Alex woke up in the morning and saw Aaron sleeping on the chair next to his bed, holding his hand. He felt embarrassment for causing the trouble and having Aaron babysit for the entire night without giving him any explanation. He cautiously freed his hand and silently slipped out of his bed to go the bathroom and clean himself as he’s feeling hot and sweaty but his weak legs gave away beneath him, and he fell on the floor with a thud causing Aaron to wake up with a jolt.

“Alex!?” He exclaimed rushing to pick the boy from the floor.

“Sorry, I was going to the bathroom…”

“You’re burning up.” Aaron observed touching his forehead and carried the boy inside the bathroom making him sit on the lip of the bathtub and unbuttoned the collar of his nightshirt. He turned on the faucet and let the water fill the tub as he grabbed the washcloth and soaked it with water, dabbing it on Alex’s face and forhead to cool him a bit.

“I don’t know what happened last night that made you so scared.” He said as he gently wiped his hands as well. 

“I thought you’re close to Ava, so you’d go and look for her.” 

“I do.” Alex murmured staring down at his feet.

“Then, what happened?” Aaron asked him.

“I’m afraid something bad is going to happen.” The frightening nightmare flashed through his mind again.

 “Someone is going to die.” He murmured, but Aaron could easily make out of it.

“What makes you say so?” Aaron paused in his ministrations and looked at the boy who’s shaking like a leaf.

“I-I…” Alex choked as tears fell from his eyes again, and Aaron had to step closer and hug the boy to comfort him.

“It’s Okay, I’m here. We are here.” He told the boy as he rubbed his back. “Nothing is going to happen.”

It’s time for breakfast when Jared met with Ava and others in the hallway, but he was forcibly pushed and thrown against the opposite wall with a brutal force, almost dislocating his shoulder when he approached her and touched her shoulder to talk to her.

Irina, Chris, Aaron and David watched the scene in shock, and Irina turned back to see Ava in complete disbelief. Where did she get such a strength? She could barely land a punch if she tied to.

Renesme had suddenly stepped in and helped Jared up, glaring at the woman.

“What’s your deal?” She narrowed her eyes at Ava who was standing nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t like being touched.” She said it coldly.

“He just wanted to talk to you!” Renesme gritted her teeth.

"Do I have to?" Ava scoffed which further riled up the other woman.

"YOU!" She's about to lash out at girl when Jared stopped him and held her back.

"It's Okay, Rene. It's my fault. I shouldn't have scared her like that." Jared squeezed Renesme's hand to calm down her and took her with him before it could escalate to worse. Irina stood confused looking at Ava who glanced back at her with a smile and went downstairs to join the others for the breakfast.

Alex had also come and sat between Aaron and David across Ava. The woman looked at the boy in amusement who’s absentmindedly looking down in his lap instead of eating.

“Why do you look so pale, brother?” She asked, pouring herself a cup of tea. “One might think you must have seen a ghost here.”

Alex snapped his head up to look at her, but he couldn’t tell whether she meant it as a joke or not seeing her bemused expressions.

“N-No, I didn’t.” He stammered and looked away from her again.

“He had a fever last night.” Aaron spoke for him sensing his discomfort around the woman.

“No, wonder I didn’t see you last night.” She spoke taking a sip of her tea. “Relax, I was just joking with you. Loosen up a bit, will you?" 

Alex curled his fists on his legs and didn’t eat much suddenly feeling sick and excused himself from the others. When Aaron came back to the room, he saw Alex sitting at the window looking out of it.

“What happened back there?” He confronted the boy. “Why are you avoiding Ava?”

“She’s weird.” Alex said it. There’s something about her that felt sinister as if she's possessed by something.

“How so?” Aaron asked sitting with him. “Can you really not tell me?” He wanted to help him. He wanted to know what's on the boy's mind since past two days.

“It’s the feeling.” He didn’t tell him that he had seen Ava and Mason arguing with each other in the billiard room and Ava threatened to kill him.

Why would she do to her own father? 

It’s Mason who wanted to talk to the woman about Ava, but ended up offending her further.

“Spare her life?” She laughed. “You should be happy that I’ve kept you alive till now. You’re asked to kill her but not only you failed in doing so, but also interrupted me when I tried to retrieve the memories from her.” She said it menacingly as she walked closer to the man.

“That could have backfired at you.” Mason tried to defend himself, but Averinka grabbed his neck and slammed him against the billiard table.

“Don’t try to fool me! I’m not Ava.” She seethed through her teeth as she applied pressure on his trachea, almost breaking his neck. "I can snap your neck if I want to."

“I wouldn’t dare to.” He choked while struggling against her death grip on him.

“Good.” She pulled back letting go of Mason as the man fell on the floor.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill her for now. Beside, I have a favor to ask you.” She grinned and Mason knew she wouldn’t let him off the hook.

It’s a day before the banquet and the preparations for it had been on peak. Jared called Irina in the hall and introduced her to his brother and other two people from his family.

“Hi, I’m Alec, Jared’s brother.” The male shook his hand with Irina who also greeted him with a smile. He’s also a vampire, just like his brother.

“I’m Kevan.” The other person introduced himself and Irina furrowed her brows at him in confusion. His blood was different from theirs and humans.

“He is a …” She trailed off not wanting to say it aloud in front Renesme and the others.

“Yes, I’m a werewolf. Renesme’s cousin, Zach is also of them.” Kevan told her about the other male as well.

“We co-exist in harmony, so there’s nothing to be worried about.” Renesme assured Irina. “Before, when Ava attacked me in the hallway, her strength surpassed even Zach and Kevan.” Jared told her.

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with her?” Renesme asked and Irina turned back to see Ava talking to David and Chris excitedly.

“I don’t know…”

The events from the last night also troubled her mind. Irina had inquired her about where she had disappeared to last night and the girl told her that she saw Mason leaving the manor, so she followed him outside worried that something must be troubling him but got lost.

However, Jared and Renesme were right. How did she gain this much strength overnight? When she returned to their room later, she carefully watched Ava moving around the room and trying on dresses for the banquet in front of the mirror.

Irina snuck up behind her and wrapped arms around her waist.

"You have a nasty habit of sneaking up on me." The woman said as she checked a black dress on herself.

"Can't I?" Irina asked pressing a kiss on her head.

"You can!" The woman turned her head to place a kiss on her mouth. "But, don't sneak up on me. You know how much I hate it." 

Irina remembered that Averinka did hate it, but the woman in front of her wasn't Averinka, but Ava. 

"Ava?" 

No response. 

"Dear?" 

"Hmmm?"

"Do you remember what I asked you in our new apartment?" Irina suddenly asked her growing suspicious.

Ava paused for a moment and looked up to see Irina in the mirror as if not expecting a question from her.

"I-I..." She fumbled with the words. She didn't know what to answer as she had no idea or memory of what she was really asking.

"You forgot about it don't you?" Irina said in disappointment. "You said you'd answer me."

"Of course, I remember it." The woman turned around in Irina's arms and placed her own around her neck. "I told you I'd answer you, didn't I? Well, how about tomorrow I give you the answer at the Banquet?" She pecked Irina on her lips and offered her sweet smile.

"Really?" Irina's eyes lit up as Averinka nodded and pulled the girl in a hug while scowling behind her back.

So, Irina had already started to doubt her? 

She had to pay a visit to that wretched Ava to ask about it. She needed to retrieve all of Ava's memories before Irina could start doubting it.

It's easy to fool her once, but she wouldn't be able to do it again.

In the evening, Mason found David alone and finally got a chance to talk to him in private.

"Is everything alright?" The man asked him seeing Mason anxious and nervous. 

"David, I need a favor to ask you." Mason told him. "If...I'm just saying if something happened to me, would you take care of Ava for me?" 

"Why are you saying this? Where are you going?" David suddenly grew worried, but Mason brushed it off with a laugh and said, "I'm not dying. I just wanted to appoint you as her guardian in case in future..."

"Okay, stop talking about it!" David scolded the other man. "You know I'll take care of her even without you asking for it." 

"Thank you, David." Mason stepped forward and hugged the man in gratitude. "I owe you." 

 If he died, at he could rest in peace knowing that David would protect Ava in his place.

"Alright, alright. No need for it." David sighed and patted the man on his back but caught Chris walking in on them who immediately apologized and excused himself from there.

"Is it...should I go and explain it to him? 

"No need." David assured him. 'I'll handle it." 

Chris was trying to pick the suit to wear at the Banquet when David knocked at the door of his room before coming inside.

"Oh, David...", said Chris. "Have you picked the suit that you'd wear?" He had beamed up, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" The man asked him right away, but Chris avoided the topic.

"What do you think of this black shirt?" He picked up tie to match with the shirt, but David stopped him in his moments and looked him in the eyes and said, "It wasn't what you're thinking about. Mason wanted to 

talk about Ava." 

"Of course! Why would I mind it?" Chris avoided his gaze and got up from the bed walking to the window to draw back the curtains.

"Is everything alright? He looked haggard." Chris commented but his heart felt constricted in his chest.

"He wanted me to be her guardian in the future. It's a hug from a friend. There's nothing...

"That's good! But, even if there's something..." 

"There's nothing!" David grabbed his arm and turned him around to see him face to face. "There's nothing between us."

"I don't mind you and him..." Chris trailed off looking down at his hand that's clenching a tie. 

"I do mind." David confessed it. "I do mind when you have doubts about yourself." David took his clenched fist and pinned it up above his head against the window.

"David..." Chris whispered as David leaned closer and titled his head sliding his nose against his.

"David?" Chris's breathed as his heart thudded against his chest at the man's proximity.

"May I?* David asked him, before closing the gap and kissing Chris fully on his mouth. Chris angled his head and kissed him back with the same burning passion and twisted his hand free to pull David closer to his body. David deepened the kiss, and Chris moaned when his tongue probed into his mouth, hot and languid yet hesitant and gentle, and Chris couldn't help himself but bite down on it causing the man to groan and pull back to catch his breath.

"Sorry." Chris suddenly felt embarrassed of his actions.

"Don't be." David laughed and placed a kiss on his nose noticing his discomfort. "I want you to be yourself around me." He kissed Chris again, this time slow and gentle before pulling back smiling to himself.

"Wear that grey shirt. You'd look beautiful in it." He told Chris before taking the tie from his hand and took it with him.

"It matches my shirt!" He waved it at Chris as he left the room. Chris hid his blushing face and sank down on the bed.

He was losing it.

At midnight, Averinka after making sure that Irina was sleeping and wouldn't wake up, she got out of the bed and left the room going out of the manor to the background where she had held the girl captive for the time being. The iron door groaned open, letting in a streak of moonlight inside the dungeon where Ava was chained to the floor beneath the incubation room.

Averinka marched upto her and splashed her with bucket of water to wake her up.

"You're up now?" She asked as the girl thrashed around in chains upon seeing her.

"What the hell do you want from me!" Ava shouted as the other woman chuckled at her.  

"What do I want?" Averinka laughed at the girl's naivety. "I only want to retrieve the memories that should have been mine to begin with. I'll have them and tell Irina that I, Ava, remember everything now." 

She grabbed her face and made Ava look up at her in compliance.

"Now that I look at your face closely, you do look like me. No wonder she's obsessed with you "  Averinka remarked observing the girl's face.

"But, what a pity! I will be you after tonight. You will never see HER again!" She shoved Ava's face away and wiped her hand on her pants.

"You can never have her as well!" Ava spat back in rage. "If you're so confident of yourself, why don't you tell her that you're Averinka?" She asked the woman and silence engulfed them in the dark dungeon.

"You can't right?" Ava let out a maniac laughter. "Because, the moment she realizes you're alive and back she will leave you as well."

"Shut up!" 

"Because your body has already perished on the battlefield. The present you isn't even real. You, yourself, are not even HER!"

"SHUT UP!" She slapped Ava right across the right to make her quiet. "Shut up!" She grabbed Ava's by hair and made her look at her.

"I thought of keeping you alive for a while, but I'll take back all of your memories and kill you here." She raised her hand and started pulling out Ava's memories from her head making her scream in excruciating pain.

"NO!" Ava screamed in pain and desperation, unable to bear the feeling of being ripped apart bit by bit.

"Please, No!" She cried helplessly seeing Averinka empty her all of her memories. 

"After, tonight I'll be the one with Irina! I'll be you. I'll take your family back from you as well that was mine to begin with." Averinka told her.

Hearing her words, Ava's desperation and pain all turned into burning rage. 

Averinka could have successfully retrieved all of Ava's memories, but something strange happened and Ava started pulling out Averinka's memories as well, infusing both them together.

Averinka resisted and tried absorbing memories of Ava again, but a sudden surge of energy rushed through Ava's body, and Averinka got blasted back from Ava and thrown against the wall.

"I SAID NO!"

"W-What? H-How?" The woman became scared at the girl's sudden strength. "Why did my own memories infuse with you? Who are you?"

"I Am?" Ava glared at her with murderous eyes. "I am the one who has truly loved her." 

"I Am the Real AVA!" 

"Real?" Averinka barked out a laughter. "I'll show you tomorrow who's is real." 

The Game is about to change.