Chapter 4: Sowing the Threads of Fate

(TW: Abuse, torture, thoughts of death)

Arendelle

Arendelle Castle

May 10th, 2312- June 28th 2313

Elias found that at 12 years old, he found joy in a few things, such as: singing, working on his magic, and sneaking out of the castle whenever possible to visit Snow. He admittedly got caught a few times and those days never ended well, he could still feel the collar on his neck choking him as his father locked him onto the wall.

He refused to think on that topic any longer, for it always brought him moments of pain and darkness he wanted to avoid. Elias became far closer to his magic over the year, learning new ways to wield it once again. Though, all that did was confuse him further. When he accidentally got sick once, something which was beyond odd considering he was the cold, a little tiny snow thing popped into existence. Elias had no idea what to make of it and it wasn't even the first one. By the end of the day, 100 tiny snowmen were jumping around his room and he felt panicked, wanting to hide them from his parents because he was sure they'd murder them.

That left Elias to open up the window and let them sneak out, going wherever they desired. It was just another odd part of his screwed up life.

The older he got, the less he was punished, but when he was punished, it was absolutely awful. His least favorite punishment was when his father would pretend to go back to normal, only to beat him up when Elias goes in for a hug. It was psychologically damaging and threw Elias's trust to the depths of hell.

What sucked even more was how sneers and disregard from the servants got worse. He truly did not understand why as before everything went to hell, the servants loved him. Were they just following in his parent's footsteps or did they genuinely dislike him as he got older? Elias could no longer trust adults and found himself talking to his own magic often for comfort.

It may not have been able to give him physical affection but it sure as hell did give him unconditional love.

His lessons were going fine as well, as he began his mastery in economics and diplomacy in order to make a better 'king'. Physical discipline was still largely at use, with evidence being shown on both his palms and thighs. He still hates the wooden ruler, but despises the metal one.

Sometimes, he wishes the scars that littered his body would disappear completely, almost as if he were experiencing a rebirth. However, that's wishful thinking on Elias's part, as the scars show his strength for not giving in to the darkness.

Elias's mental scars were a whole other story, piling up on top of one another. He felt useless, unwanted, and utterly worthless whenever his parents passed by him in the corridors. If they weren't beating him down, they pretended he didn't exist whatsoever and it hurt. He also hadn't seen Arvid in so long and the urge to see him each day grew strong and stronger, but Elias would never sneak out to see him. He couldn't trust his parents to not hurt Arvid as another way to hurt him. If Arvid got hurt because of him, he would probably blow up and curse the entire kingdom. There were people who were innocent, but his childlike mind believed they were all bystanders to his pain.

He wouldn't let his true family ever be hurt.

Arendelle

Arendelle Castle

June 29th 2313- November 2nd 2313

Elias felt like he was slowly reaching his breaking point, unable to hold onto his own magic any longer. The urge to let it all go was getting stronger and the only way to calm it down was to sing. His voice calmed his magic down, while also releasing it in a controlled environment. If he couldn't sing, he could not guarantee anyone's safety.

Elias was completely unlucky, because on October 31st, his father decided it was time for a new punishment. The pins and needles gift had long disappeared from his room and Elias thought nothing of it...which in hindsight, he should've.

The night was both dreary and stormy, with not a single soul in sight. Elias had been singing in his room and sculpting ice into the tiny snowmen he had accidentally created. They filled his room and normally whenever Elias sculpts, he makes it go away before anyone can find out, but today he had forgotten. His mind was too far gone, full of memories of laughter and times where everything was just ok. His voice was powerful for a 12 year old, yet as delicate as a snowflake.

It angered his father in a way Elias had never seen and without even realizing it, he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and harshly dragged out of his room. He tried to hold onto something but it was to no avail. His magic screamed at him, alerting him to the danger that was approaching. His magic didn't often warn him, only when what would happen would change his life in a drastic way. That didn't make Elias feel any better.

His father dragged him all the way to the dungeons, the anger never really leaving his face. Elias was scared, frightened really. This had been the first time in at least a year that he had let his father see him practicing his magic, something he wasn't allowed to do. His eyes were diluted in fear as he clawed the walls that led towards the dungeon. He didn't want to go back there, feeling as though he may never come back up.

When they arrived at the dungeon cell, Elias was thrown harshly against the wall, causing him to cough up blood. He looked up at his father, fearfully. "S-sir, please don't…" He softly cried out, knowing that his pleas would fall on deaf ears. His father just looked at him with a cruel smile, slowly holding up a needle.

Elias wasn't sure what his father planned to do with it, maybe stab him. Either way, it would be painful. "You know, i've never liked hearing your voice, but hearing you sing is as painful as being stabbed with a knife. I find that if I shut you up, it will be beneficial to everyone." His father cruelly stated and at that time, Elias figured out what the needle was for.

He began hyperventilating as his father got closer and closer to him. He wanted to lash out with his powers, knowing he could overcome his father but...he didn't want to hurt him. Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, a little voice said that if he hurt his father then nothing would ever go back to normal. It was dumb, considering the fact that his father hurts him far worse than he could ever by simply hitting him with an ice beam of sorts and yet, hitting his younger brother caused dire consequences.

Large sobs began falling from his eyes as his father was finally in front of him, with both the needle and some string. No no no no, he thought, unable to find his voice. It was as though he had been transported into a horror play that he would never be able to escape from. Elias couldn't handle it and began succumbing to the darkness, unaware of the true pain that had yet to come.

On the morning of November 1st, 2313, Elias awoke with a blank in his mind. He couldn't seem to remember what had happened the day before and was about to yawn, when an awful realization came upon him. He couldn't open his mouth. Elias raised up his shaky hands onto his mouth, feeling the bumps of string covering it in a zig-zag pattern. Horror filled his eyes as he desperately tried to get the string off, but was unable to. Silent sobs ravaged Elias with the other realization that he'd be unable to sing and all those memories from the day before assaulted him.

He wasn't sure how he would survive! He couldn't eat or drink..would he die? The thought made Elias pause for a second, wondering if maybe that was the better option by this point. There was no reason to keep on going if the rest of his life was going to be just as cruel. Maybe he'd starve to death within a few days if he simply didn't move.

His magic tried to comfort him, but it was truly a lost cause. What could it do to help him? Nothing, that's what. Tears continued to fall down his face with seemingly no end in sight. It felt as though his world was breaking apart once again, unable to understand the cruelty his father showed him. That hope of them being whole once again withered into nothingness.

Days passed and Elias simply lay unmoving in his cell, seemingly in a trance of sorts. No one came to bother him to attend his lessons, maybe thinking he'd already passed. It was disgusting to think that adults would allow a child to rot away and starve to death, all while turning a blind eye to it. Why should they care? If they defy the king or queen, they could lose their jobs.

When Elias broke out of his trance on the fifth day, he learned that he no longer had to worry about eating or drinking for his magic would keep his body running. The idea of never being able to eat or drink still stung, but he learned to quickly get over it, for Elias would take no more.

With no one coming to check up on him, Elias hatched a plan meant to occur during the night. He would use his magic to break free of the cell, grab what he needed, and use the files in his father's office to learn how to escape. He knew all about the dome and luckily for him, it would open on the 2nd of November. He would let nothing stop him.

Elias had one other goal for escaping and that was to get help to possibly save his family from that evil man. He'd snooped around his father's office once before, learning of a school in the land of the rising sun, known as U.A. Supposedly, he'd be able to find help there. The issue lay in how he would get to another country as sea travel could take months. He didn't ponder on those thoughts any longer, as the night was on the horizon and he was leaving.

Quickly, he shot out a powerful ice beam, turning the steel bars to ice. He rammed his body into them, hearing the crack as they broke apart and left room for him to escape. Elias ran as fast as his body could take him, straight to his room. He couldn't take much and grabbed a small bag, filling it with whatever coins he had saved in case he had to leave someday. Sadness hit him like a truck, realizing that he'd be leaving home for quite some time. He'd never really be on his own as he did have a roof over his head..no matter how painful that roof felt.

He stared at his room, wondering what would happen to it. Elias couldn't really ponder on it long and left the room with the clothing on his person and the few coins in his brown shoulder bag which fit around his body. He sneakily crept over to his father's office and opened the door as slowly as possible, sighing in massive relief inwardly as no one turned to be there. As a child, Elias had been privy to knowledge that others would never see, such as the truth of the dome. That didn't mean he knew what was on the outside at all. Elias spotted the device used to contact the monster and promptly broke it, breaking the one thing that could possible ruin all his plans.

Behind his father's mahogany desk lay a safe, full of the kingdom's secrets. Elias didn't bother to simply crack the code and instead used his ice to freeze the lock. He then cracked it with his knuckles. When the safe broke open, Elias scoured for the information pertaining to the outside world, including U.A and the dome. He stuffed the files in his bag and made a quick escape, jumping out of the office's window. In order to break his fall per say, he created a large ice ramp that let him simply slide down.

His next step was simple, he needed to go and get Snow, who would take him exactly where he needed to be. He ran off to the stables, where Snow was being held. Ever since the abrupt change 4 years ago, Elias had been glad that Snow was left alone, simply moved away from him. He couldn't have handled it if Snow were hurt. When he arrived at the stables, he couldn't believe his eyes. There, in front of him, was Arvid. He hadn't seen him in years. Tears began leaking from his eyes but no sounds were made as he wanted to grab him into a tight hug. Elias knew Arvid would never hurt him.

Arvid on the other hand was horrified, seeing the tightly shut mouth in all its glory. He hadn't seen Elias in 4 years, having believed that maybe the prince moved on...but the mouth told another story. One of darkness and disaster. He ran up to him, cupping Elias's face in his hands. He'd always been taller than Elias, currently standing at 5'5" while Elias stuck at 5'1". He shakily wiped the tears from Elias's eyes. "I-i'm sorry I never noticed. I should've known you'd never leave me behind..I wish I could've saved you." He softly utters, noticing the bag and Elias's destination. "Let me go as far as possible with you. I can't leave my father alone...but I can drop you off at a certain point." Arvid pulled Elias into a tight hug, uttering soft 'i'm sorrys' and 'I wish I noticed'.

Elias tightly gripped Arvid, unwilling to let go. It'd been years since he received any form of affection and he didn't want to leave it now..though he knew he had to go. He wanted to tell Arvid everything that happened but couldn't as his mouth wouldn't open. It was clearly unsightly by the look of horror Arvid had first given him. Closing his eyes, Elias imagined what life would've been like if he never had his powers, maybe he wouldn't have ruined anything.

Knowing what he had to do, Elias stepped away from Arvid before shaking his head 'no' in response to Arvid's request. He believed it'd be harder to let go if Arvid were to follow him. He felt Arvid's hands grip his shoulders, his entire body shaking in rage. "I can't protect you once you leave, not like I truly had in the beginning, but I promise you that one day, i'll come find you then." Arvid sternly said, an unspoken promise shining within his eyes. Elias felt even more tears pour out of him, gratefulness expanding all over his body. He gave Arvid one last hug, before getting Snow and jumping on his back. Arvid opened the stable door, before waving goodbye. "I WILL FIND YOU!" Arvid screamed out as Elias went away. Arvid felt a sob escaping him as he cried for his friend and the awful life he was forced to live. He turned back home, fire burning in his eyes. No one would find out where he went.

Elias wanted to say goodbye too and instead, he sent a wisp of his ice magic at Arvid, watching as it surrounded him protectively. Elias wasn't sure how long that protection would last, but hopefully long enough that if he were taken in on suspicion of treason, he'd be safe. He gave him one last look, before looking straight ahead towards the forest.

The forest was extremely dark and ominous, making Elias want to turn right back around. He swore he could hear whispers telling him to 'go back', but he ignored them. Snow kept going forwards at an immense speed, getting further and further from the kingdom. Within the files on the dome lay the location of the dome's opening. How would he find it? When the dome opened up, there would be a large glow indicating where it could be found. He wasn't close enough yet however to spot it, as midnight had yet to appear. The deeper they went in, the scarier the surroundings got. He wasn't sure if it was his paranoia or not, but Elias also felt as though he could hear multiple footsteps walking through the forest.

During the ride, Elias found himself creating a mask to hide the lower part of his face. He didn't want any questions being asked, nor did he trust any adults to truly help him out. He also took a look at the U.A file, noticing how much of it was far more recent information, courtesy of that man. He was unsure as to why he would've given them information on a place that could save his family..unless Elias was meant to be used as a spy of sorts. Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, Elias looked up towards the night sky, much of which was covered by the tall looming oak trees. The moon shone brightly, leading him towards his destination. Despite the scariness of the forest, the peacefulness made him want to stay.

The unknown never bothered him, as he was a curious child. He'd always wanted answers on how his magic worked but could never find them. He could remember asking and asking his mother why he was so different

and never getting a clear answer. He was always told to 'let it go', but was unable to. This was his life, his magic, and he didn't want to feel like a mystery for the rest of it.

Elias could no longer sing, but that didn't mean he couldn't hum. He sat on Snow's back, humming his sorrows away. He'd hum to his mother's lullaby, wondering how everything got to be this way as Snow got closer and closer to the gleaming light that suddenly appeared, bringing midnight with it.

'There it is' Elias thought, staring at the massive hole that lead into a forest as well. He slowly hopped off Snow's back, a bit scared to leave. He couldn't bring Snow with him into this dangerous new world, fearful of what could happen. He steadily walked forward, noticing how Snow didn't move with him. Despite the bond they had, Snow probably realized he wasn't going with Elias.

It was scary, going into an entirely new world without his family, nor his friends, but he would save everyone. He wouldn't lie and say there wasn't any bitterness locked within his soul from everyone simply ignoring the pain he went through, but he needed to be mature and do the right thing. With his mind made up, Elias walked through the opening and stared out at the rest of the forest. He decided not to look back, in fear of finding himself desperate to go back.

Norway

Some Forest-Oslo

November 2nd 2313- January 14th 2314

It took Elias a few days to find himself within civilization and boy, was he surprised. All around him were people with mutations and powers, similar to that of his own. He felt as though he'd been placed in a world where he wasn't abnormal anymore and that thought made him smile..in spirit. He found he couldn't move his mouth that much at all, resulting in a 'straight face' per say. He learned that he was still in Norway, but this Norway was far different. Tall metal buildings as far as the eye could see, weird horses that were also metallic, and concepts of 'heroes' and villains'. It was so fascinating that Elias ended up spending a few days simply exploring the city he found himself in, known as Oslo. He often slept in alleyways while he learned about modern society. People gave him weird looks whenever he walked past them, as he was dirty beyond belief. His shirt was marred with red on the back and his icy hair was more brown than ever.

He didn't care much for that, far too intrigued with the world around him, but eventually he caught the eye of a patrolling hero who looked like a knockoff version of the Norwegian flag. "Ay kiddo, where are ye parents?" The 6'1" tall bald man asked, worried about the kid who he was alerted to. Apparently, the poor kiddo had been walking around the city for a few days but never changed his clothing, meaning he was either a runaway or there was a much darker story at play.

Elias panicked, still not having a way to communicate with anyone. All he could think of doing was to use two fingers and make an X mark over his mouth to show that he could not speak. He also didn't really trust the tall man in front of him, a bit fearful of what he could do to him. During his city exploration, he learned that 'heroes' were the good guys, so he shouldn't really fear the man, but his past experiences screamed at him to run away. Unsure of what to do, he kept his hands in place and waited for the guy to realize he couldn't speak.

"Ah! Ye can't speak. Sorry laddy, Give me a second." The man quickly pulls out a small notebook and pen, giving it to Elias. Elias was a bit confused on why the man had it but wrote down what was necessary. He decided to put trust in this man or in the idea of heroes per say, because he assumed these were the people he would be looking to for help while in the rising sun country. On the notebook Elias had written how his parents weren't around and that he needed to get to the rising sun country.

Eiwaz was concerned for the kiddo, with the whole notion that his parents weren't in the picture. It took him a second to realize what 'rising sun' meant, but when it clicked, he became confused. Why was the kiddo looking to get to Japan? "Er, laddy, I don't think I can simply get you to Japan. Why don't we go to the police station and find a home for you?" Eiwaz said, wanting to help the poor kiddo.

The second he heard that, Elias ran off, unwilling to be placed anywhere. If he wasn't going to Japan with the hero's help, then he would rather stay put and find another way. Unluckily for him, Eiwaz caught Elias's arm. "Ah kiddo! Please don't run away, look we can figure something out if you tell me why you want to go to Japan, alright?" He didn't want the kiddo running off again.

During Eiwaz's time as a hero, he found himself helping others financially more often than not, paying for those who couldn't afford their groceries or whatnot. It wasn't the most tv worthy heroic act, but it made someone's day better. He would never be an All Might, but he would rather be remembered as the guy who saved the little guys rather than the tv-centered hero.

Elias wrote another sentence in the notebook, stating how he'd be safe in Japan. This freaked out Eiwaz even more. The kiddo wasn't safe in Norway? Was he being chased?!? "I-I can help you! I can protect you from whoever is chasing you." Eiwaz stated, wanting to now help the poor lad as he couldn't in good conscious leave him to his own devices. Elias however wouldn't budge and made it clear that it was Japan or nothing.

Eiwaz really wanted to help the kiddo and decided that, fuck it, he would bring the kid to Japan. He wasn't sure the kid had a passport but being a hero had its perk. Was the situation odd? Yes, very very odd. Yet, his mind refused to just let the kid go. Something was telling him this kid needed to be in Japan and he always trusted his instincts, it's what helped him get his hero career. "Alright, lets get ya cleaned up first and we can take the first flight to Japan tomorrow morning." He stated, being a bit careful with the kiddo. He easily noticed how fearful the kiddo was of him but was still surprised that he went through with his demands.

Elias was ecstatic, he was able to convince the hero man to take him to Japan! Maybe following heroes who were adults was ok, maybe they wouldn't hurt him. He wasn't trusting all adults however, not even the hero in front of him. If he followed through with bringing him to Japan, then maybe he would. He followed after the hero all the way to something known as an apartment complex, walking after the man. They got onto the 7th floor and into room 703, which was much smaller than his room back at the castle. He was still a bit fearful..but if the man tried anything, he'd use his powers to protect him.

"Welcome to home sweet home kiddo! Ah, wait, what's your name?" Eiwaz felt a bit dumb for not having asked before, but was glad to get 'Elias' as an answer, even if no last name was presented. "My hero name is Ægishajálmr but my real name is Eiwaz Thomsen. Norway's rank 23 hero. It's nice to meet ya Elias." Elias was a bit surprised by Eiwaz's politeness, unused to adults treating him with much kindness the last few years.

"Now, why don't ya go take a nice shower, i'll find ye some nice clothing." Eiwaz stated, pointing Elias where the bathroom was and watching as the boy left, before searching for some clothing for him. He was able to find some old long sleeved shirt and pants, which would hopefully fit the laddy.

Elias on the other hand was taking the nicest shower ever, it was warm and made him feel refreshed. He was able to get all the grim off his body and his hair finally looked the right color. He washed his body fairly harshly, noticing the redness of his skin once he got out. He grabbed a towel off of a rack and covered himself, unwilling to let Eiwaz see his scars. It would make the man ask more questions, something he didn't want.

When he got back out, Elias found Eiwaz had left the bedroom and saw the clothing left for him. He put everything on, as well as the boxers and a new mask he created, before leaving the room. The clothing was a bit big on him, but it fit well enough. "Aight kiddo, go rest or something, we got a long day tomorrow and I already booked the earliest flight, at 4am. If ya sleep now, with it bein 9pm, you should get enough sleep." Eiwaz gently told Elias, before bringing him towards the guest room.

Elias got onto the bed, feeling more relaxed than before. It was so much better than sleeping in alleyways and Elias found himself falling fast asleep on the bed, excited about tomorrow.

The next morning was a whirlwind of events, with Elias being woken up at 2am and rushed out. He wore what he wore to bed to the 'airport' and had his brown shoulder bag with him. Eiwaz was kind enough to give him breakfast, which he didn't really expect and quickly made up a lie of why he couldn't eat, stating that his stomach hurt. Eiwaz easily believed him and then they were on their way.

The airport was large and bustling with people, even at 2 in the morning. Elias learned that Eiwaz wouldn't go with him because it wouldn't make sense for him to pay for the extra ticket to go, just to come straight back. He was checked in fairly quickly as heroes got priority per say and before he was thrusted onto the quick security line, Eiwaz gave him a small piece of paper. "Kiddo, i'm worried bout ye, so this paper here has the contact of a hero friend of mine in Japan, as well as my own. Ya contact em or me if you ever need the help, ok? Eraserhead may seem grumpy at first, but he's a good man." Eiwaz gently ruffled Elias's hair, ignoring the flinch from it. He really didn't want to leave the kiddo as he wasn't sure where the poor lad would go, so hopefully he'd contact Eraser. The man could be trusted to help children in need.

Elias gave the hero a wave, unable to feel comfortable enough to give him a hug, before he was onto security. Eiwaz didn't leave until Elias was within the gates area, wanting to make sure the poor kiddo got in alright. He wasn't sure he'd see the kiddo again, but he just knew he'd be a big part of the new era of heroes. With a sigh, Eiwaz was on his way back home to sleep for the next 7 hours.

Elias was giddy, it was 3:45am now and the plane was boarding, he was a bit nervous getting in the thing that flew but knew he couldn't back out now. He gave his ticket to the lady, who smiled at him, before boarding the plane. He was in seat C2, at the window. That made him even happier, despite the lingering sadness that encompassed his being. He missed his family already, despite the pain they put him through. Elias found himself falling right back asleep as the plane began to lift off, too tired to really keep looking out the window. He ignored the person next to him before falling asleep, wondering how he would get into U.A and where he would end up living.

This was the real start of Elias's journey.