The Atrocious Bard and The Little Princeling | Golden Guard X Reader

Deep within the Titan's skull, the Portal room remained silent. Water dripped steadily from stalactites above, the sound echoing in the stillness.

Belos's heavy footsteps broke the silence. Each step drew him closer to the portal door, its intricate carvings glowing faintly with magic, a gateway to the realm that had abandoned him long ago.

Then, a chilling voice echoed.

"You nervous?"

Belos paused mid-step as his head tilted toward the sound. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, bouncing off the walls.

The Collector materialized as a twisting shadow, his form slithering along the damp walls before reforming into a silhouette directly behind Belos. The grin on his shadowy face was wide, too wide.

"You haven't been home in, what, hundreds of years? What if it's changed? What if you've changed?" The Collector's voice dripped with playful malice.

Belos's pace resumed as he ignored the entity's jabs.

The Collector laughed, his form melting into the floor and reappearing as a massive shadow that stretched along the ceiling. "You've gotten so used to munching on palismen that you can barely keep your human form intact anymore!"

"Enough," Belos growled.

Blag!

Belos's slimy, green hand lashed out toward the mocking shadow, colliding with the wall instead. Cracks webbed out from the point of impact, but the Collector only chuckled, dodging effortlessly and swirling away into another corner.

"Touchy, touchy!" the Collector sang, reforming into a more solid shadow leaning lazily against the wall. "You know, you should really loosen up. We're about to have so much fun!"

Belos remained silent, his glowing eyes narrowing as he steadied his clawed hand against the floor.

"I can't wait to get out of this boring old prison," the Collector continued, now leaning against the portal door.

He propped his chin in his shadowy hands. "I've got so many games planned! Ooooh, if we need a third player, we can always make another grimwalker."

"No." Belos straightened. "Not until I've dealt with this one."

The Collector pouted. "Boooooring." He whined, dragging out the word as though it were physically painful. "Just free me already! You promiiiiiised!"

Belos clenched his fists. "The draining spell must work first," he said. "Like you promised."

"You really need to have more faith in pinky swears," the Collector said, crossing his arms and huffing like a petulant child.

Belos smirked, his expression hidden beneath the mask but evident in his tone. "Don't worry, Collector."

"The Day of Unity is about to begin."