Christian unloaded his bundle of drinks onto the table before he took the chair. He opened a bottle of Coke and took a sip, finding the taste crisp. He felt something tickle the back of his throat and fill his belly before dissipating. [i]Interesting.[/i]

He looked at Penny for the first time since returning to the room. He smiled at her comfortable appearance and damp hair. He had to admit he found her more endearing and attractive like this. [i]Wait, what?[/i] Christian’s face coloured and he looked away, drinking more of the pop before clearing his throat.

[color=#B0E0E6]”Well, he is disappointed I didn’t heed his earlier advice, but because I didn’t, I’ve changed your story and mine. Without giving away too much and upsetting the Natural Order of things, every human's story is written out... How you'll live, how you'll die. There are some variations, but everything is relatively set in stone, so to speak. Because I interfered that day in the basement, your story changed, and because I remained, your story changed again. Death warned me that it would make life difficult, but it would be worse if I were to leave you now. So, I can stay,”[/color] Christian said, smiling warmly. He hoped Penny would be happy, even with the cryptic words. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to tell Penny her story. One, because he didn’t know it, and even if he did, that was a boundary Christian wouldn’t cross. That sort of information could have catastrophic consequences.