As her footsteps faded, Jack found himself alone with the ancient tome. His fingers trembled slightly as he turned the pages, scanning the cryptic text and haunting illustrations. One page in particular caught his eye - it talked of souls linked across time, the images stirred something deep and distant within him.

The accompanying text was in a mixture of what looked like old English and some language he couldn't comprehend, but a few words stood out: "binding", "entwine”, "Syzygie", why did he know that word? He wondered. He had used it earlier but where did he pick it up? Something about this page resonated deeply within him, though he couldn't explain why. He committed the image and the words to memory, sensing they might be important later. The sound of Sarah's returning footsteps made him quickly turn to a different page, but the pages lingered in his mind.

She continued the conversation as if she had never left. "You also knew your own story, even before we met and said nothing. I have explained my situation, now you tell me. What is your gift? And what curse came with it?"

Damn! She made it look easy. Jack envied her ability to open up and share her true self.

But for Jack, it wasn't that simple. He couldn't just reveal all the dark secrets he had been keeping hidden. "Errhhh..." He let out a nervous laugh, trying to deflect from the discomfort of his thoughts.

"Your little horns were cute, Jack," she said teasingly. "Did you polish them?"

It took him a second to recover from his scattered thoughts. She was grinning mischievously. Despite everything, he laughed genuinely.

He touched his hand to the sides of his head involuntarily.

"Even the fangs fit you," she added, smiling at him. "I just don’t like the face. The underworld could have gotten a better designer for those things."

Jack roared with laughter, not caring to tone it down. When he sobered up, she was still grinning at him, but he saw the seriousness in her eyes. It sent panic running through him.

"So the devil kissed you?" All mirth left him as he stared at her and her casually asked question. "I am assuming what he gave you has something to do with your success. What did he take?"

He nodded slowly, trapped in the truth. Jack knew there would be a price and he felt it in his life. But to face it head on and name it for what it was, a price he paid for the success.

“I have sex with women. I can then write, but I cannot seem to write anything with true meaning, and…” He got even quieter. “I cannot have a real relationship with a woman.”

After that one confession, everything unraveled. Her face opened up as she began to comprehend the full truth. Her lips trembled before she formed the words.

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"I see. You... You went to him?" The question hung solemnly in the air.

Jack blinked, struggling to remember the exact details of how it all happened.

"Well, they came to me first. But... yes. I shouldn't have given in, but I did. I was desperate and asked for something."

"Money? What?"

"The fame. I wanted to be a famous writer. The writing brought money."

"So the magic is behind the writing. I see. The price would seem high to some."

He looked down, burdened by the weight of bearing all. "Evil magic." He then shook his head sorrowfully. "It owned everything. The writing was not mine. I wanted it to be mine so much these days, but I couldn't."

She nodded, as though being asked a question. "That always was the catch... The devil has no real gifts."

Tears began to blur Jack’s eyes. "I swear, I didn't know until it all began." The tears dropped and she rushed over to his side, the warmth of her body touching his. "There were torments and the lack of peace. Still, everything got topped with the inability to create. I couldn't write what I really wanted to write. I can’t make a difference with words."

"They write through you..." she continued, wiping his eyes with her hands. "They fill the world with their words under your name."

"The words and the name sell, and I get the glory and wealth."

"At high costs." She hooked her arm with his and leaned in so that her head was resting against him.

"At high costs," he agreed.

They were both silent for a long time, just listening to the nocturnal sounds around them. It felt like it was just the two of them in the world—good and bad Creatures, sharing a bench and listening to each other's heartbeat.

Jack couldn't read her thoughts, but the mere fact that she was still by his side was a comfort. The fear in his heart had dissipated; the worst part was over. He had made the choice to speak the truth, and it had brought him some relief. He wasn't able to determine what this meant for them yet. He needed more time to process. She needed more time to process. Despite that, he wished she would wait with him and see what could be possible between them. He wanted her to stay by his side as they both discovered where their connection could lead.

"Can I take you somewhere?" he asked.

She raised her head from his arm and looked at him. "Where?"

Her voice held no resistance, only encouragement. Jack was beginning to understand that fear was his greatest obstacle, and without it, anything was possible. He may not get what he wanted, but at least he wasn't letting fear hold him back from even the possibility. It was a valuable lesson for him.

"Anywhere," he told her. "Just for one or two days. Gabriel can handle things...and your brother is here for a few days. The business won't fall apart if you're gone for a bit. Please."

Jack's heart pounded as he waited for her answer. If she said "no," he might lose all faith. He could give up and sink into the despair he had created for himself.

She leaned in closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It may not be exactly two days, but I know just the place for us to go," she said with a smile.

Jack woke up to the sound of an animal breathing close to his ears. His eyes were still shut. Against him, he felt Sarah start to stir, wanting to rear her head upwards and take a look.

"Don't move," he warned, tightening his arm's hold around her. "Just lay back."

She obeyed and relaxed back into the blanket.