mal'lus..." He trailed off, spatting blood off of his lips, "...okay?"
"Yes," Lilia whispered, his voice now sharp, like he was holding back a sob, "We did it,"
"Me too?" Sebek spluttered, his voice fading in and out. Both Silver and Lilia nodded, Silver clasping his hands around one of Sebek's and raising it to his mouth, muffled sobbing escaping from his mouth, "'m I... dying?"
Lilia's blurred figure seemed to open and close his mouth, before saying nothing at all. Sebek shut his eyes once more, feeling a ghost of a kiss placed on his forehead. "...night's blessing..."
As he felt the last of his life forces draining away, a new hand joining the rest. It was colder, and bigger than the rest. A deep voice rang throughout the clearing, but he couldn't understand what was being said.
It's cold...
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
Sebek startled awake. He gasped for air, arms wrapping around his torso. What the... It was like nothing had happened— that his liege never had overblotted, like everything was perfectly fine.
Compartmentalizing the fact that he was alive for later, he decided to focus on what was happening in front of him. That is too say, absolutely nothing. It was pitch black and cramped, much like the coffin he arrived in back when school had first started.
No, Sebek shook off the silly thought, There's no way that I've arrived back at the start of school. Refusing the notion that something so, so impossible could've happened after his death, he bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. But even then, he couldn't help but look at his clothes.
Having adjusted to the darkness currently surrounding him, he raised his hands in wonder. His sleeves were the same purple color of their celestial orientation robes, and when he inspected further, he realized that both the his hood was there, along with the buttons he only ever felt with his ceremonial robes.
Sebek's eyes flashed up as a crack of light opened from above him. Pushing open the hinged coffin lid, he could no longer deny what had happened. I-I really... traveled back in time? Noticing how his hands began to tremble, Sebek tried to will himself to stop, but didn't succeed.
His body seemed to move on its own, shakily trudging into a line with his fellow first years to appear before the Dark Mirror. He knew he was going to be sorted into Diasomnia, so why did he even need to do this once again?
Standing tall, Sebek tried to put on a show of complete self-confidence, scoffing as he noticed Ace and Epel sneaking out of the hall, just as he had before. Though, much to his chagrin, the scoff had seemed fond, almost endearing. His haughty false grin became more genuine as Deuce and Jack got sorted as well, all of the four other first years being sorted into their respective dorm.
Making his way to stand in front of the Dark Mirror, he once again put up a front of arrogance and composure. He knew Silver was probably watching him (unless the blasted human fell asleep), and knew that Lilia was going to show up after the whole Yuu and Grim fiasco.
"State thy name," The Dark Mirror's mask seemed to bore into him, Sebek managing to not shrink up at its gaze.
Clearing his throat, Sebek shouted out, "My name is Sebek Zigvolt!" In the past he had tacked on the part about being Malleus's retainer, but stayed silent this time around. I am... unworthy of announcing that.
It was quite clear on that. He wasn't a part of the rest of their tight-knit family made up of Lilia, Silver, and Malleus. Always on the sidelines, never close enough to the rest. Sebek could maybe argue that him and Silver were quite close, but he'd never feel the bond that existed between the rest of them.
Which meant he should've been able to see past his liege's strong image. His liege— the fae once seen as untouchable, perfect in every way, had overblotted. Maybe I could make it up to them, I could help stop the damage caused by those that had overblotted.
The Dark Mirror interrupted his inner monologue, its masked face glaring down on him, "Foreign magic blocks my sight," Sebek furrows his brows at the statement, This isn't how it's supposed to go! "There is magic in the boy, yet he isn't compatible with any dorm,"
Loud whispers filled the halls, each getting more and more accusatory from the last. Sebek himself could only gape at the proclamation, his fingers digging into his palms as he brings himself to speak, "That's not possible! I got the invitation, I-I..." He trails off, knowing that somehow, the experience that brought him back in time was to blame.
"Ramshackle," The Mirror commands, and Sebek blinks at the sudden noise. With Yuu and Grim? Maybe it wouldn't be that bad, especially if his plans to stop the overblot would have an easier time coming to fruition.
But even then... Sebek's eyes flit around the room, meeting Silver's auroral eyes. Even his usually stoic fellow guardsman showed the slightest bit of surprise, eyes widening just a fraction. Attempting a smirk, Sebek nods at Silver and steps back into the crowd, ignoring the eyes that followed him.
The students around him stepped back murmuring about the weak, like any of them could've beaten him ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶. but Sebek understood the hierarchy of Night Raven College, and how the weak had to listen to the strong. Alas, he supposed he would just have to demonstrate that he was capable.
Tapping his feet impatiently as the sorting swindled down to few, than none, he paid no mind to the new rumors about him that floated around. Listening to the complaints of the housewardens, Sebek couldn't help but let out a grin as the headmage appeared at the end of the hall—a clueless Yuu stumbling behind him.
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