I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read this fic so far since this has gotten way more support than I first thought it would :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

The next time Descole visited Folsense, it was entirely intentional. Ever since waking up back on the Molentary Express, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about what had happened. Who was Anton really? How could he, along with his town, remain unchanged for forty five years? But what pushed Descole further than any of his burning questions was simply the want to see Anton again. He wanted to understand him and know him like he had never wanted to know someone before. That pushed Descole's actions more than anything else but it also terrified him. Never before had he become so lost and helpless in the presence of someone else. And he was determined to figure out why Anton could do what no other person could.

So he boarded the Molentary Express, careful to hide himself from any of the staff who may have recognised him. He quickly solved the puzzle lock on the Deluxe Carriage door, remembering the solution from the previous time, and slipped inside. Just like before, the carriages didn't seem any different until the same loud conductor delivered roses to each room. He had given Descole a quizzical look, almost as though he knew his face but couldn't quite place how or why. But the conductor swiftly moved on, leaving Descole alone once more. This time when the drowsiness hit him, he did nothing to fight it and allowed it to push him into unconsciousness. As he had expected, when he next awoke the train was empty and stopped in Folsense station.

The first surprise he encountered happened as soon as he left the station and the place came to life in front of him. He looked around him to see people walking through the streets, seemingly going about their casual nightly lives- as it had fallen dark again, just as it had when Descole had first visited. None of them made any move to talk to him but they did seem to notice him walking past and would acknowledge him with a smile or a nod of their head. Descole would awkwardly nod back, confused as to what was really going on here. Folsense was clearly not all that it seemed. Almost automatically, he made his way through the town, across the forest, and towards Anton's castle. He raised his fist to knock on the large, wooden doors but they swung open before he had the chance. Lowering his hand, he stepped inside.

"Hello? Anton?" Descole called out into the seemingly empty room as he pushed the doors shut behind him.

"It's rare for me to have guests. It's even rarer for them to return," a voice Descole recognised as Anton's spoke from the shadows.

"You've piqued my curiosity," Descole smirked, scanning his eyes around the room.

"And you've intrigued me too," Anton whispered against Descole's ear, suddenly appearing from the shadows behind him and wrapping an arm around Descole's waist. Descole resisted the pull in his mind that told him to give in to Anton's touch and turned around to face him.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I came back," Descole said in response, earning a chuckle from Anton's lips.

"Yes, I suppose it is," he smiled in reply, slipping his hand into Descole's. He pulled on his arm gently, leading him up the central staircase. Descole followed but remained focused; he was determined to not lose himself in Anton's presence this time.

"Where are we going?" Descole asked as they reached the final step and Anton began leading him towards the right.

"You travelled all this distance just to see me, the least I can do is offer you dinner," Anton replied easily as if he had been waiting for Descole to ask him that exact question. So, Descole followed him down the hallway but instead of being faced with a pair of ornately decorated doors like he had expected, Anton led him up to a rather understated door tucked away in a hidden corner. Sensing Descole's curiosity, Anton smirked to himself as he pulled out a golden key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it.

"A private guest deserves a private dining hall," Anton explained coyly as he and Descole walked into the dining area of his private quarters. It was much smaller and less extravagant looking than the place Descole had been given tea on his first visit. It felt much cosier, but it still showed off the vastness of Anton's wealth with heavy, deep red velvet curtains, a low hanging silver chandelier, and a round table with two chairs sat opposite each other in the centre of the room. Anton placed his hand on the small of Descole's back and gently pushed him towards the centre of the room. Taking his signal, Descole walked towards the table and took a seat. When he turned back around, Anton was approaching him with a silver tray. He set it down in the centre of the table and lifted the cover to reveal a variety of different foods. But after what happened to him last time he visited this town, Descole was reluctant to begin eating.

"Don't worry, it won't bite," Anton teased lightly. Sensing Descole's caution, Anton picked up a sandwich and took a bite to show that whatever Descole thought about what he may have done to the food wasn't true. Seemingly reassured, Descole joined him and began to eat too. And he had to admit, the food was pretty good. They continued to eat in comfortable silence until Descole let out a quiet yawn and Anton found himself smiling softly at him.

"My apologies, you must be exhausted after your journey. Please, allow me to offer you a room for the night," Anton stood and walked towards the door. Seeing no other real alternative, Descole followed him out the room. He led him further through the castle in silence until they came to a halt in front of a door. Anton slowly pushed open the door and Descole stepped inside. The room looked to be a guest room of sorts, probably one of many in the Herzen estate.

"I hope this will be sufficient for the night. If you require anything, ring the bell by your bedside and Nigel will cater to your needs," Anton explained, not moving from his place in the doorway. Descole smiled, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks despite willing it to stop. An oddly awkward silence hung in the air and for the first time, Anton found himself at a loss for words.

"Thank you-" Descole finally turned around to say but when his eyes fell on the door, Anton was nowhere in sight. He sighed to himself, looking around the room. His eyes glanced over everything until he caught sight of a painting on the wall, hanging next to the bed. He walked over to it to take a closer look. The painting showed a beautiful young couple gazing into each other's eyes as they danced the night away at a ball. Descole smiled at the love clearly shown in their eyes until he realised that the young man was none other than Anton himself. He took an involuntary step back as he stared at Anton's face in the painting, unable to form his thoughts further than one thing- whoever the woman in that picture was, Anton clearly loved her. But that thought in itself brought to light a whole new plethora of questions. Who was she? Why had Anton never mentioned her before? How did she change Anton's intentions towards him? Was Descole simply to become a corrupted, twisted replacement for Anton's lost love? These questions invaded Descole's mind until he could think of nothing else and his body began to move before his mind could catch up. All he knew was that he had to leave; he couldn't be used by Anton like that.

But he also knew he couldn't just abandon Anton with no explanation. He searched about the room and eventually found some unused parchment and a pen. Sitting down at the small writing desk in the corner, he poured his heart and mind into a single letter. Once it was done, he folded it over, wrote Anton's name on the front, and placed it on the pillow at the head of the bed. Then he walked towards the door and opened it. Glancing down the corridor, he saw it was empty. Silently, Descole made his way through the Herzen castle and eventually found himself faced with the large doors that led to the outside. He stopped suddenly and turned around to face the central staircase.

"I'm sorry, Anton," Descole whispered into the empty darkness before opening the doors and stepping out into the night.