Avelon's heart felt as though it would stop at Elha's words, but still she smirked. Her lips curved in a way that barely masked the racing of her thoughts beneath her composed exterior. She leaned back against the cold stone wall, arms crossing over her knees with deliberate ease.

"Good," she said coolly, her tone light but edged with steel. "I'm glad he's aware that I'm willing to comply. I'm tired of these games."

Elha blinked, her sharp features briefly faltering into something that almost resembled disappointment. It was fleeting, but Avelon caught the subtle shift. For a moment, it looked as though Elha had expected something... different from Avelon.

But the moment passed as quickly as it came. Elha's pale eyes hardened once again, her smirk returning with practiced detachment.

"If that's how you see it," she replied, tilting her head slightly in acknowledgement. Her voice was smooth and controlled, though Avelon thought she noticed a flicker of something else lurking beneath it.

Avelon straightened, shaking the dust off her pants. She almost laughed at herself. No amount of dusting would clean the pants she wore. She sighed and bit down the laughter that threatened to escape.

"Thanks for the water," she said offhandedly to Jeera, careful to keep her tone dismissive. She tilted her head ever so slightly in a gesture of nonchalance. "You didn't have to trouble yourself."

Jeera hesitated, her eyes darting between Avelon and Elha, clearly catching the shift in tone. Her jaw tightened, but she offered a curt nod to Avelon and played along with her act.

"No problem." she replied, her voice steady despite the concern evident in the twitch of her left eye.

As Jeera walked away, Avelon turned her attention fully to Elha, her expression unreadable. She was careful not to cast her attention on Jeera for too long. She knew she could reach out to Jeera later via her messages, so she dismissed her silently.

Her shoulders felt a bit lighter with the revelation, and for a fleeting moment, she considered the potential of her affinities. Avelon shook the thought away—there was no time for that now.

"So, what now? Another slap perhaps?" Avelon drawled, her smirk widening as she teased.

Elha did not take the bait. "Balor would like to see you," she said instead, her tone clipped and devoid of any humour or emotion. "I've been tasked with... retrieving you."

Avelon arched a brow, feigning indifference. "Retrieving me? How formal. Normally I would just get a smack over the head." She rolled her eyes.

"Open the cell and lead the way, then." She pouted, rising to stand before the gate of the cell.

Elha studied her, her eyes narrowing slightly, but she said nothing. She nudged a rusted key into the lock and shoved the gate open. Without offering Avelon another look she turned on her heel and gestured for Avelon to follow. Reluctantly, Avelon followed, vowing silently not to make a scene. She needed to act willing, despite the mess of emotions brewing inside her.

As they walked down the dimly lit hallway, the silence stretched between them. Avelon was careful to keep her eyes trained on Elha's back. She had no intention of staring into any of the other dungeon cells, even though she was sure that she had been alone.

"You ran off before you could tell me," She said casually, her voice light and mocking. "About what you know about the word Daghlan."

Elha stopped abruptly, her entire body going rigid. She turned to Avelon, her pale eyes wide with alarm and warning. "Don't start. Just stay quiet." she said sharply, her words cutting through the air.

Avelon tilted her head, her smirk deepening as she basked in Elha's uncharacteristic reaction. "Why?" she asked.

"Wouldn't it make things easier to just tell me what you know? Perhaps I'll ask Balor what he knows." She shrugged, knowing full well that it was completely out of the question to tell Balor what Dana had told her.

She did not know whether he knew, and she was not keen on enlightening him either. Still, she wanted to drag the truth out of Elha. There were a lot of things Elha did not want Balor to know, and Avelon wanted to know why.

Elha's halted completely, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "If Balor finds out you're Daghlan..." Her hands balled into fists at her sides, she struggled to maintain composure.

Avelon held her breath. So he did not know.

"He'll do far more than experiments. You'd be handing yourself over to him completely. Do you have any idea what he could do with that knowledge? He would keep you strapped on that table until he extracted every ounce of your blood to use."

Avelon's smirk vanished instantly, replaced by a chill that ran down her spine.

"Use my blood?" Nausea coiled in her stomach, her ears ringing from the abrupt shift in conversation.

"Not yet, no. But that's part of the plan. If you survive all of the experiments, which you will. But if he finds out you have the blood of Daghlan Fae, he'll start bleeding you dry immediately. He wants power and chaos. He needs it."

Avelon's brows furrowed, her stomach churning painfully. "You mean to tell me, he'll take my blood?"

"You heard what I said." Elha spat, shaking her head without looking back toward Avelon.

Avelon swayed as she felt her legs weaken, her blood rushing from her head.

"And if I tell him I'm willing to comply and help?" She swallowed hard, sticking to her plan.

Elha laughed bitterly, "He'll still do what he originally planned, only you'll be making it easier for him."

"What the fuck?" Avelon whispered under her breath, the reality of her predicament sinking in.

Elha cast a quick glance back at Avelon, clicking her tongue in irritation.

"You think you have it all figured out, but you don't." Clearly not. Avelon almost spat at Elha but fought the urge and remained silent.

All her thoughts of mocking Elha had flown right out of the window. Balor would kill her. He definitely needed her- Elha confirmed as much, but he would kill her. She had many scenarios of why specifically he needed her... and yet she had no idea that Balor had needed her for her blood.

It made sense, but it was the last thought to cross her mind.

"What will he do with my blood?" Avelon's voice shook as she waited for Elha's response, though she knew the answer already.

"He'll use blood bending to infuse it into himself." Elha retorted coolly, as though they were having a normal conversation.

"And you'll help him with this?" Avelon's anger surged unexpectedly, her voice rising despite her efforts to stay calm.

"I've no choice but to help him." Elha shrugged, almost casually, which fuelled Avelon's rage even further.

Elha owed Avelon nothing, yet her nonchalant admission that she would eventually kill her ignited Avelon's fury.

"What's to say the infusion won't kill Balor?" Avelon mumbled through gritted teeth, restraining the instinct to strangle Elha on the spot.

"Nothing can kill Balor. Nothing I know of." Avelon's mind raced, trying to reconcile Dana's prophecy with Elha's grim revelation. There was no way Dana would tell her that she would end the destruction if nothing could kill Balor. Where would the purpose in that be?

"Great." Avelon sighed, rubbing a shaky hand across her forehead.

Sweat had been steadily dripping from her hairline, but she had been to pre-occupied to notice.

"So, tell me what you know about Daghlan, after all, I am dying so I can't share your secrets." Avelon had intended to sound snide, but her tone had resembled that of a defeated opponent.

Elha swirled around, her face pinched in anger. "Gods, can you not shut up for one moment?" She yelled straight into Avelon's face, spit splattering onto her cheek.

Avelon lowered her gaze, her fury simmering at the audacity of Elha's outburst

"Get the fuck out of my face before I kill you." Avelon snarled, picturing her fist colliding with Elha's cheek.

It was about time someone smacked sense into you. Avelon thought.

"I'd like to see you try." Elha's eyes blazed as her smiled turned sharp.

The hallway suddenly seemed devoid of air and sounds as they locked eyes. Heat flared in Avelon's cheeks, her anger rising and igniting the air surrounding her into a wild frenzy. Her hair whipped into her face, but she smiled, willing the air to intensify just enough to rattle Elha. To her surprise, Elha did not flinch. Instead, she smiled—a slow, taunting curl of her lipsTiny droplets shimmered into existence around them, the air growing damp and heavy. Avelon's throat dried as if sand had been poured down her windpipe. She licked her lips, swallowing hard.

"What are you doing?" Avelon choked.

Elha stepped closer, her voice low and edged with menace. "The air around you collects moisture. Most of it comes from you. And if I wanted, I could pull it from you, just like your blood. All I need to do is nick some artery." Avelon's eyes widened as Elha's words sank in.

"Settle your affinity, or I will make you pass out." Elha whispered through gritted teeth. Not once did she back away or show that she carried any fear.

Breathing hard, Avelon closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus and calm. The gust of air around her calmed, along with the pounding in her chest.

Comply. The thought burned, but she bit it down.

Satisfied, Elha backed away, her droplets vanishing like mist in sunlight. They glared at each other for a moment longer before Elha turned on her heel and continued down the hallway. She did not need to tell Avelon to follow.

Avelon hesitated, her fists clenched at her sides. The urge to walk away, to try and run again surged through her. With a reluctant sigh, she fell in step behind her, her bare footsteps whispering against the cold stone floor.

Elha did not look back at first, walking with the easy confidence of someone who believed herself untouchable, but after a while Avelon found Elha casting wary glances over her shoulder.

They continued in tense silence, the weight of the air between them thick and uncomfortable. Guards passed by, their faces hard and impassive, though Avelon could feel their eyes flicker toward her. She resisted the urge to glare back, instead keeping her gaze fixed ahead.

Finally, they reached heavy double doors leading to what Avelon assumed to be Balor's private quarters. Avelon had never been there before.

The dungeon and experiment room had been her prisons. Sterile, dark and suffocating. Shadows seeped through the cracks of the door, curling and twisting like smoke. Avelon cringed at the sight. She knew the pain they inflicted- had come accustomed to their forms of torture.

She closed her eyes to steady herself.

Elha pushed the doors open with ease, causing Avelon's attention to pivot to the entry. It revealed a room bathed in dim, flickering light streaming from a fireplace. Balor stood at the rooms centre, his figure partially obscured by the writhing tendrils of darkness that encircled him. His gaze locked onto Avelon immediately as they stepped inside, sharp and predatory. His shadows seemed to pause, anticipating attack.

For a moment, he studied her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. Then, finally, he broke the silence.

"So," he said, his voice low and smooth, "What changed your mind, Avelon? I do recall our last experiment ending... poorly."

He walked toward the fireplace, eyes never leaving hers. A cat analysing its prey.

Avelon smiled, her lips curving into what she hoped seemed dark enough to portray her interest. "I don't want to fight it anymore. I'd like to see what happens."

Balor tilted his head, his smile faint but full of calculation. His shadows shifted, creeping closer to her, brushing her ankles with a cold touch that made her shiver. Then they burned, sharp and biting, forcing her to steady herself.

"Interesting," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "You've always been defiant, eager to fight me at every turn. Why the sudden interest in cooperation?"

Avelon did not flinch, even as the shadows coiled tighter. "I realized there's no point in fighting when I can turn your little experiments to my advantage."

He chuckled, the sound low and almost amused. "Advantage? How bold of you to assume there's anything for you to gain."

"And how arrogant of you to assume there isn't," she shot back, her voice steady despite the pain lacing her ankles.

Balor's smile widened, though his eyes remained cold. "You've tried to kill me before. Escaped before. What makes this time different?"

Avelon tilted her head, her gaze unwavering. "Maybe I've learned from my mistakes. Or maybe I've learned yours."

Balor licked his lips, his eyes dancing with anticipation. He was enjoying the moment.

The shadows flared briefly, then withdrew, releasing her. Balor stepped closer, his presence towering and oppressive. "Careful, Avelon. Clever words can be dangerous, especially when spoken to the wrong audience."

"And yet, here I stand," she said, a hint of defiance returning to her voice.

Balor studied her for a moment longer, then turned his attention to Elha. "You brought her to me. Do you believe her change of heart?"

Elha shrugged, her expression carefully neutral. Balor frowned at her dismissiveness.

"For now," Balor echoed, his gaze returning to Avelon. He leaned in slightly, his shadows curling closer once more. "Let's hope your resolve lasts. I'd hate for this to end... prematurely. Especially since you've been my most successful candidate."

Avelon held his gaze, her dark smile returning.

Balor's gaze turned toward Elha. "Drown her again."

Before Avelon could fully register his words, Elha stepped closer, her face unreadable as the water filled Avelon's lungs. Her eyes widened.

Where the fuck did the water come from? Her eyes shot frantically around the room, following the steady stream to a bucket, tucked neatly in the corner of the room.

Her vision blurred, darkness creeping at the edges. Panic clawed at her chest, the instinct to fight surging.

Gods, not this again. She almost sobbed.

Avelon knew, with undiluted certainty, that Balor had purposefully planned this moment to ascertain whether Avelon had manifested an affinity or not. Elha had either told him or had withheld the truth.

Balor's lips curled into a devilish smile as Avelon gasped- earning another mouth full of water. Her body jerked against the invisible force. Balor's shadows coiled around her body as she failed to catch a breath, their movements sharp with excitement. She wanted to scream at the burns they inflicted.

"Remarkable," he murmured, his eyes gleaming as he watched her struggle. "Let's see how far you'll go, my little anomaly."

Breathe.

The same voice infiltrated her mind- the voice she had heard the first time. The voice that had constantly guided her.

"Your defiance is admirable, Avelon," Balor drawled, circling her slowly. "But admirability doesn't equal survival. Tell me, do you truly believe you can outwit me? Or is this newfound cooperation merely a ruse to buy time?"

Breathe! The voice was firm and commanding.

And so, she did.