Amara felt her heart in her throat as her chest tightened into very uncomfortable measures. It felt like a panic attack almost and if she was human, her lungs would have trouble taking in oxygen. Her supernatural body, however, did not let her feel the same way as a mortal would. She looked composed, standing in front of a massive crowd, hundreds of pairs of eyes looking directly at her; her lips pulled upwards into a forced, uncomfortable smile.

She was an epiphany of nervousness, whilst Thanatos stood beside her on a risen stage, most probably used to these kinds of situations. She was shaking inside, for, a silent mental breakdown was natural to her in any social situations.

'Ladies and gentlemen, you all clean up well, I must say. I honestly feel underdressed, just looking at all of you,' Thanatos started, his tongue gliding smoothly through the joke and everyone chuckled, 'Firstly, I want to welcome you all, to the tenth centurial ball of Syndesi and thank all of you lovely creatures for attending. It is a pleasure seeing you all here.

'Now, I want to make a toast,' Thanatos grabbed a glass of a bubbly champagne, which was placed on a high table in front of them and raised it towards Amara, 'This girl is Amara, my most trusted soul gatherer,' he paused to smile at her, yet Amara felt somehow disappointed his smile did not reach his eyes.

Yet that was somehow forgotten, for the simple acknowledgement made Amara feel uneasy as well and she did not like the increased nervousness in her stomach.

She hated feeling unsure.

'She has been my most trusted for quite a while and therefore, I want to welcome her to this special celebration and introduce her to you all.

'So, Amara, welcome,' he raised his glass once again and took a sip of the pale liquid.

Thanatos looked at Amara, sending her a silent yet very clear mind link message, 'you should probably say a few thanks as well, so you don't look like a weird statue, stood next to me.'

'Har, har,' Amara said monotonously in her head, and due to the slight buzz in her forehead, she knew the link has worked. She then turned towards the mass of people and smiled, 'thank you, master Thanatos, for your lovely speech. It is a pleasure to be here and hopefully, I get to meet a lot of amazing creatures tonight,' she said and the guests gifted both, a round of applause.

'I guess we mastered that,' Thanatos whispered for only Amara to catch, as they were walking down from the raised podium, 'now we just have to make sure, people like your dull personality.'

'Just like your right?'

'That might be so, yet I do not need a personality when I have a status of a prince,' he told Amara. She only shrugged, yet knew it was true. Most people only knew of Thanatos because of his status and would most probably ignore him in an alternate reality.

So far, it was quite easy, a joke, however the night was far from over. In a sea of people which were splattered all around the big hall, the dimensions bigger than any average house there waited all kind of creatures and their intentions were in various wavelengths.

Some had negative energy, whilst others more positive wishing no harm. It was up to Amara, to be cautious of any bad intentions.

Amara looked around noticing the black interior, but for the first time since she first stepped in Syndesi, more than five hundred years ago, she also noticed other colours waiting in the corners apart from black; beautiful lamps emitted lights of almost invisible colours of the rainbow which was a humble accessory. What caught her attention the most, however, was the ceiling which was lit up like the stars and galaxies, the small bright dots lighting in all kinds of colours.

Amara always admired the mysterious feel, the universe carried within. It was as if Thanatos knew, yet that was not a possibility.

As the pair were slowly approaching the middle of the monstrous hall, Thanatos nudged her, 'I am going to talk to Poseidon, please help yourself to the refreshments and wait for me there,' he informed and they came to a complete stop, just next to the dancefloor.

'Are you implying the name Poseidon really exists dear prince?' Amara asked.

'I must say, it will be interesting teaching you about our world if anything else Amara.'

'Will you promise me that I will be taught?' Amara's question was a hidden plead.

Even Amara, the one who most probably was kept in the dark with many things, had a burning desire for knowledge. For every creature had the need to appease their curiosity.

Thanatos seemed to realise the mood has changed yet did not say anything else regarding the matter, it's as if he did not want to make that exact promise so Amara asked him what has happened.

'In this world, Amara, promises have different meanings, therefore I do not make promises even if it's something small as this. Promises are so fragile and ever so easily broken, especially when you are an immortal.'

Amara could only nod and he left without saying anything else, leaving her surrounded by the heaviness of her own company.

Paradoxically alone surrounded by the mass of a crowd.

She did not dare to look at the other guests, as she walked towards the never-ending tables of mouth-watering food of every possible flavour; each plate a fascinating pedant masterpiece. Amara felt it was almost too perfect to eat, yet she still grabbed a small potato cake topped with smoked salmon, a canapé which fit in her mouth without losing her ladylike manners.

Or so she thought.

She ate various miniature foods; from savoury to sweet; from chocolate to meat. Yet in the back of her mind, she wished her teeth were chewing even a small morsel of pizza, which became her favourite food in the sixties when the delicious dough first became a craze in the United Kingdom. It became her favourite ever since.

'Would this charming lady, like to dance with me?' Someone spoke behind.

At the same time, she also stuffed one more miniature cake she did not know the name of into her mouth. It was too late to spit it out, therefore, she was forced to chew as fast as she could. Until the last crumb was safely in her stomach, she did not turn around or she risked having the unattractive squirrel's cheeks look.

How embarrassing.

'Usually, the etiquette teaches to greet back when greeted,' the voice added when Amara did not turn around to respond.

She recognised the deep, euphonious, masculine voice very well, therefore she turned, only for her eyes to fall on the perfectly sculpted face ornamented by a dark stubble, just like she remembered. His smirk was also something she was familiar with, alongside with his signature mischief written in his eyes.

'Aurélien?' She asked, yet she knew it was him.

How could she forget him?

Funilly enough, the Amara remember absolutely everything about this man, this creature.

'Dance with me,' his voice demanded, yet his tone slightly shook at the end, indicating he might have been pleading also.

Her heart skipped a small beat when she heard him, yet she could not help the pouring memories. How could she even begin to forget the time, when she first arrived in the Inbetween as a young and very much dead woman, who became a newbie soul gatherer, very much alone and not a soul to talk to.

Even the servants were very much silent.

Everyone apart from one; Aurélien, who it seemed at the time, always had the right thing to say in every given situation. He was attentive and his behaviour towards her was always gallant and to a lonesome person, like Amara was at the time, it was extremely flattering. She never knew what a true gentleman looked like or even sounded like, and at the time, Aurelien was the pure definition of the word gentleman.

And Amara was the definition of naivety.

Not because she did not understand the reason behind his attentiveness and care, for, even then she understood how the opposite sex operated. The reasons for his attention were very clear, and she never believed herself to be stupid.

No, she was naive because she thought she would not feel used after she gave herself to him and she gave herself to him many times. Of course, her feelings went the opposite direction as she originally expected.

In this aspect, she was indeed inexperienced, for, she was born into a time, where the good, religious women, were very much isolated. Woman's honour and pureness was sacred and female immoral behaviour, was highly unacceptable by any kind of society; high or lowest of the low. A harlot, they would say, if a woman has done something out of the ordinary.

It was the opposite once she stepped her foot into the Inbetween. Nothing was out of the ordinary in this place and for the first time, Amara felt free. She had the desire to express her self in a way she could not whilst she was still a mortal woman. At that particular stage as an immortal, she was ecstatic to walk free without being called a harlot every second step she took. Therefore, she allowed Aurélien to pursue her and she would return the coquetting, just because she could. When he finally took her to his room, she let him touch her in a way, no other man ever did, not even her husband. And she let him touch her many times in the few months they kept their purely sexual relationship active.

For her heart, however, it meant far more than sex and a few hours spend tangled between the sheets. She could feel the love for him even the moment he decided to break the heart to pieces, although she is unsure if he ever realised, to what extent she came to care for him. At the time, as pathetic as it sounded, she would do anything for him, even give him her pride.

She probably did, when Thanatos decided two years after she became the soul gatherer, to move her to the mortal world, where she would be forced to reside in London which at the time was under the rule of King Henry V. It was after that very decision when everything has changed.

She remembered the event when Aurélien turned into someone she did not know, as if it was merely yesterday. They stood in his room, or more likely she stood right next to the door, whilst he casually sat in an armchair with a bored expression.

'Aurélien, I presume you have heard the news?' She had asked.

Amara did not want to leave without saying goodbye.

She still remembered how her heart hammered whilst she was thinking over the words which would act as her last ever goodbye to the man who made her happy for the first time she could remember. Her mortal life was filled with sorrow and unhappiness.

'Yes, you will be leaving,' he answered, his tone overly casual, his eyes still holding a bored expression.

'I–, her voice broke, thickening with emotions, 'I just want to thank you for everything you have done for me Aurélien. When I needed someone the most, you were there for me and I am more than grateful for that,' she paused to look at him and saw him roll his eyes, but she hoped it was just a figment of her own imagination, 'All I want to say is that I will miss you with all my heart.'

She heard him laugh and for the first time since stepping into his chamber she looked at him properly only to find his insincere eyes, 'Amara, even you can't be so naive as you sound right now.'

And his eyes never looked so heartbreakingly insincere.

She listened to him with heartbreaking confusion as he spoke, daggers spitting from his mouth, 'or maybe you are?' He looked at her with yet another laugh, whose sound was mocking her, 'please I beg of you, do not tell me you are in love with me,' he looked closely at her with a smirk, 'poor thing you are.'

She knew where it was going.

She also remembered how she, at the time, begged her soul for it to not be true. If it was the only wish she ever got she would have wasted it on this wish, for, she always thought his feelings were a little bit friendlier than this. She always hoped they would be friends if nothing else came out of it, yet she was wrong.

He proved her wrong.

'Have a lovely life in London and I'll be here having a life of my own. A new lady, who easily falls for my gallantry, can always be found.'

She would never have guessed, these kinds of words would hurt so much, for she had many painful experiences to remember. However, it pierced right through her, like the sharpest weapon imaginable. It was not the fact he did not return her feelings, that she could never blame someone for. What hurt her the most was the fact, Aurelien took her emotions into his hands and threw them on the floor, walking all over them like they meant absolutely nothing.

Like they were disgusting enemies to him.

She could only manage a nod in response, no words could escape her tied throat. She hopelessly tried to not give him her last ounces of pride, yet when she felt a single tear falling, most probably leaving a wet trail on her cheek, she knew her pride was gone with it. She tried dragging her last string of pride with her when she walked away, however, she kept it in his room by his feet when she allowed her head to hung low as she watched her feet touch the floor with each step.

It most probably gave him some sick satisfaction. Amara on the other hand, felt only shame, for, she should have held her head high.

'Please Amara,' Aurélien spoke and she realised she got too lost in her memories.

She looked at his hand, which he still held out for her to accept. Did she want to dance with the man who disregarded their friendship far too easily? She wondered if that was the best of ideas, yet it would be even worse if she shot him down. It would be a public disaster, she knew.

Therefore, she could only hesitantly accept his outstretched hand, 'fine.'