"Just some stress from work" I affirmed for the third time, the second I got to sit down. That was the point when Venti kneeled down to me, to look me in the eyes. With his alluring smaragd like eyes. I did get lost in them before, but now was the time to lean towards focusing.

I shook those thoughts away and attempted to concentrate on his face.

My eyes began wandering as he scolded me, they had been glancing towards his lips. Not because of some sudden attraction, but rather the doubt of curiosity. As a hunter I got used to recognizing vampire's.

Their sharp canines that, drilled into the flesh of humans, to suck out the crimson life force. The crimson dark blood of humans. Many studies had been conducted yet none had found out what was making them feel such a strong need for blood to guarantee their survival. Sometimes it crossed my mind that just like some humans they just enjoyed suffering.

I escaped my bothering thoughts that paced up and down in my mind.

I looked at him with big eyes, repeating the words I had spoken in a similar context for the 4th time. "No need of much concern, that was just some stress."

"Some?" Venti repeated in disbelief. He sounded concerned to me, about me. When I heard his tone my voice sank for a moment, the complicated memory of my family's concerns unwrapping in front of my eyes. I couldn't catch what it was, but not him. "Y/n you're injured and almost fainted," he exclaimed with dripping through his voice. The softness that followed when his hands brushed mine.

I looked at him puzzled, he had such a comforting presence of light. I disliked it, almost, that he was making me feel vulnerable for a strong second, before I snapped back to reality shaking my head and rejecting his touch, his kindness and most importantly his concerns. "I can't," I paused looking up into his eyes. A gaze filled with warmth, familiarity like a trap. "Work is important." I insisted on staying stubborn with my point. Despite knowing it would come back at me, I didn't alter my stance on the matter.

I needed to be cautious with my words, a quick thought of it wouldn't give me a solution. They wouldn't be eliminated from risks. The core of the problem would remain resistant, I would only itinerant from one dark point to another. Which would cost me time, time it was that I didn't have.

"Whatever is going on.." the female said, calling for my attention to take a swift turn to her. "It, it can wait." she stuttered when she lifted her head from the documents she held. Her light green hair stung out to me the moment I looked at her.

Venti nodded, and he exchanged a look with the female of concern. Perhaps it was guilt, from the thought that they didn't try to clarify the importance of their point further. Scenarios where my life was at stake thanks to those injuries or the minor idea of simply not being able to satisfy their helper syndrome.

I tried to stand up and sneak myself out until she called after me. I jerked my head her way with an insinuated smile.

"You have a cut near your ribs. Your right knee is bruised badly, whereas you can't properly walk, and you still have lots of stress that is making your pain worse." she noted down. Her eyes flickered up to me a few times, the amber orbs filled with nervousness.

Venti peaked at me from behind her shoulder. Stealing my opportunity to speak my mind. "Sucr- Dr. Sucrose is right. You should at least take some of her treatment." He said, his insistence appeared to be weakening. While I did take care of myself, I objectively speaking focused on work that moment.

I sighed, accepting her judgment on my medical condition. I limped back, flinching when I missteped. My breath was captured sharp in shock.

When I was through with Sucrose treatment choice, I was free to go. I got my feet on the ground and sped my way through the crowds trying to get to the headquarters.

On my fastest attempt at sprinting through the crowd, I carried my light headed consciousness with me. My eyes fell on the big building in front of me after a while of pushing myself through the people blocking the streets. Each step I took, inhabited amounts of pain that I could not describe. My ankle kept stinging, the hot sensation kept bothering and my heart was racing.

I reached the giant marvelous stairs in front of me, pure and so clean as the rest of the quarters outside. The inside however was a different story, niche and breathtaking at first sight, but in a horrifying way. Everything had a certain place, an order, and as soon as it was disregarded in the slightest it would be permeated through the whole association until there was no recourse left to clean one's reputation.

This door was one of the few things I was afraid of, it made me feel unease, and burden all at once. The anxiety pushed through my body when my veins froze, my breath hitched. My hand was cramping at the sight of the passage to my workplace. Anxiously picturing all possible scenarios of punishments I could receive if I weren't to get my act together.

The stones that surrounded my heart felt heavier than ever, I did not dare to imagine the consequences if my legs were to carry me away. Sometimes I wanted it, sometimes I hoped, I dreamt of a normal life where I had not chosen this route, where I was a normal person, a girl with a peaceful family. I reached out weakly, barely getting a steady grip on it as the cold metal collided with my fingers as they came in contact.

I pushed myself hardly through the doorway when I had my hitched breath under my own reign, my emotions were a hindrance when all I needed was the dominance over them, the upper hand.

Control and stability were things that would never be present in this world; at least not how young children expected the "beautiful" world to be. There was nothing that would reach any of those standards, and no matter how hard anyone including me tried their hopes and dreams would be crushed like mine were once. I wanted to hold those imaginations alive as long as I could, so that they could grow up in colors of significant beauty, unbothered and warmly embraced, unlike I who had to dance on a thin thread between the terrifying darkness and a abyss of beauty that was a well constructed lie to lure me into believing I was safe.

Yet I wanted to lie, I wanted to lie to myself and everyone that we were safe, that we had reached a point where we could let our guards down. Whereas children could fall into the net of a serene life.

I gathered from the halling firm footsteps, that they would be enraged with my absent punctuality.

I lifted my head, to meet their gaze with surprise, "I apologize," I said, a bare whisper escaping my mouth. My posture stiffened at the sight of the upper superior. "I got late... I had some complications to deal with." I tried to clarify, attempting to make myself a sturdy ground to release my stance. I scanned him with wary following close behind in me. Varka he who had judged many vampire's atrocities: his expression was unfazed and hard to read, from a thin line a smile transitioned.

"I'm impressed by your work, Ms. L/n." he praised with hints of pride.

--✧･ﾟ: ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆