“Failure after failure……” The Emperor muttered, slumping into his chair. The subject in front of him had borne no fruit. It was not long before he felt the eyes looking at him. He turned his head to the right, he grumbled, “If you are not willing to offer assistance, why bother staying?” He did not expect an answer, the eyes continued to stare at him.

He groaned while standing and caught himself quickly as one leg buckled for a moment out of exhaustion. “Damn it all, and damn the gods for making me do this!” He spat angrily. After a moment, moving to the subject, he pulled the covering entirely over them. It no longer bothered him to do this as it once had, routine and detachment were old friends to him. As he finished, he brought his gaze to the other side of the table. The eyes were staring at something.

“What is it?” The Emperor circled the table following the gaze of his silent companion. He noticed that the subject’s hand had fallen from her side. “The hand simply slipped, you worried me for a moment.” Before he touched the hand, he stopped, “Wait, both hands were at their sides when I finished...”

Quitely drawing his dagger while holding it at the ready, he grasped the hand. He felt them twitch at his touch. “It worked?” He cast a sidelong glance at the ruby-red eyes, which appeared to be only watching. He let the hand go and ran the flat side of the blade up to the wrist. Another twitch, “But they are cold, and I can not feel their heart.” He muttered, pulling back the sheet, he examined the subject.

The woman was laid bare on the tabletop, her eyes closed, chest bandaged; it was not long before it noticed the slightest touch of crimson. He looked to his side again and swore the eyes were smirking at him. The smile he wore grew larger as he felt the hand twitch once more. Quickly he sheathed the dagger and placed his hands on each side of the woman’s face. Exhaling slowly, he pushed Aether into her. He felt resistance for a moment. Heartbeats later, he felt her taking the Aether from him.

He gasped as what felt like hooks latched into his hands, holding him in place. In his mind's eye, he found a vortex open in front of him, waiting to drag him into its depths. “This is much more breathtaking than you said, old friend.” In the deepest depths, he saw it, the hunger for Aether. The tenuous connection he had formed with it strengthened by the second.

“You have done well, this is a start.” The voice surprised the Emperor, glancing around the room he found no other occupants besides the eyes. He smiled, “So you do speak, I am glad to know those dreams and visions were not lies.” The eyes dipped for a moment imitating a bow. A grin spread across his face, and his eyes shone brightly, watching the woman twitch and writhe.

The pull became more potent, but he persevered, feeding her more and more Aether. Without warning, it stopped jarring him for a moment before he pulled away, waiting. The wait was short-lived moments after stepping away. The woman gasped while her hands flailed as if someone woke her from a deep sleep. Taking a moment, she scanned the room, locking her gaze to his. The eyes were a deep crimson pool, he smiled “Welcome back, I am sure you have questions. They can wait, I know you must be famished, let me rectify that for you.”

He reached to the table on his left, grasping one of the bells located atop it. He rang it, and while no sound came from this one, its opposite signaled for an attending to enter. Putting it down, he went to her side, he held out his hand and helped her off the table. “Take it slow, you will need some time to adjust,” her grip on his hand was disquietingly firm, but that made his grin widen. The cloth fell from her, and reflexively she went to cover herself before realizing she was wearing pants. She attempted to speak, but all that came from her was a weak croak.

“Do not fret I have something on the way to help you with that,” The Emperor spoke in a low comforting tone, her grip relaxed, while she glanced around the room. He followed her gaze taking note of the haphazard array of instruments, notes, pages, vials, and bodies. Her gaze lingered on them, “Rest assured, you won’t become like them.” He said softly, the eyes of his old friend remained on the door for a moment, and he turned her in anticipation.

“Refreshments have arrived,” He whispered into her ear as knocks echoed from the door. “Enter,” He commanded, and the door opened, revealing a serving boy carrying a tray of refreshments. The boy’s eyes were on the tray confirming its contents were steady while shutting the door behind him. “I have brought food and…” The boy stopped mid-sentence staring at the undressed woman before going towards his Emperor.

The Emperor felt her hunger and instincts to feed almost overcome her. “What is your name, boy?” He asked while the serving boy set the tray down on a side table. “I…i-t…it is Nicha, my lord,” the boy replied while taking a bow. “Do you have any family?” The Emperor asked while suppressing the woman’s desires. “No milord I do not, they passed while I was young,” Nicha replied, eyes locking again to the woman who stared unblinking at him.

“Good, you won’t be missed then,” The Emperor released his grip, and the woman sprang forward onto the boy, her hands around his throat. His screams echoed in the room, though no one outside heard this. The Emperor had long ago made sure no sound could escape, Nicha’s screams faded quickly. He could feel the boy’s life slip away. “One down my friend, many more to go,” He said while the Aether from the boy poured into the woman and then consequently into him. Free-floating red eyes looked at him with approval almost smiling with a manic glee.