FOREVER LULLABY. (smg34)

♪the fall begins♪

                so sorry if it has bad grammar
                           or doesn't make         
                         sense ｡ﾟ(ﾟ'ω'ﾟ)ﾟ｡!!
                 TW:death, blood, sad sad,
                              and swears.
                               -ENJOY!!!-

    —————————-❷-—————————

The sun was beginning to rise, casting weak tendrils of light through the smudged windows of SMG3's café. The shop was closed today, but the scent of stale coffee and yesterday's pastries still clung to the air. SMG3 lay on his futon in the small, cluttered back room where he lived, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind was numb, haunted by the events of the last 24 hours.

Last night had been fun. The whole crew had gathered at the castle for a sleepover-chaotic, loud, and full of laughter. It had been a rare moment of peace for all of them, the usual madness of their lives taking a backseat for once. They'd stayed up late, talking, playing games, and eating way too much junk food. It was exactly what they all needed.

And then there was the moment with SMG4.

The memory replayed in SMG3's mind, vivid and sharp. After the others had gone to bed, the two of them had stayed up, sitting outside on the castle's balcony under the stars. SMG4 had seemed a little more reflective than usual, and for some reason, that had made SMG3 feel like he could drop his usual sarcastic defenses.

They had talked for hours, about everything and nothing at the same time. And when the conversation finally started to fade, SMG3 had made a promise.

"I'll never leave you," he had said, his voice softer thar he'd meant it to be.
SMG4 had smiled at him. It left a warm fuzzy feeling in him.

But that moment was gone.

A chill ran down SMG3's spine as he sat up, the stale air of the café suddenly feeling heavy and oppressive. Something was wrong.
He could feel it in his bones. His stomach churned, a knot of unease coiling inside him. He reached for his phone, checking the time. It was still early-too early for anyone to be awake. But the nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

He stood up, pacing the small space, his footsteps echoing in the stillness.
His mind kept circling back to SMG4.
There was no reason to feel this way.
Everything was fine last night. SMG4 was fine.

But the silence was suffocating, pressing down on him like a weight.

He couldn't shake the dread that had settled in his chest. Something's wrong, he thought again, more urgently this time.

His phone buzzed, the sudden noise making him jump. He grabbed it, seeing a message in the group chat.

Mario: SMG3...get to the castle... now.

The knot in his stomach tightened. He quickly typed a response, his fingers trembling slightly.

SMG3: What's going on?

No reply.

His heart pounded as he grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the café, the cold morning air hitting him like a slap in the face. The streets were eerily quiet as he made his way toward the castle, his mind racing. What the hell happened? Mario's message was too short, too cryptic, and the silence that followed only made SMG3 more anxious.

By the time he reached the castle, his breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. He didn't even bother knocking, pushing open the heavy doors and rushing inside. The atmosphere inside the castle was thick, like the air itself was mourning.