"We're more alike than you think," The Forgotten One said slyly.

"You want to leave this dreadful place just as badly as I do. It's written all over your face without you even having to say a word. You don't trust me, and honestly, I don't exactly trust you either," The Forgotten One snickered, his voice echoing slightly off the walls of the cave.

"You're one to talk. Can you blame me? How do you expect me to trust you when I can't even see who I'm talking to, and you purposely avoided the questions I asked you earlier?" Calista said with an accusing tone.

"Well, it's a good thing I can see you in the dark, wouldn't you agree? Also, trust me, it's a good thing you can't see me," he said teasingly.

"Like that makes things any better. Also, why's that?" Calista asked with a sense of demand, lacing her last words.

He paused briefly before conceitedly saying, "It's because if you did, you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off me. Such an amusing human. You supposedly don't seem to want anything to do with me, yet you're eager to learn more about me."

"As if you would have that type of effect on me. That sure didn't sound self-centered at all," Calista said sarcastically, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Settle down, dove; it seems as though my words ruffled your feathers a bit," The Forgotten One said while holding back a laugh that threatened to escape his lips.

Once he regained his composure, he began to speak more seriously, "Anyways, jokes aside, back to what I said earlier. Since it's clear we don't trust either, a contract is the best solution."

"Such an agreement between a god and a human is binding, which means death is the punishment for breaking one's word. So, as you see, helping each other and getting what we both want is a guarantee," The Forgotten One said.

"If that's the case, then the only way that I'll ever agree to forge a contract with you is if you agree to help me find Cassian and restore peace between gods and humans," Calista retorted in an unwavering tone.

His eyes widened in disbelief in the dark over her response, "Do you have a deathwish human?! Do you hear how insane you sound right now?"

"I'm telling you, the gods are in no mood to be reasoned with. If only you could hear them, they're furious. Without a second thought, they'll tear you to shreds in the blink of an eye," The Forgotten One explained.

"Well, based on what you said earlier, agreeing to help me solve such a problem should be nothing for the god who claims to be the strongest of them all," Calista retorted.

He sighed annoyedly before replying, "Hmph, I may have exaggerated a bit. But, even if I was the strongest, getting gods who already hate humans to love them again sounds like a far-fetched idea, wouldn't you agree? You really don't seem to understand, dove; I'm on no one's side."

"Take it from me: I despise the gods and humans just as much; the only one I truly care about and can ever rely on is myself. If I helped you, that would make me a traitor, and I would be risking my own life, which I'm not willing to do," The Forgotten One said.

Calista let out a low sigh before stating, "If that's how you feel, suit yourself; I guess you'll have to wait who knows how long until you come across another human to sign a contract with. I'll just have to figure out a way to get out of here and stop this pointless war all on my own."

The Forgotten One chuckled in response before confidently saying, "Trust me, whether you like it or not, there's no absolute way you'll get out of here without my help."

"Remember, magic seals are lining the cave walls to prevent spells, plus trying to cry out for help or hoping that someone will find you is pointless since this accursed place has a soundproof and invisibility barrier," The Forgotten One pointed out.

He paused briefly before speaking with curiosity, lacing his tone, "You say that I'm keeping secrets from you, but I'm not the only one hiding things. That's what's so intriguing about you," he chuckled.

"Not just any ordinary human could have been able to come crashing down into here in the first place. From what I know, only gods can come down here, and you're no god," The Forgotten One said curiously.

"That's where you're wrong. There's nothing special about me. I'm just like any other ordinary human I'm sure you've come across," Calista said in the most convincing tone that she could muster.

He chuckled before saying, "I'll accept that answer for now, but I can tell you're lying to me, which only makes me all the more interested as to why."

Calista then tried to change the subject by saying, "Fine, it's clear you're not willing to help me, so it looks like we have no deal then. I guess I'll sit here and do nothing. I'll eventually die here since I'm already freezing and soaked from the rain. I won't be able to last long without food or water."

The Forgotten One exhaled loudly before proclaiming, "Such a feisty little dove, aren't you? All right, I'll agree to your request only if you can beat me at a fun little test."

"And what would that be exactly? Coming from you, I highly doubt I'll find it any fun," Calista said in a tone that implied she wasn't interested in playing whatever game he had conjured up.

"It's pretty much an impossible one. But somehow, if you're able to manage to resist the temptation of kissing me while I use my compulsion ability, you win, and I'll do as you asked," The Forgotten One said with a hint of curiosity lacing his words. He wanted to see what this little dove was actually capable of. Would she merely fail the game like any other human would, or would she surprise him?

After taking a breath, he continued on with the conditions of the game he had set before her. "But if you should happen to lose, then you'll have to do a small favor for me instead," The Forgotten One said in a tone that sent a chill up her spine.

"Oh, do I perhaps sense a hint of fear?" he snickered in amusement.

"It's not too late to back out, but remember, once the game starts, there's no turning back," he stated.

"Fine, if those are the conditions of the game. I'll accept your challenge because either way, I'll end up losing. So, I'm willing to take a gamble today," Calista said with a sense of determination.

The Forgotten One then became ecstatic, "That's what I like to hear—such a courageous little dove. Unfortunately, the sword currently lodged into the side of my gut prevents me from using any of my abilities. So, for the challenge to commence, you'll have to pull it out since I'm forbidden from doing so."

What am I even getting myself into? Well, no turning back now, Calista thought to herself.

"All right, you'll have to help me find where it is since I can't see through the darkness like you can," Calista said loudly.

As soon as Calista said this, she heard the chains dragging on the ground again. The scraping sound of chains became louder as he slowly approached her. She gasped when she felt the warmth of his hands gently holding hers, guiding them to where the sword was.

Her reaction caused him to laugh. "Geez, I didn't realize you would be that frightened by my touch," he teased.

Calista sighed angrily before thinking, This guy is a real piece of work.

The Forgotten One then placed her hands on the wedged sword hilt so she could pull it out. She let out a deep breath before gripping it tightly and tugging on it using all of her strength.

She could feel the sword starting to dislodge gradually. Before she knew it, she finally pulled the sword out and threw it, sending it clattering on the ground.

The Forgotten One's overjoyed laughter then began to fill the air. "All right, sorry to keep you waiting, dove; let the game begin."

Shortly after he said those words, his eyes began to emit a mesmerizing golden glow and locked onto hers. As if in a trance, Calista slowly approached closer toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her face slowly leaned in closer to his, their lips nearly touching while he whispered in a sultry voice, "Looks like I win. See, I told you it would be impossible for you to resist. You can thank me for this later; I'm doing this for your own good since your crazy idea would have killed us both."

Suddenly, his eyes widened in utter disbelief when she stopped. "Why did you stop? What's going on? You shouldn't be able to resist!" he said, taken aback by her sudden resistance.

Her lips curled into a smile before she whispered only a few inches away from his lips, "I told you that you wouldn't have a hold over me. Looks like I turned out to be a lot stronger than you thought. There's something you should know about me. I never would agree to a bet that I didn't think I was going to win."