How to Make a Sinner Sleep

002 | beast; the dragon's treasure found in noise

Noah Bellamy abandoned his lands but failed to find himself. He was a dragon whose destiny was assigned at birth, caged in the confines of his surging blood and loneliness.

This was a creature destined for solitude. Day, after day, he would become consumed by a chilling silence that eroded his bones.

Then came a day when his routine shattered—splintered to pieces by an arrogant, irritating voice that plagued days and reformed his reality. The dragon did not expect the voice to engrave itself so deeply, that to be without the noise was to be without air.

He felt a void in his chest that left him breathless.

This is the story of a spark of curiosity that was snuffed.

—— +++ ——

There is a buzzing around Noah's ears that refuses to leave, appearing and disappearing before he can grasp what he wants to say or do.

The buzzing manifests in a pale, pink-haired man whose gaze is carved of beautiful green, a jewel that has been dulled.

There is an aching loneliness in his eyes, Noah notices, familiar with the edges of sadness that he knows all too well. He wears the same loneliness, buried within his black gaze.

The man flirts and jeers, laughs and teases, going from smiling to coldness within minutes.

Students say there is a problem with his brain—he's simply mad, not to be understood, not to be bothered with. He is frightening and terrible, a true murderer who takes care of the royal family's filthy tasks in the shadows—

—a mutt for the royal family.

It's all speculation of course; when is it not? There are many rumours surrounding the royal family and it is entirely particular how the Crown Prince remains revered, while their 'mutt' holds the weight of despise.

Perhaps this odd contradiction is so displeasing, that Noah does not turn the man away.

Kaden always smiles, but it never appears real. Noah looks to his side as he holds his books tightly in hand, walking down the hallway with whispering students.

"Now, dearest Bellamy, although you have rejected me thousands of times—"

Noah has not, he wants to argue.

"—might you spare some of your delicate and noble time for a date? I'll be able to brag about it for days, and well, a handsome partner is always a bonus."

Kaden talks and talks, but his eyes dart around as he observes his surroundings. His voice takes a filthy hitch, and disgusted gazes surround him.

For a second, Kaden's gaze goes blank as he takes in the whispers and the insults that crowd his ear. His smile hangs there, loosely on his lips, a flimsy thing.

One swipe, and it will easily fade away like a smudge of paint on a canvas. One swipe and the perfect curved line will fall, revealing the mess behind it.

One swipe to uncover the mask that Kaden Chauvet wears.

Noah's eyes shift, narrowing slightly as his hold on the books tightens. "I am free tonight—"

"Look at the time, dear dragon. I have to go."

Kaden smiles, but Noah sees it. The shifting expression, the confusion, the desperate need to flee. Kaden always comes running, teasing and flirting—but the moment Noah says anything positive, he flees.

The dragon watches the escaping back quietly in the crowded halls.

He wonders, if he reaches out—what sort of face will that man make? Or will he slip away like a snake, skillfully untangling himself from the dragon's sharp claws?