"That copper..." Illias sighed.

"Yes, I did overlook it." he admitted.

"It can be a flaw of mine." he said.

"That being said, I hope I can still be of use to you." he told her.

"I will do my best to show you that you are right in believing in my intellect."

Illias nodded, and followed her out of the room.

"This place looks impressive." he said.

"Just a cursory look at the facilities is amazing." he told her.

"I've not seen a place quite like this before." he went on, before sighing quietly.

"It makes me happy." he said.

"To feel I'm wanted. And not in the legal way."

Illias nodded and looked at the paper.

"Of course." he replied.

He then noticed the letterhead. Her name.

And then he froze.

"Ah... ah..." he stammered.

"Right." he said.

It was then that the snakes on his head seemed to be on high alert... and were constantly looking at he floor.

Illias seemed to jump a bit when she mentioned them, and he shook his head.

"Nothing!" he said.

"No, no, no, pay no need." he told her.

"They're just... scanning." he said further. "Scanning the floor." he went on.

"You know, on the lookout for anything that might crop up suddenly." he said further.

"An escapee lab mouse, or a rat, any spilt fluids, the odd possible rune, any concerning insects..." he listed, only about half-aware of the things he was actually saying, as opposed to what was in his head.

Illias froze completely when she mentioned Rowena, before he forcefully shook himself back to reality.

"I..." he stammed.

"Yes... I have." he admitted.

"I was young. I was foolish. I was travelling Europe, despite the storm of Rowena laying waste to the continent." he told her. "And then, one night, she found me." he said. "I'd never seen such hatred... such coldness... such uncaring and sadistic eyes..." he went on.

"She chuckled at me, and said I had 5 seconds to run." he said.

"So I did. I ran away as fast as I could, only to suddenly be stopped in my tracks by a rune." he then said further. "It felt like it was tugging at my very soul, threatening to tear it from my physical body." he continued.

"But then, before she could actually do it, a group of vigilante humans approached, bearing swords and pikes and bows and arrows, declaring that it would all end here." he then said to her. "The woman just laughed and retracted the rune, saying something like 'It's more fun when they come to me, thinking they have a chance'..." he informed her further, before pausing.

"So I continued to run. I ran as I heard their screams. The terror. The pain. The agony. But I didn't look back. I kept running until I was too tired to run any longer, and then I limped on, before collapsing into the nearby bushes." he said.

"I guess she had forgotten about me, or lost interest, because I haven't seen her ever since." he told Kiah further.

"...to this day, the name 'Fyrane' sends a chill down my spine, and makes me remember the feeling of a soul loosened from its container." he then admitted.

"...and I suppose I sensed that... mana... I guess... in you, a little." he finished.

".........." Illias was silent, and hung his head a little.

"All right." he said.

He then proceeded to fill out all that he was supposed to, signing where he needed, initialling where indicated, and making sure all his I's were dotted, and all the T's crossed.

Once he finished, he slid the forms back over.

"Here." he said.

"I trust all is in order?" he asked.

Illias shook his head.

"No." he replied.

"I do not." he said.

"I... well... I don't have much in this world." he told her.

"All I really have is... this place, now." he continued.

"It's... well... part of the territory of being what I am." he admitted quietly.

"Which means I'll be staying here." he then went on.

"I have nowhere else to go."

Illias shook his head.

"Not yet." he replied.

"Maybe he wanted to see if I would be an employee or a visitor first?" he suggested.

"I don't know." he sighed.

"But I should see him about it." he told her further.

"See how it'll work out and such."

Before Illias could answer, Kiah received another call. From Sharp, again.

When she answered it, Sharp chuckled.

"So, is he hired yet?" he asked.

"He is." Kiah responded.

"Excellent!" Sharp replied.

"I want you to show him to the dorms." he told her. "Let him pick one out and such." he said.

"You need some away time from the lab, anyway." he went on.

"You've been cooped up in there too long."

"Well, then consider this a favour." Sharp responded.

He then proceeded to give her simple directions to the dorms, before sighing.

"Trust me, I have my reasons." he said.

"Just... that's all you need to know." he told her.

"After that, I want to see you in my office." he then finished.