His breath heated up her forehead.

The crimson gaze had her brain freeze.

\'S-so close!\'

Ezra\'s body was almost touching hers, yet…

\'I can\'t feel his presence!\'

She gulped nervously, extending her hand ever so slowly.

It landed on bare skin, surprising her, but the hand on her mouth restricted all audible sounds. 

Her face grew hot, \'H-He\'s naked?\'

\'No, just shirtless\'

Strangely, she didn\'t feel repulsed, rather pulling her arm away, she sought to explore this landscape she discovered.

Slowly, her palm drew over his skin.

\'So smooth\'

She felt his chest, then his stomach, slowly building an image of him in her mind. 

Enthralled she was, unnoticing the hand on her mouth sliding away.  

Her hand reached his head, slowly drawing over his face, then back to his chest, focusing on his beating heart.

Ever so slowly, she placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

\'So calm, so…peaceful\'

Then everything went dark.

________

\'Hmm\'

Valentine \'s shut open to pitch darkness.

*Yawn!* 

Yawning and stretching her crisp bones.

\'Where am I?\' she wondered, cold she was, her hands drawing over the cold surface she lay.

Like an abrupt start, her memories hit like a storm but quickly subsided.

\'Right, I was-I was…\'

When the details became clear, Valentine found herself tongue-tied.

\'I. DID. WHAT?!\'

At that moment…

"Oh, you\'re awake"

A voice rang out. Valentine got on her feet.

Without his crimson gaze, Valentine found it nigh impossible to discern his location. 

"Considering how easily you fell asleep; I take that those nightmares really took the toll one you"

\'Right\' she thought, \'Nightmares\'

She was shocked. \'I didn\'t have any nightmares this time\' 

She calmed. "How long did I sleep?"

"Five hours give or take"

She turned in haste. "I need to get going"

"Wait" 

She halts.

"You still haven\'t told me what those nightmares were about"

A short silence pervades. "I\'ll do that next time"

"Huh? This wasn\'t a one-time thing?" Ezra was genuinely surprised. "Are you seriously not afraid that I\'ll kill you?"

She turned to him. "I\'m not afraid of you"

The crimson eyes appeared. "The smell on you says otherwise" 

Valentine flinches, but stands her ground. "That nose of yours must be severely damaged"

"Hahaha" he burst out laughing. "With how long you\'ve been here, those outside are going to be suspicious. Tell me-what are you going to tell them you were doing all this time?"

Valentine turned to him. "Thank you, I\'d almost forgot"

"…?"

Taking out a small vial from the pouch strapped to her side, she pushes it to him.

"I came to take your blood" she flings it to him. "Put some of it in there"

Ezra looks intermittently between her, the vial and then… "Nope" flings it back. 

Thankfully, she caught it.

"I\'m not doing it. You still haven\'t told me what I want to hear"

"Must you know?!"

"Must you take my blood?"

"Ugh!"

"Grumbling won\'t solve your problems"

"Why do you want to know so much anyway?!"

"Oh, that\'s simple. I\'m the only one here and talking to myself gets boring quickly"

"So…" she was dumbfounded. "You\'re lonely…"

"I didn\'t say that"

Coughing to wipe away the awkward silence, she continues. "I\'ll tell you the next time I\'m here-I\'ve already spent too much time"

"Then spending a bit more won\'t be a problem"

"You\'re not listening"

"No, that\'s you" he replied. 

"You\'re not going to give me your blood until I tell you about my nightmares, are you?"

"Nope"

*SIGH*

A heavy sigh cascaded the cell.

Then, Valentine sat in a lotus posture, staring into darkness until something touched her feet notifying her of Ezra\'s presence.

"I\'m thankful you decided to tell me" he mouthed. 

Valentine rolled her eyes. "Did I have a choice?"

"Nope"

"You\'ve changed since the last time I saw you" she pointed out. "What happened?"

"Uh? I have? I don\'t think so. How so?"

"Your eyes" she pointed out. "You peered into everything like a beast before, now, it\'s softened a bit"

"Is that so?"

"I assume something happened?"

Ezra blinked, blinked and blinked.

"I\'m in Arcadia-if that gives you an idea"

*Cough*Cough* She looked away. "Never mind"

She took deep breathes. "I was born in a noble family, the Henderson\'s"

"Wait, what does this have to do with your nightmares?"

"Everything, now stop interrupting me"

Ezra nodded, having thoughts of his own. 

\'To be so casual in front of a Demon…maybe she doesn\'t just understand they\'re I\'m capable of?\'

Something occurred to him.

"How are you here?" he suddenly asked.

"What?"

"How did you even get to Arcadia? I don\'t think it\'s that easy to find, or is it?"

"My mother helped me" 

"She brought you?"

"You can say that"

"You told her you were coming to see me and she allowed you?"

"Yes" Valentine replied. "She said being a demon didn\'t change your personality. \'You didn\'t turn into a beast\' to be exact. Though in my opinion, that\'s because you were already one"

Ezra blinked.

"She let you-an Expert-come to see a Demonic grandmaster alone?" 

"I\'m not alone" 

"I know"

Ezra placed his palm on the metal floor, and then…

*Freeze*

Ice expanded from Ezra\'s arm, covering the whole cell in seconds.

_________

"Sir! I\'ve been blocked, I can\'t see him. What should we do?"

The head ward frowned.

The squad leader was a metal mage, and he was monitoring the situation inside Ezra\'s cell.

While he couldn\'t tell each and every movement, he was able to affirm those within.

The Grandmaster did something and now he couldn\'t do that.

"Leave it" the head ward replied.

"Yes?"

"Leave him. If he hopes to escape, he\'ll find us waiting for him, get the others ready" 

"But sir, what about the girl?"

"She has herself to blame for coming here. Now, get the others"

"Yes!"

_________

Valentine touched the ground, her fingers slipped.

The walls of the cells were iced, but none came on her body.

\'This level of ice mastery…is astounding\'

On cue…

*Kiek!*

A force grappled her neck and lifted her.

"Ezra, what are you doing?!"

No reply.

"You\'re strangling me!"

He simply stared, his gaze red once more as he tilted his head from side to side.

\'Sh*t!\' she realized. \'His eyes have changed!\'

He stared at her like she was some inanimate object. Moreover, his eyes were a shade deeper.

The eye\'s ability was taking effect, encroaching her mind with fear.

Her body lit up with purple lightning, trying to pull away from Ezra\'s grapple.

But it proved futile.

Then he pulled her towards him.

Her eyes made out a sadistic smile on Ezra\'s face.

Putting his mouth beside her ear, he spoke, his voice chilly. "I thought you weren\'t afraid of me?"

"I\'m not!" she choked the words out. Looking vengeful. "But I am afraid of dying"

"Ha" he let go of her neck.

*Thud*

She fell on her butt with a thud.

Straightening her sore throat, she looks to see the crimson gaze peering down on her figure.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I truthfully…do not know"

Suddenly, he sat. Taking a lotus position, the red shade on his eyes subsequently fading.

A wave of fire washed over the cell, turning the ice to vapour.

Again, she wasn\'t affected.

"Now, where were we? Yes, you were telling me about your family"

Valentine stared, panting while rubbing her sore throat.

\'Is he crazy?\' she wondered.

"You don\'t remember what you just did?"

"I do" he replied flatly. 

"AND?"

He shrugged, "Since you insulted my pride, I had to make sure"

"Make sure…?"

"Make sure of…something? Hmm, I can\'t remember"

She was fuming. "You almost killed me!"

"Not true. I was never going to kill you"

"Ugh! Since when did you care about pride?"

"I\'ve always…no, not always…since…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes turned cold as he dug deeper. \'Since when did I care about pride?\'

His eyes widened. "Ziltris was a dog of pride. His heart…yes, ever since I ate it…but even emissaries shouldn\'t have this much of an effect"

Holding his chin, he thought, \'Unless…h(huán)e drank blood from…\'

As the dots connected, he chuckled. One of dejection, \'What are the chances?\'

His plans would have to be revised again.

"Give it"

"What?" Valentine was on guard.

"The vial"

In his hand, Ezra made a small cut on his finger and filled the vial before handing it back to her.

"You can go"

She was surprised. "You don\'t want to hear the rest of the story?"

He waved his arms. Having lost any previous excitement. "Another day"

So, in a much unspectacular way, Valentine made her exit, still rubbing her sore throat.

_________

Coming out, she meets the squad leaders aligned with the head warden at the forefront.

"Well?" the head warden inquired.

Valentine raised the vial. Its contents are clear for all to see. 

"Sir, she did it" 

The head warden nodded.

Over the past week, they\'d tried to extract Ezra\'s blood to begin experiments. 

They\'d been unsuccessful every time.

So, when Valentine arrived, the head warden thought it was a chance to test it out.

What would you know? She succeeded.

\'That too as an Expert. She might be worth grooming\' 

Valentine stopped right before the head warden, handing him the vial.

"I did it" she stated. "So I get to stay"

The head warden nodded.

The deal was, if she failed to fill the vial, she would leave Arcadia, if she succeeded, she could stay.

Ordinarily, she wasn\'t bothered with leaving since she got enough from this visit.

\'I don\'t know why\' she thought, turning to face Ezra\'s cell. 

\'But I don\'t want to leave just yet\'

She was unsure of her next move.