#fun fact: this is ib by @sourle with their aus !! go check that out

[sharkbitten-sailor]

prologue.

ruthless form, tender soul!au - forsaken x killer!reader tw: slight swearing

a/n; i won't say this was written at 2 in the morning </3 this is just a prologue for rfts!au, so it won't have much interaction with the canon. you can skip this cuz it simply sets up mc's lore and how they got forsaken, making sense of future writings for this au :]

life is meant to be good. or at least, that's what people say.

yet, as time moves forward, it doesn’t ask what you want. it simply shifts and changes, pulling you along, leaving you grasping at something that’s already out of reach. you tell yourself to adjust, to adapt, to keep moving. but deep down, there’s a quiet ache, an emptiness that lingers no matter how much you try to fill it.

there was a time when family was supposed to mean warmth - a space where love was unspoken yet ever-present, a place where laughter held weight. but that version of family never truly existed for you. it was an idea, a dream you held onto as a child, something you desperately wanted but never received.

now, as an adult, you stand alone in a world that demands independence. you walk through the door of a home that is yours, but the silence that greets you is thick, unwavering, pressing against you in ways that remind you of everything you never had.

it is not sadness. it is not regret. just a quiet, unchanging truth.

and still, you move forward. because you must. because you are learning, day by day, how to exist on your own.

✦

today is just straight-up terrible.

it all started with forgetting your files for the boss, which quickly spiraled into a barrage of harsh words and frustration from him. normally, he's not like this. perhaps the stress of stupid deadlines or an important meeting has pushed him over the edge? either way, the entire day at work has been filled with his annoying criticism, making your headache worse than ever.

later, when work finally ended, you dragged yourself home, your body aching and sore thanks to your boss, who pushed a ton of paperwork onto your desk and walked away as if it had been yours from the beginning.

you resist the urge to take a bath or cook something to ease your hunger; there simply isn’t enough energy left in you to do so. instead, your fingers curl around the doorknob of your bedroom, twisting it slowly. as the door creaks open, a gentle atmosphere washes over you, and the sight of your oh so comfy bed instantly draws you in.

without a second thought, you collapse onto the mattress, sinking into its warmth. the softness cradles your weary body, seeping into every aching muscle. your arms instinctively wrap around your shark plushie, clutching it close - a small, familiar comfort against the solitude pressing in.

as your eyelids grow heavier, a quiet sigh escapes your lips.

'maybe tomorrow will be a little kinder.'

hopefully.

...

✦

you stretch, arms reaching toward the ceiling as a lazy yawn escapes. blinking away the remnants of sleep, you rub your eyes, the heaviness in your limbs lingering. short as it was, the rest felt... peaceful. no regular nightmares clawing at the edges of your min-

wait.

hold on.

why does your bedsheet feel awkwardly hard and empty? your hand moves, searching for a familiar softness that isn't there. your head turns, eyes widening just enough for the realization to hit.

this isn’t your bedroom. hell, not even your house. the space around you is foreign, like an old wooden cabin, stripped of warmth. a plain desk and closet stand beside what should be a bed, but it’s not. just a wooden platform, bare and cold, missing any sign of comfort. no mattress, no pillows. nothing that makes it yours.

whatever this is, perhaps a lucid dream, you need to understand where you are.

you push yourself up, stepping toward the nearest and only window. outside, a muted darkness lingers. midnight, or maybe the earliest hours of morning. but wasn’t it already morning when you woke up last? you’re sure you aren’t the kind of person to suddenly wake up twice, are you…?

something is off. but what?

lost in thought, you don’t notice the door- slightly ajar, just enough for a presence to slip through.

small. childlike. but not quite.

crimson-red skin, catching the dim light like molten ember. short, curved horns, smooth yet sharp at the edges. a restless tail flicks behind them, coiling and uncoiling in quiet agitation.

definitely not a child.

"a new friend…?" the figure murmured, their voice a mix of curiosity and wonder. they blinked once, twice, as if making sure this was truly happening. then, in a burst of joy, they lit up like a firework.

"a new friend!" they cheered, eyes shining like tiny stars.

"bluudud! pr3typriincess! hurry, hurry! we have a new friend!" their small hands waved excitedly, hopping up and down like they could barely contain the happiness bubbling inside.

"what the fu-"

by the time you even register their presence, there are already three heads peeking in from outside the door, eyes wide with curiosity. they glance at each other, exchanging silent questions like puzzle pieces fitting together.

are you hallucinating just now? maybe. maybe not.

but those three faces sure seem real enough, staring at you like you're the most fascinating thing they've ever seen.

a/n; if this goes well, i might expand it more than an oneshot. btw i'll add the banner later im way too lazy atm </3 [update: BANNER ADDED , YAY-]