Chapter Text
"Esther Freeling and..." Professor Mitchell's voice droned as she read from her clipboard, scanning the lecture hall. Your stomach dropped, hoping for a decent partner for this semester-long project. "Y/N L/N. You two are pair number seven."
You glanced across the room to spot your new partner. Esther—the girl with the bright orange hair who always had the most intense questions about the darker aspects of biology. Relief flooded through you. At least she seemed engaged with the material.
After class, you caught up with her in the hallway. "Hey, Esther! Looks like we're partners."
She turned, her light brown eyes assessing you with an intensity that was slightly unnerving. A small smirk played at her lips. "Yeah, I saw. You're not one of those people who flakes on group projects, are you?"
"Definitely not," you assured her. "I was thinking we could meet up this week? Go over the project requirements, maybe split up the research?"
Esther considered for a moment, twirling a strand of orange hair around her finger. "You could come by my place tomorrow evening. Around six? I've got some... unusual reference materials that might be helpful. Plus my family runs a hotel, so there's plenty of space to work."
"A hotel? That's cool. Yeah, six works for me."
She rattled off the address—The Undervale, somewhere in upstate New York you'd never heard of—and you plugged it into your phone's GPS.
"Fair warning," Esther added with a mischievous grin, "the place is a little... weird. Don't freak out."
The next evening, your GPS led you down increasingly rural roads until you arrived at what could only be described as a Gothic mansion masquerading as a hotel. The Undervale loomed against the darkening sky, all dark wood and tall windows, with a sign that had definitely seen better days.
You parked and made your way to the front entrance, wondering what exactly Esther had meant by "weird."
The door swung open before you could knock, revealing Esther in her usual green coat. "Right on time. I like that." She stepped aside to let you in. "Welcome to The Undervale. Try not to mind the... ambiance."
The interior was just as atmospheric as the outside—antique furniture, dim lighting, and an undeniable feeling that you couldn't quite put your finger on. Something about the place felt alive, watching.
"My mom's dealing with some hotel business," Esther said, leading you through a hallway lined with old portraits. "My uncle Nathan's around somewhere, probably bothering guests. And my brother Ben's out, so we should have peace and—"
"Esther."
The voice came from directly ahead—refined, articulate, but with an oddly formal quality that made it sound like it belonged in a historical drama rather than a college study session.
You looked up and froze.
The young man standing at the end of the hallway was... otherworldly. His skin was unnaturally pale—almost chalky—making the dark circles under his eyes stand out starkly. But it was his eyes that really caught you: piercing cobalt blue, so vivid they almost seemed to glow in the dim light, studying you with an intensity that made you feel like a lab specimen.
He was tall and slender, his posture rigidly straight, dressed in what looked like something from a colonial reenactment—a gray doublet with a white collar and thick white cuffs, dark trousers. His dark brown hair was somewhat disheveled, contrasting with the preciseness of his clothing.
"Abaddon," Esther said, her tone mixing fondness with exasperation. "I have a guest. This is Y/N, my classmate for that biology project I mentioned. Y/N, this is Abaddon. My... adoptive brother."
Adoptive brother. Right. You tried to reconcile that with what you were seeing—this strange, formal young man who looked like he'd stepped out of a time machine.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Abaddon said, performing what was almost a bow. His eyes never left your face, studying you with unblinking focus.
"Um, nice to meet you too," you managed, offering a small wave that immediately felt ridiculous compared to his formal greeting.
His head tilted slightly, brow furrowing. "That hand gesture... I have observed it in numerous contexts, yet I fail to comprehend its practical application. Is it meant to convey greeting? It seems remarkably inefficient compared to verbal communication."
You blinked. "I... guess it's just casual? Like a friendly hello without words?"
"Fascinating." He took a step closer, and you noticed he moved with an odd, deliberate quality. "And this is considered socially appropriate for initial encounters between acquaintances?"
"Abaddon," Esther interrupted, though you noticed she was suppressing a smile, "what did you need?"
He reluctantly tore his gaze from you. "I require your expertise. The microwave has begun emitting an alarming sound, and when I attempted to investigate, it displayed a message reading 'ERROR 7.' I fear I may have inadvertently caused this malfunction when I attempted to— " He paused, glancing at you. "When I attempted to heat a substance that perhaps should not be heated."
"Did you put metal in it again?"
"...Perhaps."
Esther sighed. "I'll look at it later. Y/N and I need to work on our project."
But Abaddon didn't leave. Instead, his attention returned to you, those intense blue eyes filled with curiosity. "You are studying cellular biology, correct? Esther mentioned your coursework involves detailed examination of mitochondrial structures."
"Yeah, we're partners for a project on mitochondrial DNA versus nuclear DNA," you confirmed.
His expression brightened noticeably. "Ah! The mitochondria—colloquially termed 'the powerhouse of the cell,' though I find such reductionist terminology grievously insufficient given the organelle's crucial role in apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, reactive oxygen species generation, and—" He stopped abruptly, seeming to catch himself. "My apologies. Esther informs me that I have a propensity for what she terms 'info-dumping.' It is apparently a social faux pas."
You couldn't help but smile. "No, it's actually cool that you know so much about biology. Are you in college too?"
He glanced at Esther, something unreadable passing between them. "I... audit certain courses. Educational institutions and their social conventions remain somewhat... perplexing to me."
"Abaddon's homeschooled," Esther cut in smoothly. "He sits in on some of my lectures. Now, if you're done interrogating my project partner, we really need to get started."
"Of course." He gave that strange little bow again, but his eyes lingered on you for a moment longer. "I hope your collaboration proves fruitful, Y/N. Should you require any assistance with the more esoteric aspects of cellular respiration, I would be pleased to offer my knowledge."
As his footsteps faded down the hallway, you turned to Esther. "Your brother is... interesting."
"That's a diplomatic way of putting it," she said with a snort, pulling out her laptop. "Sorry about that. Abaddon's still... adjusting. Social stuff doesn't come naturally to him. He was pretty isolated before my family took him in."
"How long has he been with you guys?"
"Few years now. My uncle Nathan found him and brought him here to the hotel. When my uncle passed away and my mom inherited this place, Abaddon came with the package." She opened a document, clearly ready to change the subject. "Anyway, for this project, I was thinking we could focus on the evolutionary implications of mitochondrial DNA..."
You tried to focus on her words, pulling out your own notes, but your mind kept wandering to the pale young man with eyes like winter sky and a vocabulary from another century.
This was definitely going to be an interesting semester.