Two weeks had passed and Viktor had done as he was instructed, he had gone to a neighboring village and bought himself a nice new outfit for the upcoming celebrations.
The clothing was of a fine make, rich wool dyed in deep indigo with gold stitching along the hemlines. He had been saving for months, but seeing the clothes neatly folded and packaged in his hands made it worth every silver coin.
On the day of the festival, he donned his new attire, pausing to glance at himself in the small looking glass on his bureau. He hardly recognized the figure staring back at him, the worry lines smoothed away by a good night's rest and a new sense of determination. He looked handsome, he supposed, but his heart throbbed with anxiety.
The village was abuzz with excitement as tents were erected and food was prepared. The smell of roasting meats and sweet pastries filled the air, mingling with the shouts of children and laughter of adults. The villagers decorated their homes with flowers and strewn ribbons everywhere. It was a spectacle of color and vibrancy - a stark contrast to the drudgery of everyday life.
He found Rose standing alone near the well, her eyes fixed on something far beyond the party's reach. She was dressed in a green gown that made her fiery hair seem brighter than ever before. As he approached her, she turned to him with a warm smile that alleviated some of his worries.
"Viktor," she said, taking in his appearance with an approving nod. "You look..." she paused and smiled wider, "dashing."
He blushed slightly but maintained eye contact, "As do you."
She blushed at his compliment before her gaze returned back to whatever had caught her attention before. Viktor followed her gaze to Eric, who also looked incredible. The husband and wife pair was the only thing Viktor could see as he honed his gaze in.
Eric rushed and lifted Viktor up in his arms. "My boy! It looks as if you're out and about looking for a maiden!" He shouted, setting Viktor back down to ruffle his pristine white hair.
Viktor chuckled, brushing Eric's hand away and adjusting his disheveled hair. "And what makes you think that?" he asked, a playful spark in his eyes.
"Look at you! All spiffed up," Eric said, patting him on the shoulder. "Surely not for my benefit." He gestured towards Rose, who was watching them with a teasing smile on her lips. "Perhaps for her?"
The insinuation caused Viktor to blush furiously, which only made Eric's laughter ring out louder. Rose shook her head, a gentle amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Enough of your teasing, Eric," she admonished lightly. "It's time to celebrate, not embarrass poor Viktor."
As the festival began in earnest, the villagers started dancing and singing around the bonfire. Viktor found himself drawn into it all, feeling the anxiety of his nightmares slipping away with each passing heartbeat. He danced with Rose and laughed with Eric, feeling happier than he had in days.
However, as the night wore on, a prickling sensation crept up the back of his neck -- an inexplicable sense of being watched. He glanced around but found nothing amiss; everything was aglow with merriment and joy.
Shaking his head slightly, Viktor chose to dismiss it as nothing more than lingering paranoia from his nightmares. After all, what could possibly go wrong amidst such joyous celebration?
He returned his attention to Rose and Eric who were now engaged in a playful dance-off, their laughter filling the air. Unable to resist their infectious spirit any longer, Viktor joined them once again.
However, as he twirled Rose around, a flicker of movement at the edge of the crowd caught his eye. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked harder, trying to distinguish between the shadows and merrymakers. But there was nothing. With a sigh, he tried to pull his attention back to the festival.
"Viktor, are you alright?" Rose asked, concern furrowed on her brow as she reached out to touch his arm.
"I'm fine," he assured her quickly, forcing a smile onto his face. "Just thought I saw... someone." The last word hung heavily in the air between them, causing Rose to glance nervously over her shoulder.
Eric, catching their exchange from afar, moved closer. "Who?" He asked, scanning the crowd himself.
"No one," Viktor dismissed, taking Rose's hand and pulling her back into the dance. "I'm sure it was nothing."
Yet as they continued to dance and laugh, Viktor couldn't fully shake his unease. Each time he glanced at the edge of the crowd, he felt eyes on him. He found himself constantly turning around, looking for what wasn't there—or was it? His nightmares began resurfacing in his mind as an ominous feeling crept into him.
The merry night turned into an eerie performance for him; the cracks of wood in the heart of bonfire sounded like ravenous beasts in his ears; the cheerful laughter morphed into ghostly howls carried by the wind; every shadow seemed to harbor unsettling shapes that danced along with them. The once joyful festival had now turned into a horrific stage set from his most dreaded nightmares.
His mother and father figure had also vanished from his sight.
"Rose…" He called out-nothing.
"Eric?"- Nothing.
His heart pounded louder in his chest as he called their names again. There was no response, only the distant echo of his own voice swallowed by the darkened festivities. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide as he scanned the crowd for familiar faces.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine and he realized that the once vibrant music had fallen silent. He turned around slowly; the bonfire still burned brightly in the center of the crowd, but the villagers were all frozen in place, their eyes glazed over as if lost in a deep trance.
His heart raced as he moved through the crowd, touching shoulders and shaking bodies gently, trying to snap them out of their daze. But they were like statues, immobile and eerily silent. His breath hitched as realization struck him: something terrible had happened.
Running towards the edge of the village, Viktor stumbled upon a scene that made his blood run cold. Rose and Eric lay on the ground unconscious; their faces pale and gaunt as if they'd been drained of life. Feeling a surge of panic, he rushed over to them.
"Rose! Eric!" He cried out, falling to his knees beside them. His hands hovered over them aimlessly, unsure what to do or how to help.
Just then, a crackling sound echoed behind him and he whipped around. The once lively bonfire was now rapidly dying out, eaten away by an unnatural darkness that seemed to be spreading across the village.
He felt a chill creep up his spine as he watched the darkness encroach upon them. It was all too similar to his nightmares - an engulfing darkness that swallowed everything in its path.
And then- He was back in the castle, no longer was he in that wayward village, yet instead a giant polished stone castle, gold adorned the hallways as it was bustling with life.
He blinked, disoriented by the sudden change in surroundings. The air was filled with a different kind of energy — less raw and vibrant than the festival, but rich with elegance and power. Servants scurried around busily, their faces masked by an odd mixture of excitement and fear.
"Viktor!" A voice called out, making him turn his head. It was the Emperor himself, his regal figure towering above everyone else in the grand hallway.
"Your Majesty," Viktor bowed slightly, feeling an odd mixture of fear and relief. Fear because he knew this wasn't real—it was too good to be—and relief because, for the first time in hours, he wasn't alone.
"Come now, Viktor," Emperor Warner said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No need for formalities amongst family."
Family? Viktor's heart pounded in his chest at the thought. Was the emperor his family? Then suddenly beside him stood smokey figures who materialized right before his eyes.
It was a tall man with dazzling blonde hair. "Viktor? Are you alright brother, it looks as if you've seen a ghost." He let out.
The man before him… His name was- Viktor paused for a moment. He had no idea what his name was, neither the ones who stood beside the man.
Werner spoke up as he glanced at his son beside him. "Charles, take Viktor to his room. It seems he's under the weather.
Charles? Wasn't that his brother? No- Viktor Fritz had no family besides Rose and Eric Fritz. Nor was his father someone like an Emperor.
"Indeed, Father. Come along, Viktor," Charles guided Viktor through the grandeur of the palace, the decadence in stark contrast to his humble dwelling back in the village. His new surroundings felt both strikingly familiar and alarmingly alien.
As they traversed the endless corridors lined with intricate tapestries, Viktor's mind echoed with confusion and disbelief. The castle walls rang with laughter and whispers of intrigue, yet all he could focus on was the cacophony within his own mind.
Arriving at a grand oak door, Charles turned to him with a thoughtful gaze. "This is your room, Viktor. You should rest," he suggested, opening the door to reveal an opulent chamber adorned with golden trims.
Viktor felt as his legs gave way beneath him. He sat heavily on the plush bed that dominated the room, staring at its rich linens that were dyed in his favorite hue of blue. It was another disturbing familiarity that wrapped around him like an unwanted shroud.
"Viktor, try to get some sleep. We can sort this out tomorrow," Charles said softly before departing, leaving him alone in the luxurious room.
Despite his brother's words of comfort, panic set in once again as he lay back on the plush cushions; his world had changed again just as abruptly as it had during the festival. The shadows of his nightmares crept in once more as he closed his eyes against the overwhelming reality.
"Deep breaths Viktor," he whispered to himself trying to calm his racing heart. But nothing seemed to help as images from the festival flooded back into his mind - Rose and Eric's lifeless bodies lying their in the field.
He stood to splash water on his face but upon gazing in the mirror their stood a face he did not recognize.
It was a pale boy with snow white skin, bright dazzling blue eyes that seemed like a summer sky, and hair as white as a cloud. For all intents and purposes the boy in front of Viktor looked just like him, but he knew it wasn't his reflection. And all his doubts were confirmed when he watched the reflections face twist into a long snarling grin.
And then he spoke…
"Fritz?"