~Do I have to go through this?~

Pain

"Who... are you? I've never seen you around here. You even know my name." He was smiling - his malevolent gaze now terrified me.

"I am Pain. I wrote those letters on your windshield - I'm very sure, without me telling you, you understand what it means; if you don't, I'm here to make you realise that." Pain. Those fierce eyes.

He is a Fallen.

"Get away from me. I don't need you to make me feel worse than I already am." As if hurt already by my words, he moved slowly towards me, expecting me to surrender under this heavy tension and stress.

He just laughed, and the next thing, we were both in my car. Black-clothed figures stared at me from the backseats with those red eyes.

"They were humans... just like you. But they did not feel themselves. Instead, they came to me; to Xandor.." One of them seating in the back leant forward, cupping my nose and mouth with his hand, laughing like any other Fallen I've ever met.

"... Feel us, Elise." I was left to faint in the car, unbeknownst to me, was what happened next in my unconsciousness.

I woke up to see my car interior; everything was intact. Nothing wrong with me either.

"Hey! Elise! Get yourself out of the car!" Michael. It was Michael's voice.

I quickly unlocked the car, or which I never knew how it locked itself. I groggily brought myself out, almost collapsing in Michael's arms, of which Michael sort of lost his balance trying to hold me, causing our faces to close the distance between them, not to mention our lips.

I quickly found myself since this accidental movement and steadied myself. Michael also felt out or the ordinary; he decided to back away as well.

"Man, Michael, I was... out for very long, am I?" I tried to change the subject, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Yeah, you sure did..." He started touching his nose with his index finger, and I realised he was nervous, just as I read online.

"Back to the serious stuff, okay? About Pain. There' a lot of Fallen I haven't seen yet, but I'm sure you have. Do you have an idea of their ranks?"

Michael didn't say a word. He just looked at me, sort of regretfully.

"I'm sorry. Our knowledge of them is minimal. Lex and Pain are part of the higher court of Fallen, however." Even the Heavens don't know...

"I guess I'll escort you home. You're in no position to drive right now." I opened the passenger door of the Mustang and laid down on the seat, closing the door behind me.

"You need some rest. You look exhausted. Tomorrow, I'll escort you to school. Have a good sleep." He placed his hand on my cheek, his hand emanating warmth...

My affection and feelings... they are all coming back...

But he left before I could say a word.

I slunk into my bed, pulling the covers over me. When will the horrors ever end?

***

"It's that time of day again..." A mysterious voice filled my head.

Am I awake? No, I am not...

"I hate this... go away... no... ahh!" In the shadows, I see another man emerge. His smile was the one that left the biggest impression.

Xandor. He was controlling this man from a distance - the man was crying out loud, and where are his friends, where is everyone? Where is this place?

"A girl sneaking in on my turf?" He saw me.

"Elise... even in your dreams, you can travel... amazing. I can see you. I wonder if it's another physical body of yours...?" He. Saw. Me.

"Why don't you enjoy the show?" He forced me down onto a seat that restrained me, making me watch that man become consumed by Darkness, his face a mouth of horror and shock, as it turned into a look of evil intent.

"He is worthy... and he can be like you." As Xandor finished his sentence, the newborn Fallen morphed into a human, smiling at me with his eyes glinting red for a second.

" Why am I telling you all this, when you side with the Heavens?"

I spoke for the first time in this dream, "Why should I know what you're telling me?"

"You should - since you're a Fallen, after all. Besides, a halfbreed. And don't you realise you're morphing?" His hand was fixated on me, forcing something to happen. Just then, I felt a hostile presence within me, growing stronger with the second.

"Why do you resist? It's dark already. No one will blame you. You're special, so embrace it. The Heavens have no right to stop you." Trying to lead me away from the light of justice?

He's so dead when I can finally get the power to stop him. I have to overcome this.

"It's impossible to overcome Darkness without the Light, Elise. Haven't you forgotten that?" I fell face flat on the floor, hands digging into the hard ground as that pain surged through my whole body.

"Such a great thing to watch. To see people in pain. I wonder, have you ever realised our goals?" He spoke in a prideful tone.

I was in too much pain to speak, don't even talk about moving.

"Oh, so sorry - you're in so much pain, you can't even speak." He laughed so loud it felt like cancer to my ears. The newborn Fallen came over to me as if under his command so naturally, and morphed back to that grotesque self of his, lying on top of me, infecting me.

"I'm already a Fallen, why infect me again!?" I'm still pinned down to the ground, while Xandor had the world to himself. Somehow, I hear other footsteps...

It's somebody else.

"Xandor... she shouldn't be tortured to this extent. Pain's appearance was to show her... our misery." Why does he sound like Weiss?

"Veil, she is not like you. She's a halfbreed. She must learn to have us. Staying with the Heavens blindly... she's been clouded in mind and spirit. She must learn to see from our perspective... learn about us. No matter how you were related to her before... it's all over. She's nothing, but a potential ally that I will make ours."

"But, Xandor... she needs better treatment than this. She needs education, not..." The other man, who was Veil, continued pleading with the Dark Lord.

"My word is final, Veil. Don't make me take off that mask and let you suffer." Xandor snapped, silencing Veil.

Another set of footsteps. I still can't look up, my feelings of pain were going away... that newborn Fallen still pinning me down.

"Veil, pain seemed to mean nothing to her till today. I will make her feel that." Pain...

"Pain, continue executing your plan. I would very much like to see that outcome. And Elise... I don't mind letting you hear everything because I know you will never tell." Pain and Xandor laughed as I was left alone, with Veil only joining in after realising something.

Veil was not as into this as the other Fallen... huh?

Why do I feel that he's not one of them?

***

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Michael was lightly shaking my head.

"Why don't you be a little gentle with that, Applehead," I said, half-jokingly, letting out a little giggle.

"Why, you..." Michael was triggered, trying to get revenge.

"IT'S NOTHING!!!" I stopped him before he started mass tickling me. I dusted myself before heading for the bathroom.

"I'll wait for you in the car." Michael became all-solemn again. What with his mood swings?

"Say hi, girl." My head shot back to the mirror, to see Pain's hands on my shoulders.

"Why don't we continue? Don't you want to understand pain? Our pain? School can wait. Heaven can wait. Xandor wants you right now." My clothes turned from my PJ's to black Fallen robes in an instant.

Not even the Light in my heart stopped me.

"You look good. Now follow young halfbreed. You have much yet to learn." Pain disappeared through a portal he created, as it slowly shrank, I let myself walk through it, leaving my safe zone, from Michael.

Author's Note

Man, I'm seriously sorry! (as I apologised in Accentier) I have the most weirdest update timings and shittiest writer's block.

I'm sure you might've guessed about Veil, but I won't reveal any further about that. Pain, Lex and Xandor are the most key threats to Elise... for now. Veil is so BTS that he isn't much of a threat...

Michael didn't realise that Elise had willingly stepped into the world of Fallen... is this a move made on purpose?

Something for y'all to think about, although I might never reveal the reason :)

Thank you all for your support, and your interest in reading this book!