Despite really wanting to lie down on a bed, Endra pulled in a chair inside Bella's room and sat on it backwards, resting his head on the back support. Bella sat on her bed, with a straight back and a thoughtful frown.

"Well," Endra began, "what kind of questions do you have for me, then?"

​​

"Where's Evin?"

"Ah," Endra hummed. "A good question… You're talking to him right now, but I'm the one controlling his body from inside his mind… would be more correct."

"Then is he listening to us right now?"

"Mmm…" Endra debated lying. "No," he finally replied, deciding to speak a half truth. "He's unconscious right now, but he should be back after a while."

Bella paused, and her frown turned hostile. "You knocked him out somehow, didn't you?"

"Why would you think that?" Endra grinned.

"Evin doesn't feel like someone who would sleep through his grandfather's trial…"

"It could've been his only way to let me take over, no? It's not like people living in your head is a common thing. Who knows how many complications are there to it?"

"He was acting like himself at first, but now, there's not a speck of his personality and behaviors…"

"Well, there's no point in trying to hide it at this point," Endra shrugged. "I did lock him up. But don't worry. He'll find his way into his body sooner or later."

After taking control over Evin's body, Endra decided to do a little prank. He decided to lock away Evin's consciousness like he sometimes did to his own. Problem was, the prank worked a little too well. Endra expected Evin to be able to break through the lock in an hour or so at best, but there was no sign of the boy breaking through it yet. But, Endra wasn't so optimistic to think he could keep on living as Evin. It was, ultimately, the boy's mind.

"How can I trust you?"

"Hah, if I truly was free, I would've been long gone from here. I wouldn't be talking to you here," Endra said. "Actually… maybe I would be. I do like you and Evin's other friends and acquaintances. Even if I take over and decide to leave somewhere, I'll at least say a proper goodbye."

Endra's words disturbed Bella noticeably, as she was frantically attempting to see whether Endra was serious or not.

"Don't look so disturbed from a possibility," Endra shrugged. "There's a real possibility that we'll both die in this room the next second. But we don't think about those or else we can't function… Anyhow, do you have any other questions?"

"No."

"Then I'll give you one piece of advice," Endra said. "Go make some friends."

He's been wanting to say this to the girl for ages.

"What?"

"Go talk to some other people and have fun. I don't care whether they're girls or boys, five-year-olds or fifty-year-olds, get some friends," Endra said.

"I do have friends… I'm good with Phel and also Arza."

"Bah, you barely notice Phel even if he's there talking to you," Endra scoffed. "And being friends with Arza shouldn't count as having friends at all if you're comparing."

"Then who am I supposed to be friends with?"

"I told you," Endra said, looking at her in the eye. "Anyone you want. It could be those two idiots from your mage guards; anyone from the Academy, including the teachers; it could even be your family members. Fix your relationship with those sisters of yours and maybe even your father and become friends with them, I know you want to. Just get someone you enjoy being with other than Evin."

"Don't talk like you know everything about me," Bella was getting defensive.

"Of course, I don't know everything about you," Endra scoffed. "I barely know a quarter of you."

"Don't put your nose into my life, then! I'm barely wrapping my head around you existing in Evin's head!

Listening to the girl, Endra knew he'd couldn't convince her now. Even if he was right, and even if she knew he was right, she'd probably refuse to make friends out of sheer stubbornness.

'Well, how should I fix this problem?' Endra sighed in thoughtfulness. 'Ah, of course.'

"I'm only saying this because I'm worried you two would stray away from each other at this point."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, worry on her face.

That definitely hooked her attention.

"If I were to make an educated guess, Evin would start losing interest in you after a month or so, at most. Three months after that, he'll start consider breakup. A month after that, you two will be separated."

"That makes no sense!"

"Of course it does," Endra chuckled. "It might happen even sooner, to be honest. The sad truth is, that people lose interest in things. This happens especially quickly when you spend your whole day with said thing. Now tell me, how many hours do you and Evin spend together? Ten? Twelve? Half the day?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"You might not see any problems with this, but Evin does. And the more time you spent with him, the more he'll start despising these hours," Endra sighed. "Of course, he doesn't even know he despises it yet, but eventually it'll happen.

"Do you know why you feel like dying whenever Evin's not present in your immediate vicinity? It's because you're becoming too dependent on him. And it happened so fast, because you've never really dealt with something like this before. You're unfamiliar with care. It's the same thing as an abused woman thinking her husband loves her since he's not beating her every other day.

"You've lacked love and care in your life. If your father and your sisters showered you with attention and love, you wouldn't have felt like your whole world revolved around Evin… But, well… shit happens I guess. Anyhow, get a friend. A real one that you can love and care for. Share some of your heart."

"…"

"You look like someone who doesn't trust what I'm saying," Endra smiled. "Well, that's fine. I'll just tell you one more thing. For a relationship to succeed, love alone isn't enough. Love does not conquer all. It's the part that hurts you the most. You might disagree now, but… well, you'll get to feel it soon enough."

Saying his piece, Endra got up from his seat.

"What are you, really?" Bella spoke.

"Just someone who's really wants a body for himself…" Endra said, waving his hand.

*****

The morning after, Evin finally emerged from the lock that Endra created for him. After regaining consciousness, frantically, he felt his body all over to make sure he was in control of his body once more.

A brief wave of relief passed through his head, before anger took over.

he shouted in his head.

a lazy voice replied back.

he repeated.

Endra replied, yawning.

Endra's calm tone did not rub off on Evin, as he felt his spine going cold once more. The endlessly vast darkness he was locked away in was far worse than anything he ever experienced before. With nothing else to accompany him, except for the floating piece of metal that was apparently the lock that Endra created.

At first, he didn't even realize he was locked. He thought he was dreaming and was only confused on when he fell asleep in the middle of the day. But gradually, things started to feel out of place

Then came the realization, and then came Evin's endless fight with Endra's lock.

Endra was entirely unconcerned with the hell he'd put Evin through.

Evin was about to snap again, but Endra put a piece of paper in his face.

[It will happen again.]

"What's this?" he murmured, reading the paper.

Endra explained.