"Cynthia," Cora wasted no time in running out of the pharmacy and reaching Alana, "We need to leave. Now!"

"We will Cora. Calm down," Alana urged Cora to calm down. The little girl's ragged breathing only poured fuel upon her anxiety. Her mind was travelling to places. Bad places. She could not lose Cynthia. What about the happy ending her big sister had promised her? What about their promise of having a bright future? Did it all go in vain just like that?

The hazy tones that surrounded her, compelled Cora to revert to the present. She flinched when Lena harshly turned her around, and spoke to her.

"Cora, get a hold of yourself!" Lena yelled at the face of the apprehensive girl, "We need to stay strong and work faster."

Cora nodded her head and followed Alana and Lucian's lead.

With bated breaths, the four of them headed towards the adjacent forest, preparing themselves silently to extricate Cynthia and Leon from any possible danger.

"Do you think whatever that creature was, has given up on following us?" Cynthia asked as she leaned her back against a tree trunk while she steadied her uneven breathing.

Leon on the other hand, chugged down a great amount of water from his bottle. He wiped off the sweat from his head that had managed to drip down till the corner of his face. In reply, with a sigh, the Dragonesian shook his head.

"I am not sure," with that being said, the Dragonesian leaned against the same tree trunk as he took a seat beside Cynthia, "But I really do hope he has."

"What was he exactly?" Cynthia questioned out of sheer curiosity, "For sure he was not a human. He did not happen to appear as a Dragonesian as well. Then what could he possibly be?"

"He was a hybrid," Leon replied with his gaze on Cynthia's, "He was a Driren, the offspring brought into this world due to the union between a Dragonesian and a Siren."

"Driren..." Cynthia trailed off as the term felt really familiar to her, for some reason. Until, she finally remembered the reason the term seemed familiar to her.

"But Drirens are mythological creatures, are they not?" Cynthia asked, becoming perplexed, "I remember reading about Drirens in a book containing records of mythological creatures."

"They are not," Leon denied, "They have never been just mythological creatures. Drirens are conniving and sly brutes. They reside the majority part of their lives under the ocean, away from the surface. However, that is nothing but a false theory. Drirens come up once in a while above the surface of water to drink either human or Dragonesian blood. But their bloodlust for humans is more extreme."

"Is that why I was attracted towards the Driren before, because he possessed half Siren traits?"

"Apparently yes," Leon answered, his gaze not leaving Cynthia's once. There was something in Leon's crimson eyes that was making Cynthia grow in trepidation for some odd reason. It was not like she ever felt uncomfortable under Leon's gaze. His gaze was always warm, with a sense of protection dancing inside it. Then why those similar eyes narrated a beguiling tale, almost tempting Cynthia to do something he should never have, was not understood by the girl. A sudden fogginess shrouded the girl's mind that she had to hold onto her forehead to steady herself.

"You are such a fool, my little Cynthia. Young girls are always so easy to trap."

Cynthia's eyes widened at a different voice. A more alluring, seductive and sultry voice. The voice that belonged to a Driren. When Cynthia opened her tightly clenched eyes, she found herself in the arms of the Driren, with his vicious stare on her as those blood covered pointed canines protruded out of his mouth.

Something was wrong. Cynthia tried to move her arms and feet, but could not. She attempted to move her lips but could not. She was unable to move even one of her fingers.

Completely paralyzed was what Cynthia had become.

The Driren, who had now morphed back into his own enticing self spoke each and every word, low but clearly, to the girl, "Your blood smells so sweet. I cannot wait to take a sip of that delicious blood."

Cynthia, if could move her mouth or show expressions, then she would have. She would have thrown a reply full of disgust at the Driren, and would have had freed herself from him. At least, would have tried to.

"Let her go!"

"Thank God," Cynthia thought inside her head when she heard the familiar voice. The voice belonged to none other than the original Leon and not this impersonator.

"Ah, took you long enough Dragonesian," the Driren mockingly let out at the sight of the exhausted Leon, "Do you know how long it has been since I have trapped Cynthia in my crafted illusion?"

Cynthia wanted nothing but to break free from this alluring Driren in front of her. His coquettish charms were slowly affecting Cynthia, and she knew if she went into the state of drowsiness, it would be the endgame for her. Practically, she was inviting the Driren to drink her blood, as her eyes grew heavier and her entire body warmer.

"You are prepared now for me to drink blood," the Driren cooed as his slit like tongue glided across his plump lips, wetting those organs. He moved his head forward, his canines slowly erupting out more, until something hit the corner of his head.

The Driren, who was sitting on top of a tree-branch, with a half-unconscious Cynthia on his lap, glanced down. He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the sight of more kids joining Leon.

"Ugh," the Driren rolled his eyes while his eyes grazed over the arrival of other companions of Leon, "Humans. Such pathetic nuisance."

The Driren touched the glossy, silvery fluid that had managed to slip out of the little wound caused by the pebble thrown at him. It was neither Alana nor Lucian, nor Lena or Leon. But little Cora, who did not seem too little with that fiery glare of hers.

"Leave my sister now, you monster!" Cora yelled at the amused Driren, who swung his legs nonchalantly while watching Cora.

"And why should I listen to you?"

"You will not," Lucian spat, anger dripping down his throat, "Because you have no conscience within you."

"Hmm," the mischievous Driren put his slender fingers on his sharp, knife-like jaw, pretending to be humming in deep thoughts, "For sure, I would not like to possess a conscience. Hence, why do we not play a game? A game to test your so-called conscience?"

With that being said, the Driren snapped his fingers, creating a vibration strong enough to force them to collapse down. When they finally regained their composure, the five of them found themselves inside a maze. A maze covered with doors and windows. So many that it were making them feel caged and suffocated. Not to mention, behind those doors and windows were houses. Normal two-storey houses, toppled over one another like blocks but not falling down eventually. To make everything worse, each and every door and window, and exterior of houses, including the ground they were standing on, was plain white.

It was nauseating.

The Driren stood with quite a distance between them. Cynthia was in his arms, sleeping soundlessly with a lenient smile on her face.

"One hour. Let's see if your conscience gets you through this maze alone till you find your friends. And then ultimately, find and rescue Cynthia. But all that, within an hour.

And if you fail," the Driren's smile grew wider while his pupils dilated with excitement, "I get to drink all of your blood."

Within the blink of an eye, the Driren vanished in thin air, along with the unconscious Cynthia. But before that, his riddle trailed off.

"One hour is all you have got,

Perhaps a little conscience might work,

Fight with your inner demons,

But tell me truly,

Is it that simple?"

Leon found himself alone with no one by his side, as he stood still in front of a white house. He walked forward, turned the doorknob around, and entered.

The nasty game of the Driren had already begun.