THE  WALLS  OF  THE  CASTLE  remain relatively the same ─  tainted only by the test of time.  despite this,  as n treks down familiar hallways,  the place feels almost foreign.  the only evidence of people residing within its walls are the various beds,  sofas,  desks,  and other utensils utilized by the team during their stay.  extended digits trail the cracks and creases that reflect the castle’s aging.  the boy sighs as he makes his way deeper into the castle.  it's been but a few years since the fall of team plasma ─  the second one,  specifically ─  and even though n has spent more of his life confined here than anywhere else,  it feels like it’s been a lifetime since he’s traversed it. 

he's unsure of his emotions.  the memories he recalls are not what he would describe as... good.  of course,  he can't say with certainty that it was ALL bad ─  there are  SOME  things he's grateful for.  but n has quickly caught on to the faults of his childhood and where he was led astray.  he can't help but wonder how different things would have been had he never been found on that fateful day ;  if he'd never come to know the walls of the castle…

he stops. //  perhaps happening on a purely subconscious level,  n stops in front of the door that will lead into his own room.  it's not like he's never visited before ─  no, numerous times n has found himself in this very spot.  be it to reflect or simply disconnect from the rest of the world, n has made trips back to his old room.  he extends a hand to the doorknob for just one look…  but freezes midway.  the castle feels… different.  too caught up in his own emotions,  n didn’t realize the new voices and thoughts in the castle that he's never felt before.  at least, never since it was vacated…

his attention turns to a few doors down :  HIS room.  he's not sure why but his feet are moving even though he knows he won't find anything out of the ordinary…  or,  so he thought.  he sees the door has been left cracked open ─  whereas it’s always been sealed shut before.  n feels an unfamiliar twist in his gut.  anxiety?  he hesitates. n tells himself that the odds are far too slim ;  he has no reason to come back here.  right?  a breath is drawn inwards as n toes the door open.  he freezes in his place.

well,  he's never been good at guessing in regards to people before.  he's hit with an uncomfortable wave of emotions.  fear?  frustration?  sadness?  nostalgia?  resentment?  n is suddenly wishing he had a better understanding of human emotions.  how does one properly react to something like this?  standing opposite him is the man who COMPLETELY turned his life over.  the man who misled him his entire life to groom him into plasma’s next king ─  only for n to realize the truth.  the man that he,  since they’d met,  considered his father.

ghetsis.

❝ truthfully,  i never expected to see you here,  of all places. ❞  he finally says,  half to himself,  and takes a cautious step into the room.  he cannot yet meet the eyes of the man before him.