Into the Depths

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 8: 𝓢𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱

The caves beneath Fontaine were as old as the city itself, labyrinthine and mysterious. Wriothesley had ventured into these dark, echoing tunnels before, always with purpose, always with a clear task in mind. But tonight, as he moved through the damp corridors, the only thing driving him was the desire to find Neuvillette—the desire to understand.

Since Neuvillette's transformation by the lake, he had withdrawn. He hadn't returned to the mansion, hadn't answered Wriothesley's calls or messages. Every trace of him seemed to vanish the moment he slipped into the water, leaving nothing but ripples on the surface of the lake. And now, the only place Wriothesley could think to look was here, in the caves where Neuvillette had once told him he found solace, a place to escape when the weight of his responsibilities became too much.

Wriothesley's boots echoed on the stone floor as he moved deeper into the winding passageways. The air was thick with the smell of earth and moss, and the further he ventured, the darker and more oppressive it became. Yet, despite the chill that crept into his bones, he felt an inexplicable pull—one that led him deeper into the labyrinth.

His thoughts were consumed with Neuvillette. What had he meant when he had asked Wriothesley to look away? Was it out of shame? Fear? Or something else entirely? He had seen the pain in Neuvillette's eyes when he transformed, the struggle of a being who had always held himself at arm's length from others, afraid of being truly seen.

As Wriothesley rounded a corner, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He paused, every sense on high alert. And then, there he was.

Neuvillette stood before him, bathed in the dim light of the cave, his dragon form now cloaked in shadow, but still undeniably present. His eyes gleamed in the dark—those brilliant, piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through Wriothesley. The air around him felt charged, filled with something unspoken.

Wriothesley's breath caught in his throat. He had found him.

"Neuvillette..." Wriothesley's voice was hoarse, the words heavy with the emotions he hadn't been able to articulate. "You've been avoiding me."

Neuvillette didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, his long, sleek form gliding through the shadows like a predator. There was something magnetic about the way he moved, a quiet power that Wriothesley couldn't ignore.

"I didn't want to," Neuvillette said at last, his voice soft but heavy with meaning. "But I knew I had to. You wouldn't understand what I am... what I've become."

Wriothesley took a step forward, his pulse quickening. "I want to understand, Neuvillette. You don't have to hide from me."

But Neuvillette only shook his head, his expression unreadable. "You think you know me, Wriothesley. But you don't. I am not the person you believe me to be."

The words stung, though Wriothesley did his best to hide it. "Then tell me," he said, voice low but insistent. "Tell me who you really are."

For a long moment, Neuvillette was silent, and Wriothesley could see the conflict warring within him. He had always known that Neuvillette's calm exterior hid depths of sorrow and loneliness. But tonight, it seemed as though those walls were finally starting to crack.

"I am a creature of two worlds," Neuvillette said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "One foot in the human realm and the other in the realm of the dragons. Neither side ever truly accepts me. I am always caught between them, never fully belonging anywhere."

Wriothesley's heart tightened at the vulnerability in Neuvillette's voice. It was as if he had peeled back a layer of his soul, revealing something fragile and raw.

"I can't belong to anyone, Wriothesley," Neuvillette continued. "Not even to you. I have to keep myself hidden, buried deep within."

Wriothesley's gaze softened, and he stepped closer, not out of duty or desire to fix things, but out of a deep, unshakable need to comfort. "Neuvillette," he murmured, reaching out to gently take the other man's hand, "you're not alone. Not anymore. You have me."

Neuvillette flinched at the touch, as if it was too much, too soon. His eyes flickered briefly to the floor, and for a moment, it seemed as though he was fighting something—something deeper than fear, something older. Then, without warning, his body shifted again, his dragon form briefly flickering in and out of sight before he stepped back, pulling away from Wriothesley's touch.

"I can't let you in," Neuvillette said, his voice cold now, the distance between them widening once more. "You don't know what it's like to live in two worlds, to always feel like you're betraying one side for the other. You don't understand the cost of being who I am."

Wriothesley's heart sank, the walls coming back up between them, just as quickly as they had started to fall. "Then help me understand," he said, a quiet plea in his voice. "I'm not asking you to change, Neuvillette. I'm asking you to trust me."

For a long time, Neuvillette didn't answer. He stood in the shadows, his dragon eyes glowing faintly in the dark. And just when Wriothesley thought he had lost him again, Neuvillette finally spoke.

"You want to understand?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. "Then follow me."

Before Wriothesley could say another word, Neuvillette turned and walked deeper into the cave, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the narrow tunnels. Wriothesley hesitated only for a moment, then followed, his steps resolute.

There was still so much he didn't understand about Neuvillette, about the world the other man inhabited, but he knew one thing: he wasn't going to let him go—not without a fight. Wriothesley would follow Neuvillette wherever he led, even into the darkest corners of his soul, if that's what it took to help him heal.