@Fraust
"Okay… w-we haven't told Cas or Zachary yet. Can… can you help me do that?" He asked weakly.
"Okay… w-we haven't told Cas or Zachary yet. Can… can you help me do that?" He asked weakly.
"I… Okay, Nix. Okay." Derlik gently rested his head on Nix's a moment, going to knock on Cas's door quietly.
Cas looked up when he heard the door. "Come in!" He called out.
Derlik quietly opened the door, hand going back to Nix.
I…" he just stepped in, holding Nix a bit closer for now.
Nix looked up at Cas weakly. "W-We have to go back to Halm…" He whispered. Cas froze and paled. "W-What? Why??"
"Our- the creator, she… if you don't go back in three days, she'll…" Derlik shook his head a bit. Zachary stiffened at the mention of the woman, arms going around Cas protectively.
Nix huddled closer, burying his face in Derlik's chest as he trembled. "I-I'm so s-sorry…" He whispered.
Derlik patted Nix's back gently, holding back tears again.
"I… oh, Nix," he said softly. "You didn't– this isn't your fault."
"It is my fault…" He hiccuped. "S-She said so… I… s-she said I encouraged him to do all the bad things, and that… and that I just left him in the dust as soon as he did anything to me and that he was j-just trying to h— h-help…"
Derlik sat down with Nix, gently rubbing his back.
"I… oh, sweetie, no," he said softly, keeping his voice quiet. "He did something bad to you, of course you left. It- it isn't your fault."
Nix clung tighter to Derlik, shaking violently. "B-But she's right isn't she? I… I-I was part of the other bad things, b-but I… I can't control him, right?"
"You can't control him," Derlik said softly. "You… even if you were a part of the other things, that doesn't mean he should have hurt you."
"B-But then… why is she sending me back?" He asked weakly, rubbing at his teary eyes again.
"I…" Derlik closed his eyes as he spoke again.
"She likes to see people hurt. And I'm so, so sorry she wants to do it to you…"
"But won't sending me back make Halm hurt less? And… and she wants people to hurt, so…"
"But it will hurt you, and Cas and Zachary. It'll… it'll hurt me and Serna, too." Derlik ran his hand through Nix's hair.
"Y-Yeah… I just… I-I really don't wanna go back there…" Nix hiccuped and sniffled weakly, still shaking.
Derlik shuddered a bit.
"I- I don't want you to either," he said softly. "But I'm going to stay with you, okay?"
"O-Okay… maybe… maybe if I'm lucky, I won't even have to interact with him, right? I can just… hide in some other room. Maybe we can leave after the woman checks to make sure we're there?"
"I… we can try," Derlik said softly. "And I'll help make sure he knows he isn't to get anywhere near you, okay?"
Nix nodded weakly as he huddled closer to Derlik. "O-Okay…" He whispered. "Hopefully… hopefully it'll be okay."
Derlik nodded. He wanted it to be okay too.
"I'll stay with you," he said again softly.
"Thanks…" Nix tucked his head under Derlik's chin, shaking violently. "I don't wanna stay there…"
"I know," Derlik said quietly, his hand holding the back of Nix's neck.
"I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of this…"
Nix nodded a bit as he huddled up with Derlik. "I'm s-scared…" He whispered. "Can we… can we go sit on the couch?"
Derlik stood, nodding just slightly. He carried them to the couch, curling up a bit with Nix on his lap.
"I… I know you're scared," he said softly. "I am too…"
Nix sniffled again as he tucked his head under Derlik's chin. "I wanna stay here with you and miss Serna and Cas and Zachary…"
"I want that too…" Derlik held Nix close. "Cas and Zachary and I will stay with you, though. I swear it."
Nix nodded weakly. "O-Okay, if… if you're sure… I just… I don't feel safe around Halm…"
"I'm sure," Derlik said softly. "And I'll make sure you don't have to be around him…"
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