Englecon Mine, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

Warmth. That was the only thing Matthew could describe it to be. An energizing sensation that came over him the moment he sensed her presence. The Warmth within him had swelled, strengthened, taking his breath away — he hadn't known what it was until he saw her, and even then he didn't know what it was, only that it came from her. The girl. This other Oddity. He knew by the tone of her voice that she couldn't heal herself. The idea had never crossed her mind. She wasn't like him, not in that way.

But she was like him. In some way. Somehow, her mere presence had revived the Warmth within him.

Maybe it was the shock that stopped him from answering her voice, or maybe it was because he wanted to make sure the Overseer was gone before he attempted to engaged this girl in conversation. He wanted to know why she was an Oddity like him, why the Warmth inside had literally jumped at the sound of her voice — but at the same time, he felt incredibly awkward. It was a turn of events he wouldn't have imagined in a thousand years. The impulse to push her and everything else aside was strong — chances were, he'd get her killed. He didn't want to bring any more pain to anyone else.

Time passed slowly. Matthew lay at the bottom of his pit, his arms folded behind his head, watching the shadows of the torches flicker on the roof and trying his best to ignore the Warmth in his chest as it surged and struggled for his attention. It was as strong as it had been before Kolbin's death, if not the tiniest bit stronger, and it strengthened him now. He lifted his hand, pushing the Warmth into it, and it glowed brighter than it ever had. His hand seemed luminescent. His glow created shadows like the torches. It was such a dramatic change. His heart pounded. How could someone's mere presence cause this?

He licked his lips, tucking his hand back under his head. Dare he try talking to the girl he had so blatantly ignored? "So, what makes you so special?" His words sounded incredibly loud in his ears. He grimaced as they echoed around the room, and even more so at the silence that followed. Was she sleeping? Maybe she was ignoring him back.

After what felt like an eternity, she responded, and the Warmth churned inside at the sound of her voice. "Nothing." A pause. "You?"

He stared at the flickering shadows, the sensation within him leaving him a bit breathless. Did he tell her? The fact of the matter was that she had probably already guessed based on what the Overseer had said. But then, she had probably been distracted. "It's complicated."

"Does complicated have a name?"

The impulse to smile came over him, and he clamped a hand over his mouth in shock. He hadn't felt the urge to smile in so long, and here this girl had brought it out in just seconds. It was alarming. Everything that had happened since he had first sensed her presence had been alarming.

He let his hand slide off his mouth. "Matthew."

"I'm Stephanie," she replied quietly. The Warmth approved. He heard her moving around. "Is there any way out of here?"

"If I had discovered a way, I wouldn't be here, would I?" That was only half true, and he knew it.

The noise she made sounded like a mixture between frustration and panic. "I can't stay here. A friend of mine needs help."

Matthew noted the desperation in her tone, and he exhaled slowly. "Sorry."

The sounds he heard next were hard to place, but he sat up a bit when he realized she was trying to climb out. "You're not gonna make it out that way." The sides of the pit were smooth and tall and the top was curved, providing no leverage whatsoever. Not that he had tried.

"But I have to get out!" The last part ended in a partial sob.

Matthew grimaced. He hated it when girls cried. He never knew what to do. He tried the practical approach. "Look, there's nothing we can do."

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More like the hopeless approach. The Warmth did not approve.

She took a while to respond. "Why are you here?" she asked bluntly. "What makes you so special?"

"I told you, it's complicated."

"We aren't going anywhere. We've got time."

He frowned at the stone, folding his arms against his chest as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Why should I tell you? I don't even know you." The Warmth did not approve yet again. He grimaced as it churned.

The damage was done. "Fine. Whatever."

With that, the conversation ended. Matthew curled his knees up to his chest, hugging them and resting his chin on them. Everything was quiet, and it was unsettling. More than once, he tried to come up with a way to revive the conversation, but no words would escape his lips. The girl moved around restlessly. He forced himself to stay still, breathing deeply through his nose as time ticked by slowly. Inside, the Warmth finally rested, resigned.

Before long, he heard the sound of footsteps. Matthew lifted his head, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Overseer walk past his pit. Something was thrown down into Stephanie's.

"Climb up," the man barked.

"Why?"

Matthew closed his eyes, grimacing at her sharp tone.

"Climb up, now."

By the sound of it, she finally complied. Matthew wanted to warn her not to try anything rash, but no words would come out of his mouth. He listened carefully, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Not healed," he heard the man say. "Interesting.

There was a scuffling noise. The man let out a growl, and Stephanie shrieked. Matthew shot to his feet and turned, stumbling back against the other wall as he tried to see what was happening. He could barely see the forms above. The smaller one was limp in the larger one's arms.

"Hey! Let go of her!" Matthew exclaimed, the Warmth boiling up inside of him.

The Overseer looked down at him, sneered, and then carelessly shoved Stephanie's limp form back into her pit. She landed with a sickening thud.

Fire burst up within Matthew. Before he knew what he was doing, he was halfway up the pit wall, clawing with glowing hands, springing with a strength he didn't know he possessed. He saw the look of surprise and horror on the man's face for but a mere second. The next, Matthew was tumbling back down into the pit. He hit hard, choking as the air was knocked out of him. Something wet trickled down the side of his face. Blood.

"Your time will come soon, boy," the Overseer said. "I promise." With that, he marched away.

Matthew gritted his teeth as he fought to sit up. The side of his head throbbed, and he found a cut on his forehead, bleeding profusely. He wiped at it with the back of his hand, letting the sting of it coax him back to his senses. He took several deep breaths.

"Stephanie?" His voice was higher than normal — pinched, pained. No response came, and his heart skipped. Had the man killed her? "Stephanie, talk to me!"

Nothing. Worry gnawed at him. He pushed himself to his feet and something clattered underfoot. He frowned, crouching down and picking up the knife. It was small, practically useless, a weapon hastily thrown — this little thing had knocked him back? He was lucky it had missed his eyes. He fingered the thick blade. It was in desperate need of sharpening. It'd be of no help to him in a fight. Perhaps that was why the Overseer hadn't cared to retrieve it.

With a frustrated grunt, Matthew pounded it against the stone, expecting the blade to snap.

The stone cracked.

Matthew stared in shock. He looked at the knife, realizing with a jolt that the glow in his hands had spread to it. The blade was warm to the touch — had he just transferred his magic into it? He set it on the stone and moved back, watching it carefully. The glow faded away. He touched it. The glow returned. Again, he let go of it, and the glow disappeared. Something stirred within him, a sort of anxious confidence. Something like this had never happened before.

It had to do with the girl. It couldn't just be a coincidence. Not something like this.

He picked up the knife and held it firmly, mentally coaxing the Warmth into the weapon. The knife got a bit warmer and brighter. Matthew lightly pressed the blade against the wall. The stone chipped away.

He nearly smiled.