Evan didn't seem at all fazed as I walked through the wall and into the rest of the castle. He smiled when I emerged. "Good morning, Chrystal."

I returned his smile. "Good morning, Evan. How are you?"

"Better, having seen you looking well. If you'll follow me to an empty ballroom, we will begin. Figured there would be plenty of room in there to practice."

I nodded, then followed him once he turned and began down the hall.

When Evan opened the door to the ballroom, I knew it was the same one we had been in where Lisa had held a ball not too long ago. It felt as though it had been ages since that night, but in reality it hadn't been more than a few weeks, surely. I still wasn't very good at keeping track of time here.

"Evan," I called out, my thoughts getting the best of me. "How long have I been here now, exactly?"

He thought about it for a moment. "All together? Or how long have you been awake?"

"I know I was asleep for roughly three months. I just can't seem to get a grasp on how time works here. I just go to bed when I'm ready."

He smiled. "Time does work a bit differently here compared to the human world. Our days are a few hours longer. So while you were asleep for three months here, it was probably closer to two months there."

My eyes widened. That was insane to think about. Hopefully my visits back and forth to Maia and Thomas won't seem to be too far off, then.

I frowned. If I get to see Maia and Thomas again.

With that, I readied my swords. "But are you going to answer my initial question?"

Evan smirked. "Perhaps I will. If you can defeat me."

I couldn't help the matching smirk that drew itself on my face. "So be it."

We sparred for several hours. I used my swords, my magic, anything I had at my disposal. I tried to come up with strategies for how to use my newfound strength to defeat him. I even attempted to use my swords as extensions of my arms, hoping my magic would flow through them as it did me, but that didn't seem to work too well. I just ended up making my swords too hot to hold. Evan held back a laugh.

In the end, it was a draw. I was unable to defeat him, but at the same time, I was afraid of hurting him. When your destiny is to be the most powerful demon to ever exist, you start to worry about hurting your friends when you're trying to learn how to best use your newfound powers.

"You did well," Evan said, stepping closer to me. "I can tell you're holding back, though."

I hesitantly nodded. "I don't know just how strong some of the things I can do are. I don't want to hurt anyone while I'm trying to learn."

He smiled. "It's kind of you to be worried about me, but in times like these, you can't hold back for my sake."

I looked at him. "I don't understand."

He continued. "When the time comes for you to use your powers to their full extent, and you've never done so before, what do you think is going to happen? Do you really think you'll have no problems attacking with fire at full strength if you've never done so before? Lighting a few candles is nothing by comparison."

"I understand that, I just don't understand why I have to do so on someone. I don't want to hurt my trainer. Don't we have any dummies around or something?"

Evan chuckled. "You do not have access to your full potential yet. I don't know what kind of magic sealed the majority of your powers until the coronation, but I highly doubt what you have now is enough to cause any lasting damage on me or anyone else." He paused for a moment, considering me. Then, he said, "Next time we train, I want you to give me everything you have. I don't want to see you ending up hurt because you didn't want to hurt me."

I didn't respond right away. I considered his words. I didn't want to hurt him, but if he was right about my powers, then I couldn't. That being said, I'd never hurt Sebastian, either, even when I wasn't in control of my powers yet. In that case, would I be able to protect anyone if something were to happen before my coronation?

Finally, I nodded, and Evan seemed to relax.

"Good. Then what do you say we get out of here and get you back to Sebastian? I'm sure he'll want to know how you did."

Evan turned toward the door, and I went to follow him, but was stopped when my eyes began burning. I cried out in pain, dropping my swords as I pressed my hands to my eyes. I heard Evan rush back over to me, felt him grab my arms, but everything else, every other one of my senses was being overcome by a horrible feeling of dread and danger. Just like before, when I was with Sebastian and I felt something horrible coming, only this time was so much worse.

I could hear Evan, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. He sounded so far away...

Reaching out my arms, I clung to him. I didn't know what was happening, and I couldn't find my voice to tell him what I was feeling. Did he not feel it too? Could he not sense that something bad was coming our way?

My eyes burned too badly to open them, but that didn't stop the tears from escaping. I didn't know if they were because of pain. They might have been because I was terrified.

Suddenly the pain and the warning feeling accompanying it were too much to bear. I cried out just in time to feel Evan move me behind him. Something was happening, but I couldn't see it. Attempting to open my eyes only made it worse.

Evan was shouting again. I didn't know what he was saying, and when his hold on me was removed, I crumpled to the floor.

"Chrystal!"