I watch her trembling figure as she desperately clings to me, my lips set in a grim line as I continuously run my fingers down her tense muscles.

Her warm tears stain the fabric of my white robe, every one of her shattering sobs stabbing my soul. If I even have one, that is.

I just want her to stop, I can't look at her being so broken and vulnerable. The worst thing is that there's no way for me to help her. I can just crouch there in front of her, not say a single fucking word and watch her as she falls apart right before me.

Without warning, she starts hitting my chest with her clenched fists, refusing to meet my perplexed stare. "I hate it! No! Why am I like this? I'm so fucking stupid, god fucking dammit!"

Her outburst of profanity continues, every blow of hers getting weaker as she gradually starts losing her energy. A wretched sob escapes her chest as she shifts her infuriated glare to me, uncontrollable tears marking the soft skin of her cheeks.

"Why am I not able to go and tell them that they are keeping the wrong person in custody? Why are you clouding my rational thinking, making me sink to such toxic emotions as jealousy? Why can't I save a life? I'm nothing more than a worthless piece of shit!"

Her voice is broken by countless whimpers, her screwed face showing nothing but pure contempt as her brows knit into a tight frown.

She clenches her jaw forcefully as she gets to her feet, rolling her shoulders back and changing her posture completely. "You pig." This time, these words escaping her lips are harsh like a whip snapping through the air.

I don't move nor try to stop her from storming away from me. Instead, I just crouch there, focusing my gaze to where a single teardrop that was once trailing down her cheek is now staining the sterile floor.

She needs to transfer the blame from herself and I'm the perfect target for it, a heartless supernatural being that's able to kill without any remorse, a monster capable of controlling whoever and whatever it stumbles upon, leaving nothing but sorrow behind.

Only this time, a tight feeling wrapping around my whole figure is shortening my breath and constricting my heart to such lengths that at one point, I'm absolutely sure that I'll lose my consciousness.

The first time I felt like this was when I left her.

Now resting my weight on my knees, I pinch the bridge of my nose as I try to calm down my erratic breathing, swatting away the unpleasant memories that start materialising in my mind.

Sadly, I'm not able to ignore the obvious presence hovering above me, which isn't helping me concentrate at all.

"What the fuck do you want?" I growl menacingly before I turn around and face the person disturbing my attempt to savour what scrap of solitude's been left to me.

Dr Ko is now in her regular hospital attire, her eyes trained on me as I stand up and dust off the imaginary fluff from my clothes, completely burying all the feelings deep inside my mind and focusing my attention on her.

My eyes narrow to crinkled slits as I lean down to her, observing her cowering figure before I tilt my head to the side. Her eyes wander over my figure, examining every little detail of it.

My true form is already on high alert, craving for a taste of the soul her body is harbouring. Sliding my tongue over my lower lip, I barely manage to win the fight with my desire and force the aura to subside.

She clears her throat, still unable to let her gaze meet with my own as she gets a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I... I don't want you to see or speak with Ariadne anymore." Even my sensitive ears barely pick up her mumbling.

One hell of an amused chuckle escapes my throat, the corner of my lip pulling up into a bewildered smile. "Where did the honorifics disappear to, Ko Harin?" She finally unglues her dull eyes from my name tag and anchors her attention to my expression.

I see her swallowing nervously, her lips becoming a single line as she desperately tries to keep her composure in front of me. "One kiss has made you extremely bold these days," I continue, watching her as she flinches when I let my finger caress her chin.

"Well, two to be exact." Her voice is barely above a whisper, causing my aura to twitch delightedly around me and try to inch closer to her defenceless frame.

Goosebumps form on my warm skin when the thought of her dead body lying on the floor beneath my feet flashes through my mind. She'd be much prettier like that.

And much less annoying.

"One, two, it's all the same to me. Also, what you're asking me to do is unfortunately almost completely impossible because as far as I know, Ariadne and I are working together at the same hospital. Your hospital."

I'm slowly starting to lose my patience, but I seriously can't bother altering her memories right now. She's just too much of a hassle for my exhausted mind.

I still haven't heard from Ari and that's rubbing me the wrong way. She's hopefully somewhere safe and sound because this storm isn't thinking of ending its rampage anytime soon.

At least she can send me a furious text telling me to fuck off, but not even that is gracing the lock screen of my phone. An unnerving tingle runs down to the pit of my stomach.

Calm down, nothing will happen. She isn't destined to die yet.

"Were you even listening to me?" Dr Ko abruptly ends my train of thoughts, only earning a simple scoff for her useless efforts to get me to engage in her tedious monologue.

My fingers trace the outer line of my bottom lip as I promptly raise my eyebrows at her expectant stare.

"There are only two types of women in this world. One can bore me to such lengths that I want to stab myself to death and free myself from all the misery, while the other one gives me the sole purpose to stay alive."

Her breath hitches in her throat as her thinly plucked brows knit into a tight frown. She swings her restless gaze down to my mouth before she focuses on my eyes once again.

I can't and don't even want to contain the light chuckle reverberating through my chest. "I guess you're smart enough to figure out which type you belong to."

Her mouth pops open and she blinks a couple of times, a burst of air escaping her lungs in a desperate hum as she continues staring at my unbothered expression. "You're not serious," She manages to breathe out.

I remain silent, pushing the inside of my cheek with the tip of my tongue before a mischievous smirk briefly becomes visible on my face. "Do you even care about me?" She whimpers with tears welling up in her dull eyes.

Her voice is trembling so much so that I even start wondering if she's speaking the same language as I am. Jesus Christ, this is becoming increasingly unbearable with every passing moment.

Inhaling a sharp breath, I let my shoulders fall steadily as my lungs let out all the stale air they were holding in. "This isn't quantum physics, darling. You're being used, it's as simple as that."

Finally, the realisation hits her muddled mind, her whole body stiffens at my harsh words. She slams her eyes shut and covers her face with her hands, staying so still that she starts representing a statue.

"Whatever you do to me, it's absolutely your choice. This thing I'm feeling for you is much more serious than a simple crush. I love you and that's it. Even if you snap my mother's neck, I'd still love you regardless."

Damn, this woman has some serious issues. My imprint on her has nothing to do with this, she's just batshit crazy. "You know where Dr Bang is?" I run my hand through my hair, ruffling it a bit in the process.

She only manages to nod once, her eyes remaining hidden behind her hands. "He's in psychiatry." Her voice is muffled but still understandable, her fingers trembling with anxiousness.

"What do you think about giving him a visit tonight? I'm sure he'll be able to help you in some way," I suggest, raising my eyebrows at her expectantly. She seriously needs help, the feelings flowing through her aren't exactly normal.

She has an unhealthy obsession.

Her chaotic eyes scan every twitch of my facial muscles when she lets her hands be pulled down by gravity. "Yeah, maybe I should." She starts nodding her head repeatedly, finally averting her eyes from my figure.

A rumble of thunder resonates through the hospital, the subtle vibrations ominously travelling through my body. Shit, she's probably drenched by now.

I hope she doesn't get ill because I sure as hell won't be the one who'll bring her tea and wrap her in hundreds of blankets. Why should I take the role of her protector if her immunity can't even fight off something as simple as a cold?

Footsteps stumbling outside of the OR grab my attention, so I turn around to face the doors when they burst open, revealing a hyperventilating woman dangerously close to fainting.

It's the scrub nurse from Ariadne's first operation.

"Breathe or you'll lose consciousness. What happened?" When I stand beside her, she grips my forearm with all her might, swallowing with scrunched eyes as she vigorously shakes her head.

Her short fingers wrapped around my skin are shaking violently, causing me to slant my eyebrows while I observe her as she gulps air in her deprived lungs, me trying to discern even the slightest clue as to what is going on.

"Kim... thoracotomy." I manage to make out her chopped up words as she snaps her head up, her eyes burning fanatically and almost making me think that she'll burn a hole through me as she stares at me.

"Okay okay, breathe for fuck's sake. Where's the patient?" I place my free hand on her shoulder, squeezing the soft flesh lightly to try and comfort her.

"Ariadne."

Everything becomes dark. No.

Numbness overtakes my whole being, my true form engulfing me whole and threatening to devour everything in its vicinity. Slamming my eyes shut and gritting my teeth, I barely succeed at remaining in control over my own body.

With my trembling fingers, I violently tilt the scrub nurse's head up, allowing her to gaze at my unrelenting stare. "You, with me, now." Giving her no time to react, I pull her out of the OR.

Jealous screaming can be heard from Dr Ko's damned mouth, but she doesn't dare follow us, knowing far too well that if she crosses the line, she'll wind up with her tongue ripped out of her petty throat.

Snapping my head to the side, I slice the scrub nurse with my eyes, still dragging her by the arm. "She's in the one on the right," She mutters out as I throw her inside the room she points me to, grabbing the surgical attire and handing it to her.

"Is she under?" I growl through my teeth, sighting her nod at me out of the corner of my eye while she puts on her mask. Inhaling a sharp breath, I cleanse my arms up to my elbows before I head inside the OR.

The anesthesiologist is monitoring her state while two medical students stand behind the operating table, keenly waiting for the start of the surgery. "You two, get out of my sight."

I show them to the door with the snappy tilt of my head and a raised eyebrow. One of them, a short male with his arms crossed, studies my expression with piercing scrutiny, attempting to grasp my true intentions.

"Out!" The roar of my voice echoes through the room, startling the two students and causing them to vanish in a matter of seconds.

The scrub nurse is already holding the scalpel and is patiently waiting for me to take it. "Come on darling, endure it. I know you can do it," I whisper out to Ariadne as I make the first incision, a little bit of her blood spattering my mask.

Completely unbothered, I cut through her breast bone and place the rib spreaders, staring at her revealed chest. My whole body freezes in place, muscles stiffening beyond normal. I stop breathing.

A single drop of sweat travels down the side of my cheek, immediately being absorbed by the cloth the scrub nurse places on my skin.

Soon, another one follows and then I realise that I'm not sweating at all, but crying as I examine the pneumothorax and ruptured arteries that are filling Ari's chest cavity with immense amounts of blood.

She can't make it, the injuries are too severe. "What..." I trail off, my voice betraying me for the first time in my life. A soft sigh escapes the nurse's lips as she places the medical instruments in their rightful place.

"Car accident. It swerved out of control, picking her up as she was running down the pavement. She didn't see it before it was too late because of the heavy rainfall. She also has a broken pelvis as a cherry on top."

"Cardiac arrest!" The anaesthesiologist screams, desperately fumbling with the numerous tubes and machines blaring like those annoying alarm clocks.

The air surrounding me becomes thick, almost suffocating as I realise that I'll have to let her go. A nauseating feeling arises from the pit of my stomach, the bile in my throat threatening to burst through my skin at any moment.

Inhaling a deep breath, I close my eyes as the anesthesiologist and the scrub nurse continue to try and normalise her state, taking off my bloodied gloves in a well-rehearsed process.

My true form is already bursting with energy, urging me on to a maddening degree, wailing in my head as it begs me to explore her soul. With every passing second, my hand edges closer to her bloodied chest.

I watch the scrub nurse as she gives the open chest cardiac compression, the anesthesiologist administering a small amount of adrenaline through the infusion. Being so focused on their tasks allows me to concentrate on Ariadne completely.

A soft smile tugs at the corners of my lips when my hand passes through the nurse's, my bare skin coming in contact with Ari's warm heart covered in her crimson liquid.

Her whole body jerks up when my aura blankets her heart, gradually constricting its grasp around it. The pain shoots up my arm, spreading through my whole body from a highly intolerable stiffness all the way to searing, blinding agony.

A desperate chuckle leaves my throat as I close my eyes and let the pain consume me, welcoming the scorching fire running through my veins.

The whole room is spinning around me as I feel the aura abandoning my body, so I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and try to concentrate on that pain instead.

It doesn't work at all, now I only have blood pooling in my mouth, the familiar taste of iron coating my tongue and sending an aggressive shiver down my spine. She'll hate me for this, but I don't give a damn shit.

This decision is completely on me.

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What do you think about this one? Do you even know what's going on? I certainly don't! Please don't be shy, I love hearing from you guys and as you already know, every opinion and vote you leave is so appreciated!

Lots of love, Dorami

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