"Terrors don't prey on innocent victims."—-Imagine Dragons.

••

"Yo, where have you been?!" James glances at me from the PS4 game he's playing on the small couch, the loud game system reverberating throughout the cramped dorm room. "You've been MIA all morning."

Instead of responding with words, I coil my fingers under my T-shirt and tug it over my head, fluffing it into a ball before sailing it straight into his face.

He hisses and grabs it from next to him, keeping his eyes on his game as he blindly throws it across the room. It lands on the floor and I shake my head as I drop my bag of snacks and car keys on the table.

Nasty fucker.

Making my way to the mini kitchen, I kick the garment out of my way as I stifle a loud yawn. I open the fridge and retrieve a bottle of cool water before nudging the door close with my foot.

"You were with that cute little first year, mm?!" James calls out, and images of her immediately begin to parade my thoughts. I put the bottle to my lips silently, slowly gulping down the liquid.

"Why are you following her around anyway?! She doesn't seem like your type!"

Why can't he shut the fuck up? I'm not in the mood to speak with anyone. Jeezus, I need my own damn dorm.

"Trying to get in them jeans, huh?! But Harmony doesn't seem to like wearing jeans. Mostly dresses and skirts...but that's much easier!"

"Dude...shut up for once," I grumble, just before the sound of ruffling plastic pulls my attention. I raise a brow and take a step back, gazing out the doorway to see him digging through my bag of snacks.

"I did not buy that for your lazy-ass, put it back."

He freezes with the Doritos in his hand, pouting his lips pleadingly. "But you have two of them in here, and two sodas..."

I deadpan him.

"Please? I haven't eaten all morning, Blaze."

"And how is that my problem? I'm not your fucking guardian." I turn away and put the bottle into the fridge. I hear the loud sound of ripping plastic followed by awful crunching, and I roll my eyes as I close the fridge door. He never listens. I hope he chokes on it.

I make my way back into the room and crash on the couch while he gets up with the snack in his hand. "Gonna get a glass with some ice." He grins as he passes by me and I resist the urge to push my foot in the way so he falls over it.

"You know Harmony seems like a nice girl!" He says from between the fridge. "I know you have never liked a girl in your entire life, so I know you're just playing around with her. I feel for her. Don't ruin her innocence, Blaze!"

I ignore him and reach for his controller, restarting his 'Uncharted' game to the first level. He wants something to blabber about, so I'll give him something to bicker about. I rest it back down, biting back my chuckle as I perch a fist over my mouth.

"Can I get the grape soda?" He asks as he emerges from the kitchen with a glass of ice cubes.

I coil my legs, gesturing to the bag. "You can have it all."

"Fuck, it's my lucky day!" He scampers over to the table, grabbing the purple juice from the bag and pouring it into his glass. As he returns over to the settee, I smile softly and willingly scoot over. Granting him all the space he'll need.

He slurps the juice awfully, and I shoot him a look. "You know I hate food-noises, eat better, James."

"Sorry." He grins and places the glass on the table before grabbing his controller. He studies the screen for a while, and I try to keep my laugh in.

"What the fuck..." He mumbles.

I turn my face in the opposite direction, my complexion becoming excessively red as I struggle to repress my guffaws.

The color drains from his face as he raises a hand to grope the back of his head. "Where the hell is my game?"

Losing all restraint, I double over against the couch, my boisterous laughter filling the room. Realization dawns on his face as he watches the tears spring from my eyes.

"You fucking asshole! I was in chapter 21!!!! Blaze!" He whimpers, pressing his controller in a bid to retrieve his lost data. "SHIT! You fucking delinquent asshole!!!!"

I chuckle hard as I sit up, reaching for the Doritos and shoving a handful of the cheesy chips into my mouth. I watch him in enjoyment as he panics in front of the screen, amusement pasted on my face. So entertaining.

James knows I give nothing away for free. Something always —ALWAYS —has to be in it for me.

••

"Hey wait up, Harmony!"

Stopping in her tracks, she looks around with shirred brows to see Malcolm scurrying up the hall toward her. A smile graces her lips as her small features pipes up in a blink. She hasn't seen him since Literature class.

Even though she has only met him a few days ago, she cannot deny how comfortable she is with him. He is one of the only three males that she doesn't feel unsettled around—her dad and Collum completing the shortlist. They don't give off that intimidating vibe that Blaze and other members of the masculine gender does.

Malcolm comes to a stop in front of her, catching his breath tiredly. Harmony giggles at the state he is in as he braces his back dramatically. "Hey."

"Hey." She smiles.

"They have this-uh..." He blows his cheeks out, and she chuckles.

"Breathe and talk slowly."

"The music club is opening today; their first meet. I was thinking that maybe we could go together."

She twists her lips thoughtfully. The offer is tempting, but she fears that she'll end up having to perform in front of people and it's not something she's able to do. It isn't only because of her social anxiety, but also because singing in front of her father had been a shared norm between them prior to his passing. So now the thought of her performing in front of anyone makes her chest ache with the bittersweet memories. It's just too much to handle.

Noticing her indecisive expression, Malcolm purses his lips skeptically. "Or is that not a good idea?"

She shakes her head quickly, not wanting to scar his feelings. "No, no that's not it. I just think I need some time to think about it."

He nods. "I understand."

His smile is bright and pleasant, and Harmony feels her body exhaling in relief. Thank God he isn't offended.

"Okay, well tell me when you feel like doing it," he says, and she nods her head quickly.

"I will, Mal."

"Okay, see you around. I got a class to get to." He touches her shoulder with a grin, and she smiles gently as he steps back and walks away.

Sighing softly, she turns around, immediately colliding face to chest with someone. Not only is their body scent heavenly but their torso is so sturdy that she has to rub her forehead while backing up. She raises her head with crumpled brows to see Blaze standing there motionlessly. His eyes are fixed on Malcolm's retreating figure while his jaws are clenched in concentration.

Just the mere sight of him is enough to disperse warmth all over her face and she drops her gaze, gripping the straps of her bag. "What-what are you doing here?"

When she doesn't get a response, she looks up to find him glaring absorbently over her shoulders. She tilts her head to the side, perceiving that he didn't hear her. "Blaze."

He finally meets her gaze, and his face smooths out as he jams his palms into his pockets. "This is the campus hall, and my dorm is just a block away, so it isn't odd to see me here, Harmony."

She blinks when she realizes how silly her question was. Priming her lips, she peers up beneath her lashes to see Blaze shaking his head in amusement.

"Well...you're standing in front of me, so do you need anything?" She enquires softly.

With hands still stuffed into his pockets, he suddenly leans into her and she pulls back, blinking her eyes nervously as his cobalt orbs boldly search hers. She tries not to squirm as he locks her gaze, his pink lips lifting slightly.

"If you talk so formal next time, I may have to use my lips to teach that smart and polite mouth of yours a lesson."

Her eyes slightly widen as her cheeks flush brightly. He straightens his spine with his simper still intact, and she struggles to regain her cognitive ability.

"Where are you heading to?" He casually asks as if his previous sentence wasn't any at all sexual.

"To my dorm," she mutters, but her face has still not recovered.

He nods. "Okay. Are you still against us drawing together?"

She narrows her eyes pensively. "Uhm..."

"You're hesitating, so don't answer." He half-smiles and she gnaws at her lip guiltily.

"See you around then." He says flatly, his expression composed and at ease. It bothers her for some strange reason as she nods her head slowly, passing by him to head to her dorm room.

Recalling the disturbing death of his mother, Harmony cannot help feeling awful. What if he's lonely and wants someone to share his passion with? Something that he enjoys doing that can hopefully distract his mind from the 'painful' memories. He didn't show any signs of suffering that day in his car, but Harmony knows that all humans deal with grief differently, and perhaps pretending not to care is how he can cope with the trauma.

Blaze is still standing there as if he knows she won't be leaving. He could see the indecisiveness on her face, the strong mental battle as she walked away. It's only a matter of time before she stops and turns around. After all, no one has dared to say no to him since the moment he had been diagnosed with ASPD.

He can hear her footsteps as they slow down, and a devilish smirk creeps its way onto his lips as he waits to hear that soft, gentle voice.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Uhm, Blaze?"

He shuts his eyes, his smile stretching wider in dark triumph. Fighting off the look of victory, he opens his eyes and casually turns around with a blank look on his face.

"Yep?"

"Uhm...would you like us to draw at your room later?" Her tone is somewhat timid as she fiddles with the hem of her floral skirt.

He wants to smile, but represses it, ruffling a hand through his hair. "Uh, yeah. Why not?"

Harmony's lips lightly stretch, proud that she gathered the courage to pose the question. "Okay, um, what's your dorm number?"

"102. On Ainsley Hall."

She nods. "Okay... Is 6 pm alright?"

"Yeah, sure. It's perfect." Blaze's expression is relaxed and confident as he leans his side against the wall, watching as she nervously writhes in her stance.

"Okay...well, see you." She smiles, and he finally allows his lips to tug up as she weirdly waves her hand before turning away.

As soon as her back is turned, his smile drops abruptly. Half of the time, the expression he shows to others isn't what he is genuinely feeling. He grew up watching YouTube videos and reading google articles on gestures and facial expressions. What makes a person happy, what makes them sad. He practices these emotions so he can use them to his advantage. They don't always come naturally for him, and the fact that he has also been diagnosed with mild bipolar disorder makes his emotions even more confusing for him.

The things that get him genuinely smiling will never be understood by normal people. If they were to take a glimpse inside of his mind, they would make a run for the hills.

It's unfortunate for Harmony Skye to have fallen in the hands of this soulless human. But even he can't do anything about it. She's who his demons want, a fresh recruit for the dark depths of hell.

He wants to break her shell, be the first person to remove that bright halo above her head and tear apart her innocence. He is determined to prove to himself, his demons and her how bad she can be with just the small push of an apathetic being. Playing with her is fun, and he doesn't see where he'll be stopping anytime soon.

••

"It's been a loveless year, I'm a man of three fears: Integrity, faith and Crocodile tears."—Imagine Dragons.

••

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