“Wait, who are you?” Ethan stumbled back, disengaging from her. The spell was broken, the moment changed in an instant of suspicion and doubt. The air darkened, as if a storm cloud gathered overhead, pregnant and seething with intentions.

He knew the moment she said it, perhaps even a millisecond before, that he was being too trusting. The potion, the vulnerable nakedness, talking about the Firewall as if it didn’t matter. He would not make those mistakes again, but it might not even matter at this point, he thought.

A feeling of acceleration came over him. Perhaps the shock of realizing what he’d done triggered some kind of, he shuddered at the thought, biological reaction that catalyzed the potion. Or maybe it just took that long to kick in.

She smiled toothfully, rows and rows of jagged bone one on top of the other going all the way down into the darkness of her throat.

“It’s ok, relax.” She said. “I’m not going to bust you, or anything.”

“I have to go now.” Ethan said, putting on his glasses.