Chapter Text
The dorm of Heartslebyul could tell something was very wrong. The sky shouldn't have changed, not in such little time. During Riddle's overblot, the sky shifted from a cool sunshine blue to a violent red. Now, the sky dulled and greyed, the roses withering on its branches.
Something was wrong with Riddle.
It was hard to tell how long it had been when Riddle Rosehearts began to overblot. The fight to save Riddle's life was draining. Yuu couldn't tell whether Riddle could even be saved still; he wasn't snapping out of the dazed state, nor did his mana drain from his body yet. Deuce, Ace and Grim were running out of options, and Trey and Carter couldn't keep Riddle distracted much longer; too much magic had been burnt. These mages still had to control their own growing blot.
"This is hopeless! We've been doing this forever!" Ace spat, a weak wind spell swirled Riddle's attack away from him and Deuce; it failed, and the two barely dodged in time. The pen's red stone had long lost its radiant hue, muting and dulling.
"Doodle suit!" The rosebush hurled at the two Heartslebyul freshmen became play cards. Trey rushed in front of the two cards, huffing. "We have already gotten this far; we can't leave Riddle like this." His hand flew towards his mouth, violently coughing. The strain was becoming too great to keep overwriting Riddle's magic.
'Off With Your Head' had been cast during the duel, and Trey could only temporarily override it.
He overrode it twice.
"Yeah, I would agree, but Housewarden is showing no sign of snapping out of this." The three had a moment to plan. Riddle was momentarily distracted by one of Cater's clones, and Ace couldn't help but sigh in relief.
That could have been him…
"Where in sevens is the headmage with that backup???" Ace snapped out of his distraction. Deuce was right. Crowley was supposed to return by now.
The Headmage had left in order to grab additional students to stop Riddle…though the clock had passed too far to confirm if he was ever to return. Crowley seemed hesitant to leave 4 first-year students and 2 third-year students to handle an overblot on their own, though he swore he would return. Everything was turning hopeless against Riddle. How were they supposed to beat the youngest housewarden in Night Raven College?
The same housewarden who has been training since he was 3.
The same housewarden who had learnt his signature spell at the age of 10.
The same Riddle who became a housewarden during the first week of freshman year.
Yuu stayed observant. Riddle's spears were too dangerous to approach head-on. "Deuce, can you try hitting him again?"
"Again?!"
"Wahh!! Human, what's up your sleeves?" Grim's attention shifted from his prefect to his ruined bow.
The magicless prefect stood confident. "I think…there's an opening we can use." They turned to the dorm members. "Ace, Grim. We need you both to keep any upcoming attacks away from Deuce and me. Do you think you can do that?"
The three freshmen did a slight exchange with each other, subtly nodding. The four had spent so much time together that it was still only the first week of school. Still, their bond grew to a lovely group of friends.
Even if they aren't that close yet…
"Alright, Yuu, show us what you got!" Ace cheekily grinned.
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─── ⋅ 🂱 ⋅ 🂢 ⋅ 🃓 ⋅ 🃄 ⋅ ───
Drip
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Drip
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SPLAT!
I did not remember what I was doing here.
I could not remember how long I had been stuck in this maze.
When I first woke up in this strange place, it was a field. In that field, there were roses, my roses. It felt…peaceful…and calming, wherever here is. As I was resting on the grass, rustling was nearby.
"Oh dear oh dear! I'm late, I'm late!" My head lifted, spotting a small white rabbit running around with an oversized pocketwatch. I sat up, confused. How is a rabbit doing that…? "I'm late! I'm late!!" The rabbit kept crying out; upon closer inspection, it had its own monocle.
Perhaps it knew how to get out of here…
While it was peaceful, I needed to get back to my dorm…
"Um…excuse me…" I stood up, walking after the rabbit. It simply ignored me, crying out how it's late each time. Anger boiled over me. "Excuse me! I need help!" I kept running after it past the hills…the familiar setting of the rose maze faded away.
I don't know why I did…I simply ran.
And ran.
And ran.
"WAIT!" I cried out, I was close, my hand barely to the white fur. The ground below me burrowed, the wind in my lungs died out, and where I was previously above, the rabbit became further and further away from me. Gravity remained nothing but kind, wind passed by my ears quickly.
Was this a rabbit hole?
That made no sense. I thought I was going to die.
If I recall correctly, I encountered a doorknob next to someone who told me to escape. I had to use a key on the disproportionately tall table. When I couldn't reach the table, it pointed to the cookies and said, 'Eat Me!' I barely had opened it.
But then I was too big to fit through the door!
Before I could explode on it, the door retracted. Then it decided to tell me about the now-small bottle labelled 'Drink Me!' which I could only assume would bring me back to normal. I drank it, and shrank smaller than the door, tumbling out.
Then, when I reached this fake world, this bright, fake, pretentious world that sounded like one of those folktale stories in the Queendom of Roses, anyone I met had tried to kill me or play word games on me. If I weren't exposed to riddles and rhymes when I was little, I would have lost my mind speaking to the crazies residing here. Upon closer observation, I could have sworn some of them looked like people I knew…and spoke similarly to others.
Why did that cat look similar to Chenya?
Everything happened way too fast…
I didn't know what I did to my other self in this world. I hated seeing myself portrayed by this nightmare. I appeared paler than usual, except for the black residue on my fingers and nails. My crown was black, which wasn't part of my dorm uniform; it's supposed to be primarily white and red, not black and red. The lace over my eye with the flame…is that what my overblot looks like? I had barely spoken when I was wrongfully accused of a crime that apparently warranted my head to go! Something seemed wrong…I wished I were certain of what it was.
To keep myself safe, I resorted to hiding in the maze, hoping my other self would leave me alone. I knew myself very well…I would hope he would eventually find me. I know my way in the maze, and if that…thing was anything like me, it would know too.
How tragic.
I sat in the blot-filled maze, eyes wide, head empty. Why was I here? What is going on…? I couldn't feel my body, my hair, or the feel of ink on my skin. My head rested on my knees as they were forcibly hugged each other. I felt sick.
Heartslebyul hated me…after all I had done for them.
I was the one who ensured no one dropped out, no one failed under me; all that I asked was for my rules, the Queen of Hearts' rules, to be reinforced. Rules kept people safe, out of danger.
They keep going out of their way to break them.
They went out of their way to challenge me, their queen…and then mocked me. Throwing things at me.
I swear whoever threw that egg at me first will lose their head!
A tyrant, they called me.
"Why did they keep breaking them…?"
I couldn't hear the sound of my own voice anymore. I didn't want to hear a distorted imitation of himself; it was too feminine. My voice wasn't that high. It didn't sound like me. Is that what I sounded like?
"I couldn't have been wrong! No, I was always right!"
Even if I doubted the rules myself.
Even if I preferred different things.
I was justice! Truth!
I am Riddle Rosehearts, the proud son of two influential medical mages. I had a right to be proud and stubborn in the head. It was blood. "Yet…" My voice faded slightly, and doubt crept into my head.
Was I failing his dorm?
I was momentarily lost in thought, and light began to peak in.
I lifted my head slowly, a hand blocking the intense rays. The sky was still dark; time in this place seemed warped. My eyes squinted, recognising the door adjacent to me. It wasn't here before; perhaps this was my only chance. Self-preservation took over, sprinting to the door, I needed to get out of here.
CRASH!
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" That distorted voice wailed, thrashing as their head reddened. Arrows rained down from the rose wall, and my other self found me.
The door slammed open, and I rushed inside, slamming it shut. "Is he still there…? My ear pressed against the door…silence. Just as weird as everything else in this dream. I turned to face the hall of mirrors, reflections of myself at all stages reinacted themselves as I passed by.
The door that had long brought him here had long dissolved.
As I walked through, several memories passed by me, I couldn't feel happy, for the majority of my life…I had felt…unsatisfied. I was brought up differently than other children after all, my path was set by my benevolent mother. After Night Raven College, I would study to become a medical mage!
Just like mother.
Just like father.
"Happy eighth birthday, Riddle." I paused, stopping by the rectangular mirror.
My gaze shifted from the floor to the walls of my own home. My mother is smiling down at me. I couldn't see her face…why? I remembered this day. "This year's birthday cake is a low-sugar recipe made with nuts and lecithin-rich soy flour to improve your cerebral function."
I hated that cake.
From my time at Night Raven College, he found himself indulging in several sweets; if my mother figured it out, I would lose my head for sure. To her, sugar was poison, yet I felt so alive having sugar-filled treats. I wished I could have eaten tarts. I wished he could have eaten more when I was younger. I wished I could have been the perfect version my mother expected, maybe then I wouldn't have overblotted.
Maybe then my dormmates would no longer fear me.
"Thank you…" I heard his younger self speak calmly and softly, "But, Mom…" I couldn't bear to listen to this conversation once more. My pen rose up in flames, bursting, shattering, and burning the mirror down.
The shattered glass danced around me, the pen lowered. It would all end in an argument, I promised I was grateful.
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DRIP
I was normal. This was my normal, my safety cage home.
Knock! Knock!
I turned around to the mirror behind. It displayed my room and study; my younger self's perspective showed two little boys outside the now-open window. I met Trey and Chenya that day…
"Whoa! He heard us!" The green-haired boy appeared surprised.
The boy with cat ears smiled. "Hey, come play with us!"
BOOM!
The mirror exploded
I caused both Trey and Chenya so much trouble; their families must hate me for what my mother did. I had the best time playing with Chenya and Trey, and learnt so much, yet now, what did I have to show for it?
Nothing.
"You are never to play with them again!"
My pen burst through the mirror's surface.
"I'm sorr—"
Another mirror shattered.
"It will never happen—"
BLAST!
"Stop it…" My voice felt weak, breathing quickening. I took to my heels, beginning to move, I could not take it anymore. With what little stamina I had left, I ran.
"Be quiet! You've broken the rules!"
"Stop it…!"
"Clearly, you can't handle the freedom of independent study."
My breath stilled. "MOTHER!!" I stepped on a shard, and the ground shook violently as I sped along the mirrors. "It was my fault…no…no NO!"
I needed to get out of here.
I took a wrong step, and the ground, which had been solid, shattered. I reached out towards one of the mirrors. "Please…please…" My hand and body phased through as he tumbled down several floors.
My arms and legs flailed around before crashing violently to the ground.
Stump!
A book fell on top of me. "Why is everything bigger than me again…?" I couldn't feel my lungs and heart. Tears welled up in my eyes. When will this all stop…? Ink clung to my body; it felt sickening.
My body paled, and I couldn't feel my feet next. It didn't feel crushed; it's as if it had never been there in the first place.
"Riiiddle!!" Trey's voice rang out in Riddle's ears.
"Trey?! Trey!! Where are you?!" A smile reached my lips. Am I saved? Trey is here, right? My eyes scanned around the room before stopping at a keyhole.
"RIDDLE!!"
The voice was loudest there; my hand reached out. "Trey…! TREY! TREY, I AM SO SORRY!" I stretched out further, as close as I was, the light faded.
"What…?"
─── ⋅ 🂱 ⋅ 🂢 ⋅ 🃓 ⋅ 🃄 ⋅ ───
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Yuu struck against the shell of the blot phantom's surface, shattering the glass and spreading the blot around the vicinity. The crown tumbled off, rolling beside a stray rosebush. Riddle's blot-ridden body shrieks echoed throughout the entire dorm, through the ruined atmosphere of Heartslebyul. The red rose tyrant was defeated!
...Almost defeated.
"I was…wrong…? Wrong?! But that's…" Impossible, " the blot wearing Riddle's skin cried out. "Isn't it…Mother…?"
With a deafening crash, Riddle's body collapsed on the wilting grass with a sickening crash, blot surrounded his body, coating it in a thin layer.
The four Heartslebyul students slowly approached Riddle's unconscious body. Trey was barely holding on. His pen dropped, reaching out for Riddle's hand. "Riiiddle!!" Trey collapsed, pulling him out. Beside his body, a black magestone rested by his fallen crown. "Riddle..? Riddle, wake up!?" He shook Riddle's body repeatedly.
"Is it…over…?" Ace stood over the housewarden and vice.
Deuce observed the sky over Heartslebyul; it didn't return to blue; it stayed grey. "I don't believe so…"
Ace froze, his attention drifting to the sky, then back at Riddle. Their housewarden, as pale as he was before, was even paler in the face and on his neck; blot residue stuck to him, resembling a choker or a scar with a dripping heart at the front; the lace-like pattern wasn't fully gone. "Is housewarden alright…?"
Trey was checking Riddle's chest, eyes wide, before grasping his wrist and pressing down. "His pulse—I."
"Gah!" Riddle pushed Trey off of him. He remained collapsed on the floor, hunched over, coughing up blot from his throat. Everyone backed away from Riddle; something seemed wrong.
"He's back?!" Ace seemed taken aback, relief flooding his face. They did it!
Riddle turned towards his card suits, touching his face. He was back! Back! His eyes went along scanning each dorm mate. He was free! "Every—"
"Well, it's about time. We were just about losin' our heads here!" He chuckled; no one else was laughing.
Riddle was appalled by being spoken over; he gasped, trying to stand up. "…Cater, why did y—"
"Figure of speech, sorry. We thought you might not wake up." Cater crouched down by Riddle…no. It was beside Riddle, holding his hand out, and a hand took it.
"What…? But all of you are here? Who would you?" Riddle turned to his right, seeing himself, battered and bruised. The other one was barely conscious. The other Riddle's eyes didn't meet anyone's. He was too, uncharacteristically silent, unfocused.
"What…" His voice sounded hoarse, and the three Heartslebyul members, Ace, Deuce and Cater, sighed. His sight turned towards Trey, who stood frozen in place. "Trey…?" Riddle stood up, walking towards Trey, his hand extended out to hold his dear friend, yet it phased through.
"!"
"GAH!" His hand jolted away. Trey appeared to have snapped out of his period of shock. The vice-housewarden held his now, shaking hand with an expression of confusion.
"Ah, Mr Rosehearts appears to be alive." Crowley walked in the ruined rose maze, noticeably without any other students or faculty members with him. "Excellent."
"Headmage, please—"
"Man, the garden is thorned up from the floor up. When he wakes up, you better not coddle him again!" Ace pointed an accusatory finger in Trey's direction. The junior, now standing, turned to face Ace and Crowley, his expression hollow.
"He is right, it was looking bad for a while," Deuce spoke up, earning a grin from Ace.
"Stop talking about me as if—"
"Sevens! When humans let that stress build up, the results sure ain't pretty." Riddle gave up, temporarily. Grim turned his attention to the dorm. "What's with the sky anyway?"
"Hm…" Crowley took notice of the atmosphere. "As your kind and benevolent headmage," the man proudly declared, earning eyerolls from the students, "Riddle's magic preserves are probably just low. I shall accompany Mr Rosehearts to the infirmary."
"Probably?!" Riddle panicked; no matter how much he tried, he couldn't hold anything. "What…? No, I need to help my dorm!"
No one listened to a word Riddle spoke.
"Welp, while headmage is gone, looks like we got some cleaning up to do." Cater checked the status of his magepen; it was still darkening. His expression stiffened. "Welllll," he turned to everyone. "We can tots do it tomorrow!"
"You students have accumulated a lot of blot, everyone should head to the infirmary to purify your pens."
"Purify?" Deuce appeared confused.
"As your utmost helpful headmage, I shall give you a personal lesson on blot as soon as you are better!"
Grim pouted. "Man, am I starved after usin' so much magic!" Grim's eyes scanned around until noticing the magestone. "Check it out!! Another black magestone!"
Riddle slowly approached; he knew little about it. You don't often see the end results of overblots. Seeing as it was where he was previously resting, it must have come from him...or the glass-phantom previously with him.
"You're right." Deuce approached. "Wonder where it came from."
"Just don't put it in your mouth this time," Ace added in.
"What….?"
Trey held on to Riddle's body, walking with Crowley to get the treatment he needed. As Riddle stood beside the freshmen students, trying to figure out what was happening, a sudden tug dragged Riddle away. "GAH!!"
The tug loosened once he was by the other him or…himself? "Is this a coma…?" Then again, comas likely do not feel like an out-of-body experience. Riddle didn't pay much attention to what Crowley and Trey were discussing, turning in their direction, their tones were hushed.
Even in this state, he did not want to intrude on their conversation, even if they couldn't see him.
He tried his best to ignore when they kept touching his chest. The motion appeared similar to checking for a pulse…
A pulse…
He turned around.
Did he not have one anymore…? His hand went to his heart, listening further to this conversation. "Please be wrong…" Riddle silently pleaded to himself.
"How could this be?!" Crowley exclaimed. Riddle's body's eyes awakened, turning its head slightly to observe the conversation. "He is moving, yes? How could he possess no pulse?!" Its eyes fell shut as Crowley approached, checking his chest again, his expression relating. "Ah, it was an illusion of the touch."
"No…" Professor, I know what I felt—" Trey attempted to introject.
"His pulse is still there." Trey approached, feeling Riddle's chest, expression softening.
"Ah…you're right…"
"See? Go get some rest on a nearby bed. I shall gather the remainder of your dorm mates and the two outliers." He clapped his hands twice, leaving Trey alone to be checked on. His gaze went back to Riddle.
"I know what I felt…" Trey glanced back and forth. "No one is that cold…"
His gaze drifted away. Riddle silently approached, receiving no response or reaction from Trey. "I know what I felt…"
Riddle stayed silent as the mage checked on the student's conditions, allowing them to leave while being on magic rest. Riddle was the only person to remain, even in the darkness of the room.
A soft light glowed behind him.
"Ha…how cute it is…attending their queen. Those filthy card soldiers have failed me!" His voice echoed from behind. He didn't want to look. "What's wrong, Riddle? Can't handle seeing yourself?"
"You are not me." Riddle spat out.
"Clearly we are if I am here, and you…" It snorted; footsteps echoed from behind Riddle.
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He side-glanced at himself, his body standing there, smirking at Riddle's figure. "How sad…" it mocked, "your little friends were too late to defeat me. I should behead them all now for their unrefined treachery!"
Riddle remained silent.
"......I would suggest you refrain from touching them."
"Or what?! You'd behead me?" Whatever it was behind Riddle, using his voice, skin, and likeness, Riddle could feel everything it did. Its hand slid across the room, touching everything it saw, giggling at each new thing. "Ha…haha…! I'm finally free! Come on, won't you witness order, me?"
Riddle refused to turn around.
Whatever this situation is…Riddle knows he needs to get out of it…quickly.
He could not afford to be forgotten here.