Elise was in shock, she looked at him without a single word passing by her mouth and she felt her heartache. Tears started to bubble up in her eyes. "How did it happen?" she asked while trying to hold down her welling tears. She could not believe that Vella had gone. It had only been three days ago when Elise saw her friend off as she left the castle. She hoped that Vella would find happiness while waving her hand and wishing her goodbye, but the parting words she said unknowingly become the last goodbye Elise would have to say to her only friend.

"Someone killed her," Ian didn't want to tell her in what fashion Vella was killed therefore keeping his words milder, "She was killed terribly. I have put her to rest in the coffin and send her back to where she belongs."

Killed? Elise felt her heart aching more, and she held down her feeling, the table that was healed from the crack she made earlier broke again. Seeing what she did, Elise put her hand away when Ian held her hand, squeezing her warmly, "Have you found out who killed her?"

Ian shook his head, "It was suspected to be robbery, but I suspect it's more than a simple robbery." He had seen Vella's body and in the way the woman was killed, he could tell there were only two reasons why the killer would nail her in the tree. Either they bore deep hatred for the woman, or that they need to put her on the tree for the villager to witness.

Elise felt her stomach twist, but the pain didn't come from her having a stomachache. It was her heart that felt painful. She was sad when thinking of how Vella wasn't in the world anymore. She had lost many people along her way, and it had never been easy to lose another one.

Elise looked down, her view becoming clearer when her years left her eye and she pursed her lips when she saw how her power began to affect Ian's hand, "Please let go of my hand. You are hurting."

"It's nothing," but Elise knew it couldn't be nothing. "If I can't give you the comfort that you need when you are sad, I don't know what else I could be useful for you."

"But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt for you," Elise saw how expressionless Ian was behaving but there was the slight furrow between his brows. He appeared to be unaffected but in truth, Elise's power had grown much that it did pain him more than just his hand. "I will be fine after just a moment. I don't want to hurt you even if you would be okay with me hurting you."

"I'll get better in any second anyway," Ian raised his hand and wrap it over her shoulders, bringing her close, "That's why you could cry on my chest. I told you that I am yours just like the way you are mine. We get hurt but we have each other. I want you to share with me not only your happiness but your pain and sadness."

Elise was touched by his words, his promise was more than words and his action speak louder than it needed, "Will you tell me about your pain too?"

Ian turned to her, he curled his lips to a smile and Elise noticed how much his smile could lift her heart. "Have I not?" he asked.

"You know, you haven't," and on her reply, Ian chuckled. His hands on her shoulders now felt stronger and firmer than ever where she felt the most secure too.

"Lean to me more," he whispered and Elise did what he told her to, letting her tears to fall as she sobs on his chest.

Elise didn't want to cry for long, but she keys her sadness and what filled her inside out with the tears. When she felt better, she looked to the depth of his eyes, being serious, "Ian, can you tell me more about you? I want to know everything," she raised her hand subtly to his hand, feeling the vein that settled on the surface of his palm. Her power had calmed down which was great. It was hard for her to control her power but with how she tested her power before, she was able to manage her control Nd for now it seemed to work well.

"Then let's do that," Ian smiled at her which raised the brightness of her eyes with expectation, "How about I tell you once we went to the Winter Ball?"

"The winter Ball?" Elise asked to remember that they had indeed made a plan to go together to the Winter Ball which was held in Runalia. "Will you tell me everything by then?"

"I promise," Ian raised his little finger to intertwine with hers, "I learned this from my mother. She told me by doing this promise will stay longer. Though she didn't fulfill her last promise to me."

"What promise?" Elise felt his hand on her cheeks as he brushed the tears that trickled there.

"Not to die," when Ian said, this Elise wanted to ask more when the door was knocked and Maroon's voice came from the opposite side of the door.

"Master, Austin has arrived," Ian nodded and he moved up from his chair.

"I will come back, sweetheart," and Elise nodded at this, when he left, her eyes settled long at the door as it was closed. She had many questions but she felt her heart peaceful after sharing many of her worries with Ian.

Standing up from the chair, she cleaned the cups on the table. While moving, Elise passed by the large mirror on her dressing table. The first time she passed by the mirror, she saw her reflection slightly blurry as the window was fogged. She raised her hand, wiping to clean the window before resuming to clean the table.

Passing by the mirror for the second time, Elise didn't notice how her reflection in the mirror had horns on her head which disappeared by the third time she passed the mirror.