The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet as Mirage walked across it. Mirage looked out across the frozen lake as the ice beneath him cracked and groaned. He was out here for a purpose and that purpose was to permanently leave this world. The cruel world around Mirage had only shown him pain and hurt. Humans couldn't accept shapeshifters, Mirage being one of them. The frozen lake under Mirage's feet cracked and groaned as he continued his journey across it. He didn't fear death, no, he feared living in a world where he wasn't seen as an equal to humans, a world where he was deemed dangerous. Mirage stopped about midways in the middle of the lake and looked out at the landscape one last time. The frozen lake cracked and down into the depths of the abyss Mirage sank. He sank with no struggle into the frigid waters below, surrounded by darkness Mirage sank. He had no fight, no urge to swim back to the surface, he felt at peace for the first time in centuries. As Mirage felt himself sinking deeper into the dark, frigid waters he smiled, for the first time in centuries he smiled, grinned even.

'This is it' he thought as he sank further down into the water. He finally thought his time was up but it seemed that fate had other plans. A young Roman girl named Camila had seen Mirage fall into the abyssal waters below. Camila gathered the bottoms of her long skirts and scampered haphazardly onto the ice before laying down onto it and reaching into the waters below to pull the shapeshifter out and back up to the surface. The ice beneath the two cracked in protest but Camila knew then, she had to save this shapeshifter's life because no one deserves to die.

Mirage, although unconscious, felt the warmth of Camila's body and sought it out like a moth to a flame. Camila carefully drug the young shapeshifter off the ice and back to her house which wasn't too far away luckily. As she reached her door she nudged it open with her boot and carefully laid Mirage down by the fire before scurrying off to fetch a warm blanket. As she returned she saw the way he shivered and a pang of sympathy pierced her heart like nothing she'd ever felt before. She settled beside the shapeshifter and very gently rubbed the top of his head as if in an attempt to ease the shivering racking his body.

"Poor shapeshifter...You don't deserve death," Camila murmured gently as she ran a hand through his short, fluffy hair. "You deserve so much more..," she breathed out as she watched the fire crackle in front of her. All the while Mirage subconsciously sought out the comforting touches from Camila's hands.

Many silent hours pass before Mirage finally begins to stir with a quiet whine, almost like a puppy. He looked around silently trying to figure out where exactly he was. Camila, having heard the whine from the kitchen, quickly walked out and looked at Mirage.

"Where...am I?" He questioned while studying Camila. He tilted his head watching how she sat a bowl of soup down on the table in front of him.

"You're in my house...My name is Camila...I pulled you out of the frozen lake.." she murmured gently as she watched Mirage look at her with an almost...pitiful expression. "you can eat.. That's for you" she smiled reassuringly as she gestured at the soup on the table.

"I-I'm...Mirage...I'm a-- shapeshifter...." He mumbled sounding, ashamed of what he was. Camila, however, smiled gently at him before sitting in front of him.

"I know what you are...I'm not afraid of you for there is nothing to fear about you.." She whispered, gently caressing the scars across Mirage's face. "I see you and I see a shapeshifter...who's lived a life of pain.. I see a gentle shapeshifter who just.. wants to be loved" She traced over a scar above his upper lip with the utmost tenderness.

"You...aren't.. scared of me?" He asked, his voice laced with utter disbelief. This beautiful woman, this goddess of a human, didn't fear him. A shapeshifter. A demon. In some cases a murderer. No she didn't fear him.. instead she cared for him.

"I see no reason to be.." Camila said as she watched Mirage carefully take the bowl of soup before beginning to eat slowly. "You're a gentle creature.. one who wants to be seen.." she observed one hand gently running through his hair as he ate.

Mirage leaned into the gentle caresses from Camila as he slowly ate the warm soup she had provided. He'd never admit it but being touched like this, being seen, it felt amazing. For centuries it was all he wanted and now here he was melting at the touch of this goddess of a Roman girl who had saved his life.

"Thank you, for saving me I mean.." Mirage mumbled after a few beats of silence between them. He felt like he owned this girl his life. Admittedly he did in a sense, but he was just happy to be seen finally.

"Of course.. Mirage." Camila smiled gently as she felt him rest his head on her shoulder once he had finished eating.

'God the way she says my name..' Mirage thought to himself, the way his name rolled off her tongue, it made him feel things he hadn't felt in a while. He wanted to hear her say his name more. No longer did he have to fear those dark abyssal waters under the lake ice, he had to fear falling in love with this girl. Humans and shapeshifters were told they could never be together but that didn't stop Mirage from wanting to be with Camila. She had saved his life and he wanted nothing more than to repay her for that. He'd protect her, love her, be around her, just make sure she was happy. He'd do whatever it took to keep this specific human in his life.