Chaos is the one thing  that seems inevitable in their lives, that no matter what, chaos will  ensue. That no matter what, they are destined to be chaotic.

Steven  and Marc's lives have been seemingly better since the day they earned  their freedom and now walk the earth as their own people.

But with the warm embrace of freedom, comes the cold truth of reality.

The  world runs on money, which is something they lack. And Cleo, in her  infinite kindness, has been supporting them both until they can find a  means to acquire a paycheck.

While her accounts may be sizable, they will not last forever, but she's too gracious to say anything about it.

Steven  appreciates her, everything about her, but he will not stand for her to  be spending her money on him. And so, he throws himself into a job  hunt, desperately trying to find something, anything.

He's just too nervous.

He  fumbles over his words and has a hard time figuring out how much eye  contact is too much, so ends up trudging back to the flat with his head  down and spirits dampened.

And  as soon as she sees him, Cleo slaps closed her laptop, ignoring the  email she has just received in order to tend to her saddened puzzle  piece. She stands up from the couch and brings him into her arms, where  Steven buries his head into her shoulder as his lips tremble.

" I-I don't know what's wrong with me."

" There's nothing wrong with you, Steven."

As  for Marc, his difficulty lies with the fact that not only does he have  no resume, but also happens to be a wanted mercenary. His face is  somewhat recognizable... and therefore Steven's is, as well.

He  knows there's a target on his back, and the last thing he wants is to  have either Steven or Cleo get hurt, which is why when he's in control,  he hardly leaves the building. He attempts to soothe his mind by taking  every precaution he can. He sets up security cameras outside both  Steve's and Cleo's flats. He checks the locks every single morning and  every single night. He scopes the surroundings of both apartments,  checking for any sign of something that doesn't belong, or perhaps an  enemy hiding.

Marc never finds anything, and yet it provides him no comfort.

But to Cleo,  all she sees is someone who's making no effort. She doesn't have access  to his thought, and as such can only go based on what her eyes tell her.  She sees Steven going out and applying for jobs, but she doesn't see  Marc doing the same.

" Can I have 20 bucks?"

" Oh, um... sure."

Cleo reaches into her wallet to give Marc the cash, of which he gladly accepts, and then immediately walks outside the flat.

Truth  be told, he's heading down to the hardware store to replace a broken  lock, but Cleo only sees someone asking for money and then leaving  directly after.

As  the sun goes down, Cleo begins to make some food, something that comes  naturally at the end of the day. She begins to grab two plates, and only  then realizes that the flat sits empty.

Nobody is home.

Her  thoughts are broken by Ana jumping onto the counter, insisting that she  be fed first. Cleo smiles down at the fury animal, before grabbing a  can of tuna and setting it on the ground for the cat to eat.

Cleo  has dinner all by herself, before getting comfortable under the covers  in bed, where she pulls out her laptop and eyes the email she is yet to  respond to.

Instead, Cleo closes the laptop and pulls out a book instead.

Dracula.

She  knows the tales and myths but hasn't yet read the book herself. She  reads the pages written by Bram Stoker until it comes time for her eyes  to shut and her head to hit the pillow. She falls asleep all alone, with  all but Ana asleep on the ground next to her.

But  as Cleo's mind creates a movie within, she finds herself transported  into the realm of Dracula, in a world of black and white... in which the  face of the blood-thirsty demon is none other than that of the only  life she's ever taken.

Baahir.

In  her dream, Cleo stands before the corpse, lying in its coffin, which  has just been impaled by a wooden stake. But as she turns to face a  dirty mirror... she finds herself dressed in the armor she was bestowed,  holding the very sword she used to kill him.

" Cleopatra."

She  gasps awake, sitting up in her bed, skin covered in a thin layer of  sweat. And as her heart thumps and chest heaves, she feels her skin  become undeniably itching. When she looks down, she finds the entire bed  covered in sand. All the white sheets are now covered in tan sand. It's  in her hair and on her skin. It's in her clothes and falling on Ana's  back.

Cleo groans,  her boding tired and aching, yet she still forces herself to climb out  of bed to get the dustpan and the broom. She begins sweeping up the  sand, completely forgetting the fact that she has complete control over  it just as the locks turn and the door is swung open.

The puzzle pieces are back, only they carry the stench of copper with them.

They carry the stench of blood.

" Did you hurt yourself?"

" Yeah."

The  puzzle pieces then walk to the bathroom without uttering any more  words, leaving Cleo alone in the darkness and she continues to clean up  the annoying substance. She throws all the sand into the bin, then  finally climbs back into the bed, sighing in relief as she feels the  smooth cotton on her skin. She rolls over to get comfortable, facing the  window as she gazes out onto the nighttime sky, where she sees the  crescent moon staring down at her... in which she can almost make out a  small figure standing within it.

But she thinks nothing of it... maybe she's just seeing things.

The  puzzle pieces soon come to bed, their foot stomping on the ground and  the bed tilting to their side as they slide in. They all fall asleep,  peacefully and soundly.

And  as Cleo falls asleep, the small figure on the moon still stands, and  still stares down at her, for she should know by now... not everything  your eyes see is a figment of your imagination.

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[ im so excited for this!!! i absolutely love cleo and have missed writing her ]