A/N: It's a Sunday which means it's update time for me. I wasn't really supposed to release this yet because I felt it wasn't on its best form. So sorry, really if it wasn't that good. I REALLY REALLY TRIED. Anyway, I want to thank all those who decided to drop me some reviews on my last few chapters. You're like fuel for me to always continue this.

P.S. The amazing gozita-san, who is also a brilliant Hakuoki fanfic writer on this site made a video about our favorite first division captain. Go check it here: watch?v=C5jzYsZR_NU. It's really cool. Well then, enjoy!

A soft whisper of wind danced over the moonlit washed yard, ruffling the leaves and the grass. From the heavens, a cloud shifted, causing the shadows on the ground to lengthen and dance. Akane stared unblinkingly at them, her eyes wide and unseeing.

Despite the chill of the breeze biting at her skin, her face felt warm as if she just spent hours out in the sun. Blood was thundering in her ears in tune with the erratic beating of her heart. A blow of warm breath fanned over her face and she realized again what's happening.

Harada Sanosuke. Strong, kind, protective Harada was holding her close, his lips grazing her skin. He was holding her so gently that for a moment she forgot she was a girl who wields bows, a girl who was currently dressed with the blue haori of the Shinsegumi. He was holding her as if she was someone breakable and fragile. As if she was just an ordinary girl.

Akane felt as if the breath got stuck on her throat and knocked out of her at the same time. She was so in shock she didn't even realize the edges of her vision were already blurring after minutes of not breathing. A lot of things were running in her mind that did and did not make sense. There was a flash of a smile, of a moon peeking behind the branches of a sakura tree, of a girl crying for help underneath rubble, of a smirk she knew so well, and of eyes. Startling mischievous green eyes that for some reason started to lighten in color until they were finally transformed into kind, gold orbs.

A creak on the wooden floor was what finally shook her to awareness. It also seemed to have the same effect on Harada since he finally pulled back a little and stared at her with his amber gaze. He answered her open, confused look with an expression so kind she nearly stood up and ran away from him. But Akane felt no strength in her body so she just remained sitting there, her face full of questions.

'You don't deserve this.'

She stiffened at his words.

'It's unfair for you. No matter how you look at it.'

She opened her mouth to say something then closed it again in a snap. A sharp, throbbing pain had already formed on her chest and she felt close to fainting. Harada leaned back a little but kept his hold on her elbow.

'Breathe, Akane.'

Air rushed out between her lips as she finally released the breath she had been holding for minutes. Akane briefly dropped her eyes to the hand holding her before looking again at the man in front of her.

'You…' she started in a low whisper.

'I know everything. You were a good actress but not good enough to fool me. I know you've been suffering for the past month. And I am aware of the reason.'

'That's…I'm not—' she tried to answer but found herself collapsing into silence again. What was she going to say anyway? That she's okay? She may be trying to forget but she still had some decency left in her not to lie to herself. That was the best she can do.

'I'm really sorry, Akane. I really wanted to protect you but I couldn't do much while watching from the distance. I kind of hoped it will go away if we just let it be. Turns out it didn't. So I'm sorry if I only acted now.'

Her heart jumped at what he said. Then came the gripping need to say something. She didn't know how to say it or what she wanted to say in the first place. All she knew was that she needed to say something. Anything.

'Sano-san, I—'

Before she can even utter another word, the captain lightly put his finger on her lips in a gesture to silence her. Heat fleetingly flashed on her cheeks at the motion and she watched in a trance as Harada started inching close to her again. Panic shot through her veins as he came closer and closer. Before she can even close her eyes to brace herself for what she thought was another kiss, however, he stopped mere centimetres from her ears. His breath fanned her skin warmly for a moment before he finally broke the tension with a soft whisper.

'Consider it a gift from me.'

That was all he said before he pulled away again, gave her a gentle smile, stood up gracefully, and started walking away.

Akane stared after him, shocked and confused beyond words. She was so puzzled and overwhelmed that she did not even realize she raised her hand on the spot where his lips touched her skin earlier, fingers grazing over the area which seemed to tingle with warmth. Sanosuke, her cooking partner and friend had just kissed her. And she didn't do or say anything about it while he was still in front of her. No. She just looked at him and willed him to say the words that she did not have the courage to say.

She did not know how long she stared off at the spot where he had finally disappeared. It may have been seconds, minutes, even hours. It was only when the sting of the night air finally sank deep under her skin that she finally decided to make a move and stand up from her seat by the stairs. Akane forced her feet to move one after the other, feeling that she was experiencing an out of body experience with every step she took.

She was concentrating too much in gaining back her emotional and physical balance that the sound of a door being ripped open slowly registered into her muddled mind. When she finally realized what was happening, it was too late –again.

For the second time that night, Akane felt her body taken hold of by strong arms. This time though, the grasp was strong and harsh as she was dragged into the darkness of a room. She briefly noted the sound of the door being harshly closed before she felt her body pushed roughly against a wall. The sensation was followed by the dull sound of hands slammed forcefully on either side of her head and the warmth of a body just mere inches from her own.

Everything was bathed in shadows except for some few areas in the room where slivers of moonlight from the outside passed through. Everything was dark but Akane found her eyes widening as she recognized the green, stormy eyes glaring at her from the dimness.

When Okita finally reached the headquarters, every single muscle in his body were protesting and screaming with pain. It didn't also help that there was a faint trace of headache already forming on the back of his head, just below the juncture where his neck met his skull. He stifled a frustrated growl as the image of Hijikata flashed through his tired mind.

The demon vice-commander had bombarded him with missions the last month and this last one he just finished was the final straw. Somehow, he seemed to be putting all the brunt of work on him even though there were nine other captains he can order around. Thumb grazing over the rough handle of his sword, he slipped towards the back stairs of the house and made his way into his room. He couldn't let anyone know that he'd been out. Tomorrow though, he will finally tell the man to back off. He had finished everything he asked for and he wanted nothing more of his orders anymore.

As he silently treaded the deserted halls, his eyes wandered to one of the doors on his left. A crease formed on his forehead when he realized whose room it is. Without realizing it, he slowed down his steps and stopped just in front of the shoji screen.

Okita just stood there for a moment, staring silently at the door as the wind blew his hair around his face. He knew Akane was also out on a mission for the last few days. If there is another person who seems to be getting a fresh wad of attention from the vice-commander besides from him, it was her. Her patrols with Saito increased over the last month and her practice sessions with her captain always lasted until evening. The only brief moment that he sees her besides mealtimes is when she hangs out with some of the captains and her friend, Sakura, by the porch. When night falls again, she is either sent for patrol once more or found practicing on the dojo.

Probably it's her way of dealing.

Something shot through his system that made him ball his hands briefly into fists. They never talked about that night and the morning that followed. In fact, they never talked about anything at all. For the past weeks all they did was ignore each other as if they were mere strangers. There were no longing looks and secret glances. They simply acted as if they both didn't exist.

Despite his wish to just stay there and stare at the door, Souji pushed himself to turn around and started walking again. He was tired and just barely clinging to his sanity for the day. Who knows what he could do when he stayed in front of her room? He barely took five steps forward, however, when he was stilled again by the sound of voices just around the corner. He momentarily stopped on his spot when he recognized one of the speakers.

'So, how are you faring lately?'

Okita frowned at Harada's voice. Around this time in the evening, he is usually out with Heisuke and Shinpachi, raising hell in Shimabara. He was just about to take another step and casually call out to him when a new voice completely stopped him on his tracks.

'Struggling, but getting better day by day.'

He felt his stomach clench when he realized who it was and what the conversation was about. He wanted to turn away and do the right thing but instead made himself slip into the shadows and lean on the door of the room just beside him. He couldn't see them but their shadows were clearly reflected on the floor just before his position.

'Hm…and the pain?'

Silence. He felt a knot on his chest start to form as he waited for her answer.

'Still there. I don't think it will be going away soon.'

'How painful is it?'

'Too much that I feel I'm being dragged through hell.'

Even from a distance Okita felt Harada freeze at her answer. Unfortunately for him, the effect was much worse. He continued staring at the shadows of the two, unable to blink or breathe.

'But you're fighting.'

'Yes.'

'And you're going to win it.'

A fleeting, broken laugh floated in the air. It was so full of sadness and uncertainty that it caused some cracks on his current stupor. The knot on his chest tightened as he remained riveted on his spot.

'Yes. I hope so.'

There was a brief silence as the two seemed to mull over things on their own. When Harada finally spoke, he did not miss the change on his tone despite the current fog on his mind.

'Akane.'

'Yes?'

'Look at me.'

One of the shadows shifted as Akane slightly turned to face the man beside her. She seemed to be also startled at the sudden change on Harada's voice.

'I don't like seeing you like this.'

'Thank you Sano-san. I really appreciate it. But don't worry. I'm working through it. In no time I'll be—'

'So I really hope you'll forgive me for doing this.'

He didn't know what told him about what was going to happen next. He just knew it in his gut. Knew that even if he tried, it would be too late for him to stop it.

'What was that?'

For a split second he felt as if he was physically stabbed by something right in the middle of his chest. He was no longer alien to cuts and bruises and this one felt so real to the point that he could even feel the eerie coldness of steel digging to his flesh. As he watched the two shadows merge, he felt the invisible dagger go deeper and deeper until finally, he could no longer breathe. He can feel his system shutting down, numbness and cold mingling with the pain.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that. When his eyes focused again, Harada had long been gone. There was only one shadow being reflected on the floor he was still staring at. Akane was still sitting by the stairs, her small form clearly showing her confusion over the situation. Slowly, he watched as she raised her hand to touch her lips.

That one small movement was all it took for him to fully break free from his state. Something had started rising inside him that felt entirely new to him. The feeling was something close to what he always felt just before he was about to pounce for the kill except this time, it was magnified a thousand fold. It was so heavy and pure he almost tasted it on his tongue. He watched with an eerie sense of calmness as the shadow stood up, stopped for a moment, and finally turned to walk away.

Light footsteps started sounding towards his direction. Before he even put enough thought on what he was doing, his hand was already around the arm of the girl who just walked into him. He heard her soft gasp as her body tumbled against his own. Before she collapsed on her feet, his other hand tore open the door behind him and he dragged them both into darkness.

Akane stared wide-eyed at the green eyes currently glaring at her. She hadn't gotten over her initial shock yet but here she was again, thrown into a situation that didn't make sense to her. Okita was staring at her with an intensity she never saw in his eyes before. It wasn't something that he wore even while he was angry or out for a mission. He just looked at her with a storm of emotions fleeting through his eyes, none of which were making sense to her.

The set of his features told her that he was beyond angry. No, he was even beyond loathing. The air rolling off of him made the air sizzle with tension and she felt a soft hum of fear and worry for him spread throughout her body as her eyes locked with his.

'O..Okita-san?' she whispered softly, her voice small and scared.

A look flitted over his features. When it finally passed, his glare on her seemed to have deepened even more.

'Call me by my first name,' he said in a voice so low gooseflesh erupted on her arms.

She blinked in confusion.

'W-what?'

He leaned even closer to her, causing her to fall back even more against the wall. It took her everything not to whimper when she felt her back hit the cold surface. She was trapped.

'You can't do it?' he asked, his warm breath fanning her lips.

'What's gotten into you?'

'Do it, Akane!'

Akane closed her eyes as he forcefully hit the spots on the wall beside her head where his hands were currently caging her. His words were like a whip, cold and demanding. Her heart seemed to have gotten stuck and was trying to free itself from her throat.

In front of her, Okita remained silent as he waited for her response. She didn't dare open her eyes to look at him. After a while, she heard him shift as he leaned back a little.

'You wouldn't do it, right? You wouldn't call anyone by their first name except for him.'

Akane suddenly opened her eyes and stared at him in shock. His voice, angry and menacing just a few seconds ago sounded flat and emotionless now. His face, however, remained hard as he looked at her.

'What on earth are you talking about?' she whispered harshly out of pure confusion. If it wasn't for him still cornering her by the wall, she would have already collapsed at the turn of events around her. First was Sano. Now this. She was already stretched too tight and she was barely clinging on to the very little control she had over her emotions.

'What's your relationship with him?'

As she processed his words, everything started to make sense to her. It did not take long for the look of confusion on her face to be replaced with a hard mask just like his.

'That is none of your business,' she answered back with the coldest tone she could muster. Okita's face darkened at her response and his eyes took on a dangerous gleam. She simply raised her chin and set her jaw.

'Just answer me.'

'I don't answer to anyone, especially to you,' she growled back at him.

'Just tell me what I want to know!'

'No!' she shot back through gritted teeth. If this was any other day, she would have slunk back and shivered in fear at the anger in his voice and face. But no. Right now, all it did was make her so angry she was nearly shaking. It was unfair, she thought. She struggled-is still struggling, as she picked up the shards of herself little by little. Yet now, he was here in front of her, threatening to break down again the very little progress she had made.

She wouldn't let him.

'You… You don't have the slightest right to ask that from me. Do you know how hard it is for me every day? Do you have any idea how hard it is to deal with you every time I see you? Every single muscle in my body was telling me to leave this place because of this mess but I didn't! You know why? Because in the end I still couldn't bring myself to leave you!'

Anger and pain pushed her to take a step forward. She was shaking again and she didn't try to stop or hide it. She didn't stop advancing until Okita was finally forced to drop the arms caging her on his sides.

Words were tumbling out of her mouth one after the other. Akane didn't even care anymore that tears were flowing freely on her cheeks now. She didn't give a damn that her voice shook with every little pain she was now letting loose. She probably looked like a total mess because in front of her, Okita's hard exterior finally melted into a slightly worried one. Still, she continued on.

'I should hate you, do you know that? I was so convinced that night while I was waiting for you on that sakura tree that you felt the same way even for just a little. That you cared for me at the very least. But I couldn't have been more wrong.'

'Akane—'

'You know what's worse though? That no matter how hard I try, I couldn't hate you. For the first time in my life I felt genuinely angry at one person and I still ended up not bringing myself to hate him even if that would have helped me cope easily. I just couldn't do it,' she said, her voice breaking even as she tried her best to keep her sobs from it. 'I love you that much.'

Okita stilled at her last statement and stared at her speechless. He just stood there, his hands still raised from his efforts to touch her. Akane just stared back at him blankly, suddenly spent and drained. When she finally realized he won't be making another move any time soon, she gave a short and sad laugh, shook her head, and tried to move away from him.

She honestly thought she would be able to finally escape from him when she passed his frozen form. Before she can even reach the door, however, she felt his hand hold her arm again.

'Wait.'

She didn't look back.

'Aren't you even going to listen to me?'

Akane kept her mouth shut. He waited for her to answer but she didn't budge. When he finally realized she didn't have any plans of acknowledging him, she heard him give a frustrated sound that grated on her nerves. Still, she remained silent, using everything she has to stop herself from facing him and yelling at him again.

'Do you know how unfair you are right now?'

That was the final straw. Her self-control snapped and she spun around, her words already ready. AnDespite her sudden movement, however, his hold on her arm remained.

'I am unfair? I am the one being unfair now? Can you even hear what you're saying?!'

'You wouldn't even give me a chance to talk.'

'Let go of me!'

He merely tightened his hold on her. She was already beyond mad.

'Let go of me before I punch you in the—'

She wasn't able to finish what she wanted to say.

The moment she gave a huge tug of her hand to free it from his grasp, Okita pulled her back almost effortlessly, causing her to fly straight into his arms. Then, he spun her around, her body slamming again to the wall she just vacated earlier. Before she can even take another breath, something happened that made her forget to breathe altogether.

He kissed her.

It was not gentle like Harada's. In fact, it was the exact opposite. It was rough. Desperate. And angry. Akane felt her heart stop beating altogether as she felt his lips claim hers. Time entirely stopped for her in that moment and for a long time there wasn't a room, a door, and slivers of moonlight playing on the floor before her. There was only him and her.

If there was one moment she would be willing to sacrifice everything for just to make it last a little bit longer, this would be it. Just one movement. Just one very small movement and the pain she had felt in the last couple of weeks were suddenly gone, as if they hadn't existed at all. She was finally there, safe and sound with him.

Akane started to close her eyes and relax her frame at the current slew of emotions she was feeling. Okita seemed to have felt her finally let go as she heard a very faint sound of approval from him before he pulled her closer to him even more. His other hand fell to her waist while the other wrapped around her wrist and held it firmly against the wall. She almost let herself smile against him when he shifted again and caused their clothes to rustle audibly.

It was over too soon.

That sound was all it took to drain the warmth out of her in a second. Behind her closed lids, flashes of voices and images erupted like fireworks, bright and glaring and loud. There was a girl with red hair handing him tea, smiling and laughing at him with her light, gentle voice. There was an image of a dark yard and a hushed voice telling someone that he will not leave her. There was a rustle of clothing as one body was pulled into another.

Akane opened her eyes in shock. Then, like she was holding on to something burning hot in her hands, she suddenly pushed Souji away from her.

Okita, unprepared of her sudden movement, didn't get the bearings to hold on to her. He fell back a little, his face showing nothing but pure confusion.

'Oh god. Oh my god,' Akane whispered harshly, her eyes trained on the floor in front of her. There was a horrified look on her face. 'What have I done?'

'What's wrong?' Souji asked in a confused tone. Her head snapped up to him and she glared at him with the intensity of all the self-loathing she was feeling.

'What's wrong? We kissed!'

He still looked as if he can't find the mistake in the situation. Akane took a step forward him, her whole body shaking. There were fresh tears brimming on her eyes now.

'What were you thinking! Why—why did you do that?!'

Okita was just about to answer her when he closed his mouth halfway and stared at her more closely. In a heartbeat, the confused look on his face was replaced by a grim look.

'I was under the impression that you liked it as much as I do,' his voice had taken the low, dangerous timbre again.

'Oh you enjoyed it? How do you think Hotaru will enjoy it when she finds out about this!'

'I told you, things are not what you think they are.'

'I understand enough to know that you tried to use me to betray someone else who, as far as I know, has been nothing but good to you!' she pointed an accusing finger at him. She felt a painful hole in her chest much like the one she had when she heard him tell another girl that she wasn't important. The only difference now is that the hole was bigger, more gaping, and raw.

In front of her, Okita's glare on her intensified. He seemed to be fighting the urge to yell back at her with everything he had. He was only barely succeeding.

'Why wouldn't you trust me on this,' he asked through gritted teeth.

'Why won't you just leave me alone!'

Her last sentence seemed to have finally gotten the best of him. His eyes widened for a moment before he finally burst.

'Because I can't! Damn it, do I really need to say it out loud to you? I'm in love with you, Akane!'

Time froze in that moment.

Akane's heart stilled just as his last words escaped his lips. He is... what? Surely this couldn't have been happening. She must have heard wrong. She took a step back and looked him in the eyes to see if he was joking in any way. The expression in his face made her stomach drop. There was not a trace of mirth in them. There was only desperation and pain.

'I don't even know how it happened. It just did. Do you think you are the only one who got thrown into this mess? You have no idea what you've done to me,' he continued, the same desperation evident on his voice. For a brief moment, Akane wasn't seeing the first captain of the Shinsengumi or the gifted samurai anymore. She was just looking at a confused, distressed man in front of her.

'Do you think you can just walk in on someone's life and change things? Because that is definitely what you did. I was already there, Akane. My whole life-everything was already mapped out for me. I was already at that point where I was certain of everything I wanted to do. But then you came along and messed all those up. You didn't have a right to do that to me.'

She fell back on the wall and leaned on it for support. Every word he said fell to her with a force that shook her being. As she stared at him, she found herself looking at her same confused self when she realized she loved him. Everything he said was all she wished for ever since she came to terms with her feelings and now she was finally hearing it. Yet even though her heart tried to soar with happiness, she still felt it being weighed down by pain. She felt happy because she knew in the look in his eyes that he's telling the truth yet hurt because she was also aware of one very important thing she just couldn't overlook.

'B-But…Hotaru…' Akane gasped, finally voicing out the name of the person that has been lurking behind her fogged mind. Okita, on the other hand, didn't seem to be as concerned as her. In fact, his face slid into an even grim look at the sound of her name.

'There is no Hotaru. There is no me and her,' he said in an emotionless voice. Amidst the blur of feelings already churning within her, Akane found herself struggling to understand what he meant.

'What…what do you mean?'

Souji closed his mouth and set his jaw. He didn't seem fond at all to talk about the subject. A few moments after though, he finally spoke.

'I had orders from Hijikata to keep an eye on her the night after we rescued her from that building. She is a spy.'

Akane felt her mouth open at this revelation. With the number of things that has happened to her in just a span of a few hours, she couldn't bring herself to question this latest information revealed to her. She just stood there listening to everything as he continued to tell her the story.

'He needed someone with enough excuse to watch over her and he found his chance when the girl showed interest in me. Faking that I felt the same way towards her gave me all the access I needed to investigate. Only Hijikata and I knew of this. Even Kondou-san was unaware of it. The woman was as sharp as a knife so we tried our best to keep the secret strictly contained.'

Akane leaned back and placed more of her weight against the wall, trying her best to fight the nausea that was suddenly in danger of overtaking her. One look at him and she knew he was telling the truth. A lot of things have happened all at the same time and she didn't have the facilities to process all of them properly.

When Hotaru came into the picture, her life turned a complete 360 degrees. Now...this revelation was telling her that the reason for all her pain was just a secret mission. That there wasn't really truth behind everything that made her suffer for the last month.

Wait…if this was just an order from the vice-commander, then that means…

As tired and drained and spent that she is, Akane found her head snapping up towards Okita's form again. When their eyes met, she knew he also understood what she just realized. Everything. Everything was just a lie.

And he was the only truth.

Her heart soared so much she was rendered speechless again.

He said he's in love with her.

He's in love…with her.

And there isn't any woman she needed to consider now.

Akane was just about to point that out to him when she realized there was something wrong. Souji was still looking at her with the same anguished look in his face. She opened her mouth to say something but he suddenly cut her off.

'But none of that matters now, right?' It was only a whisper but his question seemed to ring in the room.

What…?

'Because you're already his.'

Akane's eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to say. Words and thoughts suddenly flooded her already strained consciousness and she struggled to let them out. To tell him that he was wrong. To her chagrin, her body didn't seem to be participating with her at that moment. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth but no words came out of her. For Okita, she must have looked like someone who didn't have anything to say to negate him. As she slowly straightened from her position, he gave her a sad smile that made something inside her break again for an entirely different reason.

Time seemed to slow down agonizingly for her as she watched him turn around and walk towards the door. Akane raised her hand to stop him but he wasn't able to see it anymore.

Wait. Wait!

'Souji—'

He didn't hear her call him. When his name finally fell out of her lips, he had already opened the door and slipped halfway out of it. The room was suddenly filled with a white glow as the moonlight slipped inside. Then it was gone again as he shut the door gently behind him.

He didn't close it with force. Somehow though, the sound of it closing still echoed within the four walls of the small room like a shout.

Footsteps rang in the still and lank hallways of the building, confident and assured. A person clad in a heavy wooden cloak traversed the stone floor with a bearing that would rival any royal. Turning the corner on the left, the image of two men with white hair welcomed the stranger's sight. The monsters had red glowing eyes that burned against the darkness that shrouded the surroundings. After regarding the scene for a moment, the person continued walking towards their direction; eyes narrowed a little in an effort to assess their hold on sanity from the distance. The men bared their fangs at the cloaked figure as it approached but remained on their positions until it stopped just at an arm's length away from them. Pale white hands raised and rested on the hood of the cloak and let the fabric fall away with a flick.

The men's eyes suddenly widened in fear and recognition as they finally realized who the person was. Slowly, the pair backed away and separated to provide a way towards the heavy wooden door behind them. The person regarded it silently as one of the rasetsus pushed it open. Then the figure marched forward into the room without even sparing a look back.

Inside, a man was sitting hunched on a table, busying himself over the many bottles that littered his desk. He only looked up when he finally heard the heavy wooden door of the room slam shut with a resounding echo. When his eyes finally met the figure standing in front of him, he suddenly stood up from his seat, causing his chair to topple back and crash to the ground, and quickly bent for a low bow.

'General,' he whispered in a rugged voice. The person merely regarded him silently for a moment before heading towards one of the low stone tables lining the edges of the room.

'Updates?' the cloaked figure asked softly as it ran a finger over the rough, stone surface. The man straightened from his bow and secretly ran a hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat that suddenly broke out from it.

'The medicine is still the same. I have tried adjusting the solution levels and tried it on a few stray men our soldiers found in the woods. Unfortunately, they ended up just the same as our regular ones.'

'Hm…'

'I will be trying a few more techniques and see if there are any differences. Tomorrow I can give reports on the first few ones I've run today.'

'I see…and our guest…?'

The man gulped before answering. His heart was beating more erratically now and he braced himself to face the worse after giving his last report. After a few seconds, he finally spoke up.

'I…have not touched him since three days ago.'

In a flash, the head of the general snapped towards his direction. He nearly jumped in fear and silently cursed his nerves. He didn't waste another breath and plowed on to continue his explanation.

'I-I have noticed some changes in his system. He was improving even if we leave him be. His rate of healing has increased over the last few days so I decided to stop giving him treatments. I had a feeling our efforts might cause his normal recovery to slow down.'

The person's stiff stance melted a little at what he said. The man blew out a deep breath, not even trying to hide his relief. Something told him that he was already safe. Well at least, for now.

'If that's the case…then that's good news. How long do you suppose it'll take him to make a full recovery?'

'Maybe three to five days at the most.'

The person smiled in the darkness, a gesture that seemed to cause the light from the candles to waver as it flickered against the shadows in the room.

'Perfect,' a voice full of dark glee slipped out of slightly upturned lips.

He couldn't help but be curious at the response. Clearing his throat, he mustered all his strength to voice out his question.

'If you don't mind me asking, General, what is our next plan of action?'

The person regarded him for a moment before letting out a soft thrill of laughter. Then, he watched as the figure raised itself lithely to sit on the stone table it was leaning on earlier. He caught a flash of skin as his leader leaned back and crossed long, lean legs languidly in front of him.

'Nothing. We've done everything on our part. Now, we wait.'

The candlelight shifted and threw its light to bright, gleeful eyes and flowing hair that burned even redder in the fire.