KALEB

He knew too much.

Cleo really risked that much. She trusted him in ways that Kaleb didn't trust himself. But this new part of him that knew too much... It simply needed to come to an end.

He left briefly at the ceremony, after capturing the eyes of Mira, making ways to follow after her and to finally talk to her.

But he knew that Cleo would follow him, that's why he left and hid in a secluded room, his heart racing with each second that passed. Hoping and praying that she wouldn't find him.

So once Cleo passed by, he caught the sight of her with the glass of wine in her hand, drinking as she walked down the hallway in search of him. Then she disappeared around a bend and he finally left his spot in search of Mira.

He swallowed hard after that, not liking the bitter taste it left in his mouth at doing that to her even though he had to. She liked him. He knew that part. A lot.

He liked her too. She is beautiful, with a figure so lithe and sexy he sometimes couldn't help himself but to look at her pleasingly— especially the way her long golden legs stretched with each step she took, initiating her hips to sway so dangerously hot, it hurt to breathe.

But that was all.

Lust.

He believes that she knows it as well, or she could really be falling for him; with her he always remained uncertain. But that night with her body against his, grinding on her wall and kissing hard enough to leave bruises; was a clear show of what she felt for him. And the way she looked at him. God's.

He feels awful for doing this, but a big portion of his heart thrummed at seeing Mira. He forgot how utterly gorgeous she was, the soft curves in that silken dress she wore. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. That was all it took, to take that dread feeling that swirled in his gut away. She took it away.

It made him forget that night he nearly broke his skull, staying days and days in bed, having nurses come in and out his room, treating him like a child. Faces full of pity.

He hated it. Every single moment of it. He hated this place to be exact. Every nerve ending of him was desperate to leave this place. Not because of the people, which only contributed a portion; but because of the freedom he lacked. He wanted to go back to brawling in the arena back down in the Village have women throw themselves on him, have spectators betting. He wanted that freedom again.

To feel that thrill, the rush flinging into every point of his body, the way his father did.

But Kaleb knows the impact he made here too. How training and meeting the new members was also an element in his life that he respected and actually found a fondness for. But it wasn't enough.

This. Wasn't enough.

He takes in a deep breathe, turning down another passage after seeing that flash of silver wander through.

He saw her leave Lord Crawford's arms after a short and brisk dance before she excused herself, and left the room. Kaleb never let his gaze dissappear for once and as soon as she left, he was quick to pick up his own legs and leave right after her.

He had to. He needed to tell her what the hell was happening. To get her to leave before something worse happens. Especially to her.

He could tell she didn't like the feel of Crawford's arms. He didn't know why she was here in the first place with him. For whatever reason it was, that was soon about to end.

He turns another hallway, with a door at the right side closed.

He freezes.

He could have sworn he saw her take this turn. There was no way she could have disappeared so fast down the end of the hallway, where it yet split into two others in this labyrinth of a Court.

His heart thumps so loud, he was worried someone may hear it. He walks closer and closer towards the door, his hand grasping the cold metal doorknob before turning it and enters slowly and carefully.

His eyes first catches sight of Mira. The way she stiffly stands against the table of the drawing room she entered. Her eyes are wide as she takes in his face and then his body, showing how she looks him up and down, before once again settling onto his face.

"I-" Her voice cracks.

He sees her throat bob in a swallow and interlocks her fingers before her, over her striking silver dress that went so damn well with her eyes.

"I followed you, I thought that you were looking for me-"

Before he could finish that sentence she was on him. Her lips sealed off everything he was about to say. He welcomes her lips though, especially liking the way she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him tightly against her, causing him to crane his neck down to kiss her back.

She tastes of wine. That's why her kisses are sloppy too, she must have been a little bit tipsy. Her lips are cold too, so were her arms and body through the thin material of her dress, despite the warm weather outside; which was actually never cold. Kaleb found it absurd, but her lips just took it away.

He wraps his own arms around her waist inching her back until she hit the table. She pulls away, looking up at him with lust-striken eyes breathing heavy like he was.

"I thought you forgot about me." She says so softly, it broke something in his chest.

He lays his forehead against hers, until they shared breathes. "Never. All this time I wanted to be with you. But I got injured."

She frowns, looking up at his head. Hopefully not seeing the scar he tried his best to cover up after removing the bandage, with his hair.

She tightens her hold around his neck. "What happened?"

He shakes his head, allowing himself to look her deep into her beautiful glowing eyes. "It's a long story. I have been thinking about you, after we left off the last time."

He remembers that night at the tavern, how close they held one another and danced. His mind is like a kaleidoscope, varying from person to person, from colour to colour.

She sighs and pulls him closer, to a big desk onto where she hits and sits on it all the while pulling him between her legs to stand before her.

He could barely focus from the close proximity they were in, her thighs are warm and welcoming wrapped around his waist and her arms never once loosened it's grip from around his neck.

"Me too." Her eyes darkens. Flicking down to his lips.

He only swallows hard, gently tracing his hands over her dress where it lifted as she sat down; lingering and then running softly over her thighs, making her gasp and bite her bottom lip. It made him hot and bothered seeing what effect he had on her.

She kisses him again, this time very hard but not rushed as if they had all the time in the world.

She tugs her hands into his locks pressing her  hot  sultry mouth against his, tangling their tongues as they fought for dominance. She liked tangling tongues he noticed. Even tracing her lips over his mouth like she was trying to print how he feels exactly against her tongue and mouth.

He found that irresistibly hot.

She grinds herself against him gasping at the friction this time. He found himself returning the gesture to which she smiles into their kiss.

"I want more."

He knows she was drunk, but he wanted this too. Even if it meant ravaging her right on this table, until she screamed.

She pulls away from their sloppy kiss, and lifts her dress even higher until he sees more of her naked thighs, and the fabric between her legs. The sight alone was enough to make him faint if she hadn't had her tight grip on him.

She gestures to the part between his own legs and sends him a mischievous smirk.

He looks to her thighs again, his heart stopping.

She runs her hands up and down his chest, one hand reaching his breeches and slyly unbuttons his pants slowly.

He tried focusing on her hands. The way he made her feel. Just to forget about it.

But she must have noticed a change in him too, even drunk.

"What's wrong Kaleb?" She stares up at him with concern in her eyes, but not halting her movements on his chest. Her small, hands caressed him so dutifully he  could live off this alone.

He swallows hard again.  He painfully removes her hands from his chest, lacing their fingers together and put his forehead to hers. Letting her wine breathe  mingle with his.

"You must go Mira. Far from here."

The mage should have let him go when they had that meeting. Cleo had just been so over him, that she let him stay. But now he knows.

She frowns, her rosy cheeks puffing slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"Something is going to happen, and I don't want you here for it."

That was the best he could say.

"Like what?"

He groans, pulls away his head and massages his temples. "It's best you go. Far from here, before something happens."

He didn't blame her if she didn't want to believe him, or trust him. They barely knew one another, but Kaleb knew one thing. And that was to get Mira away from here.

He wished they could make love here before going-

"Aye." She replies. No thoughts remained behind her eyes that he could glimpse, not any hint of emotion either.

"I'm not thinking clearly, but yes. I'll go. Only if you come with me."

Kaleb, under the influence would have said yes. But sober Kaleb would say yes too.

So without any other question he replies. "Yes."

He knows they may regret this decision later on, but fuck it. They would make a way. They will find a new and better life beyond this demon infested one. Two strangers finding a way together.

                                                              °°°

For a moment Mira was wholly focused on Kaleb and leaving the city with him as they briskly walked through hallways, their fingers interlocking tightly.

But then thoughts developed; thoughts she tried her best to push into the deepest crevices of her mind.

Jezio.

His name seemed to pop up after every turn they got closer and closer to the ballroom, and then the exit.

She wasn't thinking at all. The alcohol is still very much swarming in her system and if it weren't for Kaleb's hand steadying her, she would be tripping over her own feet.

They made it to ballroom at last, where people still thrummed and danced like there was no tomorrow. Mira would miss this.

She searches the room for signs of Adelaide and Zalaena again. After seeing them, she sped from the room immediately, sensing someone following her a few moments after. She excused herself from a dance with Crawford, before leaving the room then.

Adelaide and Zalaena would have obviously made her join them, and would have even made this day and ceremony ten times more satisfying than her initial thoughts.

But she is still lost. She didn't know what to do.

Go, go, go. Never come back.

Kaleb told her to go, but why?

He hadn't even finished that part, or he has but she was too drunk to grasp what he was saying. Right now he was saying something to her, but all she hears is mumbling, like she had gone deaf and all she hears are echoes.

The world before her has begun to slow. Her steps were faltering and her vision became blurred, it looked like she had two sets of feet when she looks down and the tiles looks like a floor of slithering snakes. Spinning and twining around one another.

She halts with a hand on the wall, something to brace her while her head continues to spin consistently.

Kaleb was speaking again right in front of her, he was calling her name but all she could see was patches of murky green eyes.

Her heart is slowing too, her cheeks are boiling she could have made a fried egg on it.

She looks back down to dress, she looked like water. Silvery clean water sparkling on those hot summer days where a mirage made you hallucinate.

A hand grapples onto her wrist, she thought it was Kaleb at first, but his hands are never this cold. She frowns through her spinning vision at the hand, as she nearly trips back on her feet were it not for this icy cold hand.

She feels the sting of cold rings. That made her look up, she must be looking so flushed in her face, and her eyes must be bloodshot. But Crawford smiles at her with his vile smirk.

Where was Kaleb?

Her ears popped opened, the same way they pop open drinks at the tavern when she spent some nights with Jezio.

"Come love."

His hand extends to hers, they are so bony and crooked, like he was bending his hands over a cauldron like a witch for all these centuries. The rings did nothing to make his hands more pleasant to look at.

She looks up again and it was Kaleb again smiling at her.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head continuously.

What the hell is happening to her?

He is there again. Just him. No sign of Crawford.

"Come Mirabella. We must go."

MIRABELLA?

The soft sound of his voice made her toes curl. But her blood still ran cold inside of her. Freezing her from head to toe, but her body was hot to the touch. She could tell from the sweat soaking her completely, sticking her dress to her skin tightly.

She takes his hand.

But it was still so cold. It's like he was nervous too.

She ignores how she feels and allows him to pull her closer to the exit doors.

Her head and vision is still spinning and blurry, and she is still weary on her feet, but Kaleb pulled her along.

When they finally passed through the doors she smiled. The sun has gone down now, and all that remained was the breeze that was slightly warm.

The breeze dried her sweat laden dress, cooling her hot body in the meantime. She looks at her surroundings, and Kaleb drops her hand. They were outside, not in the front like she thought, but the side, where the cemetery was and the thicker and more lush green part of the gardens. This was further than the exit-

She frowns turning around to ask Kaleb why he brought them here, but the sight that greeted her made her already cold blood — freeze.

Crawford looks at her again. But his eyes are open wide unblinking, his skin turning ashen, and his arms are outstretched towards her like he was begging for help.

Lastly.

The blood...

It drips out of his mouth in thick dark red clumps, falling over his dry blue lips like a fountain.

Mira's heart stops.

Crawford falls to his knees and gives a blood gurgling cry.

This allows Mira to see the person behind. She comes eye to eye with the Elemental, a glowing sword in her hand coated in blood from where she pierced Crawford right in the middle of his chest. Straight through the heart.

Her dress was in tatters, ripped to shreds exposing those marks Mira couldn't stop looking at. And they were glowing too. Like the blood on her sword.

Her eyes were fierce and angry. Blood red around the edges. It's like she has gone completely berserk.

A running figure a few steps away from Cleo catches her eye, it was the man that she gave directions to. He didn't even spare her a glance as he looks down to the sight on the floor before them.

He looked berserk as well. He had no weapons, but she could see the intensity in his arms and legs. His face filled with ire.

His face pales.

"Oh Cleo no-"

Cleo wasn't listening to him at all. Her arms remains out as her big eyes studied the sword coated in blood.

"Cleo, step away now!"

Mira decided to listen to him, she took a step back before glancing down to the bleeding figure on the grassy ground.  Turning emerald green to  a deep scarlet.

"Cleo, I'm not going to repeat myself. Step away."

Mira feels odd. Crawford's death shouldn't have affected her this much.

But why did she feel so-

"What did I just tell you?"

He pulls Cleo away by her waist. Her arm with the sword falling flow. His big figure turns her away but she resisted, finally seeing what she did.

Cleo pushes him away roughly her eyes cold and distant. She looks on edge. She ignored Mira's presence like she didn't exist.

She kneels down next to the figure, her hands blazing with fire and then she cried.

The Elemental of Fire cried.

She fell down and pressed her head to his back.

Mira wants to leave. It was clear she was interrupting a special moment. Even the man with the hideous scar was giving her an unwelcoming look.

But When Mira looks back down again, this time her blurred vision cleared a moment and she could understand why she was crying.

Mira can't move.

Every part of her body stops working.

In the place where Crawford fell, was no Crawford at all.

She killed Kaleb.