Bg music recommendation - Play with fire by Sam Tinnesz

------

When Ellie was released from the hospital, she had gone straight to find Akame, without waiting for Channing, estimating she was by the princess's feet. But she roamed around the entire of Winterwells and could not find Akame. Deciding to enter and search the forest.

The time of the day had turned into the afternoon when Ellie finally found herself heading towards the river.

She was tired from roaming around and decided to drink some water. Not a single thought of Channing had crossed her mind, as she knew if something bad happened to her, he would come and heal her. After all, they had marked, and she had no more need to pamper the boy except for sealing the bond. Rest he would come for her aid any way as he will have to go through her emotional agony and Ellie very well knew how his abilities will increase it to make him want to stop the pain that reached Channing through her.

"Look who I meet here," Ellie heard a man's voice from behind her and she was quick to get on her guards to see who had talked to her this familiarly. When she saw the handsome face defined with his black hair unruly and sleeked back, baring his beautiful feature she recognised him immediately.

Ellie put her innocent act back on, "Hello Mr Fang, it is nice to meet you after such a long time. What brings you here?"

Fang gave her a sweet smile, raising a water bottle in his hand and waving it, "I am here to fetch some water for my friend. Although I must say I am very pleased to meet you again, Ellie." Fang walked easily with his long strides towards her. His voice had come flirtatiously a while back, and that charming smile was enough to skip a beat of any girl's heart.

Ellie was mesmerised by this man's presence once again. It was months back when Fang had accidentally caught Channing and Ellie in the capital that he had understood of Channing had a girlfriend.

That was the first time Fang had met Ellie for the briefest moment, as Channing had bolted with her out of there after small talks.

But it was last night that Fang had found out the truth about her from Channing. Fang wanted to go through Ellie's head now and see where exactly was this girl's origin. In no time, Fang was standing close to Ellie as he held her hand and picked it up to kiss the back of it. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?" came Fang's gravelled voice.

Ellie was easily flustered by his presence and blinked rapidly so as to not return the flirting. When Fang raised his face with a charming smile, their eyes locked.

Fang narrowed his eyes while letting go of her hand. Something was wrong, he thought.

Before he could try to go into her mind again, Ellie snickered. The voice of her laughter slowly increasing as she covered her mouth, "Fang it seems Channing never mentioned you about my abilities." Fang's fake smile dropped from his face. Ellie stepped closer to him and tapped Fang's firm chest, "unfortunately I know everything about you. You know Channing is such a big mouth-"

Her words were in a sudden jerk as Fang held her neck in a swift motion. Ellie's body was jerked forward as Fang lifted her off the ground, "You have some nerve using Channing like that."

Ellie did not understand what Fang was indicating. She had heard about him from Channing, but with the feud that went between the villages, never had she imagined for them to be close. Ellie had already planned on shifting the blame on Waterwoods for the attack that took place on her.

There was something so eerie in Fang's eyes that Ellie noticed it as a threat. She tried to get away from Fang's hold, but her abilities worked only against others' abilities, and what Fang was using was pure brute strength.

Ellie felt his grip tighten and her eyes rolling up with legs that struggled to find a footing with Fang dangling in the air.

"Fang!" She heard Channing's voice, who had run there when he had felt his soulmate was in trouble. "What are you doing, let her go."

Channing freed Ellie as he held her coughing and weak self. Channing had understood this person did not like him even a bit, but he was not so inhumane to declare justice like how Fang found it normal to rain pain on people who crossed his path.

Ellie took advantage of the setting and looked at Channing with an anxious face, "Channing, this man wanted to take me away from you. That day I had refused him and he had beaten me that bad. Help me, Channing."

While Ellie clung onto Channing like her life depended on it, Channing's breath was going ragged with the hurt that was mixing with anger.

A sound of laughter resounded through the forest, and Ellie halted her whining to watch Fang, who had covered his face as he continued to laugh. "I am sorry, you continue," said Fang, waving at Ellie to go on with her reasoning, "I just couldn't hold it."

Her face turned to Channing in confusion, and Channing, for the first time, pushed her away from him.

Ellie watched at him in disbelief, trying to cover the distance between them again, "Channing..."

"Ellie," Channing said, taking a step back from her. This had Ellie stop in her track and keep looking at Channing with doe eyes. "Or is it even Ellie?" Channing asked, and this made the expressions fall on Ellie's face. Channing held a numb expression while he looked at her, "I will be evoking the mark on you, I am glad I did not do it before."

"Was it Akame?" Ellie asked, becoming a completely different person than how she always used to dance around Channing.