Chapter Text
Alador Blight was born as a stain on the great Blight name. No matter how much they scrubbed and cleaned, his mark could never be erased.
Alador was not a mistake you could point at or correct with discipline. He was a silent mistake, one that breathed slowly, thought too deeply, felt things he was never meant to feel.
He was simply different. Something his parents refused to accept. Perhaps Alador’s condition was his parents’ penance, the punishment the Titan sent them for their pride.
The first years of Alador’s life were exhausting, filled with abuse, a hostile environment, and a crushing loneliness, where every error or misstep was seen as a disgrace. It often cost him hours, sometimes entire days, locked away in the mansion’s basement. He learned early that crying was useless, that explaining what went on inside his head only sparked more anger. He was alone, even when he was not.
That changed when he entered Hexside, a moment that marked his entire future.
His father never imagined what he would set in motion by sending him to a magic school where social classes mixed. To him, Hexside was nothing more than a mediocre institution. He only enrolled his son because it was the closest school and he had no intention of moving to be near Glandus.
At first, social adjustment was extremely difficult for Alador. Before that, he had been homeschooled, which meant he was never forced into social interaction, though he was not good at it either. Crowds overwhelmed him, the enormous hallways made him feel crushed, and the constant endless hours of study left him exhausted. Over time, exhausting as it was, he began to feel that school was the first place where the world did not seem constantly on the verge of breaking him.
The next semester began. That was when he met Darius.
Darius was everything Alador was not, confident, charismatic, outgoing. He seemed to radiate an inviting glow as he walked through the halls. Alador could not understand why someone like him would notice someone like Alador, but he did.
He sat beside him in a random class during the second week of the new semester. He sat beside him again the next day. After that, he never left.
Darius did not judge him when he spoke too fast after finding something that excited him. Instead, he joined the conversation. He did not laugh at his clumsiness. He helped him. He was simply there, smiling at him. That was completely new for Alador, who was so used to being pushed aside and ridiculed.
The day everything overflowed was an ordinary one.
He could not find his medication that morning. His parents told him he would get it later, that one day without it would not matter. Alador knew that was not true. He knew every consequence it could bring. But he had learned that contradicting them only made things worse.
Once school started, as the first hours passed, everything began to overwhelm him. The world felt too big, too loud. His emotions, usually numbed by the medication, rushed in without warning and without control.
He does not remember what was happening or what caused the breaking point. He only remembers it happened in a hallway as he was heading to his next class, with Darius following him, insisting that he tell him what was wrong. Alador kept saying nothing, until it happened.
"Alador" he vaguely remembers Darius’ voice calling out when he could not breathe. The dark haired witch did not understand what was happening, but he did not leave. He held him, pushed everyone else away, and waited.
After he calmed down, Darius questioned the young witch. He did not understand what that had been or what had caused it. Alador collapsed again, this time different from his panic attack. This one was triggered by the thought of his parents finding out he had an episode at school. That was when he told him what was happening.
Darius had some idea about his friend’s parents. He knew they were strict. He never imagined they punished Alador by locking him in the basement, denying him dinner, or forcing him to stand for hours in a corner of the family room.
The concern in his friend’s eyes hurt more than he wanted it to. Alador did not know how to process concern or tenderness. From that moment on, his friend changed. He became protective.
At first, it was too much for him. The attention and care made him uncomfortable, especially coming from Darius, who was popular enough to choose any witch over him.
With time, that discomfort turned into warmth. Feeling seen and special was something he had never experienced before.
Because of that incident, their bond and trust grew stronger. Darius was the only person he fully opened up to and trusted completely.
For a moment, he thought he had imagined what happened. The sound echoed through the room. His cheek went numb, the burning sensation was what told him he had truly just been slapped. It kept him anchored to reality.
"Did you really think we would not notice" his father grabbed him by the shirt without giving Alador a chance to process what had happened. "My own son ran away from his family’s party. Odalia Raveblood came just to see you"
His body would not stop shaking and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. It was only an instinctive reaction. But the shouting did not intimidate him. He could not feel a single drop of remorse, not today. Even though the slap was something new.
He did not want to spend his fourteenth birthday surrounded by people who clung to his last name. Odalia only spoke to him because of the interests involved, and he noticed. Odalia always believed she was smarter than everyone around her. In truth, she overflowed with confidence. She always underestimated others, especially Alador, who was particularly observant when least expected.
Going back to the party meant noise, food he did not like, people he did not know. It meant his mother’s nails digging into his shoulder because of his downcast gaze, or his father’s disapproval over a stain on his clothes.
It meant sitting in a corner of the hallways until a servant found him asleep.
"Do you think you could come over to my house tomorrow. I wanted to surprise you"
"I do not know, Darius. My parents are organizing my birthday party"
"But you said they never notice whether you are there or not"
"Are you suggesting I sneak out" he asked, frightened.
"The last thing I want is to get you into trouble, but… maybe"
Sneaking out an hour after the party began was easier than he expected. He knew he was not the best at flying, but it was the best way to avoid being noticed.
He climbed up to the attic and opened the window, still unsure of what he was about to do. He had never defied his parents like this before.
"I just hope they do not notice too soon. It will be quick" he told his palismen. The small rat squeaked encouragingly.
It was easier than he thought.
His father’s slaps and shouting were irrelevant. If that was what it took to feel normal for a second, he thought it was fair. Someone like him did not get to choose his life.
Darius’ mothers prepared a small birthday party for him. They invited all his Hexside friends and even baked him a fairy pie, his favorite, not the awful fire fruit cake his mother always made. Everyone gave him gifts they knew the clumsy witch loved, books, a demon hunting net, a new toolbox, and Darius gave him a pair of protective goggles.
That was when he realized how much he wished he had a family like Darius’. Maybe someday, when he was older, he could go as far away as possible from that house, from that life, from that name.
One of the servants healed his cheek before school, leaving it as good as new. That time, he could not tell Darius anything. It would only make him feel guilty.
"Dari" he called out into the air.
That afternoon, Darius had urgently summoned him to the forest after school, claiming it was extremely important. For a moment, Alador even worried.
Alador looked around for his friend, confused when he could not find him. He had arrived late, as usual. It was not his intention to get distracted by a demon along the way. He feared Darius might have left. The witch was actually behind one of the trees, trying to find the courage for what he was about to do.
"Hey, Al" he called as he stepped out of hiding.
"Darius, what are you doing there"
"Oh, nothing. I heard something weird behind a tree" he muttered.
"Well, what did you want to see me for"
It seemed strange that he had not chosen to tell him whatever was so important at school. Darius had been acting odd all day, anxious around him, trying to avoid him, yet not wanting to worry Alador. They had barely exchanged words that day. The dark haired witch fiddled with his hands, avoiding eye contact.
"Ah… yeah, well… I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Grom with me" he tried to sound relaxed, downplaying his request, even though his stomach was tied in a horrible knot.
He was never very good at reading others’ emotions. Understanding and empathizing was difficult when your entire family seemed incapable of feeling anything beyond anger.
The wires in his brain rarely connected the dots. At some of his parents’ parties, they had tried to pair him with different girls, including Odalia. He never understood their constant romantic intentions. Alador only saw them as manipulative.
The Grom was, by far, the most important ceremony for Hexside students. The partner you chose mattered. Darius was choosing him. With his cheeks burning, Alador nodded, unsure of what to say. Darius smiled triumphantly and tried to contain his excitement.
"Great. Really great. I will pick you up at seven".
Darius left, excusing himself to decide what to wear. He practically skipped away, leaving Alador stunned.
"Ratador…" his palismen emerged from his pocket when called. "I think… Darius likes me"
The rest of the week, Alador spent his time reading magazines for young witches with flashy, glittering titles about dating, love sickness, and the best love mushrooms you could give as gifts.
All of them matched Darius’ behavior. His suspicions were real. Discovering that sparked something he could not identify at the time, a mix of happiness and panic.
"I am surprised you are going to the Groom this year, Alador" his father commented the day before the celebration "Are you taking Odalia" The mention of Odalia felt out of place. Lately, his parents talked about her all the time.
"No" he replied bluntly. His parents looked at him strangely.
"Then who are you going with" his father asked.
"With my friends"
They did not ask anything else. They simply looked away, irritated. Alador did not understand why. He never understood why they got angry over everything. He learned to ignore most of their reactions.
The night of the Groom arrived quickly. He chose one of his many suits and tried to style his hair. He surprised himself by staring at his reflection longer than usual, not out of vanity, but out of need. He wanted to be enough. For someone.
Just as Darius promised, he was punctual outside his house.
Before leaving, Ratador slipped into his pocket as usual. Before stepping out, the small rat handed him something he had been working on for Darius. From the magazines, he learned how important gifts were when you had a partner. Eager to confirm Darius’ feelings, he planned something special to give him.
Outside, he found the dark haired witch as striking as ever. He wore an elegant lilac suit, his usually tied hair loose, letting his locs fall over his shoulders. Alador liked it a lot.
"Hi, Al". For a moment, the young witch forgot how to speak. "You look good" he laughed, stepping closer.
"This is for you". He quickly pulled the small object from his pocket. It was a flower shaped metal charm. He had made it so Darius could pin it to his suit.
The confident smile on the dark haired witch’s face wavered for a moment. He looked incredulous at the care put into the gift.
Without thinking twice, he pinned it to his suit.
"Thank you, it is beautiful… shall we go" Alador nodded, still very nervous. From inside the mansion, his parents watched from one of the large windows.
Nothing was going according to their plans. For a long time, they had wanted to pair their son with Odalia to secure a business alliance. At first, they wanted it to happen naturally. Odalia, after all, already knew the plan and did not object. At this point, they wanted nothing more than to force him into marriage. It was not a problem. For now, they would let Alador play at whatever he was playing with the middle class.
When they arrived at the Groom hall, Darius immediately took his arm. He could not stop smiling. They grabbed snacks, chatted with their friends, who gave Darius strange looks, all while listening to Eda give advice to her sister Lilith, who would soon face the Groom beast.
The poor girl looked extremely nervous. She wished she had handed the task to her sister, who had volunteered the moment it was announced she would be the Groom Queen. Lilith refused, insisting she had to be just as strong and reckless as Eda.
"Hey, Alador, want to dance"
The music was soft, inviting young couples to dance in the center of the room. Alador noticed immediately.
He nodded again. He was not truly sure. Since they arrived and Darius took his arm, countless eyes had followed them, whispering as they passed or staring openly. Dancing together would place them at the center of attention. But how could he refuse Darius when he smiled so brightly.
The dark haired witch seemed to be enjoying it too much for Alador to ruin it. Once on the dance floor, just as he expected, the stares intensified.
Darius took his hands, placing one on his side and holding the other between his own.
"I am not good at dancing. I am sorry…"
"Do not worry. I will guide you".
Closeness and touch were things Alador rarely accepted. He would never ask for them, almost always reject them, and the only person he allowed them from was Darius.
Darius.
His name echoed in his mind, filling every thought. It made him feel dizzy, confused, full of panic and happiness.
While he was investigating whether his assumptions were right, Alador questioned whether he felt the same as his friend. Thinking about it made him too nervous. Somehow, he liked the feeling.
While he spent time thinking about Darius’ feelings, he barely thought about his own. Identifying or naming what he felt was always a challenge. How could he explain an emotional whirlwind balancing on a tightrope.
Even now, he understood that he liked being with Darius more than with anyone else. But did that mean he was in love with him. Because even with his heart racing and a tense smile on his face, he felt afraid. So afraid it made him nauseous. He feared it was all in his head and that, in the end, Darius felt nothing for him. That thought hurt.
After swaying on the dance floor for what may have been an hour, the music shifted to something more upbeat. The people who had been slow dancing began to crowd and jump around. Even Raine and Eda were dancing, if what they were doing could be called dancing.
"Do you want to step outside" Darius offered, noticing his discomfort. Alador nodded, and without letting go of his hand, the dark haired witch led him to the school courtyard.
"We have some time before Lilith faces the Groom beast". Alador said nothing, staring at their intertwined hands.
"You know, Alador" Darius began, pulling him to a secluded spot, "I have spent the last few months trying to show you something. It took me a long time to realize that hints do not work with you. I do not mind… I like the way you are". They stopped near the Flyer Derby field. "And I do not just mean… ah…"
What was it about Alador that made Darius so nervous. At that moment, Alador wondered about all of it as he looked at his friend. He wanted to understand what made him worth choosing.
All his life, he had been told his existence was a mistake, a problem, something that should be erased. How could someone like Darius choose him. He wanted to know, to understand, but maybe another time. Right now, he wanted to take what was being offered, simply because he wanted it.
Yes, he did not fully understand it. While they danced, he reached a single conclusion. He wanted Darius.
"Darius… do you like me"