The King - Sanders Sides

Chapter Three

After days of sitting alone with his thoughts, Roman was no longer himself. His appearance in the cracked mirror across from his bed proved that he was still the same creative side on the exterior of his frame. But on the interior, he was someone else. Someone else was inside him, or that's what it felt like. It was crazy, he knew it was so. He kept telling himself that. But deep down it was the truth.

Nothing was sitting right with him. His creative ideas, his whimsical thoughts, his heroic displays of hopefulness. He didn't like any of them. No, they didn't matter right now. They were child's play. And he was not a child. No. He was a king.

The color of royal blood-red encompassed his mind like a blanket; a blindfold that he smiled at the thought of. He liked the idea of his image in his sword, his shining eyes staring back at him in the blade with a crown on his head. Everything would be right in his little world if he was a king. The king.

Thomas would be so much happier listening to Roman and only Roman. He'd be so much more productive, creative, empowered. What he would give to make Thomas' life perfect. To help him achieve his dreams. He knew he could do it, his life could be perfect.

But no one ever listened to him. No one. Especially him...

He. Deceit. Janus. He ruined everything. Made him the jester in his own kingdom. This wasn't fair! Why was he the one in trouble for all the things Janus messed up!? He was the king. HE WAS THE KING!

Roman stood from his mattress, the shadows hugging the walls. He proudly marched over to his mirror, locking eyes with himself in the glass. His bright green eyes were glowing with fired-up rage. His hair was a mess, his uniform wrinkled, and his eyes blackened from hours of no sleep.

Voices in his head whispered to him, "Who does he think he is? He is not the King. You are the King. Thomas would be better without him. Thomas would be better if they all listened to him. You are what's right for Thomas, no one else. You are the King."

"I am the King," Roman muttered to himself. His image in the mirror morphed into the one he saw previously before. His suit was black, golden accents red, and his pupils bright green with inky black sclera.

"What are you going to do about it?" The mirror version of him asked Roman.

"Fight back."

"What if they stand in your way?"

"They won't. If they know better, they won't."

"Let them bow down to their King. They may not like it now, but in time they'll understand that it's all for the best."

"It's all for the best." The shadows of his room swirled together on the dresser in front of him. His shock made him back away until he noticed what they were making. The crown. His crown. The same black crown with ruby jewels that demanded the attention and power he knew he deserved.

"Take this crown and let them fall under your reign. Let them hear your roar and obey their rightful ruler."

"And what if I don't?" Roman breathed, black tears rolling down his face, his eyes unknowingly beginning to dye black with the same pupils as the man in the mirror.

"Then let them listen to Janus. Let yourself lose the spotlight. You'll fade in the back of Thomas' mind forever, never to be given the light of day again!" Roman's hand mindlessly moved towards the crown, the warnings of the shadows looming in his head. Was this worth it? Was this needed? Would this really do anything? Or would it fix everything? Would it make him heard? Would it get rid of Janus?

He placed the crown atop his head, power flooding his blood intensely. His veins grew black with toxic regal energy. His outfit changed, his form becoming everything that his ideal self in the mirror became. It was overwhelming but it was magical at the exact same time.

Between his fingers, a black diamond sword formed between his fingers. The shadows swallowed him. Everything happened so fast but he couldn't stop smiling or laughing. The power, it was an amazing feeling.

He cackled again as the shadows cleared, "Long live the King!"

***

Patton moved up the stairs slowly, careful to not spill the sandwich he had just perfectly made. It was for Roman. His longest son that he had yet to see in 3 days ever since the massive blowout he had. He missed his son and was more than anything worried about him. Sure, he got angry with things in the past but never like this. Never to the point of leaving in the middle of filming.

Oddly enough, Patton thought of it as his fault. Maybe he did something wrong? Everyone assured him that he didn't, especially Janus which was actually really helping him.

When he reached Roman's usually bright red door, it worried him to see it almost completely turned black. His walk slowed, nerves making his feet feel like bricks. His hand touched the oak, what felt like a black ink rubbing off of his fingertips. Patton's face paled, fatherly instinct driving him to knock on the door anyway.

"Roman, kiddo? Are you okay in there? You haven't come out in a few days and I really think we should talk about everything that has happened. J-Janus says it is bad to hold in feelings like this. So please, kiddo, come out. Let's all talk about this!"

The door cracked open with a small whine. The room inside was black minus a pair of granny smith eyes glaring back at him, his legs felt weak.

"So, you've decided to me and listened to the traitor?" Roman grumbled with a sight cackle under his breath.

"Roman, I-I don't know if you're talking about Janus or not but you really should call him a-!"

"DO NOT SAY HIS NAME IN FRONT OF ME! DO NOT DISGRACE YOUR KING!" Roman yelled. The food on Patton's plate slipped down onto the floor, his figure shrinking. "Maybe it's about time I taught you to respect your king."

Two hands comprised of shadows grabbed him by the shoulders and threw the fatherly figure in the room. Patton screamed in terror before the door slammed shut and he was brought to silence.