7. Serena

"What's that?" Cinis asks.

I blink slowly, not noticing what he's referring to at first.

"What?"

Cinis might be the most interesting thing I've ever encountered. Of course, there have been moments during this conversation where I've wanted to turn around and sprint far away from him, but they're becoming fewer and farther between.

Something tells me that he's not looking to hurt me or consume me. I think he likes my presence as much as I like his.

"That." He gestures towards my hands. "They're shaking. Why is that?"

Glancing down, my shivering hands serve as a reminder that the cold is truly doing a number on my body. I don't remember how long we've been walking, but my arms and legs feel numb. The nightly freeze is finally arriving, and the cold is almost too much to bear, even with the added heat Cinis provides.

"It's because I'm cold."

"Why would you move erratically if you're cold?"

That comment makes me laugh quietly. When he puts it that way, it makes us humans seem like weird creatures after all.

"Well, it's the body's way of trying to warm us up. I don't know the details around it. I've had others explain it to me better," I say, rubbing my hands together as I speak. "But movement creates warmth inside of us, so we shiver."

"Interesting," he says, looking away. There's a brief silence between us before he comes back for more questions.

"So your kind needs heat?"

"Yes, exactly. We need a lot of things, really. Food, water, shelter…"

I trail off, wondering if he's following my train of thought. For a creature ripped from his own world and brought somewhere completely alien, he sure is precocious.

I think I admire that a little bit.

"But in the absence of one or more of these things, we can be really versatile," I continue. "We can survive with very little for impressive amounts of time."

"But it hurts you," he remarks. "To deprive yourself of your needs causes suffering, I'm sure."

I look at him suspiciously.

"As my guide, if you're not operating at efficiency, then you're less able to offer insight," he adds. "And that endangers us both."

The cold bites into my skin, causing me to stutter my words. I'm not sure I can keep walking.

"We should find shelter soon. For warmth."

"I think I understand."

My eyebrows furrow together. We've come to a small circular valley between the cliffs, with trees dotted around. It's a relief not to be straining my legs. A lot of this walk has felt very uphill.

Before I can speak, Cinis turns his back towards me. I peek around him, realizing that the snow has begun moving on its own.

Stones emerge from beneath us, and I duck out of the way just as one flies past me, crashing onto the snow-covered ground.

But then it dawns upon me that Cinis must be the one controlling the stones. He must be moving them with his mind the same way he moved those dark elves.

I'm not sure how I reach the leap in logic. It feels like understanding Cinis means suspending my disbelief at times, willing myself to believe in alien concepts.

The stones glide across the clearing as he scoops them out of the snow and packs them together, clinks and crashes accompanying their movement.

I watch in awe as a small stone hut materializes, seemingly from nothing. Cinis even makes sure to include small windows and an uneven doorway. As I watch him work, I all but forget about the cold seeping its way into my bones.

Amazing, I think.

A deep hum resonates from him just as he tilts his head. Then he steps back and turns towards me. I let out a deep exhale, the air revealing my stunned wonder for the creature who has stuck by my side.

"That's incredible," I whisper.

"Why are you sitting?" he asks.

"I fell when I saw the stones flying around," I explain, rising to my feet unsteadily and brushing off the snow that clings to my clothes. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I did it for you."

I swallow down the knot forming in my throat. Why would a monster like Cinis care about my needs and wants? That doesn't make sense to me at first, but the cold eats away at my rational thinking. Now, my ears burn with a heat that I didn't even know I had.

"You know, peak efficiency and all that," he elaborates.

"Thank you," I say. "But don't you think a cavern would be better for us? It would be warmer, more spacious…" He makes an expression that gives me pause. "That doesn't mean I'm ungrateful for what you've done here. It's amazing, it really is."

"I can always make it better," he replies simply, gazing at his handiwork once more. "Is it because of these holes in the wall? I was only trying to mimic what I saw back there. These holes are for entrances, are they not?"

I nod.

"Yes, they're windows. And you've even made a door, which is great."

I push forward through the snow, approaching the makeshift hut and standing underneath the doorway. I place my hands on my hips, observing the dark stony interior. "I don't know if it'll be warm enough for the both of us, though."

"How can I improve it then?"

"Thicker walls, maybe. The wind can knock it over if it's not strong enough. And maybe a strong stone ceiling?"

Cinis follows my advice. Yet again, stone emerges from deep beneath the snow and he starts creating another layer around the hut. I keep my distance, watching with awe as Cinis heaves such heavy materials around with his mind.

After a while, he ducks into the hut and starts focusing on the ceiling. I grimace, already imagining how awful it would be if this small building caved in on us while we rested. Without a doubt, I would die easily. I can't survive a boulder to the head.

Cinis strikes the stone walls with his fiery arm, which makes me flinch. That's when I realize that he's only checking the foundation for strength.

"I believe it's strong now," he says from inside the dwelling.

My hands are still shivering as I make my way forward once more. "Are you sure we'll be safe in here?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" he replies simply. "I don't understand why you humans need little creations like this to feel safe, anyway."

"It keeps us warm, for one. And if anything decides to attack us, we have a barrier between us and them."

"A creature who wants to attack us will not live to see tomorrow," Cinis says.

That terrifies and excites me all at once.

There's so much I still have to learn about him.

"Come here. Tell me what you think," he says, beckoning me farther inside of the dwelling.

With cautious small steps, I make my way deeper inside to stand beside Cinis. I take in the surroundings as best as I can, hindered by the darkness. Still, I can see that it's quite spacious in here for the two of us.

Despite the snow that still crunches beneath my feet, I'm starting to feel a bit warmer just by approaching Cinis. He's like my own personal oven, only without the need for a flame.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"I do. Are you sure there's enough space in here for the two of us?"

He studies me unflinchingly.

"You seem to have a lot of demands."

That makes my skin flush yet again. I don't mean to boss him around. I'm only trying to ensure our survival.

But I'm sure he would've already gotten rid of me if I were truly annoying him.

"Fine," he eventually says. "But first, you must get warmer. It's fascinating you need heat. Where I live, heat is everywhere."

Within seconds, he extends a small flame and presents it to me. I reach out for it, careful not to get too close. Immediately, the warmth envelops me. For a brief moment, it makes me feel that everything is okay.

The thoughts that torment my mind still – of my friends dying around me one-by-one, and watching them melt away horrifically… of losing Aldor, and the life leaving his face… and of the tortured monsters who were once humans but became something corrupted - have almost faded into the back of my mind.

But as soon as I'm able to, I still need to return. The work is unfinished. There are other towers, with people who need my help.

It doesn't matter if I die trying.

"Are you feeling better?" Cinis asks.

Closing my eyes, I nod firmly. "Yes. Thank you so much."

He keeps the flame in front of me as he continues work on the dwelling. I sit down on the ground with my back against the stone wall, watching him silently.

I don't know what it is about him, but his presence is both calming and magnificent. I can't keep my eyes off of him.

Well, to an extent, that must be normal. He's a monster. He's abnormal. He may not even be from this world.

All of this should pull me away, but instead, it draws me closer.

He's a bizarre creature, something that shouldn't exist in this realm. But maybe that's what makes him beautiful to me.

Despite his brutal nature and his desire to consume souls, he has shown me kindness. He has protected me from the dark elves.

Without him, I would be dead.

This is nothing more than simple gratitude. I feel indebted to him. That's all.

At least, that's what I'm desperately trying to convince myself. There's nothing more to these feelings, I'm sure. Just gratitude. Appreciation. Respect.

But there's another emotion brewing inside of me, one that I don't understand and can't acknowledge.