Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Cyno was only 8 years old when he had to face harsh truths of this world. His parents scraped by, while living in the desert. They didn’t have enough to feed themselves, let alone a son, who they never planned for. They always travelled from place to place, never staying in one place for long. There was safety in numbers, so they were always a part of some group of travelers, desert dwellers, sometimes even eremites. But that was always fleeting too.

Cyno’s existence was barely acknowledged by anyone. That is, until recently.

One day, they travelled with a rather strange group of people, who said that their goal was to find an ancient text, in one of the ruins, the location of which aligned with direction of where Cyno’s family was heading this time.

During this trip, something peculiar happened, that Cyno didn’t understand. But that ended up in a hushed conversation between adults, when they thought he was sleeping, and an invite to a place called Temple of Silence. A mysterious place that could not be seen by naked eye and required someone in the know to grant access to even see it, let alone go inside.

His family was fed, they were even allowed some time to rest from tired journey. After his family sat down to talk with the leader of this place, he was eventually led away by one of the workers of this place. He led them to place that looked like some sort of medical room. That’s where strange people did some sort of examination and started asking him questions. Since his parents asked to cooperate with these people, he tried his best to give them some sort of an answer, even if he couldn’t even answer most of them, and when he could, his replies ended up being very curt.

He never saw his parents again.

They didn’t even say goodbye to him, as they disappeared behind the many hallways and doors of this temple, never to return again. And while it didn’t surprise him, it hurt nevertheless. It’s not like they acknowledged his existence beyond necessities. But they were still the ones who took care of him, as best as they could, for all this time. They taught him essential survival skills and more. He thought that if he showed that he could take care of himself more, they would be willing to include him in their life more. Turned out it likely gave them more of an excuse to leave him with less guilt. After all, leaving a defenseless baby behind isn’t the same as leaving behind a somewhat capable 8-year old, right?

The news were broken to him by two men – the leader of the temple, which introduced himself earlier as Bamoun, and his right-hand man, Cyrus, a man who looked a bit younger and somewhat kinder than the leader. He tried to sugarcoat the situation as best as he could, but it was a poor attempt.

“Tell me the truth. They didn’t just abandon me, right?”

It was said with the calmest tone a child could ask such a question in such a situation. At least that what it appeared like to adults. But “calm” wasn’t exactly a right word to describe it. Resigned, perhaps.

“You’re a clever kid, I see” — the man got up from when he was crouching in front of Cyno — “We offered them a large sum of money in exchange for you.”

“And what do you want to do with me?”

“We find you to be very special. Your body has a special constitution, that has special way of processing energy, perfect for what we want to do, in the future. Don’t worry, no harm will come to you.” Cyrus turned towards the door and gestured for Cyno to follow, “Until then you will live here. Come. I’ll show you to your new room.”

And that’s how he started living in the Temple of Silence.

Here, he got more food than he could ever dream of. Full meals, three times a day every day. At first he wondered if this was even allowed.

He didn’t have to worry about safety, because there is always someone looking over him. Even if it’s from afar, he still notices eyes on him at all times.

He was later told the purpose of the temple, the history of their deity, Hermanubis, and how they wanted him to become a vessel for part of his power, because he was apparently, somehow, compatible with it.

There were ground rules and schedules for some things, and he had to follow. Like certain times when to go to bed or when to eat. And also, they assigned him a teacher, that would bring him up to speed with all the basic knowledge, as well as temple-related stuff. On one hand he started learning maths, which made his brain hurt a bit, and on the other hand he was learning how to properly pray to Lord Hermanubis.

He still didn’t talk to people much, only if someone spoke to him first, and just like before, all his responses were curt and to the point. He didn’t ask for things, for he didn’t really want anything. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do with himself before his purpose here was fulfilled. And even then, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do after.

That is until, a few months into staying at the Temple, his life took another drastic turn.

If he was a tumbleweed just going wherever the wind blew, then the turn he took was only because a stray desert fox got bored and decided to play with the said tumbleweed. And if tumbleweeds were alive, this one would be very dizzy, from being pushed around from one place to another.

The fox in question was actually a small kid, with strikingly green eyes, brown frizzly and kinda long hair and a huge smile on his face.

Cyno noticed before, that there are other kids in the Temple, besides him. But he never got the courage to approach or talk to them. He didn’t know what he would even say. He doubted he could keep up an interesting conversation anyway. Trying to force himself among their midst felt wrong and unnatural to him. So he stayed in his own little corner. And, in turn, the kids didn’t want to approach the silent new kid.

This one, though…

Cyno was just sitting on a bench near one of the bookshelves. He wanted to read something to pass the time, but his head started hurting from all the complicated words in the book that he picked up, so he closed his eyes and leaned back for just a second. His teacher told him that he needed to get better at reading, that he is too slow at it for his age. Well, it’s not his fault books aren’t easy to come by in the desert, especially with the lifestyle he led before. He could only get better now if he practiced more. So that’s what he’s trying to do in his spare time. With the literature he found in the temple. Which, admittedly, wasn’t geared for any regular kids. Or kids in general.

He felt a finger poke at his cheek, and he startled, nearly falling over, as his instincts told him to get away from whatever suddenly intruded into his space. That whatever it was must be dangerous if it was so silent in it’s approach.

Him startling, apparently startled his assailant, who also jumped back a few steps, with a high-pitched “Eep.”

After a moment of confusion, the haze that clouded his mind lifted and he saw that it was just a kid. He had his hands raised before him in a way that was trying to protect himself, but also showing that he’s harmless. The most striking him about him though, were the green eyes that bore into him with just as much confusion as Cyno was looking at him.

“…”

Seeing that Cyno wasn’t about to start talking, but at least he became more relaxed, the kid lowered his hands and smiled as if nothing had happened. “Hi! I’m Sethos! What’s your name?”

Cyno couldn’t exactly pin-point the exact reason why he was compelled to answer this completely new person. “…I’m Cyno,” came out his reply. Later, when looking back on this moment, he would say that it was because it was the first time anyone approached him with a smile and no hidden intention. The first time it didn’t feel like someone was obligated to talk to him or acknowledge his existence for any reason other than childishly curious.

His first meeting with Sethos was like stepping into the Sun, fearing that it would burn, like it often does, in the desert, but in actuality feeling only gentle warmth, instead.

“Hi Cyno! Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before.”

Cyno couldn’t say the same thing about Sethos. He had seen him around a couple of times, but the kid always ran past him too fast to notice someone, who is deliberately trying to make himself scarce. Cyno truly didn’t understand where the kid kept all of that energy in such a small body.

“I’ve been here for a few months,” said Cyno. It might have been the fact that he talked so quietly, or maybe it was the fact that Sethos is a touchy kid in general, either way, the kid now made move to sit beside him on the bench. Not close enough to be touching, but close enough that Cyno could acutely feel his presence.

“A whole few months,” gasped Sethos. “How come I’ve never seen you?” Cyno took notice of how Sethos was swinging his legs back and forth, unable to contain his energy even when sitting down. “I know everyone in this place.”

Cyno averted his gaze and wrung his hands together, suddenly feeling like he was the younger one, despite being sure it’s the other way around. “I don’t talk to a lot of people.”

“Hmmmm. I see,” hummed Sethos. An awkward silence reigned between them for what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes. This is exactly why Cyno didn’t make it a point trying to talk to people, even relatively the same age – he simply did not know what to say. Trying to purposefully integrate with people only made it feel stilted.

A sentiment that it looks like Sethos shared, but still decided to go through all this trouble to get closer to him. “Man. This is too awkward. Let’s go do something together instead of trying to talk," Sethos paused for a second. “Or. Not talk.”

Cyno tilted his head in curiosity, “Do something?”

“Yeah! What do you do in your spare time?”

When Cyno risked a glance in Sethos’ direction, he was met with a hopeful, borderline starry-eyed face, which was hard to say no to. And while Cyno really didn’t want to disappoint him, his answer was — “I don’t know. I read, sometimes,” remembering that his reading mainly consisted of him suffering trying to understand words, he added, “or try to.”

“You’re reading stuff from these shelves? I don’t know if you’re smart or stupid haha.” The carefree laugh that Sethos let out dispelled the feeling that it was meant as something malicious. “Is reading all you do?” he clarified. And then Sethos frowned when all Cyno did was shrug at the question.

Cyno felt his hand being grabbed, as the kid pulled him up and through endless series of temple’s hallways, that still made Cyno very confused.

“Have you ever drawn in the sand? It’s very fun! You can use your hands, and feel as the sand envelops them and seeps between your fingers, which can be relaxing for some people. Or, if you’re not a fan of that, we can find sticks and use those. When I draw bigger pictures, I sometimes try using just my feet. It’s not easy, let me tell you. A real workout. But big pictures make for a great view from up high. I’m not allowed to go up the cliffs by myself yet. Everyone tells me I’m too young which isn’t true. I’m already six.” ‘So, that makes Sethos two years younger than me,’ thought Cyno, absentmindedly, while Sethos continued talking, “But there are tall trees near an oasis nearby that make for a good sightseeing spot.”

Seems like energetic nature that Cyno observed in Sethos’ movements extended to the way that he talks. Which is a lot. But it wasn’t a problem. It actually felt comforting. Sethos was not only sharing something he liked doing with him, but also gave him many options to choose on how to participate too, in hopes he would like it too.

So, this is how he found himself outside, for the first time ever, without supervision of any adults. The predicament put him slightly on edge, but Sethos’ chatter definitely helped dispel some of his nerves.

When asking Sethos if he was even allowed to go out by himself, he said that it was fine, which didn’t really answer the actual question. “Besides, you’re here, and you’re older than me, right? It counts for something.”

Cyno gripped Sethos’ hand tighter in response. And made a silent promise to not let down Sethos’ trust in him today. And hopefully in the future too, if the boy decided to spend more time with him. Proving that he can be reliable overrode his feeling of wanting to follow the rules.

It was nearing an evening in the desert, which means the temperatures started gradually dropping. Not too hot, but not too cold. Perfect to go out, for most intents and purposes.

While they were walking to their destination, Sethos managed to get distracted at least 4 times. Cyno counted. First time was because the green-eyes boy took notice of the tumbleweed, which wind blew past them, and he ran after it. Cyno didn’t understand the fascination at first, but then Sethos was lucky enough to pull a few nuts from it. Seeing Cyno’s bemused look, Sethos just offered him one of the two nuts that he found, saying, “What? Haven’t you ever been curious what’s hiding in these things?”

Cyno couldn’t say he has. Looking at Sethos like this reminded him of a mischievous desert fox trying to play with what was available to him. He accepted the nut and popped it into his mouth, savoring the flavor. He actually liked nuts a lot. Although they are better mixed with some other ingredients, like rice or meat. “I’ll keep a look-out from now on,” said Cyno. And Sethos brightened up in response. “Have you found anything else besides nuts in these?” he wondered.

“Oh! Plenty of stuff. Like eggs, or small creatures, or sometimes somehow small trinkets get tangled up in these things too. They are scattered across the desert, and have been most likely only recently dropped by someone. In the desert, everything gets buried in the sand eventually, some more quick than others. It’s nothing really valuable, but it’s still fun to find them.” Cyno hummed in interest, listening intently.

“Are nuts a common occurrence in these?”

“I wouldn’t say that they’re very common overall, but if a tumbleweed has something in them, it’s likely a few nuts,” Sethos suddenly ran ahead few steps, stopping before him. “Wait. Are you asking because you like nuts?”

“Yes. I find them to be a good snack. And they are a good addition to various meals. With meat and rice, for example. I have had the pleasure of trying a meal like that once, but I still remember it.”

“Ooh, I’ve never tried anything, maybe we can try it sometime soon?”

Cyno nodded, smiling. “Sure. We will have to ask the adults though.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Don’t worry, leave it to me. The kitchen staff know me well.”

It didn’t surprise Cyno that Sethos knew the staff. He radiated positive energy, which is likely very infectious on most people. He is a victim himself, after all.

When they arrived to the oasis, Sethos claimed that he needs to find them a pair of sticks. Cyno just stood idly by, not sure what to do with himself, while Sethos was running around in his search.

While following Sethos’ movements, he noticed that there were a few trees that had ajilenakh nuts on them. So he decided to make himself useful too, as he made quick work of climbing up a tree. All the nuts he got his hands on were stored in his pockets.

After climbing up a few trees, he was called down by Sethos, who was jumping up and down, waving his hands, with a stick in each one. After Cyno jumped down, Sethos passed him his stick, while Cyno offered him a handful of nuts in return.

“Oh! Thank you, Cyno!” Sethos made a move to take them, but hesitated last second, “Don’t you like them though? I don’t mind if you eat them.”

“You shared with me before, haven’t you? Besides, I have more in my pockets, this is just a half of them.” Cyno was pretty sure he was offering Sethos more than a half, but Sethos didn’t need to know that.

With that reassurance, the kid eagerly took the offered goods, and in one fell swoop nearly all of them ended up in his mouth at the same time. Cyno preferred eating the nuts he had one or two at a time.

With that, they found a good, relatively even spot where they could comfortably draw in the sand. Sethos eagerly started on his own drawing, while Cyno decided to watch him for a bit, at first. Cyno couldn’t make much sense of the drawing at first, but then he could see something that resembled one of the symbols of Hermanubis’ Ba Fragments. He was told early on that this is the reason why the Temple is interested in him in the first place. A lot of his studies were centered around history of the Desert and the Temple. Which included the deity they worshipped – Hermanubis, and about the fragment that have been left behind.

Each Ba Fragment has its unique symbol, and Cyno had closely looked at each one, that was depicted in the scrolls he was given. The ones that caught his attention were the one that looked like an eye, and one that looked like an hourglass – the two fragments that the temple was in possession of. And Sethos was drawing the hourglass right now.

“So they’re teaching you about the Ba Fragments too?”

“Of course! Grandpa says that I could become a vessel for one of the fragments soon, you know?” There was a hint of uncertainty in his next words, “He says I’m special.”

Sethos was looking at the symbol he drew with a sadness and uncertainty, that didn’t belong on a face of a six-year old cheerful boy. Cyno crouched down next to him and started drawing the Eye symbol of a Ba Fragment, next to Sethos’ drawing. “Me too.”

They didn’t talk much about what the adult had planned for them. A silent understanding passed between them. Cyno wondered, before meeting Sethos, if there is another person who would get the second fragment. And turns out there has been one all along. He suddenly wondered if Sethos knew about him before he approached. If he actually did have some hidden agenda when getting close to him. If he was just very good at pretending.

His train of thought was derailed, when Sethos without even turning to face him said, “You’re thinking so loud. Just relax, why don’t you? We’re supposed to be having fun.”

Cyno shook his head, figuring that if Sethos really had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t have dragged him all this way just to draw, or shared nuts from a tumbleweed with him. It really was a coincidence. A strange twist of fate, that led Sethos to him earlier than he even found out who he was.

The wind picked up for a few minutes and buried their drawings in a new layer of sand. Luckily for them, the wind didn’t last long, so instead, together they drew a simple scenery of an oasis with big trees, the pond, Sethos drew a tumbleweed as a joke and Cyno added a crude little fox next to it. As far as drawings in the sand, made by kids less than 10 years old, went – it was a masterpiece. At least to them. If you asked anyone else, nobody would be able to tell you that it was even a drawing.

When the Sun started to set, they heard worried voices of several adults calling out for them. Sethos let out a frustrated sigh, berating himself for losing track of time, that he is usually so good at keeping. “I sneak out a lot and I mastered the art of timing, today is just a fluke. I was too excited to spend time with you,” Sethos said. His tone reflected both pride and annoyance at himself. But Cyno didn’t care about time, stuck on the idea of Sethos being excited to spend time with him.

Together, they hurried in the direction the voices were coming from, back towards the Temple. Sethos, once again took Cyno’s hand in his, this time Cyno didn’t even startle. “Guess we missed dinner. Grandpa is probably going to scold us, but don’t worry about it, he’s just worried. And I’ll be there with you.”

And as long as that were true, Cyno didn’t mind.

They did end up getting a scolding from Sethos’ grandpa. Who turned out to be the leader of the temple. A detail Cyno wished Sethos mentioned before they came face to face with the annoyed man, who started berating them about the dangers of going out on their own. His right-hand man, that Cyno always saw at leader’s side, quelled his temper, insisting that it was a good thing that they were making friends.

When they were finally let go, Cyno felt like he could finally breathe again. It was his first time getting a talking to like that. And not by anyone, but the leader of the place where he was living. And while he knew, that they couldn’t just throw him out because they needed him, they could have made his life harder. The only reason he felt less anxious was because Sethos looked unbothered by what happened. And when he noticed Cyno being nervous, he reassured him, once again, that it’s nothing to worry about.

When it was time for them to go their separate ways to sleep, Sethos waved him off enthusiastically, promising that he will seek him out again soon. Cyno smiled and said “See you soon.”

And that was how Cyno met Sethos.

Sethos really meant it when he said that he would seek him out soon, and their next meeting happened a few days later, during lunch time.

Cyno was used to finding himself a secluded spot, where no one would bother him while eating, and no one really took notice of him. Including Sethos, in the past. But it seems when the kid was actively looking for something or someone, he would find them quick.

When their eyes met, Sethos smiled and ran up to him with an excited greeting. “Cyno! Found you. How are you doing?”

Cyno decided to swallow the food that was in his mouth before answering, “I’m fine. How are you?”

“Great! Good thing I found you before you finished your food. I have a surprise for you. Come on.” Once again, Sethos pulled him in a direction, without telling him where they were going first. The unfinished food was left behind, much to Cyno’s chagrin. He didn’t want it to go to waste, so he resolved to go back for it after Sethos showed him whatever it is that he wanted to.

“I actually wanted to find you before lunch time, but I got distracted.” Which seems to happen to this kid often.

Cyno was dragged all the way to what looked like a kitchen. He has never been here before, but all the signs pointed to that being the case. Sethos made quick work of introducing him to some of the kitchen staff. It seemed like everyone knew Sethos and were very friendly with him.

Being referred to as a friend made Cyno’s chest feel warm. He never had friends before Sethos, so this was all so new to him. Did just one meeting mean that they were friends now? Is that how it worked? Cyno wasn’t sure if it was, but being around Sethos made him happy. That counts for something, right? If Sethos saw him as a friend, it was only right that he returned the gesture.

Turned out, the reason why Sethos dragged him into kitchen was because he asked one of the cooks to make something with nuts, rice and meat. The cook also added something called yogurt into the mixture and roasted it together.

Cyno has never tasted anything better in his life.

“You’re Sethos’ friend. Come by any time if you want something specific and we’ll make it for you. Don’t be shy.” Cyno nodded and quietly thanked the kind people here, although he wasn’t sure if he could be not shy about what he wanted.

“Thank you, uncle! We will!” Sethos chimed in, and Cyno felt a lot more stable. Because if Sethos was with him, he felt a bit more confident. Especially since everyone was more familiar with Sethos, so he could act as a sort of bridge, between Cyno and new people. Without him, it feels like trying to jump across that metaphorical river and plunging straight down and being swept by it’s currents.

Per Cyno’s request, they returned to the spot where he was eating initially. Due to it being further away from anyone else, nobody found the lonely plate while they were gone. Although Cyno wasn’t sure if he could finish both the unfinished meal and the new one.

Seeing that Cyno was feeling bad about wasting food, Sethos unceremoniously polished off everything with a speed of ravenous beast. Cyno was surprised the kid didn’t choke on the food. It seems like wherever he had room for so much energy, had just as much space for the food. It felt like if he could, Sethos would eat even more without batting an eye.

In the end, Sethos, despite the speed, finished the meals after Cyno, only because he started telling him a story about some of the kitchen mishaps that he got into. And while he was animatedly talking about it, he forgot to eat at all. Cyno had to remind him about it sometimes, although admittedly, he was so absorbed into listening, that he himself forgot that Sethos is also supposed to be eating.

‘Yes. A friend sounds right. This is nice.’

In a span of a few months after meeting Sethos, the kid kept seeking him out very often. With a permanent place to live, despite adults not always paying attention to them in the way kids want, Cyno felt like he was getting a solid footing. A permanent place to stay, not fearing about what to eat next, a friend, one who he could even call his best friend now, and a bigger purpose awaiting him. If you told past Cyno that this would be his life, he wouldn’t have believed it. And while being abandoned still stung, now he also felt a morbid sense of gratitude that this happened to him.

Sethos has been trying to get him to talk to other kids more. His cheerful, talkative presence really helped the process. Cyno couldn’t say he became particularly close to any of the kids, especially not in the way he became close with Sethos, but they weren’t strangers now either. The hushed conversations among kids about the weird new silent guy gradually faded away.

They were invited to participate in group games a lot. If the game required for people to split into teams, it became a rule to not let Cyno and Sethos be on the same one, because that team would always win, no matter what. Sethos was agile and quick, and while Cyno was less good at that, he was very resourceful and had many skills more evenly honed to be able to adapt to many situations.

They kept score for all the games they played, and the overall score was in Cyno’s favor, although Sethos always pouted and said it was because Cyno was older and more experienced. He swore that when he turns 8, he would be just as cool. But to that, Cyno teased him that by the time Sethos turns 8, he would be 10, and even stronger.

Sethos, being a curious and active child got fascinated by bugs too, as any boy would be. In some places of the desert, an occasional scarab could be found. They weren’t easy to notice, but whenever Sethos caught sight of one, he would bring it to Cyno to show off.

Cyrus told them once, that he heard that in Inazuma, there were big beetles, kind of like scarabs, and people would make them fight each other. That idea interested the two boys, but it turned out that the scarabs are much more docile towards each other, so when they tried to make them fight, it didn’t go anywhere.

Cyno let it slip once, that he ate several bugs. It was before he came to the temple, of course. He was hungry and food wasn’t easy to come by, so it was an action born out of desperation. He didn’t mention all of the sad details to Sethos though. He didn’t need to know that. The kid already worried about his eating habits as is. He insisted that he ate too little for a growing boy, but Cyno would say that it was Sethos who ate too much. Not only that, it felt like Sethos was allergic to greens for some reason. They didn’t come about in their meals often, but when they did, Sethos would wrinkle his nose and try to convince Cyno to take them instead. And sometimes Cyno folded and just accepted them, and sometimes he tried to bargain with the kid that they are good for him and important for his growth.

“So, what was it like then?” asked Sethos.

“Bugs? Not something I would call pleasant.”’

“Worse than the greens?”

“Yes, Sethos, worse than the greens.”

Sethos made a face and Cyno flickered his forehead, for being such a child.

He thought they would never have to go back to this conversation again. They would much rather catch bugs for the fun of it, than eat them. Or so he thought.

A few days later, Sethos comes up to him with the most scrunched up face he has ever seen on him and says, “Yeah. Definitely not pleasant.”

Cyno didn’t need to think long about what Sethos meant by that. It was the first time when it was Cyno dragging the younger boy somewhere, instead of the other way around. They made it all the way to the empty kitchen, where Cyno made Sethos rinse his mouth, while he rummaged around for a quick snack, that would help combat the aftertaste. He settles on giving Sethos nuts fried with a bunch of spices.

Sethos liked spicy things. A fact that for some reason caught Cyno off guard when he found out. And by ‘found out’ he meant that little rascal tried to share some of his food with him, insisting he should eat more, and to get him off his back, Cyno agreed, not asking what Sethos was eating. Big mistake. When the food hit his tongue, he felt like his mouth was on fire. He managed to swallow it with some effort, but he didn’t eat any more. Sethos noticed how he teared up from that and with a “You don’t like spicy stuff? My bad haha. Let me go get some milk real quick,” ran off to find Cyno the remedy for his plight.

That happened just a few weeks ago. Now, it was Cyno who was trying to help Sethos get over the taste in his mouth.

Cyno extended Sethos the snack, after he was done rinsing, asking, “Why did you do that?”

“I got curious,” Sethos took the nuts and popped several into his mouth, sighing in relief once the spice overwrote his senses. “I mean, why did you do it?”

Cyno let out an exasperated sigh, as he rubbed his forehead. “Why I did it before doesn’t matter now. I told you it wasn’t good.” When he saw Sethos only pout in response, he reached out and pinched both of his cheeks. “What? If jumped off a cliff, would you get curious and follow me too?”

“But why would you jump off a cliff?” The words were muffled because of how Cyno was holding him, but still enough to understand

“Don’t just ask why. The why in this doesn’t matter.”

“Then, yes I would. I would follow you anywhere. What if you’re lonely at the bottom of the cliff, huh? What are you going to do without me?”

It was said with so much sincerity and conviction that Cyno had to take a moment to process this. For a moment, he thought that maybe his mind might be playing tricks on him, that maybe he hallucinated this moment. But then he remembered that this is Sethos, the kind, happy and naïve kid, who for some reason decided to follow him around. Who chose to seek him out nearly every day and cling to him for as much as possible. He wondered if Sethos too, felt lonely, despite seemingly being on good terms with everyone.

Cyno stretched the cheeks in different directions, as he borderline shouted, “You-,” he took a deep breath, “little rascal. Don’t you ever go jumping off a cliff after anyone and for any reason, you hear me? Think about yourself first,” with every word he said, his voice got quieter. “And even if you somehow arrive at conclusion to do something so dangerous and stupid, then think about what I would do if you got hurt?” Instead of gripping at Sethos’ cheeks, his hand fell onto his shoulders. Since he felt slightly unstable on his feet now, it allowed him to hold onto Sethos for purchase, as well as shake him. “Especially if you were following me? I could never forgive myself.”

“And you think I could just watch you do something dangerous by yourself?” Sethos reached out to take Cyno’s hands into his and pried them off his shoulders. The green-eyed boy smiled and said, “If you want me to not do something stupid, guess you should just be setting an example.”

Cyno looked at their conjoined hands. He couldn’t help but notice how Sethos’ were a bit smaller than his. Just one of the not many reminders that he was, in fact, the older one between them. All this time it felt like Sethos was his pillar in this new place. But now, after he started finding his footing, he felt like he should be returning the favor now.

“All right. That sounds fair.” Cyno flickered Sethos’ forehead lightly. “You should listen to me more, since I’m your elder. And my first rule is no eating bugs.”

Sethos rubbed his forehead, “Yeah, yeah. Don’t let it get to your head. But I agree about the bugs. Nasty stuff.”

After that moment, it felt like they basically became inseparable. If anyone saw one of them, it was likely that the other one was close-by. When they had to separate to study, or if Bamoun wanted Sethos for something, the little boy filled the silence by talking about anything and everything he had done with Cyno in the past few days. Even the most insignificant stuff to others felt worth mentioning in Sethos’ eyes.

Meanwhile, Cyno, although not talking as much as Sethos, talked a lot more, compared to when he just arrived at the temple. He got more curious about the temple and its purpose and started asking questions during lessons about things which were not elaborated upon. He learned the rules of safe handling of ancient texts and locations of all the dangerous rooms, where they aren’t allowed in and the reasons for that. He explored the hallways of the temple, trying to familiarize himself with the layout more.

Despite abiding all the rules that came with being inside the temple, there was one rule that him and Sethos were allergic to. And that was going out without adult supervision. Just like during their first meeting, they never went far. But they also got the hang of sneaking away with nobody noticing they are gone, before they came back.

One day, or rather, one night, through the haze of early stages of sleep, Cyno heard the door to his room open. He was a light sleeper, so he instantly startled awake, sitting up, on high alert. When he caught the sight of a small figure in the crack of the doorframe, his shoulders dropped, and he flopped back down onto bed.

“What do you want Sethos?”

The boy in question, quietly closed the door behind him and with light footsteps bounded to Cyno’s bed. It wasn’t high up, so it didn’t take Sethos any effort to hop on. Then, he decided it was a good idea to climb onto Cyno’s stomach, as he rocked them from side to side, trying to get him to wake up. “Cyno…” the boy whines, “Cynooooo. Let’s go out. I heard that there will be shooting stars tonight. If we’re lucky, we could see some.”

Figuring that Sethos wasn’t about to leave him alone, Cyno opened his eyes. It took one look at the younger boy to understand that he didn’t even try to sleep. Which was weird, since Sethos usually falls asleep early and wakes up by sunrise. Unlike Cyno, who was usually the opposite.

Cyno let out a groan, “Why are you awake at this hour?” He made an effort to roll over onto his side, which made Sethos fall over and land beside the other boy with a yelp. The moment both of them were in horizontal position, Cyno threw a hand over Sethos, effectively trapping him like this.

“Oh, come onnnn. Don’t you wanna see? The stars are very pretty.” Sethos wiggled a little, making himself more comfortable, as he laid down on his side, facing Cyno. Which gave the older boy ample view of how his face got marred with resigned sadness. Sethos’ next words were quiet, as if he was telling Cyno a secret he never told anyone else, “I never get to stargaze because adults are too strict and rarely let me go out at night even with supervision.”

Cyno sighed, resigning himself to the fact that it was difficult to tell Sethos no. Especially when he looked like a kicked puppy. Sethos looked at him with hope when he saw Cyno sit up again. “Well, come on then, what are we waiting for? Don’t want to miss the shooting stars, do we?”

Sethos’ eyes lit up as he sat up, nodding furiously.

They agreed to meet up near the place that they usually used to sneak off, after they get ready for the trip.

Cyno didn’t plan to take much with him. He only threw on his usual clothes, pocketed a box of matches and a waterskin and decided that it was enough. Meanwhile Sethos bundled himself up in a lot more clothes, and Cyno could see that he was clutching a book to himself.

“Aren’t you going to get cold? It’s cold outside during the nights.”

“I know. It doesn’t bother me as much.”

Sethos tilted his head, looking a bit worried, “Are you sure?”

Cyno ruffled his hair, “Yes. I’m sure. Let’s go.”

With that, they made their way to their oasis, not letting go of each other’s hand. The skip in Sethos’ step and the slight overall hyperactive shakiness, which not only wasn’t natural for Sethos during nighttime, but wasn’t ok in general, made Cyno suspicious.

“While I get why you want to go out at night, doesn’t explain how you aren’t asleep yet. What are you not telling me?” inquired Cyno.

Everyone might think that Sethos is terrible at keeping secrets with the way he talks a lot, but Cyno knew better. Even their usual sneaking out being unknown to anyone was a testament to that. By talking a lot about all the things he could say, it diverted attention from the fact that there are things that he isn’t saying. But Cyno could always see through him.

Sethos laughed nervously, “Well…” Sethos swung their hand back and forth in a bigger arch. “I might have stolen some coffee from the kitchen.” Sethos said it like he was confessing a great sin in front of a judge. Which wasn’t exactly far off, because Cyno was far from pleased.

Cyno let go of Sethos’ hand, to grip at his ear instead. While Sethos whined and asked for mercy, Cyno lectured him about how he was too young for coffee and dangers of too much caffeine.

The real question remained, “How did no one notice you had coffee today?” Today was one of those days, where they went their separate ways to study. Cyno was doing his best to catch up quick, so he could share lessons with Sethos. Which meant when it was study days, he was very focused on learning. So he didn’t see Sethos much today. Which poised the question how did the adults not notice anything amiss.

“Hey. Do you think I’m that reckless to drink coffee in broad daylight? I just hid some in my room and drank it when I was sent to sleep.” Sethos puffed out his chest, clearly proud of his master plan. In response to his pride, his ear was tugged harder.

“Do not be proud of that,” Cyno let go of his ear and crossed his arms. “If you want to watch the stars, just tell me and go to sleep earlier. I will come to wake you up later at night.”

Sethos stopped rubbing at his ear with annoyance. And looked at Cyno with such gratefulness, which knocked the air out of Cyno’s lungs. It felt like he could see the stars reflected in the boy’s eyes. Whether if it was admiration or excitement or both, it was hard to discern.

A pair of arms was suddenly thrown around him, as Sethos hugged him tight and rubbed his head against Cyno’s collarbone. A sting of “thank you”s was whispered into his skin and all felt right in this world.

After that moment, they arrived to their destination without further pauses. Since Cyno was used to travelling the desert with his family, the stars didn’t fascinate him as much as they did Sethos, who was walking while looking up. So it was up to Cyno to watch the road for him, as he led them to their usual spot.

They made quick work of making a campfire. Sethos wanted to separate to gather firewood, but Cyno struck that idea down very quick. The fact that this is the first time they went out during the night still put him slightly on edge. And without light, he wouldn’t be able to track Sethos’ movements, so it was a no. And although Sethos grumbled, he didn’t fight on it too much.

So here they were, sitting near the campfire, basically huddled together. Cyno didn’t lie that he didn’t feel cold as much, but the warmth of campfire and Sethos at his side still felt nice.

After a few minutes of just looking up at the sky, the younger boy pulled out a book. The title and cover revealed that it was a book about stars and constellations. It was propped up between them, as Sethos opened it on a bookmarked section.

When Cyno looked up at the stars before, he never really tried to find meaning in them. Everything he knew about the stars was only the basic knowledge that helped with navigation and travelling. Just one of the skills his parents told him about.

But here was Sethos, looking at the stars and trying to find constellations that carried stories behind them. Cyno read some of the stories out loud, fascinated by what people came up with and how far these stories travelled to reach them today.

But the books wasn’t just a collection of stories, but it also talked about the more scientific stuff. Like the nature of constellations that are believed to be related to vision bearers and their fate, the Stella Fortuna.

It wasn’t very common to see any vision bearers in the desert, and sometimes, those who got a vision, were seen as traitors to one or another faith. Although nobody could deny the usefulness of a vision, so it was often also seen as a useful asset.

Sethos pried his eyes away from the sky and leaned over to look at the book. “Do you think we would get a vision in the future?” he wondered out loud.

Cyno didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t even know if he wanted one, in the first place. Or what he would have to do to get a blessing of a god. Cyno shrugged, “I don’t know. Do you want one?”

“I don’t know either. But it seems cool.” There was a pause, before Sethos spoke again, “If I had a vision what do you think it would be?”

The question, admittedly, threw Cyno off. He felt like he needed to weigh all the options carefully, before deciding how to answer. He also didn’t want to somehow upset Sethos with his answer.

He probably made a very serious face, because it wasn’t long before Sethos poked him on the forehead, trying to smooth out the creases that appeared there. “Haha. Don’t think so hard about it. It’s just for fun. For example,” Sethos retreated his hand and rubbed his chin, “I can see you having a geo vision. You’re very steady and reliable, you’re also a protector and stickler for rules. How about it?”

Cyno hummed, trying to imagine himself with a geo vision. He knows that many of those who have the blessing of that element can create powerful shields that can withstand any element. And that sounds… nice. Being able to protect yourself and those around you like that.

“Well you would have an anemo vision then.” Sethos tilted his head, waiting for Cyno to elaborate on that, just as he did. “You can never sit still, you are very quick and light on your feet and I don’t know how to explain it properly, but you have a very carefree spirit.”

Sethos giggled, glancing to the side. “That sounds about right…” There was a pause and Cyno wanted to ask if he said something wrong, but Sethos beat him to continuing the conversation, “Too bad geo and anemo don’t mix well together. They literally have no chemistry,” aaand now he was pouting.

Cyno hit his shoulder lightly, “Don’t worry about it. We could be wrong and end up with completely different visions. Or maybe not even get them.”

“Haha. I’m not worried. In the end, vision is just a tool.”

In the corner of his eye Cyno saw a streak in the sky. He quickly gave Sethos a slight shake as he said, “Look.”

To be honest, Cyno wasn’t sure they actually would get to see the shooting stars. Just because someone said it was happening tonight, doesn’t mean everyone would be able to see it from anywhere. He should start believing in small miracles more.

Sethos let out a small squeal as he literally vibrated with happiness. He blindly reached out to shake Cyno too.

“Hey Cyno, make a wish.”

“Huh?”

“What? Don’t you know? When you see a shooting star you should make a wish and then it will definitely come true.”

Cyno actually didn’t know that, but he trusted Sethos to know these kinds of things. He will ask about the origin of that belief later.

“Should I say it out loud or..?”

“NO!” the sudden increase in volume startled the white-haired boy. “I mean, no. If you say it out loud to anyone then it won’t come true. So it has to be a secret.”

‘A secret huh? We’re good at those.’

Then…

‘I wish to always be able to protect what is dear to me.’

They didn’t see many shooting stars, but several was already enough to make them happy and carry their wishes. After that, they decided to forego the book, and they just laid down and started tracing made-up constellations and giving them funny names.

Sethos let out a yawn and mumbled, “If we ever get visions, I want my Stella Fortuna to be next to yours.” And then Sethos had a terrible caffeine crash and fell asleep, as the effects of everything, that kept hos system going for so long, faded.

He realized that Sethos fell asleep, when he pointed out a constellation which he found hilarious, but received no usual laugh in response. Cyno sighed, smiling. It was honestly a relief that Sethos fell asleep. Although now it meant that he would either have to wake him up to make their way back, or he would have to carry him back. And honestly, he like the latter option more.

Gently shaking Sethos awake, he murmured, “Come on. Time to go back. Climb onto my back.” With a bit of maneuvering, Sethos was securely leaning against his back, hands thrown around his neck, while Cyno had both of his hands under Sethos’ knees. It wasn’t a struggle to carry the smaller boy, he wasn’t that heavy, but Cyno doubted that he would be able to carry him long distance if time ever called for it.

With a bit of sneaking around, Cyno managed to reach Sethos’ room without running into anyone. As to not arise any suspicion, he took off Sethos’ warmer layers and tried to shake off the sand from his hair, with medium success, considering his hair was thick and long. But that would have to do for now.

When he made a move to return to his own room, a small hand clutched at his sleeve, refusing to let go even in sleep. When Cyno made an effort to pry the fingers off him, Sethos grumbled, clearly displeased. “Come on, kid. I need to go back. We want to keep this a secret, right?” came out a whisper.

After freeing himself, Cyno threw a blanket over Sethos, and lingered beside his bedside for a bit. He didn’t make a move to approach too close, fearing that he would get caught in small clutches again. With one last “Good night. And sweet dreams, Sethos.” Cyno went back to his room.

(Neither was aware of fate that awaited them in the near future. That they would get separated, that they would both get visions of element of god of eternity, that the wishes upon a star would be forgotten by them, but not by the world)

The next morning, both Cyno and Sethos didn’t feel too good, although none of the adults would be aware as to why. Both of them looked dead on their feet, Sethos barely managed to get out of bed, while Cyno had a very slowed down reaction to anything. And while the younger boy became more chipper after a bit of time after waking up, Cyno’s state somehow got worse as day went on.

It all came to a head the next day, when Cyno suddenly developed a fever. Everyone was told to stay away from his room, except for occasional visits from their doctor, to check on his condition and to give him food and medicine.

Sethos was one of the first people to be informed because he was the first one to try and find Cyno once he was gone too long.

But, of course, keeping Sethos away for long was not an option. He sneakily checked up on Cyno from time to time only to find him asleep most times. He knew that sleep was very important for sick people, so he didn’t make a move to wake him up, although he really missed him.

Seeing that Sethos wasn’t as excitable without Cyno around, Cyrus tried introducing the kid to the art of board games to keep himself occupied. The first thing he taught Sethos was a card game called solitaire, which can be played alone. He also tried teaching Sethos other classic card games, which required at least two players. But cards kept him entertained for so long. Especially since he didn’t find much enjoyment playing against Cyrus specifically.

The next few days went by in similar fashion. But at one point when Sethos took a sneak inside Cyno’s room, the boy was awake and sitting up, reading a book. He was told that Cyno was getting better, although he still wasn’t allowed to visit.

That didn’t matter to him, as he ran inside, shouting Cyno’s name. The boy startled, and just managed to look up, before he got a handful of Sethos in his arms. The book fell from his grasp and tumbled down the bed, but that didn’t matter to him. He too, missed Sethos a lot. His fevered mind during these days conjured up nightmares where he was all alone, and when he woke up, nobody was there to comfort him. It was awful.

But now Sethos was here, all teary-eyes as he apologized for dragging Cyno out during the night, about not insisting that he should wear more clothes enough, about not being able to help. Cyno pat Sethos on the head and shushed him gently. None of this was his fault after all.

After Sethos calmed down enough, Cyno asked, “Should you even be here, Sethos? I haven’t been completely cleared yet.”

“I don’t care. I missed you.”

Cyno sighed, but didn’t fight Sethos on this. “I missed you too.” To have Sethos at his side again was such a relief. Every conversation and interaction that he had these past few days have been so painfully impersonal, that it made him acutely aware of just how Sethos breathed life into it. “How have you been?”

“Without you? Terrible.” The hands around Sethos tightened.

“Well, I suppose you can stay here for a bit. But don’t you get any ideas about getting sick afterwards.”

“Got it, boss.”

After informing Sethos about the estimated time when someone was supposed to check on him, they spent their time lounging around. Since Cyno’s throat didn’t feel well enough to talk for long periods of time, it was Sethos who took the part of reading the rest of the unfinished chapter in the book out loud.

The only thing that kept Sethos going was the fact that Cyno liked it and because he felt like the chapter needed to be finished before putting the book down. Right after finishing it, he loudly declared that it’s boring and that Cyno is a nerd.

So instead, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a spare deck of cards that Cyrus gave him in case he wanted to play solitaire, or if he wanted to teach other kids to play with him. He tried to explain the rules of the games he was taught to the best of his abilities, but turned out that explaining is much harder than just knowing and understanding something.

Cyno proposed that they should just play and he could pick it up along the way through observation and asking questions about certain situations. And to Sethos’ relief, Cyno was very quick in figuring things out. It wasn’t long before he started winning every round they play.

“You rely too much on luck, you should try to strategize more,” said Cyno, with a very serious tone.

“What does that even mean? It’s basically a luck-based game?”

“Yes, but even in luck-based game you should find a way to minimize the damage if luck isn’t on your side.”

Sethos pouted, but seeing a spark in Cyno’s eyes, he couldn’t just stop playing now. And besides, he wanted to win. Entranced in their own little world, they didn’t notice the time passing. At least not before they heard footsteps approaching.

Both of the boys panicked, as Cyno made sweeping moves to gather all the cards on the bed. With a wildly beating heart, Sethos threw a quick glance around the room, before taking a dive under the bed. He didn’t trust the closet to have enough space for him to fit. Oftentimes, in the temple, closets were halfway filled with things that aren’t even actually clothes. Like books. So many books. Just as the door opened, Cyno shoved the cards under his pillow, and scrambled to smooth out the covers, so it didn’t look like he was thrashing around (which was actually Sethos’ fault).

The visit went over as usual, although Cyno really had to keep a hold of himself to not seem nervous. He was told that he would be completely cleared the day after tomorrow, just in case. He was reminded to not stay up late and drink lots of water. And with that, the doctor left once again.

Once the door closed and the sound of footsteps completely faded, Cyno let his shoulders drop, as he sighed in relief. Cyno peeked beneath his bed and caught an upside-down glimpse of Sethos pressing himself into the furthest corner, covering his nose and mouth. “You can come out now.”

“Achoo!”

With Sethos out in the open, Cyno picked up a handkerchief to clean off the dust and cobwebs that Sethos got entangled with during his hiding escapade. “You sneeze like a kitten.” Sethos swatted at his hands for that remark.

The younger lingered for another few minutes, before Cyno reminded him that he should go now. Sethos insisted that Cyno should keep the cards, so he doesn’t get bored of the boring books, so he could have some variety in things to do, while alone. Cyno really appreciated it.

As a goodbye Sethos threw his arms around the older boy and whispered, “Good night Cyno. Sweet dreams. And I hope you feel better soon.”

Feeling incredibly soft, Cyno hugged back, pressing his face more firmly into Sethos’ shoulder, “Good night, Sethos. See you soon.”

After the whole falling sick fiasco, Sethos got an idea into his head. And that idea was moving into Cyno’s room. He even came up with a list of reasons why it’s not only because he really wanted to, but because it’s actually practical. Like, for example, if two kids occupied one room together, it would free up space. And that would give them more time together, so they could study more. And, besides, the adults seemed happy when they just started to get along, so this development should be a sign of further improvement.

So that is exactly what he told his grandpa. Without even telling Cyno first. It was supposed to be a surprise. He was sure that Cyno wouldn’t mind. After all, he also said that he missed him, while he was sick.

“You want to what?”

“Move into Cyno’s room.”

Bamoun let out a long sigh of man who has had too much on his plate for years. The old man rubbed his forehead and said, “And have you asked Cyno about what he thinks?”

“No. But it’s supposed to be a surprise. I know he won’t mind,” said Sethos. He then proceeded to make the biggest puppy-eyed looked as he practically begged, “Come on grandpa, pleaseee? I promise that this is actually good for everyone.” He proceeded to tell his grandpa all the reasons that he found practical in this arrangement. And while they all had some merit, Bamoun had a strange feeling that this couple of kids had been causing trouble behind their backs, although no one had any way to confirm that. But maybe that was paranoia talking.

Seeing that grandpa was still hesitating, Sethos went in for the killer blow, he hoped he wouldn’t have to use, “This can be my early birthday present.”

“Alright. Fine. Just tell Cyno that you’re moving in with him before we start moving your things.” Bamoun waved Sethos off, promising to get someone to help him move the things and his bed later.

With a triumphant laugh, Sethos ran off with a skip in his step, remembering to shout a thanks to his grandpa way down the hallway.

It didn’t take long for him to find Cyno. He was practically bouncing on his feet, as he asked, “Guess what?”

Cyno tilted his head, “What?” Trying to guess what got Sethos so excited was near impossible, because it could be anything, and usually something Cyno never really thought of before.

Undeterred by Cyno not even attempting to guess and just going straight to the point, Sethos said, “I’ll be moving into your room.” Not giving any time to let Cyno process or react, Sethos threw his arms around Cyno.

“Oh.”

“Oh? Is that all you’re gonna say? I’ll have you know I had to make an entire convincing case for grandpa to allow this at all.”

“And your effort weren’t in vain,” said Cyno, a smile on his face. “Let’s hope you don’t talk in your sleep too much.”

“Excuse me?”

They bickered about their sleeping habits, but the indirect confirmation that Cyno didn’t mind the idea was apparent. They quietly discussed between themselves what they could do once they shared a room. It made sneaking out or staying up considerably easier. Although both of them weren’t excited just about that. They also became excited for the more mundane stuff, like building a pillow fort, staying up and waking up together, playing and reading and just existing in the same space that was uniquely theirs.

Cyno didn’t have any real attachment to his room, and it didn’t feel like Sethos had either, although in case with the younger boy it had more to do with the fact that he felt restless when staying still and in one place too long. But with this development, both were sure that this was about to change.

The moving process didn’t take long. The main issue was moving the bed anyway. And since Sethos was a small kid, his clothes and things fit into two boxes, which only took one person to move. The issue of dividing the space to fit everything in one room was left to the two boys. Which also wasn’t an issue because everything they had seemed to fit perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. They also compromised that Cyno would have more room on the bookshelf, while Sethos took more room in the drawers.

The first night after moving, Sethos declared that they should stay up all night and play, not like anyone would interrupt them, and now they didn’t have to sneak around back and from rooms. Cyno humored him, knowing full well that Sethos will still eventually fall asleep. Although, to Sethos’ credit, he lasted longer than Cyno thought. Still not as long as him though. Once Sethos fell asleep, Cyno just deposited him on his bed and made his way to his own. Lying down, he just watched Sethos’ sleeping face on the other side of the room. He let the rhythmic movements lull him to sleep, which always evaded him. And he felt happy, knowing that when he wakes up the first thing he will be met with is his best friend.

And apparently waking up meant getting a handful of Sethos, who felt like catapulted himself all the way from his own bed, across the room and onto Cyno, who had wind knocked out of him. If he didn’t get his bearing in time, Sethos would have been flung off into a nearby wall. It was a testament to how much he started to feel relaxed in the few months, that he didn’t do that.

“Oof.”

“Gooood morning, Cyno!”

With a winded voice, Cyno managed to wheeze out, “Good morning, Sethos.”

Once Sethos managed to drag Cyno onto his feet, Cyno said, “I think we need ground rules, and first one is ‘No jumping on Cyno from big distances while he’s asleep’.”

“Oh, so I can jump on you from small distances or when you’re not asleep, then?”

“Don’t get smart with me. This is for both of our safety.”

“Ok, ok, ok. Sorry about that, haha.”

While they were getting ready, Sethos took his time to do his hair. Which included doing braids and tying it up into a nice high pony-tail. Nothing too difficult for a kid, who grew up with long frizzly hair. Meanwhile, Cyno just sat there and decided to watch, as Sethos’ fingers nimbly weaved his hair. Cyno himself never went beyond just half-heartedly brushing his hair, which never stayed in place anyway. He was taught to be practical, so if a moment came that he deemed his hair to be a nusance, he would cut it. But that hasn’t happened for quite some time even before he came to the temple and then he definitely didn’t cut it after. His hair wasn’t as long as Sethos’, who looked like he only ever trimmed the tips of his hair, but it reached a little bit past his shoulders now.

When Sethos noticed that Cyno wasn’t doing anything with his hair, he waved a brush at him and asked, “Are you not going to do anything with your hair?”

Cyno leaned back from where he was sitting on his bed and stared at the ceiling, “No. There’s no point, it rarely stays in place.”

“Well maybe that’s because you don’t know the secrets.”

‘Does the Temple of Silence have secrets on doing hair too?’

Satisfied with his own hair, Sethos rummaged through things in his drawer and pulled out a small wooden box, with which he hopped onto Cyno’s bed once again. This time instead of landing on him, he landed behind him.

Cyno was about to turn around and ask what this is about, before he felt a hand run through his hair. It caught in a few tangles, but instead of yanking, he felt fingers trying to untangle it to the best of their ability. He couldn’t see behind him, but he could imagine very vividly, how Sethos got that intense look in his eyes, perhaps even with tongue poking out, as he focused on his task.

They sat like this for a long time, longer than it took Sethos to do his hair, despite it being longer and more textured. The kid painstakingly hunted every knot in Cyno’s hair, until he could freely run his brush through any section of his hair with ease. And for the first time in his life, brushing his hair didn’t feel like a chore, but something nice. He even felt his eyes closing as he tilted down, but Sethos shook him awake again. “Hey, no sleeping. I’m not even done yet.”

As he went along, Sethos muttered to himself, “Gonna make your hair so fabulous, everyone will be distracted by it when you play cards against them. Tactical advantage.” Cyno snorted at that, he couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t sure it would work like that, but either way, who is he to say no to fabulous hair.

By the end of the process, Cyno hair was braided into several big ponytails, running down the sides of his hair and the end being tied up into a pony-tail behind him. The bangs were too short and unruly to tie up, so they still fell in front of his face, as always, but Cyno actually preferred that. They actually served a good barrier between him and people, when he didn’t want to look them in the eyes.

The clips and tie in his hair were the ones Sethos uses. “Look, now we kinda match.” Said Sethos, after handing Cyno a mirror, so he could take a look at himself.

“Wow.”

“Good, right?”

‘Good’ was an understatement, in Cyno’s humble opinion. He wondered if Sethos was a hairdresser in his past life. Or if he would be one if he grew up outside of temple. He couldn’t imagine what Sethos would be able to do once he grew up more.

“It’s perfect.” The white-haired boy really couldn’t look away from the mirror as he said that. In the reflection, he saw as Sethos leaned onto his shoulder with a laugh. The mirror reflected their happiness of this quiet moment, that belonged only to the two of them.

Once Cyno was broken out of his trance, as Sethos put all of his hair supplies away, he asked, “Why do I never see you with different hair-styles? You clearly enjoy making them, and know how to.”

“Oh. That’s easy. It’s not as simple to do your own hair, the way I can do someone else’s. At least in my experience. So I stick to more simpler one. Now that you’re here though, I can make your hair.” Sethos paused, once again realizing that he was making decisions, without asking Cyno first. “I mean, if you want to, that is.”

“Yeah. I would like that.”

When they saw other kids today, all of them commented on Cyno’s hair. To escape the embarrassment of being complimented, he diverted the attention to Sethos, who, he felt like, actually deserved the praise.

And that’s how Sethos moved in with Cyno.

True to Sethos’ word, they actually made an effort to study together. Sethos helped Cyno it with explaining stuff he just didn’t get to yet, especially when it came to history and deciphering of ancient texts, trying to accelerate the learning. Meanwhile Cyno tried to help Sethos with more technical things, that he caught onto very quickly and much more easily, which concerned numbers and studies on elements.

As it turned out, Sethos is a much better practical learner when it comes to scientific stuff. So Cyno went out of his way to visualize things, make small experiments and explain in real life examples. He felt proud any time he saw Sethos’ eyes light up in understanding. Of Sethos and of himself.

He also tried using the card game as examples for some math problems, especially in sphere of arithmetic and theory of probability. Which helped boost Sethos’ overall performance during their duels. Although Cyno still had the winning record.

And Sethos was a good story-teller, who could create vivid images in anyone’s mind. After hearing him tell a story once, it was hard to forget it. And although his timeline of telling the event could be messy, because he could get distracted halfway through, it actually never impeded the overall narrative and he always got back on track eventually.

Cyno once asked Sethos how he managed to see all of that in boring and complicated historical accounts, and Sethos shared his method with him. Turned out, whenever he was reading, to remember better, and not get bored out of his mind quickly, he did small simple doodles on a piece of paper, which helped him remember all the necessary details, whenever he looked at it, or imagined it in his mind. Sethos even showed him one of the scraps of paper, but Cyno couldn’t even begin to guess what was depicted on it. He could see the obvious elements, but putting together doodles of a sun, a pyramid, a bunch of stick-figures, some with big ears, among other things into a cohesive story is a struggle. It felt like their drawing in the sand all over again. Only those who drew it understood what it was.

One time, they were sitting in their room, trying to do their homework, which included deciphering an ancient text. It was then, that Sethos spoke, “We should come up with our own code.”

“Huh?”

“You know. Something that only we can understand. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“Why would we need our own code?”

“So we can leave secret messages to each other, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Cyno couldn’t actually imagine a situation where they would need or get an opportunity to use such a thing, but he was willing to indulge Sethos. Besides, who knows what would happen in the future, and maybe they would need it. “Come on then. What do you have in mind?”

The code they came up with wasn’t anything crazy, but it was enough for them. By switching the order of letters and changing how some of them written, it would be enough to stump knowledgeable adults for at least a few days.

Needless to say, no more studying was done that day.

Both boys committed to learning their made-up code to perfection, by reading and writing some of their notes in it. After all, practice makes perfect.

Some more time passed. If Cyno had to guess, it’s been close to a year since he arrived at the temple.

Being around Sethos helped ground him, but some things have started to worry him more. Like their purpose here. It’s been weighing on his mind more and more lately. Especially since some adults have been doing more frequent check-up on them, as well as trying to give them some medication that was supposed to be harmless elemental inhibitors, as they said, but it just made them feel very sluggish.

“It’s supposed to help you in the long run,” they said.

But he cared more about how he felt now. And he became scared of what was in store for them, that required long-term preparation like this.

At first, his purpose here didn’t bother him. He thought he would be fine just going with the flow and seeing what happens. If he died then he died, and if he lived, then he lived in as much comfort as possible. The religious views of the leader were none of his concern.

But now? Now he felt like he would have something to lose, if he died. And not only that, this didn’t just concern him, but Sethos too. The only thing that gave Cyno a little peace of mind is the fact that he seemingly had a lot healthier constitution overall.

And he became fascinated by stories of Hermanubis, Al-Ahmar, and other sages. But, while he believed in their ideals, it felt like what he gleaned from their wisdom wasn’t quite the same as the leader of the temple and some of the people here. For some reason, Bamoun believed that there should be someone who inherits the raw power left behind by Hermanubis and become the next leader of the Temple, eventually. But the purpose of the temple was to guard the world from forbidden knowledge, and it didn’t really require Hermanubis’ power to do it. Everyone in the temple has been doing a good enough job for centuries and the world is still standing. And it seemed like trying to revive the old power, they were just hurting more people.

Cyno didn’t understand that.

But he couldn’t do anything about it.

All he could do is weather through it and pray that everything will turn out alright. He stood in front of Hermanubis’ statue and begged some higher power to please protect them from what was to come. He asked Hermanubis to accept them as his new vessels, when time came.

He wanted to grow up. To, one day, see the world that this temple protects. He wanted to see Sethos grow up too. He wanted things to change for the better. For everyone, if possible.

“There you are, Cyno. Whatcha doing?”

Cyno didn’t answer at first. He wondered if Sethos ever thought deeper into everything that is going on in the temple. Did he think that everything was fine, since that’s just how he has been raised since forever? Or did he think that it wasn’t fine, but still accepted it, because there was never other choice?

“Praying.”

“Praying? To Lord Hermanubis?”

“Mhm.”

“Huh. Didn’t take long for you to become a believer.”

“With the way you tell stories about him, it’s hard not to convert,” joked Cyno, lightly hitting Sethos’ arm.

“Hey! Not my fault he’s awesome.”

“Yeah.”

Just like during their first meeting, when they realized what they were in relation to each other and to the elders of the temple, they didn’t speak anymore. Cyno had a feeling that Sethos sent a silent prayer of his own.

After a brief period, when it felt like the air was getting more electrified by the minute, Cyno felt a hand slip into his own. And then, a whisper, “Hey, Cyno. Let’s go lie down. I’m tired.”

Cyno squeezed Sethos’ hand in silent reassurance. And with a slight tug, they made their way back to their room. When they got there, instead of guiding Sethos to lie down on his own bed, Cyno led him to his own. With a questioning look Sethos tilted his head in silent question, before Cyno just pushed him onto it and threw a blanket over him, before climbing on himself.

Only half of Sethos’ face peeked out from under the covers and it didn’t seem like he was about to change that. He rearranged himself to wrap his arms around Cyno, who was more propped up against the headboard, instead of lying down. With Sethos under his arm, his face smushed against his side, Cyno silently picked up one of the books from his bedside, the one that Sethos recommended to him specifically. And began reading, in a hushed tone.

He was only maybe 5 pages in, before he felt Sethos’ breathing finally even out, as the exhaustion swept him under. So Cyno decided to put down the book and get under the cover properly himself.

With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, who now had his face closer to his chest. With careful motions, he carded his hand through Sethos’ hair, undoing his hair-do, so he wouldn’t get a headache from how it was put up, in the morning.

He hoped that he wasn’t about to be kicked in his sleep. As far as he observed, Sethos usually woke up with blankets flung off and his limbs sprawled everywhere. Surely, if they held onto each other, it would mean that they would at least stay on the bed together?

When morning came, both of them woke up before sunrise, since they fell asleep quite early. Sethos suggested they go watch the sunrise, so that’s exactly what they did.

It was a new day.

Since that day, they found comfort in sleeping in each other’s bed from time to time. It was undeniable reminder that they were here, together, alive. And since they don’t get any real physical affection from anyone other than each other, this arrangement satiated that need. As long as it was Sethos, Cyno didn’t mind. He started actively seeking him out too. The number of times he picked up the kid to move him around was borderline unnecessary, but if Sethos didn’t mind, he wasn’t about to stop.

The exhaustion from medicine didn’t get better and it even started piling up a bit. Along with the studies that they were expected to keep up with, the pressure was building. And for Cyno, it eventually resulted in nightmares. The kind that he got while he was sick, or even worse.

He didn’t want to talk about the amount of time his mind came up with a scenario where Sethos got in harm’s way. Every time he startled awake, he felt panicked to the point of tears. He wouldn’t be able to calm down before he made sure that Sethos was alright, sleeping beside him or on his own bed.

Sethos, being a heavy sleeper, still somehow had a sixth sense for when it came to Cyno, and a lot of times he would wake up to comfort him. The older boy never spoke about what he dreamed, but even vague reassurance from Sethos that it was just a nightmare and that it wasn’t real, managed to soothe his frayed soul.

And in cases when Sethos wouldn’t wake up to see Cyno break down due to exhaustion, when morning comes around, he would find the older boy slumped beside his bed, his head leaning on the side of the bed, as he held his hand. Cyno insists that it’s not a big deal and he just planned to go back to his own bed, but just happened to fall asleep like that on accident. But Sethos eventually managed to convince Cyno at least to climb into bed with him at any point, if he didn’t intend to just wake him up in case of crisis.

Whenever a nightmare happened, Sethos also made it a point to make the upcoming morning as easy on Cyno as possible. He followed Cyno most places and when he was too tired to talk, he would do it for him. And he didn’t force Cyno into things that made him nervous.

Nightmares came and went in brief periods. They developed a system and it became easier.

There was a moment, when there were no nightmares for 2 weeks. The boys silently celebrated that achievement, and naively hoped that it would be the last of it.

But the longer period of that sweet peace is, the more bitter the next inevitable crash is.

Sethos didn’t comment on how tight Cyno was holding on to him and how it was hard to breathe. The older boy clearly needed this. He just, put his hands on Cyno’s chest, feeling the irregular breathing and frantic heart, underneath his palm, and tried to remind him that he needs to even it out.

Sethos was very sure that it wasn’t just the nightmare that made Cyno spiral, but also the sheer fact that this happened again. Because there was a brief moment when Cyno calmed down from the worst of it, but then the hiccupping started again, as Cyno let out a mournful keen, once he realized what had happened.

“I’m here. I’m not leaving. I’ll always be here.”