Chapter Text
A lifetime ago, a boy is exploring and finds a strange cavern deep in the body of the titan. There he meets what he thinks is a friend, a strange voice, which speaks to him. The voice proves to be good company, and has lots of interesting tales to tell the sharp youthful mind.
The older mind that remembers is powerless to stop his greatest mistake.
The vision shifts. A boy no longer, yet not quite a man, he still talks to his old friend; the voice in the cavern.
“You mustn't look down on yourself.”
“It’s hard not to!” The young man complains. “Everyone else at school always tells me I’m weak. I’m not weak, I just-”
“can’t do magic like them?” The voice finishes for him.
The boy sighs. “Yeah.” he pauses. “I wish I could. I mean, I really want to.”
“Why do you wish to learn magic so badly?” The voice asks, poisoned with false concern.
“Because I am not a worse person just because they were born lucky and I wasn't!” he shouted.
“So you desire power, and prestige above the self-obsessed naysayers?” The voice questioned.
“What are you saying?” the boy cautiously asked.
The voice sounded almost cheery when it spoke next. “I think it’s finally time for you to know the truth.”
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Belos was dragged from his dream far too early, the weight of sleep still tugging his eyelids. Normally he would be annoyed at being roused from his sleep. But that dream, no-that memory, was never a pleasant one. If was being completely honest, he’d much rather be awake than dragged through the bittersweet nostalgia of what once was.
The castle was never really quiet. It was always bustling with noise, from the guards patrolling to even the constant beating of the heart in the very center of it. Walking through the castle was a somewhat therapeutic experience for the aging man. The noise faded into a calming hum, and Belos could, for once, simply exist. He almost felt as if he was free again.
Of course that quickly came to an end. Soon the duties of ruling the isles called to him. Well, not to him really. They called the Emperor. To the ever present force at the back of Belos’ mind, the one that watched and listened to every step he made and every word he said. For every misstep, and every wrong word came a cost, this he had to learn over time. Every mistake meant a loss of a privilege granted to him, privileges which Belos had been unaware were privileges.
Today was a special day. Today all nine coven leaders were arriving at the castle. Apparently they were to receive a special glimpse at the ‘reward’ to come. Poor fools, though hadn’t he also been misled, just as they were being? Yes, he had. He was no less a fool then they were.
Belos could care less about the large portal construct. Perhaps an old version of him would have been fascinated by the machine, and would desire to tinker with it. Belos does not. Instead his attention is drawn to the cloaked boy standing to the left of his seat. Hunter .
When a fit of coughing over takes over, it is Hunter that helps him to his throne room and the old man’s soul hurts anew, his body turning to lead. His feet still move, and his lungs still take in air, yet they do so regardless of what he desires. Just like everything else.
~~11 years ago~~
“This failure is perhaps the worst one yet. It is almost as if you are working against me.” the voice says
“I am simply a humble puppet. I have to reason to resist you.” Belos replies, swallowing his pride and hatred.
“A month ago that would be true. But now, this boy you have found, this child you pulled from the rubble last month. I dare say you have become attached to it.”
“No!” He cannot stop himself, ice cold dread running down his back. “Please, I will accept any punishment. But please do not hurt the boy. He is all I have left of them.”
“The rest of your family disappointed me. They drag you down, interrupt my plans.” The voice sounded more gleeful. “However.” Belos’ breath hitched. “I will accept your humble plea, Belos.”
A weight lifted from his chest. “Thank you. I will not disappoint you again.”
“You will still have a punishment of course.” the voice continued. “You are never to speak again. From this day forth I shall speak with your lips, your voice will be my voice.”
Horror dawned in Belos’. Never speak again? Be trapped as a prisoner of his own mind?
“But-”
“But nothing. You have requested that you accept any punishment did you not? And besides, I had not finished.” The voice snapped back. “Whenever you are around the boy, you will not be able to move of your own free will. I will command your body in your stead. Henceforth you will never be able to interact with him. That is the cost of his life.”
Belos stifled the tears that wanted to form. “As you wish.”
~~present day~~
Belos would only learn later how horrible the punishment would be. Even looking at the boy’s face was too painful now, seeing the evidence painted on his left cheek and his right ear, even his hair.
“Uncle, let me help!” Belos’ heart twisted cruelly.
“We can make more palismen! Actually, I’ve been reading about this technique, using wild magic to-” Belos felt his head twist, his body staring back at Hunter. “Sorry” the boy meekly apologized. Belos hated how his own blood cowered just from a look.
Belos was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t even notice his body had moved itself over to Hunter until his mouth began to speak again, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Please, be careful.” Belos’ blood boiled at the fake kindness the creature spoke with. The audacity of it to address the boy with that voice, that sickening lying voice. How dare it! “Our family is gone because of wild magic. I can’t let the same happen to you.” Belos felt his hand tighten around Hunter’s shoulder, to the point where it must have been painful for him.
What made it worse is that despite all of this, Hunter still stuck by him. Why the boy was so determined to cling to him was as confusing as it was distressing. Hunter was a good kid, with a heart many sizes too large for his own good. He deserved a better life than this. He deserved a better life than the hollow excuse that Belos found himself in, little more than a puppet who didn’t see the strings until it was too late.
Yet he could do nothing but watch as Hunter barreled down that cursed path at full speed. Maybe that was the ultimate punishment in the end?
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When Belos heard of the crash in latisma, that Hunter was dead, his first reaction was to rage. He was a fool, but he was not blind. When Kikimora returned, she would suffer the full might of his wrath. It would not bring that bright young boy back into the world, but Belos couldn’t bring himself to care about anything other than the sadistic pleasure of ending Kikimora’s pathetic little life.
“You will do no such thing.” came the voice in his head.
“You expect me to lay back and allow that murderer to live freely?!” his mind snapped back. All fear was banished by the waves of raw anger that flowed through every fiber of his being. “I will not stand for this.”
“You will stand for it, and that is final. The boy lives.” Surprise quickly turned to shock.
“You lie.” Belos questioned. “Why should I believe a word you say?”
“You don’t have too. But you will see when he returns to the castle. When he does, I will forget this little insubordination of yours. If it happens again, you will not be so lucky.”
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The news of Hunter’s safe return to the castle literally causes Belos to fall to the floor in relief.
When the boy arrives in the throne room again, Belos forgets his situation for one blissful moment, and moves to rush forward, to comfort the kid, to nag him about all the little danger he surely must’ve gotten into as a rebellious teenager and tell him to never scare his poor old man like that again. He remembers reality a moment later when his body refuses to move an inch.
“Is this the thanks I get for taking you in?” His voice speaks.
The spike slicing perilously close to Hunter’s check is enough to get Belos’ blood boiling again. What follows after is the all-too familiar feeling of disgust that pulls on his soul, seeing the look of fear that the boy gives him, squeezing his eyes shut to try and ignore it. At how he apologizes, as if this is his fault. His body clenches with another tremor.
“These outbursts are painful, but so is watching you fail.” Belos cringes at the horrid words his voice says, powerless to stop it.
“I know you can do better, Hunter.” his voice says. Better than me. His mind adds, unheard.