Ravens [Dreamnotfound/Gream]

9. Realisation

Tommy walked up the stairs, gesturing to the doors and opening them slowly. He peeked in and held up his index finger, telling them to wait outside. He slipped into the room and closed the door loudly.

Clay stood awkwardly, watching Sapnap, who's sword was still pressed to his neck. The doors were reopened and a blonde man stuck his head out. Sapnap raised an eyebrow.

"You - You aren't related to that Tommy fellow, are you?" Sapnap asked, his eyes falling onto the blonde. The man laughed, his face relaxing.

"No, I'm not. I'm Phil, the king's advisor. You must be the sheriff?" Phil grinned, resting his hand on his hips. Sapnap nodded. Phil's grin faded slowly when he noticed Clay. "You must be Dream."

"Yeah, it's him alright," Sapnap growled, nudging him forward. Clay said nothing, he just kept staring at the floor. "Going to bring him to the king, see what he does with him."

Sapnap laughed harshly, making George flinch and Phil frown. Bad was humming tonelessly, watching Clay with curiosity. The blonde looked back and then turned to the guards.

"The king will see you momentarily," said Phil softly, giving Clay a reassuring glance before disappearing. The doors swung shut and there was an awkward silence. It was quickly broken once the doors reopened yet again, this time a new face greeted them.

"Who in the world are you?!" said Sapnap, looking alarmed. The man had wavy brown hair and pretty brown eyes. He was very tall and easily towered over all of them. "That's not important," he spoke cheerily, smiling at the black haired boy.

"You can come in, the king is ready to see you," he continued, opening the doors enough for Sapnap, Clay, Bad and George to enter. He closed them and sat down in a chair.

The room was big and beautiful. It had a grand red carpet on the floor, expensive interior and a luxurious chair. The king was sitting on it, a gleaming golden crown on the top of his head and he wore a royal red cape which reached the floor. Clay squinted and his eyes immediately widened.

It was Techno. The same man he helped in the forest weeks ago. Clay gulped as they moved him in front of the king, who stared at them coldly. He was internally hoping that Techno would spare him out of pity. He looked down quietly.

"Here he is, sir," said Sapnap proudly. Techno just stared at them icily, his eyes fixated on Clay. Sapnap frowned, "What do you suggest we do with this murderer?"

Techno thought for a while but said nothing. The atmosphere in the room shifted. All of a sudden, the brunette sitting by the door stopped smiling. Phil and Tommy glanced around the room nervously and George put his face into his hands, shaking silently.

"This man murdered a person?" Techno asked politely, a hint of amusement in his voice. Sapnap nodded hastily, "Mrs. Brooker's husband, your highness. She saw the dead body."

Techno nodded, rubbing his hands together, "Seems like you have the evidence that he murdered the man, do you Nick?" he hissed softly, his toneless voice sending shivers down Clay's spine.

Bad and George glanced at each other. Both of them knew they had no actual evidence that Clay commited the crime. Sapnap, however, was still nodding. Bad shot George a confused glance.

"Wait, what is Sapnap talking about-" Bad whispered to George but was interjected by Sapnap, "Yes, I am more than certain Dream killed the man."

Techno nodded, not taking his eyes off of Clay. "Well in that case, public execution should fit just fine, shouldn't it, Phil?" he said coolly, a cold smile forming on his face. Phil grimaced but didn't reply.

"Murder is punishable, Techno, no doubt in that. If the sheriff has the evidence then there's really nothing we can do," said Phil finally, frowning slightly. Techno's eyes glinted as he turned back to Sapnap and Clay.

"I trust that you're doing the right thing," said the pink haired king as he readjusted his crown. He got up and gave Clay one last glance before he turned around, "public execution first thing in the morning. Put him in one of the cells and make sure he's comfortable."

Clay couldn't believe his ears. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to pitch himself out of one of the towers. But he didn't. He stood frozen in place.

That is, until Sapnap nudged him. "Get going, Dream, come on now," he muttered triumphantly, leading him out of the room and down the stairs. Dream could hear anxious mutters which were surely George's. He shook him out of his head.

Sapnap ended up leading Dream down a narrow corridor, down a spiral staircase into a cold and dark dungeon. It was filled with cells which weren't of use anymore. The ground was made out of stone and the whole room reeked of moss.

Sapnap opened one of the cell gates and pushed Clay in. He locked the door and stared at him for a second before turning his back and entering a smaller room. Clay sat down on a bench and put his head into his hands. The black haired boy returned with a quilt, a water basin and a cup.

"Here, your lunch, dinner and breakfast will be brought down here to you," he said roughly, handing him the items. The two boys stared at each other, before Clay broke the silence.

"Why would you do that?" Clay asked, his eyes narrowing as he put the cup into the basin and took a sip. Sapnap pursed his lips. "You have no concrete evidence that I did it."

"I'm just doing my job," said Sapnap quietly, his entire demeanor changing. He sounded almost sorry. Clay stared at him in disbelief. "Business is business. Whether you like it or not."

Sapnap closed the door and locked it, walking down the corridor and up the stairs. Clay sat there for a few seconds, his head spinning. This was not real.

He just realised how hungry he was when his stomach let out a low growl. He sat in the cell quietly, thinking about how tomorrow he was going to get executed. His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps.

Clay looked up and his eyes met his. George. He was carrying a plate of food, his face flushed. George slowly unlocked the doors and walked in, handing him the plate and letting out a small sob, before wrapping his arms around Clay's neck. It took Clay by surprise, as he nearly knocked down his food.

"I'm so sorry!" George cried, his face buried in Clay's torso. The blonde couldn't stay angry at him. He held the older boy while he sobbed into his shirt. "I'll figure a way to get you out of here, I'll speak to the king, I-"

"Hey, shh, it's all right," said Clay in a soothing voice, kissing the top of George's head. "I'll be fine."

"B-But you won't!" George wailed, his arms growing more shaky and breath hitching. Clay smiled weakly, cupping George's face gently. George frowned.

"I will. If I won't, I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife. Just like you said," Clay reassured George softly, feeling a blush lingering on his face. George huffed and pressed his head against Clay's chest. "I love you."

George froze. Clay didn't seem to notice. "I think I always had, you know. Ever since we were kids," he continued in a quiet tone. George felt himself go red. Clay noticed George's uncomfortable silence and smiled, "Of course, you don't have to say it back. This was extremely out of the blue and I understand if you don't feel the same way."

George swallowed slowly. "I.. Thank you," George mumbled as a small involuntary smile grew on his face. Clay wrapped his arms around George's waist, sitting down with him and humming softly. The brunette closed his eyes, clearly content.

The two stayed like that for some time. Clay then proceeded to eat his lunch and wave goodbye to George when he left and locked the cell. He felt himself go red when he laid back on the bench, feeling a lot smiley than before.

He nearly forgot the fate that awaited him the following day.