The palace staff and scientists ignored him, the maids brushed him aside, everyone dismissed his words as nothing. Even with Sir Draven, he had only dared to reveal fragments—right before parting—because he realized too late the vampire could truly be relied on. Yet Sir Draven, already burdened to the point of withering into an empty husk in that garden, wasn't someone Sylene wished to weigh down further.
Complaints had felt useless. He couldn't afford to be spoiled, couldn't risk becoming a burden. He was an experiment, nameless, disposable. And yet here he was, with someone who thought him worth worrying over, worth fighting for. A family he could never have imagined. Gratitude burned in his chest, tangled with fear of disappointing them.
Mavis sighed, hugged Sylene tightly before letting go.
The white fox rolling the pouch in his hands playfuly. "You'd better keep that promise. Once you let me in, I'll stick by you like a flea."
