Nothing Corey did could alleviate the pounding ache that tormented him. Though his eyes were screwed shut, his face pressed deep into the pillow beneath his head, the migraine didn't stop. The pain drilled through his skull and stabbed into his brain, sending pulses of fire flowing through his body. Despite all his willpower, the minister could not find it in him to hold on any longer. He felt himself drifting, riding the waves of agony until he felt nothing else but his disintegration.

Dawn, where are you?

Already, he was covered in sweat. It stung his eyes and his fresh wounds, adding to his torment, but Corey couldn't scream. He didn't dare to. He was ashamed, scared of what she would thing when she saw him.

Corey could see her eyes widen in realization, in hurt, as she finally understood that he had been lying to her. That under her nose he had been poisoning himself, stopping himself from getting better.

He had seen that look before and it had almost killed him.

"Sorry, Corey." He heard Rhea Lee say from behind him. "I have to put your chip back, I can't let this go on."

Corey raised his head and forced himself to look at her, despite his pain.

"I'm fine," he protested weakly but was unable to fight back when the doctor captured his wrist.

"You're barely alive," she hissed, the portable chipping device already in her hand, "this time it's going into your bone."

Corey was forced to face the permanence of her decision as she stared down at him with a serious glare. "I was close, so close. . . If I had just a little more time," he told her wearily then calmed down, his gaze suddenly serene. "How much time do I have left?"

Save the capital.

"Sorry Corey, it's not long." Rhea Lee frowned, her eyes evading his. "Five months at most. A year or two, if you're lucky and this works."

Corey said nothing. The tug of his powers on his life force had always been draining, it had been that way since he was a child. That was one of the reasons why he could never give Dawn the love she wanted, she didn't know that it would kill her.

A soft smile passed his lips as he thought of how she vowed to cure him, not knowing that she was all he needed. But he could never take her, not without taking her life anyway. That's why he had Rhea Lee remove his chip. He didn't want to die, but at the same time he did.

Whether the chip made his condition better or not had always evaded him. It suppressed his powers and made him dull. It kept him under control until the strength of his abilities got too much for his body and he had to resort to the stronger cocktail his father had fed him as a child to stop him from accidentally killing people whenever he had nightmares. The pain was endless but the chip stopped him from feeling it.

The flare-up of his powers happened every three months, and each time his body would be wracked with agony until he poisoned himself with that horrid cocktail. It kept him in a state of barely living that would last for the next three months. He never felt like eating or sleeping or talking, but the chip forced him to be active, giving him supplements through his bloodstream and sending reminders to keep him moving.

Corey had gone through the cycle too many times to quit now, his system was used to it.

Save the capital.

If he took the chip now then he'd live for two years at most but all his power would have dissipated by then, along with his life. If he didn't take the chip then he'll only have a few months, but his powers would be stronger than ever and the pain would fade.

Making his decision, Corey stared up into Rhea Lee's eyes. "Dawn's birthday is in less than a month," softly smiling, he shut his eyes.

The doctor looked down at the minister, distress filling her eyes. His words were all the answer she needed.

Save the capital.

†

Rhea Lee could not stop herself from pacing, nor could she prevent the images of Corey's lifeless body from flashing through her mind. "It has to work. It has to."

Sebastian and Roger watched her from their seats across the room, looking equally troubled.

"My dear," Sebastian started, his tone loving, "you worry me."

By him, Roger groaned, slapping his hand onto his forehead. "Dawn is going to kill me. We were almost too late to save the minister."

"Both of you, shut up!" Rhea Lee snapped. "Can't you see that I'm trying to think?"

Then she resumed her pacing, sweat dripping down her jaw as she glared at the carpeted floor of the hallway.

"We need to save the capital," she suddenly turned to both of them. "Greeley, I need you there. The moment you've gathered enough information relay it to me then start coming back."

Roger gave her a nod then got out of his seat. "I'll be back soon." he promised as he whirled out the doorway and disappeared.

"What about me, my dear?" Sebastian asked with a weak smile. "What am I to do?"

Rhea Lee threw his a scalding look and stormed out the door. "Just stay there and look pretty."

†〰†

The prisoner looked like he was enjoying himself. Well, that was what Rhea Lee thought as she scowled at him. She didn't get the time to interrogate him, Corey being her major focus the moment the battle ended.

"What is your name?" She asked the man as she dragged her seat closer to him. The doctor had suspended him in chains, Aether chains that restrained ones abilities.

No way he's turning back to wind now. She smirked. Though she was curious about him and how he got his powers, it didn't matter much to her. She knew that if—no, when—Dawn came back and saw that this man was not begging for death, they would all be in trouble.

Corey had almost died, that thought made Rhea Lee shiver. Dawn would never forgive her. No, her sister would not give her time to explain and before she could stop Dawn, her own head would be off.

"Aleron Aldrin," the man answered as Rhea Lee rubbed her neck.

"What a peculiar name." She muttered.

"Not where I'm from," Aleron Aldrin shot her a playful look, "it's actually quite common."

Rhea Lee frowned and looked at the man with a thoughtful expression. "And where exactly are you from?" She asked, not really expecting him to answer.

"Paradise." He answered easily, shocking her. For some reason, the doctor didn't think he was lying, in fact—

"Why would I lie?" He grinned widely. "We both read minds."

"Just like I thought," Rhea Lee said with a sigh and slumped in her chair, "these chains are not effective on your kind."

"So that was what these were for?" Aleron Aldrin looked at the manacles that encased his hands and feet with a curious look. "Forgive me, but I am still not used to your customs. I thought these were a strange furniture. . . a form of bedding ritual, perhaps?"

Rhea Lee put her fingers to her skull, hoping to alleviate the ache this man had caused. She could sense his genuine confusion as though he didn't know why he was being restrained. "Why are you here?"

"I failed my mission, so I belong to you." he said, in a meek tone that sent color to the doctor's cheeks.

"And what was your mission?" She coughed to hide her embarrassment. Why was she reacting this way to just a few words? She could already perceive his thoughts. . . could he read hers?

"To kill your king," he said honestly, but as though realizing something, added, "but I now know that he is honorable, a king I would love to serve."

"Why did you want to kill him?"

"A princess was stolen by your islanders. Despite several negotiations taking place, she was never returned."

"A life for a life." Rhea Lee stated, rather than asked.

The man nodded.

"Now tell me," she leaned closer to him and whispered, "why are you telling me the truth?"

To answer, the prisoner only said four simple words. "I belong to you."

Rhea Lee stormed out of the room in frustration, not giving the strange man any time to say anything else. Paradise, Paradise, Paradise. Where had she heard that word before?

She changed her course and headed to her house's library, only to see Sebastian's sad face in front of her.

"Sebastian," she sighed, "step out of my way."

"I will. But tell me what I did to upset you."

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Her mind spinning as she felt Aleron Aldrin's presence right next to her.

"I never loved you." she said and pushed past the stunned man.

That was rude. The prisoner chided her. Rhea Lee said nothing, knowing that he was right.

Aleron Aldrin, she decided to test what she knew about the man, if you keep hovering over me like this, I will never speak to you again.

For a moment there was silence, then she heard him whine, but I like you. He sounded so pitiful that she smiled, you have such a nice mind.

Last warning, she told him.

Without a word, his presence disappeared and Rhea Lee could finally breathe easy. The man wasn't what she expected, from the way he had acted on the battlefield she thought he would be the cold, resolute type. She thought he would rather kill himself than let out a word.

But the man she held captive could escape right now if he wanted. In fact, with both Corey and Lord Estell incapacitated, he could kill them all. And yet he acted like an obedient puppy.

I belong to you. She couldn't shake off his words or deny the effect it had on her. Rhea Lee cupped her face in her hands. Just what was wrong with her?

†