Theodore's gaze was filled with the figure standing before him, bathed in the light.

Only Ariana was in his world. She approached in the glow, descended to his side like an angel, held his face as if cradling a demon's, and offered her most sincere and pure kiss.

Ariana could feel Theodore's trembles slowly receding within her grasp. Gently, she loosened her hold on him.

She kept her hand tenderly placed on his face, lines of worry etching themselves across her forehead. She observed him closely, ensuring he had stopped biting himself before inquiring, "Theodore, what's going wrong with you?"

Her eyes, a deep pool of worry, stared intently at him. They glistened with the onset of tears, betraying her anxiety.

Theodore met her gaze, still seeming lost, his eyes devoid of their usual spark.

“What happened to me?" he mumbled, his confusion still evident.

Tears welled up in Ariana's eyes at the sight of him. As she gingerly wiped the blood from his mouth, her voice faltered.

"You didn't react to me, no matter how hard I tried. Your face turned ghostly pale. You were biting yourself—"

As she traced the bite mark tenderly with her thumb, she confessed, "I feared you might harm your tongue, that's why I did what I did."

Only then did Theodore seem to regain some sense of reality. He observed Ariana, noticing the unmasked concern reflected in her watery eyes. He reached up to catch a fallen tear, a faint smile breaking through his pallor.

"Did you not worry I'd bite you too?”

Now that Theodore seemed more himself, even attempting to jest, Ariana couldn't help but feel a surge of anger accompanying her lingering worry. She swatted him lightly, irritation seeping into her tone.

"Why would you make light of this? What's happening with you?”

His eyes dropped, his response nonchalant.

"I skipped sleep and breakfast. Probably just low blood sugar, nothing serious."

Her eyes bore into him, her silence almost accusatory. He misread it as anger. When he met her gaze, it was as if she was silently asking him, "Do you think I'm a fool?"

Aware she didn't believe his explanation, he sighed, conscious of the worry lines that marred her face.

“I'm alright, really," he assured her, a tender smile on his lips. His voice, although gentler, sounded exhausted. He mustered a weak laugh.

"I just need to rest. I'll be fine."