[i][color=Gold]Such fools, the both of them.[/color][/i] Asmodeus thought as he reached out to cradle Clara's face with his ethereal hands, his crimson eyes coming into focus as he gazed down upon her clearly once more. [i][color=Gold]I merely need to nudge them in a direction, and they fall so perfectly into place. I couldn't ask for a better toy then Jaden, nor a more appetizing morsel then this little minx.[/color][/i]

[color=Gold]"You must walk up to him soon, cupping his face just like this, gentle and tender, and as you gaze into his eyes, say only this: 'Imple desiderium meum satiare famem, et factus est mihi'. But you must not speak it softly. You must say it like an order, like the one you're speaking to is nothing more than a dog that needs to be disciplined. For the first time in your life, I'll give you the power to command another.[/color] As he spoke, his ethereal hands beginning to trail down her neck with but the faintest of touches, the shadowy form he held slowly fell apart, fading out into nothingness with one parting message. [color=Gold]"Do this, my little minx, and I shall be with you soon. I await you with bated breath."[/color]

[hr]

Jaden remained in his study, running a hand through his hair in frustration before crumbling another piece of paper. With a sigh, he tossed the crushed ball to the ground where it would join the others that came before. His exercise for clarity had turned into him trying to express in words what his voice had failed to convey. He wanted to let Clara know how much he cared for her, and how he would keep her safe. He wanted to let her know that he was determined to win back her trust, and that if she gave him time, he would find a way to seal the demon inside of him away. He wanted her to know that he'd do anything for her, and that he'd protect her from everything that would harm her, himself included, if that was the last thing he did.

The feelings he had for her. . . the emotions that came to the surface when he thought of her leaving. . . it was all just too much for him to get through right now. All he knew is that when compared to Clara, almost nobody else mattered to him, and certainly nobody living. 

[color=Ivory]"She's everything I have now, and I can't lose her to this . . . to him.[/color] Jaden clenched the feathered quill so tightly that it snapped in two, though he barely seemed to notice as he tossed it to the side, where many similarly broken quills also lay. [color=Ivory]"I made that mistake one before. I [i]will not[/i] make it again."[/color]