[ Nikolai, for his part, doesn't seem shocked or alarmed by what Brook shares. Given what Brook explains about emotional regulation being key to controlling a Reaper's demon, it all sounds like a reasonable approach to him. If Scarlet was a protective sort of person, it made sense to try to swap in feelings of love for anger and fear. To teach her to manage her stress levels.

But at that point, Brook loses him a little. He's not sure how threatening to hurt Scarlet was meant to make her feel less fear and anger. Probably something is getting lost in translation. Right? Something must be.

His stomach gives an odd sort of twist when Brook so casually mentions Scarlet trying to dismember him again. Like it was just... an average occurrence. Nothing traumatic or abhorrent. Like he isn't even mad at her.

Just last night, by Nikolai's reckoning, the demon had taken him over and nearly ripped Zoya's throat out with its teeth. He knows, down to his bones, that she will never be mentioning that casually. Nikolai remembers their grim, silent hike back to the castle. She hadn't even been able to bring herself to look at him.

Ignoring the strange mix of shame and jealousy in his guts, he says: ]

Ah. I see. And after that, she didn't want to try again?

[ Nikolai also is getting the sinking feeling that Brook might not be able to help, after all. For all that they are so similar, the differences might be fundamental enough to make it all pointless. ]

It's a monster. A beast. I don't know exactly what it is. But it isn't tied to my emotions.

[ At least, not as far as he knows yet. ]

It's sleep that brings it out. When I go to sleep, it emerges, and I'm not there at all. Not lucid. Then when morning comes, I wake up and it's dormant again. But I can... feel it, waiting.