Julian loved it when they ran. More specifically, when Jenny ran.

Jenny never ran from fear or in hopes to get away like the others. No, Jenny ran to fight back. Like when she ran from him to find the base in order to save her friends back in the second game. She was marvelous when she ran. She had an aura about her, electricity around her as she sprinted, used every ounce of her energy left just o haul herself forward in an attempt to win. It was utterly thrilling to Julian.

Even now she looked like a goddess as she took off through the imaginary streets of this village. Somewhere in India, he picked today, with tall clay buildings, the officers with swords and women in bright but covered outfits. He gave Jenny a similar outfit, a suave blue top and pants that exposed her abdomen and ankles. With her hair glimmering like gold in the wind, she looked absolutely stunning.

Most things he took from Jenny 's memory, some from a childish cartoon she knew, and others from facts Julian knew himself; like the ground was a hardened path dazzled with sand and market stands, and carts full of hay lined the streets.

One little fun fact was the architecture of his entire world here. Something only he could see, as the shadow man, as the one in complete control. Much like how he saw the house as a basic outline, this one looked much like a Mayan artifact. Circular, with all the roads either intertwining or cutting the other off. Instinctively, each one led closer and closer to the center, where he resided now, watching, waiting.

He put Jenny in the second outer ring, giving her the ultimatum of either going left towards the outer ring of roads, which her exit would soon be found if she headed in the right direction, but due to the guards that just so happened to be there, Jenny took a sharp right, heading straight into the vicious circle.

There was no reason to explain why she was running. The guards started chasing her the second she woke up here, seeing the swords, knowing it was a game, and running to get away.

Oh, but Jenny was so much more clever than that.

He saw it in her eyes. She examined everything as she sprinted, turning sharply to avoid innocent bystanders that blocked the road. She wasn't just looking for a way out. She was looking for the trick. That's how she always won. She looked. for the loophole, the real way out. Oh, how exciting it was to watch.

Julian sat, eyes wide with amusement, as Jenny purposely went into a dead end, where a large mountain of hay rest against the back of a building. She immediately started to climb it, forcing her bare feet through the discomfort, until she reached the top where she could see the whole village. For vision sake, Julian put a stretch of golden desert beyond the village walls, telling Jenny that was her way out, but she knew. She could see it almost immediately-the circular pattern, the trick. But by now she was already in the third inner ring.

Too late.

The guards came up behind her, starting to advance the pile as well. Julian could feel her panic, trapped, beginning to fear it all-until she saw the window. The only window on the building that this pile rested on. She broke the lock with one swift kick, and shoved her way through, sliding down even more hay into the barn like stable. She didn't hesitate. She got back up and charged outside.

Oh, she was so beautiful. So bright, so demanding. She always tried to win even when she knew she had lost. She tried going left now, back the way she came, but the guards were already there, making her turn back. If her mind wasn't in a panic, maybe she would've seen the open door at the end of the corridor that Julian had put for her. Instead she tried to keep running, she tried to go right, but she missed her chance. All it took was a simple flick of his fingers, and the whole line of guards, about ten or so, appeared around the corner, cutting Jenny off before she could even reach it.

The look on her face‑that spark of fear...

She turned back, diving through the backs of the market stands, shoving her way through back into open road, but then it happened.

She tripped. So simply. Julian never had to set that up. They always tripped on their own.

Jenny fell head first, barely catching herself and sliding among the harsh ground. She didn't get the chance to get up. Julian put the guards around her in an instant. By the time she lifted her head, she was surrounded in a circle of swords. He could feel the slight irritation inside Jenny as she put her hands up in defeat, but she couldn't deny the rush in her blood, the anticipation. Even if she never admitted aloud, she loved the games. She loved being captured. For extra measures, Julian made one of the guards tie Jenny's hand behind her back with some thick rope as they arrested her.

He soaked up the victory with pleasure. He had won the last few games lately, making him proud as to have yet broken his winning streak. So he sat back in the throne, hands politely on the arms of it as he waited for his prize.

...

When Jenny was brought in, it was to the center of the village into the highest building. It was like a room of royalty with guards lining the door, great big statues against the walls, paintings, fancy knickknacks everywhere, and even a large red carpet that led up a small set of stairs to a large throne, the Sultan's throne. Julian sat there, dressed in a heavy black get up; the top much like a vest, exposing his muscles and chest, and the pants being very tight-fitting at the waist, hugging those boney hips of his, and loosening up at the ends. His hair stood out greatly against the black fabrics, although those small black horns matched perfectly with them, while his eyes were wild and exalted upon Jenny's arrival. The guards released her at the bottom of the stairs right before his throne-They rested Julian's prize at his feet and left.

Jenny couldn't help but smile, a small defeated smile.

"Ha ha, " she said dully, meant to mock him, "you win. Now untie me."

Julian 's eyes grew wider at that. "Actually I rather like seeing you tied up, Jenny. So fierce, but so constricted. I truly believe you will unravel if I release you."

Something in Jenny stirred. Why did he always have to be a tease? As frustrating as it was, it only drew Jenny in more. "Then untie me and find out."

Julian smirked at that. She swore she'd never seen it look so hungry. The way he looked at her now, pupils dilated and lost in that impossible blue with that kind of smile, it was as if he was starving for her.

He merely flicked his wrist, a motion so small it could've gone unnoticed if it weren't for the blur of gold that flung from it. The sharp head of a spear landed at Jenny's feet with the clanking of metal against tile. Jenny knew he would enjoy watching her struggle to pick it up but she did anyway, awkwardly bending her knees and reaching with her bound hands and scrambling until she got it. When she stood, she purposely put her back to the shadow man, or currently, the Sultan.

"I haven't forgotten, Julian," she said loud enough to make her voice echo around the lonely room.

"Good, then you know I mean to claim my prize." There was a shift in his voice‑he had stood up. His footsteps echoed down the steps and approached her slowly, purposely drawn out. "Now let's see...what shall we choose?" The voice stopped right behind her, the presence looming against her back, touching but not touching. Somehow, his tone seemed to go quieter, lighter. "Another game? Maybe keep you in that Scottish cabin with me again."

Jenny struggled to move the rock in a proper motion, but the rope didn't seem to loosen up at all. After Julian's voice had faded out, she had gotten distracted by the chaffing on her wrists and the ache in her tendons of trying to free herself‑when the cold grips suddenly snatched her palms firmly. Everything in Jenny jumped from the sudden touch, when she really should've been expecting it. With him so close-so taunting behind her, she shouldn't have jumped-she cursed herself for it. Julian took the spear from her hands, and his voice appeared right in her ear.

"Perhaps a week constrained to the bed and living off of me and me alone? "

Jenny felt herself react. The slight loss of breath, the hitch in her chest, the burn of her cheeks as she imagined herself tied to a black headboard, wearing nothing but shadows, with him controlling everything‑

There was a tug and the ropes loosened and dropped in an instant. Feeling them peel off her skin was relief. Jenny faced Julian immediately, rubbing the benign irritation away.

"That's not what I meant."

"Would you rather I be the one bound?" His eyebrows gave a slight bounce, a more dangerous action than his smirk

Jenny's eyes widened, letting Julian win again with a chuckle. She had to shake it off-She needed to. "Julian, seriously."

"When have I not been serious?"

"You have to let me see them."

The playful aura finally broke, like a taut violin string snapping harshly. Julian's smile slowly wore down into a displeased look that clearly showed he disapproved of the topic change. His gaze darted to the side. "I don't have to do anything."

"You said I could have anything-"

"‑that doesn't break the rules, Jenny. Earth is no longer an option. " He gave the words a light sensation, almost singsong like, then pivoted and returned to the stairs.

Jenny followed with ease. "I'm not asking for a week or anything like that. Three days would- "

"‑be more than you bargained for. "

He fell back on the throne much like a stubborn child would in his timeout chair. Jenny stopped at the top of the stairs and had to take a minute to admire him. She remembered how he acted a few months ago, back when he first had her. Really had her, all to himself, no tricks, no interruptions. Time had really blurred there. They didn't play any games, not as they did now. No, back in the beginning everything was...calm, like still water. They had just floated there together, staying afloat only by touch, only by conversation. Julian hadn't changed. Jenny learned that. He had been...exposed, once they had fled to the deepest darkest shadows of the world, a part of him had peeled away, only for Jenny to see. That side of him, everything during that first month or so, had been blissful.

Now Julian was trying to conceal it again. Not for good, Jenny felt. No, playing games had put him back in his comfort zone, sure but he'd act up again. Jenny knew there'd be a moment where a sliver of kindness would slip out. But she felt as if she was with the real Julian nowadays. Now that she was entirely his, the mere mention of being away, the shear fact of separation caused a major shift in their atmosphere.

Jenny took a step closer, her lips in a thin smile, soft in her words. Mainly because bargaining with the shadow man had gotten easier over time and she couldn't help but feel...glad. Pleased that Julian was so stubborn on letting her go. Still, her friends...

"If you let me visit them for at least three days then we can try anything you like when I get back."

Julian would've held a smirk then, but it was replaced by a steadfast smile, one that was clearly forced. "Oh, Jenny, haven't you learned? I always get what I want. "

"So do I. "

Now that made Julian truly smile, flashing teeth that might as well be razor sharp or covered in blood. Yet he said nothing. He had no need to. It was all his fault anyway, and Jenny knew it all too well now.

Reluctantly, Jenny let out a sigh, and crossed her arms. "You swore. Besides while I 'm gone, you can do your ...you know, duties. "

The word was awkward. The fact that Julian needed fear to thrive was undeniable and not exactly uncomfortable to Jenny. It was like Julian 's side job she never saw, besides him pleasing her. It was like how he fed, escaping while she slept to inflict terrible nightmares on God-knows who.

Julian rested his hand on the back of his fingers then, elbow perched on the arm of the throne. "Then again you never have seen me at work. " A dangerous look came into those eyes, growing darker for the moment. "Would you like to accompany me, Jenny? "

"Don't change the subject. "

Julian finally sighed and sat up straight, head turned to the side as if unable to look in her direction. Still, Jenny wasn't upset. Instead, she moved a little closer, then gently placed herself on his lap, sitting sideways on his legs as if he were Santa and she was telling him what she wanted. It was a very cautious move, as if for them to touch at this moment was very foreign. It made Julian glance at her, but not her eyes-no, he merely saw her, felt her, then looked back away. There was a quiet moment.

"Please? "

Those sapphire eyes flickered back at her sharply, meeting her gaze directly with enough power to conquer anything before the next blink. Julian had stared at her for a moment, but for once said nothing, and looked away again.

Jenny let her hands rest on his chest, playing with the black tunic fabric. "You know...I could just lock you up for three days. " His gaze snapped back, the threat now ten times worse. Jenny could've laughed. "I'd let you back out when I got back. "

The grip on her hair appeared so fast that she gasped, yanking her head back so tight that her neck stiffened, staying exactly where it was. Julian was much closer now, holding her firmly in place. She felt his breath on her lips as he muttered, "I'd like to see you try."

Jenny just smiled, and soon his grip loosened. She met his gaze in a teasing manner, and started running her hands up his neck and into his silky hair, minding the horns that stuck out slightly. They didn't bother Jenny as much as she thought they should.

Slowly, she leaned forward until her forehead met Julian 's-it wasn't so much a loving gesture, although it was gentle. Doing it was more like...a compromise between them.

"I swear I'll make it up to you. So...Please? "

Instead of answering her, Julian merely kissed her, engulfing her lips, claiming what was his in seconds. He kissed her deeply, shrinking any space that ever existed in this made-up world to him and him alone. Jenny had to pull away after a moment. Even after experiencing it a dozen times, his kisses still dazed her. Not before-where she was floating and lost and pathetically helpless to them-no, now his kisses left a new feeling in Jenny; they stirred her up immediately, startling and shifting the world around her into something utterly different, but they also left something behind. A strange lingering that made everything in Jenny tingle, as if numb.

She gave another sigh as she came to a stand, and turned away to head down the steps. She had started to say something along the lines of, "How many games do I have to win in order to convince you‑" But the sudden grip on her wrist literally pulled her to a stop. Before she could fully turn around the space between them was gone, all of Julian 's height pressed against hers, and his lips just brushing her cheek. Her arms were trapped between them as suddenly all she could take in was Julian. He embraced her so quickly, holding her so tightly, that everything that ever existed in the world was Julian.

"You're mine. "

Just two words said so simply, but stressed beyond compare.

Of course Jenny understood. After how hard they had fought, after how far they'd come, letting go for an instant was...frightening.

But time had passed. What, two‑three months? Jenny hadn't been keeping track.

Still...

Jenny took a step back, surprised the shadow man allowed her to do so. She looked him over for a moment, then silently held out her hand to the shadow man, a gesture Julian had imprinted upon her after all this time. Without hesitation he took it, knelt down and kissed the black pearl that rested around her finger; like a king giving submission to his queen, worshiping her, claiming everything she was in a simple motion. The fact that Jenny initiated it was her way of accepting that.

"Don't you want to show me off? "

Jenny felt Julian's lips slowly form into a smile against the back of her fingers. For once it was an honest smile, one that was amused and knew it was being tricked at the same time. A gaze so fierce coming from a man kneeling before her was nerve-wracking.

"Why not bring them here then?" Jenny didn't even need to answer the question. She gave him a fierce look, one that was so strict it was unmovable. Still on his knees, Julian heaved a breath. "You cant fool me, Jenny. "

"I'm not. I just want to see them. "

"You can with-"

"In person. Not just a mirror. " Jenny knelt to his level and waited till he returned her gaze once more. After another moment of silence something sparked in those impossible blue eyes.

"How about another game? "

Jenny almost rolled her eyes. "We have been playing. What kind of game do I have- "

"One with more players. "

Jenny's stomach dropped. Oh no, she thought.

Julian's dark smirk returned. "If you win, I'll give you the three days. If not…."

"No. Shut up." Jenny immediately recoiled, leaning back, but then Julian had her arms. Gently, he held her by the elbows, easing her back in his space. He continued, "If you lose-"

"You don 't get to keep them, " her voice was firm, aggressive. It made Julian's eyes gleam. He looked a lot more himself now, more relaxed, more in his range.

"Oh, I don't need them, Jenny. But I can take their memories. "

Jenny quickly came to a stand, ripping out of his grip. Julian followed fluidly as to not break the intimate space between. As always, he was so close Jenny couldn't look away even if she wanted to.

"What memories? "

"Of you. "

Jenny immediately pouted. "No. "

But Julian didn't let her pull away. He pulled her back into his arms, pressing her against him. The feel of him, his strength, his power wrapped around her so gently like this was hard to refuse.

"Not all of them, " he said coolly. "Just the ones of you trying to see them. Maybe a few other details involving you. Or all of them. Depending on what mood I'm in. " Then he gave a small gasp, completely fake, just for dramatic purposes. "Then again...it would be better if they were completely out of the way. There's no reason to see you if they don't know who you are. "

Jenny jerked back, an attempt to break away, but still Julian was right there, keeping her in place in his arms, where she belonged. "Shut up, " she snapped. Oh, but she wasn't angry. The topic of her friends on the line, however, did draw a certain fierceness out in her. "You know I'm not going to risk that. And if you did, I'd get them back.. "

"Oh, would you? "

"Yes. "

"How would you do that? "

"Whatever I had to. "

Those sapphire eyes gleamed darker at her, pupils dilating in excitement-thrilled at the new game in his hands. His head even cocked to the side slightly, looking down at Jenny with such tease. "I'm willing to bargain for them, Jenny. But let me make this clear. "

All it took was a single tug and Jenny's head was turned up and away, lips pressed firmly against her ear. His voice was husky and low and oh, so venomous.

"I'm willing to hold this chance for you to see your friends, and only this chance. As much as you're willing to fight and trick for them, I'm willing to hold this card as long as I have to. "

So this was Jenny's only ultimatum. No matter how many games or prizes Jenny offered, Julian would only take this one.

Oh, it was dangerous. Why was it so hard to find the equilibrium with this demon?

Should she be mad? She really wasn't. She knew it was a terrible thing, to gamble with things that were clearly not hers to even gamble with, but that wild side of her, the one that Julian controlled, was beginning to grow with excitement-a gentle tingle rising up from her gut, trembling her knees slightly.

Jenny tried to look away. She needed to close her eyes, count to ten and think rationally. But it was so difficult with eyes as blue as the space between dimensions staring you down. It was dangerous, of course it was. A game with Julian was never simple. But with her friends‑God anything could happen. And to put their memories on the line...

No. She couldn't. Putting them in a game alone was bad enough, but to risk their memories. She couldn't.

But she doubted she could convince him any other way...

Jenny was muddled. She couldn't think straight. See her friends? Risk their memories? Risk their friendship all together? God, it was bad. She couldn't. She needed to pull away. She needed time to think‑

"Better hurry, Jenny. Who knows when I'll make this offer again. "

Slowly, Jenny looked back up and all playfulness was gone. She ripped away from him once again, then without saying a word, turned and began walking away. She barely made it toward the door before the room began to melt. It was odd to say but Jenny was used to it, watching the colors fade from everything, then blur and dissolve into something else. It was like watching a flower shrivel up and die then re-bloom into a shoe. She didn't stop walking through the process even when the ground seemed to disappear because a new one took its place.

"Jenny."

She didn't stop. Of course she couldn't escape this Shadow Man, and she wasn't attempting to. But there was a game that even the Shadow Men couldn't win at. A game of silence and stubbornness that only a woman could play so perfectly against a man, and Julian was still a man at the simplest being.

She saw the new color-new solid structure rise out of the corner of her eye, and she began to ignore it-but then it was in front of her. The wall grew so fast that it surprised her, making her pull back. A blank brick wall, meant to stop her. But Jenny wasn't playing anymore. She turned to the right and kept walking.

The alleyway formed quickly before her, with cement on the floor and a dark grey sky above her. It cut off shortly, however, forming a quick dead-end ahead of her. Finally jenny stopped and crossed her arms.

"Oh, Jenny, don't be upset." His voice came from behind her, but Jenny stayed in place, unmoving, unresponsive. Soon the teasing touch came to her bare shoulders, running down her biceps in the gentlest of touches. "You know how the games work."

And you know how I work, Jenny thought to herself. She would've said it aloud if she wasn't trying to get the upper hand. Thus, she stayed silent, her back still to him even when his grip tightened on her arms. She felt her hair being pulled away from her, then came the soft press of lips against her neck. First right behind her ear, then slowly down her neck and across her shoulder. The shivers were unavoidable, chills of delight escaping from each kiss, making her act of defiance waver.

She honestly tried to stiffen-to tense up and ignore his pepper of affection across her skin, but as she stared straight ahead the brick wall before her slowly started to drain away, as if being washed away by an invisible rain. All color and solidity slowly melted down, revealing a field larger than Jenny's sight. It was a massive ocean of yellow, flowing from the shape of mountains she saw in the distance, all the way to her feet. The sudden feel of grass under her bare feet was ticklish, and when she dropped her gaze down, she saw the yellow were flowers. Tiny daffodils, actually, the same kind Julian had secretly imposed upon Jenny the night he crashed prom. If she looked closely, they did have a light golden hue, but the under saturation made them see more yellow than gold.

Julian took the opportunity to kiss his way up the back of jenny's exposed neck, and jenny couldn't help but give out a delighted sigh, especially when the air around her was suddenly overwhelmed with the gentle sweetness of the flower field they rested in.

Many hours had been spent here, lying in the grass, wasting time, talking, kissing, but mostly just staring. To stare into Julian's eyes for so long was like their own silent way of communicating-sharing emotions, sharing intimacy without so much as a facial expression. After the past couple games, and their current fight, Jenny wanted nothing more than to sink in the flowers, to have them surround her in a sweet cushion, with the Shadow Man beside her. But then there was the second thought: Summer would love this place.

Julian's arm finally wrapped around her from behind, merely embracing her, in the lightest way he could. Jenny could easily break his arms off her without any strength at all, but she knew there was no need to now.

Gently, almost dully, he said, "It took years to finally have you here. Why would you ever think I could give you back?"

Jenny understood. She really did, but there was the part of her Julian hadn't changed-the most human side of her that was wishing for the impossible. Her hands came up tiredly and she held the arms around her. "They're apart of me. Just like I am to you." In the pause, she turned in his arms to face him, but his gaze was cast downward. She used a finger to pick his chin back up, like one would to a sulking child, until he met her gaze again. There was a storm behind those eyes, a storm Jenny hadn't seen since she had played with her friends back in the Shadow World, the very last game-the one that had started a whole war. But jenny made him stare into hers with silence-She knew he would see the calm in her, and slowly he settled into it. The storm drifted off, leaving a very open, very vulnerable man. His whole face turned down with that solemn gaze, as if in physical pain he couldn't cradle. Jenny's first instinct was to nurture his pain, which she did by throwing her arms around his neck. Julian did the rest, squeezing to the point where her bones ached. His face immediately nuzzled into the crook of her neck, breathing into her like she was going to disappear.

"It's okay," she said so softly it was basically a whisper. "Letting me visit isn't a kind thing. It's like… allowing a drowning man to reach the surface for a minute-before dragging him back down." She felt Julian's lips curl into a smile against her neck, but it didn't last long. The second he gave her a chance to breathe again, Jenny let out a sigh. "I'll make a deal with you."

Julian finally sat up, now scowling like a child being punished, to which Jenny smiled at. "We'll play another game-not with my friends-but….maybe with other players." Something dangerous flickered in those sapphire eyes, but Jenny continued. "Make the game on Earth."

"Jenny."

"Hold on. Make the game on Earth, whatever you want, but leave my friends out of it. If I win, you let me stay there for three more days. And…."

That famous old smile made it's way back onto Julian's face. "And?"

Jenny had to take a deep breath. "And if you win, I'll never ask to visit them again. Deal?"

It astonished Julian sometimes, the strength that Jenny showed. It was utterly compelling and infuriating at the same time. He wanted nothing more than to make her shine-to see that glow of hers when she fought back.

Julian kissed her quickly, roughly, one that knocked her completely off her senses then pulled away just as fast and said, "Didn't I tell you, Jenny? I always get what I want. You can't refuse me. "

That's when Jenny kissed him. Hands on his face, crushing their lips together hard enough to jerk his head, and she bit his lip as she pulled away. But not without muttering, "Ankh. "

He physically recoiled as if some unseen power had hit him in the nose, throwing him back. He was shocked, first of all, eyes wide and bright, bangs as white as snow hanging in his face. And Jenny felt proud. Because as much of a hold that he did have on her, she was still strong, independent.

And she had just as strong of a hold on him.

However, as those eyes darkened and his smirk resurfaced, Jenny began to think otherwise; that this was her first mistake in the new game. But with the fear came a new guilty sense of excitement.

It was always a game with this Shadow Man.

:3 yeah. I wrote this before I even finished the last chapter of Dark to light because it just hit me and I thought it was perfect. I 'm not too sure how this turned out. Thoughts?

Anyway, this is the end! Sadly DX

On a good note, I'm getting a book published! It's currently being edited right now, but when it's finished, it will be distributed around world wide and it would be great if you guys would check it out. I'll be posting the link on my bio on my profile page once its released.

Other than that, I'll still be writing a bunch of JennyxJulian Ffs so keep in touch! Thanks for hanging in there guys! Happy Holidays!

UPDATE 5/15: so….the possibility of a sequel is about…40% right now. If I were to make it, it wouldn't be super long, maybe like….6 chapters? Can you guys give a quick review to vote whether or not you would read the sequel? It would be something small and fun just to get the blood pumping again, and of course the passion between these two J

Let me know!

Till my next story

ZVA