His glowing red eyes, usually full of calculation, were unfocused, reflecting the dim light of the room. The ever-present digital hum around him had quieted, leaving only the slurred murmur of his voice as he rambled to Velvette, who sat beside him with a bemused smile.

“And she’s a girl!” he exclaimed suddenly, as if it were a revelation that had just occurred to him. His voice wavered, the words coming out in a drawn-out drawl. “A really beautiful girl… more than that… I guess she’s what you’d call alluring.”

He leaned closer to Velvette, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as if he were sharing the most profound secret in all of Hell. “And she had a very nice figure.”

Velvette tilted her head, her interest piqued by Vox’s uncharacteristic behavior. He was always so controlled, so above the petty emotions of others. Yet here he was, spilling his thoughts like a love-struck fool. She couldn’t help but press him further.

“Who are we talking about, Voxxy?” she asked, her accent thick and tone light, almost teasing.

Vox blinked, his mind trying to catch up with the conversation. “Cassandra,” he said finally, the name slipping from his lips with a hint of reverence. “Hell’s sweetest actress… That’s what they call her, isn’t it? Sweet… so sweet, it’s almost sickening.”

He chuckled, but the sound lacked its usual edge. Instead, it was tinged with something softer, almost melancholic. “But there’s more to her, Velvette… more than just sweetness. She’s… different. She looks at you, oh you had to see her eyes-“