"Kreiss!" Atelier yells, climbing to her feet so she can get to him.
"Disappointing," Alexander's voice comes again, freezing her in place. She follows the source of the voice to the centre of the room, where a gigantic dragon lays in deep sleep. It is black, but its scales glow with a stark celeste green. Grunting, it begins to stir.
Atelier watches as Alexander the Gatekeeper rises. With his eyes still closed, he lifts his head and searches the room.
"Hellraiser… I can hear your heartbeat. I can /smell/ you…"
Atelier covers her wounded arm, and Alexander clucks his tongue.
"Not your blood," he says, his snout stopping right in front of her. "Your /fear./"
Atelier feels a drop of sweat trickling down her face. Alexander opens his eyes and smiles.
"There you are."
