The Legend of Lady Sierra.

Chapter 2: Kristina Part 2

“Jane. Did I come on to you last night?” Kristina asks to which Jane is thinking if a response was necessary to that question.

“Do you remember anything?”

“Jane, you can’t answer a question with a question.” Kristina speaks with an annoyed look on her face, but Jane however simply dismisses it and does not care.

“I’d say you were just too tired to realize you did anything. Only thing you did was lean on my neck and rubbing your cheeks on mine. That’s all. It wasn’t anything serious.” Jane tells her as he pulls the slide of his P227, checking the round inside while they wait for the traffic light to turn green.

“I’m sorry.” Jane shakes his head to Kristina’s apology.

“It’s not your fault you were too tired.” Jane remarks as he drives on, Kristina looks at him in his Sierra uniform. Much different than Jane as the student because he looks fearsome, the skull paint on his Ronin helmet would give people shivers especially if it has been coated with blood.

“Is it okay if I ask you a question?”

“That’s a question itself, but what is it?” Jane’s sarcastic start to that sentence is met with Kristina’s pouting expression as she thinks of how to put the sentence into words.

‘Do you have a girlfriend?’

‘Is there anyone you like?’

‘Are you seeing anyone?’ Kristina’s mind is juggling between the questions and sentences, unsure of its appropriation to ask Jane as she finally initiated contact with him just hours before. Proper contact instead of hiding somewhere, noticing him, watching him or taking sneaky photos of him.

“Do you have someone?” Kristina musters the courage to say that as her heart beats fast, breathing getting heavier.

“I used to have someone during foundation, but she passed on. I got a minor crush on Lynelle Yee, but it’s not something I would pursue. How complicated my life is and how much more complicated it will get? I can’t make the time for it, and I don’t want whoever the girl is to have trouble with feeling lonely everytime I go to work.”

“Then why not tell her?” Jane shakes his head to that question.

“Good point, buutt.. I’d be worrying her a lot if she can’t sleep at night knowing that her boyfriend is out killing badguys, might die at any second or gets into bigger and crazier troubles. Just not worth any girl’s trouble for that.” Jane tells her as he makes the turn, Kristina looks down for a bit, thinking of what he had just said. Wondering about all that he had said, wondering if she asked would he give her a chance?

‘Would Jane even consider me? I’m sure there are better girls out there.’ Kristina shakes these thoughts out of her head and begins to think about her work for SAC matters.

“Can the SAC call you for help with security matters?” Jane shakes his head.

“We won’t answer no matter whose number you call, if we know you don’t have clearance to call, we won’t pick up. Your phone will just register errors a lot, followed by a skull. If you want to, you’ll need to speak to Chancellor Marcus directly. Me taking off my mask, is a big no no for the team, but Chancellor Marcus made it clear that I have to disclose my identity to you. So I have to stick close to you, and it would be easier to do it this way rather than make you believe you have a stalker.” Jane answers sharply, as they made it to the Blissford Mall’s parking lot.

“Alright. If you need to go, then go on ahead. I’ll be watching you from wherever I can.” Jane tells her as he keeps MP7 with him, keeping the compact submachine gun in his sling bag along with a few 20 round magazines and the dot sight. Kristina nods, then making her way up the escalator while Jane activates his Ghost Cam. Kristina goes on to meet her group of friends along side Scarlett.

“2. It’s 1. How are things looking so far?”

“All good. Aside from Kristina having a big crush on me. I accidentally got connected to her dream to which she just kept letting herself lose in that dream.”

“Damn 2. Kristina is a bombshell! You’ve got quite the luck. You’d be wasting a chance if you didn’t try for her!”

“Like how you’re stupid for not talking to Lizzie when you can have the chance with her, 3?”

“Touche.” Jane hears Reiner’s response that left him with a smile.

“I won’t deny that Kristina is attractive,2. Just don’t make a move on her in the duration of the mission.” Jane sighs, knowing that would be Monty’s response but still proud to know Monty admitting Kristina’s attractiveness.

“Yeah.. Yeah.. I know,1. How was the gang war?”

“Well 2, I’d say Kristina’s way hotter than that gang war. They wanted to fight for a territory but turned into werewolves and fought over it to the death. 1 and I didn’t need to do anything. They just offed themselves. f*****g stupid.” Jane briefly laughs at that phrase, as he stands by the third floor. Seeing Kristina with her friends moving around, going to an ice rink.

“She asked me about Rose.” To which Sierra 3 is heard wanting to say something, but he stops mid-sentence as he tries to put it in words.

“Hey, if Kristina asks you out. Would you want her?” Reiner’s question has gotten Jane thinking as he watches Kristina putting on her skating shoes and the gloves.

“I don’t know 3.. I’m not sure if I’m ready to go through that phase of falling for someone. Besides, I’d like to know Kristina as much as I can before I do.” Jane watches Kristina, Scarlett and her group of friends going into the skating rink. Kristina and Scarlett hold each other’s hands as they stick close to the railing.

“If she makes you feel better, helps you get through your darkest days. She could do a lot of good for your soul.” Monty has a point, but Jane just feels like he’s not ready for this, he needs to take his time to learn what kind of person Kristina really is. All he knows is that she gets flustered whenever he compliments her, she does amazing work as an admin officer. What else? What else is hiding beneath the surface of her smooth skin, what is it that her soul is? What kind of soul that she has?

Jane watches Kristina falling down, to which she gets up on her own, despite the many offers from others to help her up.

“A year has passed, think it should be time to heal too. Kristina can be there to help you, or to teach you what love feels like again, but only if you feel the same for her.” Jane sighs as he watches Kristina fall down, then smacking her back to get the ice off, Jane’s presence is not noticed.

“Alright. I’ll get back to mission guys. Talk to y’all later.” Jane whispers as he switches the audio to Kristina’s earpiece, hearing Kristina laugh at Scarlett falling, then helping her up.

‘Sometimes I wish it was me in that rink with Reiner and Monty. Just enjoying life like a bunch of idiots, like normal people do. Then again, what the hell is normal anyway? A lot of that stuff went out the window the day we became Sierras… Or rather the day we lost our families. I can’t help but feel jealous. Seeing all these happy faces and all these happy moments shared by these people. But someone’s has to be there to protect them. Someone has to sacrifice it. Ever since.. Rose passed away, I’ve never been the same. The world looks a lot gloomier, life looks dreadful. Waking up in the morning feels like a hangover… Rose died from lung cancer, peacefully. Her mom always hated me, always disproved me and her.. Yet towards the end, her mother regretted. Not letting Rose and I to live the life we wanted to.’ Jane’s mind ponders as he watches Kristina and as his RACER monitors the situation. Seeing Kristina go through the whole way without falling.

Jane shakes these thoughts off his mind, he can’t have these thoughts now. Not here, he needs to keep Kristina safe. He switches the audio of his earpiece to Kristina’s, picking up all the chatter noises even the banter that she has with her friends.

“Hey Kris! We’re going to the food court, come on!” Kristina nods as she joins them, the group of 2 girls with 6 guys make their way to the counter to get their shoes back. Jane makes his way to the lower levels with the ghost cam activated, jumping from one level to the lower level. He lands silently on his feet, then making his way to tail Kristina from the back without her friends noticing.

Kristina checks her phone, seeing a text from an unknown number

‘It’s Jane. Congrats on not falling.’ Kristina smiles as she sees the text message unaware that Jane caught a glimpse of that smile, and that smile. It might win him over if he is not careful. Jane sighs, keeping somethings to himself, he can’t indulge in this. Jane needs to restrain until it’s over.

“So anyway, Kristina. Who picked you up last night? I know it’s not your parents cause they never drive a car with dark colours.”

“Do you guys remember the guy that protected me back in Foundation?” to which upon that sentence, her friends immediately looks at her with anticipation.

“Yeah. The bald guy right? We never saw him again after that.”

“It was Jane.”

“Jane? Isn’t he part of the trio that are like delinquents?” Charles, a guy wearing a cap asks as he adjusts his spectacles.

“You can’t be serious, I don’t think that the bald guy is Jane, there is no way. Jane can’t be that nice. He’s like one of the scariest guys in our batch. He beat up Carter and the baseball team last week.” Jane hears these rumours, not surprised as he did beat up the baseball team, all because they took something important from him, Rose’s ring.. Only to find out they pawned it off but beating them was worth it.

“Let rumours talk, Kristina. Don’t need to defend me.” Kristina immediately stands up as she hears Jane’s voice, looking around for him.

“I don’t pay much attention to what they say anyway.”

“I’ve got a crush on Jane.” Her group looks at her as they are speechless.

“Kris, a guy like him? Seriously? He’s nothing but trouble.”

Kristina wants to say something, but she keeps calm and quiet as per Jane’s request.

“Thank you, for not getting angry with them. I’ll answer whatever you want later.” Jane tells her as he sits by a bench, looking at her general direction with the mask zipped in the bag. Kristina sees the hooded figure looking at her, waving to her for a moment then disappearing when someone walks past in front of him. Like a ghost..

“Have fun. I’ll be around.” Jane tells her, to which Kristina smiles, ignoring all the banter her friends have about Jane being a troublemaker while taking mental notes of the rumours they made.

Kristina ends the day with a dinner session with her friends and they all go home. She took a short nap in the car, while Jane drives.

Jane carries Kristina up the stairs and into her room.

“Hey, wake up sleepy head.” Kristina wakes up to find Jane sitting by her bed, just wearing a tank top and a pair of jeans. Kristina smiles to him as she leans close to his shoulder.

“Jane. Did you really beat those guys up?”

“Yeah, they.. They took something important and pawned it off. They took Rose’s ring that she gave me on Valentine’s day 3 years ago. A silver ring with her name and mine engraved together. But since they pawned it, I feel off at times.” Jane tells her as he looks up the ceiling.

“Is that her name? Rose?” Jane nods.

“Yeah. Rose’s mom hated the idea of me and her. Kept us apart and Rose tried to keep me around as much as she could. I took time off from foundation when I told the lecturers that this may be Rose’s last few months so I stayed by her side and did whatever I could to keep her happy. She died of lung cancer.” Jane pauses, knowing that this isn’t healthy for him to talk about with Kristina, she looks at him attentively.

“I’m sorry. It’s a bit depressing.” Jane looks aside despite Kristina’s attentive gaze, she holds his hand.

“If you want to talk, I’d like to hear it.” Jane shakes his head, gently pulling his hand away from hers.

“Some scars aren’t ready to be told, but thank you. For your kind act.” Jane thanks her as he looks at the ceiling, then greeted by a hug from Kristina.

“Have you… Always been this hurt?” Kristina asks as she tightens her hug, Jane keeps quiet unsure to say yes or no.

“No matter how hurt we get, we have to push on. Take a break, sometimes we forget that the pain is there. It stays there for a while.” Jane tells her, a vague answer but it is the one that Jane chose. This answer is how he feels about the situation that is laid out before him.

“May I?” Jane nods, Kristina adjusts her position to hug Jane from the back, leaning to him.

“I don’t know how long, but I hope that one day you can smile again. A sincere smile.” Kristina hugs Jane tightly, Kristina grips his hands tightly as she says this.

“Those are kind words, but just sleep.” Jane snaps his fingers, Kristina falls to her bed sleeping.

“Scorpio, watch over her dreams.” The white suit figure nods, as Jane takes a seat by the window, lying onto the sofa.

“Wonder what would Rose say if she saw this.. Would it be a ‘You’re such a fool?’ or ‘Let me go!’ or her classic ‘I can’t do this, I can’t be there.” Jane whispers to himself, as he thinks about Rose’s smile, thinking back to the beautiful brunette, whose silk hair had parted with her towards the last months of her life. Yet that smile which was so filled of love, so filled of affection and Jane’s comfort, is enough for him. It hurts a lot. Jane could feel his heart racing, the heavy breathing and the tightness surrounding his heart.

‘I’m alive. I’m breathing. I’ve got a roof over my head. I’ve got a job that has s**t worth risks. I’ve got friends who are family since family is dead. Yet, why is it that I just don’t feel content with life? Why I don’t feel grateful for everything? Because of what painful things that happened? Why did losing Rose hurt until now? Some nights I feel like I’m suffocating in my own damn body.’ Jane thinks as he looks at the ceiling.

‘A breakup or a loss. Especially of a lover. It stings a lot. You’ll never forget that person, the one that makes your heart race. The one that makes everything okay. The one that makes walking through hell look like nothing. The one that you would always drop everything for them. Both of them hurt heavily..’ Jane grunts softly as he turns to the side, changing his direction in an attempt to numb and ease the pain in his body. Jane feels his body chilled, it hurts when he felt his insides turn cold as ice for no reason, feeling dizzy, nauseous as he tries to breathe.

Jane turns his head to his left, seeing Grey and Scorpio looking a bit distraught as they try to reach their hand out to him, only to be pushed back when they see Jane’s pained expression.

‘This is something I must go through, alone. Thanks anyway.’ The two demons read Jane’s thought as a second later, he is back to normal. Jane slows down his heart beat, he slows his breathing as he takes one deep breath. Letting out the air brought into his lungs with a relieving sigh.This is just another rough night of feeling a bit broken because of the loss. It just hurts, his heart hurts as if it’s the first night as he silently breaks down. As his tears fall silently from his cheeks, as Jane’s thoughts begin to reopen this old wound of Rose’s death.

‘If only she was here.’

‘Rose, I miss you so much.’

‘Oh god. Why does this hurt so f*****g much.’

‘Dear God, I’m just bleeding like f**k…’

‘Make it stop, please…’ Those thoughts circle in Jane’s mind as he clasps his hands, leaning his head into it. Making a prayer? No, most likely begging for all this pain to end.

Jane lets out a deep sigh, as he looks at his locket. Seeing Rose’s photo of him and her, hugging each other tightly. His mind remembers the first night, when Rose told him she was going to die in a year. Jane amassed whatever amount of money he could at the time and brought her out around the world on certain days. From the historical streets of Asia filled with wildlife,streetfood and beautiful scenery, to the bloodied streets of Hungary and ending it with a trip to France.

Jane missed classes but Chancellor Marcus’s help ensured that he would be alright as he can do things with no worry, spending the last time with Rose. He remembered the one night when in France, Rose made a request to Jane. A request for Jane to take Rose’s virginity, Jane was against it at first but Rose made it clear that as her dying wish, at least. She wanted to lose it to the person she loves the most in the world as she may never be married nor will she live to see the end of the day.

That night, Jane remembered the passionate flames of their loves engulfing them to the point that they forgot what it was and they did not understand many things as they were. Jane’s first time was with Rose, everything onwards with other people would be casual s*x or just one night stands that was void of romance. He can’t forget the way Rose was, the comfort, the beauty that all she was, every hidden gem that he expected it to be.

“Can’t visit Rose, but it’s alright. Maybe another time.” Jane sighs, to which he gets a text from a number, one he knows too well. ‘Mary Reeds.’ Rose’s mother. The one who hated Jane with a passion, calling Jane a good for nothing punk, a typical brat, the works of a mother outraged by her daughter’s choice of a man. However, when Mary watched what happen when Rose broke up with Jane as a result of her mother’s forceful nature. Rose screamed, shouted and cried loudly to her, Mary never understood why Rose was overprotective of him against her words. Then, seeing Jane by Rose’s side for hours and days, it was clear. Rose had wanted Jane to be her husband and to be the man she marries forever.

Jane remembers that night when Mary lets down her pride.

It was November 21st, 2018.

Jane, who had long hair that he tied into a bun, clean shaven face with the glasses. Coming over to Rose’s house, seeing an older, mature widow looking at him. Despite her status as a widow, it was evident that Mary could be what most men considered desirable a hardworking woman who protected her three children like a wolf to her cubs and she was still an amazingly attractive woman, Jane also had to admit that.

“Jane.”

“Auntie Mary.” Jane takes a seat in the couch in front of her, with Rose not back in the house.

“I know we don’t see things eye to eye, so you calling me out for this talk. Auntie this sounds serious.”

“You’re quite sharp for young man. Yes, it is. Rose, is dying of cancer. Stage 3 lung cancer. I’m sorry.” Jane looks at Mary with confusion, with pain in his expression but he shook it off.

“What is it that you’re asking?”

“Whatever she asks of you. For you to do the best you can for her. I will let you be with her.” Jane looks at Mary with a concerned expression.

“Winning your approval, matters to Rose too. She needs to know you approve before I ask her. Auntie, look. I want her to be happy, I want to be with her but. She needs to know. She needs to know that you will let her be happy with me.” Jane tells her, as his eyes slowly get red, looking as if he is going to cry at any moment.

“I will let her know. She won’t tell you soon, maybe in the later months. We’ve tried chemo and other medicines but, it seems like it isn’t working. So whatever requests Rose makes, I hope you can fulfil it.” Jane nods as he looks at Mary with a pained smile.

“I’ll do whatever I can, Auntie. Rose had asked me a few times. About wanting to have s*x, which I found strange considering she said she wishes to save it for marriage. I promise you, that I won’t touch her.”

“No. If she asks, I hope you will oblige. I’d rather her die happily, let the Gods condemn me for allowing it but I’d rather my daughter die happily in your arms then in misery in mine.”

“I understand.” Jane tells her, looking at Mary.

“She loves you so much, much more than I have ever seen. I have never seen her be serious about anyone until she would argue with me and be angry. So please.. Make her last dying breaths the best as you can.” Mary tells him with tears in her eyes, to which she is surprised seeing Jane on his knees in front of her, wiping her tears with his fingers before taking out a tissue to give it to her.

“I love her just as much as she does auntie, and what I would prefer doing. Is winning your approval to marry her when I’ve graduated and more established. However, fate may not give me that chance. So right now, I’m asking you auntie. May I have your blessing?”

“My blessing?”

“Your blessing to propose to Rose with this ring.” Jane shows her the rings, for his ring. A simple plain silver ring with Rose’s initials engraved into it and for her, a 10 karat diamond white gold ring.

“Yes. You have my blessing. I’ll tell Rose later. So please, make the last days of her life as beautiful as you can.”

“Your blessing is all that I need to continue my plan.” Those were his words, and they were true till this day.

Back to the present, Jane is looking at his silver ring with Rose’s name, reminiscing the beautiful tragedy of his love with Rose. Monty and Reiner were his best men at his wedding. It was small, short but just enough.

He reads the text from Mary

'Hope you're doing well.' Mary's text gave Jane a sense of calm and relief. Despite Rose's passing, Mary had been talking to Jane whenever she misses Rose because most of the time she would be reminded of Rose's passionate love for him. Jane would visit Mary as she grieves for her daughter and husband, yet finds peace with this young man that she resents so much.

Once it was resentment, now it is motherly love as Mary watched how Jane picks up her 2nd child from university to drive her back to their home. Jane takes care of her children and Mary as if they were his family.

'Mary's been crying a lot. I don't blame her. Things have been hard and it’s been crazy.she must be missing her daughter and husband a lot. It must be consuming her a lot, all this grief and pain. If i can ease it, then it is all i can do for my mother in law.'

Kristina wakes up in the middle of the night, looking at Jane who holds his wedding ring in his left hand. Wondering if he is alright as he looks out into the midnight sky. His face bare the mark of an emotion which was alien from Kristina's selection of emotions. One that is commonly associated with death, pain or misery. Yet Jane looked perfect in this moment. The bare expression of this emotion simply Kristina view Jane as the Sorrowful Knight whose armor had been shed with blood and tears as he battles day by day to go through his wars.

Kristina returns to the present seeing Jane shouldering a katana as he seats calmly on the sofa. The sorrowful eyes, the beauty of his jawline, the smooth fair skin and the eyes that could be compared to blue skies.

Kristina comes close, sit next to him.

"Hey."

"Long night?"

"No. Just saw you looking... gloomy."

"Some nights its rough. Nothing i cant handle"

"It looks painful. When you touch that ring." Jane's fingers hold the ring, a weak smile encroached on his face. Jane remained silent.

"It is. It's one of the two rings that Rose and I wore during our one month of marriage." Jane answers Kristina's question,albeit the weak words of his voice.

Jane could barely contain himself, his composed demeanor has now shifted to the broken hearted man who is trying to get his bearings together. He can’t keep it together right now.

Kristina immediately hugs him tight, surprising Jane.

"I'm sorry." Jane did not say much, Jane is sick of this pain. Talking about the loss is no longer painful, describing the pain is. The pain in his heart, it felt like needles being pressed into his heart slowly but each time getting deeper and deeper. He is already bleeding out. Kristina is trying to comfort him, but she doesn’t know what would help.

"Just go and sleep Kristina. You’ve got a longer day ahead of you later. You shouldn’t have to bother with this" jane tells her as he tries to make Kristina let go. To which Kristina leans closer to his face then kisses his lips. As she holds the deep kiss she pulls Jane's hands to the back of her waist. She pulls back , tasting his lips which had left her wanting more. They tasted like the mint chewing gum he would consume to keep his breath fresh.

"Then use me. Use me to comfort yourself.use me like a doll." Jane shakes his head as he lets go.

"No. I don’t want to use you to comfort me. That is not how it works." Jane tells her as he turns away, to which Kristina simply goes for his cheeks. The rapid kissing the feeling of Kristina's lips latching on to his cheeks it was as if Kristina wanted Jane for herself tonight and Jane just didn’t want to budge because of how she is behaving. It is comforting, the physical contact that he craved for long but he would not want to hurt this girl if he called out Rose's name if he indulges into skinship. To which Kristina goes for a much aggressive approach as she puts herself on him. Jane was too weak to resist as he doesn’t want it, but Kristina puts her body on him, her head resting on Jane's chest.

"Then make me your pillow" Kristina tells him as she snuggles on him.

"Don’t. Get off and go to sleep kristina." Kristina turns to him, holding his cheeks.

"I... I just want to make you feel better. You look so hurt." She gets off him and sits by her bedside, facing Jane directly.

"21st November. 3 years ago. I heard that Rose had cancer. One year for her to live. I asked her mom if i could ask Rose's hand in marriage and the mother's blessing. She gave it to me and I spent the following year doing whatever I could to keep her afloat throughout chemo and all the treatments but it backfired. Her body rejected chemo and so we went all around the world with whatever time we had... I..." Jane pauses as his mind puts the words into a sentence. Trying to make sense of the sentence without making it sound confusing as the memories flood into his mind.

"I proposed to Rose at Eiffel tower in France. And for one month Rose became my wife before passing away painlessly in her slumber with a smile on her face. That is what happened to her. And that is why this wedding ring is important to me. The rings she gave. I’ll always wear them aside from this but my wedding ring is still just as important" Kristina looks down, seeing Jane's gloomy smile that was beautiful but sad.

'His heart must be breaking.. oh dear..’ Kristina hugs him tight.

"You don’t have to do things alone. If it helps.. im here to be your shoulder too." Jane simply reciprocates the hug to which Kristina could feel his warm skin getting warmer and his breathing slowed down.

To which he lets go first. Feeling better, then asking Kristina to go sleep which she does. Jane pulls his chair by the bedside and hold her hand.

"Looks like she managed to help you a little." Grey says to Jane, this time wearing the medieval samurai armour with the oni mask, as three katanas rest by the left hip.

"She gave me comfort but, it isnt what i am looking for.." Jane thinks as he watches Grey nodding.

Jane sits by the bedside, reminiscing many moments, many tragedies, many memoirs of his beloved wife. Jane closes his eyed as he waits for the clock to keep moving until dawn.

Today, Sunday is a day where Kristina stays at home alone with Jane, who is awake, calmly relaxing by the bedside reading a romance novel that she had just finished reading a week ago.

'Midnight Dreamer' a book about a young girl who meets a prince from the midnight world. Kristina loved the book because of how the young girl is so relatable to her.

Jane finishes the book as he puts it aside, looking at it with a warm smile.

"Do you like to read?" Jane nods.

"Fairy tales and romance always has a special place in my heart. Some of my best stories i've read, would leave me feeling like I have been a part of the character's journey from start to finish, and seeing all their troubles end. That makes me happy, because that is how life is. A long journey." Jane replies happily as he puts the book back on the shelf, from where he took it. Jane's warm smile after reading it, Kristina wishes that he could smile with such warmth when it came to her and hopes to be the cause of that smile. Who wouldn't want to be greeted with a warm smile? Especially from the person who is the apple of your eye?

Kristina could feel the butterflies in her stomach flutter happily, her mind plays a scene of Jane carrying her bridal style, date nights with Jane.

'Oh god...' Kristina thought as she bites her lips, looking at Jane's toned arms. She found the beauty of Jane's scars and tattoos to be appealing to her, to be another factor that added to his attractiveness.

"My family went out, so it will just be us in the house. Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"I already made pancakes." Jane tells her as he gets up, she sees his slim fit jeans that follow the form of his legs to the point it seemed that the seams was to rip, Kristina notices the P227 in his thigh holster with three magazines that are attached to the holster, then a magazine carrier wrapped around his left leg, had 6 magazines at the ready.

Jane left the room, headed downstairs while Kristina takes a shower. Jane sits by the kitchen counter, with a rifle on the table. A Spike's tactical roadhouse 308 rifle loaded with with Whitemoonlight rounds. Or known as anti paranormal rounds. Anything that is not human that has been shot by the WMG(White Moon liGht) rounds will be suffering in pain as their injuries will not be healed quickly. As the rounds are custom made to be more durable than the typical 308s. They are also blessed by the High Priestess Argenta of the Church of Euria and by Maiden Kruneida of the Belgray Scriptures along with Scholar Rajman of the Moonlight Servantes. The blessing of the bullets would do more damage to the undead like ghouls or zombies or demons. It is manufactured by the Moonglight Servantes at their ammunition factories to aid the soldiers fighting the undead and the supernatural.The existence of werewolves, demons, vampires,elves, dwarves and as such would alarm the public as most of them are able to pose as regular humans living normal lives as per human society standards.

Jane pulls the charging handle as he checks it, then attaching a foregrip at the front to help with his accuracy and then checks on his ACOG sight to ensure that it is sighted to his liking. It is a mundane task, but if Jane does not keep his gear in pristine condition, another person's loved one could die as a result of his negligence.

Which is why, Jane's work as a Sierra. While his role is a sniper for long range engagements and precision target acquisition, it is still laborious as his fitness, his mental state and composure must be at the optimum state. For a single mistake could be fatal in their situation. Kristina walks down the stairs seeing washing the plate before sitting by the table with the rifle.

"What was your favourite part of the Midnight Dreamer?"

"When the Prince showed his true colours as the emperor of the dark realm to protect Angelina. His act to declare his love to her, the way he drew the blade to keep Angelina away from her human fiance who was pure garbage. That's one of my loved moments. I felt like a kid again when I read it. Knowing that at least in those books. Good triumphs over evil." Jane's enthusiastic answer that was followed by his hand gestures had made it all better, Kristina is seeing a delicate, younger and childish side of Jane. Even for this constrained moment, she will etch it back to her mind.

"I loved the part when Angelina like. Confesses her feelings for the Prince. Telling Prince Richter that she wishes to be his wife. When he told her that all the darkness that surrounded him faded. He really loved her so much when he fought to win his family's approval by his blade and his retainers." Kristina's eyes had that little glimmer of a young girl's imaginative mind when she made that statement.

Kristina eats breakfast that Jane prepared, seeing Jane looking out the windows with the curtains closed. To which swapping to the magnetic sights lets Jane detect the x rays of the targets much better than before while keeping element of surprise

Kristina puts her plate aside, washing it meticulously as per her mother's standard before turning to see Jane still standing with the rifle, putting it aside as he had done his routine checks.

Jane then plugs in a pair of earphones as he puts his music on. Then taking the skipping rope as he just keeps going at a rapid pace, keeping it going while the music which was sad as the lyrics discussed about the pangs of a broke hearted man trying to get through life wherever he could.

Jane's warm expression disappeared as he uses the jumping rope. As he keeps a steady pace, as keeping control with his eyes closed. Kristina's mind could not help picture Jane naked, she just could not help but feel s****l about Jane.. Her mind made her picture Jane dominating her in bed, wanting Jane to rough her up and to make her scream. Her face reddens as these thoughts are being pictured, Kristina shakes her head as such thoughts are impure, such thoughts are not lady like. Or that’s what she tells herself.

'Maybe this... maybe this attraction is what makes me to be so bold with Jane. Just.. making the moves on him.' Kristina thought as she watches Jane maintain his focus with the jump rope. It was as if the world disappeared right before his eyes. As if, Jane is in a trance state. He just kept going with no rest for 2 hours as Kristina keeps watching Jane sweat.

A weird thought of her wanting to smell Jane's sweat came about and it flustered her as she tries to brush those thoughts away like how a person would try to fan a fart away from their faces.

Kristina wishes to know what is in his mind as he exercises so hard then she gets a text from Scarlet.

'Need some help with some documentation. Sent attachments to your email.' Kristina gets her laptop, then proceeds to work as she switches on her printer to do some work, whereby Jane walks down wearing a sleeveless jersey and a pair of khakis, with the pistol still by his thigh.

Jane takes his laptop as well.

"What are you doing?"

"Writing reports." Jane smiles as he joins Kristina with the work.