Violet “Yuu” Chandler

Sebek stood in the center of Diasomnia's courtyard, Surrounded by people.

Students.

Nobles.

Fae.

Everyone he had ever wanted respect from.

They were looking at him and smiling for once.

At first, he thought they were smiling at him, like he finally mattered.

Then he looked down.

His uniform was wrong.

Too large. Hanging awkwardly from his frame.

Like a child pretending to be a knight.

The Diasomnia emblem on his chest looked ridiculous.

Fake.

someons stepped towards Sebek.

"Tell us, Sebek Zigvolt."

The title felt mocking.

"How much longer do you intend to pretend?"

Sebek frowned.

"Pretend what?"

The crowd laughed.

"That you're one of us."

The words hit harder than expected.

A chill crawled down his spine.

"I am one of you."

More laughter, Some covered their mouths.

Others openly sneered.

Like he'd said something embarrassing.

"You inherited a little magic and suddenly believe yourself fae."

"How adorable."

Sebek opened his mouth to argue, Nothing came out.

Not a sound.

His voice was gone.

Panic surged through him.

He tried again.

Nothing.

The crowd continued speaking over him, As if he wasn't worth listening to.

As if he never had been.

Then he saw his mother standing among them.

Sebek immediately pushed forward.

Mother would understand.

She always—

But when she looked at him, her expression wasn't warm, It wasn't proud.

It was sad.

The kind of sadness reserved for something disappointing.

Something that couldn't be fixed.

"Mother?"

No sound.

nothing.

She reached out, For a moment, hope bloomed.

Then she placed a hand against his cheek.

And sighed.

"I'm sorry."

his world shattered.

Suddenly, he was younger, A child again. Standing in front of a mirror.

Round ears.

Human features.

Human.

Human.

Human.

No matter how many times he blinked, they remained.

The reflection smiled. As if it has accepted the fact that they are not a pureblood, something so dirty blooded.

Sebek did not.

"You know the truth."

The reflection spoke.

His voice.

His face.

His eyes.

Yet somehow not him.

"You train because you're afraid."

"No."

"You shout because you're afraid."

"No."

"You worship strength because you're afraid."

"No.."

The reflection leaned closer.

Its smile widened.

"You're terrified that if you stop proving yourself for even one moment..."

"...everyone will realize you were never enough to begin with."

Cracks spread across the mirror.

Across the walls.

Across the sky.

The dream collapsed around him.

Yet the reflection remained.

Watching.

Then it spoke one final time.

Softly.

Almost gently.

"You can spend your whole life running, Sebek."

"But you'll never outrun being human."

Sebek woke with a strangled gasp, For a moment, he genuinely didn't know where he was.

His room.

Diasomnia.

Night Raven College.

Reality returned slowly.

His hands were shaking badly.

He clenched them into fists.

It didn't help, it only hurt his hand further.

The dream had felt too real.

Not because of the voices.

Not because of the crowd.

But because every accusation had been built from fears he never allowed himself to acknowledge.

The fears hidden beneath his pride.

Beneath his loyalty.

Beneath every boastful declaration.

What if his devotion wasn't enough?

What if his strength wasn't enough?

What if, no matter how hard he trained, no matter how fiercely he served...

there would always be a part of him that felt like an outsider looking in?

For the first time in years, Sebek found himself unable to return to sleep.

And when dawn finally came, he looked more exhausted than if he had never rested at all.

drip. drip.

ah.