The moon was a cold and distant sentinel over the darkened grounds of Night Raven College, casting the ancient campus in a silvery pallor. At the very edge of the sprawling estate stood the Ramshackle Dorm, crumbling and unassuming. Yet to Malleus Draconia, it was a palace—a sacred place that housed the only being who had ever made him feel truly alive.
Y/N. The enigmatic, kind-hearted Prefect had captivated him from the moment they first crossed paths. Their unflinching kindness, their radiant smile, and the way they treated him—not as a fearsome fae prince, but simply as Malleus—had ignited something within him. It started as admiration, but it quickly grew into something darker, something all-consuming.
They were his light, his salvation, and he couldn't bear the thought of sharing them with anyone else.
Malleus stood in the shadows of the forest, his glowing green eyes fixed on the faint flicker of light coming from the window of the Ramshackle Dorm. Inside, Y/N was laughing, their voice a melody that sent shivers down his spine. But the sound was sullied by the presence of others—Ace, Deuce, and Grim. They sat around a table, their laughter mingling with Y/N's in a way that made Malleus' chest tighten painfully.
The scene was wrong. They were his. Their laughter, their time, their very existence—everything about Y/N belonged to him. Yet here they were, giving themselves so freely to those who didn't deserve them.
His hands curled into fists, the air around him crackling with suppressed magic. The urge to tear down the walls of that dorm and drag Y/N away from their so-called friends was almost overwhelming. But no... Y/N was delicate, precious. He couldn't frighten them. He needed to be patient.
For now.
—
Later that evening, when the others had finally left, Malleus appeared at the doorstep of the Ramshackle Dorm. His knock echoed through the empty halls, and soon, the door creaked open to reveal Y/N. Their face lit up with a warm smile that made his chest ache.
"Malleus! I didn't expect you tonight," they said, stepping aside to let him in.
He entered slowly, his towering form filling the small space. His gaze swept the room, lingering on the table where remnants of the card game still lay. His lips curled into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"You've had company," he remarked, his tone calm but tinged with an unsettling edge.
"Yeah," Y/N replied casually, beginning to tidy up. "Ace and Deuce dropped by. Just a little game night."
Malleus' smile faltered. "You spend so much time with them."
Y/N blinked, caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone. "Well, they're my friends. We hang out a lot, that's all."
"Friends," Malleus repeated, the word dripping with disdain. "Do they make you happy?"
"Of course," Y/N said, offering a nervous chuckle. "They're a lot of fun."
Malleus' jaw tightened, and a flicker of something dangerous crossed his face. "And what of me, Y/N? Do I make you happy?"
"You do," they assured him, sensing the tension in the air. "You're very important to me, Malleus."
"Important," he murmured, the word hollow on his tongue. He took a step closer, his emerald eyes boring into theirs. "And yet, I am forced to watch you give your attention to others. Laugh with them. Smile at them. As if they could ever truly understand you as I do."
Y/N swallowed hard, backing up slightly. "Malleus, they're just my friends. There's no reason to be upset."
"Upset?" he echoed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "I am not upset, Y/N. I am... *frustrated*. Frustrated that you fail to see what is so glaringly obvious: you and I are meant to be together. No one else can care for you as I do. No one else deserves you."
"Malleus, this is—"
He interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, trembling whisper. "You don't understand, do you? I've watched over you. Protected you. Every moment you spend with someone else feels like a dagger in my chest. I have sacrificed so much for you, Y/N. I would give up my kingdom, my power, my very life if it meant keeping you safe. But you continue to deny me what I am owed."
Y/N's eyes widened, their heart racing. "Malleus, I'm not denying you anything. But you're scaring me."
The words struck him like a physical blow. His expression twisted, a mixture of anguish and fury flashing across his face. "No," he whispered, stepping closer. "Don't say that. I would never hurt you. I love you more than anything in this world. You belong to me."
"Malleus, love doesn't work like this," Y/N said, their voice trembling. "You can't just—"
"I can," he snapped, his voice reverberating with raw power. The shadows in the room grew darker, tendrils of his magic writhing like serpents around him. "I have the power to make the world bend to my will, Y/N. And yet, I have restrained myself for you. I have been patient. But you... you test my limits."
Tears welled in Y/N's eyes as they took another step back. "Please, Malleus. You need to calm down."
His expression softened, but his eyes remained wild, desperate. "I don't need to calm down. I need you. You're the only thing that keeps the darkness at bay, Y/N. Without you, I am lost."
He reached out, his hand trembling as it cupped their cheek. "I won't let anyone take you from me. Not your so-called friends. Not fate itself. If I must, I will tear this world apart to keep you by my side."
Y/N flinched at his touch, and the fear in their eyes finally broke through his delusion. He withdrew his hand, his face crumpling with anguish. "Forgive me," he murmured, his voice hollow. "But know this: I will not give up. I will make you see that we are destined to be together."
With that, he disappeared in a swirl of green flames, leaving Y/N alone in the suffocating silence of the dorm. Yet his parting words echoed in their mind, a chilling promise that hung in the air like a curse:
"No one will ever take you from me."
