"Really? You'd throw away the lives of innocents to kill little old me?" Time seemed to slow down, as the road stretched. It wasn't real, mithais knew that. He could feel the immense pressure on his mind, Gabriel's power knocking on the doors of his brain. He could feel his own shield holding off the fingers that would have plucked apart his sanity, and ripped his memories to shreds. And yet, even so, it seemed as if every step he took only moved Gabriel further away, and only made the thick syrupy air he was struggling through all the harder, all the more solid.

A gloved hand slowly extended to his side, the gentle fingers caressing the sides of a small girl's face. Gabriel smiles at Mithias, his eyes blazing red, as long nails burst open the tips of white fabric. The girl simply grins, clutching a teddy bear. And yet, in the soft grip Gabriel held the girl in, strength far above human was clearly apparent. "I could shatter her skull, weak as I am. Would you really sacrifice her life? Would you kill her, boy?" It was as if a guilotine were strapped to the girl's neck, and with undeniable certainty, Mithais knew that if he took another step, the girl would die instantly.

Her life was in his hands.