more stefano and kenna as promised.
ﾍ(￣▽￣*)ﾉ

"From which stars have we fallen to meet each other here?"

— Friedrich Nietzsche

The street was strangely, thankfully devoid of any of those mutated creatures and heaven knows whatever that would want to kill her by the time Kenna arrived back at the Business District. Making the trip to the theater surprisingly becoming quite a stroll, though the circumstances didn't give her any reason to not be on her guard. Enemies could prowl up from anywhere, anytime, she had to be ready. She had not to be caught off guard.

Thus, when Kenna felt a grip on her arm, she swiftly jerked off of their hold and twisted the person's arm behind their back instead and pinned them against the nearest wall in a fluid moment of self-defense. Her breath hot on her cheeks, a burning sensation within her was clouding her mind. The intrepid Mobius agent within her was making a return that the manly groan of pain from the person before her had almost escaped her unnoticed despite how familiar he sounded.

Then it was if the wires in her head had reconnected that Kenna realized what she had done. And she could only still in her place like a gargoyle. Her eyes large.

"Stefano?" Kenna gasped, staring openly at his squashed profile then did a double take. She quickly undid the hold and backed away as if he had magically transformed into a poisonous flower or something.

A raspy chuckle emitted from the Italian man's mouth, sounding genuinely amused before he slowly circled around to face her, a gloved hand running on one side of his cheek that had met the brick walls. There was no trace of annoyance in his countenance or whatsoever.

"Now that was… ouch," he groaned again, face making a silly grimace. "That wasn't what I had in mind of being pinned against the wall."

Here was one of the most dangerous men Kenna had met in her life; the devil himself in which she had foolishly agreed on to collaborate with to bring another down and he was making afucking innuendo. She couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry that she was so hard-pressed to mask the betraying smile that nearly crept up her face.

Instead, Kenna simply hid her face with her gloved hand on her nose bridge, wondering how in the hell she could get caught up in such madness.

"Fucking hell, Stefano, don't do that," her whole face morphed into a withering look, her voice lashing. Though she knew his action was involuntary, there were dozens of ways that her reaction could have gone to a violent end. "I could have shot you had I didn't realize it was you!"

"Well, let us revel in the fact that you didn't, yes?" he teased with a wild smirk, his bad eye lost beneath the bangs of his dark hair. Kenna could only roll her eyes and shake her head. Her only saving grace, she thought, was that Stefano seemed to appear nonchalant about their little incident despite the growing bruise on his pale cheek.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said to meet you up at the theater?" she asked. He was currently busy dusting away grime from his suit to meet her stare.

"You have gone longer than I had anticipated and I didn't have the patience for it. Hence, I decided to surprise you the moment I saw you entering the district."

Kenna crossed her arms, a challenge was written all over her face. "Why? You thought I'd crossed you or something?"

"No, no," he answered simply, like telling a child that they were grabbing the wrong item from the shelf. "I simply thought if Theodore had gotten a hold of you, that's all."

"Oh…" her face somehow softened, feeling partially guilty for accusing him of such. In her own defense, she was still somewhat on edge from all the discussion she had had with Hoffman earlier, particularly regarding him.

"I wasn't. Though a friendly tip, the next time you wanted to surprise me, just bring some balloons or a confetti or whatever," replied Kenna, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Unless you want another bruise on your cheek in near future."

Stefano grinned. "Noted. Did you get what you sought for?"

"I did," answered Kenna, but decided not to elaborate.

"Bene. Then let's go back to the estate, shall we?"

Kenna nodded affirmatively, mentally preparing herself for the nauseating sensation that she had somewhat starting to accustom to from his power.

The world around them shook, glitched and bent, and the next thing Kenna knew, they were back to his so-called estate. There was this weird feeling where she could exhale in relief upon seeing the painting of Stefano's grandfather. Somehow, despite finding herself once again in the lion's den, she felt strangely safe.

The sound of his shoes tapping on the linoleum floor like a wake-up call to her, the pair then proceeded towards his study office side-by-side, their shoulders brushed against each other's and by the time Kenna wondered whether she should slow her pace or drew back from him, they arrived at their destination. They entered the office as Stefano once again held the door open for her.

"I assume you have something that could benefit our mission, mia cara?" questioned Stefano.

"I do," Kenna confirmed, rifling through the messenger bag Yukiko had given her and fished out a folder with SFE written on the front. "Everything we need to cripple that asshole's legs is in this file."

The two approached the desk table. Stefano being kind enough to push aside his stuff to give space as Kenna laid the folder on the wooden desk and sprawled the map of Union with the map points for the Stable Field Emitter.

They stood next to each other, and once again, shoulders touching. Kenna buried her attention solely on the sound of the rustling of the papers and simply ignored his body heat or the view of his hand that rested next to her on the table.

His fingers were long and larger compared to hers. She wondered how his hands would look like without the gloves. Would they be boney? Blotchy? Or maybe strong and warm? Was there a scar he'd tried to hide or the leathers were purely theatrical? None of those were important right now, and yet they were the only thing she could think of.

She found the photograph of the Stable Field Emitter buried somewhere underneath the dozen of papers and passed it to him.

"What do you know about this?" Kenna asked, positively aware of the slight tremor in her voice. Her eyes not quite reaching his.

"This machinery?" he asked back and she nodded. He gave the picture a thorough look, his eye narrowed. "Not much— but first of all, I need to say that whoever took this photograph, I hope they were dead, if not, fired."

Kenna rolled her eyes comically. "Really, Stefano?"

"Look at the angle! This picture demoralizes the very meaning of photography. A taint to our profession. Disgustoso," he continued rambling in Italian. He was on the roll it seemed, which Kenna could only sigh annoyedly. Thankfully, he picked that up. "To answer you, however, I don't know much about this except that one time when one of the Mobius' agents managed to activate it. It seemed to affect my powers."

"That is the Stable Field Emitter. Mobius designed this to stabilize the environment and prevent Union from collapsing. You know like a fail-safe. That's why it affected your powers."

He waited and prompted. Noticing the catch in her voice. "And?"

"I thought if the machine can affect your powers—"

"It can affect his too," he finished sourly. Seemingly distracted and troubled that Kenna could read him like an open book. "You want to activate the machine."

Kenna at least had the decency to look guilty at that. She looked at him, her shoulders deflated and knew well just what crossed his mind then. Even if Kenna hadn't known him that well at the time, but she understood enough that his powers were everything to him. They existed because he was within the machine's reach and here she was proposing a plan in which putting that at stake.

"I knew you wouldn't like this, but this is our only one-in-a-million chance. If Theodore can phase-shift around Union like you said, this machine is the only thing that could bring him down."

He was massaging his right temple, the one with the bad eye as if he had a headache of the century. "Are you certain there is no other way?"

"I've given a long time trying to come up with something, but this is the only thing that I could think of. It can be a hit or miss, I know but… " Kenna trailed off.

A ripple of uneasiness passed through the room. Stefano was considering the option over for a long moment, his features hardened, lips pursed. He looked like a nuclear warhead ready to explode. But as soon as his rage graced his face, as soon as it faded away.

"Well, it seems we don't have any other option, do we?" He exhaled heavily, looking fixed and somewhat pensive. "But I'll take the chance. If it means bringing him down."

"Are you sure?" there was a silence 'there's no turning back after this, you know?' in her voice.

"I'm positive. He needs to pay, Kenna. And so does Mobius," he clenched his fist. "They all need to pay."

His thirst for revenge somehow reminded her of a bible passage that she'd heard at a sermon. 'But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.'

Exodus 21:25, she recalled.

So it was settled then.

Kenna then turned her attention back to the plans. "Mobius installed five machines all across Union, one in every district. Three had been activated prior to my arrival, which leaves us with the ones in the Union Nature Preserve and the Business District," she pressed a finger on the map. "If Theodore's stronghold had been hiding in one of these districts once the Field Emitters are online, we'll know."

"You can't miss it. The building is about fifty-story tall, resembling an archaic gothic cathedral. It's ridiculous. His throne room is on the top level."

"Don't tell me we'd have to climb like hundreds of stairs to get there?"

He cast a brief smile. "No, there's an express elevator that can take us straight up to him, but it won't be easy. His guards are everywhere."

"Perfect. So, we'll have to fight hordes of his zealots just to get to the top. Should be a piece of cake," Kenna drummed her fingers on the table and sighed dejectedly. She shouldn't expect any less from Theodore, but still, this made her head stir.

Stefano ignored her sarcasm and asked. "How do we activate the machines?"

Kenna handed him a small note containing the activation codes. "They are restricted to Mobius personnel only, however. So, I'll need to be the one who activates it."

He nodded and looked back at the map. "Okay, but what about the machine in the City Hall?"

"What about it?"

"I've seen one like this on the second level during my time there."

"Oh, that's one of the machines I told you that has already been activated. Sebastian did it before he disappeared."

Stefano's eyebrows furrowed. "Sebastian? But he's never even set his foot there."

She turned to him with mouth opened. "What?"

"Sebastian has never been to the City Hall, Kenna. Theodore had intercepted him before he got there," explained Stefano. "Are you sure there isn't an erroneous in your system?"

Realization dawned on her. That was why he was able to use his power and captured her back then. Sebastian had never activated the Field Emitter.

"But… but how?" Kenna frowned, her mind buzzing and jumping with hows and whys. It didn't make any sense. "Juli told me he had done it. And it was later confirmed by…" Suddenly, she could feel her jaw dropped. "Oh, fuck."

"Che problema c'è? "

Kenna couldn't understand a single word he said, except word problema . She stared blankly at the pool table across the room and replied. "O'Neal."

"O'Neal? Ah, you mean the technician? Sì, I've seen him running several errands for the bastardo . There is nothing you can do to him now," Stefano informed, his voice showing no hint of emotion or whatsoever. Which wasn't really staggering.

Poor Liam, Kenna thought. The asshole would literally enslave anyone just to get Lily, it was only a matter of time before he managed to tyrannize everyone.

She couldn't let that happen.

"I know. Regardless, our Plan is in the pipeline. We can start with the one in the City Hall. It's nearer and we're both quite familiar with the area," suggested Kenna.

"I agree. And my Guardian and Obscura can also provide support for us," he concurred. "I will have them leave the area before we activate the machine."

Kenna repressed a shiver at the mention of his… creations, remembering well how Stefano had summoned them to this very house earlier today, out of because he was on his streak; boasting and all. She'd thought she would have frightened to death when she met the gruesome giggling creature with the myriad of heads and the camera-headed monster.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he had asked, looking like a proud father recounting of his children's accomplishments. Kenna was too dumbfounded to say anything. "They are my most prized possessions, my Iliad and Odyssey, and I'd like you to get to know them."

"Why exactly?"

"We're a team now, aren't we? I thought it's time for you to meet the other members of the team from my part." As he said that, Obscura was making its way towards her. Its head studied her in the most peculiar and horrifying way Kenna had had ever encounter before giving her shoulder a nudge. A strange mechanical purr emitted from her as she gave it a gentle pat, her hand shaking.

Stefano gave a winning smile at the sight. "See? She even likes you already. I'd take that as a start of something wonderful."

Kenna inwardly shook her head and dispelled the image of the two creatures from her head. She finally found the strength to find her voice and asked.

"How do you want to approach the place, though? Should we go subtle or obvious?" Kenna inquired. "Though knowing you, somehow I don't think subtlety is your forte."

He shot her an impish grin and winked. "You're starting to know me quite well, Kenna darling. When I approach my targets, I tend to let them know I'm coming for them. But it's not the method that matters, in my opinion, it's the art of how not getting caught."

Kenna smothered a laugh. She wasn't going to pretend to agree or anything because this man was impossible to understand sometimes.

Well, most of the time.

"Yeah, yeah." There was a brief silence. She shied away from his gaze and studied the schematics instead. "What will happen to your powers?" her voice small, that she had hoped he missed it.

Even from her peripheral vision, Kenna could tell he was smiling. He'd heard it, to her utmost disappointment. His gaze was almost too kind for someone like him.

"I will be fine, Kenna," assured Stefano, mouth still quirking. "And I've… endured worse. Once we leave the area, my powers will return to normal. Don't worry, cara. "

"I'm not," Kenna retorted and instantly regretting why did she ask him that in the first place and for being brash to him at the same time. "That should conclude our plan, then. I'd say we hit the place as soon as possible."

"Later," Stefano raised a hand and Kenna tilted her head to see him staring into the distance. She tried to follow his gaze only to find the chandelier. "I'm seeing multiple hostiles in the area. Disciples, he calls it. I'd say wait until they leave us with the undead."

How in the hell he could have known that she didn't want to know. "Fair enough. Gives us more time with the preparation, anyway."

With that, Kenna grabbed the messenger bag at her feet and carelessly thrust the file inside. The map was probably in a ruin now. Stefano seemed amused by this.

"Why don't you stay here?" Stefano asked casually as if he was suggesting to pick the cream over sugar. Kenna, on the other hand, could feel her whole body ceased to function. It was only fortunate her back was on him.

"What?"

"Stay here. There's a spare bedroom that you can sleep in, I'm sure. And strategic-wise, it's better for us not to separate at times like these, don't you think?"

She turned and looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Stefano Valentini, what are you on about?"

He rolled his eye. "Kenna Kidman, dear, why do you have to always hold such poor judgment on me? What I'm 'on' about is your safety. That's all," Stefano said defensively, he sounded slightly offended.

"I can perfectly take care of myself, thank you very much."

"No doubt. But this is Theodore, he would do anything to hunt one of us down. My house happens to be the safest place all over Union. Stay. "

"Oh, is that so? Because I don't see any guards patrolling the estate or some sort of intricate defense mechanism installed in here."

"I've played his game, remember? I know his moves. Why did you think I built this estate in the first place?"

"I don't know, and I don't give two shits why. I'm not staying here," she said curtly, already stalking toward the door when he appeared before her out of thin air. Kenna backpedaled almost instantly before crashing into him.

"Stef—!"

"Listen," he interrupted, his hands on her shoulders and she nearly flinched. "If something happens to you, all of this planning means nothing. I know that you can take care of yourself, I've never doubted that, but Theodore is not like anything you've ever met before. He could have known about our plan now, he could be planning an assault on either of us at this very moment. He could do anything and I won't take a chance on that."

She should have shoved him out her way and leave, she should have yelled in his face right now but Kenna found herself in the absence of words. He patently had no right to decide what's right for her and not. But there was something in his face that Kenna had never seen in him before, something absolutely raw and the fear in his eye made her wonder whether he was an astonishing actor or the Eudaemon of humanity in disguise of a Cacodemon.

And at the same time, Kenna could begin to hear Yukiko's words ringing somewhere in the back of her head.

A high-functioning psychopath. Among of all the endless list of labels she had, that was what Hoffman had called him. Frankly, Kenna had never met a high-functioning psychopath/serial killer before, but would a psychopath look at her the way he was doing right now? Would a serial killer ensure her safety to this degree? They weren't even friends for god's sake, but here he was. And it puzzled her.

He puzzled her.

And somehow despite her conviction, she knew that Stefano had a reason. And she despised him for that.

Kenna blinked and looked away, frowning. "You don't take no for an answer, do you?"

"No, particularly for a case of you."

She growled. "Didn't I tell you that I take full control of my own actions?"

"Yes, you did," he smiled faintly. "But you also told me that you'd listen to me."

Kenna didn't answer him. Instead, she let him guided her out of the office and toward what she assumed as one of the master bedrooms. The bedroom was warm beige with a four-poster queen-sized bed and elegant damask curtains and was, without a doubt, two times larger than her own apartment combined. Though it might not hold the same kitsch her home had, the room felt surprisingly comfortable.

"If it makes you feel any better, my chamber is on the other side of the house," Stefano uttered from behind her. He was standing in the doorway with hands shoved in his pockets.

Kenna dropped the bag on the carpet floor and sigh. She didn't want to look at him, didn't want to speak and she hated him for being so goddamn cautious and reasonable and she hated herself for being so easy to comply with it.

And perhaps Stefano could sense that as well, because by the time she looked over her shoulder, he was already long gone.

The dossiers that Hoffman had provided for Kenna were proven to be useless. Nothing remotely essential was extracted from the contents except for some bits about Theodore's seminars— which in all honesty, she didn't really give a fuck about— and Stefano's biographical information which was more likely to be nothing but a Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction had Kenna been in Hoffman's position back then, she might have given him the all-clear as well.

Well, at least she thought it was a ruse because there wasn't even a mention of his grandfather in it. Which only led Kenna to a conclusion either both his house and his stories were a charade or he was this clever to have hidden his background from Mobius.

So far, Stefano had offered her nothing but his trust to her, but trust was a rare gem to find these days, and no doubt in a place such as Union. And after getting to know deeper of his true nature, it was as if her trust meter was flashing with a red indicator of a possible, imminent danger. Yet the more the warning sign rang in her head, the more Kenna swayed towards the edge; like a moth to a flame.

Kenna tossed the dossier on the bed next to her and huffed. Staring at the ceiling wishing it was the northern night sky instead of an endless shape of coffered tiles. She refused to sleep, fearing that her dream would be tainted with some pieces of her past or something twisted or a crossover between both like what she had endured in Hoffman's safehouse. But without coffee, it was a new kind of impossible to stay awake when the bed was this soft.

She had ransacked his kitchen, trying to find coffee which Stefano happened to only have this weird Italian instant mix that tasted ten times worse than Hoffman's made. She'd also found some organic chips in the cupboard that tasted like kale in a sock and she began to question his lifestyle. Whether he was on her side or not, but if Stefano seriously thought that kale made an excellent flavor for potato chips he was obviously her true enemy.

Enemy. Comrade. She wasn't even sure what to label him and somehow it made her mind buzzing.

Kenna was so deep in thought that she thought she was dreaming when she heard the sound of the piano muffling in the air. The stillness of the room and the meditative calm from the music was like a match made in heaven. She rose from the bed, it sounded close by and then remembered the music room was only two doors away from her room.

So she put her boots on and unlocked the door, melodies were quick to spill through the room as she stepped outside and tread down the hall, almost tiptoeing. The incandescent lights from the windows were streaming directly to her, making her curious face and her sooty lashes aglow. She stopped by outside the music room, its doors were opened wide and Kenna hummed.

There was Stefano, his fingers moving gracefully across the keys on a vintage grand piano in the middle of the room. His head bent forward, resulting his hair to fall past his eyes and he looked so serene. Like half of his soul was in the music, that Kenna didn't have the heart to disrupt his trance. She simply leaned against the door frame and watched.

"Clair De Lune," Kenna uttered once he was finished. If he was startled by her presence, he didn't show it.

Instead, he looked pleased. "Ah, you are indeed a woman after my own heart, aren't you, my dear? I knew you'd recognize a masterpiece when you hear one."

She rolled her eyes and ignored his remark. Sir-flirts-a-lot strikes again.

"I didn't know you play."

"Now you know," Stefano returned. Kenna gave a cheeky grin.

"Your grandfather taught you how?"

"He did. He had played the piano ever since he was six, then pursued to play the cello and the harp at twelve. Hence…" Stefano gestured his head toward the said musical instruments around the room.

Kenna gave a whistle. She approached the harp and plucked the strings, producing an absurd sound that bounced across the acoustic walls.

"He was quite a renaissance man, then, wasn't he? A painter, a musician, a historian," Kenna waved her hand to a large bookcase in the corner. It seemed there was one in every room. Kenna herself had founded several books about The Mahābhārata in her room. "What else?"

"A mathematician."

"So, it's in the genes, then? You know, being musically inclined and some kind of a genius."

He snorted. "Obviously."

Kenna stuck her tongue out funny at his smugness when he wasn't looking.

"Do you play?" inquired Stefano as he began to play a different tune.

"Nope, we had a neighbor that happened to be a piano teacher, but I just wasn't interested in learning," Kenna, still poking her head around the room, grabbed a violin from its stand. "My sister sort of plays the violin, though."

"Sort of?" he looked at her, amused.

"Which means she can play Bach like a virtuoso for like a while good minute, then the sound of a plane crashing next."

Stefano chuckled throatily at that. "Perhaps you sing, then?"

She snickered. "God, no. But give me the proper tools, and I'll make your car sing. "

"What about your parents?"

In an instant, Kenna's whole face morphed resembling a thunder. She put the violin back on its stand and looked away. "No."

Her words held a certain tone that said 'don't push it' and Stefano must have noticed that because he immediately dropped the subject. Neither of them said a word for a brief moment. He stopped playing.

"Mia madre did," Stefano suddenly spoke, his voice was so different had Kenna been wearing a blindfold, she might have never thought it was him. "She was an opera singer, a very renowned one all over Italy, and my father happened to be a répétiteur when they met on the set for Tristan and Isolde."

She stood stock-still in her place. Positively confused what to do with the information. This hadn't been in his dossier, but again the content was nothing but pure fiction.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever known someone who's a répétiteur . Let alone an opera singer , " she commented. But perhaps due to the fact that her family was utterly, achingly boring, somehow this intrigued her. "I supposed they hit it off right away, then? Your parents?"

"Ironically, no. My grandmother told me that mamma used to despise him, saying that he was a bit too perfectionist and aloof. She nearly walked away from the play because of him."

"And she didn't?"

He gave a melancholy smile but didn't meet her gaze. "She didn't. Somehow something in the air changed them and they managed to make peace. Two years later they proclaimed their love in the eyes of God," Stefano took a deep breath as if trying to shake the thoughts away.

He resumed playing the piano as if their previous conversation didn't exist. Kenna, on the other hand, was plagued with the information that her head couldn't even form a word.

Why was he telling her this? Frankly, she didn't expect him to open up to her especially with a matter that was so personal. Not that she didn't appreciate his candour— in fact, she was quite honored but it made her wonder if he went around telling strangers about his past or if this was purely for her ears only.

Once again, Stefano Valentini turned out to be nothing but an enigma.

"Do the Kidmans play chess?" he rose and made his ways towards her. Kenna regarded at the antique chess table right next to her and smirked.

"This Kidman does," she said, moving a white pawn.

"Intriguing," Stefano remarked and pushed the black pawn in return. "We should play sometimes."

"I'd totally kick your smug ass."

"Nonsense. I won the tournament when I was sixteen."

"I…" Kenna felt a sudden surge of self-conscious at that. "Won against a priest when I was fourteen?"

"Overconfidence always sinks the ship, Kenna, dear," Stefano mocked with a sing-song voice.

She put up her bitch face. "That's cheap coming from you."

Out of their consciousness, the two of them merely continued playing, properly seated. Stefano sometimes let out a triumphant chuckle every time he took down Kenna's pawns. She put her knight forward and waited for his turn.

"I was being a dick earlier."

"You were," drawled Stefano with a hand on his chin, deep in concentration. Kenna thought the gesture only accentuated his ridiculous cheekbones.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, that was the part where you should say that I wasn't? But I appreciate the honesty."

"I was only concerning for your safety and I meant it."

"In which, it's not necessary," replied Kenna as she played her turn, Stefano huffed irritatedly as she captured his rook. She thought they ought to stop playing anytime now.

"It is to me."

Kenna folded her arms and bit her cheek. She simply didn't have the energy to argue with him and his words were producing knots that she just wanted gone.

"Why did you build this house, then?" she asked her interlocutor instead, desperate to change the subject. "I thought personal memories are supposed to be locked away from prying eyes like Theodore?"

"John Milton once said that the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. This house, you see, is the embodiment of my heaven. The only, truly place where I know peace."

"But what if he finds this place first?" She knew they were barely at the early stage of their plan, but if all the Field Emitters were activated, Stefano's estate might be as well exposed. Not that she was being pessimistic, but they only got one shot at this. One miss, and they all would be digging their own graves.

His thin lip twisted. "I suppose we'll never know."

Her dark brows quirked. "Won't we?"

"No, because we will find him first."

She cast him a quick glance. His credence was slightly affecting her that Kenna stopped thinking. She thought she could settle for that at the moment.

She could do this. They could do this.

They've reached the final phase of the game. Kenna looked at their progress and saw Stefano frowned, partially in disbelief and annoyance. He cursed something in Italian as Kenna only grinned from ear-to-ear. She had him in checkmate.

"Ha! Never underestimate a Kidman, Valentini. I hope you've learned your lesson."

He kicked back his chair and rose to his feet.

"This is unacceptable. I demand a rematch," he announced. It seemed he didn't take his defeat well, which only made her grin grew wider.

She raised her chin at him and followed on her feet. "Aw, chin up, Stef. What is that you said? Overconfidence always sinks the ship?"

"That was Wilde, and 'Stef'?" Stefano looked positively repulsed.

"Yeah. Stef. You know short for Stefano?" she groaned when he didn't to get it. "Stef, Stefano. Ken, Kenna. Get it?"

He made a facepalm. "Madonna. Why did I even bring you here in the first place?"

"Because you need me."

At this, he let go of his hand. His gaze steady "I do."

He looked at her then— like really looked at her and she sucked a breath. She had known that Stefano was… quite a sight to look at, she had to give him that but at this exact moment, Kenna was dazed. His gaze was like a magnetic force that pulled her in and Kenna happened to land on the wrong end of the polar. This staring contest made her head hazy.

"You know," he began as he slowly crossed the space between them, his eye never leaving hers. "I used to think that perhaps if he really is invincible. A grandmaster or some sort. I've made my moves, sacrificed my knights, and still, he prevails. But now, it almost feels like I should pity him."

Kenna knew well that he was talking about Theodore. "Why?"

Stefano tread closer, his familiar scent once again invading her nostrils and Kenna stilled. Her head had ignited a war with herself.

"Because he hasn't met you yet. Theodore may have all the pawns, the knights, the bishops, but he lacks the most important piece on his side," his gloved hand reached out to the chessboard, his stare found her lips.

"He lacks the Queen. The most powerful piece on the board. The King is limited in gait, but the Queen… she can go anywhere, she is an unstoppable force. And once she manages to defeat the rest of his pieces…" Stefano then knocked over his King using her piece, his baritone voice was down to a low murmur. "Checkmate."

Kenna gulped, her breath hot. She was hyper aware of their proximity and she felt a stir in her stomach, a stop-start anxiety. She forgot how to speak, how to breathe, how to think . Ensnared in his orbit, she was helpless.

This was the closest they had ever been during their time together. So close that his nose was inches away from meeting hers, that Kenna could see his pupil dilated. He was arresting her with his eye and her whole existence was screaming.

The sensible side of her wanted to drag her feet away and get out, and maybe annul this strange arrangement between them just to get a laugh out of it. But the terrible part of her knew better. Kenna wanted nothing more but to bask in this newfound thrill, to let loose and close their distance until her sanity reached the apogee for an apocalyptic result.

She knew what he was now. Stefano was like the Belladonna, with his purple suit and all, extremely attractive and she reckoned he would taste just as sweet and addictive and oh-so-deadly. To get a taste of him was to submit to the high-octane toxic. And she was curious, if not, interested. After all, who was Kenna Kidman if not constantly drawn to a certain kind of poison?

But whatever moment that had about to transpire between them passed by her eyes when Stefano's face tensing. Something shifted in the way he was looking at her. His eye was still on hers, but it rather felt like he was staring right through her. She tilted her head.

"Stefano?" Kenna asked, her voice still husky and sounded foreign in her ears.

"They're gone," responded Stefano quietly. He slowly came back to himself and was massaging his forehead. "The Disciples have just left."

Kenna nodded, though her mind hadn't fully intact, and backed away. "Oh, right. I'll just, uh," she cleared her throat. "I'll grab my things and get ready. Meet you at the foyer in five?"

"Yes, yes," he, too, hadn't seemed to come down from his high. At least she wasn't the only one. "I will meet you there."

The walk back to her room was awkward and obscure. Her mind strangely felt even more awake than ever and Kenna had just missed her fifth batch of coffee for today. Once she arrived in her room, she closed the door and pressed her back hard against it and sighed.

What in the fucking hell was that?

If Kenna hadn't known better, she thought she was on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life.

*singskissthegirlinthedistance*

First of all, TheBaffledBeef has kindly drawn some UH-MAZING, OUTTA THIS WORLD fan arts for this story, I cried :'))))) She is one hell of a talented artist and I'm deeply honored for the fact that an artist with her level took her time to draw something for me :'))))) thank you, Ana. You've just made my entire year.

Though, since she hasn't posted any of the images online, she gave me full permission to post them anywhere I like. I've posted the pics on photobucket under my pseud, but obviously, all credits go to her. She's amazing. The links for the images are on my profile.

As always, reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading :D