THREE

　　¬Amolet

　　Lev holds his bag of chips toward me, waiting for me to delve my hand in before he pulls it back.

　　"Don't beat yourself up about it, you've only been working there a week," he mutters while I eat. I sigh through my nose, recalling my rather embarrassing confrontations with Cian recently. Every night I have attempted conversation with him, tempting him to speak, although he hasn't done so yet, not even gracing me with a glance.

　　It's made me wonder if there's actually anyone in there, like Renna personally theorises. However, I can't quite grasp that idea...I mean, he's a Sin, he cannot be killed so easily, nor lose his state of mind. He's simply ignoring me.

　　But I'm not going to give up.

　　"I know," I breathe, the tips of my bare toes brushing up against the surface of the water beneath me. "I just feel like it's my duty to reach out to him."

　　Lev and I often drive a few miles out of the city to a nearby lake to escape the bustle of the city and to relax in nature. We have been doing this since we were in school, bring snacks down, mostly at night to stare at the stars and share what we desire in life. Recently we haven't been able to do it, with both of us being so busy.

　　"And you have. But at the end of the day it's just a job, and he put himself in that situation. You don't owe him anything," Lev reminds me, laying back against the wooden dock. I join him, looking up at the glittering canvas of the night sky.

　　"Doesn't it make you wonder why he did it? Put himself in that situation?" I question into the air.

　　I'm not sure what it is about this man that has fascinated me so much. There are plenty of patients who cannot speak, yet Cian has taken my interest. Perhaps it's because he is powerful, and he made a choice to enter the facility. I could never imagine living there willingly.

　　Lev turns his head to look at me, the silvery blue of his eyes similar to the way the stars glimmer. "He's a Sin, he probably knows he's insane."

　　"No one at work talks about him," I note. Except Renna, of course, although only mentions him in passing. Everyone else likes to pretend he doesn't exist, avoiding the conversation whenever I bring it up. "They like to pretend he doesn't exist."

　　"Maybe you should too," he offers, smiling at me lightly. "I'm only saying that because you seem so troubled by him."

　　"I'm not. I'm just curious," I tell him. I'm used to telling Lev everything, relying on him to hear me out and make sense of everything. This time, though, I don't want to hear him rationalise this, already know it's unreasonable that I'm so drawn to him. Cian must have realised that by now, since everyday this week I've approached his cell and tried to communicate with him to no avail.

　　He nudges me in the side, making me jump. "Do you need more friends or something?"

　　"No, you're all I need, Lev," I giggle. And I mean it. Lev has been my main friend for so long, and I adore him. Even if I never found my mate, as long as I have him as a friend, I would be happy. I truly hope the same goes for him.

　　"Good. This guy isn't worth worrying about," he jokes, although I sense he means it. And maybe he is right.

　　***

　　I walk down the dark hallway, book tucked under my arm.

　　Evening has approached, my shift almost over at the facility. As usual, perfectly on time, I wander down the hallway, glancing into the cells I pass by. Today, I'm taking a different approach to my meetings with Cian, deciding that I'm not going to be able to get him to speak with just me. I need to lure him into, make him trust me.

　　Pausing in front of his cell, I settle down onto the ground, not minding the hard concrete beneath me. Not surprisingly, he's sitting in the exact same spot, leaning against the wall with his legs outstretched in front of him, staring blankly ahead of him.

　　Admittedly, every time I lay eyes on him, my heart flutters in the strangest way. He isn't exactly mortal looking, with the golden roots of his hair spilling out into dark ends, dark eyes hiding unspoken secrets and a life far beyond my personal experience. It makes me grateful he is sitting behind those bars, not a threat to me or anyone else in here.

　　I sit there for a long moment, wondering what to say. Usually, it's the same mantra I produce, but since it's not working, I want to try something different today.

　　"You won't even look at me," I murmur weakly.

　　It's only been a week, and yet I'm sure he can hear the exhaustion in my voice. I've indebted myself to what may be failure. And for what? Even if he does speak to me, risking delving into his life is a dangerous game, being that he is a Sin. Lev has already reminded me of that at every moment he can, still skeptical of me working in the near vicinity of Cian.

　　If only he knew what I was doing now...

　　"You can't truly be Greed if you've locked yourself away from material possessions for so long," I note, recalling thoughts I've had since meeting him. He hasn't once asked for anything, which is so out of character for what I assume he is meant to be, as a Sin.

　　Again, he doesn't acknowledge me, making me sigh. Maybe it's time to give up on this hopeless theory that I can make him speak, that I can try to make his experience here more bearable.

　　"What if I just sit here, and make you talk to me?" I question. Him and I both know that I'm not going to sit here all night and wait for him to speak, but I can't help myself but to say it. He could sit here for decades without saying a single word.

　　Just as I was about to look away, his head suddenly turns and he is looking at me, the slightest hint of a frown gracing his usually still forehead. For a moment I'm stunned, words falling short at my lips. I had been considering more ways to get him to speak, but now that he is looking at me, I don't have any more words that feel adequate.

　　Feeling his gaze on me, knowing he knows I'm here and that there is truly something going on inside his head is daunting. I've spent so long trying to get to this point, and now suddenly I'm started.

　　Swallowing uneasily, I tuck my hair back over my shoulder, trying to gain some more compsue.

　　"I was hoping you would talk to me first, but I suppose not," I mutter, holding his gaze with the same intensity as he gives me. "I brought you a book."

　　His eyebrow quirks, and now I know I've finally got his attention. I'm not sure what made him decide he wanted to finally acknowledge me, but now I have it, I have to get him to trust me. No one, including Renna, needs to know about this. If they do, they will try to reach out to him, and then he will never open up to me.

　　He watches me cautiously as I show him the front cover of the book. He may not even enjoy reading, but eventually he would have to become so bored he would take anything, right?

　　"It won't mean much to you, but it was a favourite from my childhood. Very fantastical. If I were bored I would want to read it," I tell him. Sadly, I don't read much anymore.

　　He doesn't move, as I put my hand through the bars of his cell, resting the book against the concrete floor.

　　"You don't have to read it," I tell him, suddenly self-conscious that he is judging me. He's a pure-blood immortal who I doubt has any interest reading a child's novel. Regardless, I'll sleep better tonight knowing I gave it to him. "I just hope you see why I'm doing this."

　　He looks at the book, and then back at me again, the dark ends of his hair raining down into his thick eyelashes.

　　"Run, Amolet," he breathes, his tone making me shudder. "Before I have to watch this place take your innocence."

　　FOUR

　　¬Amolet

　　I couldn't stop thinking about him.

　　He spoke to me that night, which seems forever ago now. He spoke to me, in the softest voice, sounding so sure and firm. Each day I waited until all the staff signed out and left the facility before I snuck down to his cell, wanting to hear him speak again. As usual, he remained quiet, not allowing another word to slip past his lips.

　　Part of me is starting to wonder whether I dreamt the interaction.

　　Like past nights, I promised Renna I would let in the night staff when they arrive, and waved her out before I quickly weave my way through the many hallways in the facility, striding directly toward Cian's cell. Each day I get a wave of excitement flush through me, as if the night will be any different from the others.

　　The hallway is drenched in its usual amount of cold as I approach the end. I keep my footsteps light this time, not wanting to alert him right away that I'm approaching. I want him to wonder whether I'm coming...I want him to anticipate it.

　　Looking into his cell, I startle at the sight of him reading, holding the book I brought him over a week ago in his hands, reading it intently. He's in the same position as always, yet there is something so bizzare about seeing him carrying out such a mortal action...Not to mention the bright pink and glittery cover and even fluffier material being inside.

　　"Oh..." I breathe, getting his attention. "You're reading."

　　He slowly closes the book, resting it down beside him. He doesn't look mortified that I caught him reading, opting for his usual impassive expression, but I know he didn't intend for me to see him doing so. In fact, he watches me warily as I sit down cross-legged in front of his cell.

　　"I feel like I've caught an inanimate object moving on it's own," I murmur playfully. He doesn't respond, watching me carefully, shadows melting in around his dark eyes. "That's not the best joke right now."

　　He turns his head, staring blankly ahead. He knows it's too late to take that back, realising I've seen him interacting with the book, which is personally amusing to witness. I had brought it on a whim, having thought about giving up. Now it's clear that boredom has finally gotten the best of him, pushing him to pick up this childlike book.

　　"Did you like it?" I ask softly, unable to smother the slight smile that dances on my lips.

　　After a long moment, he finally exhales slowly, turning to look at me again. "Fairies don't exist."

　　It takes everything in me not to startle hearing him speak again, hearing that foreign voice from a faraway land glide over my skin, making me shiver. Part of me wants to rejoice that after all of this, I've finally been able to get him to speak to me, even if it was through the medium of a childhood book of mine.

　　"It's not meant to be realistic," I breathe, trying to keep my voice steady, not wanting to scare him into not speaking again. "It's for little girls with big imaginations."

　　His gaze shifts, sweeping up and over my body before falling upon my gaze again. "You?"

　　"I'm not young," I say, almost too quickly. He doesn't care, he's simply putting up with me because he's sick of me coming down here everyday to pester to him. He's immortal, anyway, which means I can hardly compare anyway. "That young, I mean."

　　He doesn't respond, although I swear I can see the slightest hint of a smile on his lips as he looks down at his hands that are knotted in front of him.

　　"You can keep it, if you want. Or I could bring you another," I offer lightly, trying to keep the conversations going. He shakes his head. I wonder how much a Sin, Greed specifically would spend reading if they weren't locked up in this cell.

　　"I'm not a little girl, so I suppose it's not for me," he murmurs, resting his head back against the concrete wall.

　　I take the moment to admire him. One may find him strange looking, being that he is so immaculately perfect it's unnerving. You look at him and know it's not normal, but I find him beautiful. His deep golden roots that glitter under the dull light at this end, smoothing out to black ends. His skin is smooth across his angular face, cheekbones and jawline straight and sharp. I can only imagine what he would be looking like if he weren't wearing the same old dark clothing he must have worn in.

　　"Okay, I'll bring you some more tomorrow then," I murmur softly.

　　Cian is quiet for a moment, leaving me to wonder whether he has anything more to say to me before he speaks again. "Don't work here, Amolet. Leave."

　　"I need the money," I say immediately, defensive. I'm not going to let him tell me to leave here just because he doesn't want to speak to me anymore. I would rather he just tell me to my face so I can be done with him...that would kill the curiosity that draws me to him so much.

　　"I can get you money," he replies softly, his eyes fixed upon me, examining my expression. I have so many questions that I can't get past my lips. How can he get me money when he is locked up in here and has been for years? I imagine he has connections outside of here, but Renna assured me he hasn't had any visitors since he arrived.

　　"What? Why?"

　　"Working here will tear you apart. It will ruin you," he admits roughly, shifting uneasily. It's the first time I've seen his body change positions, his knees drawing up slightly.

　　I narrow my eyes upon him, not liking the way he speaks to me as if I'm incapable of handling a job like this, just because I've been compassionate enough to speak to him and to try to give him a chance. "I think you underestimate me."

　　"Likewise," he purrs.

　　Our eyes lock for a moment before I pull away, not wanting to become too captivated by the way he looks at me, the way he draws me in without an issue. I have to remember that he's a Sin, and it's his job to trick and manipulate mortals like me. It's what they do for fun, and unless I keep my wits about me, I will fall victim to his games.

　　"Tell me why you're here, why you put yourself into this cell," I demand.

　　He breathes in deeply, turning away to stare blankly at the wall again. My fingers curl up into fists, but I quickly remind myself not to overreact, not to get frustrated with him. "Don't go silent again. Who is that helping?"

　　"It's helping you," he mutters harshly, his tone having darkened since we started talking. All of a sudden this is a more pressing issue than it was before. "Quit. No one like you should have to work in a place like this. It will suck all the soul out of someone like you."

　　"Like me? What's that supposed to mean?" I growl.

　　"I know girls like you...the kindness, the desperation to have everyone like them," he tells me. I'm unsure if he realises what he is saying is offensive, although I doubt he cares very much. "This job doesn't suit you."

　　"I'm not quitting. You will have to see me everyday for however long I need this job," I tell him firmly, refusing to back down, to let him try to tell me what to do. "Or until you walk yourself out of here."

　　He opens his mouth to speak him again, but the sound of footsteps descending down the hallway makes us both freeze. Quickly I stand, moving away from Cian's cell as quickly as possible before Renna appears from the shadows.

　　"Hey, Amolet...can I speak to you?" she asks, the nerves in her voice unmistakable. I'm not sure what she is doing here, since I'm sure I watched her sign out earlier.

　　"Of course, Renna. What's wrong?"

　　"I just got this notice from higher up," she explains, handing me a folded letter with my name hand-written on the front. "It's for you, from the boss upstairs."

　　My heart rate falters as I consider what this could mean. Am I getting fired already? During the day I do all the work I am meant to and finish what I'm told to do. None of the patients dislike me, and I get along with most of the staff, so I can't imagine why I'm being summoned upstairs. A lump immediately gathers in my throat as I peel the paper back.

　　"Like an overseer?" I ask softly. I'm imagining she's referencing the boss who owns the entire building, which means the message I'm to be conveyed must be very important. I'm going to be fired...

　　"He visits maybe once a year, if that," Renna comments. There's fear, even in her eyes. She knows this is serious, and knows I'm not going to be working here for much longer. I like Renna, and I hope that even if I lose my job, we will continue to be friends.

　　I peer down into the note, the immaculate writing making me shiver. "It's just a date and time."

　　Tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I'm not going to get any sleep tonight...

　　"I think he wants to see you," Renna shivers. I just can't imagine why.