"I- I got it..!", her hands were shaking as she let the vail slide into his outstretched hand. "I don't know why the Samaritan gave it to me... it's... I have no idea, it just happened."

With an emotionless expression on his faces, Silco raised the glass container to his eyes and examined it from all sides before gifting her a gaze that could have been anything from confusion to displeasure.

"What is this?", he asked while grabbing her face and squeezing it.

Struck by the pain, Maria winced and fell to her knees. Her hands grabbed him by the wrist.

His bodyguards moved, ready to smash the life out of her, but he made them freeze with one gloomy gaze.

Leaning down to her, Silco moved his lips, as if he had a bitter taste on his tongue and couldn't get rid of it. He raised the vail and let it dance in front of her eyes.

"I ask you again.", he said in a voice that could have been both a death penalty and a warm hug to comfort her tense nerves. "What is this?"

With shaking lips, she swallowed the urge to scream.

Tears were filling the corners of her eyes but she forced it back. Crying in front Silco would have meant her end. He had no patience nor interest for her uncontrolled emotions.

"It's... the Samaritan...", she stuttered. "It's the thing... the shimmer you wanted..."

Raising an eyebrow, he let go of her in such a harsh manner that she fell to the floor.

"This is the shimmer?", he asked.

She nodded, trembling, while not daring to get up.

Instead, she remained laying on the floor. Her whole body was stiff.

"Hm. How strange. When me and the Samaritan had a little talk the shimmer wasn't supposed to work. Still side effects. Still a risk of becoming a monster."

"It's the shimmer. The same one. I swear. I swear it's the same!"

"So the mistakes just magically improved over the past week? How realistic does that sound to you? Are you trying to fool me?"

Biting her lips, Maria squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Her legs twitched as his steps filled her ears.

"I can only tell you what I saw. The Samaritan gave it to me. If you don't believe that this is the same mixture, try it."

His steps stopped. For a moment, Silco remained frozen. His blue eye jumped from her to the shimmer and back.

She seemed truly convinced, he had to admit. But at the same time his common sense told him that this sounded like magic.

And Silco was a man who put little trust in magic. He preferred facts and a solid base that humans could rely on.

Power did not choose a person. Those people who wished to be powerful took that power, whatever it would take.

"Hm.", pressing his lips into a thin line, be turned the vail between his long, slim fingers. "That does sound like a good idea. Let's test it."

Suddenly, he reached out and buried his hand inside her hair.

With a scream, Maria tried to free herself.

But Silco was physically stronger than he looked. With one swift movement, he pulled her to her knees. She was crying and shaking but his grip did not loosen.

Instead, he put more power into it.

"Why are you crying?", he asked while wiping a tear from her face with his thumb. "It was your idea. If this is truly the right shimmer, then you have nothing to worry about. It won't effect you in a negative way. It might even cure diseased that you didn't know you had."

Crying and begging she folded her hands and begged him to let go of her.

"No... No, please... I beg you...", tears were running down her cheeks, drawing black lines of messed up mascara all over her face. "Don't... don't use it on me! Please!"

"Well...", eying the slaty trails on her face, he let go off her. "Why do you fear this so much? You brought it here, ensuring me this is what I want. You have nothing to worry about."

Her whole body was shivering as Maria tried to wrap her arms around his legs.

But Silco dodged it with surprising ease. With one silent glance he ordered his bodyguards to pick her up and hold her on front of him. As if she had nothing to worry about he gifted her an expression that could have been mistaken for a smirk.

Again, he held the vail in front of her.

This time, her watery eyes locked onto the violett liquid.

"Prove me your loyalty.", he said. "And I'll reward you."

The crying stopped. Instead, heavy breathing filled the silence.

She was thinking. Her eyes jumped through the room, from the shimmer to Silco and out of the window. Regret appeared on her face.

Maria finally realised how stupid she had been. Going to Silco had been a stupid move, presenting herself on a silver plate without any kind of plan B.

Yet again, it had confused her that you had handed out the shimmer so easily.

As if it did not truly matter.

Pulling a face, she growled and snatched the vail from him.

Pleasantly surprised by her sudden change of heart, he tilted his head and crossed his hands behind his back.

"What happened?", he asked, grabbing a cigar from his box.

With a grim expression on her face, Maria opened the lid. A hiss sounded as the pressure inside fell.

"I'm sick and tired of this stupid Samaritan.", she mumbled while hesitating one last time. "Loved by everyone. Respected. Always prim and proper. Like a fucking saint. But this is Zaun. Your leadership is the only thing that can safe us."

One last time her eyes locked with his.

Silco had to admit, this view did impress him. But he would have never admitted that.

His eyes followed the movement of her body as the liquid crawled down her throat.

Swallowing a few times, Maria emptied the entire container without faltering once.