#hornton

bonus book 8 prediction (I still haven't caught up with book 7):

Burning.

That's all you could feel in your every aching nerve.

"Child of man, where have you gone off to?" A deep, silky smooth voice echoed through the corridors of the Diasomnia dormitory hall. A voice that haunted every waking moment of your recent life. You could hear the footsteps of the enigmatic housewarden as they clicked closer to your hiding spot.

You could feel your heart racing, your breathing quickening, and sweat beading down your forehead. Your bare feet ached from the previous chase, surely covered in sores and blisters from your suede shoes you had haphazardly thrown on. You thought you had lost him, but you were wrong.

“I’m not one for these sorts of games, child of man,” the fae prince derided, the green heels of his leather boots clacked against the tile floor, each sound feeling like it was breaking your bones. “I’d much rather you just come to me. You trust me, don’t you?” Malleus’ voice incanted, his words dripping off his silver tongue.

You could hear the fae prince drawing near, making you feel smothered in an overwhelming sense of impending doom. As he came closer, you felt hazy. The world felt like it stopped moving even for a moment as it all felt unreal. You looked at your shaky, sweaty hands as it felt like they weren’t even yours. Like you were… in a dream.

You could hear the crackling of flames outside the cabinet you hid in, garnering your attention. Amidst the sound, the temperature in the cabinet began to get warmer and warmer.

“After everything we had done together, the times we shared, the friendship we built, that adorable nickname you gave me. Was all of that for naught?” The fae prince queried, his heels clicking ever closer to the cabinet. Time was running out as plumes of smoke seeped in, percolating through the edges of the wooden door. Your lungs filled with smoke as you tried to stay calm.

He wouldn’t burn this place down with you inside, right?

A soft glow snuck its way in through the growing cracks in the cabinet, containing viridescent flames and embers. You didn’t have much time. You had to move.

With much reluctance, you burst through the cabinet door to no sign of Malleus aside the green flames slowly consuming the Diasomnia hall. Walls were cracking, tapestries were burning, and debris was crumbling down from the ceiling. It all felt so surreal, yet, it was right in front of your very eyes.

However, it was time to move. Glancing around, you covered your mouth with your sleeve to keep yourself from inhaling smoke. No sight of the Briar Valley prince could be found. Your eyes stung from the acrid smoke as you made a run for it, bolting for the mirror hall

A way out, a way home.

What would Ace and Deuce think about your return? What about Grim? What about everyone? All the friends you made and all the memories sped through your mind. Your friends, the Spelldrive Tournament, the Song & Dance Championship, saving your friends from STYX, all the overblots and trauma, the chaos of it all… Oh, how much you missed it. Tears blurred your vision as you kept running, thinking of about how much you missed it all. The normal chaos of your life was much better than this, as much as a pain it could be.

Soon enough, you busted into the mirror hall, your body aching as you frantically looked around. Still no Malleus, but you weren’t going to complain about that. Your gaze shifted to the Ramshackle mirror, one you had been yearning to see. Your breath caught in your throat as you heard the prince’s heels approaching from behind. The sickening clicks and clacks echoed in your ears like a swarm of insects burrowing into your skull.

Without a second thought, you ran to the Ramshackle mirror, not giving up now. Your heart raced in your eardrums as you felt yourself get closer and closer to freedom…

CRASSHHHHH!

The mirror before mere seconds before was now shattered into pieces, it’s reflective glass lay dappled on the floor’s tiles like little stars of a broken dream. You felt your blood run cold as you stared open your destroyed escape, seeing yourself in the shattered reflections. Your gaze shifted to the mirrors of the other dorms: Heartstabyul, Savanaclaw, Octanivelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde. All were shattered as well, leaving only remnants of glass as a mere ghost of what they once were.

“My, my, did you really think I’d just let you go?” The prince jeered, a soft smile audible in his tone. Before you could react, you could feel a familiar pair of hands clamp onto your shoulders. “A thought so misinformed, child of man.” He continued, his presence looming from behind.

You couldn’t bring yourself to scream, cry, or even whimper in the face of your defeat. All that came from your quivering lips was ragged breaths and each one feeling like daggers in your lungs, stabbing in and out.

“Have you had your fun? Did you get it out of your system?” Malleus derided, one of his hands sliding from your shoulder into his pocket.

“I-“

“Good, good…” Malleus interjected, retrieving his magical pen from his pocket. With a flick of the prince’s wrist, the world shifted and warped as the mirror room faded into Malleus’ bedroom. The bright atmosphere of the mirror room was warped into the adumbrations that decorated the prince’s chambers. With his hand still planted on your shoulder, the prince firmly pushed you to sit on the bed, looking down at you with those dark, brooding eyes that glowed a slight green in the darkness of his room. His shadow cascaded upon your still stunned form, trying to process everything that just happened. With that, Malleus leaned closer to you, his hand traveling from your shoulder to your chin. A soft smile adorned his lovelorn lips as he stared hungrily down at you.

“Welcome home, child of man.”

SONG OF THE FIC: LET THE WORLD BURN - CHRIS GREY