Serena watched as Darien stood to his full height to meet Seiya, his eyes cold and uninviting, she could see that his tactics were also successful because now, Seiya was awkwardly shifting in his spot and looking back warily in Darien's eyes. She couldn't believe he was being so mean to the poor guy! Darien could be such a jerk sometimes.

As if sensing Serena's annoyance, Darien looked at Serena and she clearly saw the pleasure and enjoyment he was feeling, at poor Seiya's expensive. Sadist!

"Anyway Serena," Seiya finally spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence, that Darien was enjoying so much, "I have to go now, but we will definitely meet up again, got a lot of catching up to do." He finished, looking at Darien's reaction from the corner of his eye.

"Sure, Seiya, most definitely." Serena finished. Serena saw Darien frown at her in annoyance, from behind Seiya, when he moved forward to hug her goodbye.

He then turned to shake hands once more with Darien before leaving. Darien on the other hand made sure to squeeze his hand painfully, showing off his superior power and enjoying the smaller man's plight sadistically. His eyes laughed with wicked mirth, when his victim's eyes bulged a little from the pain and Serena having encountered everything looked on disapprovingly.

"What is wrong with you, Darien? Have you lost your mind?" Serena whispered out furiously, when Seiya was out of earshot.

"What did I do?" He asked innocently.

"You know what you did, you were making him uncomfortable on purpose." Serena replied accusingly.

"No, I wasn't." Darien defended, feigning hurt that she could think that he would do something like that.

"Yes, you were and the worse part is, you were enjoying it!" She jabbed an accusing finger in Darien's chest.

"Fine ok, I am guilty ok! But don't you lie too, when you say, you didn't enjoy it even a little." He shot back.

"No, I did'nt." Serena huffed.

Darien continued to stare at her pointedly.

"Fine, ok, just a little." She confessed.

"See that's my girl!" he told her chuckling. "Now, where were we? Before, we were so rudely disturbed."

Serena smiled at him good naturedly and rolled her eyes.

"What? We were dancing silly!" Darien said teasingly, chuckling away.

"Ms. Kingston." They both turned around to look at the maid standing before them, "I found this lying on the table over there." The maid gestured towards the table on their left. "It has your name on it."

Serena looked at the envelope the maid held in her hand questioningly and then turned with the same look towards Darien. He simply shrugged and moved his head indicated that he had no idea too.

"Thank you, Isabelle." Serena told her and took the offered envelope from her.

"Who is it from?" Darien asked curiously, moving behind Serena's shoulder and looking down to get a better look at the envelope.

Serena looked at it and turned it around in her hands. "I don't know it doesn't say anything, just 'to Serena', that's all." She said warily.

"Then open it and look." He told her inquisitively.

"Excuse me, this could be private you know! You can't just read it with me!" Serena told him jokingly.

"Oh yes I can, I am your fiancé now, I am entitled to read all your private notes, diaries, letters…..etc.."

"Oh, shut up, Dare, stop being so dramatic." Serena chuckled.

"Don't change the topic and open it." He told her impatiently, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Fine, fine." She turned the envelope around and proceeded to lift the flap up and pull out the note. Serena pulled the letter out and unfolded it. As they both read the note Serena's eyes widened in shock and Darien's brow furrowed in a grim manner.

"Dear Serena,

Happy birthday my love, I hope you liked the birthday present I sent you today, because I have left an even better one in your room!

Your one and only true love."

Serena slowly turned to look at Darien, her eyes filled with horror. She had completely forgotten about the creepy gift she had received, just a few hours ago. But being around Darien and getting wrapped up in his agenda and being suddenly engaged had totally made her forget about it. But now it had all come back to her and was getting creepier by the minute. Darien was still looking at the note, he was livid. Slowly he turned to meet Serena's eyes and he saw the fear within them, her skin had paled and she was shivering. Darien turned her around to face him and hugged her to him protectively.

"I need to go look in my room, Darien." She whispered, still within his embrace.

"No, you don't, Rena." Darien replied.

"Yes I do!" She said pulling her head up to look at him from within his embrace.

"Let me go and look first, baby." He told her sternly. "It could be dangerous."

"Let me come with you, I know nothing can happen to me, while you're around." She whispered.

"Are you sure?" Darien asked her.

"Yes, besides, no one can hurt a wild beast like me, without consequences." She said, giving him a weak smile.

Darien smiled gently at her. "That's my girl."

They both turned and walked toward the stairs together. Darien took Serena's hand in his and intertwined their fingers today, giving her support silently. Serena felt safe as his warmth penetrated her palms. She knew if she would have dealt with this by herself, she would have been scared out of her mind, but Darien had managed to creep his way into becoming her protector. She just knew in her gut that he would always protect her. That was just the sort of guy he was.

She turned and looked at him and he looked back into her cerulean eyes, he could see fear and anxiety mixed with another emotion in it, faith? His eyes were arrested by her gaze, she trusted him? After he cornered her into being his fiancée! Trust he realized was the wrong word, she had faith in him?

They walked hand in hand as they took the stairs up to her room, they walked through the lonely corridor in anxious and dead silence, they could hear the party and music on in full swing downstairs. It seemed like they had walked hours before they reached her room.

Silently they stood outside her room, just staring at it. Darien slowly turned around and looked at the anxious beauty standing beside him. She turned around slowly and locked gazes with him.

Serena saw the question in his eyes and Serena inhaled and exhaled deeply before looking at Darien, she nodded her head and answered him.

"Ready."

He nodded at her without smiling and squeezed her arm reassuringly.

Darien put his hand on the door knob and opened the door in one fluid motion.

As they both peeped inside the room, everything seemed to be in perfect order. Cautiously Darien stepped in first and then motioned Serena to come inside. She walked in nervously and looked around.

She let out a small shriek and gasped loudly, Darien turned around to look in the direction in which Serena was standing. He scowled.

"What the fuck!"

Her bed had been covered up by rose petals, so much so that the bed sheet below was not visible anymore. They both slowly approached the bed to find a small book lying on the bed, atop the petals. Serena watched with horrified eyes, she had never realized that such a romantic gesture could look so ominous. Her heart was ramming painfully against her ribcage. Things played out in slow motion, when Darien bent down to pick up the small book from her bed to inspect it. Serena watched him as he opened it and scowled again.

"It's a flip book." He stated in a hushed voice.

She watched as he held the pages bunched up and let them slip through his hands, to form the story. Darien's scowl deepened further.

"What is it?" She whispered.

Darien looked up at her and immediately masked his concern with an unreadable mask and tried to look cool.

"Nothing, I think it is a dumb prank." He gave an excuse. But his eyes were speaking volumes, Serena could see what he had seen, was troubling him.

"Don't lie to me, Darien, show me what it is." Serena said stretching her hand out for Darien to give her the book as she took a step towards him.

"No honestly, you don't need to see this." Darien argued back. "It's really stupid." He provided for her.

"Darien, I can handle it, show me!" She said sternly.

He sighed deeply and gave in. "Fine." He placed the book in her outstretched hand.

"Thank You."

It was Darien's turn to watch her as she flipped through the pages of the book. Her eyes widened and she flipped through the pages two more times. She gasped and looked up at him with fear and unshed tears shining bright in her eyes. What Serena had seen had petrified her to her core.

The pages had started with two stick figures of a boy and girl, standing apart and midway through the page they stood as a bride and bridegroom. It was abundantly clear the two figures were Darien and her. As the pages progressed it showed a third person with a knife, coming closer to the groom from behind, he stabs the bridegroom and the last pages shows the bride standing with the man with the knife. The body of the bridegroom laying on the side.

"You think someone is pranking us! Darien someone is threatening us!" Serena almost screamed.

"I didn't want to worry you." Darien stated taking a step near Serena.

She took a step back and looked at him. "Someone wants to hurt you." She said in a broken, unbelieving voice.

"Oh come on, that is not going to happen. You are taking this too seriously. This must be someone's idea of a joke." Darien tried to calm her.

"Joke? What sort of ludicrous sense of humor is this?!" She shot back at him.

Darien was about to say something back, when his eyes caught something behind her and his word just died before they even came out. Serena looked at him questioningly at first and then she saw his gaze fixed on a spot behind her, she too turned around.

She could see something on her dresser mirror. She moved towards it slowly to inspect it better and felt Darien right behind her. Once close enough they could see it was something written on the glass in red paint. She frowned.

"Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I shall meet you there." She heard Darien reading the words out aloud.

Serena's shock changed into pure, unadulterated fear as she stared into the glass. She could see Darien and her reflection standing side by side through the mirror. They both just stood there transfixed. A sudden realization dawned on her.

"It's….."

"Blood." Darien finished.