A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Ringing continued in her ears as the clock's pendulum swung back and forth. It was booming, and her lips parted a bit in shock at the chance before her. She didn't know how trustworthy the creature before her was. After all, he had terrified her all the way through Flat Peak Tunnels, and he had admitted that he had hated her for the exposure of his species' weakness. Most likely, he wished to kill her, but he was saying that he would hold back since his frustration for the creature she knew was greater.

Yet, the whole thing was her best opportunity at killing the creature. You could've killed him before. Nearly, she scowled, and she pushed the thought aside. That had been an accident. Even the creature had admitted that to her, and she would keep that train of thought. Now, she wouldn't repeat the same mistake. Rather, she would have significant aid; she had a fair shot at ending him once and for all. "But ..." she started, her still shocked eyes staring to the creature before her.

"You don't trust me, right?" he asked as he leaned back on his chair. She nodded slightly. "It's understandable. You only just met me, and you know that I despise you. I'd be surprised if you weren't distrusting of me."

"Then ..." She trailed off, wondering if she ever could trust him a bit.

"Let me give you something." She raised a curious brow. "Maybe, it won't install your trust in me, but I can't really think of what will." The male stood up from his chair and headed over to a door in the room. "It's more information on the creature you know, however." At that, she sat up a little straighter.

"How?"

"I researched more about his past. I wanted to understand why one of us so greatly would want such attention brought to himself." He opened the door and removed an old wooden box from the top shelf. "It took a few victims and searching their cell phones using their ..." His words trailed off, and he furrowed his brows. "Right, data. I destroyed the phones afterwards, but the light from those devices also helped to train my eyes against my weakness."

Walking over to the bed, she moved slightly away from him, and she winced in the process. He paid her action no mind. "Reading newspaper articles and missing person reports honestly got tiring after awhile, but it gave me something to do." His shoulders shrugged. "Some luck probably was involved too, but there was a lot of patience, especially since I rarely touched the devices beforehand."

"Then, you know," his optics met hers, "about Dunnuuna." He nodded his head and opened the metal latch on the box. "So, you went there?" Again, he nodded, and he pulled out several documents before he placed them before her. (F/n) watched his left nails glide across the sheets, and she felt relieved when they were no longer near her. "When?"

"I did, and I found his grandfather's, Garrick Qataap, house. I found the cabin too, and the secret entrance. I saw it all." He sighed. "It's no wonder he got to where he was back in Cankerfell tunnels. What his grandfather did to him was atrocious." His left index nail pointed to the papers. "Those I found in his grandfather's original home." Heading back over to the chair, he seated himself once more, and she was grateful for the distance. "I take it that you never entered his grandfather's home."

She shook her head lightly to avoid her headache making itself known again. "I only entered a convenience store and the cabin when I had been there. I had been ..." Her eyes met his briefly. "It had been a plan to kill him, and I had done some research about the place." (F/n) couldn't hold back a heavy sigh, but she also didn't mention that Nick had been the researcher, especially since the creature before her had hinted at his dislike for him too. "I almost had succeeded, but I just had missed his heart." Evident frustration graced her countenance.

An understanding nod came from him before he mentioned, "They're notes from his mother, Jiselle." Her fingers froze before she picked them up. "She must've written them before she disappeared with his father. She either forgot to take them with her, or Garrick found them at the cabin and brought them back to his house for some reason without being seen by anyone in town." He shrugged. "Not sure." (F/n) nodded, and she hesitantly picked up the papers as though they would crumble in her fingers.

"What's on them?" she questioned, looking over the first page. Some of the words were unreadable due to wear and age. The first page seemed to be about Jiselle talking about how the creature's father was a gentleman and incredibly kind and considerate to her. It was obvious that she was over the moon about him.

"Besides her thoughts about his father, she does mention how she does plan to have his child, and that she's agreed to it with him despite the end result for her." His tone almost sounded like it had pure disgust in it, but he had seemed to find the whole idea of mating with a human to be horrid. "It should be the fifth page." Following his instructions, she set the first four pages aside and read over the fifth one. He remained quiet as she inspected it.

I've been talking with Verum about when we'll sneak away, but we've also been discussing our future child's name. He does enjoy the topic a lot, and he always gets this special smile on his face at the mention of our child. I can't help but smile too when I see it. But, I think that I've thought of the perfect name for him: Ether.

And, I'll pass this information onto Verum so that he can tell our son it after I pass. But, I want him to know that even though he needs to eat humans to live and that he might be called a monster, his father and he are the most beautiful in the world to me. Even though he might seem volatile at times, he also can be the most pleasant. I want him to know that I loved him beyond the endless sky and universe. To me, his father and he are the rarest gifts, and I couldn't be more grateful to them.

The remaining part of the note was illegible. Her hands remained on the note, and she felt like she had read something that she shouldn't have. It never had been meant for her eyes, but she knew the name that the creature's mother wanted him to have. (F/n) knew his father's name now. Gently, she set down the paper. There was no way that the creature before her could've faked that note and written it himself. It wouldn't have had the same ... touching tone to it, given his seeming dislike of humans. "How will this help me to trust you?" she inquired softly since her mind was processing what she just read. She placed the notes aside and leaned over to put them back into the box.

"Like I had said, I don't know if it will. That's up to you." He crossed his legs. "I guess that it's showing that I'm helping you learn more about the creature you know so well or Ether for that matter." The name sounded so foreign to her, especially since she never expected to learn what his birth name was or would've been.

"And, there's no catch?" He raised a brow. "Once he's dead, I can go home and live my life like you had said, right?" The creature before her nodded. She broke her gaze with him and stared down at her hands; however, she did listen to his movements. Part of her, though, wished that she hadn't seen the notes from Jiselle. Even though the older woman never met her son, it was quite evident that she loved him. It just was what the creature hoped for; he wished to know that his parents loved him, and that note was proof of that. His name even was representative of that love.

Having just read that, a part of her felt that killing him would be cruel. It was as though Jiselle was right there and watching her plan the death of her son. Ultimately, though, the creature had done terrible things, and he didn't feel sorry for them. The creature was going to force her to have a child with him if she lost their game, and if she refused, he would kill her parents. Are you sure?

Immediately, she paused. The creature before her had mentioned that the creature's stalling might be more than simply messing with her, but she didn't want to believe or even think of that possibility. To her, the creature ... or Ether was cruel and sadistic. He needed to be killed before more people died from him and before he could win their game. His messing around would be the end of him, just like how it had allowed her to escape Cankerfell tunnels.

His mother wasn't responsible for his actions, but (f/n) couldn't sit by and let the creature win because she had read some ... heartwarming note. She wouldn't be swayed. Her hands gripped the sheets, and she ignored the slight pain in her limbs at the action. Maybe, she should give the notes to him since they had belonged to his mother, but ... No, she didn't need to do that. He already had a good impression of his parents; she didn't need to convince him of anything.

Locking her gaze back with the creature before her, she answered, "Promise me that you'll let me go and return home once you kill him." Shakily, she held out her right hand for him to shake. Her eyes held his firmly. A sigh parted from his lips before he stood up and walked over. She watched him carefully in case he tried to use his left hand, but he, thankfully, lifted his right and shook her hand.

"I promise." He pulled his hand away as soon as he could. His eyes glanced over her form before they went back to her. "Do you think that you'll be able to stand now? Are you warm enough?" She looked over her form and noted that her all of her clothes, which he had left on, were dry. The only thing she felt off of her was her shoes, which probably were at the foot of the bed, but she was warm again.

"Yeah." She sat up a little more on the bed, but she didn't leave it yet, still enjoying the warmth from the pan at her feet. "So, what do you need me to do?"