In the early morning hours, Alex was shoved awake. He sat up in a panic, not realising he had fallen asleep by accident.

ㅤ“Shh. It’s me.”

ㅤJames.

ㅤHeart pattering, Alex quickly scanned his surroundings to see if James had gotten the better of them in the night somehow. But, all was normal.

ㅤAlthough the rain had stopped, Alex felt just as wet as the ground, his body captured by a damp chill, his skin pruned.

ㅤ“What is it?”

ㅤIt was somewhat light—light enough to see, but too dark to make out details. James was kneeling next to him, his hair somewhat stringy from the moisture, his eyes visible and alert.

ㅤ“Come with me,” he said, standing.

ㅤHe offered a hand to Alex, but Alex didn't take it. As per usual, James didn't appear offended. Alex stood on his own and brushed some dirt off before glancing in Fletcher's direction.

ㅤ“We're not going to ditch him,” Alex warned.

ㅤJames shook his head. “No. I just have something to show you.”

ㅤHe supposed if James wanted to kill him, he would’ve done it as he slept.

ㅤJames took them through the trees, following no particular path, but with the kind of purpose that signalled he knew exactly where they were. James had promised him it wasn't far but Alex was increasingly worried about leaving Fletcher alone. What if the bandits were waiting for them to separate?

ㅤThose worries quickly dissipated once they found themselves in a large clearing of tall ribbons of grass, a white mist delicately settled on top. Flecks of red balanced on the green, the flowers gently swaying with the nipping breeze. The sky glowed a dark gloomy purple smeared with a few orange clouds that could see the sun over the horizon, catching the light before they could.

ㅤAlex found himself in awe.

ㅤJames left Alex where he was and ventured into the field. The trail he left behind glowed brightly and floated upwards as if he’d awakened stars. The fireflies made small tutting noises, admonishing James for his rudeness.

ㅤ“It's… pretty,” Alex admitted. Even the trees seemed to tremble in excitement.

ㅤ“Right?” James smiled, brushing the grass with his hands and further glittering the field.

ㅤ“How did you know this was here?”

ㅤJames looked pleased with himself. “Try for yourself.”

ㅤAlex took some tentative steps forward into the vegetation. The small insects welcomed him with their display. They travelled upward, chasing the stars that’d faded moments ago.

ㅤ“I've been here before,” James confessed, coming to stand next to him. “It was a lot more colourful then.”

ㅤIt seemed plenty colourful to Alex.

ㅤ“Why bring me here though?” he asked, suspicious.

ㅤ“To get that stick out your arse,” James said, seriously.

ㅤAlex couldn't stop the laughter that fizzed out his chest. “Wow. I can't believe you. This place was wasted on you.”

ㅤ“True.”

ㅤAlex allowed himself to enjoy it a little longer, inspecting the flowers as fireflies hovered around. The field remained dark where they hadn't touched until the first beam of the sun hit them, the insects' glow drowned out by its oppressive glare.

ㅤAlex turned back, ready to return to Fletcher before he woke. James was watching him from the sidelines, a strange look on his face. Alex ventured closer, wondering why James had dropped the façade now of all times.

ㅤHe then realised why.

ㅤJames' face shone in the light like a gold coin, every strand of hair, every blonde eyelash, all on display. Those rusty-brown eyes had become a simple red overnight.

ㅤAlex pursed his lips. “If you were anybody else, I would’ve turned a blind eye to it.”

ㅤJames nodded. “I know.”

ㅤ“I'm sorry. I have to take you regardless.”

ㅤ“It's okay.”

ㅤDespite James' low mood, he seemed entirely accepting of his fate. There were no obvious waves of resentment coming from him, nor did it seem like he expected anything different.

ㅤ“It was that vial you had, wasn't it?”

ㅤJames considered him. “A breakthrough in herbalism, apparently. Its effects are temporary. I knew this was going to happen eventually.”

ㅤAlex felt severely conflicted. “I know you call me a bootlicker but this was the one thing I pretended not to see. I don't believe in demons.”

ㅤAlex wasn't sure why he was explaining himself to James, his opinion shouldn't have mattered.

ㅤJames shrugged and then gestured for Alex to follow. They started heading back to camp, their path now much brighter. James took a minute before he spoke.

ㅤ“I'm not mad at your decision. My fate was going to be the same either way.”

ㅤAlex was sure his eyebrows were furrowed. “What do you mean?”

ㅤ“I know that they plan to kill me after I finish the job anyway.”

ㅤAs much as Alex would’ve liked to believe it wasn't true—that his superiors would keep their promise—that thought was naive. Alex wilfully suffered from being in a constant state of denial; he got better sleep at night that way.

ㅤ“You don't have to confirm that for me,” James went on. “I know you, yourself, don't know this for sure. But I do. They’ll kill me anyway.” He snorted. “Or, they’ll try to, rather.”

ㅤ“Are you not scared of dying?”

ㅤHe interpreted the next minute of silence as James sincerely considering the question.

ㅤ“I am scared,” James admitted, eventually. “But there's never been a moment where I haven't been ready to accept it. It's not unfair nor would I feel resentful. I've killed too many people to be allowed to feel that. It's too natural.”

ㅤIt was a bleak answer. Alex couldn’t comprehend such nonchalance.

ㅤ“Are you?” James threw the question back over his shoulder.

ㅤ“I would find it unfair,” he replied immediately, surprised by his own honesty. “I wouldn’t call it fear, though.”

ㅤJames sent an emotionally unrevealing smile his way—his classic lifeless grin. “That's that.”

ㅤThey returned as Fletcher was waking and James teased them both like the previous conversation never happened.

ㅤAlex's chest was filled with a complicated array of hesitations. Nethertheless, he had no choice in it. He was glad James didn't resent him but, somehow, that made it harder.