It was a tenebrous, soulless night. Not a single star gleamed in the dark sky, not a single platoon of official enforcers in the street, not a single individual wandered the sidewalks, constantly flashing with a boundless set of street lights. The moonlight engraved a silver lining among the city’s silhouette. Perhaps an epic foreshadowing for what was inevitably intended to transpire. Ryoku would not agree.
Ryoku wandered the street, wearing a black, leather coat, his hands placed in his coat pockets, indifferently fondling on the small bit of pocket change. On Ryoku’s ears were headphones, reverberating a silent melancholy through the shadows. A man used to living in the shadows, obscured from civic communities and public eyes. Ryoku’s eyes opened, revealing the scarlet laced, blood drenched eyes, staring up at the hazy moon stymied by the clouds in the sky.
“Death is the only thing that is a promise in life,” Ryoku said, not particularly to anyone. In his free time, Ryoku rather enjoyed being poetic, reciting lines from various poems and songs he had heard in his lifetime. Ryoku vanished with an immense speed, his body appearing through a flicker of dark matter, re-appearing on the nearest rooftop, the stars twinkling before a colossal twilight. “My blood streams through my veins cold, searing my one existence into a tragic fate foretold ♪.”
“Is that a song, Ryo?” a man said, sitting next to Ryoku on the rooftop. One second ago, he literally was not there. This alarming entrance had no effect on Ryoku, in fact, he was expecting him. His face remained distant, hidden by the fabrics of his hood garment. Ryoku turned casually to the new advent arrival, closing his eyes. A large rumble roared in the city tops, followed by a streak of lightning.
“Not quite, merely a recollection of my posture and trials,” Ryoku said with a sigh, watching the flowing midnight clouds. “Poetry is but a sword of lightning, ever unsheathed, which consumes the scabbard that would contain it.”
“Anything else you wanna spring outta’ your ass my way?” the man asked with a hearty, yet somewhat frantic chuckle. His voice resonated with a sinister string. Ryoku’s sense of humor clearly collided with this man’s, however.
“Have you completed the task Haize has allocated to us?” Ryoku asked, completely changing the subject matter to more pressing, serious matters. “We each have our own part in this; you had better be doing your share too, since you have time to criticize me.”
The man threw his hands up, “Oi, absolutely, Ryo!-“
“Don’t call me that.”
“I’ve apprehended the girl,” the man said. “She knows nothing.”
“She does know something. She knows much.”
“Yeah? You try interrogating her then hotpants. I’m telling you, she’s stubborn as a mule – won’t talk at all. I actually had to force her to talk to me. Man, she really has no manners.”
“Weak minds are easily deceived. She is but a mere mortal, after all. We do not often look underneath the underneath-“
“Okay look if you’re gonna start getting all intense serious face and poetic again I’m leaving. Seriously, no one thinks you’re cool when you do that.” the man stood up. Ryoku sighed in response, finding this conversation more of a nuisance than an actual business leap.
“What of your second task?”
“Oh? Right,” the man’s hands lifted up to his hood, pulling it down, draping over his back. He grinned, revealing some considerably thrilling fangs. He smiled delightfully.
“Those little twerps have successfully traveled through the Timestream to this day and age.” Zeru said, smiling as if it were all a little game he was playing, and winning. “They’re playing right into our hands – even Prince Sidian is so gullible.”
Ryoku remained silent, observing the dusky sky once more, allowing a light breeze to flow gently in his face, the chilling night air was dazzling. “Sidian does not concern us,” Ryoku spoke bluntly, the mere mention of Sidian’s name sending an intense chill down his spine, rummaging down his body. Ryoku apathetically shook it off. “Our target is Willman.”
“It’s no sweat anyway,” Zeru said with a light laugh, folding his arms, looking down over the city alongside Ryoku. “With Willy’s big sister on our case, it’ll be even easier. We may even get admission to Nebelion!”
“Nebelion’s passive customs will ultimately lead to their demise,” Ryoku said. “Those two siblings, along with that family of theirs, will lead to a revolution. Our goal is to see it through.” Ryoku closed his eyes. “Which is why, as long as circumstances do not condone, we are not allowed to meet face to face with Willman. If he sees me…” Ryoku lifted his hand to his face, clenching his leather gloved fist. “It could tip any natural balance in the Timestream, to the point refurbishment is unattainable.
Zeru chuckled heartily, standing up, he strode over to the door for the entrance of the rooftop casually with no care in the world. He placed his hands behind his head while watching Ryoku. “Hey dude, heard of that new organization that is suddenly skimming into public animosity.”
Ryoku turned to Zeru, cutting his eyes Zeru’s way. “Vault or Aura?”
“Aura,” Zeru said with a trivial smile. “They seem interesting.”
“How so?” Ryoku questioned, barely showing an apparent interest any way.
“They have an interesting goal, interesting cast, and an intriguing leader,” Zeru replied with a quirky smirk. Ryoku did not seem amused or concerned. Zeru sighed, “Guess I have to spell it out for you.” Zeru walked toward Ryoku, staring at him from the back. “We need to make a trip.”
Ryoku’s eyes narrowed. “My heart trembles with the solid ache of vengeance.”
“My apologies, Ms. Winterstone, but we cannot identify the properties of the War Rune,” the attorney said with profound apologetic tone.
A red haired woman with mid-back length red hair which curled elegantly in blissful strands behind her back, leaving coiled bangs stranded down her forehead, wearing a black as night corset with a royal purple lining, revealing a large portion of her stomach, while sensually revealing a savoring flavor of cleavage. A red rose adorned between her breasts on the corset. She wore a black knee length skirt with a purple wrap tied around her waist. She placed her hands on her hips as her most notable feature, her amethyst eyes stared coldly at the attorney. She flicked her crimson hair out of her face with a turn of her neck.
“Yes you can, and I ordered you to do so,” Rouge replied gravely with a cold, stoic stare. “Unless you aspire for termination in your near future, you will uncover the secrets of that rune. It’s the only lead we have, and I intend to use it,” The attorney replied, before placing his hands before his waist, presenting himself in an orderly, honorable fashion. He set off, leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
Rouge sighed, looking out of the window of the main Aura headquarters. The rain began to pick up immensely, and before long, a deafening roar of thunder blasted through the heavens, followed by a swift flash of azure lightning, lighting the first half of Rouge’s face as she stared callously out of the window. Above all else, she felt desperate inside. She slowly bit her lip as she turned away from the window, the lightning outside reflecting off of the window glass. Her crimson hair drenched in her face as she gazed down at her feet.
“These runes must be the secret to K.I.’s power. I have to uncover this power, and defeat them myself. I at least owe that much.”
“How do you intend to do that?”
Rouge heard the voice, the hollow voice called across the room. At first, she thought it was in her subconscious. She then heard the constant ringing of a bell inside of her head. It was a strange bell, hollow in its resonance, as if it had no soul, no meaning at all into its melody. Rouge closed her eyes, rubbing the temples on her head. She sat on her desk in her rolling chair, pressing the intercom button on her phone to her secretary on the first floor.
“Please, turn on the A.C immediately. It’s a little stifling in here.” She requested, more like demanded, resting her head on her desk. All of the stress at work must have finally been getting to her, in a horrid way. She usually dealt with stress well, but this day in particular had been very nerve-racking. After seemingly discovering a secret to the world’s enemy’s ominous energy source, they were unable to crack the code to using it and destroying it without discovering how it worked was nigh impossible. With all of this on her mind, she needed breaks, but never wanted to go through the initiative to take them. She never had time, time was not easy to come by, and it waited for no one.
“We meet at last, Blackrose Rouge,” Rouge heard the voice again, but this time, she could swear she heard it from the ceiling. She looked up, flicking on the lamp light at her desk as she looked up at the man literally standing from above her ceiling, his feet planted on her wall. The black leather jacket was the first thing she noticed, followed by his shaggy/spiky black hair. He folded his arms as he stared at Rouge with apathetic crimson eyes, Rouge’s amethyst eyes, perplexed by the man standing in front of her, or rather above her, jumped out of her seat.
She reacted immediately, reaching for the quadruple bracelets fashioned around both of her wrists. She tapped one of them, conjuring up a large array of miniscule needles to surround the man, and stab into his body around his neck, aiming to sever his veins and neck muscles with a dangerously accurate display by all 10 needles. To her surprise, the man simply unsheathed one black dagger with blood red edge linings, deflecting the needles all in a three severe slashes, small sparks glistened in the room, as the small droppings of the needles echoed in the empty room with the exception of these two extraordinary people. The man landed on the ground, holding his right arm above his face twisted in a horizontal curve, he twirled his dagger in his hand, sheathing it in his pouch just below his belt for his black gothic style chain pants. The man looked up, flicking his black stylish hair out of his face with a single swipe. Rouge merely looked on in disbelief. She suddenly backed up, but a scowl remained apparent on her face.
“Who are you? How did you find me? What do you want with me?”
The man’s face came into view with a lining of sapphire light from outside of the window, illuminating the face of that of Ryoku. He held his black gloved hand toward Rouge clenching his fist in midair.
“A black heart reminiscent of ghastly intentions, I stand before you, my lady, not as an act of contravention.” Ryoku lifted his index and thumb fingers in midair, pointing at Rouge. “You are the Aura leader, am I right?”
Rouge regained her balance, glaring seriously at Ryoku. “Answer all of my questions first, and I’ll answer yours.”
“My name is Ryoku,” Ryoku replied, placing his hands casually in his pockets. “I have intel on your organization, I know all of your goals documented on every last one of your private investigated files,” Ryoku said, midsentence Rouge gasped, but attempted to remain composed, as to not give away anything dire. She still wasn’t sure she could trust this man, after all.
“I want you; because I believe you could use my help, as much as I could use yours.” Ryoku said, bowing in a sign of respect for Rouge. “I come humbly before your presence, Blacksheep, as an ally, fighting the same war of generations to follow, were we not to act on the Black Doomsday.”
Rouge’s eyes widened. “H-how do you know about that day?”
“How do you?” Ryoku countered, glaring seriously.
“You brought it up,”
“Actually, you did, just now.”
Rouge scowled, adjusting her bracelets on her left wrist. “What are you playing at? You think you can barge in my private office and request for assistance from us? The fact you got around security only further proves my point.”
“There is need for haste,” Ryoku replied simply, folding his arms. He slowly walked forward to her, to the point their bodies were nearly touching. Rouge stepped back, as she felt the warmth of Ryoku’s breathing, that sweet scent of breath she ironically loved. Rouge’s eyes glanced around the room before glaring back up at Ryoku seriously.
“As far as I’m concerned, you have nothing to offer me, even if you are talented in the stealth and precision department.”
“We are after the same prize,” Ryoku said simply. Rouge’s eyes widened as she looked up at Ryoku’s. She waited for him to continue, which he did. “You want the spawn of The Kid, do you not?”
Rouge looked down, nodding barely. “How do you know all of this?”
“I told you, I have intel,” Ryoku said, turning his back to Rouge, he walked toward the open window, looking outside, another flash of blue lightning illuminating his visible complexion. Rouge stared from where she stood, swallowing, awaiting Ryoku’s next move. She used her hand to flick a strand of crimson hair out of her left eye.
“K.I. and the Vault, they’re both in the way, don’t you think?” Ryoku asked nonchalantly, looking out of the flashing window. Rouge watched his gaze, shaking her head slowly.
“Vault is more of a nuisance, but they do have one crucial member I’m interested in,” Rouge replied rather fiercely. Ryoku turned his head slowly, cutting his eyes at Rouge. “The one by Willman.”
Ryoku’s eyes widened slightly, as if she had struck a petite interest in him. “Is that so?” Ryoku asked. “Yes, he is possibly the most interesting. If you have any dreams of putting Aura on the map, both of them must be terminated.”
“I don’t have any intentions of putting Aura on the map, I only care of ridding the corrupted stains placed on the map,” Rouge replied rationally. “K.I. has declared war. Unless we act soon, the more powerful organizations, like Aura and Vault, will be the first to go.”
“The first to go will be Nebelion,” Ryoku corrected her.
“That’s debatable.”
“Perhaps.”
“I want to help you, Rouge,” Ryoku replied. “But in doing so, I need a favor from you.”
“I never agreed to help you, so why ask for a favor?” Rouge replied frigidly.
“At least hear me out,” Ryoku said, his gaze turning dead serious. “I have long since abandoned my sentimental values, and in doing so, I have restored myself to an elevated portion of self enlightenment. With no more sentimental attachments, before we go any further, I must ask that you kill me.”
Rouge gasped, glaring at Ryoku. “What the hell are you playing at?!” She reached for him, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. She threw him against her desk, clearing away all of her accessories. Ryoku merely grinned.
“My life is meaningless, and above all a nuisance. Killing me would ensure that Willman would never have to lay eyes on me.”
“You just said you would help me! What would killing you do at all?! That makes no sense! You make no sense! You’re bothering me!” Rouge was screaming, her voice cracked in irritation.
“Then why do you care so much? Your hesitation is apparent. If it holds no sentimental value to you… then strike me down in cold, merciless blood, dear Blacksheep… Stephanie Winterstone… or can you not do it?”
Rouge gulped, shoving Ryoku against her desk, she leaned against the wall. “Are you seriously implying that I have some sort of sappy concern with your well being? That I care about you?”
Rouge forced a smile, “Why are you doing this to me?”
Ryoku smiled in return, walking toward Rouge, he took off the glove for his right hand, caressing her cheek vigorously, with a full intent of passion. His body overlapped hers over the wall, practically pinning her. “My heart aches for you. I want to construct all of the broken fragments of your mind and body, and paint a beautiful new world, one that is not tainted by the corrupted pigments of the new world’s ideals.” Ryoku said, his voice barely rising above a whisper, he said, biting off of her ear ever slightly. Rouge’s cheeks turned a bright patch of crimson, her heart began to beat faster. Could she possibly have wanted this as well? “We can make a night you won’t forget, we can do it anywhere. In doing so, I will show my world.”
Rouge pushed Ryoku off of her, glaring at him with a nearly savage intent. “Get out.”
“Won’t you at least consider my gallant offer-“
“I said leave!” Rouge raised her voice, panting slightly. Ryoku slanted his eyes with a small nonchalant expression. He put on his earphones, drenched his black hood over his head, and walked out of the room, his body disappearing in a surge of dark matter, disappearing along with the shadows, his presence no longer lingering in the room.
Rouge touched her cheeks, they were burning. She felt her chest, her heart was throbbing. She attempted to fight back tears in her eyes, but the surge could not be stopped. Rouge wiped her eyes on the back of her palms, as she looked out of the window. The lightning flashed once more, revealing her mystified face of a dignified leader of an underground organization.
“How stupid… I’m the one who has abandoned their sentimental values… but why… do I care about that jerk?” Rouge stood up, kicking her desk across the room. “I won’t let anyone screw with me!!!”
The ominous ring of the hollow bells ceased.
It was a dark, ominous forest, the only sounds heard of nature were the crickets chirping, but even they would cease among this portentous presence in the woodlands. Inside of the darkened, obscure forest was a pair of demonic statues with twisted, unorthodox faces. The faces weren't natural, and most were carved with a certain corrupted intuition. They personified the essence of life and death. The statues each held up a crystal orb, reflecting off of it the surroundings of the area. As a man walked forward, the crystal balls enveloped with an intense shine. A bloodied scythe carried among the man's back, a large black cloak concealing his identity. Among the accessories adorning this man, besides the scythe, was a necklace of twins dragons performing a helix dance among the centre, of opposing colors of blue and red. It had a shiny, rune-like texture, and glistened off of the crystal balls. Among the scenario inside of the forest, a golden flame ignited, where five other shadows sat, their eyes peered toward the arriving reaper.
“Ah ah, I’m late again, aye?” the man asked, rubbing the back of his head with an innocent, blood carved smile.
“Ehueueue! it’s not really a problem, Asasin, these central point meetings are always unusually boring!! And this night moon bores me!! I just want to eat it and gobble it all up in one stop man!!!” the second man, a golden lightning aura discharged from his fists as he pumped them together, a pair of chestnut golden eyes stared at the opposing man.
Among the center of the group was a man with crimson, death defying eyes. His eyes narrowed, cutting toward the man, Asasin, folding his arms. “Asasin, I trust your hunt went well?”
“Ah yeah, totally,” Asasin replied with a cheeky grin. “Every last member of the Nikusan Tribe of the Middle East, wiped into purgatory. It was pretty sweet, how they begged for death.”
“They were the first to challenge us, thus they will be submerged in perdition first,” the leader replied. “But now, we have a new target.”
“Eh?” The lightning, crazed hyena type man spoke up first. “Vault is it?”
The leader walked toward the fire, the golden flame illuminating off of his face, revealing the face of a corrupted young man bent on the annihilation of the entire human population, the man who had declared the end of the world. The one they believed in and had faith could do it.
“We will move once more, as the Khaotic Sins of Perdition,” he said, the other four members stood up, bowing before their leader. "The Hollow's Bell has ceased. We are free."
Sidian smiled atrociously, a very nasty smirk, as the golden flame from behind him glistened with beautiful sparks behind him, further defining his nature. His grin widened with the flare of a true madman, his eyes widening with a crazed obsession.
“I hereby deem the end of the world.”
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