SDS but make it a Psychological Horror

The Night everything changed

The night was dead silent in the castle. The only essence of sound that could be heard is the metallic clang of knight's boots on cold hard stone floors. Zaratras was in the castle that night on patrol. As Holy Knight Grandmaster he was required to take the night shift protecting the castle from the inside. Rumours had been spreading that the monster that brought destruction to Danafall a few years ago had planned for Liones to be its next victim to fall into the monster's hands. Zaratras was torn on this rumour. It seemed to odd plus the destruction of the former nation Danafall had supposedly been a natural disaster. Along with this was his brother and his brother's partner going to the former nation to explore the remains and reporting nothing was found but one seeming a little on edge while the other was as confident as ever. It was probably nothing.

He was the great holy knight grandmaster. He could face anything thrown at him. Or so he thought. Nonetheless he toured each corridor with a dimly lit candle in a lantern having such dim light was not the best but the fact the halls were so silent it would be easy to tell if there was an intruder nearby. There never was as the kingdom was mostly at peace and the citizens of Liones had a great likeness for the King.

He had not been expecting what the rest of the night was yet to behold.

He was grateful that Hendrickson had gotten him his favourite fish pie before going out to do this night's patrol. He usually didn't have time or forget to eat before coming to the castle for his patrols. For once he felt more energetic so he could stay up the night until the job was done. It was not that he fell asleep half way through but more the fact it greatly drained him doing this along with his piling of extra duties as Holy Knight Grandmaster.

He was unaware of what had been done to the pie.

Unaware of the tragedy.

Unaware of......them.

He kept walking the dull and dark halls of the castle with the moonlight shining through the few and far between windows of rather small size. He was too focused on his destination to hear the silent tap of leather boots.

"Zaratras May we speak with you?"  One man's voice spoke quietly yet still breaking the chilling silence of the castle. Zaratras knew that voice and quickly turned around to see who it belonged to. His younger brother Dreyfus who had his partner Hendrickson in tow who was slightly younger than the other two men.

"O-of course what is it? Also thank you Hendrickson for the fish pie you know it's my favourite! Really powered me throughout the shift." Zaratras spoke with a slight hint of nerves and happiness while he looked at the other two men. Their faces has shown no emotion. They had been like this for quite a while but even when asking in the past the question was dismissed many a time so he did not try and ask again, knowing he would only be given the same response as ever.

"May we show you something?" Hendrickson asked as he stood a little further away from Dreyfus then normal. "Of course what is it?" Zaratras asked with his nerves still present but now alighted with some curiosity. He already had questions such as 'What are you two doing up so late?' But he thought he may ask the two men a little later.

"Follow us." Dreyfus said blankly as he started heading back up the way Zaratras came with Hendrickson keeping a similar pace. Zaratras soon quickly followed along.

How oblivious he was to the true intentions of the men he considered close to him.

Zaratras was about to ask one of his questions before the two other men stopped at a door. "In here." Dreyfus spoke as he opened the door. "So how-oh. Just in here?" Zaratras asked to be lighted by no response.

He knew something was off. Hendrickson while usually rather shy was happy to talk around people he highly regarded and Dreyfus was always rather extroverted and chatty. They had been like this for weeks. Yet Zaratras couldn't find the opportunity to ask.

He went in and saw what he thought to be an empty room. He surveyed the room with confusion as a lock clicked behind him. The two other men had entered and locked the door behind them.

"What is going on?" Zaratras asked as his nerves got worse and his anxiety arose.

"Simply put you are in the way Grandmaster Zaratras. For things to go as we want we must get rid of the one holding the position we need." Dreyfus spoke quietly while hidden in the darkness as the flame from the lantern had been put out by Hendrickson. "W-what are you talking about Dreyfus? I-" His sentence was cut off as he felt a sharp stab to his chest as he was pushed to the back stone wall of the room by a spear. Slowly bleeding came from the wound.

Unknown to him things would get much worse

"We can't have you getting in the way." Dreyfus added as more and more weapons were driven into Zaratras like pins to a pincushion.

He was bleeding out greatly life flashing before his eyes as the small flame was reignited and the two other holy knights could be seen. Dreyfus full of malevolence and pride while Hendrickson was an odd smirk, covering his pain and guilt.

Zara's face as the life was draining out of him as all he could see is a distraught and guilty Hendrickson hiding his own face while a distorted version of his believed brother laughed in disturbing victory. Was this even his brother anymore?

Not long after that the former Holy Knight Grandmaster's life had faded away. The two men he held most closely had betrayed him. Become distorted monsters. What had happened to them?

Screaming and crying he watched his brother die by his own hand. Dreyfus  had never expected things to go like this. For his feelings of inadequacy and being in the shadow of his elder brother to be so disturbingly warped by this demonic monster he bought into his life.

A decision he regretted making ever since he went on that death trap of a mission.

"It is what you wanted. You are finally on top. No longer in his shadow." The monstrous being would say. This was never what he wanted no matter how he felt to be in his brother's shadow he always loved and cared about him.

And now he was pinned up to the wall like some sort of sickening trophy slowly bleeding out. The screams of agony and mercy has seized not long ago as the room fell silent.

He knew things would only take a turn for the worse from here, worse than they already had been. The monster has used his weakened mental state to overtake him and push him to the backseat known as the subconscious. Now he could only watch as this monster would puppeteer his body and those around him for its own gain.

What had he done?

Hendrickson held himself back from crying. He never wanted to do this but he knew disobedience led to pain to be caused to he and those he held close. He had wished his skills in alchemy were useless were but they were not. The pie was laced with a poison which would weaken Zaratras to make it easier to catch him off guard and bring his life to an end.

Why did he have to have a part in this?