Archons x male reader
Candle lights flicker, rain drops onto the ground.
7 souls captured in the heart of darkness.
The candle, extinguished.
Credit to the artist who drew the art in the story cover.
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Y/N woke up to the familiar chill of winter seeping through the cracks of his cottage. He could feel it even before he opened his eyes—the way the cold air made his nose and ears tingle beneath the warmth of his blankets. Normally, he would have pushed himself out of bed, gotten dressed, and gone on his usual morning walk through the forest. But today, the cold was sharper, more biting. The idea of trudging through the snow-laden path didn’t seem appealing.
With a small sigh, Y/N shifted beneath his blanket, cocooning himself a little tighter. Maybe today he’d stay in, just for once. There was no harm in taking a break from his routine. Besides, he had plenty of things he could do at home to keep busy.
He glanced over at the shelf where the seven dolls sat, lined up neatly as they always were. Their eyes gleamed in the faint morning light that peeked through the frosted windows. Even though they were only dolls, Y/N felt comforted by their presence. It was strange how he had become so attached to them over the last few weeks. The house had felt less lonely with them around.
His gaze shifted to the nightstand beside his bed, where his crocheting supplies were neatly tucked away. The unfinished blanket he had been working on for the last few days sat there, a small pile of soft wool that had yet to take its full shape. It was meant to be for winter, a blanket he could curl up in when the nights got especially cold.
He had started it on a whim, mostly to pass the time. Now, it had become one of his favorite little projects—something to keep his hands busy and his mind calm.
Y/N finally pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. The cold floor made him wince, but he quickly grabbed the wool blanket he’d been working on, wrapping it around his shoulders. The warmth made him feel instantly better.
Instead of his usual morning walk, Y/N grabbed his crocheting supplies and settled down in his favorite chair near the fireplace. He stoked the fire a little, adding more wood to the crackling flames until the warmth filled the room.
The rhythmic motion of crocheting had always been soothing to him. As he hooked the yarn, pulling each loop carefully into place, his thoughts wandered to the dolls. He’d been meaning to make little accessories for them as well—tiny scarves or hats, maybe even mittens. Something to match the season.
“They’d look cute, all bundled up in winter clothes,” he mused to himself, smiling at the thought. It wasn’t practical, of course, but it was a fun idea to toy with. He glanced up at the shelf where the dolls sat. “What do you think? Should I make you all scarves next?”
As expected, they didn’t answer, but Y/N chuckled at the thought of dressing them all up for winter. It wasn’t like he had much else to do now that the days were growing shorter and colder.
Hours passed, and Y/N became lost in his crocheting, the blanket slowly growing larger with every stitch. The soft, repetitive sound of the yarn slipping through his fingers was calming, the perfect way to spend a cold day indoors. Outside, the wind howled gently, but inside, the warmth from the fire kept the chill at bay.
