I kept walking down the stairs, one step at a time, when suddenly I ran into Lukas's back.

"Ow. My nose," I whined. But before I had a chance to ask why he had stopped, I heard a doorknob jiggle, and light flood the stairway, opening onto a very chic and modern foyer.

Centred in the middle of the room opposite the door was a reception desk, a doorway on either side. By the entry we stepped out of, I noticed two large seating areas.

When do they get this many guests? I wondered.

But before I could follow that thought further, the middle-aged lady (who was most likely at least a hundred years old, let's be real) at the desk got to her feet, jaw dropping before she gasped, "Is that Lukas Fuller?" Her voice was thick with British inflections.

"Hello, Katherine," Lukas replied, walking over to her, a coy smile on his face.

"You've grown so much! How long has it been?"

"Over thirty years."

"And you've come to visit!"

"Indeed. Introducing my best friend to my parents and hometown."

She glanced over his shoulder, eyes going over me, before turning back to Lukas to whisper not so secretively, "Just a friend?"

"Best friend. She's bonded to Ben."

"Ah! That one." Turning to me again, she smiled and said, "Lovely to finally meet you, dear."

"You too," I mumbled, nodding my head at her.

Before their conversation could carry on any further, the hallway door to the left swung open, and walking through was a man and woman, appearing to be in their late 30s, who were so clearly Lukas's parents.

His mum had his toffee-coloured hair, but a deeper complexion, almost as if she was from Italy or Spain. As I watched a grin spread across her face as her eyes took in her son, I realised where he got his smile from as well. She was short in stature, petite too, but this clearly did not limit her. She bounded across the room, throwing herself at her son as she pulled his face down, kissing him all over.

"Mein Sohn!" she gushed. The links between German and English were clear enough for me to gather she had said 'my son'.

His father, around Lukas's height, sauntered over in calculated steps, no smile on his face as his brown eyes stayed on Lukas, his chestnut hair parted and styled in a crisp manner.

Neither his father or mother had so much as glanced my way yet, absorbed in the appearance of their son, making me grow to wonder when the last time was that he had seen his parents.

I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face as Lukas wrapped his arms around his mother, trapping her in a bear hug as he lifted her from the ground, spinning her around as he muttered to her in German.

Eventually he set her on the ground and turned to his father, holding out a hand.

Who shakes hands with their parents? It was the polar opposite greeting he had with Stephen. But I didn't blame Lukas for acting this way towards his father... who was the sole reason he lost Anja.

Then Lukas's eyes flickered back to me, giving me a brief smile before he returned to his parents. "Mama, Vater, this is Olivia. My best friend," he said, indicating to me with his hand and switching to English for my benefit.

They turned to me in an instant, eyes going over me. Lukas's father's gaze was slow and virulent, taking in every inch of me as if monitoring my weak points, fitting for a vampire, I suppose. Lukas's mother was reserved but warm as she took me in with a friendly smile, but her eyes held back, protective of her son.

"Don't touch her, whatever you do," Lukas said.

"Why is that?" his mother asked.

"Witch's warts."

His mother's jaw dropped. "Did you do it?"

He shook his head. "Erica. They got in a fight just before we left. She thought it would be hilarious to get back at Ollie by making our trip more difficult."

"Meine Güte. Is she still upset about the breakup?"

Lukas nodded.

"Well, looking at your friend, I can see why she was jealous."

I cocked an eyebrow, but didn't pry.

His mum took some steps towards me, pulling her son along with her and closing the gap. "It's very lovely to meet you, Olivia. My name is Christina. And this is my husband Josef."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two." I tugged at my sleeve, feeling extra conscious of Josef's gaze still pulling me apart thread by threat, molecule by molecule. I wondered if he could tell I wasn't a witch... if there was something different about me that his vampire senses could smell or see.

Before I had the chance to start squirming, he looked away, and Christina and Lukas began to mutter in hushed tones. Christina said something about a 'freundin'.

"Nein, Mama," Lukas said. "Olivia ist Bens Freundin."

Her eyes flickered between us, a sly smile spreading across her face. "But you wish it was not so," she purposely said in English.

"Mama!"

"Okay. I behave. Come, Olivia. I give you a tour of this place." She motioned to me to come closer to her and Lukas.

We walked towards the other door as Josef walked back to the other. "I will see you for dinner tomorrow," he said to Lukas and me, before he slipped down the other hallway.

As Christina's arm stayed linked through Lukas's, dragging him through the doorway in front of me, I trailed behind them a couple of steps behind. The corridor was lined with endless windows.

"They're one way," Christina threw over her shoulder at me, noticing me glancing in. "We can see in but they can't see out."

The first few rooms were pretty expected. Scientists in white coats. Petri dishes on lab tables. Microscopes and bunsen burners.

"Lukas tells me you're a witch," Christina said, making small talk.

"Y-yes," I stuttered. "Not a good one though. I'm very new to it all."

Lukas cut in on this one, saving me before I could mess up our backstory. "Her magic line isn't very strong so she barely noticed her magic most of her life."

Christina nodded, as though this made sense, causing us both to relax a little.

I couldn't help but notice as we continued to walk down the endless walkway that room after room passed, with windows looking in, but no doors coming in or out. This was a one-way hallway.

But then things started to take a turn, the contents within the rooms becoming more grotesque.

The scientists within were no longer working with petri dishes and glass slides, but now dissecting unrecognisable organs, animals, and flesh.

I felt my stomach turn as I avoided eye contact. This didn't go unnoticed by Christina.

"Ollie is a vegetarian," Lukas whispered in his mum's ear.

"Oh my... Why would you bring her?" she asked her son, coming to a stop and looking back to me.

"I'm fine," I defended. I had to see this. I had to see how bad it gets. "Science has always been fascinating for me. I just have a weak stomach."

She grinned at me, the smile not reaching her eyes as she said, "Yet bonded to a vampire. Intriguing." She spun around and kept walking us past the rooms in a more brisk fashion.

"How are these rooms sorted?" I asked. "Seems to be working upwards on the... molecular density scale as we go along."

"Indeed. More microscopic and in-vitro testing at the early end, working up to our live test subjects."

I took a deep breath and nodded, pretending to be calm and trying my utmost best to not throw up the empty contents of my stomach.

Lukas came to a stop ahead of me as we reached another room, turning to look in. "Are they still testing on humans for the blood pills?" he asked his mother.

Her gaze followed his as I caught up with them, standing behind the pair as they peered into the room. A series of chairs were stationed on one side of the room, people's arms tied down to the arm rests as blood was drawn from their inner elbow. Then my eyes trailed to the wall, lined with cages.

Endless humans, old as 80, young as 4, trapped behind the metal bars, sobbing, crying, reaching through.

"Indeed. We are trying to synthesize stronger blood nutrients for the hungrier vampires. Play with different flavours. See if we can dehydrate blood into drinks."

Lukas walked a few more steps, stopping in front of the next window. "What's going on in here? It looks new."

I followed quietly behind them, eyes hesitantly peering in for the next horror. More humans behind cages, this time not begging and pleading, but ail and frail. They looked as though they hadn't showered or eaten in days. Their skin covered in lesions, wounds pustulating and oozing blood.

"Disease trials," Christina said, her tone almost proud.

"To remove weak links?" Lukas asked.

Christina nodded, showing no sign of remorse. This was her work. Her research. There was no room to think about the people behind her test subjects. "We are trying to invent the perfect virus. Something worse than the flu but not easily detectable as being manufactured. The last thing we want when we plant it somewhere in the world to spread are countries pointing fingers about who created it and starting wars. We want them to die out without much harm to our structures. We still want to live in this world when the humans are gone!" She barked a short laugh and continued to walk.

"And in here?" Lukas asked at the next room.

Christina hesitated slightly, casting a glance back to me before looking up at her son. "Testing how to make vampires," she whispered.

"Making?" he repeated. "Making vampires? We can do that?" He was trying very hard to sound impressed, but I could hear the notes of abhorration in the undertone.

"Your father's invention," she said quietly, seemingly not as amused this time. "It's another disease, transmitted through bite. It carries an illness that alters the human DNA into something that mimics a vampire's. Makes them crave blood. Improves the senses, speed, and vision. We are hoping to use it to keep humans we may want to keep around. Though... it has its defects still."

"Such as?"

"They're too hungry... too uncontrollable. And eventually the disease eats away at the human too much that they turn into these zombie-like creatures incapable of free thought, controlled by their hunger." She shook her head and sighed. "Can't have them eating all the magical creatures... they like witch blood too much." 

Thankfully she didn't look back at me, because I was struggling to keep my composure as I glanced at the cages in this room, once-humans in various states. Some scared, crying in the corner. Some fighting against the cages, climbing the ceilings, trying to break free. Some with pulsing veins, haunting eyes, and looks that could kill.

A few more steps past the room, we finally reached the end of the hallway. Christina opened the door, standing aside as Lukas and I walked through into what seemed to be a cosy cafeteria, filled with some a dining section, a kitchenette, and a lounge area.

Christina walked straight over to the kitchen, turning on the kettle as her eyes flickered between the two of us.

"Lukas, Mein Sohn," she said.

"Ja, Mama?"

"Can you go find your father and ask him if he would like a drink?"

"I could just call him," he said, eyes briefly glancing at me, wary of leaving me alone or walking me back through the facility. I wasn't sure how I would handle going back the way we came, to be fair.

"He left his phone at home accidentally today."

Lukas breathed a smile and gave a small nod. "Be nice to her, okay Mama?" he asked.

She smiled softly at her son, tilting her head as her eyes crinkled. "Of course."

Taking one more glance at me while biting his lip, he hurried out of the room, back into the hallway we came, leaving Christina and I alone.

"So, Olivia... You're bonded to Ben, yes?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Almost a year."

"You love him?"

"Of course."

"And my son... he's your friend?"

"My best friend."

She stared at me momentarily, making me squirm under my skin, eyes searching me (what for, I don't know) until the kettle flicked off. Dropping her gaze, she pulled out a number of mugs, threw in some tea bags, and began to pour the hot water. Once they were steeping, she looked back up at me.

"I'm sorry for this, Olivia," she said.

"Sorry for what?" But before I could hear her response, my head began to spin. Suddenly there were two Christinas. I blinked multiple times, hands coming down against the kitchen counter as I regained my balance.

As I steadied myself, I realised there was a tea in front of me, fully made, milk and everything. When had she done that? Did she use her magic?

She gave me a curt smile then motioned over to the couch. On cue, Lukas came back into the room.

"He said he doesn't want one and he did have his phone, Mama!" he complained.

"My mistake!" She sat down on the couch and I followed, sitting opposite her, looking over her.

She had a very satisfied gleam to her eyes as she looked between me and Lukas, an eyebrow raised high as she sipped at the hot beverage in her hands.

Picking up his mug, Lukas joined us in the sitting area, taking the free seat next to me. But he sat too close for my liking, stirring an unsettled feeling in my stomach.

I gently shuffled over on the couch, away from him, sneaking a glance at him as I did so.

His brows came together as he looked at me, a little hurt. But he shook it away, turning back to his mother.

We didn't stay too much longer after drinking our teas. We made small chit chat until Lukas said we had to get back to Ben as we had plans back in Cologne apparently. Lukas begged his mother to ensure his uncle was at the dinner we were hosting at Stephen's tomorrow night, and when she reluctantly agreed to try, she ushered us back down the hallway.

I kept my eyes turned forward the whole way, unable to look through the windows again. I was certain that Lukas's stories and the horrors within the facility had given me enough proof about Rüdiger.

Was death the right solution? I wanted to say no. I wanted to say a life of imprisonment and torture was more fitting. But they didn't have such a system in their world. Rüdiger was the law enforcement. And capital punishment the only penalty for crimes in the magical world. Who was to say that locking him up would hold him from harming more eventually, too.

As we bid our goodbyes, walked up the stairway, and back into the thicket, I was overwhelmed by a strong urge to see Ben and make amends with him.

Something from within the facility had stirred a desire within me to hold him once more. To lay kisses over his face and never let him leave my side. To ensure we never fought again.

We walked in silence, twigs crunching underfoot, the once magical green forest tainted in an eerie aura. The sky above was still blue, the sun still shone down, yet the vibrant green was now a dull hue. The moss and overgrown nature of the smaller shrubs suggested that we were no longer welcome here.

"Are you okay?" Lukas asked quietly. We had clearly made enough distance for him to feel comfortable asking such a question.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"Your father came up with some of those..."

"He's better than my uncle... If you would believe it."

I didn't respond, choosing to keep my eyes focussed on the ground ahead.

"I'm not like them," he whispered.

I stopped, turning to face Lukas. "I know. You're not your parents, Lukas."

He gave me a small smile, but seemed to not believe it.

"You escaped this life. You didn't deserve the treatment they gave you, but you learned from the horrors they inflicted. I'm proud of the person you became," I said, meaning it, willing him to believe he was not the sum of his family.

"Thank you, Ollie," he mumbled. And then his eyes began to ooze a warmth and sense of longing as he took slow steps towards me, hand extending towards me.

Before he could touch me, I stepped back, flinching from his touch. "I want to get back to Ben," I said.

His hand, paused in the air, began to lower back to his side, the warmth disappearing from his gaze. The light leaving his eyes as he looked at me like I had become a stranger.

But as I looked back at him, I realised what his eyes had revealed was right. Coming out of that facility, something had shifted in me with how I looked at Lukas. The part of me that found him beautiful, the part of me that found him homely, the part of me that longed for him and loved him had been left behind somewhere in the depths below the ground. Was it the torture labs and some unknown grudge I was holding for him? Was it something in the tea? Or was it meeting his parents? I didn't know.

One thing I was certain of though was that my heart no longer fluttered or could flutter for Lukas. I could only allow it to do so for Ben. And I had to make up with him. Why, I didn't know. I just had to.