Dear sweet Katie, why do you resist me so? There is so much we could do... If only you let me out now and again, said a distorted and chilling voice, filled the air. It should have carried a sweetness akin to roses and peaches, but instead, it wrapped around Katie's mind like a spider ensnaring its prey. Her desperate attempts to block out Jalaiya only intensified her inner turmoil. Tremors wracked her body, causing the chains that bound her to clank and rattle. Her teeth ground together, and her grip on reality slipped. The once beautiful green of her eyes flickered with hateful yellow, akin to a menacing warning light. The torches lining the dungeon walls flickered and extinguished simultaneously, while icy winds whirled through the air, filling the space with an otherworldly mist.

The yellow eyes stared at Katie, haunting her mind as she desperately tried to block her out. "I don't need you... Just leave me alone," she insisted, clutching her head.

It would be so easy. The little girl has no idea who she's dealing with... we could teach her a lesson. Just like your foolish sister, Jalaiya's voice whispered, her cold breath chilling Katie's ear. She giggled, finding pleasure in her torment and reveling in her pain.

Katie's face contorted with anguish, her knuckles turning white as she clenched the cell bars with all her might. "Go away!" she growled, shaking her head vigorously. "Gooooo awaaaaay! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The room quaked, and her brown hair transformed into an eerie snowy white.

Startled, the two guards stationed near her cell rushed toward the bars. "Hey! That's enough!" one of them shouted.

Katie's widened eyes fixed on the guards. "Gah- no! Stay back!" she cried out, but to no avail. Her right wrist twisted on its own, forming a tight fist as chains erupted from the stone floor, sending debris flying.

"Watch out!" Leon shouted. He burst out from around the corner, knocking one of the knights to the ground. The chains wrapped around his body, constricting him and stifling his movements.

"Lord Diablos!" The other knight attempted to touch the chains when Leon croaked, "Stay back!"

The two guards moved away, attempting to make for the exit. However, their efforts fell short as Katie's eyes blazed with a violent yellow hue, causing them to collapse in a heap, helpless on the cold dungeon floor. Jalaiya's voice resonated from Katie's lips, dripping with sadistic pleasure. "Hehe, my my. I didn't expect a visit from you so soon. What gives me the pleasure of this little meeting, dear boy?"

The chains around Leon's neck loosened slightly, but they still pulled him closer until he found himself face to face with Katie. Her yellow eyes, even more menacing in person, sent shivers crawling across his skin, as if spiders were dancing upon him—inside and out.

"I wanted to talk to Katie. I wasn't expecting you either," Leon managed to say, his arms straining against the binds that threatened to tear his body apart. The chains pulled him closer, and Katie's hand reached out of the cell, her nails digging into his cheek. She pulled him in, her fingers sinking into his flesh as she licked his eye.

Her eyes widened at the taste of his blood and a chirp of delight left her lips. "Oh, the taste is exquisite," the angel said, a horrid smile curling upon her lips.

Leon cringed, his eyes lowering. Sweat was rolling down his forehead in droves. "Aww, what's the matter? Doesn't the mouse want to play?" she teased, grabbing him by the balls. He groaned at how tightly she squeezed.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, heat rising to his face.

Jalaiya tilted her head, her eyes widening creepily. "Come now. Don't tell me you've never lusted after this one. You visited her mind often enough... Even with no memory she never leaves your thoughts. There's nothing real binding the two of you. Your love is merely an excuse for your loneliness," she whispered into his ear.

The chains tightend around Leon, pinning him to the wall. Panic surged through his veins as more chains emerged from the floor, adorned with blades and saws that spread out, encircling him. Flames erupted from his limbs, a desperate attempt to fight back, but they quickly dispersed, leaving him defenseless.

No! Leon snapped, his resistance against Diablos faltering in the face of imminent danger.

You insolent fool! We're going to die! Diablos shouted.

"No use in calling for her, little mouse. She doesn't want to waste her time on a loser like you anymore. You're alllll miiiinneeee, hehehehehahahaha." Jalaiya’s maddening cackle echoed through the dungeon as the blades stabbed toward Leon. Bracing himself, he closed his eyes, ready for the pain. But to his surprise, nothing happened. When he opened his eyes again, the chains and blades had disintegrated into dust, scattering into the air.

Falling to his knees, Leon glanced at Jalaiya, or rather, Katie who had regained control. Her eyes glowed with a vibrant emerald green as she held herself, trembling on her knees. A cold draft swept through the dark corridors, creating an eerie silence. Leon mustered the strength to stand, limping toward her, nearly losing his balance. "Katie."

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"Please... Stay away," she begged, closing her eyes tightly, her body still trembling against the metal bars.

Leon knelt and rested his head beside her. "Y-y-you're going to d-d-die if you s-s-stay with me," she stuttered. "You should just t-t-take your friends a-a-and-" She flinched as he reached into the cell and took her hand, refusing to let go. For several minutes, they sat there, leaning on each other for support, their breaths synchronized in the stifling silence. Two entities, mere inches apart, filled with an intense desire to tear each other apart, but neither able to gain full control over their host. In that moment, exhaustion claimed them both, and they fell into a restless sleep.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Leon?" Katie's voice whispered in the darkness, awakening him from his slumber. He couldn't determine how much time had passed; his eyes still felt heavy with fatigue. Her grip on his hand had grown tighter. The cold and damp floor beneath them went unnoticed in their exhaustion.

"What is it?" he whispered, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.

There was a pause before Katie’s thoughts sounded in his mind. I don't know how to say this... At first, Leon was taken aback by the realization that her words were not spoken aloud but rather transmitted through their connection. Whenever he focused more on her, her thoughts grew louder.

Take your time, he assured her, causing her to flinch.

"So you finally can hear my mind as well?" Katie asked, rising to her feet with a sigh.

Leon followed suit, standing alongside her.”We talked like this back in the forest too, remember?”

“Oh… yes. So much has happened I had forgotten about that.” The darkness within the dungeons obscured their expressions, making it difficult to read each other's faces. He glanced back at the unconscious knights. Damn... Are they going to tell the King about us?

As if on cue, they began to stir one after the other. Leon turned to them, his fists clenching in anticipation.

"Ugh... What happened?" one of the guards groaned.

Leon turned to them "You don't remember?"

One knight looked at him, nearly fainting. "Lord Diablos! My lord, we must look so-"

"It's just Leon! I'm no lord. Diablos just lives in my body, that's all," he protested, shaking his head.

"Just resides within you?” the knight repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. “Sir, you don't realize how much any of us would die for even the slightest chance to be even remotely like our savior! Without Diablos or Jalaiya, none of us would exist! We owe everything to them," he said, his voice swelling with pride as he stood and saluted. The other knights followed suit. "What brings you to the dungeon anyhow? Do you know how we ended up like this?"

Leon jabbed his thumb in Katie's direction. "I was visiting a special friend before I went to sleep. You seemed to be put under some sort of spell, so I just stood by until it wore off." He explained, feeling Katie’s penetrating gaze as he wove such an obvious lie.

The master of deception you are, Diablos grumbled.

The knights exchanged glances but ultimately bowed to him. "We are in your debt, Sir Leon. Please, enjoy your visit for however long... but, please don't tell anyone about this."

Leon nodded solumnly. "I won't tell a soul."

As the knights moved down the corridor to check on the other prisoners, Leon turned back to Katie.

"I'm sorry," Katie whispered, clutching her hands together against her chest. "After everything you did for me..."

He shook his head. "I'd like to think they'd understand we aren't exactly normal people- no, monsters is the better word. That's how you described yourself to me in the dream a few days ago, wasn't it?"

Looking at him, Katie nodded. "What was it you were trying to say when you woke up?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before she gave the question tugging her heart. "Did you kill my sister, Cynthia?"

"What? No!" Leon snapped, his fists tightening.

Katie turned her back to him, her fingers tracing the cold stone wall. "Why did you do all of this for me? Your memories of me shouldn't exist... and yet, I know you still love her."

He fell silent, contemplating her words. Slowly, he crossed his arms, leaning against the bars.

"Do you feel anything for me at all?"

"It's not that simple, Katie. Nothing about any of this is simple," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration.

She groaned, smacking the wall. "Explain it to me then! Help me understand!"

"You think this is easy for me? I don't understand any of this either!" he shouted, causing her to turn. "The life I thought I had is a fucking lie! I didn't even know you existed, and Cynthia still made me believe I met her three years ago! My own sister tore apart the only thing I ever loved, and what did that leave me with? Nothing!" Leon glared down at his feet, blinking back the bitter tears. "What the hell was it even all for? I don't know how to fight. I don't even know how to live! None of it makes any sense."

He covered his face with his hands. Is this self pity supposed to serve some sort of purpose? Diablos's voice echoed within him.

Leon's eyes widened as smoke started to emit from every fiber, his eyes glowing a malevolent red and then faded in an instant. No... it doesn't solve a damn thing, but I know what will.

He turned to leave, but Katie reached out and grabbed his wrist. He was about to snatch it away, but she pulled him closer, her lips meeting his in a soft kiss. The act was so sudden that he flinched in surprise.

Her scent of lavender enveloped him, overpowering the dankness of the dungeon. The cold seemed to dissipate as her lips pressed against his, tears mingling with the warmth of their embrace. For a moment, he didn't think he would ever experience such tenderness again. But then she broke the kiss, and he stepped back, his face flushed and bewildered.

"What the heck was that?" he stammered, his eyes wide with astonishment.

She let out a weak chuckle, her eyes shimmering with a mix of vulnerability and determination. "That was a sorry... and a thank you. I can't let that pampered brat steal you away from me, even if maybe I seem like nothing compared to someone so spoiled," Katie said, her gaze meeting his. Her eyes radiated warmth once more, reflecting the love and affection she held for him. "None of this makes sense... but as long as I'm with you, I don't think I care if it does. I don't think I have the heart to stay angry at someone who makes me so happy." She bit back a sob, shaking her head. "Stay safe...please."

Leon turned away, his face still flushed but now adorned with a foolish grin. "Who the hell do you think I am? You'll see the sun again in no time."