Crow left out of the room, shutting the door quietly after he did. He left back down the kitchen and sat at one of the stools next to Akiio and Isaac. With a heavy sigh, he dropped his head onto the counter.

Isaac laughed a bit and poked Crow's head. “What's wrong?”

“It seems the only emotion that guy hasn't shut off is doubt.” Crow groaned again, letting out another sigh.

Isaac looked to Akiio. “Doubt?”

Akiio nodded. “Logically... He wouldn't want to keep even that emotion.”

“So,” Isaac looked to Crow again. “Will's shut down all of his emotions?”

“Yes,” came the little girl's voice.

All three looked over as Lisez came into the kitchen and sat herself up onto the main counter top. Crow however hadn't moved.

“It seems that Will has shut down to a mechanical level,” Lisez explained. “Right now he's only operating on the basis of doubt, which is a fear emotion. Because of this, he's probably doubting any of this is even real.”

“So he thinks we're a dream?” Isaac frowned, dropping his head onto the counter too. “Aww, but I wanted to be friends with him~”

“None of you can be friends,” Lisez said sternly. Slowly, Isaac and Crow lifted their heads, looking up at her with their chins on the counter. “Isaac, I need you to see about Invictus. Akiio, find the missing chalice.”

“There's a 94% chance I won't be able to find it with my current knowledge of it,” Akiio answered.

“So widen your knowledge.” Lisez glared to him. “I won't take 'no'.” She turned back to Crow.

“What if... I don't want to?” Isaac asked, quietly.

“Then I will just order you to do it. Is that understood, Orion?” came a man's voice fluttering through the room like a dark fog. It was deep and resonated into Isaac's bones, vibrating them and making them quiver with an unnatural force.

With the sound of the man's voice echoing around them, it brought a sly smile to Lisez's mouth. She knew that it was the voice of their captor, the maestro of their orchestrated actions. What the hell is he planning? Crow thought to himself, before looking to Isaac.

With the sound of his name being spoken, Isaac's blood turned cold and goosebumps ran along his skin. It was as if an icy wind had blown just on him and no one else in the room. The surge of power and energy that enveloped him was suffocating.

“Un-der... stood,” he managed through a nervous gasp.

The devilish smile that grew onto Lisez's face proved she was no ordinary little girl god to be messed with. It hadn't even taken a second before the man had spoke; He must be ancient to have power that effective.

Isaac stood up and left out of the room without another word. Akiio got up and left, too. Lisez reached for the bowl of grapes, plucking one off and stared at it for a moment.

“'What's in a name?' What a silly idea. That names have some kind of magical binding power, eh, little Crow?” Lisez looked to Crow as she tossed the green grape into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

Crow stared at her with a fiery anger and frustration burning within his golden eyes. She just smiled to him.

“When you look at me like that, I get the feeling that someday you'll kill me.”

Crow's lips curved into a smile on the edge, hinting at the hatred. “As soon as I find a way to kill a god, you'll be the first.”

Lisez let out a nasally smirk as her eyes thinned once again. She leaned down and patted the navy steel dark mass of hair on Crow's head. “I look forward to it. But for now. You need to address this little issue with Will.”

Crow's eyes thinned a bit and his smile vanished. “You're gonna mess with his head, too?”

“It wouldn't be fair if I left him out,” she said with another devious smile. “Now, go.” She paused, and her smile faltered. “Or do I have to order you to?”

With a disgusted frustrated look on his face, Crow sat up. He said nothing as he got up and left out of the room. Only a bitter taste sat in his mouth as he headed up the stairs to his bedroom. On the way, Crow thought about the resonate man's voice that had echoed when Isaac- or rather, Orion- had questioned Lisez about his next assignment. Crow himself had heard that voice once before too, directed at him. It had been like nothing he could do would make his body disobey the order given to him. If he had been made to kill, against his will, he would have. But that was back when Crow still dared to even recall what his real name was.

In front of his bedroom door, Crow stopped, his hand on the doorknob. What... Is my real name? The more I think about it, the farther away it seems to be.

He lifted his eyes up to the door, staring into the dark wood grain.

Back then, even my eyes were mine and now they're... He shook his head, shaking off the uneasy thoughts.

After a few moments, Crow opened the door and peeked into the dark room. Even though the window let in no sunlight of the day that didn't exist outside, there was a mild blue glow of light coming in from outside. It illuminated the room just enough for Crow to see Will laying on his bed on top of the blankets. He didn't look calm in his sleep, but he wasn't looking like he was having a bad dream.

For a moment, Crow just stood there and watched Will sleep.

Is there really nothing I can do to stop them from messing with his head?

Crow's thoughts were frozen, unable to think the next thought. After another moment of blank empty thoughts Crow turned away from the room and closed the door softly. He let out a breath of a sigh and then headed down the hallway.

At the end of the hallway there was another staircase, this one going up. This staircase was far darker and gloomier than the one that went downstairs. Crow went up into the darkness and knocked on the first door he came to at the top of the narrow steps. After no answer came, he opened the door and went in. All that was inside was a small single bed with a pillow on it and a tiny wardrobe next to it. He fished out of the wardrobe some blankets and a pillow case. Soon, Crow was fast asleep on the uncomfortable guest bed.

In his dreams he heard that voice resonate, making his bones shiver. “You will help me if you want to be free.”

The unsettling feeling licked at Crow's very heart. He rolled over in his sleep and groaned.

“You will.” repeated the voice, firmly.