*~*~*~* TRIGGER WARNING *~*~*~*

Mature Themes such as sexual assault and swearing are mentioned. Reader discretion advised.

We all looked at Ted in disbelief. "No fucking way that's true," Brittany whispered. I looked at her in confusion. "What? I can admit I'm a straight up bitch/murderer sometimes. I thought no one could top my sin." she said quietly.

I can see Daniel and Ethan looking at Ted with disgust. Their judgment was evident in their eyes that it could burn through Ted's soul. Ethan's grip on his knife tightened and Ted took a step back from him, afraid.

"We're all going to have our turn in this game anyways." I started. "I think we should all just confess the worst things we've done after we finish Ted's game."

I looked at Ted. "Do you have an idea on what object Aurelio was talking about?"

He shook his head.

"OF COURSE YOU DO, YOU'RE ONLY ASHAMED TO ADMIT WHAT IT WAS YOU SICK FREAK!" Ethan yelled at Ted, grabbing the collar of his shirt.

Ethan and Daniel cursed. "Does your cousin still live in LA?" Daniel asked.

"No, she lives in London," Ted said dejectedly.

Now it was my turn to curse. Two days was not enough to look for this object. Not with the possibility that it could be with Ted's cousin in London.

I don't know how to react to Ted's confession. It was so wrong what he tried to do. Even though he only tried. No one deserves to be assaulted like that, especially from your own relative. Do I turn my back on him after finding this item? Would it make me a terrible person to stay friends with him? What would anyone do in a situation like this?

"As much as I don't want to know all the details, tell us what happened Ted. Like when and where this happened. What you were wearing...anything you can remember." Ethan said.

Daniel stood up. "I don't think I can listen to this, guys." He said. Daniel walked out of the living room. I understood why he would feel uncomfortable. What Ted has tried to do...it was sickening and horrifying. I felt like I was about to throw up.

"You don't have to tell us exactly what happened. What were the objects around you when this happened?" I asked Ted.

He gulped and looked away.

"Th-there was rope..." he stuttered, sweat evident on his brow. My stomach turned when I heard this. "She was in her cradle and I was supposed to babysit her for a little bit."

Ted sighed.

"Do you still have anything that you still own from this event?" Brittany asked.

Ted shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think I even remember what happened. I was only 10 years old."

"That's hella fucked up, bro," Ethan admitted.

I saw the shame and unease Ted currently has. We were all players in Aurelio's morbid game that we all undoubtedly know, that he will do anything to win. Flashes of our encounters reeled in my head. There was something missing behind this demon's motives for engaging in this challenge. I couldn't quite put my finger on it so I shook my head and focused on the task at hand; Ted's object.

We searched his entire room and found nothing until Ethan called us over. He was standing in front of Ted's walk-in closet. He asked Ted for his computer password and he reluctantly gave it to Ethan. Ethan clicked through Ted's Macbook and found an encrypted file. He asked Ted for the password but Ted said he doesn't remember.

"Bullshit. I bet the proof is in there and Teddy bear is too ashamed to admit it himself."

Daniel interjected.

"What was your cousin's name?" I asked.

"Adriana."

I told Ethan to type in Adriana's name for the password and it turns out I was right. The pictures were grotesque. A sweet innocent baby with light blue eyes was splayed out naked and multiple parts of her body, especially her private parts were taken. I couldn't believe Ted would actually do something like this as a 10 year old. Ethan took a flash drive and downloaded all of the pictures.

I wanted to sigh in relief that we found Ted's object in a matter of a few hours instead of days. However, finding Ted's object felt too straightforward and obvious. Daemon's radiant playful smile materialized in my thoughts and a wave of bittersweet nostalgia enveloped my heart. I tilted my head back, thinking it would deter tears from forming. That will only happen if I allowed my heart to soften at the thought of him again.

Aurelio's identical features with Daemon's were not helping either. If anything, he only contributes to revitalizing the 'what could have been' moments Daemon and I could have shared.

"Alright, all we need to do is summon Aurelio," Ethan said. He took an ivory hilted knife and handed it to me. I took it, apprehensive.

"Why do I feel like this is too easy?" I asked suspiciously. I stared at my cousin briefly and swept my gaze over to my friends. Ted was sweating profusely and he was shaking on the white leather couch of his home. Daniel and Brittany's eyes were drooping with exhaustion. We were thrown into this game with no questions asked even though there were many that needed to be answered.

Submitting Ted's nefarious object quickly without ruminating whether it was the correct object could lead to Ted losing his life. I took the sleek gray flash drive from Ethan.

"Is there something else you're not telling us, Ted?" I asked him gently. He simply shook his head causing more sweat to drip from his chin. He refused to look me in the eye and kept his head down.

Danny uncrossed his arms. "Let's just give the stupid demon what he wants so we can get this over with!" he said impatiently.

I shook my head, "This could hurt Ted." I explained. "Haven't we lost Summer already?" I said my voice cracking. "How many more people do we have to lose to demons?"

Ethan let out a heavy sigh while raking his hands through his silky hair. "Celeste brings up a good point. We just found Brittany's object for the treasure hunt and we could all use some sleep. We can talk about this again tomorrow." He bent his leg and removed five concealed balisongs out of thin air. Ethan set each one of them on the glass coffee table and handed one of them to me. "Just in case. It's not only demons we have to watch out for," he informed.

"Um...what else did we have to watch out for? Medio Terrae is gone, they were all killed." Brittany said hysterically as she paced back and forth.

"Werewolves, vampires, witches, and warlocks to name a few," Ethan answered tonelessly.

My eyes widened. "Wait, they're real too?" I asked my hand over my mouth in shock.

Ethan motioned for us to sit down and I didn't know how tired I was until I sat down. My limbs felt heavy and my head was cloudy from the diminishing adrenaline.

"Yes, they're all real. If angels and demons exist, so do they." Ethan continued. "They've heard about your...special qualities, Celeste," he said. "It's only a matter of time before they come for you."

"What do they even want from me?" I asked. My cousin shrugged before rubbing his temples. "I don't know, but I have a feeling they all want the benefits from your title as the Bridal Fruit."

"And you're telling us this now?! What the hell, Ethan!" Brittany screamed. I put my hand on hers and gripped it tightly.

Ethan glared at her but said nothing. "Can we please just go to bed?" a voice behind me asked meekly. Ted stood behind me, pale as a ghost and he seemed to be on the verge of passing out.

"And how the fuck are we supposed to do that?" Brittany asked, rubbing her face.  "We really should go to bed, guys." Danny sighed his wavy hair a mess. "I don't want you anywhere near me." he glared at Ted before walking away. 

Ted led me to one of his family's guest rooms and opened the golden knob of the room's mahogany door. I thanked him and entered the room taking my blue Adidas duffel bag with me.

"Do you hate me?" Ted asked behind me.

I dropped my bag on the glossy obsidian floor and slowly turned to face him.

"I don't know, Ted. I honestly don't know at all." I said tiredly.

Ted sighed heavily. "Ok, Celeste. Good night, I'll see you tomorrow."

Ted exited the room leaving me in the dimly lighted room. There was a fireplace to my right and a canopy bed with silky white sheets and maroon colored pillows. The floor looked like a pool of shadows and it reminded me of the Nether Realm. In fact, inexplicable fragments of the room reminded me of the times I woke up in Daemon's dominion.

My lids felt heavy and I let out a yawn. I pulled the soft comforter aside and allowed the darkness to conquer me into a dreamless slumber.

*~*~*~*~*

Cold fingers grazed the side of my face. They trailed from my cheeks to my lips, tracing its outline slowly as if memorizing each and every single detail. I stirred a little bit, refusing to wake up from sleep's serene arms. I turned to my side and the stone-cold hands that trailed on my face caressed my soft silky hair. Their touch seemed intimate and familiar and my body relaxed, allowing this stranger's hands to continue touching my hair.

"Why do you do this to me?" A deep sensual voice whispered. "Why, why, why..."

The door creaked open before closing shut. Heavy footsteps approached the bed.

"You didn't have to strike her earlier. She's already been through enough without your assault." A gravely calm voice uttered near me. The stranger caressing my hair paused and removed their hand from my hair.

"I have my reasons, and you are in no position to criticize my actions. Or have you forgotten what happens when you do, Ethan?" the stranger said, lacing a threat to their question.

I shivered, goosebumps crawled up my skin and I clutched the soft comforter closer to my chin. Soft lips kissed my forehead.

"Tell her the truth, stop playing games with her before it hurts the both of you," Ethan said.

"No," the stranger next to me answered. They continued to caress my hair, "There's something I need to find out and this game will give me the answer I need."

"She'll hate you if you don't stop this now." Ethan continued.

The stranger chuckled darkly. "She won't hate me. Instead, she will fall in love with me."