Asher left the library feeling defeated. The small book felt like it was burning a hole in his cloak’s inner pocket, a byproduct of how obnoxiously aware he was of its presence. Teeth grinded against teeth as the prince tried to rationalize what had happened back there. It was one thing to not want to make a mess for others, but it was quite another to go back and take something that was sure to mess with his head even more. He wasn’t sure how exactly it would just yet, but given how his past interactions with the angel had gone, it seemed like a safe bet to make. Thinking about the creature didn’t help his current mood, so he picked up his pace. 

The city of Linore was a blur in Asher’s peripheral vision as he weaved through the crowd. There was no clear destination in his mind, but the white walls of the library had become stifling to the demon. The further away he got from them, the better. 

[i][color=slategray]’Is it really the library you’re running from?’[/color][/i] The thought made him come to an abrupt stop. Asher, the Prince of the Children of Darkness, running? He scoffed. He snarled. He clenched his fists in outrage. The notion was preposterous, but what else could he call it? Just what was it about that creature that always managed to make him lower his guard and become something he hardly recognized? 

Asher ducked into a desolated alley on the side of the street. It simply wouldn’t do for anyone to notice a prince having a small scale existential crisis. He turned the question over in his head once more, leaning against a wall for support. It didn’t take a genius to realize that he hadn’t quite been the same since he had met the angel, but pinpointing what exactly it was about her that was getting to him was difficult. The prince ran through the possibilities in his head, weighing each of them as honestly as he could. His face scrunched up in consternation as each second passed.

Could it be love? Another scoff, as that didn’t sound right at all. The two hardly knew each other and Asher was definitely not the type to believe in the whole “love at first sight” nonsense. And even if he had to grudgingly admit that the creature had an innocent beauty to her, that was hardly enough to win the demon’s heart over. Now whether or not he was attracted to her was a matter that he was quick to scroll away for a later date.

But what else could it be then? Was it admiration that he felt? The notion was a hard pill to swallow, as evidenced by the scowl that had taken up residence on his expression, but there was a ring of truth to it. Whether he liked it or not, Asher could not simply dismiss the creature as blissfully ignorant, as she had seen the kind of cruelties the prince was capable of. But still, she chose to look for some semblance of goodness in him. It was something he doubted was possible for him to do. It was also something that he realized he needed.

Asher covered his face with one hand, but could not suppress the small grin he felt tugging at his lips. [color=slategray]”You’re such an idiot,”[/color] he muttered, although truth be told the revelation made him feel more relieved than frustrated. [color=slategray]”It really is that simple."[/color] Despite the confidence he had in his actions, the encounter with Livia made him question what would become of his people once the war was over. No, that wasn’t the full truth. It had made him question what [i]he[/i] would do with peace. Only once before had there been someone in his life that had made him feel like there was a life that was possible for him after this war, but he had lost her. And that was something that he never wanted to experience again.

With his little introspective session over, the prince emerged from the alley and took a look at his surroundings. One awkward second passed by the next as he regarded the unfamiliar street with a blank look on his face. [color=slategray]”Well shit,”[/color] he sighed, grasping the fact that his little walk had gotten himself hopelessly lost.