Chapter Text
Silver has noticed something odd about Sebek, or simply noticed new odd behaviors of Sebek’s. Either way, Sebek was acting strange.
From what Silver can tell, Sebek has changed. It started slow at first: only a few odd quirks, but then suddenly the changes were instant — drastic.
It was hard for Silver to truly say when these changes had started to happen, but Silver was aware of the first strange thing he had noticed about Sebek.
At first, Silver had only noticed Sebek spacing out more than usual. Sebek had the tendency to stare off into the distance when he was truly bothered by something, but from how often he looked unfocused, it seemed to be more than just being bothered.
Silver vaguely remembered asking Sebek about it, but all he got was a shocked and confused expression from Sebek — one that screamed, “what in the world are you on about?” The unexpected expression made Silver wary to press him further. Silver wasn’t sure if Malleus or Lilia had taken note of this and if they did, they didn’t say.
Then, Silver noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Suddenly Sebek’s eyes had gained a dark color, one that suggested he had a restless night. And it wouldn’t have been that unusual, considering there were times Sebek hadn’t gotten a good rest, but this was different.
Even with these dark eye-bags, Sebek seemed to be even more livelier than normal. It was as if Sebek had been dosed with a happy potion of some sort. That’s when finally Lilia and Malleus had voiced their concerns. Silver remembered the conversation from the third day Sebek had appeared with those dark circles.
“Have you been sleeping well, Sebek?” Lilia asked with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. Silver knew Lilia was beyond worried at this point. It was strange to see someone suddenly gain dark circles under their eyes, but hold an even livelier demeanor than before.
Sebek had just gotten down from his room, barely sitting down at the table for breakfast when Lilia had asked the question.
“Of course I have! Rest is incredibly important for a sore body, it’s an incredibly vital part of healing it. If I want to become Malleus’s knight, then I must stick to the mandatory eight hours of sleep.” It was Sebek’s usual answer, but that couldn’t have been right. Yet, Sebek’s expression held no hint of a lie being said.
Lilia and Malleus both went silent. Even Silver wasn’t sure what to say to such a cheery and normal response, especially knowing it wasn’t true.
Malleus spoke next. “Are you absolutely sure, Sebek? You haven’t let the time pass you when getting rest in the last couple days? That has happened to me quite a few times.”
“I am absolutely sure, Waka-sama! I always make sure I have at least eight hours of sleep like I’ve previously stated. If anything, I’ve felt a lot more refreshed recently.”
Malleus took a pause. “…is that so?”
From where Silver sat, he could see Malleus and Lilia exchange a glance. Silver wondered if they had an idea on what might be happening to Sebek. Maybe they did and that’s why they were incredibly short on the questioning, but Silver was not content with simply standing idle.
“Then why do you have those dark circles under your eyes?” It was supposed to be a simple question, but once the words left his mouth it was almost as if a pin had dropped.
Sebek had turned scarlet. “Do you dare mock me, Silver!?” His cheery demeanor was completely absent now, and an expression filled with unbridled hate was there instead.
It was an expression Silver hadn’t seen before. Sure, he has seen Sebek upset with him, but never with an expression quite like this before. His eyes looked different — unfocused and mad.
Sebek stood. “I can’t believe you would dare strike so low as to mock my appearance. Do not utter falsehoods in Waka-sama’s presence!”
The force in which Sebek shouted was also different than any other time Sebek had yelled at him. His voice sounded like it was laced with pure venom.
The silence afterwards was unbearable. Sebek noticing the uncomfortable air, immediately muttered an apology, “Apologies, Lilia-sama, Waka-sama, I seem to have lost my appetite.” He took a deep breath. “—So if you’ll excuse me.” That’s when Sebek had stormed off.
But once Silver saw him later that day, he was back to his (unusually) cheery self. It was as though Sebek never yelled at him that morning.
It was strange, way too strange for Silver not to take not of.
It’s also now a common occurrence for Sebek to go out.
When Malleus used to dismiss them, Sebek would object and stay a while longer even when it was against Malleus’s wishes but Sebek would then finally relent. Now, it’s different.
Sebek no longer objects, he simply obeys.
Silver wants to believe he’s just hanging out with the other first years, but that couldn’t be true. Not when even they came to Silver for answers.
Silver had been getting ready to go to his next class, already exhausted from sleeping and getting in trouble for it in Trein’s class. “Yo, Silver!” A voice exclaimed.
“Ah, Ace and Deuce, do you guys need something?”
“Actually, yeah, do you know what’s up with Sebek?” Silver’s eyes widened.
“What… what do you mean?”
Ace scratched the back of his neck. “Well, Sebek has been acting kinda strange. Agh, I don’t know how to explain it — just not his usual self, y’know?”
Silver nodded. “I actually do.”
Deuce jumped in, eyes hopeful. “So do you know what’s going on? He’s been acting all distant.”
“So it’s been the same for you guys as well? Sebek has also been keeping his distance from us too and I’m not sure what could’ve happened to make him behave this way.” Both Ace and Deuce now have expressions filled with worry.
Silver couldn’t help but feel guilty. “But don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Pfft, we’re not worried— ow!” Deuce punched Ace in the arm. “What the heck was that for?” Silver probably wasn’t meant to hear that.
All Deuce did to respond was to give Ace a glare. “What he means to say is, thank you and if you need any help don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Of course.” It was sweet to see how much Sebek’s friends truly cared for him, but it just made his shoulders all the more heavy. If Sebek wasn’t going out to see his friends, then who does he go to see?
This just became a lot more worrying.
Thankfully, it wouldn’t take long for Silver to meet Sebek once again. It’s routine for Silver and Sebek to train at least once a week and today was one of those days.
Silver didn’t exactly have a plan once he finally met face to face with Sebek. All he really knew was that he needed answers and Silver wouldn’t stop until he got them.
“SILVER, I’M READY FOR OUR SPAR” He flinched very hard.
Looking at Sebek’s visage again was difficult. Silver swears he looks worse. His eye bags were darker and deeper, his hair (which was usually very kept) was messy, and it looked like he was one second from toppling over. With this appearance, Silver wasn’t sure how he could fight Sebek in good conscience.
“Get up, with your sword ready!”
“Actually, Sebek, if it’s alright, I actually wanted to talk with you?”
Sebek let out a scoff. “Training is no place for talking! We communicate with our swords when training.”
“But—“
“I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF. ON GUARD, SILVER” Sebek’s eyes are different now. Silver didn’t know how to describe it. His eyes didn’t look the same. They looked unfocused and sharp. There was no getting through Sebek without a match first.
With hesitance, Silver took a breath and raised his sword. Sebek smiled and that was the only warning Silver got.
Sebek burst forward with energy Silver couldn’t have anticipated. Sebek quickly pounced and both of their swords clashed together. The weight of Sebek’s sword strained him. He could feel his grip weaken and his wrist throb.
With this standstill, he could finally see Sebek. His eyes, dark and hungry for — something, Silver wasn’t sure what. It was terrifying. Silver almost felt like a prey — scrutinized and glared at like he could be taken out in a second. With a weakened grip, Silver could see Sebek’s eyes glint almost akin to a predator making its catch.
His sword was thrown, flown somewhere within his reach. He stepped back to, somehow, regain his sword without taking his eyes off Sebek.
It was one of the first things he was taught in sword fighting: never take your eyes off of your opponent, he could distinctly recall Lilia telling him when he was ten.
So he mustn’t — he couldn’t look away. Silver couldn’t die.
He needed to make it out. He needed to somehow live.
Silver felt it before he realized it. A stutter in his foot. Just as Silver was about to take a step back, his landing and footing had been all wrong — it was too twisted. He could feel sudden pain erupt once he felt the pressure and that’s when he knew he was about to fall. It was right at that moment that Sebek took a swing.
Silver dropped to the floor and, at the same time, narrowly avoided the swing. It was only then that they both knew the battle was over.
He could hear his uneven and ragged breaths come out harsh and shallow. It was supposed to be a simple sparring match, but Silver truly felt like his life was at stake in the end.
Silver could still feel his heart hammering hard in his chest almost as though it will beat right out of it. It was unnerving how quickly the fear of death overtook him in such a simple spar.
When did Sebek learn those moves? It was unlike anything he had seen before. The sudden speed and strength was so unlike him. It was startling how big the difference between their abilities were now. How come Silver was the one who was behind? When could Sebek have possibly found the time to improve? It just didn’t make any sense.
Silver looked up and Sebek, to his surprise, did not have an expression filled with pride and glory, but instead what Silver saw was confusion and — fear?
He could see that the battle had also taken a toll on Sebek, but he wasn’t even sweating. The only way you could tell Sebek had exhausted some of his stamina was the way his chest rose and fell. Other than that, you really couldn’t tell.
Sebek’s eyes were wide. His grip on his sword was no longer tight and the expression on his face was no longer one of a predator. To Silver, it was like Sebek himself couldn’t believe that he had won the spar so quickly.
It felt like they stayed like that for a while — Silver on the ground with Sebek towering over him — but he’s sure it was only for a moment. “How… Sebek, how did you do that?”
Sebek blinked, biting his lip. “I…” His nervousness was evident. Did Sebek know? Was he hiding something? It was entirely possible that every time Sebek had left on the guise he was going out with friends he was actually just training, but you don’t improve that drastically simply training by yourself: Silver of all people should know that.
Perhaps Sebek was meeting with someone? It was the one thing that reasonably made sense. Sebek’s next words were as quiet as a mumble. “It seems I have simply bested you, nothing much to say on that matter.” Sebek tried to smile and increase his volume, but it just came out weary and shaken.
“I believe we should end our training here. It’d be unwise to continue any further with your… situation.” And that was all Sebek said before he turned and walked away.
That was hardly an answer and Sebek knew it. Silver was ready to run and follow but just as he was about to get up, he felt pain erupt.
The pain made his pain scrunch up and his teeth grit. He raised his pant leg revealing a purple bruise encircling his ankle. There was simply no way Silver would be able to catch up to Sebek in this condition.
So that’s what Sebek had meant by his ‘situation’, he had noticed his injury before Silver could.
From the short glimpse Silver was able to get of Sebek before he had turned away, he could tell the battle had shaken him. He looked terrified — eyes widened and face was white as a sheet.
Silver hadn’t noticed he’d been clutching his hands into fists until he saw his white trembling knuckles. He sighed. “Damn it.”
——
It didn’t take long for Lilia to find him after Sebek left. With his help, he was able to, somewhat, regain his footing and make it back to the dormitory.
That now only leaves father to aid with his ankle now.
Both Silver and Lilia sat at the respective sides of the couch. “Are you sure you don’t want some tea to calm you, Silver?” Father’s voice was warm and inviting: that tone reminded Silver of younger times when he was just a boy. It would always comfort him when he was younger. Now? It only made him feel more ashamed.
“No, I’m fine, Lilia.” He could feel Father’s eyes bore into him, but he didn’t say anything.
He hummed a tune that Silver could vaguely recall hearing before, it didn’t help the lump Silver felt in his throat.
Silver closed his eyes without the lull of sleep convincing to, if anything Silver felt wide awake. “So? Won’t you simply tell me why I found you limping your way back inside, or must I truly ask?” Silver could hear a pop — soft and quiet, then the clatter of the lid landing on the table.
“There’s nothing to tell, Father.”
The sudden coldness of the ointment made Silver jolt and his eyes open wide. He could hear a hiss come out of his mouth. “Now, we both know that’s not true. I can tell it’s bothering you, Silver.”
But what Silver said wasn’t a lie, there truly was nothing to tell. Silver knows Father already has his suspicions surrounding his injury and they were most certainly all correct. He didn’t exactly need Silver to tell him anything.
Besides, recounting his encounter with Sebek was the last thing he wanted to do, especially with it so fresh in his mind. He’d rather not think about his failed attempt to confront Sebek. But Silver knows Father already, he won’t stop till he gets what he wants.
“Sebek and I simply had a sparring match. Nothing out of the ordinary.” All Father did was hum as he spread the ointment onto his ankle. As usual, there was a smile on Father’s face but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“So it was Sebek who hurt your foot?” Silver couldn’t read his tone at all, but Silver knew Lilia wouldn’t blame Sebek. Father has noticed his odd behavior so surely he knows that Sebek wouldn’t do any of this intentionally, right? Silver hopes so.
He looked away. “It wasn’t intentional, Father.”
“Of course, I only need to be sure of the details, Silver.” Silver wasn’t sure if it was Father’s way of comforting him or to placate him, either way it didn’t help.
“I’m serious, Father!”
A hand was placed on his shoulder. “As am I, Silver.” Lilia was serious. It felt like, for the first time in awhile, Silver truly could understand Lilia: Father was worried.
“A-apologies, Father. I didn’t mean to—“
Father chuckled. “It’s alright, Silver, I understand. It’s sweet how fast you came to Sebek’s aid.”
Father unrolled the bandages. It was about time Silver spoke with Father regarding the situation with Sebek. “So you’re aware? Of Sebek’s strange behavior
“I am.”
Silver never wanted to think badly of Father or Malleus, but they had known that something wasn’t right with Sebek yet they haven’t done anything to help with it.
It left a bitter feeling within Silver. “Do you have any idea what might have cause this change in behavior?”
The look in Lilia’s eyes changed. “Not a clue. Any ideas me or Malleus had were quickly disproven, but we still have some ideas we haven’t researched yet.”
“And when will you do something?” Silver knew there was a certain negative connotation to his question, but he couldn’t help it.
He hated looking at Sebek every day with those tired eyes and those deep dark eye bags that consistently plagued him. Sebek wasn’t the same. It was almost as if a sickness or curse was affecting him, one that held no cure from what Silver has seen. It hurt Silver to watch him change in such a way. Silver already felt helpless and he was getting restless.
Lilia was silent for a moment, thinking his answer through as he wrapped the bandages around his ankle. “With situations like these there’s no telling what could be causing these new behaviors in Sebek, especially in this world. It’s best to narrow the possibilities before confronting the situation to make sure everyone is safe in the end.”
Lilia paused and so did his movements. “So speaking of confronting, Silver I’m going to need you to stop your attempts at approaching Sebek with the intention of stopping the situation.”
The lump in his throat felt worse. “You can’t ask that of me.” His voice trembled and sounded hoarse like it was hard to get out. It was so obvious how much this conversation was affecting him.
“I apologize Silver, but until we know what’s happening with Sebek and what exactly is afflicting him, I don’t want you to make any more attempts at confronting him or trying to figure anything out on your own. It’s too dangerous.”
There was nothing Silver could rebuttal with.
“Now, let’s get you to bed, hm? It’s getting late after all!”
Silver didn’t say anything then either.
——
It wasn’t Silver’s plan to wake up in the middle of the night. It was completely unintentional. Silver didn’t even know it was possible for him to wake up so early so naturally with his condition, yet here he was.
Silver was awake with no sign of going back to sleep. Father’s words and their previous conversation was fresh on his mind. It seemed to replay in his head over and over again, stopping him from getting rest.
Silver isn’t sure it was possible to ignore Sebek. He can’t simply stand idly by as he watches Sebek become a shell of his former self. He supposes that’s another reason why he couldn't fall back asleep. He just couldn't stop thinking about it.
Silver couldn’t help but think back to their sparring match.
The sudden speed and strength that Sebek exhibited, it was unlike anything Silver had seen before. He was so fast: Silver couldn’t even see his movements or had any time to think. And his strength, Sebek had completely overpowered him. How could Sebek improve so quickly?
Not to mention Sebek’s expression. Why had he acted that way? Why did he seems so scared? How could Lilia believe he’d be able to stop himself from interfering when Sebek made that expression right in front of his eyes. It was an impossible order that Silver could not follow.
Silver sighed. He needed a change of scenery. He won’t be able to fall asleep like this. He couldn’t just stay in his bed, restless with his thoughts. But…
Silver stared at his bandaged ankle. It still hurt, but it’s not like he was getting any rest like this. So with reluctance, Silver got out of bed.
The pain he felt was immediate and immense, but he’s dealt with worse. It was a simple sprain. He could deal with something like this. If anything, he’s sure the pain would help him with his thoughts.
If Silver was honest, he didn’t have a clue on what to do once he got out of bed. So once he was out of his room, he felt like a sitting duck.
All Silver was thinking about was a way to calm his thoughts down and other than that, he didn’t really have an idea on how to calm them.
No longer being stuck on his bed was nice, but now he had no idea what to do and his ankle was still throbbing.
Suddenly, in the corner of his eyes, tousled vibrant green hair slowly moved. It was a familiar shade of green that Silver could never mistake.
He turned around fast. Eyes scanning the room until he spotted that same figure again.
It was Sebek, there was no mistaking it.
Sebek’s hair no longer was slicked back with a coat of gel, instead it was let down, messy and free. There were no other students who had the same hair color.
Something was off, Silver couldn’t say what, but he could feel it.
Why was Sebek awake so late in the night? Sebek isn’t one to wake up so late. A strict schedule is something Sebek puts effort in maintaining, so it made no sense for him to break it now. So what exactly was going on?
He took a step forward, ready to call his name. But Father’s previous words rung in his thoughts like a sickening reminder: “I don’t want you to make any more attempts at confronting him or trying to figure anything out on your own.”
Those words made him hesitate.
“I’m sorry, father.” He thought. He couldn’t simply let the situation go. Silver wouldn’t feel right about leaving Sebek to fend for himself. He had to help!
Silver ran trying to catch up to Sebek, but each step had pain shooting up his leg. Sebek's strides were slow and each step taken was sluggish, yet Silver still had a hard time catching up.
Sebek passed a corner and Silver lost sight of him. But Silver knew where he was going, it was the only place that made logical sense. Sebek always loved going to the library, but Silver had no idea why he'd go in the middle of the night. It made no sense.
He turned the corner and Sebek was in his line of sight again.
The pain was depleting his stamina fast. Silver could feel it, but he was not going to let that stop him. Sebek's strides never ceased nor slowed: they were constant, taking one step and then another. It was unnatural.
Silver tried to follow along, taking a step and then another, but the pain never ceased. He can feel his breaths run ragged, his exhaustion showing. He was falling behind while Sebek remain unaffected, still taking one step and then another. He yelled, "Sebek!" but to no avail.
Had Sebek truly not heard him? Or was he purposefully ignoring him? Silver honestly didn't know what to think, but he felt like he was on the verge of collapse.
He could see Sebek opening the library doors. Silver didn't know why —it was honestly inexplicable, really— but he felt like if Sebek went through those doors, he wouldn't see Sebek again.
Silver pushed forward. "Sebek!" His yells did nothing but fill the silence. There was no reaction just like before, but Silver continued on. He was so close to Sebek, just a few more steps and Silver would be able to touch him.
Sebek opened the doors and that feeling — maybe even instinct — came back in full force. Silver couldn't stop him: it was definitely impossible from their distance. So there was only one thing Silver could do.
Sebek went in, and before the doors closed so did Silver.
Silver heaved and gasped. Running took a lot out of him, too much. A sprained ankle wasn't the only thing affecting him, was his body finally getting tired? Silver hoped not. This is the worst time to fall asleep. Silver couldn't let that happen.
His eyes scanned the room. Of course with it being the dorm's library, it was big with lots of space for tons of bookshelves, but that just made finding Sebek all the more difficult. Silver wasn't sure how Sebek got out of his line of sight so fast. Even so, Silver needed to find him, fast.
That gut feeling hasn't left him. It was as though everything in his body was screaming at him to hurry and find Sebek. Silver slowed his steps. He had to make sure he doesn't add anymore pressure to his leg. He could tell that the pain has worsened to a concerning amount and he couldn't afford to worsen his injury.
Silver looked between bookcases; he was hoping to find a sign or a hint of Sebek, but each bookcase he checked was just another wave of restless anxiety. He looked at between bookshelves "E" and "F" and once again there was nothing.
Silver looked at the next and there is where he found Sebek. Something was wrong, that was the first thing Silver thought. Sebek's posture was hunched with his hand grasping a specific book.
Before Silver could rush over, Sebek's head lifted up. Had he heard his steps? Was he going to run away? But Sebek did nothing, all he really did was tilt his head almost as though he was listening to something. Silver tried to listen as well.
That's when Silver finally heard it. It was a voice… and dare Silver say it sounded melodic; it sounded like singing. It was strange how quickly Silver's ears perked at the sound. It was hard for him to pay attention to anything else.
It felt as though the song was surrounding him, coming from the walls. The rhythm was slow and the melody was sweet. Silver got so carried away with the music he almost missed out on the words that was coming out from the voice. It felt like the voice was getting closer, nearer, from how close it sounded. With it getting closer, Silver was able to notice that through all the sweet melody and soft voice, the voice was distinctly a male one but that realization didn't take away from the soothing tone.
The voice was beautiful and, oh so captivating. Silver felt like he was being carried with the song — with the voice. The voice came closer and closer till it sounded like it was right in front of Sebek. Sebek reaction was immediate even though nobody was truly in front of him.
"Y-you're really here." Sebek sounded breathless, almost shocked. It was the tone of somebody who was clearly desperate. "I've been waiting for you!"
From where Silver stood, hiding behind the bookshelf, he saw an absolutely blinding smile appear across Sebek's face. Yet even with Sebek speaking, the voice never replied. It just continued on with its soft and gentle melody with no end in sight.
It was hard for Silver to pay any attention to anything that wasn't the gentle singing. It soothed his worries and evaporated any thoughts. Has this been the reason why Sebek has been acting strangely? Silver could almost see why; it was hard not to be entranced by the song. He honestly could not blame Sebek for his erratic attitude. Maybe Sebek's dark circles came from coming to the library every night just to listen to the gentle voice.
The voice continued on singing, there was a specific melody that Silver felt like he recognized. It gave him a sense of deja vu that he couldn't shake off.
He saw Sebek take a step forward — a step closer to the voice. Silver couldn't help but want to take one step as well, even with the pain that would've came with it. With this voice, he feels like it would be able to numb any pain.
But this wasn't right, Silver knew it wasn't. There was a reason Silver followed Sebek and this sweet voice shouldn't change anything. Fighting against the charm and sweet voice that seemed to lull him into trance, he took a step back. He had to be careful. Silver had no idea who the owner of the voice was and what they could do.
It was at that moment Sebek walked forward and Silver had to follow at the bookcase behind.
He watched as Sebek came closer to the bookshelf in front of the back wall, his steps this time were not methodical but uncoordinated. It was as if the music was moving Sebek on its own.
That feeling — the feeling that something was wrong — came back in full force. Silver couldn't stand by and watch; he had to do something and now.
He rushed forward hoping to stop Sebek, but suddenly he was flung back. It was like he was pushed back with a huge force of wind magic, one that sent him flinging to the other side of the room. His vision danced and swayed, his breath caught in his throat, pain blossoming all over his back.
Silver looked up but Sebek was no longer there. His vision blurred and Silver had a hard time seeing from such a far distance, but he could see a book replacing where Sebek once stood and the music had disappeared alongside him.
Silver tried to get back up but nausea welled up inside of him, even so he paid it no mind. He ran to the bookshelf where Sebek previously stood, ignoring the pain that increased with each movement.
Millions of questions popped in Silver's head: Where had Sebek gone? Did he leave? Was he taken? Would he come back? Would Sebek return once more? Who was the man that was behind that gentle voice?
Silver had all these questions yet no one to answer them. So Silver was left standing — hurt and alone — staring at the one book left behind, almost mocking him with its ridiculous title and cover.
The title: "The Pumpkin King" was the last thing Silver saw before he lost consciousness.