Song: Monsters by Ruelle
You've got no place to hide
And I'm feeling like a villain, got a hunger inside
One look in my eyes
And you're running 'cause I'm coming
Gonna eat you alive
Your heart, it's like a drum
The chase has just begun
Monsters stuck in your head
Monsters under your bed
We are monsters, oh, oh
We are monsters, oh

"You cannot come with us."
When Asher landed the plane, he turned to the girl sitting at the backseat. That made her snap awake. The others were already piling into a black automobile that looked to be just as fast and streamlined as the plane.

Nigel was the last to leave, and Glacia was about to climb aboard it as well, until Asher stood in front of the door, barring her from entry. Asher said those words with more force this time. His eyes had a ferocious intensity in them, there was no backing down from this.

Not again. She rolled my eyes. "Then why didn't you kick me out of the plane just now? Did you bring me all the way here for nothing?"

"I was hoping that you were using it as an excuse to leave the Realm. Maybe you were homesick or something." He said coolly, but Glacia wasn't convinced. She was always good at reading expressions, and this had the telltale sign of a lie. She wasn't sure what he wanted by keeping her here, and she didn't like it.

"Fat chance." Glacia hissed, trying to get him to move out of the way but to no avail. "So you're just going to abandon me here and hope I don't come back?"

"Exactly." He said, then entered the door and closed it so quickly that she couldn't rush up in time. She hit the window, trying to force open the door, but it was locked shut.

Glacia grunted with hot anger. "You can't just leave me like that!" She yelled, but Asher didn't look back. His fists were balled up, as if he was willing himself to do something he was reluctant to do.

Meanwhile, Nigel looked between the two of them, and he shot Glacia an apologetic look. The black car started moving forward and nothing could be done, the Royalliers started moving out of sight, leaving Glacia to scream curses at that heartless person.

Every time I try to make things better, they get ten times worse. She thought to herself, watching dumbly. They would come back, but she didn't know when that would happen.

Glacia searched for a reprieve. Thankfully, the Royalliers weren't too ancient enough to not use phones, and the main phone in the plane seemed to have service. She keyed in Rose's number that was stored in Glacia's own phone nights ago, hoping that she will be a saviour.

"Oh my poor girl." She said sympathetically after Glacia had explained how Asher had left her behind while he went on his trip. "If you stay there, I believe they should be coming back soon. There's food and drink on the plane, if you need."

"I just can't stand people who put me down. Think I'm some helpless puppy or something..." Glacia raged internally. She was fooled by Asher. She chided herself that he was someone who would do that rather constantly.

"Maybe this is better, Glacia. You just came to the Realm, I'm sure that you are really tired." Rose said softly. Glacia hated to admit it, but she was right. The loss of sleep the previous nights had made her very exhausted. She was yawning, her eyes were drifting close.

After a while, Glacia conceded. She had tried everything to open the plane door. Glacia had learned how to pick a lock using a bobby pin she always had in her hair, but this was an automated lock that just wouldn't budge. At least the interior of the plane was of first-class standard, keeping her from feeling like a real prisoner.

She let Rose comfort her a little while more, before putting down the phone and finally giving into her tiredness. Glacia sank into the abyss of sleep, telling herself it'd be a quick nap.

Time passed, and she was drifting between dreams again. Her sleep had never been very peaceful, especially since she entered the Realm. But even back in the mortal world, she didn't like sleep very much, and wished she didn't need it. It was a waste of time to her then.

It was an opportunity of vulnerability now. Glacia woke with a start upon hearing that something had clicked open. Thankfully, she slept lightly, and could hear the drawing of a door open. Perhaps they're back, she thought. But the hair standing on her skin suggested otherwise. Heartbeat quickening, she dove below under the seat, head peeking out a little to see what was going on.

She heard the soft clanking of boots on the flooring of the plane. She was sensing something wrong...

Glacia jumped as the door to the plane clicked shut, and it occurred to her that what she was sensing was a faint aura coming from behind her. Her hand reached for the hilt of the balisong she had received.

She felt sturdy hands go around her neck and wring her throat. Gasping, she lifted the balisong up and tried to drive it into him, but he was too strong for her to handle, and he anticipated this. He kicked the balisong away so it landed across the plane, onto the dashboard.

The man was buff man with orange hair, and a faint Irish accent when he spoke. "You're a Royallier." He snarled, pressing painfully against her throat as she choked. "I can sense an aura in you — you've been to the realm of the Royalliers before. And you had a strong virtus, I thought you were Asher..."

Glacia yelped a little bit, her hands digging into his. Her mind worked to plan her escape from his hands. "Who are you? What do you want?"

A Rogue. What are the chances? Was it possible that she happened to stumble upon a Rogue almost immediately?

"Where is he? My mission may have been to find you, but I want the Crown Prince's head too. Tell me where Asher is, or I'll kill you."

You'll kill me either way. Glacia knew that she had to fight back. She took a deep breath, and seized the opportunity while he was distracted. She wriggled out of his grasp, using her leg to kick down the blade from the seat, press it up using her foot so the hilt was aligned with her hand. She slid past him and dived for it.

He tried to yank her back. Thankfully, Glacia had her hair tied up and could foresee that move, rolling out of his reach. An instinct she didn't know she had that much run high in her. On her back, she kicked him away and jumped up to her feet swiftly.

He only reeled back slightly, and was just getting started. He glanced at the blade she was now holding, smirking.

"Do you really think you can hurt me with that, little girl?"

Those words made Glacia's blood boil. Ice clawed at her, she despised it when people looked down on her like that. Feel the rage, she told herself as she felt her blood turn cold. Maybe she could channel whatever energy she had in her...

He went straight for her and she swung herself over to the side, trying to drive the blade into his back. But he was too fast, way too fast, and he gripped it back, knocking Glacia over. She howled with pain at that hard fall on her back, but scrambled to try and get to her feet.

"You really think you can go up against me?" He snarled, coming closer. Glacia held hands up to block as he pulled her up, trying to aim a punch at her face.

Then, shock clouded his face as his withdrew his hand with a howl. Glacia's skin was turning blue, she was freezing from the inside and that cold was coming off from her and paining him to touch.

After registering this, his smirk returned again. "Thankfully I don't need to touch you to kill you. Die, Glacia Shearstone..." He held the blade up, and Glacia tensed, trying to move away...

But he never could put it down. Someone grabbed his hand from behind, wrestling the weapon away in one quick motion. The attacker looked back, confused as someone slammed him down.

Asher. He came back. Glacia heaved a momentary sigh of relief as Asher took on the attacker. Even though the attacker was bigger than Asher, Asher had crazily fast reflexes. He foresaw the punches and dodged them like it was an easy game of dodgeball. He smirked, clearly he would win the brawl. He didn't seem to have any weapon, and Glacia realised that that was because he was bruised as if he had gotten into another fight previously. He didn't looked very injured, just shaken up.

Asher threw the attacker to a side, only distracted because he looked to Glacia, his face faltering a little. That gave the attacker enough time to pull him down and Asher fell hard against his back. Still, Asher could get up on his feet instantly without the need for using his hands to lift himself up. He could get him in all the painful places, in the jaw, then striking him in the chest which knocked the air out of him. The balisong cut into the man's skin and he howled.

Glacia had to do something. She scrambled to where the blade was, lying not far away from her. Her balisong was on the dashboard, too. "Asher!" She got his attention as she threw him the weapon, it cut through the air...

Much to her relief, he caught it. He could drive it into the attacker's skull now, but he didn't use it at first. End it! Glacia was going to scream, but even Asher, the ever-confident and cocky hothead, seemed hesitant at the prospect of killing another.

He took the attacker by the collar, holding the blade as his neck. "You're lucky I don't attack unless provoked." He scowled. Regardless of the blade, the man protested and tried to lurch forward, which made Asher dig the blade a little into his neck. "Don't you dare move."

The light shone onto his shadow, making him seem like a fearsome warrior gleaming in the daylight.

Glacia yelped at the sight of the blood on his neck, and at the closeness of seeing a person getting injured like that. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she felt the heaviness in her heart and seeing blood spilled.

"I'll call the police." She said simply.

Asher shook his head, only slightly impatient at having to explain why. "You can't, they'll have too many questions. We need to go."

"Go now? Without the others?".

Asher nodded. "They'll find another plane. Pass me the rope, Glacia." He said with a gentleness that Glacia could not recognise coming from him. He pointed to a small cabinet at the front of the plane.

"All you Royalliers will perish someday. May you receive the punishment you deserve." The attacker spat at Asher. While Asher had been distracted, he popped a pill into his mouth, breaking the casing with his teeth.

Glacia watched Asher try to stop him, but it was too late. He swallowed the pill and was now writhing on the floor. Asher moved away from him, and they watched him soundlessly.

"What's happening?" Her voice broke slightly as his mouth started to foam up. It was clear that whatever he ingested was intended to kill him. She gasped with that understanding as Asher moved over beside her.

"Don't look." Asher told her quietly, turning her away from the body. He pressed close for a while as he strapped her into the front seat, making sure she was away from the soft patter of the dead man.

"He didn't want to risk us torturing information out of him, I guess."

"Someone sent him here." Glacia said. She whipped to him, ready to reach for the balisong he had abandoned. "It's suspicious that you left me here. This was a trap, wasn't it?"

She dived for the balisong, but Asher didn't budge. His face was a tight scowl. Now that the fight was over, his angry demeanour was back. His voice rose.

"If I wanted you dead, I would have left you here, then."

"So, you did know that someone was going to attack me." Glacia's voice was rising into a threatening crescendo. She was no longer afraid to use the balisong, pointing it forward.

"The King wants me dead." Glacia said, trying to comprehend it. "And you brought me here and left me alone to feed me to the Rogues." The blade skimmed his skin.

He was defensive. "I didn't know he would lead them here. I knew he sent people after you, but they weren't supposed to come here..."

"Bullshit!" Glacia rushed forward, propelling the balisong so it skimmed his skin. He had driven the shard into her neck before, why didn't she dare do it now? She bared her teeth as she panted with rage. "You all want me dead, don't you?"

The steely annoyance in Asher was restored. "That's why you shouldn't have come!" He said, exasperated. "You don't know about the Vision I saw."

"I'm going to kill you."

Asher turned to Glacia so quickly, drawing her close so the balisong buried deeper into his skin. His eyes were red, filled with rage. "Do it, then. You'd kill me eventually, either way."

Glacia was unnerved at how he didn't flinch when he had driven the balisong closer to his skin. The blood was spilling, and it made her frightened, more than him. She couldn't register what he was saying, he might as well be speaking alien to her. His eyes... they bore into hers. She tried to will herself to do it, but she just couldn't. Frustrated, she let out a yell.

He was inches from her, she could feel his hot breaths and the rapid breathing of his. He was so incredibly angry, though she couldn't imagine why it was him that was mad. He was the one that wanted her gone!

She pressed him. "You're lucky I despise the sight of blood."

His lips curled into a snarl. "You should get used to the sight of blood, if you're going to survive in the Realm of the Royalliers."

He snapped his fingers, and it turned ablaze. She was shocked by how he could control his virtus like that. He had full ability to use it to his favor, unlike hers that came and gone, following her emotions, hurting her.

"You're worried I'd steal your throne, so you planned on killing me --"

"How many times do I have to tell you? If I wanted you to dead, I would have left you here."

She refused to believe him. "So you expect me to treat you as my knight in shining armour, then?"

He wore a smug smile. "Something like that."

She stepped away, letting the balisong fall to her side. "You're unbelievable." She said, shocked at how a person could be so horrible. Then again, this is what it feels like to dally with Royalliers...

She took another step back, and unexpectedly tripped over the body on the floor. She let out a scream, both at the fact that she was falling and at the memory of the dead body...

She braced herself but she never hit the floor. Asher caught her so fast, using his ultra quick reflexes again. She was in the circle of his strong arms, feeling the warmth radiate off him. Asher was inches away from her, and Glacia was taken aback by the presence of emotions she saw in him. In that split second, she could have sworn she saw concern...

And then his face knotted into a scowl again. He huffed as he sat her down. Surprisingly, he handled her gently, but when he pulled the seat buckle and fastened it over her he was forceful. He stormed away, taking every other chance to be rough and to let out his rage.

Glacia folded her arms over herself. She was seething, but also hovering over the slight emotions she saw in him. It was like he was wearing a mask, and it would slip sometimes when she was in trouble.

He went back to the pilot seat, closing his eyes. "You better not act rash or even say anything on the ride, lest I crash this plane and we both die."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped when she saw blood on his back. She was stunned for a moment, his hair was wet with the blood and it grew on his back, yet he showed no reaction from him. She couldn't even tell that he was hurt in the first place.

Glacia watched as Asher started driving the plane, his blood-stained back turned to her.