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 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

[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]

[writtenbyshama]

Sylus Headcannons

Contains spoilers from the latest addition to the main story of Love and Deepspace. Also, this post may not be entirely coherent. You have been warned.

Sylus has a voracious appetite, yet he is a picky eater (picky as in he only eats gourmet). Related note: he can also 'eat' wanderers (I'm not sure how this works, maybe he digests their protocore power and turns them to dust).

He has calculated a human soul's mass to be 21 grams.

He wears sunglasses at night when he wants to look cool and show off in front of MC.

Someone in EVER has figured out his evol can be fought using antimatter weapons.

He knows about the other men.

Sylus was the one who freed MC from the Gaia research centre where she was locked up in and experimented on as a kid.

He thinks in terms of decades and centuries together, and has the patience to see his plans through.

He's a softie, an affectionate man at heart who had to shield himself with that tough guy mafia boss persona to survive in a universe that has been cruel to him since birth.

Sylus will survive absolutely anything when MC is at his side, and he will bring her food/drink even when they are in the middle of a gunfight and a chaotic car chase.

It's painfully obvious that he's taller, but he keeps saying that he's only 6'2 to fuck with other people's heads.

This last one isn't a head cannon, it's just my theory of sorts. What if the life where Sylus was a dragon and MC a sorceress not the only life they shared before this current Linkon timeline? They are fated; born together in a nebula, destined to be archenemies. But both of them fought against this destiny viciously from the very beginning.

It began with their life as a dragon and a sorceress, where they fought against fate and MC bound their lives together for eternity. Then they kept being reborn: as two children in an arena where they had to fight to death (they escaped together instead), other similar lives where they grappled and clawed against the universe itself and survived.

Finally, they get reborn in this timeline. MC was born in the deepspace tunnel, from which she was yanked into the Gaia research lab and poked and prodded like a lab rat. The scientists experimented with her to the point that even if she remembered the past the repeated experiments corroded her memory until she forgot Sylus. Her very breath and the reason of heartbeat, forgotten.

For his part, Sylus didn't know she existed yet, but he looked for her everywhere, strengthening himself so he could be strong once again to protect his beloved. His adventures, if I might say, landed him in the space-time prison. I think here, finally, he felt the connection, the bond between them, and was the first ever being to break out of the prison to land on Earth, specifically into the N109 Zone. (It is no coincidence, as he himself says at one point in the game).

I'd like to believe that the Chronorift Catastrophe was staged so Sylus could break out MC from the research lab. Learning (and getting devastated) about her memory loss, he decided to let her be, and watches her grow from the sidelines, planning and plotting until finally, he grows into becoming the all-powerful lord of Onichynus and he's confident enough to make sure she will be protected while recovering her memories.

That's when MC, after being a hunter and her supposedly first venture into the N109 Zone (that she remembers) sees the ethereal, silver-haired man standing on top of the bell-tower like a God.

And why not? Because Sylus is the kind of being who would challenge God into a duel if it meant he could cradle MC in his arms for the last time before he hit the dust.

He loves her. And he will make sure that entire worlds and civilisations know that MC is his. Always was, always is, always will be.

[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 7: The Scare Of My Life

“Only you and this flower can touch me here.”

I emerged from the surreal dream, a dazed traveller floating ashore from a shipwreck in the middle of the ocean. Opening my eyes, I ran my hands over the silk sheets I was in. My wrists were bandaged where the ties had bit into the skin. My whole body was one big bruise, and it took me some effort to sit up. 

It was a humongous bedroom decorated in shades of black and red, one side of the wall completely encased with floor-to-ceiling windows, in front of which there were two plush chairs with a coffee table between them. The bed I was on was a four poster with a sheer canopy placed in front of the marble fireplace. A diamond chandelier hung from the ceiling, sparkling in the weak daylight streaming from the windows. I was wearing a full length nightgown so soft the fabric barely registered. 

I was feeling fine excluding the physical tenderness, and had a restful sleep, albeit with dreams I couldn’t comprehend. I stood up, one hand on the wall, feeling my weight on my sore ankles and slowly crossed to the windows. From there, I could see the entire expanse of the area which, if I had to guess, was the N109 Zone. I turned to see more when my eye caught on the latticed metal work stand half-hidden by the burgundy curtains at one corner. 

I’d have barely noticed it if not for the horizontal bar across the top, and the metal bird perched there, looking at me.

“Mashi?!” 

He regarded me with those beady eyes, and my chest deflated with hurt. Those crimson eyes were the same, they looked like—

The double doors opened with a click. The most ethereal, stunningly handsome, silver-haired creature entered, one hand smoothly rolling a food cart along. I stayed there, my face still bearing an expression of hurt as he came near and seated himself on one of the plush chairs, bringing the cart to a stop alongside. 

He didn’t turn to look at the bird. “I see you’ve met Mephisto.” A faint smile graced his face. “He’s one of my own creations. Majestic, isn’t he?”

So he was a male bird. Well, I’d gotten that right at least.

Carefully, I walked over and took the other plush chair, my eyes watching him warily. The man was unperturbed at my state and gave the food cart a small push. “That anaesthetic they injected you with must have left you ravenously hungry. I had the chef prepare all of the dishes that you like.”

Unmoving, I sat there silently, my eyes darting from Mashi to him. “You are..Sylus.” I said at last.

Something changed in his eyes when I uttered his name. He took a breath. “Yes.”

“Onichynus’s leader and the ruler of the N109 Zone.”

A fraction of a smile. “Ruler? Is that what they say? Well, they aren’t lying.”

He leaned back and gracefully crossed an ankle over the other knee. He was in the same clothes as before, sans the coat. At that moment, I realised that everything in the room, including my own skin, smelled like him. Like a sandalwood tree washed clean after a heavy thunderstorm. It was intoxicating and very, very intense. 

I liked it, despite myself.

But the betrayal of Mashi was still fresh. It was clear now that Sylus had stalked me through the bird. 

“Do Mashi’s eyes record footage?” 

“No.” He understood the question perfectly. “All the reports about you were written. No footage was recorded.”

My first instinct was to dismiss him as a liar, but he’d gain nothing by doing that. The deadliest weapon a man as powerful as him wielded was absolute, brutal honesty. 

The sting of betrayal eased a little by his answer, though I’d always thought of Mashi as a lonely mechanical bird who wanted human company and had miraculously chosen me. Even his name different; but Mephisto did sound better than Mashi. 

Very well. I let it go for now and drew the cart to myself, uncovering the dishes. Steaming soup, sandwiches with the bread encrusted with edible flowers, pasta salad, butterfly pea tea, fruit juice, plain water. 

There was a bit of self-consciousness as he watched me eat, but his gaze wasn’t creepy, it was exactly like how his pet bird used to watch me. I started with a full glass of water and waiting for a while before having the soup and working my way down the dishes. I was a relatively slow eater, chewing and savouring every bite thoroughly and ended when I was about eighty percent full and pushed away the cart. 

Wiping my mouth with the napkin, I leaned back and mirrored his stance, crossing my legs. “Who changed my clothes?”

“One of the maids.”

“What happened to my weapons?”

The doors opened at this moment, and a servant came in to take the cart away. We waited until he wiped down the coffee table and cleared the remnants of the breakfast, closing the doors behind him as he walked out with the cart trailing behind. 

Sylus used his evol to open the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed and all my weapons floated in the air and were placed in a line on the newly cleaned surface of the table as an answer to my question.

“Impressive, by the way. You conceal weapons very well.” I could detect a slight tone of admiration in his words and that made me incredibly proud, despite myself. 

All the while, I was aware of a pulse within him that kept tugging at the aether core in my heart. It seemed a far-fetched thought, but he seemed to have the twin fragment on his person somewhere. His evol—energy manipulation—was already powerful, but with an aether core, it transcended the limits of this very universe. 

He smirked like he had read my mind, but kept quiet, waiting to see what I’d do.

After much internal deliberation, I picked up my Association licensed gun, cocked it and aimed it at him; convinced that he wouldn’t answer if I asked him directly. His smirk deepened. “My my, our dove is secretly a clawed kitten in disguise.” He rested his chin on his palm. “I thought we were bonding well, whatever happened to make you want to shoot me, hmm?”

My hand faltered at his words, a flash of remembrance of the soft, gentle way he’d whispered before I’d gone unconscious earlier. But had he really said that, or was that just my imagination? That was the problem with people suffering from protocore syndrome: your memory was fucked. And the aether core amplified it until I wasn’t sure whether I really experienced something. 

“What happened?” He brought me into reality. “Don’t know where to aim? I can tell you.” He made a show of raising his hands in mock surrender before using his evol to yank me from my place, directly onto his lap. He then grabbed my wrist a little below from the bandage and pressed the muzzle of the gun into his chest, where his heart was supposed to be. “Need some help? Yes, no, maybe so?”

I was frozen into place, heady from his warmth and such a direct approach. I tried to yank back my hand but he was stronger. Holding the gun in place, he brought up his other hand and pushed my finger resting on the trigger.

“NO!”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

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!

Also, I just finished the Sylus story parts of the latest edition to the main story branch in the game. I'm now convinced that the men are aware of each other at least in this timeline, and I also need a cigar-whiskey combo to process the intricate web of details and theories (I'm neither a smoker nor a drinker).

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

[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 6: The Protocore Mafia Is Real

My shoulders (especially the recently recovered one) were burning since my wrists were bound at my back. 

Surprisingly, the drug didn’t seem to have any side effect other than faint nausea, and even that seemed to stem from the fact that I was lying down at my side in the dark trunk of a moving vehicle. The spot at my neck where the needle had entered felt sore. The space smelled like dirty socks. 

I had undergone basic hunter’s training at the Association, and while I didn’t remember the rest, ‘NEVER PANIC’ was a rule of thumb. Instead, I tried to see what I could do, which wasn’t much. I wasn’t gagged, but that meant they were not scared that I’d scream. And my feet were bound too. The knots were difficult to get out of. After considering the lack of options, I relaxed and waited to see what’d happen next. At the moment, I was just a bound spectator of my own life.

The car rolled to a stop about thirty minutes later (I counted). The road leading here was bumpy as fuck and my limbs were aching horribly. The doors opened and closed, footsteps heading in my direction. The door of the trunk was lifted and I squinted at the burst of light, even though it was very dim. The wind caressed my bare face—the mask had been taken off. The area was dusty and I immediately launched into a coughing fit. 

“There, there,” a man said sarcastically and the rest of his pals roared as I was harshly yanked upright. The ties bit into my skin, but I clenched my jaw and kept the pain to myself. 

One of them crouched down to my level. He was sweaty and kept roving his eyes around, as if he were scared of someone. The others were just backlit shadows at this point. 

“Right, missy. We aren’t here to harm you,” the man croaked. “Just give it to us and we’ll be sending you on your merry way.”

“Give you what?” I coughed. 

“The aether core, silly,” he replied in a patronising tone. “Where is it? Under your dress?” He placed a sweaty palm on my thigh, leering at me while the others cackled like hyenas.

Keep it cool, play it cool. I leaned back, a bored expression on my face, inwardly wincing at the burning pain. “What the hell is an aether core?”

The patronising manner vanished. He jumped up and grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking it back. “Pretty girl, last chance to go unscathed.” The other hand gripped my thigh so hard I was sure it’d bruise. “Where. Is. The. Aether. Core?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know what the fuck it is! Please, leave me alone!”

Internally, I was concentrating on my evol, slowly resonating with the core inside my heart to amplify it, but I needed another evol to work with. And none of the men had them. The man yanked my hair back further, at last squeezing a whimper from my lips. “Our intel is never wrong. Where is it?”

I thought of what to say. He waited for a few seconds and when I didn’t answer, let go of my hair to slap me right across the face. The impact had me rolling down to slump on the dusty ground. “Yo, man,” one of the others interrupted, sounding concerned. “She might die.”

“Fucking bitch.” The man kneeled and rolled me onto my back, my wrists bending painfully. He grabbed my throat and squeezed it, not caring about the remark of his pal. “Tell me!”

From my place on the ground, I saw that we were in a courtyard of a broken down and abandoned temple, a large bell tower the last remaining thing among the ruins. The atmosphere was reddish and hazy, dawn slowly eroding the night. I kept quiet, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. If I died now, well, that was it. There was nothing I could do. 

“Resilient bitch,” someone said. “No wonder she escaped the explosion.”

Wait, what?

Before I could think about the remark, the bell at the top of the tower actually started ringing. The wind increased, throwing dust everywhere. The atmosphere turned even more red, or maybe I was hallucinating that. Whatever it was, it made the man release my throat. 

The wind increased and two men just magically appeared. I had to blink twice in the middle of violent coughing to register that they had been my ‘bodyguards’ at the auction. Somehow, I managed to stay conscious to see the events unfold. 

My kidnappers were literally quivering with fear. But one of them managed to be brave enough to say, “She’s ours. Sylus doesn’t get to have everything.”

A pang in my chest at the name. Huh. 

The twins still had their masks on as they came to a stop. “Ask us if we care.”

With those words, the reddish haze deepened into mist that swirled and rose around us like a gale, becoming opaque and hoisting all the kidnappers into the air. While they were screaming and writhing around, the twins snipped the ties around my limbs and set me free. They didn’t linger as I sat up, stepping away and maintaining that respectful distance from earlier. 

The mist choked the kidnappers, rushing to surround them and made them literally vanish into vermillion. All except one—the man who had put his hands on me. He fell to the ground with a splat and laid there, unmoving. 

An absolute silence for an instant.

The mist evaporated, the wind slowed down and the bell was ringing melodically. The rising sun that heralded a new day backlit the tall, slim figure who was standing right next to the bell on top of the tower. 

A small throb in my chest. The aether core inside me recognised something in the man standing above me, like a powerful, ancient god. I watched as he jumped down, his red misty evol assisting in a graceful land on his feet like a cat. I was bruised, bleeding, and exhausted. If this man decided to end me, then I was really dead.

The man came closer, kicking my now unconscious kidnapper with the toe of a polished shoe before stepping over and heading towards me. The light of the dawn revealed him in parts: silver hair, scarlet eyes, black attire with a sombre vermillion coat draped over his shoulders. Not a speck of dirt anywhere. He was beauty, elegance, and power, personified. 

He was Sylus, the man who ruled the N109 Zone. I did not except him to be so…handsome. Terribly beautiful. He could take whatever he wanted and I would still be begging for more. 

No. Wait. What the hell? I shook my head. This was not the time to be thirsting over a criminal wanted by governments across planets.  

He came to a stop right in front of where I was slumped into a heap. I could glimpse the red bottoms of his shoes as he did so. 

“Clear out that vermin,” he ordered the twins, but the crimson gaze was set on me. Even his voice was something to behold, the voice of emperors and ancient warlords. I held the gaze, mustering all my energy to maintain my last shred of dignity and stay upright.

There was not a shred of emotion on his face. After a minute of eye contact, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind: “Did you kill my family?”

My voice was scratchy and soft from the dust, but he heard it clearly. He raised an eyebrow. “No,” he replied. “That was not me.”

The certainty and honesty in his voice was clear. The relief that flooded me when I heard that this elegant criminal (who had committed multiple crimes according to the Association’s database) was not the person who killed my family was something so palpable I could taste it on my tongue. 

Before I could say anything else, he grabbed my hand, noting the blood on my wrist and intertwined our fingers. “Resonate with me.”

“I—“ A thin lash of pain laced through my chest, stealing away my breath. “It hurts, please,” I bent forward, trying to concentrate but the agony was unbearable. What the fuck was he trying to do?

It stopped as abruptly as it had begun when Sylus let go of my hand, his expression unreadable. With the last of my strength, I laid back down on the ground, shallowly breathing with my eyes closed. I couldn’t stay awake for much longer. 

Hands slid over my shoulders and underneath my knees, so gentle that I barely felt them. I was lifted up carefully. “I finally have you in my arms, my dove,” was all I heard before passing out.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Follow at _writtenbyshama on Instagram for more. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

[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 5: Pretend Bodyguards

They were twins, or were trying to give the impression of being twins, with their matching bird beak masks adorned with black feathers and the same impeccable black suits.

“Hello,” they spoke together. Even their voices sounded the exact same. 

I returned the greeting politely, alert to their body language. They hadn’t actually trapped me in, instead they were at a respectful distance on either side of me, like two bodyguards. From their relaxed stance it didn’t seem like they were going to harm me in anyway, but better safe than sorry. 

Faux relaxing my body, I leaned against the railing once again, twirling the empty glass stem between my fingertips as I watched their hands, discerning whether they were going to reach for their weapons. They didn’t. We watched each other subtly, until I deposited my glass and toothpick on a passing empty tray and started heading down the stairs. 

They followed me, keeping the same distance at my sides as I descended the last stair and landed on the obsidian marble floor, covered with handwoven plush carpets. 

“Do we know each other?” I asked the masked man on my right.

“No.”

“Then why are you both following me?”

“We mean you no harm,” the one on my left interjected. “Don’t mind us, just think of us as bodyguards and we’ll be fine.”

Right. Straightening my shoulders, I walked to the banquet table nonchalantly, as if random men pledging their lives for my safety was an everyday occurrence. The guests were piling up food on their plates and walking around, eating and browsing through the collections on display. 

I desperately wanted to try the food, but I held myself back and headed to the perimeter of the hall. Along with protocores, jewellery, ancient artefacts, and weapons were on display too. I joined the bidders, carefully studying the protocores resting on velvet pillows inside the glass cases. 

I spent a considerable amount of time in front of all the protocores, using my knowledge and a bit of my resonance evol to see if there was an aether core present. However, none of them were, their protocurves were of normal cores which were just modified. Disappointment laced through me, I was really hoping to make a breakthrough here. 

I made my way around the perimeter, looking through the other items on display. My ‘bodyguards’ were true to their word: they kept away any person that approached me, and I was grateful. I didn’t want to talk to anyone here. 

After examining an intricately carved sword made from ivory, I came across a bracelet which made me stop. There were no bidders for this item, and I was free to stand right in front of the case to see it more clearly. 

The bracelet was woven with gold, the clasp being a dragon’s head devouring its own tail. The rest of the bracelet was the dragon’s long, lithe body studded with gemstones. I bent down a little and caught another detail: the dragon was not actually devouring its tail, rather, the bracelet was fashioned like the dragon was curled around a tiny…cat.

The cat was in silver, the contrast stunning against the pure gold face and ruby eyes of the larger animal. The dragon’s wings were folded back against its curved body. 

A cat and a dragon. Interesting. 

I wanted it. 

A digital screen at the base of the display case showed the bid amount, which started at a hundred-thousand. It was in my budget, fortunately. 

I straightened, searching for somebody to explain the rules to bid here. A man in an executive suit with no mask appeared instantly, holding a tablet. “May I help you, miss?”

“I’d like to bid on this bracelet. Two hundred thousand.”

“Certainly.” He tapped the controls on his tablet and produced a small device from his pocket. “Your bid has been registered, and this item will be yours if no one bids for a higher amount in ten minutes. This device will notify you if someone else bids. In the meantime you can go and look at other items.”

I shook my head at the device. “That’s okay. I’ll wait here.”

It went back to his pocket. “As you wish.”

He fiddled with the tablet and I turned to see the twins watching me closely. I could only see their eyes, but the stares were so intense. “What?” I asked self-consciously. They shook their heads and didn’t reply, but I caught the understanding glance that passed between them. 

Ten minutes later, the bracelet was mine. The man with the tablet congratulated me as he accepted my card for the payment. Then he opened the glass case and took out the piece, methodically placing it in a jewellery box and handed it over. “Have a good rest of the evening, miss.”

“Thank you.” The box was small enough to fit into my clutch. 

I wasn’t interested in staying there anymore after that. Giving a cursory glance at the rest of the items and making sure that there was no one here that seemed like the leader of Onichynus, I returned to the staircase and started climbing. 

The twins kept following me, never breaking stride or coming any closer than they were before. “Why are you guys still following me? I’m leaving now.”

“There are bad guys here, miss. Let us make sure you go home safe.”

I raised an eyebrow. “No.” 

I reached the balcony, and they opened the doors leading to the exit, exchanging nods with the bouncers outside. I waited until we were out of the building to bombard them with questions. “Who are you guys?”

“We can’t tell you that, miss.”

“I can get home perfectly fine. I don’t want you behind me.”

They exchanged another glance. “We insist.”

Their insistence was starting to irritate me. I folded my arms and stared them down, even though they were two inches taller than me. “What if I say no? Are you going to force me?”

That made them hesitate. Finally, they gave me one last, long look and bowed before slinking away into the shadowy depths. Feeling uneasy, I took another path to the parking lot, just in case they went back on their word. The wind had picked up, strong enough to make me squint and drape the shawl tightly around my body as I kept walking.

The bike was still there, and no one had vandalised it, thankfully. Relief spreading through my veins, I walked faster, no longer alert about my surroundings, just wanting to go home. 

I was about fifteen steps away when I felt the sting at my neck. It happened so quickly I didn’t have the time to retaliate. I was already blinking away spots from my vision, and by the time my brain completely registered the situation, someone caught hold of me instead of the cold, hard ground. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Follow me at _writtenbyshama on Instagram for more. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

[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 4: Illegal Met-Gala

A sheathed blade rasped against my thigh while I manoeuvred my motorcycle through the neon lit streets of the N109 zone.

The bike was probably not a good idea, considering that I was wearing a long gown with heels, but it was essential in case I needed to made a quick escape. Jenna’s informant had obtained the address of the auction venue after threatening two people and beating up a third; and the GPS system of my bike was leading me right into the devil’s lair, miles away from Linkon.

It was quiet here, the streets cold and empty. This area was once a hub for technological advancements and advanced protocore research. The Chronorift Catastrophe had razed it to the ground, and it was abandoned and forgotten into being a place for the black market and underground deals. It was a general area for gang-fights between rival factions until Onichynus swept into them all and made them submit. 

Under Onichynus, the N109 Zone became a shadowy predator waiting to strike at the right moment, biding its time to get its claws right on your jugular. Even the sunlight was dim here during the day, and it was so dangerous that the government could do absolutely nothing but watch. Only fools or the extraordinarily brave ventured here, and I was still undecided as to which one I was right now. 

I parked the bike in an empty parking lot a block away from the warehouse where the auction would be hosted. I climbed off the bike and secured the helmet to the handle. The harsh streetlights eclipsed almost everything except a couple of stars and sliver of moon in the night sky. A steady breeze was blowing, eliciting goosebumps on my skin underneath the silk shawl over my shoulders. I stood there for a moment, taking in the atmosphere. Shuttered storefronts and spray painted billboards. A crushed paper cup bumped into my pencil heels. The air smelled slightly of fossil fuel.

Looking at myself in the handlebar mirror, I retouched the lipstick and adjusted my hair before fixing a golden mask over my eyes. I looked like someone from the ancient stories: phantom of the opera, female version. Checking once if the weapons were strapped on to my limbs properly, I left the parking lot. 

Ten minutes to reach the warehouse. The entrance was just a normal metal door which opened into a hallway that echoed my steps. Beyond that was another door that led into a small cubical foyer with two burly looking bouncers and wooden coat racks. They scanned my invitation card and ticked my name (an alias) off on a list. Nodding at me, they opened the carved wooden doors and I stepped into a fantasy land that was the complete opposite of the abandoned hallway I had just entered through.

I stood there for a moment, taking it all in as the ornate doors closed behind me. 

I was standing on a large circular balcony that ringed the actual hall sunk into the depths below, accessible via a wide rose-coloured marble staircase. The ceiling was so high above my head that it virtually disappeared into darkness. Shiny bronze link-chains hung from above, balancing enormous candlelit chandeliers at the balcony level. The entire space was lit with candles, giving the atmosphere an intimate feel. 

Instead of directly going down, I walked to the railing and leaned against it to observe. There were about two hundred people in total, even though there was room for a thousand more. Some of them were at the balcony, taking in the sights while the rest were downstairs. The guests were in formal attire and clad in numerous masks, while the waiters and waitresses weaved through in white outfits, holding silver trays filled to the brim with food and drink. 

The sunken hall below was bisected in the middle with an enormous table that held everything from whole roasted pigs stuffed with apples to desserts that looked like mini rainbows on a plate. There was no stage, no auctioneer to announce the items for the auction and no loud bidders trying to one up each other. The only sound was music from an unseen live orchestra and hushed, almost whispered conversations. The perimeter of the hall below was lined with display cases and few people were clustered around each of them. This was no ordinary auction.

A waitress approached me with a tray. “Refreshments, miss?”

One half of the tray held multi-hued drinks and the rest were appetisers of some sort, pierced with burgundy toothpicks. I selected a drink that literally looked like melted gold, and took a minute to decide on the food. “Is there anything vegetarian here?”

She kindly pointed to the vegetarian ones and I selected a mushroom stuffed with gold-veined cheese to pair with the drink. “Thanks.”

She smiled at me and floated to the other guests. 

I took a sip of the melted gold— it tasted like fermented golden apples, very delicious. The mushroom and cheese tasted amazing and made my tongue happy. 

When I was hunting for information about Onichynus, another informant had told me that whatever project the leader of the group put his hands on, he worked on it until it was so perfect that all human beings were dazzled at the mere sight. 

He was right. This—the auction, the food, the atmosphere, it was nothing short of absolutely divine. 

I basked in that moment for a while longer, secretly eavesdropping on a conversation happening nearby while my eyes roved over the guests below. I wanted to try and see if I could spot the Onichynus leader. I looked for anyone who was turning heads and receiving head nods or bows of respect. But so far, no one matched that criteria. 

The heated discussion next to me came to a conclusion as I finished the drink in my hand. It was not professional to drink on the job, but I wasn’t a lightweight and it was that alcoholic to begin with. 

Just as I was preparing to head down the stairs to the hall below, two masked men slinked by and appeared at my flanks, subtly trapping me at the railing.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Follow me at _writtenbyshama on Instagram for more. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

[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 3: It Is But A Scratch

When the phone call ended, I switched on all of the overhead lights of the villa. 

After eating one entire peeled carrot from the fridge, I rolled up my sleeves and set about deep cleaning the entire place. My shoulder throbbed but I disregarded the pain and cleaned over and under every object and chased away the dust. When everything in the villa was spotless and I was the one covered in dirt, I washed my hands and threw a batch of frozen meal into the slow cooker and headed to the bathroom for a nice, boiling shower. 

Mashi perched on the dining table beside my plate after I got dressed and sat down to eat with my laptop open to the Association’s preliminary database search engine. 

There was nothing about Onichynus that I could access with my credentials as a mere part-time researcher. I texted Jenna, saying that I was gonna attend the auction and needed access into the classified database. She sent me her own credentials and I was scrolling through the bowels of classified information minutes later. 

The search was disappointing, to say the least. Most of the records were about the crimes attributed to Onichynus and its mysterious leader. The profile was threadbare: the leader was a male, age unknown, name unknown. The rest was speculated from rumours: he was ruthless and merciless against his enemies, he was a highly successful and intelligent individual with a godlike evol.

I chewed my food thoughtfully, reading through the files again. Was Onichynus that good at keeping itself wrapped underneath the shadows or was the Association incapable? I spooned the last of the rice into my mouth, logging out and shutting down the laptop. Guess I’d find out the answer next week. 

I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen before securing the doors and windows and switching off the lights. Mashi settled in his nest as I undressed and crawled underneath the blankets. 

Sleep was a long way to come, partly because of me sleeping through the entire day and partly because I kept thinking about the auction and what I’d find there. 

Very little was known about the aether core and its origins. It wasn’t that easy to obtain, hence I was curious about where the fragment in my heart had come from.  Grandma had told me that the core had lodged itself into my heart during the Chronorift catastrophe. I didn’t remember much about it, but I knew enough to understand that she’d been lying, but she’d died before I could confront her about it. 

The aether core amplified my physical power and led to memory lapses. It was powerful enough to bring me back from the most devastating injuries to my body. However, I always remembered one memory from my past, a small shard of light in the crowded shadows of questions. I had been a kid, lying down on a white bed in a lab of some sort, and grandma was one of the people who watched me from the other side of the observation window. She had been present, her face a stony mask when a machine electrocuted me (I screamed and screamed my throat raw) until my heart stopped beating. 

And the aether core had made it beat again.

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Follow me at _writtenbyshama on Instagram for more. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[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 2: Intel About The Mafia

A kind-faced nurse helped me into my clothes and waited until I signed the discharge forms. 

Zayne let me leave after a last round of check-up and I limped outside into the fresh evening air. A few patients and their caregivers were climbing into the long line of taxis waiting at the curb. Hiking my messenger bag higher on my uninjured shoulder, I kept my head down and climbed into the nearest vehicle, ignoring the lonely pang in my heart. 

Art, my research supervisor at the Hunter’s Association, called me on the way and granted me recovery leave. After the phone call, I spent the rest of the ride emailing my college professors that I wouldn’t be attending classes for the next week or so since I got injured during my part-time job. Their replies were almost instantaneous, where they were sympathetic about my situation and wished me a speedy recovery. 

The vehicle started climbing a small hill, the flowering trees on either side of the the road showing off their last bounty of flowers before they transformed into bleak, bare branches for the winter. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the window, listening to the quiet humming of the taxi-bot as it expertly steered the vehicle along the curving roads. 

My property was on a flat stretch of land right on top of the hill. I had purchased it a few months after the explosion killed grandma and Caleb, after the entirety of her will (Caleb would’ve received half if he was alive) plus the proceedings from the sale of the burnt down plot (after the wreckage and the debris were cleared away), along with the money from an insurance policy were transferred to my name and bank account.

I’d rather have the people than the money, but living without student debt wasn’t all that bad. I’d used part of the inheritance to purchase this land and build a comfortable villa overlooking the city, and it beat having to share a dorm room with someone. The hill was also in a secluded area at the outskirts of Linkon, so I’d arranged for proper security measures and made it a haven of my own. 

The taxi rolled to a stop right in front of the latticed metal gates, the headlights shining on the brass plaque (etched with the name ‘Lotus Crest’) attached to the brick wall beside.

I tapped my card on the bot’s metal palm and climbed out when the transaction went through. The taxi reversed and started down the winding road as I opened the gates and punched in the code to identify myself before heading up the stone front path. The night air was filled with the fragrance of my garden flowers and the sounds of nocturnal animals. Climbing up the two steps to the front double doors, I leaned heavily against the wood as I unlocked them. 

A musty smell and vase full of withered sea jasmine greeted me in the foyer. I was gone for about four days and there was already a layer of fine dust clinging to everything. Closing and latching the doors behind me, I stepped out of my shoes and padded down the hallway straight to the bedroom in the darkness. The potted plants on the windowsills swayed in greeting as I slumped facedown on the pillows, wincing as the action twinged in my shoulder before falling asleep.

My eyes opened to a loud squawk. Morning sunlight slanted down through the open windows and lit up the obsidian floor, dust motes glittering through the light beams. I freed my face from the tangle of blankets and spotted Mashi making himself comfortable in the nest I’d built for him. At this distance, he almost resembled a real crow, if not for the slightly larger size and ruby red eyes. He also never talked, just cawed like an actual bird, and never gave me the opportunity to check whether he ran on batteries or if his eyes were cameras. 

Right now, he patted down the blanket lining his nest with his thin talons and sat down prim and proper as if he was going to lay an egg. Then he rested his beak at the nest’s edge and watched me. 

I was used to being watched by him now. His nest was placed on an upright wooden log just below one of the windows so he could come and go as he pleased, the curtains blowing slightly in the breeze. He had lined his nest from trinkets that he brought/stole from god knew where, and he guarded them carefully. He brought me gifts from his travels too, all the plants that were blooming inside the villa and in the garden outside were from the seed packets he dropped on my nightstand. He was my only companion, and I had come to love him dearly, enough though we fought often (me yelling and him cawing loudly).

“Did you visit me at the hospital?” I asked. 

He cawed once: Yes. 

Right. Of course. I rolled over so my back faced him, closing my eyes for a second bout of sleep. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

My phone was ringing, and it took me a minute to figure out that it was still inside my bag. 

I opened the bag’s flap and fished it out, noting captain Jenna’s name on the display. I swiped across the screen to accept it and put it on speakerphone. It was already dusk, and my stomach growled from starving for almost a day. The dim light in the room made Mashi’s ruby eyes glow. 

“Hello, captain.”

“Hello, Y/n. Apologies for not calling earlier. I had to make sure all the wanderers were killed and see to it that the rest of our team were safe inside their homes or getting treatment in the hospital.”

I really appreciated her checking in on me. “It’s no problem, captain. I was discharged last night, and I was sleeping until now.”

“Good, good. That’s good.” She always repeated herself when she was exhausted to the brink. “Make sure you eat something, okay? I shouldn’t have sent you to the field, though. Even though your evol is great, being a hunter doesn’t suit you.”

I wasn’t offended at her remark. She was the only person apart from Dr. Zayne who knew that the protocore in my heart wasn’t normal. People with normal protocore syndrome could keep it in check with drugs and expensive treatments. But the fragment in my heart was an unstable aether core, and it had unpredictable consequences on my evol. It was also the reason I had chosen a specialisation in protocore research for my masters after my undergraduate degree. I needed to know everything I could about the aether core fragment and what I could do to control its effects. In short, I was my own experiment.

To Jenna’s remark, I replied that it was alright and I’d been happy to help. 

“Hmm. But I didn’t call to just ask about your wellbeing, though. I received some intel two minutes ago that might be useful to you.”

I sat up straight, leaning to hover above the mobile screen. “Yes?”

“One of my informants picked up that there is going to be a spectacular auction next week where an unusual protocore would be sold. It’s going to be hosted by Onichynus—are you familiar with the name?”

I had to think back a little bit. “They modify protocore segments and sell them in the black market, and operate in the N109 Zone, I believe.”

“You got that right. Normally, the Association doesn’t bother with auctions like these. They are set up almost everyday in the black market and hide well from us. But apparently my informant heard that there’s going to be an aether core in this auction.”

I grabbed the phone with both hands and held it close to my face like a lifeline. This was another thread in my web of research called ‘where the hell did this aether core in my heart come from?’

Mashi’s glowing eyes were still set on me. “Are you sure?” I asked the captain. “This could mean—“

“Yes, I’m aware of what it means to you.” She cut me in the middle, but not rudely. “I want to tell you that you should be resting and not investigating, but I know you’ll not heed to my advice. So, if you want to check it out, then I can coordinate with Art and grant you more sick leave. But this, this you have to do alone. I can’t spare any of the other human personnel. However, the Association’s database and armoury are at your disposal.”

Before I could thank her, she continued, “I want you to think over it carefully. Going into the N109 Zone isn’t a cakewalk. Drop me a text when you’ve decided.”

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Follow me at _writtenbyshama on Instagram for more. Happy reading!

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

[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 1: Chapter 1

A Forgotten Battle

The mechanical crow had been with me ever since I could remember. 

That was really something, since my memory wasn’t something I could rely on often. But this, I was sure of: that specific bird was always around and never really left me alone. 

I swayed in my place, clutching my shoulder that was injured in battle, spots dotting my already blurry vision. The crow flew once around me before settling on a branch of a nearby tree. I had named him Mashi, and yes, I’d assumed he was a male because he looked like one. All these years, he had never let me get close or touch him, but stayed in my periphery, keeping an eye on me for some reason. 

Ignoring the bird, I struggled to stay upright, blinking and shaking my head to clear my vision and take note of my surroundings. It was a clearing surrounded by a shallow vegetation, reeking of decimated wanderers. Three new protocores weighed heavily in my pocket as I stumbled onto a nearby rock and sat down, my head spinning a little. Careful not to move my injured shoulder much, I rested my forearm across my knees and unlocked the hunter’s watch on my wrist. The injury was throbbing in time with the pulse at my temple and I was about to pass out. Soon. 

My fingers quickly navigated through the holo-screen of my watch and I contacted Tara, my partner for this assignment. She picked up almost instantly. 

“Y/n! Where the fuck are you? We’ve been searching for you for two hours now!”

I winced at her outburst. “Sorry, one of the wanderers had teleportation powers. I only noticed that after I resonated with its protocore and I got separated from you guys,” my voice was weak with exhaustion. “I’ve transmitted the location, would you come here please? I’m injured, and might not be able to—“

“We’re on our way.” She noticed my flickering gaze and swaying movements. “Keep talking to me Y/n, don’t you dare pass out.”

I tried my best to stay awake. Her voice was sharp and clear, ordering me to keep my focus on her until they reached me. I held on until I could hear the sound of the helicopter approaching. My mind and body were both so exhausted that as the aircraft landed, I didn’t have the strength to stay upright anymore. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

My eyes were covered with a cold bandage that was wrapped around my head.

Reaching up, I carefully removed it, opening my swollen lids with difficulty and placed the white gauze on a table beside the beeping machines. Just as I had expected: a cold, impersonal hospital room smelling of sanitiser and the ‘Get well soon’ flower baskets on another table near the window. My arms, neck, and chest were tethered to the machines to monitor my vitals.  

I squinted at the weak sunlight filtering through the industrial white blinds of the room’s only window. Mashi would be somewhere nearby, but he wasn’t visible as of now.

 I had spent so many hours in similar beds of the same hospital previously, and times like these were when I felt the loneliest. I had no family to speak of, no one to spend the night with me here. The friends I had were close enough to only send fruits and flowers and nothing else. 

I carefully sat up and pressed a button to elevate the bed so I could recline against the pillows comfortably. My head felt heavy, and my injured shoulder was completely numb. The visible expanse of my skin was blooming with reddish-purple marks. A few minutes later, the door opened and Dr. Zayne entered.

He stood there for a second, assessing me while I stared back. He was one of the people from my childhood, the only one alive. The other two people from that life had died in an explosion some time ago. 

Dr. Zayne was in formals sans the white coat. He crossed over to the table with the flower arrangements and took a seat on the plastic chair next to it. “I wasn’t aware that your designation had changed from protocore researcher to hunter.”

Translation: Why the fuck are you here after fighting wanderers?

His voice was low, measured and controlled. Only his eyes were alert and perceptive to my expressions. I’d once thought that he hated me, but he just had a cold personality that corresponded with his evol. He only expressed warmth and sincere affection towards his girlfriend, Ms. Hunter. The rest, in his opinion, could go to hell for all he cared (except his patients). 

“Heh.” I ignored him and his question. Just because we were friends and he was my primary care physician didn’t mean I had to answer all his questions. The exhaustion was still there, and I was irritated with everything. 

“Answer me.” 

I sighed. He wasn’t going to let this go. “It was an all hands on deck situation. They recruited the people with powerful evols from the desk to help the hunters in the field. I was one of them, and I didn’t want to decline.”

“Any memory lapses?”

I nodded. “Just the normal stuff. I don’t remember most of the battle or how I injured my shoulder.”

“Hmm.” He’d taken out a pocketbook and was making notes as he asked the questions. “Whose evol were you resonating with?”

“Whichever teammate was the closest to me. Mostly it was Tara, but then I had to switch to one of the wanderers’ own protocore when Tara’s evol was dimming.”

“They found you in the woods, ten miles from the actual protofield.”

“It was capable of teleportation. I figured that out too late.”

“The core in your heart,” Zayne deliberately left out the word aether, since one never knew who was listening, “it is somewhat stable for now. You’ll be discharged in the evening. Take plenty of rest, and if you feel any different, drop me a text or call.”

“Right.”

“And be careful about resonating with wild protocores just like that. I don’t want to wake up one day and see you in the mortuary instead of a normal ward.”

That was as close as he would come to admit that he cared about me, however little. Being the only (human) child of his parents, he had cared for me like a sibling and I was grateful. Gently patting my hair, he bade me to rest and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

🗡️🐦‍⬛🗡️

Enjoyed the chapter? Follow me on Instagram and Wattpad at _writtenbyshama for more. Happy reading! <3

Part 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

[writtenbyshama]

Promise Of The Meadow (Part IV)

A Sylus x Reader birthday fan fiction

Author's note: I made this as a video style fanfic and uploaded it on Instagram as my entry to a fan contest hosted by the game developers. If you liked what you read and want to support me in the contest, please like the Instagram post which will be linked down below.

Synopsis: This is your first time celebrating the birthday of Sylus. You plot with the twins, Luke and Kieran, and decide to make the entire month of April special. Sylus is very precious to you after all, and he deserves the absolute best. 

Notice: This fanfic has been divided into three posts because of the length. However, there is only one video.

IV — Meadow's Kiss

I had run out of material gifts as the month ended. After my final material gift which consisted of a wristwatch whose dial was encrusted with rubies that were identical to Sylus’s eyes, I started purchasing tickets to make memories together. We attended a live concert of classical music followed by a relaxing couple’s massage at a world-class resort. I took him to a large amusement park where we hopped on every ride, took photos at the photo booth (Sylus had to duck low in order to fit inside the tiny box of a room), and competed against each other at the arcade and bowling alley (He let me win most of the time). 

I had planned to end the month with a bang, so for the last day, I was navigating my motorcycle up the winding road of one of the mountains that surrounded Linkon. Sylus was perched behind me, his fingers drumming a rhythmic beat on the tops of my thighs as I circled a hair pin bend with a bit of effort. I could hear him humming through the mic in my helmet. 

I had to give him credit, he was the most patient man on this planet. If the roles had been reversed, I’d have gone insane trying to figure out where we were going. He was curious, but he kept it in check and just made me breathe heavier by running his hands over the places of my body he could reach.

It was late evening, about an hour left for the sun to dip down behind the mountains. Our destination was not at the top, but a place near the middle of the mountain, overlooking the vast sea on one side and the city on the other. After another bend, we left the main road and took a muddy path right into the woods. 

Sylus helped me balance the bike as I rode down the dirt path until we came to the edge of the woods which opened into a gentle slope. I parked the bike under the shade of a nearby tree and took off my helmet. “What do you think?” 

He took off his own helmet and climbed down. The stunned look in his eyes was a sight to behold. 

The last rays of the sun bathed the slope in a golden glow. It was a meadow of wildflowers, and it was similar to the one we had shared in a dream during our past life. I didn’t have much memories of that life we had shared, but I remembered this meadow perfectly. We had shared a dream when I was apparently locked up for trial, frolicking in the meadow and sharing kisses. 

“How did you find it?” He asked, and now I could see that the shine in his eyes were from unshed tears. 

“By accident. We were completing a mission nearby.” I reached up on my tip toes and kissed his eyelids. “Don’t be sad, my love. This is real. And nothing is going to separate us now.”

The fireworks lit up the night sky.

I sat in between Sylus’s knees, his arms around me as we watched the riot of colours twittering and exploding. There was some minor sea festival going on and I had timed our visit so we could catch the fireworks show. His coat was draped over both of us to ward off the lingering chill. 

As the bursts of colour died down, I felt him move and kiss my cheek. “I love you.”

I nuzzled my cheek against his palm and closed my eyes, my face beaming in happiness. “I love you. I’m going to be by your side for the rest of my life, Sylus.”

“We’ve defied fate to have this moment together. We’ve earned it.” His arms tightened a notch around me. “And if fate tries to interfere again, I will strangle it with its own strings and wrench myself free just so I can crawl to you.”

“You don’t have to. It’s done. It’s over. Neither of us are going anywhere.”

The last of the fireworks illuminated Sylus in a reddish glow as he lifted my chin to kiss me, sealing the promise. 

****

Part II and III

Here's the video version if you're interested :)

View this post on Instagram

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[writtenbyshama]

Promise of The Meadow (Part II and III)

A Sylus x Reader birthday fan fiction

Author's note: I made this as a video style fanfic and uploaded it on Instagram as my entry to a fan contest hosted by the game developers. If you liked what you read and want to support me in the contest, please like the Instagram post which will be linked down below.

Synopsis: This is your first time celebrating the birthday of Sylus. You plot with the twins, Luke and Kieran, and decide to make the entire month of April special. Sylus is very precious to you after all, and he deserves the absolute best. 

Notice: This fanfic has been divided into three posts because of the length. However, there is only one video.

II — Sugar Maple Hearts

I rolled over in the bed, subconsciously reaching for Sylus. He pulled me closer and placed a soft kiss on my temple. “Morning, kitten.”

I smiled and kissed him back, wishing him a happy birthday. Having stayed over at the base last night, he’d upended his sleep schedule to match mine and wake up in the morning like a human being. In no hurry to start the day, we had our breakfast in bed before slowly heading to the bathroom to wash up. Sylus wanted to spend the day with a picnic, so a picnic in one of his extensive sugar maple farms it was. We helped each other get ready and piled up in one of his off-roading SUVs with an elaborate picnic basket and a fluffy blanket.

The day was glorious, but not overly sunny that might have blinded my dear boyfriend. I insisted on driving and made him the passenger princess birthday boy for the day. He obeyed with an amused smile. 

We reached our destination in half-an-hour, entering through large metal gates that closed behind us. The workers were given a day off to give us both privacy. Sylus directed me between the huge maple trees to a clearing on a small hill. When I climbed out of the vehicle, I saw the entire farm spread out below us like a neat bushy carpet. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Not as beautiful as you, though.” Sylus stopped next to me and grabbed my waist, looking at the scenery spread out below us. 

He was, as usual, wearing a suit, but this one was special because I’d given it as one of my gifts. I wanted to see him wearing light colours and he looked breathtaking. “You’re one smooth talker.”

“You bring it out in me.”

We spread the blanket under the shade of a nearby tree and opened the picnic basket. Sylus’s in house chef had gone all out and prepared a feast fit for royalty. I bit into a sandwich, its cheesy goodness making me moan, almost. Sylus wiped off a small bit of melted cheese from my chin with his thumb and licked it clean before picking out another sandwich for himself. After we’d eaten until we were full, he took me on a tour of the farm, explaining the process of tapping the sap and sending them to the manufacturing plant nearby where the huge machines boiled down the liquid into syrup. 

The sun was at its zenith when we made our way back to the blanket. I sat down against the tree trunk while Sylus placed his head on my lap and stretched out on the blanket, his feet poking out to rest on the grass. Running my fingers through his hair, I talked about my classes and work while he listened with closed eyes. 

I had noticed that one of his love languages was quality time together. He would be happy to do a grocery run if it meant spending time with me and I was glad to have him along. The afternoon breeze and birdsong was making me drowsy too. Eventually, I slipped down to lie down in his embrace and we took a nap together. 

I woke up first, the late afternoon light filtering through the maple leaves. Sylus was soundly asleep on his back, his breaths deep and even. He’d once confessed that he never slept properly, and always lied down on his stomach with a hand on his gun underneath the pillow in case of an attack. It had gradually changed until he was comfortable enough to sleep properly around me and I had been ecstatic. There was something delightful about being the comfort person of man like him. Being the person with whom he could be vulnerable with. I wished every happiness to be showered on Sylus. 

I got up slowly, not wishing to disturb his sleep, and packed the remains of our food back in the basket and placed it in the SUV. On the way back to the blanket, I noticed the ground was covered with clover. Sitting back down next to Sylus’s sleeping form, I looked around for a four leaf clover. 

Fifteen minutes later, Sylus stirred and turned to his side, hugging my hips and plopping his chin onto my thigh. “What’re you doing?” He slurred in his cute, sleepy voice.

“Trying to see if I could get a four leaf clover for you, it’s supposed to bring good luck.”

“Hmm.”

After another ten minutes, I gave up. There wasn’t a single four clover in our vicinity. Sylus was fully awake now, watching me pout with amusement on his face. He patted my knee in consolation. “Sweetie, don’t feel bad. It’s alright, I have you as my lucky charm. By the way, is it this one by any chance?”

“Where did you find it?” I reached out to grab it, but he used his evol to make it fly away near to his shoulder. I gave him a look, he laughed it off. 

“Must be wind. Try and catch it, if you can.” He rolled over on his back, supporting his head with a folded arm and played with the clover as I swatted around to catch it. I was like a cat chasing a laser pointer, until I finally trapped it on his stomach. 

“Ha! Got it!” I rubbed his stomach with my knuckles and held up the clover with a flourish. He watched with a smile as I retrieved his wallet and carefully stuck the leaf to the leather flap inside, right next to the passport sized photo of me. Returning the wallet into the depths of his trouser pocket, I leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. He put his arms around me and tackled me down, and we watched a plane go overhead in amiable silence. 

“Outwardly, you seem like someone who’d have extravagant birthday parties on top of some skyscraper or something,” I mused after a while.

“Really?”

“Yeah, but this, spending time alone in the nature seems to suit your personality more, though.”

My eyes were on the sky, but I could feel his gaze on the side of my face. “How so?” He asked.

“Well, from what I’ve seen, you are surrounded by all kinds of people, but none of them know anything about you. You like spending time alone, in quiet silence or with music for company. The people who are close to you are very few, and you make them earn that position of trust beforehand. And though you like being extravagant, it’s more for the benefit of your reputation; underneath all that, you like a simple and peaceful atmosphere, without all the distractions.”

I turned to look at him, and he watching me with so much intensity that I wondered if I’d said something wrong. He finally looked away, exhaling a deep breath. “Well, you certainly are observant.” He didn’t say anything else, I let it go at that. 

Instead, I pointed at the taps on the maple trees in a bid to change the subject. “Is the tree sap sweet?”

He tilted his head. “Let’s try it and see, shall we?” He helped me stand up and we went to the nearest tree. The tap was higher than where I could reach, however, and Sylus put an arm around my legs and lifted me up. “There.”

It was difficult to concentrate when his hand was coiled around my thighs underneath my skirt. As a small act of revenge, I gathered a drop of the sticky sap on my finger and made a show of rubbing it sensually on my mouth. He watched me do it like a hawk, and closed his eyes with a sigh as I did the same to him, tongue flicking out to lick it as I did so. 

The sap was not very sweet, but before I could lick it off completely, he brought me down to kiss him. I didn’t resist. His other arm caressed my back as we kissed each other softly until our lips were red, sticky and swollen. He sighed against my mouth as we pulled back for air. “I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life, sweetheart.”

I smirked. “The day isn’t yet over.”

****

III — Candlelit Ribbons

The crimson ribbons of my dress flowed down to the floor, fluttering as I moved around my villa overseeing the final touches. I had planned for a candlelit dinner in my backyard and had cooked every dish myself. It had been late evening when we returned from the maple grove, and I’d sent him directly to his base and ordered him to wear something crimson to match me later. 

It was almost midnight now, and everything was ready. The twins were driving him here and they’d told me they were five minutes away. The flash of headlights through the front window had me scrambling to reach the door and unlock it. There, on the doorstep, Sylus looked absolutely unholy with a shirt of the darkest shade of crimson tucked into midnight black trousers, cinched with a premium leather belt with a silver buckle. He was holding a bouquet of violet lilies and a bottle of wine in one hand, the other casually tucked into his pocket. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“Sylus,” I breathed, unable to say anymore. His hair was combed back and styled with a bit of gel, and I had to clench my jaw to not start drooling right then and there. His waited patiently as I handed over a large food parcel to the twins for their work in bringing their boss here. They thanked me and left, the car lights blinking as it vanished down the driveway, through the gate. 

Once inside, I accepted the flowers and the wine, heading to the kitchen with Sylus following me. 

“Are you my gift tonight?” He asked in a low voice, twirling a stray ribbon on my dress as I unwrapped the lilies to place them in a vase.

“Do you want me to be?” I asked coyly. The dress did look like I was a wrapped gift, gathered in a bow tie sitting low on my chest. I had chosen it deliberately, mostly because I wanted to see how Sylus reacted when he found out that it unravelled if he just pulled one end of the bow tie. 

He let out a long breath but didn’t reply.

Grabbing two wine glasses and a corkscrew, I ushered him through the halls of the villa into the backyard. It was a full moon night, giving the atmosphere a magical glow when paired with the fairy lights strung onto the tree branches and the numerous golden candles everywhere. I had dragged out a table and a sofa to make the event more intimate and cozy. 

“This is really pretty, sweetheart.” He was holding me by the waist, absentmindedly playing with the ribbons as he looked at everything I had set up. His jewelled eyes shined brightly, making the other lights seem dull and lifeless. 

Fingers curling around the lapel of his silk shirt, I led him towards the sofa covered with plush cushions. The table in front of it was covered with his favourite dishes and the gifts for the day. The entire set up faced the spread of Linkon city below our feet. Sylus sat down and I curled up next to him, tucking my bare feet under a pillow. 

I had never seen Sylus go out without an exquisite brooch pinned to his lapel. So, I had used my savings to hire a jewellery smith to make a diamond brooch that matched the crow brooch I had from Sylus. Mine had a brilliant red ruby encrusted into the dark metal shaped into a crow. The one that I now pinned to his shirt’s lapel had a solitary diamond peeking from its place next to the crow that was identical to mine. 

Sylus ran a finger over the planes of the diamond. For the first time ever, I could see he was speechless. When he looked up, I thrust another gift onto his lap. He opened it and took out a soft cat plushie. I chuckled at his somber expression. “It’s for when I can’t be with you for the night, so you don’t have to sleep alone.” He tried very hard not to show that he liked the plushie, but I noticed the way he caressed the cat’s head and carefully placed it on the other side of the sofa. 

After accepting that day’s temple offerings, he heartily tucked into the food I had prepared. I poured the wine he’d brought into glasses and we clinked them together. The atmosphere was filled with good-natured banter and laughter as we ate. The wine created a pleasant buzz in my mind as we finished eating and laid back, lazily exchanging kisses and fluttering touches. 

Goosebumps erupted on my skin as he pulled the ribbon near my bust and unravelled the dress, eyes roving appreciatively as he did so. As it was, his first birthday celebration with me ended up with him carrying me inside, the rest of the night being spent in each other’s embrace.

****

Part I

Part IV

Here's the link to video version if you're interested :)

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