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The figure inside was laid out on the bed, breathing lightly.

Evidently, he wasn't sleeping, or had at least been awakened by Alec going around knocking on the doors. Dominique was ignoring him.

There was a shock of silky black hair that framed his face, showing only his side view, but the face was a work of art – chiselled perfection. Even with his eyes shut, he made a strong contrast against the dirt and filth of the place.

Alec attributed it to the fact that he was a potential Main Character. After all, from what he'd already observed, they were typically unusually handsome or pretty.

If one day that the [Main Character Radar] stopped working, Alec was sure that he would still be able to search out or at least identify them based on appearance alone.

Dominique's breathing was light and airy, as if unwilling to breath too deeply.

Even in the dimness of the light that flickered outside, through the windows, Alec knew why.

There were spots of blood that had seeped through his clothing, staining the fabric red. Some of it had dried, flaking slightly, stiff.

Alec frowned.

He had not seen such wounds on the other disciples who were locked up here in solitary confinement. The wounds had to be fresh, with the way they still seemed to be bleeding sluggishly.

"Get out," Dominique growled, his voice low and gravelly, like he hadn't had enough water. His voice was hoarse and confrontive, but he never once opened his eyes, treating Alec like he was air.

Alec raised a brow as the voice instantly pinged every recognition. It hadn't been that many days since he'd last heard that voice. At that time, Alec had thought that that figure had been a man, but looking at him now, it was obvious that he was still a teenager.

Alec lightly glanced at the figure, but his eyes were still closed shut, so he placed down the box of food before exiting the room.

He didn't seem willing to converse, but that was fine. Alec didn't think he'd be willing to keep up niceties when he was injured like that too.

Dominique's breathing deepened a little, as if he'd slipped back into a fitful sleep upon having the intruder leave his room.

Alec left and returned shortly with a different box in tow.

Ignoring the rest of the occupants of Solitary Confinement Peak, he headed straight to Dominique's 'room'.

No doubt that this was the man who had been so enraptured by the Ash Phoenix that he looked like he debated staying even when the Blanche had been approaching them.

He looked completely different now – like the enthusiasm and vigour of life had drained out of him fully. Though Alec had only had a brief meeting with him, the difference between both meetings threw him slightly off balance.

He'd been expecting many things, but he hadn't expected that this potential Main Character was someone that he'd already met before.

Someone seemingly unstable. Then again, circumstances had been shady at best. He still didn't know why the man had been there at all. At that time, they had come to the conclusion that the masked man had to be working with the Rothschild branch family, but now Alec wasn't so sure.

He'd already seen Dominique, and there had been nothing that prompted Alec nor added the man to his list, so there had to be something else that triggered it.

Alec knocked on Dominique's door again, and he caught the twitch as he entered.

A purple eye peeked open to glare at the area around Alec's foot, the scowl marring his face. "What part of 'get out' do you not understand?" he said harshly, his eyes slipping back to closed.

Alec ignored him. He plunked down the box of medical supplies that he kept in his spatial dimension for emergencies.

"Sorry about this, senior brother," Alec said faux politely.

"What –"

Alec peeled back the top half of his robe, drawing out a snarl that sounded more startled than anything.

Dominique propped himself up on his arm and turned to glare at Alec, only to freeze as his mouth was half open to hurl abusive words.

Alec met purple eyes steadily even as he continued stripping the clothes from the teenager.

Dominique half expected that he was hallucinating the Death Whisperer again, only to freeze when the light brushes against his skin sparked the pain from his back that let him know this was no hallucination.

His thought processes were completely stalled, such that before he realized what was happening, he was already left in his trunks.

Dominique made a slightly strangled sound – his usual detached state was nowhere to be found right now.

Alec's brows furrowed as he took in the various wounds on the Dominique's body. though concentrated on his back, there were also a few stray ones on his thighs and upper arms.

Alec pressed him lightly into the bed to stop him from moving, and Dominique struggled lightly, but not enough.

"Wait- what do you think you're doing?" Dominique rasped.

Alec shushed him. He couldn't believe that the sect would just send him here without at least providing the basics of medical care and changes of bandages. Was this supposed to be some way of additional punishment that was supposed to help him 'reflect'?

Unacceptable.

Alec believed that the punishment doled out should never leave marks behind. Leaving scars behind that would bring back whatever trauma usually only served to make them act out more whether it be consciously or subconsciously.

Bringing out a pan of water, Alec washed his hands thoroughly and disinfected them under Dominique's startled eyes.

Alec pressed down on an area that wasn't wounded to stop him from moving more. "Don't move," Alec commanded with a smile. His tone was one that expected obedience.

Dominique kept very still and didn't fight off Alec's hold, which would have been telling to anyone who personally knew Dominique, but since Alec didn't, he just felt surprised that the teen wasn't fighting him more.

Dabbing a cloth in water, Alec cleaned the wound with more gentleness than Dominique was expecting, if the way he tensed up was to go by. He let out a grunt.

The System methodically and systematically cleaned the wounds that had been left behind. Luckily, they were not festering or infected.

Other than the initial grunt of pain, the rest of the sounds that left the Sin's mouth were all in the form of curses.

Gently patting them dry, Alec applied some of the salve that he'd made. This time, the Sin was silent, as if embarrassed about his initial reaction.

Because they were in a cave, and because Alec hadn't closed the door, they were more sonorous than he expected, but Alec didn't say anything because it was better to let it out rather than bottling it all up.

Dressing the wounds, Alec looked at Dominique's dazed expression of pain and dressed him in a new set of clothes, taking the old ones with him.

Alec eyed the teenager. "I'm leaving now," he said in a perfunctory manner.

[Dominique Falren Intimacy Increase +1000]

[Dominique Falren Intimacy MAX]

[Dominique Falren added to Main Character Page]

Well, that was easier than he thought.

"Thank you," Dominique said quietly.