AS SOON AS SHE had closed the door, she could feel her heartbeat quicken. It was a nauseous feeling which was crawling in her stomach, the one which told her something was very, very wrong. She didn't pay it any mind. After all, she often felt uncomfortable in situations where she shouldn't be. In the end, Nathan was locked up and she was supposed to be doing her job, so nothing else mattered. Wasn't that what she was doing here? Her job?

"You're unsure why you came in here," Nathan said, not a question, just a statement.

"What makes you think so?" she said.

"You're always mirroring me when you feel you're the one leading the conversation," he smiled," now, you're far more withdrawn. I wouldn't say nervous, because I don't scare you. Or do I, Helene?"

For a moment, her mask faltered. It wasn't a miraculous revelation which he was making, no, she had read people like this many times before as well. When it was done to her however it felt like she was vulnerable all of a sudden, like all the weaknesses she tried so hard to keep hidden were laid bare for the whole world to see. No one ever watched her closely enough to notice anyway. After all, the people she interacted with had enough problems of their own to also focus on someone else's, something she understood completely. Besides, wasn't that her role? Always observing, never truly participating?

Her body moved before she even had recovered herself, a smile curling up on her lips almost like a reflex. She was glad for it, ignoring the brief second she had been jarred by his words. After all, wasn't she the one in control of the conversation, always? It didn't matter if she was deluding herself by thinking so, as long as she thought it. With a chuckle she shifted forward to sit on her knees, eyes locked with his.

"You already know the answer to that question," she said," what scared person would lock themselves in a room with you?"

"A crazy one, perhaps," he mused.

"Perhaps," she replied," perhaps I should leave, seeing how unsure I am."

"You wouldn't," he said, so confidently that she moved to leave just to prove him wrong.

She had her hand on the door already to knock so the guards would let her out, but right before her knuckles could touch the steel he spoke, voice somehow loud despite how soft he was speaking.

"I wasn't joking when I said I will kill them all, Helene."

"I doubt you joke much," she said, her back still towards him.

"I don't," Nathan replied warmly," but for you, I'll even grant a life."

She turned around, attempt to leave forgotten as she stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Tick tock," he grinned, eyes snapping to the right, as if he could sense that something was happening," it's time. Can you feel it?"

"What did you do?" she said, walking towards him without even noticing it.

"Like I said," he smiled," I would stay here as long as it would be fun for me. What makes you think I wouldn't burn this whole place down for separating me from the only person who has ever interested me?"

She sat down in front of him, just beyond the reach of his hands, watching him curiously.

"You're escaping," she remarked," the only way you'll be able to, by killing everyone in here. Are you telling me to choose one person to keep alive? Is it because you want to be cruel to me or because you want me to be cruel?"

"Why would I want to be cruel to you?" he blinked, looking genuinely surprised," you're the only one that matters."

"Will I matter more if I lose myself in insanity then?" she said.

He started laughing then, such a beautiful sound that he almost seemed innocent. With a warm smile he turned back towards her, blood dripping from his chin.

"Can you wipe it off for me?" he said," I can't breathe well. I'd do it myself, but -" He tugged at the chains behind him, the clanking loud in the silent room. "Well, it seems I've gotten myself stuck."

"You know no one's allowed that near," she said," after all you've done, why would I come within arm's length of you, Nathan?"

"Why are you sitting so close anyway?" he said," instead of backed up all the way against the door. You may pretend not to feel it, but you're the same as I am."

"Why do you think so?" she said, curious to hear what kind of image he had projected on her.

"You asked if you mattered more if you lost yourself in insanity," he grinned," but can't you see it, Helene? You have already lost yourself. There's something wrong in the way you react to things, the way you perceive the world. I murdered someone in front of you and yet you didn't even seem sickened by it. No, you're sitting so close that one step would be enough for me to place my hands around your throat. I at first thought you were either fascinated by death or suicidal, but it seems you're neither. You don't care what happens, do you?"

What was he talking about? She had reacted normally, just like everyone else. Hadn't she widened her eyes with shock at the sight to show how distressed she was? Besides, she doubted she was the first person to sit so close to a serial killer. She wasn't the one saying she was going to kill everyone. How could he say this all like it was the truth instead of something he was projecting on her? Was he right?

"I'm a doctor, Nathan," she said," I've seen worse horrors than a broken windpipe."

"You and I both know that isn't an explanation," he said," all humane doctors keep their negative emotions about death, they just learn how to cope with it better. You don't cope with it at all, it seems like you don't even care."

"I do what I can to provide the best care to my patients," she said," that includes hiding my personal feelings."

"Helene," he said, smile wide and eyes warm," my lovely psychiatrist. You don't need to justify anything to me. I'm not accusing you of being cold, I'm complimenting you for it. You're absolutely wonderful, the way you guessed my entire plan, even the little game I had for you."

"But it's no game, is it?" she said, searching his expression for anything other than the usual amusement he carried," you and I both know who I'm going to choose. It would be more interesting for you to tell me to choose between my own life and Dante's."

Something undecipherable flashed over his face, but he was smiling again within a second, almost gently.

"Why would I?" he said," we both know you would choose anyone but yourself and if I lose you, what am I supposed to do? I don't think you understand, Helene. This world is so terribly, terribly dull. Everyone around me is either scared of me or no fun at all. You can understand how bored I must've been to let myself get caught. Do you even know how long that took, with how stupid these cops are? I left behind all these obvious hints and even then it took months until they had their hands on me."

He wasn't joking. Right now, something was happening in the prison. She had already suspected he wouldn't take being put in solitary kindly, but was he really capable of killing them all? More importantly, if he wasn't planning on killing her, then what would happen? Was he going to leave her behind in the midst of all the corpses?

"If I choose Dante," she said," will you promise not to harm him?"

"The game isn't fun if you're not hesitant," he said," I would've perhaps let someone else live, but your attachment to Dante — perhaps I should kill him to get rid of that?"

"He's my first friend," she said," please."

"And what am I?" Nathan said softly," just your patient?"

She crossed the distance between them, only stopping when her hands were cupping his face. If this whole prison was going to hell, she might as well go there as well. As long as she could save Dante, then it was fine. Nathan had been right when he had called them all selfish and she was the most egoistical of them all. She didn't care about anyone when it came to it, not unless she was close with them.

His face was surprisingly hot to the touch. The reminder of the blood rushing through his veins was a startling one. Despite all his threats, it made him seem human for a moment, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second at her touch. How often had someone gently taken his face in their hands? She shook the thought out of her head. It didn't matter. She shouldn't sympathize with a killer.

It was hard not to though when he was looking up at her like this, on his knees and with his hair messy in his face. The lack of much light in the room caused his dark eyes to be filled with shadows and yet they still looked bright somehow, curious almost. He seemed so young like this, his skin soft to the touch.

"Do you think I'm like this with all my patients, Nathan?" she whispered.

He smiled, leaning his face against her hand adoringly.

"I like you, Helene," he said," I don't know whether you're the one manipulating me or I'm the one manipulating you and that's ever so lovely, isn't it?"

Only then did she realize people were screaming behind her. They probably had been for a while now, but the world always seemed to fade when she was with Nathan. She turned to look over her shoulder as the door was slammed open, the hallway a mess of blood and screams. The man in the doorway was holding a knife as sharp as his smile, but before she could do anything she suddenly felt two hands pulling her closer by her waist.

Nathan, she thought vaguely. Had his chains been unlocked this whole time? She didn't have much time to think about it, because the man in the doorway threw something, Nathan catching it as he whispered something in her ear. She felt a sharp pain in her arm, knowing it was an intramuscular shot before she even saw the needle. What had he injected her with?

Then the world began to spin, slowly turning to black as the words he had spoken echoed in her head, until she finally lost consciousness.

"Let's go home, Helene."