writtenbyshama

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 17: Returning To The N109 Zone

Sylus walked me to the front doors of my villa. 

“Take care, and try to stay away from any further workplace explosions.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind. But you have to promise me that you’ll return from Tulla island in one piece, with your head and limbs still attached.”

He made a small show of rolling his wrist. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get a robotic arm instead.”

“Sylus!”

“…Fine. I promise, kitten.”

His nonchalance was unnerving. Obviously he’d be fine, but I couldn’t let the thought go after he’d filled it in my head. Finally, I unbuttoned the holster at my waist and handed my Association licensed gun. All members were given two identical weapons, and I had both of mine altered by Sonia, a weaponry tech expert. “Please take this as a token of good luck and to put my mind at ease.”

He glared at my outstretched palm as if I had offered a dead mouse. “Tch. Don’t insult me. My fists are better than that.”

I sighed. “I know. But please accept it for my sake. I have had its ammunition enhanced so that a wanderer with a low metaflux will be dead with a single bullet. And the prince..is just human.”

The glare disappeared and his mouth curved into a smile. “A government worker handing a weapon to a criminal to help kill her own prince. Interesting."

“Just take it, please.”

He finally deigned to accept my demands, his large hand closing over mine. “Alright, then. Thank you. I’ll make sure its returned to you, irrespective of whether I do or not.”

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“How’s it going between you and Skye?” Tara asked between bites of her chocolate donut. 

I wiped the crumbs off my lips with my napkin. “It’s going well, I suppose.”

Our department’s work had finally resumed, and I was sorting out the paperwork at my desk when the bag of donuts appeared in my vision.

Tara was a hunter working in Captain Jenna’s Alpha team, but we were friends from the time we’d attended the basic training together. She stopped by my desk whenever she didn’t have any missions to catch up on gossip and what not. She had ranted about her crush on her captain for half-an-hour while I listened, and now we had moved to my (non-existent) love life. All of my colleagues considered Sylus as my boyfriend and I didn’t have the heart to tell them otherwise. 

Speaking of Sylus, it had been a week since he’d left for Tulla island. I had sent a tentative text and it had gone unanswered. The prince’s party was going to be two weeks long, so I had to wait a whole another week to hear from him. I desperately wanted to know what he was doing and whether he was alive. 

“I saw the way he looked at you when he had visited to pick you up,” Tara’s voice brought me back to reality. “He’s utterly smitten with you, Y/n.”

Heat rose up to my cheeks. The intense way he watched me had not gone unnoticed by me, but I didn’t want to discuss him now. I steered the topic to generic banalities and Tara left after we finished eating and I returned to work. 

In the evening, I unlocked my front doors to see Mashi greeting me with a peck to my shoulder. I held the mechanical bird in my arms, breathing him in, trying and failing to detect any scent of its owner. Mashi smelled like cold metal and loneliness. 

I went about my days like I had before, my body going through the motions of muscle memory throughout my classes and at work. But my mind was occupied with was Sylus, Sylus and Sylus. No other person had consumed my thoughts this much. There were upcoming exams and I was trying to study but all I could think of was whether the silver haired man was doing okay. Had he used my gun on anybody? Did he gift the prince that dagger? Had he gone alone all the way to Tulla island?

The next week passed in meetings, assignments and conferences. On the day Sylus was supposed to return, I kept checking and rechecking my phone to see if he had called or texted. He hadn’t. And the blasted bird was nowhere to be found. I had woken up that morning to see Mashi’s nest empty. 

I floated through the day and ended up on my couch in the evening, curled up with a forgotten mug of tea and blearily watching the news channel. My phone was on the coffee table. I had swallowed my pride and triple texted him which had gone unread. 

It was late, but it was my day off the next day, so I didn’t get up from my place. Each thought swirled around my mind and blew away like smoke, to be replaced by another thought. I didn’t give much attention to anything. 

An explosive noise from the TV startled me awake. The normal newscast was interrupted by a breaking news. I sat up, my horror growing inside me as the newscaster read from a report that there had been a bomb blast in Tulla island and it had caused injuries and casualties. 

I grabbed my phone and dialled Sylus, but he didn’t answer. I tried again and again, my eyes glued to the screen where they were showing the prince who was severely injured in the blast. There was no official casualty count as of now. After the fifth time of empty ringing, I threw on a coat over my night pants and t-shirt and grabbed my motorcycle keys and gun, switching off everything and locking the main door as I ran out to my driveway. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Author's note: This is my last update for this month. I'm moving to a new city and starting my master's degree soon. And September 2nd is my birthday, which I'll be celebrating far from home, lol. I'm a bundle of excitement and nerves at the same time. See ya soon!

Support me on Instagram: _writtenbyshama

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17

[writtenbyshama]

Is there going to be a masterlist for memory theatre? I can't seem to find the 1st chapter no matter how much I scroll 😭

I'm sorry for the chaotic mess, here's the first chapter on Tumblr. Also the links to the specific parts are at the end of every chapter.

If you'd rather read it on Ao3, here's that link too.

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 16: A Tour Of The Dragon's Lair

The Protocore Research Wing of the Hunter’s Association was a mess.

A protocore storage unit had exploded and all work was halted until the debris was removed and the hall refurbished. It was suffocating to wear protective gear and spend the entire time clearing crystal shards and mopping up hazardous preservative liquids. 

On top of this, the weather had turned. Atrocious rainfall coupled with ear-splitting thunder shook the entire city and turned it upside down. 

After two weeks of soppy classes and hands smelling of sanitiser from handling the clean-up, I was ready to sleep away my days off. Exiting the storage hall, I removed all the gear and threw them in the bin, washing my hands and face before stepping into the locker room to fetch my raincoat and purse. Some of my colleagues were present, chattering and locking up for the night. Closing my locker door, I said bye to the nearest person and headed for the exit. 

Maria ran into me just as I was about to cross the threshold. She excitedly grabbed my arm and turned me around. “Everyone! Our dear Y/n’s ‘bestie’ is waiting for her at the reception with a large bouquet of flowers!”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Sylus was in a silver button-down tucked into midnight blue trousers, a matching coat elegantly draped across his shoulders. 

He was seated near the revolving door, seemingly unbothered in the tiny, uncomfortable metal chair and scrolling through his phone. On his lap was a circular bouquet of black forget-me-nots with silver veins running through the petals, similar to the ones I had blooming on the windowsills of my study. The reception hall was filled with pointed whispers in his direction which increased when I stepped into the area. Sylus looked up at me, scarlet eyes softening a little. 

Standing up, he pocketed the phone as I traversed the space till I was directly in front of him. I was a tall person myself, but I reached only upto his chest and had to look up to meet his eyes. It was a strange and wonderful feeling at the same time. 

“Very daring of you to just saunter into the Hunters’ Association, Skye.”

He handed me the bouquet, taking my coat and purse to lighten my load. “I’d walk into hell if I knew that was where you worked. What’s the Association in front of that?”

“I don’t know, but hell does seem easier to walk into, since you crawled your way up from there.”

He laughed at my statement, and I found myself smiling too. Everyone was still gawking, so I grabbed Sylus’s elbow and steered him towards the doors. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“As you wish, sweetie.”

He let me tug him outside where the thunderstorm was still raging on and used his evol to create an air bubble around us against the rain. He took the lead here and I followed him towards a car that I had pictured him in before: a sleek, black supercar, armoured to be impenetrable like its owner. How many cars did he own?

Sylus opened the passenger door for me and helped me inside. I placed the flower bouquet on the back seat and strapped on the seat belt. He entered through the driver’s door and placed my coat and purse next to the flowers and strapped himself in before switching on the engine. 

“Have you eaten?” He navigated the car smoothly into the flow of traffic. I shook my head in response. “I own a restaurant nearby. Do you want to dine in or order a takeaway?”

Of course he owned a restaurant. Sylus was someone who owned one of everything on the planet. I mulled over his question as we crossed the bridge to the other side of the city. “Let’s get takeaway. I’m not in the mood to apply table manners.”

“Alright.”

Ten minutes later, I watched with an open mouth as he pulled into the parking lot of a fine-dining restaurant. The same one that I had discovered years ago, one of  my favourite places to eat for special occasions. “What the hell?” 

I saw the host walking towards our car with an umbrella and stopped at Sylus’s open window. “Good evening, sir. A table of two has been reserved as per your earlier request.”

“Cancel that. I’m going to order takeaway instead.”

The host’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Obviously, a fine-dining place didn’t cater for takeaways. Still, he nodded. “Sure sir, just a minute.” He went inside and returned with two menus and a tablet. He’d hooked the stem of his umbrella to take our orders, but Sylus waved a finger and he was encased in a dry air-bubble. “Thank you, sir.”

After our orders were placed and he was gone, Sylus closed the window and turned up the heat a notch for my benefit. The thunderstorm raged on, the water flowing down in thick rivulets on the windshield and drummed the roof over our heads. I turned towards Sylus to see that he was already watching me. He looked absolutely ethereal in the soft, smeary light. 

“So, you own this restaurant.”

“Yes. I got reports that a certain someone really liked their menu and was a frequent patron.”

No wonder their selection of menu was mostly vegetarian. Sylus had been controlling it all along. 

“How are you doing?” He asked softly. 

“Alright, I guess. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks.”

“Mephisto said there was an explosion in your workplace.”

“One of the new hunter recruits didn’t seal a protocore unit correctly. It destroyed everything in the blast radius. Only the walls and the ceiling are undamaged.”

“My condolences.” His smug face said he didn’t give a fuck about my workplace.

I sighed, burrowing into my seat and finding a more comfortable sitting position. “Why did you pick me up tonight? I appreciate the flowers by the way.”

“Well, I’m leaving the continent for a few days.” He shifted in his seat. “Thought I’d inform you so you wouldn’t miss me too much.”

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish for a few times as I processed his words. Me? Miss him? Sure, we had history, but this was such an arrogant assumption. The host arrived with our parcel just then, giving me more time to think. Sylus paid the bill and added a hefty tip to the man before closing the window and starting the engine. 

A note to add into my book of knowing Sylus: He was neither rude or polite to other people, just assertive. But he made sure that they were compensated accordingly. 

“Where are we going?” I finally found my voice when he merged into a road going out of the city.

“One of my armouries. I’ve been invited to a birthday party, and needed help in choosing a suitable gift.”

I unlocked my phone and did a shallow search on high-profile/notorious people who were hosting a birthday party. The search ended when I noticed the prince’s obnoxious leering face. His birthday was in two days and he was apparently celebrating it in the faraway Tulla island. Switching off the device, I gazed out of the window, thinking about the information. The prince, in addition to his royal duties, was a merchant of military grade armaments and protocores, a famous rival to Onichynus. He did exactly what Sylus did but in the open, surrounded and protected by the state laws. 

“Are you going to gift him a gun? Rifle? Bomb?”

“You tell me. What would be best?”

“I recommend not attending in the first place. Why are you going anyway? He hates you and you hate him.”

“I don’t hate him. His entire existence of worthless luxury is a minuscule particle of dust underneath my shoe.”

That made me laugh. Sylus glanced at me before looking ahead, a small smile gracing his face. “Then don’t go,” I replied. “Why are you undertaking this task of finding him a gift, and gods above, risking me miss you in your absence if he’s not that important?”

It took him a minute to answer. “He hijacked a shipment of mine and burned it in the middle of the ocean. I’m attending the party to show him the consequences of what happens to people who try to destroy what’s mine.”

“I see.”

The thunderstorm had eased into a gentle shower. We’d left the city limits and were cruising at a comfortable pace among the agricultural lands and tree orchards. The smell of hot food filled the car’s interior and made my mouth water.  About half-an-hour later, he pointed to the left. “Vineyards of the famous black crystal grapes, used exclusively for making wine. I own this property.”

I nodded, even though I couldn’t see much of anything in the dark. 

He circled around the property and stopped at the far side, in front of a latticed metal gate which looked abandoned. He grabbed the takeaway parcels and climbed out to open the door for me. The rain had completely stopped by now. I left my belongings in the car and we walked through the gates, along a paved path to a broken down warehouse. The area was void of other people, but I noticed the security cameras watching our movements as Sylus unlocked the door and we stepped inside. 

This abandoned look was a facade. I followed Sylus into a camouflaged elevator which took us almost ten stories underground, a sultry voice welcoming us into the armoury. 

I stood in what looked like a lobby, looking at the multiple entryways into other halls filled with everything from the most ancient to the latest tech and arms available to humankind. The place was fitted with high ceilings, good ventilation and museum level lighting. The air smelled like the open pages of a freshly printed book. I was about to walk into a room when Sylus gently grasped my elbow and walked me in the opposite direction to a control room of sorts. “Dinner first. Then you can roam around to your heart’s content.”

“Right.”

We sat down at a marble table across from each other and Sylus opened the parcel boxes. I opened a soup container and brought it directly to my mouth since it wasn’t very hot. Sylus, the ever-elegant persona, used a spoon and chuckled when a bit of the broth dribbled onto my blouse. He unfolded a tissue and wiped my mouth before handing it over. “Careful, kitten.”

Blushing, I used it to wipe the stain on my blouse. The rest of the meal was eaten in amicable silence, our silverware tapping against the containers. 

One of the numerous effects of the aether core in my heart was a large appetite. I normally ate less in the midst of company, but Sylus’s appetite matched mine. We each had two large containers of soup; my main course was one large plate of roasted cauliflower on a bed of garlic hummus along with another plate of white sauce mushroom pasta. He had ordered an entire oven-roasted fish which was as large as my forearm with a creamy salad on the side. I had Greek yogurt topped with blackberries and a drizzle of honey for dessert while he polished off a thick slice of chocolate ice-cream cake.

We cleared away the empty containers and washed up before he gave me a tour of the place. It was like being in a honeycomb. I had assumed that it was just a place to store weapons, but it had other things too. 

The weapons ranged from ancient armour, swords, shields, bows and arrows, to high-tech guns, rifles, revolvers. The other halls housed jewellery collections, rare books, ancient maps, and protocores. Sylus walked me through their display cabinets with a hand on my lower back (he’d asked my permission) and watched me carefully to observe my reactions. When I had glanced at everything, we retraced our steps into the weapon storage so he could select one as a birthday gift.

Sylus’s large palm slid over my back to clutch my waist and pulled me a bit closer to his side. He glanced at me once to check whether I was alright with it, and I didn’t have any complaints. 

“So,” he said as we walked into a room that held one of every weapon created by man. “What do you think?”

“It’s like going through a dragon’s lair to see the hoard it has collected.”

That was not the answer he was expecting, apparently. He looked at me, trying to discern something from my face before sighing and removing his hand from my waist. I immediately missed his warmth as he stepped towards the display cases and flourished an arm at them. “Assist me then, in deciding a suitable gift.”

“I need a few more pointers.” I took a step to the side and leaned my hip against a table stacked with different types of bows. In combat, my preferred choice was a bow and arrow, I even had them back in my villa and practiced when I had the time. Obviously, the Association-issued gun (handed to even non-hunters, just in case) was more practical, but holding a bow made me feel confident. It took me a minute to come back to the topic we were on.

“What do you mean by gifting him? Say I chose a gun, will he be accepting it in a bow-tied box or will he only see the end of its barrel?”

Sylus laughed, the deep tones of his voice making me tremble. “It will be in a box, don’t worry. I additionally plan to get myself another weapon in any case.”

“Right.” I did a thorough examination of all the weapon rooms again, pausing and perusing the items at display. Sylus followed me patiently, the overhead cameras pointing at us as we did so. I was mainly thinking of daggers more than guns, because they were so much prettier and more practical to be given away as a birthday gift. 

One of the display cabinets set into the wall had curved scimitars and long swords and I went up to it to have a closer look. There were five individual pieces, the longest double edged sword placed in the centre. I stared at it, the aether core in my heart pulsing a little bit stronger. 

Sylus paused next to me, and I could feel his stare at the side of my face, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the sword. The double-edged blade seemed to be made from silver, ending in a bejewelled hilt encrusted with rubies and diamonds. A fist sized fire diamond was at the place where the blade and the hilt met. This was not an everyday warfare sword, it was forged for ceremonies that birthed and killed planets. 

“See something you like?” Sylus’s voice sounded faraway, as if he were cast away in a dream. 

The sword beckoned to me, and I stepped closer until my face was pressed against the glass, my breaths fogging it up a little. I was sure that I’d seen the sword in the broken memory nightmares I kept having. My hands knew the feeling of wielding it, and I simultaneously wanted to hold it and destroy it. I racked my brain to remember, but no specifics came to me. Just vague feelings of uneasiness and sadness, as whatever had occurred when I had that sword was not a good memory. I stumbled back from the cabinet, but not before a sharp slice of memory flashed through my mind. 

“Don’t know where to aim? I can help you.”

“NO! Please, Sylus.”

“This is the only way. It’s the fate of a dragon which cannot be changed, no matter how much you fight it. Come, Y/n.”

The sword in my hands weighed heavy. I tried to step back, away from my beloved, but he caught my wrist and in one fluid motion, the sword was embedded into his heart. 

“Sylus!” Tears streamed down my cheeks and I let go of the weapon’s hilt, falling to my knees so I could cradle his head as his body thundered down. I was crying and trying to speak but it was incoherent. His claws came up, gently running down the side of my face. 

“Don’t cry for a fiend, my love. I am but a monster.”

I showered his face with sloppy kisses, afraid to speak, to move. He looked nothing like a fiend, a monstrous entity. His vermillion eyes looked at me as if trying to see me for one last time before they closed. 

“Sylus! Open your eyes!”

“I am not dying,” he murmured, his life essence oozing out from his chest. “I just want to rest my eyes for a little bit.”

My fingers trembled around his face. I wanted to hold on to him as long as I could. 

“Will you…sing to me?” He whispered, his eyes still closed. “I…quite like the sound of your voice, my beloved.”

I couldn’t deny his soft-spoken request. Wiping my tears and clearing my throat several times, I took a deep breath before launching into song. The first ever song that I had sung to him, which had deepened our relationship and brought us closer. By the time of the end notes, Sylus had stopped breathing, a smile on his serene face. 

There was so much blood. What had I done? My beloved dragon was no more. 

Sylus produced a silk handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped my tear streaked face. I looked around, dazed. We were still in that sword room in his underground armoury. Sylus had caught me during that memory flash and sunk down to the floor with me, cradling me into his lap. The sword winked at me from its place in the cabinet above our heads. 

I put my hands onto Sylus’s warm, breathing chest. His face was solemn, but his eyes roved over me with such concern it made my heart melt. 

I had killed him. My hands had wielded the sword that led to his death, yet he didn’t stay away. He had sought me, sent Mashi to watch over me and stepped in to help me when needed. My head felt heavy and I was desperate to remember everything that had occurred, but I knew it wasn’t going to be tonight. With trembling hands, I slowly extracted myself from him and he let me go, his palms sliding over my shoulders and waist as he did so. I stood up, using my sleeve to wipe my face. “I apologise.”

He stood up, digging his hands into his pockets. “Hmm.”

We watched each other, suddenly awkward in the space. I thought about my life before meeting him, just me and a lonely mechanical crow seeking each other’s company as I had naively believed. It was an unassuming life, lonely and memory-corroding as the core worked into my mind. I was able to harness its power properly and realign my memory only after I met Sylus, but it came at a cost of remembering everything, even the fact that I had once considered him my beloved and yet had pierced his heart with a sword. 

“I sometimes wonder about how my life would’ve been if I had never been rescued by you the other day,” I mumbled. But I couldn’t imagine my life without him now. Even the brief period after our first meeting had me wait for him subconsciously.

He chuckled humourlessly. “If his highness sets a trap and I never come back from the birthday party, your wish may be granted. Don’t lose hope.”

I was more perceptive to his eyes now, since they showed the emotions his face and words didn’t. They were narrowed as if in pain, and he didn’t meet my gaze. I took a step towards him. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. I can’t imagine my life without you now. It wasn’t meant to hurt you.”

He didn’t reply. 

“Do you really think there might be a life-threatening trap for you there?”

He shrugged. “Who knows.” Then he turned to one of the cases holding a curved dagger. “I’ll take this as the gift.”

I was worried. If something happened to him on the island… “Take me with you,” I blurted out.

He raised an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting offer.”

I reached forwards and grabbed his hand. “I mean it. Take me with you.”

He shook his head and pulled back from my grasp. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, it’s late. Come on, I’ll drop you home.”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

I'm on instagram: _writtenbyshama

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17

[writtenbyshama]

Waiting for your amazing writing 👏 please continue

Thank you for your love 🪷. I post new chapters every week, though the exact day may vary.

Here’s a short Sylus birthday fanfic to keep you occupied until my next one!

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus xReader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 15: I Feel Closer To Him

“There’s so much blood…what have I done?”

“My beloved dragon is no more.”

Ever since I’d woken up, I was sitting in front of the glass-doored oven and staring at the food inside it. 

Mashi was perched on one of the marble counters and watching me with an expression that asked, 'Are you gonna eat that or not?’

Last night’s flood of memory fragments had been particularly cruel. There’d been a point where my entire soul felt trapped and I couldn’t get myself to wake up. The only thing that lulled me out of that desolation was the sound of a steady heartbeat. And when I’d finally opened my eyes, the sweetest, most gentle dragon was right beside me, and very much alive. 

He had been a dragon, hated by humankind.

I had been a sorceress, and he’d died in my arms. 

That was all I knew at present. I couldn’t remember anything else, couldn’t remember why it had ended like that. How did we come to know each other? How did he come to love me? Why the ever loving fuck did that end with him dead?

Sigh. It was no use forcing myself. 

I read through his note again, memorising his contact number. He’d come here. He’d rescued my soul and then whipped up my favourite food like it was nothing. 

Like he cared about me. Like he still…loved me. 

He’d also left behind his jacket, which was draped around my form currently. I should haven mortified that he might have seen me naked, but I found that I didn’t care at all. The jacket smelled like him, intense but comforting. 

After a while, I moved and switched on the oven to reheat the food and ate everything down to the last bite right there on the floor. I shrugged off the jacket (hanging it carefully in my closet) and donned on some clothes and cleaning gloves to deep clean the villa again. 

Three hours later, I was in the shower, Sylus’s phone number repeating in my head. It was obvious that he’d been maintaining his distance and waiting for me to meet him halfway, until last night happened. And even then, he hadn’t lingered, just helped me recover, cooked some food and left. 

Such a gentlemanly criminal.

Wanting to send him my gratitude, I debated between texting and calling during the shower. After a long argument with myself, I stepped out of the bathroom, donned a robe and ultimately settled for a text. 

Thank you, for everything you did last night. ~Y/n.

He replied just as I finished dressing up. 

My pleasure. How are you feeling now?

I’m doing alright physically. 

And mentally?

I thought about the question for a while before answering. 

Sort of a work in progress. I have all these puzzle shards of a memory I don’t remember and now I don’t know what to do with them.

My text was opened and read. I waited as a chat bubble appeared and disappeared a few times. He seemed to be second-guessing his replies until finally, my phone vibrated with a voice call. 

“Hello?”

“Give it time, Y/n,” his smooth voice washed over me. “It’ll be quite a while until you finally remember everything you’ve forgotten.”

The way he said it made me pause. “What do you mean everything? Did we..meet before in this life too?”

A sharp background noise cut off his reply. It sounded like someone was screaming and abruptly got silenced, but I could be mistaken. I held the phone closer. “What are you doing?”

“I’m in a business meeting, or was, rather. Some of these fools decided to double-cross me, and are now learning the consequences of that action.”

His honesty was as funny as it was endearing. And I was not the moral police. “I see. I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Take good rest, kitten.”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

I'm on instagram: _writtenbyshama

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 14: Sylus To The Rescue

It’d been a few years since he had received a distress signal from Mephisto. 

He was in a business meeting when the signal was received, and it took him a second to remember Mephisto’s emergency function. The other men around the table flinched when he abruptly stood up, asking him what was wrong. He just signalled with a palm that the meeting was over and headed to the exit, calling Kieran and Luke as he strapped on the helmet and straddled his bike. 

His initial fear was that Y/n had been attacked and grievously injured, but apparently she was at her house, sleeping. Mephisto was panicking because her heartbeats and breaths had suddenly gotten erratic and she wasn’t waking up, almost going into a seizure like state. 

“Keep the medics on standby and wait for my instructions,” he ordered Luke as he sped through the N109 Zone and passed its outer limits, heading towards Linkon city. Sylus reached the intended destination in record time, tossed the helmet onto the cooling fuel tank and walked to the front gates. 

Here at last, he hesitated. 

Mephisto’s alarm washed to the background of his mind as he stared at the name ‘Lotus Crest’. The villa was one space he’d not ventured into before, he had been waiting patiently for the day where she’d invite him in by herself. It’d be a massive breach of her privacy, but her health was at stake. Unlatching the gates, he entered and punched in the security code for the alarm before walking up the stone path to the double doors. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

The wooden doors opened into a space similar to a vibrant kaleidoscope. 

Sylus entered the foyer and let the doors fall closed behind him before stepping out of his shoes. The spine of the villa was a large corridor with a skylight at the centre; an arch on the right opened into the living room, another one on the left led to the kitchen. He gave them cursory glances, his eyes noting every splash of iridescent colour from the crystal sun catchers and his ears attuned to every note of the wind catchers. 

All the windows were recessed and the surfaces were covered with potted plants. He had read Mephisto’s report, but was still surprised to see his gifts flourishing so vibrantly. 

The bedroom door was halfway closed, he pushed it open with a palm to reveal a large four poster bed covered with sheer drapes flowing from the ceiling. He passed by an upright wooden log beside a large window that held a nest she had constructed for Mephisto. How thoughtful. He could see both of their silhouettes through the sheer draperies and parted them. Inside, Y/n was was going through the last stages of a panic attack and Mephisto was using his beak to cover her properly with the blankets. 

The bird could be surprisingly perceptive when needed: Sylus never knew Y/n slept naked. 

Planting a knee on the mattress, Sylus covered her properly and sat down beside her. Mephisto stepped back and let him take over. Her panic attack was triggered by the increasing number of nightmares she had begun to suffer recently, though it was still up for debate whether it was a good or a bad thing. He murmured to the bird to inform the twins that the medics weren’t needed this time and moved until he was lying down next to her. 

He turned her on her side, softly caressing her back. “Honey, sweetheart, it’s okay. It’s just a dream. I’m here, I’m right beside you.”

Sylus kept at it until the panic subsided and she woke up, her eyes opening. She glanced around, then noticed him lying right next to her. 

He was understandably nervous. She had every right to scream and throw him out of her villa right now. He waited with bated breath, wondering what she was thinking as her mind registered his presence.

However, she didn’t kick him out as he’d feared. She freed her arms from beneath the blankets and reached for him. Sylus relaxed, his relief releasing in a small chuckle and let her envelope him with her shaky arms. He adjusted the blankets a little more so that she was warm and cozy and held her to his chest. Y/n closed her eyes again, and he took deep, calming breaths to make her relax. His callused hand patted her head and lulled her into a softer, nightmare-free sleep, while he kept his gaze on the ceiling which had a slice of the galaxy painted on it. 

Once upon a time, the great sorceress demanded to have the fierce dragon as her bed because the pile of gold in his cave was too hard and lumpy for her back. As they grew familiar with each other, they snuggled together and traded soft kisses and feather light touches. If she woke up abruptly in the night, he wrapped his tail around her and let her know he was there and she was safe. 

The fact Y/n still reached for him aeons and lifetimes later made Sylus’s heart flutter with joy. He wanted to stay in her embrace forever, but dawn would be there soon and he had another meeting to wrap up before retiring for the day. When her breaths were steady and she looked serene in her sleep, Sylus carefully extracted himself from her arms and wrapped her up in his coat. Her crow plushie (obviously modelled after Mephisto, much to the bird’s chagrin) was on the floor. He picked it up and placed it beside her head, flicking his fingers at the actual bird. Mephisto flew and perched right beside Y/n’s chest to keep a watch on her. 

Sylus exited the bedroom and opened the door to her study to write a note for her. He signed it off with his name and contact number and returned to the bedroom to keep it on the nightstand for her to find. He couldn’t anticipate her reaction when she was completely awake, and had to just hope that she wouldn’t cut off all contact with him and leave him abandoned. A glance at his wrist watch told him that he still had some time before the meeting, and decided to put it to good use.

Making Y/n’s breakfast as an additional apology might placate her a little bit. Mephisto had long since reported that she was a foodie and Sylus had taken the time to learn and perfect the recipes of her favourite dishes. Some event in her life before he’d met her had made her a vegetarian, but there was no judgment here. The kitchen welcomed everyone. 

Grabbing the required ingredients, Sylus made a hearty filling broth with lots of vegetables and edible flowers, along with toasted sandwiches brimming with cottage cheese and jalapeños. He placed everything inside the oven to keep warm and cleaned up the space.

Before leaving, he checked on her once more to make sure she was sleeping okay and softly closed the door on his way out. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

I'm on instagram: _writtenbyshama

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15

[writtenbyshama]

I met God on the bathroom floor.

Intrigued? Read the full piece here.

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 13: I Get The Bird Back

I had expected Sylus’s car to be something sleek, modern, and utterly quiet. 

It turned out to be a vintage car with a shining chrome finish and an engine that roared like a predator. We glided through the streets like a fired bullet.

He obviously knew the way to my house, thanks to the years of relentless stalking his pet bird had done. Sitting in the passenger seat, the alcohol sloshing in my stomach, I shamelessly watch him drive: one arm on the steering wheel and the other resting on the gearshift. 

“Click a picture, it’ll last longer,” he remarked without taking his eyes off the road.

“That’s alright, your pretty face is so burned into my head that even my unstable aether core will not be able to erase it.”

He chuckled. “So you think I’m pretty.”

“A pretty bastard is more like it.”

“But pretty nonetheless.” I rolled my eyes and didn’t reply, making him chuckle once again. Ugh, why did a criminal wanted across planets have to be this perfect? It was infuriating. 

I finally tore my gaze away from his face and onto his hand that rested on the gearshift just beside my knee. His skin was smooth but the knuckles were split, as if he got into fights everyday. Slowly, without thinking, I let my knee softly touch his palm. His surprised intake of breath was audible, but he didn’t move his hand away. He had been touching and caressing me all night, but a simple touch specifically initiated by me had such an effect on him. Interesting. 

The rest of the ride home was quiet but charged. Neither of us moved, the point of contact pulsing in between like an actual, living breathing thing. Too soon, he was rolling the car to a stop right in front of the gates leading to my villa. 

Sylus switched off the engine and leaned back, his other hand still touching my knee. From our vantage point, we could see the twinkling lights of the city spread below like luminescent creatures in an ocean. He was watching it with a solemn gaze, and slowly, very slowly, lifted his hand from the gearshift and placed it on my knee. 

My sigh was almost a moan, I closed my eyes and slumped against the headrest. All of my concentration was on his hands gently caressing my skin before curving his fingers and gripping it lightly. Never in my life was I so attuned to the touch of another. 

“I didn’t plan for our meeting today, kitten.” I opened my eyes when he started to speak. “It was a surprise, seeing you there, but a delightful one I have to say.” A small smile gleamed on his face. 

“I see.” The hand on my thigh was making me desire things I had no right to ask of him. With effort, I pulled back my leg. He got the hint and removed his hand and placed it on his own lap. “Well, thank you for the ride.”

I was about to unlock the door when he stopped me. “Mephisto said that he misses you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re kidding.”

He shook his head. “He really does. He was very sad when I called him back to not disturb you anymore.”

Mashi had been with me since I’d been thirteen years old, I remembered then. He’d found me sometime after the Chronorift Catastrophe, when grandma had taken me in with Caleb. Not a day had gone by without Mashi being in my sight, and I missed that little stalker too. 

“Will you stalk me again through Mashi?” I asked his owner now.

“I always keep tabs on everyone. But I have never recorded footage, and I never will.”

I considered it. “Well, if you don’t have any other work for him, I’d like for him to visit me.”

He nodded. “That’s settled then. Though I never understood your peculiar name for him.”

“Well, as you probably already know, I’m not a native to Linkon. I don’t remember the place where I came from, but I remember some bits of that language. ‘Mashi’ in that language means ‘charcoal powder’, and the crow is black, so…”

His smile stretched wider. “Ah. Clever.”

“Hmm. Mephisto isn’t a bad name either.”

He opened his door and climbed out, signalling the end of our conversation. “It’s late, you need to sleep.” He was at my side in a blink and opened the door for me, extending a palm to help me climb out. 

Before he could leave, I tugged at our entwined hands. “You never answered me. What were we to each other, in the fragmented memories that haunt me every night?”

Sylus didn’t answer cryptically this time, just gently drew away his palm from my grasp. “That’s a story for another time. Also, I thought you were smart enough to guess by now."

I stood in the moonlight, the autumn winds caressing my skin and watched as Sylus got in the car and drove through the winding path, away from me. 

Lovers. We’d been definitely lovers, or something much worse. 

A tragedy.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Mashi was back inside his nest when I woke up the next morning. 

I could never hide my fondness for that little shit even though he irritated me to death. Jumping out of my bed, I ran over to pick him up and cuddled him to my chest, dropping kisses all over his metal body. 

He patiently endured my kisses until I stopped suddenly, realising that this was the first time he’d let me touch and hold him. Plopping back down on the bed, I gently caressed his head and examined every inch of his mechanical bodywork. It was clear that he was created with meticulous care: his feathers (razor sharp) and the body underneath were made from an ebony metal. The eyes were real rubies and the pointed beak was crafted from obsidian.

“I missed you, you little shit,” I whispered softly.

He cawed and playfully bit my finger. Chuckling, I planted another kiss onto his tiny head and let him fly back to his nest while I headed to the bathroom to start my day. 

I fell back onto my usual routine of classes and work. Mashi (I refused to call him Mephisto) trailed me everywhere like always. The dream journal of mine was gradually getting filled page by page as I woke up every morning with a new puzzle piece of a memory I didn’t know where to put. 

Somedays the dream left me dazed for the whole day, or a nightmare spiralled into me so hard Mashi had to remind me that it wasn’t real. There was even an instance where I couldn’t wake up from a dream and Mashi had to do so. I didn’t know what measures to take to tone them down. The failed resonance attempts with Sylus had triggered them for sure, but I never saw him again after that night. 

Fed up with not having a proper, undisturbed sleep, one evening I downed half a bottle of wine before collapsing onto the mattress.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14

[writtenbyshama]

Cute character dynamics in my book:

-They almost succeed in killing each other through a fistfight

-All the people around them ship them together

-He throws a dead lizard into her lunchbox, she retaliates by pouring toilet cleaning liquid into his water bottle

-He's a sculptor who's studying Finance because she's studying it and wants to spite her

-She has an anti-stress dartboard with his picture posted on it

-When he faints from lack of food, she's the one who rushes him into ER in panic

-The scar on her temple is from him, the scar on her cheek is from her

-All the pieces displayed in his art gallery are of her, only her

[This is from my first novel, 'She Who Drowned The Ocean'. If you liked it then follow me on Instagram at _writtenbyshama and get onboard to witness my journey of becoming a published author!]

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Part 2

Chapter 12: Sylus Becomes Skye

“So, how long have you known each other?” Tara asked, her eyes darting between me and Sylus. 

Sylus was languidly seated right next to me on the velvet sofa. He gave me a smug look and put his arm around my shoulders, which didn’t go unnoticed by my colleagues. “A few years now, I should say. We’re besties by now.”

I inwardly rolled my eyes, but I went along with whatever answer he came up with. All of my colleagues were eagerly hanging on to every word that escaped his mouth. 

“Y/n’s a very private person, you know,” Anderson laughed good-naturedly. “This is the first time she’s agreed to come along with us. And now we know why.”

There were chuckles all around. A waiter came over with a tray of fresh drinks for everyone. After ‘Skye’ had noticed me, he had insisted on moving our party to the VIP room. The wealthy man who owned a ‘family business’ had gained admiration and praise in a matter of minutes. 

Tara was seated the closest to our sofa. She leaned forward and picked up her drink covered with a paper umbrella. “So, what do you think about our Y/n, Skye?” She smiled coyly when I gave her a bemused look. 

“Y/n,” Sylus drawled, using the arm around me to pull me closer until I was practically sitting on his lap. He glanced at me once to make sure I wasn’t uncomfortable, and strangely enough, I liked his closeness and warmth. “She’s a really lovely, precious treasure. I’m just absolutely delighted to be included in her life.”

Our audience swooned at his answer, and I felt a blush creeping up neck. They all thought that we were in a relationship together, and Sylus wasn’t giving any indication that we weren’t (His usage of the word ‘bestie’ had fallen on deaf ears). I didn’t protest either. Thankfully, the conversation steered to other subjects as the night wore on and the atmosphere was saturated with food and more alcohol. 

At the end of this charade, Sylus (or Skye), being the good-natured fruit vendor he was, settled everyone’s tabs. He was showered with drunken gratitude and I was complimented on how lucky I was to be in a relationship with such a generous man. Taxicabs arrived in a line and everyone climbed into one until eventually, I was left alone with Sylus.

The cold night air outside the bar was refreshing and I breathed it in deeply. Sylus was leaning against the brick wall, his elegant coat flapping in the breeze. 

“What was all that?” I asked finally. 

He smirked. “You tell me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I saw you with some guy. What happened to him? Why did you suddenly abandon him and come to me?”

He shrugged. “He was boring me to death and I realised that you had more potential for entertainment.”

“Someone had told me he’d leave me alone if we couldn’t resonate, then showed up to act as my lover in front of my colleagues.”

“When making a deal, sweetie, you should always read the fine print. I did say I’d leave you alone, but I didn’t mention for how long.”

Wow. He’d caught me there. I mirrored his stance, leaning against the wall and faced him. “So? Is this going to be a regular occurrence?”

“What? Me acting as your lover?”

I nodded. He straightened and took a step closer. “Do you want me to?”

I blinked, suddenly frozen at his proximity. His voice was already divine, but he’d asked that question with an additional layer of sultriness, and I found out that I couldn’t breathe. Instead of answering, I took a step back and avoided his eyes.

“No.” My voice was embarrassingly feeble. 

He didn’t relent and took another step, a hand grazing the side of my neck. “One thing you need to know before telling another lie, sweetie. I can read your body language as clear as day.”

I swatted at his palm and he let go with an annoying laugh. 

“How tall are you?” I asked in a bid to change the subject, and also because I was curious. 

A mischievous glint in his eye. “Six feet two inches.”

“How tall are you really? Six feet two is an actually an insult to your height.”

“Really?” He kept being coy and didn’t answer my question. “May I drop you home?”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Well, then, the break was nice as it lasted.

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12 | Chapter 13

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 11: There Is No Escape

If I’d been doubtful that Sylus was someone I had history with, I was certain of it now. 

After returning from the N109 Zone in one piece, my mind was open to a whole new set of nightmares. I didn’t know whether it was because of those empty protocore shells stabilising my protocurve or the forced resonance attempts with Sylus, but I very clearly remembered all the nightmares I had each night. 

I had resorted to keeping a journal, writing every detail and my additional thoughts about them meticulously every night before bed. I went over the entries the next morning, adding the latest dream/nightmare. It was a Sisyphean task to remember everything, since all I had to go on were a few bits and pieces along with night terrors and sad, angsty feelings that made my chest ache. 

After all the writing and inner contemplation, I realised that I wanted to talk to someone. Tell them everything and get a fresh perspective instead of spiralling silently. 

That was all I thought about as I lowered myself into a chair opposite captain Jenna. However, I kept my lips sewed shut. 

She was flipping through the printed report of my unofficial mission (adventure) into the N109 Zone and returning alive. I was not supposed to be doing all that since I wasn’t a hunter, but I didn’t care. Along with the pressing sleepless nightmares, I was harbouring the guilt of not being completely truthful in the report. Jenna read through every line, and I occupied myself with the crystal pen stand on her desk. 

When Jenna finally lifted her head, I masked my face into a neutral expression, or I thought I did, since she picked up on the omission instantly. She straightened the pages and tossed it on the desk’s surface. “Spit it out. What did you not write here?”

I sighed. “Um, I had a glass of low-level alcohol and a piece of appetiser.”

Jenna’s lips pursed and her eyes narrowed slightly. Eating and drinking during an infiltration mission was a clumsy, foolish move, but I couldn’t help it that night. And maybe she understood it too, because I had explained every other detail of the auction and it read like a fairytale more than a formal report. She sighed and let it go. 

“Anything else?”

“I…bid on an item there.”

“Using your card?”

“The card is not traceable to me.”

“Was it a protocore?”

“A piece of jewellery. It was so pretty, I just had to have that.”

She looked down at her lap for a minute, thinking over my words. I waited nervously, only part of my guilt eased. I had not mentioned even a letter about Sylus anywhere, and I was never going to. He was my precious little secret, and I wanted to be the only one to have access to him.

Jenna sighed again. “This is the first and the last time I’m letting you off with a warning…”

The audible sigh of relief from me made her smile, despite herself.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

It was one thing to find out that I had history with the most powerful criminal in the universe, and another thing to come home to loneliness. 

The crow had obviously been called back and relieved from his job of stalking me 24/7. I hadn’t realised how empty the villa was without that ruby eyed little shit giving me company. In addition to the abandoned nest, all the blooming flowers and trinkets he’d gifted to me over the years winked at me from their places and I had nowhere to escape. Sigh. 

This depressing loneliness combined with slight insomnia had me readily agreeing to go to a bar with my research and hunter colleagues one Friday night. Tara applied makeup on my face and helped with my hair in the Association’s washroom before we hailed a taxi to our destination.

We were about ten to fifteen people in our group, and it was not that bad. The bar was just like any other loud, noisy, drunk place, but it was nice unwinding with people whom I had only seen in a professional setting before. 

I paced my drinking, not wanting to get sloppy drunk and embarrass myself right during the first time I’d gone with them. At the bar, I listened to Tara rant about one of her tiny crushes on Jenna. We were on our third cocktail, and I glanced around the area only to freeze suddenly. 

There, seated at one of the dimly lit booths, was Sylus. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

I'm on Ao3 now, with the same username. Happy reading!

Part 1:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Part 2:

Chapter 12

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 10: Bossman Keeps His Word

Sylus placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder and healed the scrapes on her skin with his evol.

They had successfully defeated the modified wanderer, but they had failed to resonate with each other. Again. The energy required to use the wanderer’s own protocore power against itself had rendered the girl unconscious by the end of the battle. After the healing process was done, Sylus sat down heavily in a nearby chair, his blank face masking the worry within. 

The facility keeper entered with a box of exhausted protocore shells. “The energy of the aether core in her heart is not stable, but it can be fixed. And her Evol is working fine. Whatever impediments she has with regards to resonating with you is not physical.”

Sylus focused on the keeper, his gaze intense enough to make the man tremble. “What do you mean, ‘it’s not physical’?”

The man stammered and haltingly explained that the resonance Evol used brain waves to forge a connection with another’s person’s Evol. The connection failed if the former harboured feelings of hate, fear, or disgust towards the latter. 

Sylus closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing the wave of pain. Once, there had been a time when an entire planet hated his kind, and this woman right here was the only one who had shown him human love. She had stood next to him proudly, defiant against the entire world. They had fought for each other through different lifetimes. All that had dissolved to her not even remembering him now, and there was an additional possibility that she hated/feared him, or was disgusted by him. 

He remembered the first time he’d felt her presence in this life. He had been imprisoned at the space-time prison and had broken out of it to reach her. And now that he had done that, she’d forgotten him. How frustrating. 

Well. In another life, they had suffered through decades of pain together. In yet another, they were forced to fight each other to death (they didn’t). He didn’t want to repeat that by forcing her to remember or shackling her to himself. She had built a life of her own and he didn’t have it in him to shatter it to pieces. 

With a heavy heart, he stood up and left the facility, not looking back even once.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

The first words to escape my mouth when I came to, were: “Where’s Sylus?”

The facility keeper neither met my eye nor responded to my question. Instead, he helped me sit up on the metal stretcher and removed all the electrodes stuck to my skin. Once I was free to move, he handed me a box of protocores that were cracked and empty. “Keep one near your chest at all times. They’ll absorb the excess energy radiating from the aether core fragment and keep it stable. It’ll help with your memory issues.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How do you know about the aether core?”

He smiled slightly. “I recognised the protocurve. Before seeking Sylus’s protection, my job was to research aether cores exclusively.”

I sat up straight, alert. I might finally get some answers. “Do you anything about—“

“Yes, I wasn’t posted as a UNICORN researcher, but I knew Josephine, yes.”

“So you knew about the experiment.” 

“Not the details, but Josephine had been a good colleague of mine. She had showed me a photo of a little girl once, and told me about the aether core frag.”

“Do you have anything else? Research papers? Any other colleagues whom I can get more answers from?”

He shook his head. “During the catastrophe, there were rumours about a break-in and two of the lab experiments being missing. Josephine was missing too. But it wasn’t investigated as much, since there was a bigger problem going on. All I can give you is the name: Ever.”

Two lab experiments and Josephine—that must be me, Caleb and grandma. And Ever, it was the leading institute in world-class research and tech. 

I sat there for a minute, digesting the information, excited about getting a new lead. But then I remembered about the silver-haired man. 

“The aether core in Sylus’s eye, it…feels familiar.”

The man didn’t seem surprised. “That happens when the fragments belong to the same whole. The fragments recognise their counterpart when being near.” 

He didn’t notice the chill running down my spine and continued: “Mr. Sylus told me to inform you that your bike is waiting outside. He has kept his promise—the energy linkage alteration failed, so he’s going to leave you alone.”

I sighed, looking down at the protocore shells rolling against each other in the box. “I don’t understand. Why can’t I resonate with him? I just can’t sense his Evol at all.”

The facility keeper had an answer for that too. “Your subconscious is blocking you from resonating with his power. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, it’s for you to figure it out.”

I couldn’t think of anything else. I thanked him and dropped down from the metal table, holding the box to my chest. Before I headed out, the keeper was kind enough to let me borrow some of his old research material on the aether core. Placing them inside the box, I headed out into the cold, harsh wind of the N109 Zone. My body was exhausted and I was irritated at the fact that Sylus had forced me to fight a wanderer, yet a conflict of emotions swirled through me about him actually keeping his word about leaving me alone. I mean, I appreciated the sentiment, but after all we went through together, I at least deserved a personal farewell from him. 

I placed the box on the tank of my bike and touched the keys inside the ignition, my eyes turned to the night sky to try and spot if the motherfucking crow was tailing me. I couldn’t see anything, though. Soon enough, I was on my way to Linkon, all my thoughts and feelings about the N109 Zone and its owner being pushed back into the abyss of my mind. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

This is going to be a very long fanfiction with lots of chapters and I almost gave up writing last night. However, today morning I woke up with the contentment that my purpose is to create, to write the story and the put it to the world. The right people to consume it and make it their own will follow on their own time. And to each of my readers, I want to say thank you. For appreciating my writing through likes, comments, and reblogs. You guys are the best.

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

[writtenbyshama]

One of the many reasons why I love the storyline of the game Love and Deepspace is that the developers understood the concept of dark romance accurately. Dark romance, in essence, is where two characters love each other despite being at the centre of death, violence, abuse, and destruction. It's a genre where the story is supposed to show that a character has the capacity to love despite the bleakness in their life. Recent booktok recommendations of 'dark romance' has warped this concept into making one character (usually the male) abusing the other character (usually the female) in the name of romance. This is not romance. This is just everyday real sexual horror. People need to understand that 'wanting it rough' doesn't equal to 'getting it done to me without consent'. All of the male characters in LADs uphold the integrity of MC's sexual consent and boundaries. Their other, everyday interactions might have aspects of toxicity, but they'd never force their way into her space (and into her basically). I call this dark romance because all of their lives in this game are steeped in violence, death and destruction, yet their capacity to love and be devoted to MC is unparalleled. They would kill for her, yes, but the bloodshed wouldn't be done in her presence. And they also have enough brains to recognise that MC isn't a spineless stuffing and can hold on her own in combat. The overprotectiveness in some cases stems from their need to keep her close and see her alive and healthy because they have seen her die and come back to life enough times. In short, dark romance ≠ sexual abuse.There are actual healthy ways where you can explore what you want without giving yourself and others more trauma. This game is by far a mostly accurate depiction of how dark romance should be portrayed. On a related note, people who write/read/market sexual horror under the guise of dark romance need therapy. If you want to read the booktok 'dark romance' so bad, just pick up the nearest newspaper.

—Deleted parts of the script of my youtube video titled "Hell isn't other people; it's modern day 'dark' romance"

[writtenbyshama]

I want to say 'Hey, maybe Coriolanus Snow was the one who ordered the electric fences to be built around District 12 to keep out the wilderness but made it so that the electricity was always switched off just in case Lucy Gray returned,' but we both know that Snow is the kind of man who will never be thoughtful and kind even though he has the capacity to be so, in this essay I will

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 9: I Get To Be A Lab Rat

Sylus’s living quarters were on the topmost floor of the skyscraper which was supposedly Onichynus’s base in the N109 Zone.

The twins flanked me in the elevator as it rode down to the ground from the sixtieth floor. They were silent, and hadn’t taken off the bird masks. I didn’t venture to talk either, thinking over all that happened to me after the auction, repeating stuff to myself and trying to find a connection before I forgot any detail. 

Sylus didn’t have any use for me and obviously didn’t need my resonance capacity, and yet, he’d rescued me from the kidnapping attempt and offered me food and a temporary shelter to rest. And before all of that, he’d deployed his pet to keep an eye over me. He was the kind of man to calculate every possibility before doing something, so what was his angle here? Had we met before and I’d forgotten our history? It was possible, but I wasn’t sure that I’d forget a face such as his. 

Outside, the moon had just risen for the evening. It seemed that these people always operated nocturnally. Sylus had showered and changed into an all black biker outfit and was leaning against a silver motorcycle. 

The twins left us alone and I walked towards him, recognising the make of the bike. “I have the same model but in the darkest shade of green.”

 He’d been looking at the expanse of the courtyard and turned his head at my approach. “I know.”

“How do you—“ I stopped myself. Of course he knew. Mashi, or Mephisto had my entire history on pages of a report. “Where’s my bike now?” I asked instead.

“Still there where you initially parked it.”

“Right.”

There was no one else in the courtyard. You’d think a man of his status would go around with an army of bodyguards, but Sylus didn’t need any. I noticed his gaze roving appreciatively over my clothes, a black top with matching trousers that fit me perfectly.

We looked at each other in silence for minute before he broke the eye contact and handed me a helmet. “Do we know each other?” I asked quietly.

He didn’t answer directly. “What do you think?”

So we definitely had history. 

He straddled the bike and started the engine. I fastened my helmet properly before climbing on, keeping some space between us and clasped my knees for support. However, he took off at such a speed I was forced to lean forward and press myself against his broad back, my arms hugging his middle. A harsh intake of breath from him rasped in my helmet from the mic. I didn’t comment.

He traversed through the streets with a speed that would’ve gotten him fined in Linkon. I found myself enjoying it, even when it was ironic: a government worker breaking traffic rules with the most wanted man here. 

About fifteen minutes later, he screeched to halt in front of a low building similar to the warehouse I had walked into for the auction last night. I slipped off the helmet and followed him through the metal door. 

The layout inside was also familiar. 

The foyer was a balcony, overlooking a large metal furnished hall sunk deep into the earth. The ceiling rose almost twenty feet above, hung with rusted metal parts and empty, half-broken chain links. Before I could step up to the railings and see below, a door opened to our left, revealing a middle aged man in greasy coveralls. 

“We are already closed for business—oh, Mr. Sylus.” The man fumbled a little and bent into a small bow. “It’s been a while since you’ve been here. What can I help you with?”

The man hadn’t noticed me yet; Sylus stepped aside and pointed at me. “She has a protocore fragment in her heart, but can’t resonate with my evol. Check and recalibrate her evol linkage.”

The man glanced at me and his face shifted into an expression of horror for second, as if he’d seen a ghost. He quickly schooled it into a nonchalant expression and led us in. 

I followed warily, not knowing what to expect. This could be a charade to extract my aether core and leave me to die. But for some reason, I didn’t find it in myself to panic and run away. The man led me to a room filled with machines and made me sit down and swiped an alcohol swab on my temples and collarbones before sticking electrodes there. I caught glimpses of Sylus sitting on a leather chair nearby and playing with an electric taser. 

“Close your eyes, miss,” the man requested and I obeyed.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

The arena was shaped like a tiered amphitheater and I found myself standing right in the middle, facing a large metal door.

I took a look around, and Sylus materialised next to me like a hologram coming to life. “What’s this?” I asked him, bewildered. 

He shrugged and cracked his knuckles, pointing his chin to the door that was slowly creaking open. “Time to check if the alteration worked.”

I took a deep breath when the bulkiest wanderer I’d ever seen stepped out. Its modified protocore shield was so powerful I could see it shimmering with naked eyes. Alright, this was just an attempt to take my life indirectly. 

Regardless, I concentrated on my evol and glanced at Sylus, whose face gave away nothing. “Ready?” He asked. 

I swallowed. “Let’s do this.”

His faint smirk was the last image in my mind as I shifted my focus on the wanderer and erased everything else. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the resonance power surge through me. However, I still couldn’t resonate with Sylus. Ugh, how tiresome. 

Sighing, I concentrated on the wanderer’s protocore since I had no other choice. It was rapidly advancing toward us. 

Sylus lazily twirled a finger in the air pulsing with his red mist. “It’s your time to shine.”

Taking another breath, my mind went to frenzy as the resonance clicked with the protocore.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Writing fan fiction is my way of practising my skill as an author. If you'd like to show appreciation and be a part of my journey in publishing full-length novels, do follow me on Instagram/Wattpad/Tumblr at _writtenbyshama. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

[writtenbyshama]

Memory Theatre (Sylus x Reader)

Synopsis: Y/n is a protocore researcher who is looking for answers about how an aether core got lodged into her heart and why is it messing with her brain. In the midst of this elaborate maze of dead ends and false answers, she encounters a man who seems to be very interested in her and is willing to find ways of providing her with the answers she's seeking.

Author's note: Y/n is not a hunter; she is a Master's student (not based on myself at all) and a part time protocore researcher at the Association. No changes to Sylus, although there may be situations in the story where he might be a little out of character. Mentions of the other LADS men, but they are not the love interests here.

Chapter 8: My Second Failed Resonance Attempt

The gun clattered to the floor, the crack of the gunshot ringing in my ears. 

Sylus was thrown back by the force, but the bleeding wound in his chest closed in record time, ejecting the bullet from his body. I was trembling, fingertips touching the spot where the wound was there just a minute ago. There was nothing to indicate that I’d shot him, even the shirt’s fabric had mended itself. I was still on his lap, but that thought was flung into the depths of my mind. 

“You fucking bastard.” My voice was shaky whisper. “What was that for?”

He laughed smugly. “You tell me. You wanted to check something, right?” He lifted a hand and ran a finger down my jaw. “You can try doing that multiple times, kitten, but you do owe me a curtain call that’s grander than death itself.”

I didn’t understand what he meant. Finally registering where I was, I slid down from his lap directly onto the carpeted floor, hanging down my head. “You have an aether core, do you not?” If he did, the question remained whether his healing abilities were because of the core or because of his evol. 

“Sure, if you want to call it that.” He grasped my chin and made me look up at his face. “It helps me see what you human beings desire the most.” His right eye started glowing. Oh. 

Leaving my chin, his hand trailed down my arm and intertwined our fingers again. “Resonate with me,” he ordered again. 

My mind was clear enough to do it properly this time. I let myself be hypnotised by his glowing eye and concentrated on merging our evols. It seemed to work at first, and I confirmed that the core fragments in our bodies were the same and belonged to a single whole. A second later, my chest was howling with the same hot pain again, the agony making me cry out. I started begging him to stop, but his hand only gripped mine tighter. “Please, please, stop.”

He finally let go and the pain stopped instantly. Opening my eyes, I saw him looming over me, his expression like a dark thundercloud. I crawled back a little, fearing that he’d lash out and hit me even though he’d never given any indication of being violent towards me. “I don’t know why we can’t resonate. I can do it just fine with the others! I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me.”

Instead of replying, he used his evol to help me up and made me sit on the bed. A quick flick of his fingers and a set of newly ironed clothes appeared next to me. “Get dressed. The twins will fetch you in ten minutes.”

“Why?”

“There’s something wrong with your fragment of the aether core. Let’s see if we can fix it.” 

“And if it’s not fixed?”

“Then I’ll leave you alone and never pester you again.”

He left the room with Mephisto following him and the door closed behind them. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Writing fan fiction is my way of practising my skill as an author. If you'd like to show appreciation and be a part of my journey in publishing full-length novels, do follow me on Instagram/Wattpad/Tumblr at _writtenbyshama. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

[writtenbyshama]

This is where I write my books. 🪷 [Yes, this is an actual photo, those are my hands and my mom was the photographer]