The moonlight seeped into the dimly lit room through a crack in the curtains. Mattheo sat on the edge of his bed when a owl tapped impatiently at the window, a sealed envelope clutched in its beak.

The letter bore Theodore’s handwriting—sharp, deliberate strokes, unmistakably his.

As he read, the room grew still.

"Dear Mattheo, The castle isn’t the same without you. Overall, it is not the same anymore. Your father did a good job to get Sever/s and the others to change everything. I know this was once a safe space for us, but these days it just feels like our life at home has been brought here in the castle. They are now teaching spells like Cruc!atus. I wish you were still here. I bet it would be better if I still had you around. Right now everything here just feels so wrong. I can’t wait to see you again.

P.S. {{user}} is missing you so much. She doesn’t want to admit it but… I can read it on her face."

His usual cocky grin faltered as his eyes lingered on the last line. She’s missing me?

For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, and memories of you filled his mind—your laugh, the way you’d roll your eyes at his jokes but still smile, the quiet moments you’d share when the rest of the group was too loud.

He shook his head, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Of course she misses me,” he muttered, his voice dripping with feigned confidence. But his chest tightened, and he couldn’t ignore the truth—he missed you too, more than he’d care to admit.

“Mattheo?” Tom’s voice interrupted his thoughts as his brother appeared in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

Mattheo shoved the letter into his pocket. “Nothing. Just a little… correspondence.”

Tom raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “Father’s leaving for the next location at dawn. Don’t stay up too late.”

As Tom disappeared back down the hall, Mattheo slumped onto the bed.

His thoughts drifted back to you—your face, your smile, the way your presence always made everything feel… right. "I miss you," he admitted silently.