a3therc0r3

[a3therc0r3]

happy birthday to our favorite dragon

i’m so glad to be here for his first birthday in game!! he’s been my main and my fav since i started(if u couldn’t tell) so i’ve been super excited for this! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYLUS ❤️

(was going to write a bday fic but this week has been… 😪 i’m gonna try to write it over the weekend so stay tuned?? if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for it, pls let me know cause i’ve got none)

[a3therc0r3]

Driving Out Into the Sun

summary: Sylus x reader proposal(or my version of it)

content: sylus x reader, fluff, established relationship, marriage proposal, surprise cameo at the end

word count: 2,871

a/n: hii! sorry for not uploading anything for a while, i had no inspiration and was just kinda in the dumps- i do have an idea for a series that i'm planning to work on but i wanted to get this out first. also please let me know if this is bad, i was zoning out a lot while writing. anyways enjoy! also posted on ao3

When Sylus had proposed a weekend getaway, you’d been somewhat hesitant to comply, wondering what his ulterior motive was. Sylus wasn’t exactly the person to just do things on the fly. He typically plans his events out; it’s you who is the spontaneous one, so obviously you were suspicious when he first suggested it. Though he had quickly waved you off, stating that you had been overworking yourself and needed some relaxation away from Linkon–and more importantly, away from the association. When he’d said it in such a gentle tone, holding your waist as you stood between his legs, looking up at you with those ruby eyes, who were you to say no?

So, he’d whisked you away in his jet to some town a few hours outside of Linkon. When you arrived, the first thing you noticed was the flyers. Dozens of them coated almost every billboard, shop window, and lamppost, all advertising their local lantern festival. Every spring, on a full moon, the entire town would release lanterns into the sky to mark another year their small village had survived. A few locals had explained that it was more about getting people together, and the releasing of the lanterns was a symbol of good luck. As soon as you heard about it, your eyes lit up. You loved lantern festivals; the warm glow of the flames, the handmade goodies people would bring out, the way the lanterns would float like stars that had danced too close to the earth–finding their way back to the night sky, the magic of it all was breathtaking.

When you’d turned to him with bright, pleading eyes, he’d complied immediately–ordering the two of you tickets for the event. Of course, his original protesting of the idea was all for show, though. Both you and he knew that he would do anything for you; he had burned down towns and slayed soldiers for you in your past lives, spent so long searching for you and earning back your trust and adoration in this one, a couple of tickets to a festival was nothing compared to the things he would do to keep you by his side. 

The rest of the day, he had whisked you all around the town; pulling you into personal fittings, sorting through pieces of hand-crafted jewelry to match, laying you down in a salon until you were pampered beyond belief. Any time you’d grown suspicious of his actions, he had leaned down and kissed your cheek with a sly smile, whispering, “Can’t I spoil my pretty love every once in a while?” 

You had smirked and slapped his chest but let him lead you down unfamiliar streets until the two of you were seated on a balcony with a cool breeze blowing through your freshly trimmed hair, stars twinkling above you as a waiter took your dinner orders. 

As he walked away, you tilted your head at Sylus who was looking awfully proud of himself, “What? Got something to say, Mr. Smug?”

He chuckled, “New nickname, sweetie?”

“Don’t change the subject!” You waved a fork at him accusingly, earning another laugh from the man across you.

“I’m just admiring the view.”

You scoffed, “You haven’t even turned your head enough to glance at the ‘view’,” you gestured to the skyline that encircled the restaurant.

  He winked with that signature glint in his eye, “You know as well as I that’s not the view I was talking about.” 

You rolled your eyes and hid the pink tint on your cheeks by placing your chin in your hand, letting out a deep sigh, “I like it here. It’s nice and quiet.”

“You prefer the quiet, kitten?” 

“Sometimes,” you shrugged, “I like being able to hear the birds in the morning and walking down the street without worrying that someone might come and grab me.”

Sylus laughed, “No one could grab you while I’m here, sweetie.”

“Sometimes you’re the one I have to be watching out for,” you joked, “But I do like the city too. It’s nice not having to drive far away whenever I’m craving fast food.”

Sylus nodded, following your gaze out at the town and hills below, “Noted.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

That night, you stayed in a luxury resort that conveniently had all of your bath products at the ready. Sylus had filled up the tub, squeezed in your favorite bubble bath and decorated the water’s surface with rose petals. He led you into the en-suite and helped you slip out of your clothes and into the warm water before following close behind you. He pulled you back into his embrace, his hands moving to massage your neck. You relaxed against his touch, letting your head fall back against his shoulder. 

“Sy?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve been spoiling me an awful lot today.”

He remained silent for a moment, turning his head to breath in your scent before responding, “The whole purpose of this trip is to help you relax, no? I’m simply working to ensure that outcome to the best of my abilities.” 

“Well, you certainly are putting in quite the effort,” you joke, elbowing him in his side. 

“Oh?” He wrapped his arms around your waist, “Would you prefer other methods of relaxation?” 

You giggled at the feeling of his breath against your ear, giving his arm a pinch, “Why do I feel like that wouldn’t be as relaxing as you’re making it out to be?”

Sylus chuckled and responded with a shrug, picking up a loofah. He began lathering up your back, careful not to get your hair wet after its wash earlier in the day. It had taken an immense amount of strength to not doze off in the salon when the woman had massaged your scalp and eased every knot out of your muscles. Now, in the safety of your lover's arms, the warm embrace of the water that was feeling more and more like a freshly dried blanket, your eyes began to flutter shut. You breathed in the comforting scent of lavender candles mixed with a smell that was undeniably Sylus. Something about the mixture of his touch and the low hum of the bathroom fan had the rush of the day rapidly catching up to you. You let your body relax against him as he scrubbed down your arm, letting out a deep sigh for the umpteenth time.

You felt the deep rumble of his laugh, heard him whisper something about always falling asleep against him. You vaguely remember him rinsing the suds from your skin and helping you slip into suspiciously new-looking pajamas. The two of you had cuddled up under the covers, Sylus’ arm curled around your waist, his fingers intertwined with yours. You’d fallen asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, unaware of the plans he had for the following day. 

The majority of Sunday was spent arguing with one another on which lantern design would look best, constantly washing glue from your hands or restarting completely after ripping the paper. After much longer than either of you wanted to admit, the lantern was finished. You had decided on a piece that featured a branch decorated in blooming flowers with a dragon flying in the background; you most likely should have chosen something simpler, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. Still, you were quite satisfied with how it had turned out, admiring it as you scrubbed the remaining dried glue from your fingers. 

“I think we did a great job,” you smiled.

Sylus, who was now reading through a brochure about the festival that had been given to you that morning, nodded with a hum, “I agree, we work well together, sweetie.”

“If only glue would work well with us too,” you sighed, drying your hands off for the third time just to find another patch of glue in the process. You groaned and grabbed another damp paper towel.

Sylus chuckled as he stood and made his way over to you, taking your hands in his and gently wiping them down with a kiss on the knuckles, “Why don’t you go put on that new outfit we got you? We’ll need to be returning our finished lantern if we want it hung up for the festival.” 

You nodded and practically bounced off to the bedroom to get ready. Sylus waited until the door shut behind you to pull out the small velvet box he had stashed in his pocket, flipping it open. Inside sat the ring he had purchased months earlier. He’d been planning this event, waiting until the right moment to mention taking a ‘vacation’. Unbeknownst to you, his heart had been beating extra fast since you had landed—if that was even possible—coming up with clever ways to avoid the real reason he had brought you to this town and making careful movements to ensure you never spotted the box he was holding. 

It was unlike Sylus to be as nervous as he was now. Deep down he knew you’d say yes, he could see the pure admiration in your eyes every time he caught you staring, but there was still a small voice in the back of his mind that told him when he got down on one knee, you would turn around and finally see him as the monster he knew he was. That you’d look at him with those same eyes that had held the cold barrel of a gun against his chest. And because of that voice, his hands shook ever so slightly as he closed the box and put it back into his pocket, following you into the bedroom.

Hours later, when the sky was a dimming shade of blue and the streets were decorated with lanterns that ranged in size and shape. Children ran up and down the asphalt, twirling around their sparklers or stuffing their mouths with sweets. Their parents watched from the benches or behind their respective stalls, calling out every so often when a kid ran a bit too far out of their lines of sight. 

You watched the night unfold from the balcony of your suite, the skirt of your new dress blowing in the gentle breeze. Sylus approached you from behind, wrapping an arm around your waist. 

“What are you thinking about, sweetie?” He cooed in your ear.

You smiled and shook your head slightly, “Just how amazing of a boyfriend I have,” you joked. 

He chuckled and gave your side squeeze, “Ah, now that’s something I can agree with you on.”

You giggled and turned around to face him, “Really though,” you took his face in your hands, “this has been perfect. Thank you.” 

For a moment, something flashed across Sylus’ eyes that can only be described as pure endearment and adoration, before his signature smirk returned, “Well, the night's just begun.” 

Soon, the local fire marshal gave the ‘okay’ for the lanterns to begin being released. Each attendee had been given a new plain lantern specifically to release, separate from the ones made to be decorations. Some people had written wishes on the paper, hoping their prayers would be received as the ink reached the sky. When you’d asked Sylus what he wanted to write on it, he had shaken his head and simply stated, “I have everything I could ever wish for right in front of me.” Your heart had then, naturally, burst. How could he say such things with such nonchalance? And expect you to do the same? Impossible. You’d blushed and hid your face from him with a mumble of a response.

When the sky was glowing from the cluster of flames rising into the stratosphere, you carefully shaped your lantern, making sure it looked perfect. Sylus held out a lighter, setting the fuel cell aflame. You held the edges, feeling the warmth spread to your hands, a comically large grin spreading across your face, given how relaxed all of the other guests seemed. 

“You do the honors,” Sylus said as he stepped back. You assumed he was recording you to remember the moment or make fun of you for the child-like joy you were exuberating. 

You nodded and waited a moment for him to pull out his phone before taking a breath and holding out the lantern in front of you, “Ready? Three, two…” You let go of the edges and watched as it slowly rose away from your grasp and was taken by the sway of the wind. That moment felt like everything you had imagined it to be, just as beautiful and magical as you had expected. Your gaze followed your lantern as it joined the others and was soon lost amongst the sea of luminaries. As each guest released their lanterns, your smile only grew. The scene was straight out of a fairytale; standing in your best attire with the love of your life, under a starry sky, while doing something you had dreamed of since you’d been exposed to Disney movies. 

“It’s so pretty,” you muttered, turning to look at Sylus, “Don’t you-” 

Your words were cut off at the sight before you. Your hardheaded, overly-confident, stupidly charming, and sometimes infuriating boyfriend was down on one knee, holding out an open ring box. Whenever you’d imagined how Sylus would propose, you’d pictured him to have his usual smirk on his face and saying something cocky that would make you roll your eyes, but now all you saw was a genuine smile; the same one that you had grown used to waking up to, the one he wore when he thought you weren’t looking. 

He extended a hand, and you took it immediately. He let out a shaky breath and you're pretty sure he said your name, but you could barely hear him. Your brain was too busy trying to convince itself that this was really happening. The way his eyes glimmered with the reflection of the lanterns behind you had you using all of your strength not to collapse onto the floor alongside him.

“You know I’m not the best at heartfelt speeches, so forgive me if I sound corny, I’ll try to keep it short,” he took another deep breath, “You have brought so much joy and love into my life that I didn’t know could exist before I met you. You’re fully aware of everything I’ve done—all of the blood on my hands—and yet you still smile at me every morning. You still hold my blood-soaked hands and kiss every wound I receive. You should know by now that I will do absolutely anything for you; I would impale myself on your blade if it meant saving you.”

Great, now you were crying.

“You are half of my soul, I love you more than life itself. I want to wake up and fall asleep to your face every day, I want to have a family and grow old with you,” Sylus squeezed your hand lightly, “Would you do me the utmost honor of marrying me?”

You had a hand covering your mouth in an attempt to suppress the gleeful sobs escaping your lips as you nodded. You tried desperately to keep your hand steady, falling immediately into his arms the moment the ring was on your finger. “I love you so much, Sylus,” you whispered.

When you finally pulled back from your hug, you could see tears of his own falling down his cheeks as he finally kissed you. Everything clicked in your head that moment, that he had planned this entire trip just to make it the perfect proposal, and you smiled against his lips. 

Little did he know that in your bag, sat the ring you had picked out, ready to take matters into your own hands if he hadn’t asked you in the next few months. You figured you’d save it for the wedding, mentally checking it off of the to-do list that was forming in your mind.  

As for Sylus, he was in pure bliss. Kissing his now fiance under a fading glow of the lanterns that carried their wishes off to another land, his already having been fulfilled. He truly had everything he could ever ask for; everything he couldn’t have all those years ago when he wore a different skin. Sylus would never fully forgive himself for that but he was doing everything in his power to make it up to you, and even if you’d forgotten the fiend, he knew you’d forgive him–even if he couldn’t. And that was enough. 

bonus:

Snickering and multiple camera clicks interrupted the moment, drawing your attention away from the man in your arms. You leaned over the balcony to find the shit-eating grins of Luke, Kieran, Tara, and Zayne looking back up at you. You rolled your eyes and turned back to Sylus, who simply shrugged, his smirk returning as per usual. 

“Are you two going to stop making out so we can celebrate?” Luke called, a tad too loud given the disapproving glances of nearby families. 

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming,” you waved a hand in dismissal.

“No, that’s what we’re trying to prevent!”

“Luke!”

You heard him snicker and groaned, standing with Sylus and making your way to the stairs. Tonight was certainly going to be memorable. 

a/n: thank you for reading!!

[a3therc0r3]

A3THERC0R3'S MASTERLIST

a masterlist of all my current fanfictions (apologies if this sucks, i have no idea how to use tumblr)

Last Updated: 03/30/2025

Current Works: 3

Boiling Blood ⤏ sylus x reader - sylus tracks down a poem you wrote in your past lives

A Blanket of Snow ⤏ sylus x reader - you drags Sylus into the freezing cold to build a snowman

Driving Out Into the Sun ⤏ sylus x reader - sylus takes you out for a weekend getaway but has a special surprise planned

coming soon...

[a3therc0r3]

I wish you the most happiness.

[a3therc0r3]

A Blanket of Snow

summary: MC/you drags Sylus into the freezing cold to build a snowman

content: sylus x reader, established relationship, just pure tooth-rotting fluff

word count: 1,270

a/n: here's a short little fluff oneshot that i wrote a while back when it snowed where i lived(and now am posting on the week it's supposed to snow again) enjoy!! also posted on ao3

Outside of the thick glass of the manor window, a blanket of white has laid across the land, caressing the property with the state of perfect harmony it brings alongside it. You only notice this as you’re standing in the bathroom, brushing out your damp hair. You had just gotten out of the shower after taking advantage of the weekend by sleeping in. It was already midday when your eyes lit up at the sight of the outdoors. You practically drop the brush, scurrying to pull your clothes on as you stumble back out into the bedroom. 

Sylus had left to attend a surprisingly early virtual meeting in his study. He had explained to you last night that he had been adjusting his sleep schedule so he could spend the most possible time with you this weekend after not being able to see each other much the past few weeks. You had been caught up with constant assignments from the Association while Sylus had been dealing with an enemy corporation that had been getting a little too close to figuring out the personal details of Onychinus. 

But now you were finally together; at least you would be after this meeting was over. He hadn’t told you what exactly this meeting was, but either way it didn’t matter in your mind. This was much too important. You had been looking forward to the first snowfall since the last one had melted. 

As you rush to find your coat that you’d thrown somewhere in the heat of last night, you trip over your own pant leg, crashing into the side of the coffee table as you fall. But you quickly right yourself, shoving your foot properly through the fabric and grabbing your topcoat. The door clicks open as you button it over your sweatshirt, a masked face poking in to make sure you’re decent before entering all the way.

“You alright? We heard a crash,” Luke, the younger of the twin henchmen, scans the room for the cause of the commotion. 

You nod your head vigorously and wave him off when he tries to check you over for injuries, “I’m fine, just fell. Where’s Sylus?” 

You finish tying the wool belt that accompanies the coat and begin pulling on the boots that Tara had gifted you after yours had promptly fallen apart after a specifically intense assignment. “He’s still in the meeting, why are you getting all dressed up?” Luke offers you a hand, pulling you to your feet once your boots are laced. 

You point to the window, “It’s snowing! We have to go outside!” Luke hurries over to the window, your excitement clearly rubbing off on him. Even with the mask on, you can clearly make out his grin as he turns back to you with a nod. The two of you rush down the hallway to the door of the study, knocking lightly before cracking the door open. Inside, Sylus sits with his legs crossed at his desk, Kieran standing behind him. He’s wearing the typical black button-down and slacks, flipping a pen around his knuckles as those on the screen before him speak to one another. He eyes you in the doorway, his signature smirk plastered across his face. 

He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head ever so slightly at you, “Yes, sweetie?” 

You open the door wider, trying–and failing–to hide your smile as you whisper, “It’s snowing!” 

Sylus nods, his smirk only growing, “That it is.”

You roll your eyes at his teasing, “C’mon, Sylus, it’s the first snowfall of the season! We’re practically obligated to go outside.” You cross your arms, Luke popping into the doorframe with you, sporting a pleading expression. 

“I thought kittens didn’t like snow,” You give him a dead blank stare, earning a laugh in response, “I’ll be there in a moment.” The smile returns to your face at his words and you nod as you close the door, high-fiving Luke before he rushes off to his room to change into his own winter clothes. 

A few moments pass before Kieran exits the study and follows in his brother's footsteps down the hall. You step into the study to find Sylus sitting on the couch, changing into his boots. You take the other shoe and slip it over his foot, tying it up into a neat bow while trying to ignore the fact that he’s begun stroking your hair. He tucks a few strands of hair behind your ear as you look up at him, his gaze soft as he smiles down at you, “I don’t think I’ve seen you think excited since we finally won that coconut plushie.”

You chuckle softly as you stand, “I mean, it’s snow. How could I not be excited?” 

He stands alongside you, already having put on his coat, and leads you out of the study, “Fair enough.”

Outside, the perfect blanket of snow has been ravaged. Luke and Kieran had taken three steps before starting a snowball fight with each other, building up walls of snow to use as cover. You were now rolling the second ball for the snowman you and Sylus had started. You pick it up, heaving it on top of the large base that your boyfriend had constructed. You give it a few pats, smoothing out the edges until it looks like a proper sphere before hunching back over to gather snow for the head. You feel a hand take hold of your hair and twist it over your head, covering it with a soft hat. 

“It’s bad enough you’re out here with wet hair, you’re going to catch a cold,” Sylus says, pulling the fabric over your ears as you pick up the head and turn to him.

“I’ll be fine,” you retort, dragging out the last word as you head back to the headless sculpture, “Besides if I do get sick, you’ll be there to take care of me.”

You place the head carefully on top of the body and pat it down as well, “Now all we need is the face.” Gathering up a few pebbles, you assemble a smile accompanied by two eyes, using larger rocks for the buttons down the body. As you turn to ask Sylus what to use for the nose, he extends a hand. He smirks at you, offering up the carrot lying on his palm. You take it, not bothering to ask where he got it because you already know he used his evol, and stuffed it into the snow. “There.”

“He doesn’t have a hat.”

“Then I guess he’ll catch a cold,” You raise your eyebrows at him and he chuckles. You take a step back, studying the work with a smile, “It’s perfect.”

Sylus cocks his head and hums, “Not quite,” he leans down and shoves together two more mounds on top of each other, placing pointed stones on top and using his finger to draw a face, “Now it’s perfect.” 

You look down at it and scoff, “Is that a snowcat?”

He shakes his head with a smirk, “It’s you.” You smack his arm lightly in response and he catches your wrist, “Should I give it claws?” He brings your hand to his mouth to kiss your knuckles, making your face flush. 

You bring your hand to his cheek and roll your eyes, “Idiot,” you mumble as you lean up to give him a proper kiss, snowflakes landing on both of your cheeks as he smiles against your mouth. His arms wrap around your waist and envelop you in the security of his warmth against the bitter cold. 

a/n: thank you for reading!

[a3therc0r3]

Hex code: #83d2f0 Hex code: #ffcf14 Hex code: #fb0844 Hex code: #9f9f9f

Font: Sigher

PART 1

Like/rb if used || no need to credit me

Blog theme or at least I think that’s what this is! 🤠 anyhow… ahhh… I added the hex and font in case anyone wants to add their own stuff/version to fit their blog!

[a3therc0r3]

Boiling Blood

co-creator: @dragonspoems

summary: you wrote poetry during your time on Philos in your and Sylus’ own language; the poems found their way onto Earth and are now highly sought after, working to be decoded and being sold in auctions for billions. When Sylus learns about the poems, he immediately knows who wrote them, recognizing their language instantly. He has now made it his goal to hunt down as many of these poems as he can while simultaneously searching for you. 

content: sylus x f!reader, angst, past-relationship, pre-relationship, poetry, spoilers for sylus' myth

word count: 2,261

a/n: this is my first ever time posting on tumblr so i hope you enjoy!! i have some more fics coming in the near future(fluff, i promise-) also HUGE thank you to my amazing friend and collaborator @dragonspoems who not only wrote the poem in this fic but also gave me the idea for this fic!! go show them some love! this fic was also posted on ao3

first part is from sylus' POV

Appearances can be deceiving. For example, on the outside, one may see a violent lion, while on the inside, there is simply a shaking kitten. On the outside, one may see a calm, collected, well-kept man who sips occasionally on the venue-provided wine; swirling it around his glass in boredom. On the inside, his mind is racing, his eyes scanning the crowd and glancing back down to the list of goods. His knee bouncing as each item is sold off in a painstakingly long manner. Couldn’t they just get to what was important? What everyone was truly here for? Of course they couldn’t, you have to save the best things for last. 

Sylus watched as other guests whispered to one another, sharing rumors about the ancient writing that everyone was anticipating. They would lazily raise their paddles to pass the time, betting on a much less interesting artifact. A protocore here, a painting there, all while mumbling to their friends about the bits of this writing that had been released to the public. Hushed voices muttering about the beauty, the romance of the words. His beloved’s words. His. No one else’s. They didn’t deserve to read her literature, didn’t deserve to even attempt to translate their language. They didn’t watch from far away when she scribbled in a notebook. They didn’t know how her hands would smell of ink when she touched his face. They didn’t know anything and they never should.

Sylus’ grip on the list had tightened unconsciously to the point that his nails pierced through the paper. It had practically crumpled in on itself, his chest heaving as thoughts spun out of control. The masked twins beside him glanced at one another before leaning in slightly and whispering, 

“Boss? Are you alright?”

Sylus snapped out of his haze, clearing his throat and taking another sip of wine. The twins righted themselves and nodded, knowing to leave well enough alone. They knew better than anyone in here that hell was about to break loose the minute the poem was brought out. There was a high probability that it would end in bloodshed, considering how important this was to their boss; then again, there was always a possibility things could end in bloodshed with Sylus. 

After what felt like hours of waiting, the auctioneer finally grinned and leaned toward the microphone, 

“Now, ladies and gentlemen is the product that I have a feeling the majority of you are here to see. The antique poem is thought to have been preserved all the way from Philos,” guests leaned forward, their interests piqued, “Very few of these pages have been found, and even fewer have been translated from their original language. However, from what we can tell, these poems seem to be the story of beauty, tragic romance, the tale literally as old as time.” The man chuckled to himself, resting his weight on his hands placed on the edges of the podium, “Your faces tell me that many of you are already interested. Since these are so rare, I expect that there will be quite the competition, though we must ask that you all maintain your composure. Now, let’s start the bidding at fifteen million.”

Paddles raised instantly, calling out higher numbers on top of each other. Sylus crossed his legs and let his head rest against the back of his booth, his fingers turning the paddle over in his hand. He’d let them have their fun, wait until the cost had gone up before chiming in. 

“Fifty million from one forty-three, do I hear sixty? Sixty million anyone?” 

Guests continue to holler out their bids, waving their paddles impatiently. The auctioneer spoke a million miles a minute, pointing to each guest as he acknowledged the prices. Sylus remained silent until the bids had risen into the hundred millions. 

“One hundred and seventy million from Mr. Abrams, we are getting up there, ladies and gentlemen, do I hear eighty?”

Sylus raised his paddle, “Two hundred million.” His voice boomed above the others, a few turning to look at the unfamiliar vote. 

“Two hundred million! From Mr…” the auctioneer moved to spot him through the sea of heads, taking the microphone with him, “Mr. Sylus! Such an honor to have you here, sir! Two hundred million from Mr. Sylus, do I hear two hundred and ten? Two-ten, anyone?” 

A paddle was raised. So, they wanted to keep fighting? Bold move. The bidding continued, raising to two hundred and thirty million before Sylus spoke once more.

“Three hundred million.” The auctioneer practically laughed, “Three- three hundred million from Mr. Sylus! Another decent raise! Do I hear three-ten?”

Another paddle raised, “Three-fifty million,” the voice chimed out.

“Three hundred and fifty from this fine lady! Do I hear-”

The man didn’t get the chance to finish before Sylus cut in, “Four hundred million.” The woman who had placed the previous bet, turned from her seat to glare at Sylus, earning a smirk in response. 

“Four hundred million! The heat is cranking up here! Do I hear four hundred and fifty million?” The man strolled to the edge of the auction block, grinning as he spoke.

A paddle raised.

“Four hundred and fifty million from Mr. Abrams! Do I hear five hundred?” At this rate, it would take an hour to get the poetry. All Sylus wanted was something to remember her by, anything from his past life to cling onto while he searched for his beloved. Something to keep him sane in the meantime. He’d indulged them for long enough and now his patience was wearing thin. Sylus raised his paddle once more.

“One billion.”

More guests turned their heads, whispering to themselves as to why the leader of Onychinus would want a piece of poetry so bad. The auctioneer clapped dramatically, trying to excite the room, even though he had asked for the opposite moments prior. “One billion! Now that is an offer of the century. It’s going to be hard to top that, folks.”

“One point two billion.” The man from earlier–Mr. Abrams–raised his paddle, eyeing Sylus as he did so. 

Oh, so that’s how you want to play. Sylus held his paddle up before the auctioneer could even point to Abrams, “One point five.”

“One point seven.”

“Two billion.”

“Three.” 

The auctioneer chuckled wearily to himself, “Gentlemen, please, wait a moment for me to-”

“Ten billion.” Sylus carefully put his gun on the table, pointing the barrel in Abrams as he crossed his arms. His right eye glowed with such intensity that it made Abrams shiver on the spot as if Sylus could kill him with a mere stare. He probably could. The twins unsheathed their weapons, a silent warning, and had the man closing his mouth before he could voice another offer. It was time to shut up. Mr. Abrams turned back to face the auctioneer, placing his paddle down with a hmph! His wife muttered something bitterly to him.

The auctioneer let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in, “Ten billion from Mr. Sylus! Do I hear any higher offers? Anyone? Ten billion, going once, going twice? Sold to Mr. Sylus for ten billion! Congratulations, my good sir!” 

He continued moving on with the next item, but Sylus couldn't care less; he had gotten what he came here for. He rose, taking the last swig of his wine and placing his gun back into its holster. With a flick of his hand, the twins stepped back, allowing Sylus to walk towards the backstage area. A few guests stood to block his path, turning to him with pleading gazes.

“Mr. Sylus, surely I can offer you a much better deal to take the poem off your hands. I could even pay you back the ten billion you lost!” A man stepped forward, his hands clamped together as he spoke.

A woman beside him scoffed, “Please! You don’t even have half that amount,” she stepped towards Sylus, purposefully bumping her shoulder against the man’s before caressing the Onychinus leader’s arm, “I can give you money and a good time.” 

Sylus grimaced in disgust, pulling his arm away as another guest behind him chimed in, “I’ll give you my first-born daughter! A-and any valuables you want!” 

“I’ll give you my daughter and my wife!” a voice spoke from somewhere in the crowd, quickly followed by a slap and a woman yelling in a foreign language. 

The first woman tugged at his sleeve again, “Mr. Sylus, please! Just reconsider and I’ll make it worth your time!” 

Sylus pulled his arm away for a second time and glared at the crowd surrounding him, a red mist pushed through the mob, forcing them to make a path for him. “You’re all pathetic, you sit here and let people piss on you without even the courtesy of calling it rain,” he strode through the swarm of guests that were still whispering offers to him, the twins following close behind him. The auctioneer seemed to be frozen in awe, unsure of how to proceed with the event. When Sylus reached the curtain that separated the backstage from the rest of the room, he turned to his henchmen, “Make sure they don’t disturb us,” and with that, he disappeared behind the fabric. 

The auctioneer let out a nervous chuckle, “Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats so we may continue with our schedule,” disappointed mumbles filling the silence as they complied. 

Behind the curtain, Sylus had been led to a private sitting room, where he awaited for the staff member to bring him his winnings. The flickering glow from the chandelier cast warmth through the room, hugging him in a mellow embrace. He crossed his legs, tapping his foot impatiently against the carpet. He could be wrong, the poem may not be what he thought they were. It could all be just a coincidence, every ounce of his past life was truly lost to a wind he would never feel again. Sylus grit his teeth and glared down at the rug, thoughts racing. 

A knock on the door interrupted his pondering, the woman that had escorted him stepped back into the room with a smile, “Your purchase, sir.” She handed him a leather binder with gloved hands and stepped back against the wall. 

He waved a dismissive hand at her. She bowed, seemingly disappointed, “We thank you for your appearance,” and with that, he was left alone. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in, opening the binder with a shaky hand. A yellowed and faintly crinkled paper sat in a sheet protector. With careful fingers, Sylus pulled the paper from its film, rubbing his thumb over the familiar texture. He had recognized the handwriting immediately–it had been ingrained in his memory for as long as he could remember–the poem was exactly what he had hoped it was: one written by his beloved. Biting his lower lip, he read her scrawls, 

It’s been years, and yet I still couldn’t explain the ache, from what I was, my very essence. It was painful to contain it. 

It hurts so damn much, going through days knowing what fools I am surrounded by. They don’t know anything yet, born with silver spoons in their mouths, not a gem in their eyes. 

I wished to be like them. Ignorance is bliss to the things I’ve seen, letting them take more–all they think they need. 

Yet his voice, a devil’s call, to grow back my claws, to be the one he fell in love with, to be the one I am, the one I unforgivably was.

I knew that call. I knew that need–the need that claws inside of mine–to let the world be filled with traitors’ screams.

Killing what was mine, forcing my hands into the fire of unbeknownst burning in his chest. 

I hated him, loathed him for it, for he knew who I was–a beast, a creature within that wanted their blood, wanted to dance on their graves for all the wrongs they have done. 

Something in my mind telling me he was, he is mine, and mine alone. He belongs. I belong to no one but us, and the spirits of our own, souls of the same kind.

They banished and looked away, laughed and smiled, celebrated the unbecoming of something that was mine and mine alone. 

Soon enough they will know. They will find what they have done, through my everlasting boiling blood. 

I cannot blame him for what he did, for it is as well the doing of mine.

Sylus stared at the paper, biting his lip harder, blinking rapidly to banish the tears threatening to spill. He took another breath, cleared his throat, and looked down at the initials that sat at the bottom of the page. Your initials. Because it was always you, and it will only ever be. The only one he would spend billions on to read a few lines of poetry. 

Sylus gripped the paper tighter as if it would disintegrate in his very fingers, the same way he once had, lifetimes ago on another world. He gazed up into the flickering light of the chandelier; his mind had been made up the moment the fragments of his soul had blown through that breeze so long ago. He was going to find you, no matter how long it took. He would wait centuries, traverse hellscapes, die as many times as he needed to, to find his way back into the arms of his beloved.

a/n: thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it

[a3therc0r3]

robyn || 19 || she/they/he

i'm new to tumblr and still figuring out how everything works on here, but i wanted to make some sort of introduction before posting my first fic!! i started playing lads back in october of 2024 and have been obsessed ever since- i can't promise a stable upload schedule because i really just write when i feel like it but i do have some things in the works!!

note: requests are now open! again, i can't promise constant posts mostly because my inspiration comes and goes, but please feel free to send over any ideas!!

(photos on left and right from pinterest, middle is mine)