"No Ellie," the boy said, playfully pushing the other away. "You're not old enough."

"But-" whined the smaller of the two. "That's not fair..."

The boys were recognizable almost at once. Maurice being a number of years older than the  little Eleanor, who couldn't have been more than seven. The scene was surreal, distant, your vision laced with the same milky fog that pressed itself against your mug. You were there,

but you weren't.

Eleanor crossed his arms. Even then he wore glasses- evidently too big for his face.

"What are you always doing in the forest anyway?"

Maurice ruffled his brother's lighter hair.

"Nothing interesting, promise," he said. "I'll see you soon."

Nearby branches swayed in time to the wind. Maurice adjusted his collar and slowly grew more distant.

"Don't get lost!" Eleanor shouted.

Maurice didn't hear.
~

"I don't know where she is either," Simone answered. Near Arcadia plaza we walked together, hoping the rest of our patrol was already there.

Maurice told me he had business to attend to. I couldn't really complain since I was going to be busy anyway, but Maurice finally accepting the job just makes me so happy. You'd think we'd see each other more as brothers, but he's always somewhere else. Lost in his own head, I think.

Simone asks for the time and I check my watch. It's late. And again the thoughts circulate through my mind. I wonder if Simone knows.

I wonder if y/n knows. Or at least, has thought about it.

"I'm gonna run back and see if they're at the dorm," I lied, not waiting for a reply. "You might have to patrol without me!"

"Wait!" Simone cried. Then she said something else, but I didn't hear.

~
The boy with the darker hair of the two was now alone. Clothes too big for his lanky figure hung off him like a poorly refurbished lamp, but a handsome one nonetheless.

He had with him too many books considering school didn't even start yet. After all, Maurice had only been on the train for less than an hour. But already he'd gathered all the information on Arcadia Academy that he could find.

A school with domestic day students and international night students living separated by a bridge over an ominous chasm of water. What a place. And run by a one Cadere Enebris with a one Miss Petrikov. Sadly, that's where the trail stopped.

"Is this seat taken?" A soft voice asked.

Maurice wanted to tell her it was so he'd have the compartment to himself, but instead gave a polite 'no' and and the girl sat with him. She was soon followed by two more boys, both of which looked older. Maurice lowered his book.

"You'd think after three years you'd make the train on time," one snickered to the other.

"Luke was supposed to save us a seat but he totally gave it up for some junior and her friends," said the other boy.

"That is such a Luke thing to do," said the girl suddenly far louder than five seconds ago. "That's probably the only reason he's on patrol."

"Can you honestly blame him?" One of the boys said much to the amusement of the other.

"What about you, are you in any clubs?" He asked, catching Maurice by surprise.

"Uh, no, I'm just, this is my first year," he said.

"Oh I thought you were older, you're pretty tall for a first year," one of the senior boys said. "What's your name?"

"Maurice Wright," he said.

Usually so cool and used to being the oldest, being surrounded by this group that all knew each other was more than a little intimidating. The rest introduced themselves, one of the boys being in third year and the other two students being in fourth. It was well known that graduation at fifth year was expected, but some managed a year early or a year late, depending on variables Maurice himself had considered. Maurice was actually already a year older than most first years; traveling with his family was worth it to him.

"What's the patrol?" Maurice asked although he already knew.

"There's a day patrol, hall monitor stuff for people with too much time on their hands, then there's the night patrol-" the girl explained.

"Which we're on-" the boy said, gesturing to the three. "And so are our friends Luke, Chantelle, and Jack."

"Basically we watch the area around the night dorms and stuff like that," she finished. "First years generally don't do it or they sign up and get so swamped with work they quit by winter term."

"It sounds like fun," Maurice said.

"Yeah you should do it, I mean..."

"Don't pester the freshman! He's going to have so much work. It's not worth it to quit."

"I don't give up easily," Maurice said, adjusting his black frames with a grin.

The group looked at each other, the girl towards the first year. She tilted her head.

"You remind me of Jack." She said. "Doesn't he?"
~
I was suddenly reminded of that night. The first night, wasn't it? When we all went to The Lair for the first time. Though all I have left are grainy portraits of the people there- the ones who danced, the ones who drank. Most older students. And I mean older.

It was exactly how Maurice'd described it though, that and then some. I never believed how easily it seemed he'd made friends when he started school. And he was so different from me. But there I was, I belonged somewhere; and it was just the first day.

I remember y/n, Simone, and Theodore.

Yes, how could I forget. I suppose everyone did split up. But I remember seeing something I shouldn't have seen... and I blamed it on the shots. It was you who told me to take them, didn't you? "Maurice's brother..." you'd said.

And it wasn't just then that we'd split up. I've wondered for a while. Where do you go? Where do you disappear to?

When I'm out of Simone's sight I take a sharp left and break for the forest. Maurice never let me go without him- unsafe he'd say. And even now, I think he's always right. It's dark and creepy and the way the branches twist and turn is just unnatural. But I never really went for walks in them after Maurice left. Maybe I was just afraid after all.
~

There are so many secrets to Arcadia Castle, from the cellars deep within the Earth to the observatories that seek to touch the skies. But the forest was always there, seemingly regular. Beautiful, but nothing anyone had any reason to really question. Everyone knows what forests are. And that illusion is what made the forest his.

It was a gorgeous day, and that, for some reason, bothered him even more. Maurice took off his jacket and set it over the embroidered oak branches.

He was supposed to be in either English or Chemistry, but he really couldn't tell. All Maurice knew was that he had taken his shoes off and stepped into the surprisingly frigid water. The ravine was one of the nicest places to go, Maurice thought. Sure, a bit rocky around certain parts. But more than big enough for a swim.

Maurice could feel the current, surging hungrily around his ankles. Already it was trying to deter his balance. And that's when he entered the cold, and the cold entered his lungs, and Maurice entered nothingness.

It wasn't until the sun rays streamed down over his half shut eyes that he realized he was on the ground. Then he remembered being pulled, hoisted upwards. Suddenly Maurice relaxed his eyes as a relief of shade blocked out the sun and his saviour stood feet away from him.
~

I was never great at navigating, at least, not the woods. But running water told me I was definitely far enough where no one should feel threatened. I stood my ground, and did something my brother would probably do if it were him. I pushed up my glasses, and called his name.

~
"Are you alright?" He asked, arms crossed and head to the sky.

Maurice coughed some water onto his temporary grass bed. He haphazardly sat up, rubbing his eyes at what he saw.

There stood a boy who could have been in Maurice's class, for how boyish he seemed. But it wasn't his striking, cherry red hair or sly features that caught him off guard. It was the pointed ears and trio of red fox tails blocking the sun that left Maurice speechless.

"Theo's the name, don't wear it out."

~
Fan here, thanks guys. 3:40am haha. Long chapters coming. Love you, sorry for delays. See you real soon, all the best.
~ Your number one Fan <3