Cold wind blows across my face and wakes me from sleep.

  Maya shifts beside me, pushing her naked body into mine, looking for warmth.

  I take her into my arms gently.

  I look to my right to find the half-eaten apple lying there.

  It did not grant us shame, only knowledge of sin.

  Something soft brushes against my neck. A delicate touch that sends shivers down my spine.

  Turning my head, I find Maya looking up at me with the same cougar eyes—sensual as always.

  What goes on behind those hazel eyes is a mystery to me. It adds to the charm.

  I return the favor by kissing her on the forehead, to which she responds by climbing onto my torso.

  It puts pressure over my wound, but I avoid reacting to the pain.

  She smells different somehow. Sweet, but not intoxicating.

  It fills me with contentment. It placates me.

  "Why did you drug me?" I ask.

  For a moment she simply watches me. Then her lips curl up.

  "To test something. Wasn't my idea though. Orders from above."

  I study her face for a moment, trying to read something behind that calm expression.

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  "What were the results then?"

  "You cannot fully control Blue, and it is very taxing on your body. Not to mention it inhibits your reasoning to a great degree. That power takes control whenever you are compromised," she says, as if stating a simple fact.

  I let out a quiet breath.

  "Could you not have warned me?"

  "That would have changed the output." She shrugs lightly. "Your case is unprecedented, so we need to know exactly what we are facing."

  Just after finishing the sentence, she leans in and pulls me into a kiss.

  I have no reason to complain.

  She pulls away a moment later and gets up, noticing where she had been sitting.

  "Oh, I'm sorry. Forgot you are still injured."

  She speaks while putting on her clothes.

  "Let's get you some treatment."

  I follow her lead, pulling on my pants.

  "The colosseum," I say.

  "Yeah." She nods slightly. "It's reserved for the underground. Matches are decided depending on relative power."

  "Then why did they match me up against Apollo?" I ask. "He was significantly stronger than the other two."

  "You are a special case." She glances back at me. "And you showed the Sanguineus' power. That is surely going to rile some people up."

  The name lingers in my mind for a moment.

  "Should I really have used that power? Now they'll know I killed her."

  "They know," Maya replies calmly. "But it is irrelevant. All of our identities are hidden. Just make sure to change your mask and outfit whenever you are not acting as Dio."

  I sigh.

  "Sure."

  We walk toward the lake. Maya's hair blows in the wind.

  I look up to find the Sun shedding its hideous light.

  I frown slightly.

  "What power does Apollo really have?"

  She thinks for a second.

  "Cannot say for sure, but you can bet it is something related to time, precision, or light."

  "It felt like he had all three."

  She smirks faintly.

  "That's just his equipment."

  Soon enough the ground opens up, and the medical staff start working on me.

  Maya sits on a cushion beside me as I lie on the bed.

  "His equipment?" I ask curiously.

  "Yeah." She rests her chin on her hand. "The infected have special equipment. That's a topic for another time."

  "Sure." I pause. "I have another favor to ask."

  She raises an eyebrow.

  "Is this about the infection test? We already got yours done through someone in the SCB."

  "Thanks, really. Did you get yours done?"

  "Got it done along with yours."

  A nurse hands Maya something. She nods in understanding.

  Then she looks back at me.

  "They'll inject some anaesthesia. Meet you in an hour."

  I smile.

  "Miss you already."