the good and the evil;; ||open||

[Zacharius]

The girl was unconscious; a natural beauty led gracefully against the bed, dark hair spilling out around her in a manner curiously like blood. Zack was perched on the windowsill of her room, dark wings spread, lazily admiring the fledgling's body. His eyes; brown, hidden with black, flickered down from head to toe, a sly smirk etched onto his lips.

Unfortunately, the girl had been willing.

Shame.

They could have had so much more fun.

Nonetheless, the girl had known how to put on a good show. Enough to keep Zack busy for the past few hours, in fact. But now he was spent, the girl was asleep and yet the night was still young.

The winged beast stood, eyes ablaze.

Running a hand through his thick, messy hair, he wondered if he should let the girl be. Truth was, he felt the urge. That certain craving, that drove him near insane almost daily. At first, he thought it was the need for sex-- for pleasure. But it was something else.

It was the need for blood.

Sex wasn't enough. He needed that scent, that feeling -- no, thrill that ran through his body as a soul departed to the other world; his hands pulsing with excitement as the heart slowed, to an eventual still.

It wasn't the death that did it for him. Of course not. Why would Zack feel any emotion, just because some, inferior creature had died? No; impossible. What really did it for him, was the fact that he could cut anyone's string of life short, and not feel a thing. The fact that life was so delicate, but he was so strong.

In his hands, they were helpless. Nothing but mere puppets attached to his string.

He paused; should he? Was she even worth the effort?

His gaze travelled through her body once more, this time stopping at the mark on her forehead; a black feather. He scowled, in disgust. So she had been tainted by his father, it seemed. Perhaps, she deserved death. For scampering to an immortal, asking for his mark, in silly hopes of nothing but blasphemy. He took a step forward, hand outstretched.

He paused again; this time, for a different reason.

Kalona.

Of course.

How displeased would he be, if his son disposed of one of his followers? He wondered, bitter. Kalona took better care of these foolish children, than he had with his mother. Head throbbing with a certain feeling he couldn't quite place, he sharply turned. Thrusting open the window, he stepped onto the windowsill, before lurching himself out. He dropped; the wind harsh, the fall unpleasant.

But then he spread his wings, and everything changed for the better.

He looped upwards, soaring into the midnight sky. The wind that had blew so hard against him just seconds before now worked with him; aiding him to fly smoothly, the foundation under her wings.

As a hawk would search for prey, Zack circled the House of Night twice, before tucking his wings slightly towards his body, and zooming down, towards the ground. He flew, fast and unrecognisable towards the cluster of trees that made the Enchanted Forest, towards the middle that was the Clearing.

He had heard that not many people stumbled across this scenery; he hoped this was true.

Just before he was in line with the top of the trees, he spread out his wings again, making him abruptly stop descending, wincing a little at the strain at the back of his wings. He hung, mid-air. The ground below was dark, but for his eyes he could still make out every detail. The array of small pebbles, stretched across the floor; the earth hard yet soft, dirt clearly seen even in the air.

He shuddered.

The feeling of suffocation never left him whenever he was close in contact with the earth, and he detested it.

He rose, wondering whether he should just fly back to the castle. But with a quick glance at the moon, he decided against it. Like he said, the night was still young. Fledglings would be crawling across campus, and unless he wanted a massacre to happen, Zack had better stay away from company. Gently lowering himself, he perched on a branch, folding his wings in, leaning against the bark of the tree. Leaning his face towards the moonlight, he closed his eyes; relaxed. He sighed, content.

The strange throb in his head hadn't fully disappeared, but it had quietened down. The feeling annoyed him; what was it? He had too much pride to ask anyone what it was-- even if he tried to, he couldn't possible explain in words what this pain felt like. It was strange, indeed. He felt-- well.

He felt as if he was homesick for a place he'd never been.

For a place he could call home.

[Mayumi Tsubasa]

Mayumi had begun to feel very much weighed down.

It wasn't just the humidity or her curtain of waist-length hair, though those were certainly factors... it was the stress that had accumulated before her. Sometimes, when feeling particularly introspective, she thought about her affinity--or lack of one, rather. What was she good at? Though formally the girl told others she had no affinity, she often wondered if it were empathy. She wasn't daft--she knew she cared about others much more then a normal person would. Or should. It was unhealthy, sometimes, how she worried. Her sister, her brother... or, she had worried about him, before...

The brunette sucked in breath, closing her eyes and tilting her face up to the cool breeze. This was why she was here; to avoid all of the things plaguing her mind. She, for a few hours, wanted to think of nothing. Not her fiance, who had gone back to his family in Japan. Not her brother, who's death (she could finally think that word, though not without a mental wince) had been her fault, at least in part, her sister, who, she knew, would break from all the pressure (Mayumi knew, under that hard surface, Miyuki was weak inside. Everyone was weak somewhere, and Miyuki was weak in the inner corners of her mind that she didn't want to admit existed) if she kept up what she was doing. Nothing.

So here she was, stepping through the silent forest: for what better place to be alone?

It was almost quiet, but not the degree that had quickly become frightening to the young asian. There was still the murmuring of the wind, rustling her long hair. There was still the soft crunch of leaves underfoot (she almost fancied that her trail would be left behind her, reds and golds of footstep-shaped crushed leaves). There was still the fluttering of wings--wings?

Mayumi stopped, chestnut eyes flashing open. Her time in the Arena, as well as any time spent with her sister, taught the girl to be very weary, and anything out-of-the-ordinary was to be suspected. She stopped, eyeing the clearing she suddenly found herself in. That wasn't good, either: the arial view was very good from here. She'd be a sitting duck.

For a few endless moments the brunette held her breath and listened, until discerning that the sound could, in fact, have been a bird. Nonetheless she skirted to the edge of the clearing, eyes hesitantly on the skies and treetops for anything unusual and one hand brushing the trunks of the trees lazily, as if they'd awaken and throw apples were she in danger. Silly. But it gave her comfort.

She didn't see the raven mocker perched in the treetops above her, but she could feel him. She, in the back of her mind, knew he was there.

Just as he knew she was there.



COMMENTS. *kills dying post length*

[Zacharius]

He had been thinking about his mother.

It was certainly harder than it should've been, reminiscing about the woman that raised you. But unfortunately for Zack, he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember her face, her voice; he couldn't remember anything. Anything at all.

Except, for a name.

But what was a name? A name was nothing; easily changed, easily disposed of. She had been the only person that truly cared for the mocker, and he, in return, had forgotten everything about her. But not only that. He had been the cause of her death, hadn't he? Because of his actions, he had brought him mother an early death.

Zack shut his eyes, summoning everything he could to remember the night; the night he'd murdered his mother. He drew up a blank. Nothing.

A sigh.

The mocker wasn't sad, or despaired; he didn't miss the woman that he couldn't remember.

But the things he did-- they came at a price.

It had started off small. Just a tweak of ache, here and there. But as time grew, so did the pain. He didn't have a name for it, back then. He had dismissed it as nothing, not even considering the fact that it could be a feeling of some sort. But by the time the pain began to eat away at his very core, Zack had had enough. He was suffering; he just didn't know why.

It took him a long time to understand.

His core, was his conscience. The pain, was guilt. He didn't understand; what was he guilty of? Or better yet, why was he feeling such, tragic, human feelings? This guilt, on the edge of remorse, had no place in his dark heart. He was a Raven Mocker. He didn't feel such things; he wasn't weak. He wasn't a human or fledgling; delicate, softened by their emotions.

So why was it there?

Zack snapped open his eyes, before peering below. Walking amongst the falling leaves, was a fledgling. A girl. Alone.

Thankful for the distraction from his, rather confusing, thoughts, he turned, wanting a better look at the petite asian. He watched, hidden well into the shadows, as the girl walked out into the clearing, before freezing. Curious, he leant forward. As if his movement had scared her, the girl warily searched the skies, before darting back into the safety of the shade. He chuckled, darkly. A clever one, she was.

How unfortunate for her, that she had chosen the tree that Zack himself had selected, to protect herself from the darkness. Temptation before his eyes, he took the bite.

With elegant grace, he jumped; his wings spread to break the fall. As expected from the Mocker, he landed perfectly, just in front of the girl. Giving his wings one more stretch, he folded them in, before looking at the fledgling, curiosity in his dark eyes.

He noticed 3 things.

1. She was incredibly beautiful.

2. The guilt was back, only, it wasn't the same. The ache was there, but it wasn't as harsh; more soft, a surprising, yet reassuringly warm, feeling.

3. He felt no hatred towards her. No disgust.

He took a step back, bewildered.

How was this possible?

Zack knew, that he was superior. That anything else, humans and fledglings alike, were nothing but imbeciles. He hated them upon setting his eyes on them, regardless of personality. It was a fact. Hard, cold, fact.

So why was she so different?

He watched, curious, for her reaction of his landing. Most children, they reacted negatively. Judged him, for his wings. He supposed that this girl, would do the same. Perhaps after seeing that, Zack would feel the hate, and his (for some perplexing reason) thumping heart would return to normal.

He stayed silent, merely waiting. He wanted her words, her voice that would surely, be soft and gentle. He craved for it, as if he was already addicted to something that he didn't know. He wanted her.

He really wanted her.

Black eyes flickered towards her face, his gaze driving into hers. He welcomed the silence that awkwardly hung in the air; it gave him time to think. Except his thoughts, weren't his usual sentiments.

For the first time in his life, Zacharius didn't want to hurt this, strange, beautiful girl that stood before him.

No; he wanted to protect her.

---

NOTES: urgh, horrible ending Dx aihfoshfs i hope this is ok? he's all like, aufsiodfhsofugsofihsdlfgsd8fsdfsdg because of her affinity, but i wasn't sure if that's how it actually worked. lfmaofjsdigfs Dx

[Mayumi Tsubasa]

Once Mayumi had given the sky a grudging half-trust, she leaned against the very tree she had been touching and attempted--attempted being key--to relax. It seemed to follow her, this wrenching feeling of despair. Could she not escape it, even here? Even in this darkened forest, with no one but her and whatever creature had startled her with that noise? She closed her eyes again, ears pricked for the sounds of the forest.

There were birds, yes, who sounded strangely different from the sound she heard before, and the constant hum of the activity on the ground, a stray rabbit hopping or the startled hop of a deer.

That was part of what she loved so about being a fledgeling: the enhanced senses. The Arena had taught she and her siblings to be cautious to their surrounding, no doubt, but upon becoming a fledgeling, everything was so much more clear. You saw people in a way you never thought you would, heard the world at a different frequency...

But that wasn't always a good thing.

Sometimes, too, you caught the hesitance in people's eyes, or the sadness. Mayumi liked to think that she saw these things because she could aid that person, like fate, sort of: but part of her wondered if everything was just coincidence. That maybe it would be better if she pretended not to notice when people were upset, distracted.

But even if it was good for her, it wasn't who she was.

The fluttering sounded again, wrenching the asian from her thoughts. What was that? It sounded even closer this time, were that possib--

And then he dropped down in front of her, wings unfurled, expression cold. Looking as they all did.

In immediate instinct, the brunette, fumbled a step back, half of her body hiding behind the tree stump (like that could stop him from getting her), chestnut eyes impossibly wide and lips parted. Fear was instinct, and the Mockers used it to their advantage. But the girl couldn't help but feel bad, as she always did. He wasn't doing anything. He'd obviously been in the tree--and here she was treating him like some kind of monster. Hiding. She, typical of her, stepped back out from behind the tree, nervously toying with a strand of hair.

"I... I am sorry." Her eyes dashed to the ground, fear, before she forced them back up to his. He hadn't given her any reason to fear him.

Yet.

"I did not mean to be so rude--I am Mayumi." His wings had folded in, now, and he'd locked his eyes with hers in a way that made the girl's stomach flip, but not necessarily in fear. That was... odd. A feeling she wasn't accustomed to.

Part of her squirmed in the awkwardness of the silence, but the other part of her dared not break it. Their eyes held, silent observation, as the world around them continued it's slow gyration...

He was unnerved.

It was clear in his stance, his careful observation of her. Mayumi's head tilted slightly, watching him with now eagerly curious eyes. Here it was again: that observation. Would it be good this time, or bad?

"You are upset."

It wasn't a question, because a question would demand an answer, and Mayumi wasn't stupid enough to demand anything from a Raven Mocker. Her sister had taught her that much. The guilt dashed back into her unwavering eyes with that thought: what would her sister say about this... cordial way she was treating the son of her greatest enemy?

Surely, she wouldn't be pleased.



COMMENTS. Don't even worry about it. I lvoe it<3 BUT YEAH IT'S GOOD. Only one thing: don't feel like you have to make him too OOC. BUT YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK<33

[Zacharius]

She wasn't what he expected.

He had jumped from the tree, assuming that she'd behave like they all did; fight, or flight. He had landed in front of her, apprehending the same look of fear, then eventual hate in her eyes -- the same look he received from all over the school.

He knew what would happen; yet, he so desperately hoped for a different reaction.

Zack had dropped down in front of her, and immediately, she jumped back, hiding herself behind a tree, fear apparent in her features. For a moment, the Mocker felt a sharp pain of disappointment. She, had chosen to flee, instead of fight. His brows furrowed just the slightest, his dark eyes brooding; he'd rather she fight. He had no intention of hurting her, not at all.

He just wanted to spend more time with her.

But then, he dismissed all thoughts; ridiculous thoughts. Why did it matter, if the girl left or not? It didn't concern him. She was just a mere fledgling. She wasn't anything important. She wasn't anything at all.

The girl, twirling with a piece of hair, stepped back out from the tree. "I... I am sorry." She murmured, eyes dropping once to the floor, before flickering back to his.

He stared.

She stayed.

He felt as if his heart would burst. He felt -- he felt happy. It didn't make any sense. How could he feel so happy just because of one, little, unimportant fledgling? A small part of his mind argued back; it didn't matter, it said, she stayed.

"I did not mean to be so rude--I am Mayumi."

Mayumi. It suited her.

He watched, wondering. Wondering why she told him her name, why she apologized; why she did not run. Did she not know what he was? That he was a Raven Mocker, son of a fallen angel? One look at her eyes, and he knew better. She feared. She feared, yet also determined. But why? Why was she so intent on staying with someone -- something -- like himself?

Because she's different.

Because she's kind, good-hearted; everything he, was not.

Zack paused; she had told him her name. Should he do the same?

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke, his voice low and soft, yet cold all the same. "Zacharius." He had told her his name; something he had never done before. The Mocker wasn't entirely sure why he'd spoke, but he was sure of one thing.

He longed to hear his name uttered from her lips.

For her voice, her soft, elegant voice to murmur his name, for only him to hear.

Was this normal?

He took one step closer to the girl, intrigued. He had never felt feelings such as these, before. He didn't think he was capable of such, positive emotions.

"You are upset."

There it was again; her voice. He briefly closed his eyes, a feeling of warmth spreading through his body. It was only after her words filtered through, when his eyes snapped back open.

Upset?

No, not upset.

Confused, maybe. But not upset -- not when he was around her. How could he feel such things, when he was next to a girl such as herself? How could anyone at all?

He paused again, having difficulty deciding if he should reply. It didn't take much for him to decide.

"No." He took another step forward, a hand reaching up to gently stroke her face, before freezing, hand in mid-air -- would it scare her? Would she run, upon touch? He dropped his hand, letting it fall back to where it belonged. Away from her. A creature as tainted as Zack shouldn't touch a (surely) pure child as herself. He had no right. "I'm not upset. More puzzled."

He continued to stare into her now curious eyes, wonder in his own. "Ma--" He began, before forcing himself to stop. He would not speak of her name aloud.

He would not taint her, in any way.

It was a while before he let himself speak again.

"...Do you fear me?" He murmured, willing for the answer to be no; no i do not.

He knew better than to hope for more than he deserved. He knew better, but it still did not stop him from wishing.

Mayumi, he breathed. Mayumi.

Please; please let the answer be no.

---

NOTES: sidhfosfhgsoifgsdofi Dx urgh, horrible. My muse was just ugh, horrible. sdgsdoigsdfsgihsf, oh and btw; I FUCKING LOVE MAY. OAJDFISGFSOIFGS FSFSF +okok xD

[Mayumi Tsubasa]

It surprised her, how the Raven Mocker, under that cold mask, looked almost disappointed in her movement. She was hiding from him, asserting her fear... didn't they like that? Every Raven Mocker she'd ever seen (though she'd never been so close to one before) had reveled in the fear of the students, triumphed in their victory. And yet this one looked almost... forlorn. Like he had expected, hoped for, some other reaction.

But what?

He couldn't possibly desire her company--not only was she, in his eyes, she knew, a lesser being, one of those whom trapped his father in the earth, but she was also not a black fledgeling, but blue. What interest did he have in her? Unless Kalona was now sending these beautiful transformations of the original frightening beings to recruit followers, which she didn't doubt. And she would be desirable, then, wouldn't she? Leverage against the rebellious Miyuki.

Her life and her siblings had taught her to be a very cautious person, and so she knew this man was not to be trusted.

But she stayed, if only because her propriety demanded it. She was a kind girl, and she couldn't bear to run, to flee. Underneath it all, he was half man--and even half of humanity shouldn't be wasted.

But the man--the Raven Mocker looked almost pleased when she stepped forward and offered her apology. As if that's all he had been wanting. Her company. That sparked a new fear in Mayumi: this man was either very different, or a very good actor. He couldn't possibly want that. And, if there was anything Mayumi was vulnerable to, it was appeals to emotion. She knew that was her weakness. And, apparently, so did he.

"Zacharius."

Though the coldness in his voice made her sad (it was a sad thing, that so many had that ice. It spoke of hardship and pain, that Mayumi could only hope to help with...), it was also a bit reassuring. He wasn't attempting to coax her in with that voice, treat her like a fish for which his words were bait. That, at least, she could trust. Somewhat.

"Zacharius." She formed the name softly on his tongue, unaware that that had been just what he wanted her to do. But then he stepped toward her, something unreadable in his eyes, and Mayumi froze, memories flashing behind her eyes. The touches of men, so many years ago, sold her her sister's freedom (that was never given). Unfulfilled promises, the only man she'd trusted to touch her since, gone forever...

Mayumi's body tensed just slightly, but she didn't wince. She knew better then that. She just hoped, instinct like a frightened doe in the back of her mind, that he didn't try to touch her.

No one could touch her.

No one.

No one but her siblings--who should have been the only ones she allowed to touch her from the start. She'd felt defiled, all those men...

But now was not the time.

But then she noticed aloud, timidly but without question, that strange look in his eyes. Upset? Maybe it wasn't the right word, but she couldn't think straight. Not with him so dangerously close to her.

"No." But then he stepped even closer, hand rising to hover toward her face, and the girl couldn't help but flinch, shrink away. She didn't move away, step backward, purely for the fear that it would hurt his feelings (she didn't want that), but the fear seized her at the deja vu of the motion. Other hands had touched her so. They always started gentle, but they didn't end that way. They never ended that way.

Her eyes, wide and more a frightened green then brown now, flicked up to his, silently pleading that he didn't touch her.

But she doubted he'd comply.

Still, the girl didn't move away--she still feared for his feelings. He would be upset, wouldn't he, if she ran? Hurt? She couldn't to that to anyone, even a Raven Mocker. Even Kalona himself, who held no humanity at all, according to Miyuki.

So she stood, frightened, waited for his words.

"I'm not upset. More puzzled. Ma--"

He stopped, and some of the fear in her eyes was replaced with confused prodding. What had halted his words? And--puzzled? What puzzled him? She wanted to ask these questions, but her throat had caught. He was still much too close to her, even though his hand had dropped, for the girl to be comfortable, for her shoulders to unclench, her hands, clutching her midsection, to loosen their deathgrip on her sides.

It was a while before he spoke again, the two watching each other with strangely vulnerable eyes.

"...Do you fear me?"

Mayumi's mouth rounded, opened, still tensed. She wanted to say no, to appease his fear, but she couldn't lie. She was afraid of him. He was a Raven Mocker--and much to close to her. She would fear a human who came so close to touching her. She didn't even shake hands with men--she'd made a pact. To trust only her brother, no other man, with her touch.

And she'd broken that pact with Ryuu.

"Yes. I do." She watched him carefully, apology already etched in her deep eyes. She didn't want to hurt him with those words, so she said them as softly as she could. But she couldn't lie. "I am sorry. I do not mean to be hurtful..."

There were no more words, so she trailed off. That was the extent of her feelings: she didn't mean harm, but she was afraid of him.

Now all that was left was his reaction.

[Zacharius]

"Zacharius."

He froze, on the edge of bliss.

She had said his name. For a second, he felt like smiling. A real, true smile -- not one of his smirks that he always words, an expression of hate more than happiness. He longed for her to say it again. For her lips to mouth those four syllables, that would call his name. Unable to stop himself, he had moved forward, hand reaching for her face, wanting to touch, to caress..

Her eyes changed immediately.

What had once been a determined curiosity, had now snapped back to the fear and perhaps, (although he hoped this wasn't the case) disgust that the Mocker was used to seeing. Her eyes widened, and she flinched; he immediately pulled back.

She didn't back away, but in a way, he wished she had.

You see, he had hoped that she had stayed for his benefit; that she had not run, because she wasn't like the others.

But of course she was.

They all were.

She feared him, just like the rest. She hated him, just like the rest. She had only stayed, because she was clever; running would have led to a chase. A chase, that Zack would've won.

His now completely black eyes flickered down as he sensed movement, watching, as the girl -- undoubtedly -- forced herself to unclench her hands. He closed his eyes for a brief second, trying to quench the strange, yet sharp pain (was this the same guilt as before?), before opening them again, avoiding her eyes; she was uncomfortable around him. Of course.

In his hurry of such unfamiliar emotions, he had forgotten the most obvious truth; he was still a monster.

Not really understanding why he was going to such lengths for one girl, he took a few steps back, letting the fledgling have her space.

He then asked her that dreaded question; a question which he plainly knew the answer to.

Yet, he still hoped for something different.

As if the fears in her eyes wasn't enough of a clue.

He watched, as she appeared to struggle with the answer. Was it going to be what he was so dearly hoping for? Would she utter that simple word, the word that would so surely, make him happy? An emotion he had never felt before?

He could only dream.

"Yes. I do."

Disappointment.

He blinked, slowly. He could feel the life drain out of his already half dead eyes, and that pain was back, sharper than ever. But, the place was different; it was more near his chest, his rib cage throbbing with a certain hurt that he couldn't quite place.

She hadn't said no.

She hadn't exceeded his expectations at all; she had fallen, just underneath it.

But then again, what did he expect? She didn't know him -- although he felt as if they had spent years together -- and she thought of him nothing but a half man; half monster.

He had forgotten, what it was like to be the son of Kalona. What it was like, to be feared and hated.

There was a time, where he reveled in those emotions; feeding off them as if they were prey. It had been his own competition, to see how much fear he could gain per day.

But now, when the stakes were so different, when it was Mayumi, he felt like a beast. Something that should not be allowed out to see the heavens above, kept in nothing but a cage, where it belonged.

He felt disgusting.

He was disgusting.

So why, had he thought that Mayumi would ever say no?

Her eyes still trained on him, she finished off the last blow, her soft voice quietly letting go of the axe that hung over his neck. "I am sorry. I do not mean to be hurtful..."

He had felt disappointed. He had felt bitter.

But then she had apologized.

Apologized, for fearing.

Confused, he watched her, his mind a havoc of disarray. His jaw clenched, and he furrowed his brows, trying to remain level-headed. But the Mocker had already had his fill of strange emotions for one day; his mind reverted him to the one emotion he was most accustomed to -- hate.

How dare something such as this fledgling make him feel like this.

What was she? She was nothing.

And he would not let this nothing defeat him; he was the son of Kalona. A man, who felt no feelings. A man, who was heartless. A man, who was a beast.

His eyes narrowed, and if possible, his eyes went darker still. The air around the two suddenly went very cold, but for the Mocker, he felt no change. Wings slowly unfurling, he took one, intimidating step forward.

How dare she.

"But of course you do, little girl." He sneered, lip curling back to bare teeth. "You fear me, from just one look; you fear my wings, my heritage." He paused, breathing heavily. For a second, pain flashed in his eyes, before quickly being covered by the hate that Zack knew so well. "You judge; just like the rest." He spat out at her; an accusation.

He wondered if he should hit her. If he should taint her purity, steal away what a woman protected best. But one look, and he knew that he would do no such thing.

Anyone, but her.

Fist clenched, he looked towards the sky, half wanting to fly out of this puzzling mess he had somehow landed himself in. But angry as he was, he still didn't want to leave her. He wanted to stay by her side, no matter what.

A strained look in his eyes, he turned away, unable to look at her. Perhaps, if he left, these feelings would leave. If she went, then the emotions would go with her. Frustrated, he roughly ran a hand through his hair; further messing up what was already disheveled.

"What are you?" He whispered, a low, detached softness that could be barely heard; something unusual for Zack. "What have you done to me?" His voice, quiet as it was, sounded pained, as if he was being tortured by something only he, himself, could see.

His eyes flickered to hers, before hurriedly shooting away again.

He would not let her look into his eyes.

The eyes of a beast.