Forget Me Not (Private)

[Lepa]

Everything happened so fast.

Miyo had remained in her hidden spot, her hands cupped over her mouth in fear. She hadn't dared move, nor make a sound. Were these people as evil as the armored man said? One of them had summoned vines and turned into a wolf, another one had fired off a dark ball of shadows... that certainly looked evil. But... now he lay before the knight, terrified and pleading. Was it a trick? Or maybe the knight was in the wrong...?

Miyo wasn't sure what to make of it.

But she wasn't interested in watching someone die! She didn't know what she could do, but she had to do something! As she started to push herself up off of the dirt, the bushes suddenly rustled beside her.

"...H-Huh?"

[Lepa]

"Die!"

Arunos plunged his blade down at the young mage.

Tier cried out. He heard Farren's voice.

"Tier...!"

The young mage shut his eyes tight. He waited for the cold steel of death, but felt no pain.

The bright "shing" of blades clashed, sparks flying forth from the strike.

"...What..?!" Arunos snarled.

"H-huh...?" Tier opened his eyes.

A man as large as Arunos defensively stood over the young mage, staying the magic killer's blade with one of his own - a machete. He had burst forth from the bushes; bits of leaves and twigs still clung to his clothing.

"Hey... kid...!" he greeted Tier with attempted nonchalance, but the strain in his voice told otherwise. "I know I ain't... usually allowed here, but..." He grunted, doubling his efforts to keep Arunos at bay. "Heard some... commotion goin' on... Thought I'd... check it out!" He then looked over his shoulder, flashing Tier a reassuring grin. "Good thing... I did, huh...?"

The young magic user stared at him incredulously.

"...Y-yeah."

Arunos growled. He would not be ignored.

"Who are you?!"

"The name's Kross, buddy!" He looked back to the man, grinning again, though a hint of anger laced his features. "Kross Kidd! Hunter extraordinaire! Hrgah!" The man grunted, briefly overpowering Arunos just enough to direct his blade aside. The Duskslayer's sword struck the ground. Kross pointed his own blade at the man, his expression now dark.

"And I don't appreciate you attackin' my friends."

[Lepa]

"...Hmph."

Arunos picked his sword back up.

"Your "friends"...? Don't make me laugh." He snorted in contempt. "Magic... is nothing but lies and deceit; especially when wielded by a Duskfaller," he spat the last word, glaring at Tier. The young mage cautiously got to his feet, fearful of making any sudden movements. He kept his distance, thankful that Kross stood between them.

Arunos continued. "The very foundation of it relies on manipulating otherworldly forces or the unexplainable - such things that should be determined by nature." He growled. "You would willingly ally yourself with these arrogant shadow dwellers who wish to hold dominion over the powerless?" The man paused, sizing him up. "Or, perhaps, your soul and heart have been corrupted into serving them?"

"None of the above, chief," Kross replied, his answer flat and blunt. The fact that Arunos had even bothered to speak with his words instead of his blade was a testament of how much more respect he had for the hunter, but his breath was wasted. All it had done was give Kross a complete understanding of who this man was. "They're my friends, plain and simple." Another malicious grin. "...I trust 'em."

"I see.." Arunos responded. "...Regrettable. I thought I may reason with you," He stepped back, wielding his sword once more. "But allying yourself with evil... makes you no better than evil itself."

"Tch," Kross sneered. "Takes one to know one."

"Silence, demon."

"You're no better than one yourself, Arunos..." Farren's voice magically echoed. The Duskslayer spied the wolf from the corner of his eye. Magical vines wrapped around his wounded leg as makeshift bandages. Despite the injury, the wolf stood at Arunos' left flank, growling and ready to pounce.

"In fact... I'd say the only demon around here is you."

[Lepa]

"Silence, you whipped dog!" Arunos hissed, his blade briefly glowing in accordance with his anger.

"Leave this place, Arunos!" Farren's voice growled. "It's three against one!"

Tier perked up. "...Three?" Farren, Kross, and... who else? Did... did he mean Tier himself?! As much as he appreciated it, he didn't think he could stand a chance against Arunos, even with help from the other two! Surely some of the other mages would be of better help! There were many others who were far more skilled than him! And as Tier looked around to get one's attention, he realized...

The grove had completely emptied out.

Not even his fellow mages remained. Which meant...

"W-wait..." Tier whispered to himself, looking aside. "The ritual...!"

He saw the sickly vial encased in magic, barely levitating above the hollowed stump. He could tell the process hadn't been undone, but... it hadn't continued, either. It was magically suspended in animation, and - hopefully - protected as well.

Perhaps this is where he could help.

As the men - and wolf - continued their tense confrontation, Tier slowly edged his way toward the stump. Maybe I could at least finish it, he thought to himself. Yet, no matter how subtle he moved, he could feel the piercing gaze of Arunos following him.

"You!" The Duskslayer suddenly barked, ripping his eyes away from the other two. "What are you planning?!"

In the moment Arunos was distracted, Farren lunged forward again, fangs snapping. His jaws tightly clamped around an armored leg. Arunos swore again. He stabbed at the wolf, but Kross diverted the blow. The hunter then struck once more, but it was Arunos' turn to divert the strike. The machete's edge clanked against the knight's armor, denting it. Kross pulled back, then struck once more. This time, their blades met more evenly. Farren himself had meanwhile unlatched himself from the man. He continued to snap at the man's lower half while Kross focused on the rest.

Despite their team work, Arunos only slightly faltered. Though his footing was uneven, his strikes remained strong and true.

But it wasn't the wolf that distracted him most.

It was the Duskfallean dark mage that snuck away.

[Lepa]

"Erk..." Tier stood before the vial of souls. He lifted his trembling hands, attempting to focus. "O-oh..." He began, but his voice was unsteady. He cleared his throat, then tried again. "O perditae animae terrarum..." He focused, colorful energies beginning to flow from his fingertips. "Peto tuus invenire meus vox..."

As Tier continued, Farren and Kross continued to fight down Arunos. Though outnumbered, the older man was surprisingly tough. Even as he defended himself against the other two, he had one focus and one focus only: to stop whatever it was that that underhanded Duskfallean mage was planning.

Even if it meant going unarmed.

Arunos blocked another strike from Kross. He locked eyes with him, glaring. "I will show you..." Arunos began, his blade glowing brightly. "I will show you...!" The light grew stronger. "I will show you why they call me the Duskslayer!"

Both Farren and Kross recoiled from the glare of the light's intensity. It gave Arunos the opening he needed.

"With the light as my guide, I will vanquish the darkness that plagues this world!" Arunos raised his sword. "Light's Judgement!" The man shouted, hurling it past Kross, aimed squarely for Tier.

"Wh...?!"

"No!"

"Kid!"

As Arunos launched his attack, the other two followed up just as swiftly. Kross had grabbed a spare arrow at his belt, hurling it after the airborne blade. It took a trajectory of its own, floating and darting after its target. Farren meanwhile howled, his wolf shape dissipating. The magical energies drained from his body, racing through the dirt beneath their feet.

Tier looked up to see the giant blade piercing through the air. His eyes widened in panic. The young mage let out a terrified shout, lifting his hands up in defense. The serene energies that emitted from his fingers sharply darkened to black. Just before the sword gored the poor mage...

Farren's magical energies erupted from the ground in the form of giant thorny vines. Tier stumbled backwards from the sheer force of power. Kross' arrow caught up with the blade, its force strong enough to knock it off course. As it hurled downwards, it struck one of the vines. This time, it wasn't a clean cut: the edge was buried deep inside the hardened root. But Tier was still scared; as the blade struck, he shouted. The mage reflexively released his second crackling ball of shadowy magic. It collided into the vines, the blade, the arrow... and...!

[Lepa]

From the impact burst forth a chaotic shockwave.

Moments before that, Miyo was scared.

Miyo didn't understand what was happening.

Miyo just wanted to go home and hide.

None of this concerned Miyo. None of this was Miyo's business.

None of this... was anything that Miyo had to see.

All she could do was hope and pray; hope that it would end soon and pray that she would come out unharmed.

Unfortunately, neither of these were bound to happen.

As the shockwave hit, the girl wrapped her arms over her head. She cringed as twigs and stray rubble harshly brushed over her while she tried to steel herself through the wave of energy. She buried her face in the earth beneath her and remained that way even once it passed. Or at least, she thought it had passed. She waited a second just to be sure, and when it proved to be so, she lifted her head.

That's when she felt it.

As she tried to pull away, a searing pain shot through her body. It was then followed by warmth, then pain again, then... She wasn't sure anymore. The sensations were too strange, too powerful, too many. And when she went to let out a scream, she couldn't. Her voice wouldn't work.

Instead came out a terrifying roar.

[Lepa]

"Ugh..."

Kross was the first one to struggle back to his feet. "Kid...!" He called out to Tier through the cloud of dust. "Kid, you okay...?!"

Farren quickly followed. He pushed himself off of the ground, a sudden jolt of pain shooting through his arm as he did so. He hissed at the sensation. "Ngh..." He grunted, cradling the vine wrapped wound. As he regained his balance, he squinted, looking around. He waved his good hand in front of his face in attempt to clear the air. When Kross called out, his memory stirred. He swore, snapping his head in the sacred stump's direction. "Tier...!" He called, forcing himself to walk. Farren was sore; the shockwave had flung his whole body to the ground. Nevermind he had landed directly on his wound. He grimaced, tightening the vines on it.

Tier coughed.

"G-Guys...?" The voice was small and hoarse. Kross made it over to him first. He knelt down, helping the young mage sit up.

"Geez, kid..." Kross chuckled weakly, trying to make light of the situation. "Thought you said you couldn't do magic like that..."

"Are you okay...?" Farren approached, wincing.

"Uhh..." Tier rubbed at his head, trying to shake off his daze. When his blurry vision grew clear, he let out a small gasp. "No... Are you okay...?!" He asked back. Even wrapped up, Farren's wound looked worse in person than on a wolf. The druid shifted his arm away, trying to keep it out of view.

"I'll... be fine."

A deep voice rumbled from the other end of the grove.

"Is that... the best... you can do...?!"

Arunos stood, leaning on a tree, breathing deeply. His eyes pierced through the others with hatred. Though he had been best protected by the shockwave, the burst of energy had briefly knocked the wind out of him. He had fallen over like the others, but the fatigue of fighting and the weight of his armor seemed to finally be taking its toll on him.

Tier winced. Farren growled. Kross was the first to speak up.

"Hey, Aruney..." The hunter grunted. "Why not... call it off?" Kross' brow furrowed. "Even like this, we-"

"Never." he growled. "So long as you morbid creatures of darkness continue to exist in this world..." Arunos began to walk forward, eyes fixed on his blade. It was still wedged into a collapsed vine. "So long as there is light in the world..." He stepped ever closer.

"I will stop at nothing to end the likes of you."

As he gripped the handle of his blade, a low growl rumbled from the bushes.

"...Wh-what's that sound?"

Farren glanced at the corners of his eyes. "...There's someone still here...?"

Kross strained to hear. "It sounds like..." The moment he discerned the noise, his eyes grew wide. "Something... big."

"What are you whispering about?!" Arunos growled, turning to face them. His scowl quickly vanished however when he saw it. "Wh...?!"

The creature erupted from the bushes with a terrifying roar.

"Wh... What is that?!"

[Lepa]

It must have been the size of an SUV.

The beast almost resembled a lion; it had a thick mane, dark as night, with every hair standing on end. Long, pointed ears spiked out from it, both of them slanted back in hostility. Its body twitched and convulsed, as if it were barely able to contain its terrifying rage. In a show of this power, it beat its mighty wings against the air.

Just.. what was this thing?!

The feral beast snarled, baring its jagged teeth. It lunged forward, sharp claws ripping at the air. Kross scooped up the stunned young mage and dashed away from the creature. Farren stumbled backwards, falling out of the way. He was still reeling from the ear piercing roar. He landed hard on his back. The creature overshot them, thrashing its way to the other end of the grove.

"Hrgh...!" Farren growled in pain, clutching at his arm again. All of the abuse at the hands of gravity had aggravated the cut. His makeshift bandaging loosened and he could feel the wetness of his blood start to seep through again. He swore. "Kross...!" He called out, his voice tense with pain. "Just... what the hell... is that...?!" As a druid, Farren would've felt a bit of ashamed that he couldn't identify the beast, but he was more concerned about surviving right now. He thought the hunter would fare better.

He did not.

"Hell if I know!" Kross answered, keeping an eye on the enraged beast. "Some kinda... lion?! A panther?" He randomly guessed. "I don't know!"

"It is... a demon..." Arunos muttered, straining to stand his ground. "The demon... Summoned by your cult ritual!" He yelled, brandishing his blade at it.

Tier frowned, rubbing his head. "D-Did I... do that...?" He knew he wasn't an expert at magic... but... maybe was there a chance that a mistake in his spell casting had summoned the creature? It was a very real possibility to the young mage - nevermind the fact that his mind was still hazy from whiplash and that the accusation came from a man who would've blamed the mage's magic for Arunos tripping over his own two feet.

Kross hadn't heard Tier's thought. "Can ya stand, kid?" The hunter asked, lowering him to the ground. It sounded like a question, but it was more of a warning statement as the man placed Tier on his own two feet. "C'mon, go take Farren somewhere safe," he said, glancing in the druid's direction. "He's in no condition to fight... not against this thing," he smiled weakly. "I'll distract it for ya, got it?" The hunter said, forcing a grin as he turned to the beast, reaching for the bow on his back.

"But... Kross...!"

A voice protested.

"I... will not back down...!"

Farren had struggled back to his feet.

"I am... the Archdruid of the Hollowed Oak..." He grunted. He had rewrapped his wounded arm again - this time with plain old, non magical vines. "This is... my domain..." He breathed in deeply.

"And I will defend it... no matter what."

[Lepa]

The beast snarled, whipping its head around, its body soon following. It turned to face the other men again. It continued to growl, fangs bared as its pointed claws dug into the earth. Then it screamed like thunder before charging forward once more. It wildly thrashed about. Whatever it intended to accomplish, it was clear that the beast was only interested in pure destruction.

"I won't stand down!" Farren snarled back at the beast, traces of his wolf form echoing in his voice. The druid curled his fingers, then sharply scooped his good arm upwards. Again, he called forth the thorny vines - they erupted from the earth beneath the strange creature, jabbing at it mid charge. The attack was enough that it carried the beast off of its feet, even if only by a little. The creature howled in surprise, but continued to thrash about.

"Heh..." The hunter smirked. "No need to play it so cool, Farren..." Kross positioned his bow, nocking three arrows at once. He drew the string back. "There won't be enough left for me!" He released the bowstring, firing them into the air. Like the one he threw earlier, the three arrows immediately took trajectories of their own.

Just before they could pierce the beast, the creature broke free from the thorny vines. It hurled itself forward, charging again, but the arrows sharply turned. They pursued the creature; one managed to pierce itself into its shoulder. It roared in pain, briefly collapsing onto one leg.

Tier stared at the creature. He should assist too, but... if the beast's appearance was his doing, he couldn't trust himself to attack again. Who knows what other trouble he could've caused?

Luckily for him, Arunos saw this creature as the greater threat.

"Damned hellbeast!" The knight scowled, cursing the rampaging animal before him. He gripped the handle of his sword, a glow of light beginning to emit from it. "Return to the shadowed realm from which you came!" Again, the light grew bright. Yet this time, as it encapsulated his weapon, the blade extended. He lifted the glowing edge, then slashed at the creature from a distance. A crescent of energy sliced through the air. The beast noted this and beat its wings. It pushed against the air and the attack. It managed to maneuver itself aside, but not without the crescent grazing one of its wings. The beast stumbled back, its body convulsing. Its breathing grew ragged. It eyes were shut tightly as it visibly strained to keep itself standing.

Then, suddenly, a glowing surge of energy engulfed the creature. It was a colorful, glowing light. It swirled and danced, the aura large and burning like a bonfire. Once it subsided, the beast's eyes snapped back open.

Its wounds were gone.

"What?!"

"Tch... But how...?!"

Then Farren realized where it was standing.

His eyes widened.

"The Hollowed Oak?!"

[Lepa]

The beast's roar shook the earth. Its paws were planted firm, wings thrashing against the air, almost in triumph. Its small victory was short lived, however; suddenly, the hybrid recoiled, shaking and convulsing. Its eyes screwed shut as it snarled. It whipped its head about, as if trying to shake off an invisible grip.

"Farren," Kross nudged the druid. "Don't you think it looks like...?"

"...It's in pain," he affirmed. Farren eyed the creature carefully, hoping to understand why. As he began to magically assess the creature, attempting to find the reason for its feelings, he cast his gaze back down to the remnants of the sacred tree. "...! Wait..." He clenched his teeth. "The vial of souls...! It's gone!" The archdruid snapped his eyes back to the beast.

Did it... absorb their souls?!

Farren cursed internally. "Kross..." He turned to the hunter. "Whatever you do, do not kill this beast. It might be..." He paused, searching for the words to keep it succinct. "It may be... carrying something... important."

Kross picked up his other arrows. "...Understood, chief."

"HRAAAARGH!!!"

Not even a second after the hunter's promise, Arunos leapt up and plunged his glowing blade into the creature's back. It reeled back with a pained roar. It threw the knight off. "Hmph...!" Arunos grunted, steadying himself as he landed hard on his feet. Blood coated his ornate weapon. "Foul demon...!" He hissed. It charged at the man. "Be vanquished!" Again, his blade glowed. He slashed at the beast - it was a deep cut. The monster snarled, recoiling at the sharp pain. Its claws raked at the man in retaliation. Arunos did not dodge - instead, he accepted the attack. As it drew near, he thrust his sword at the monster's thick paw. It pierced through, earning another ear splitting roar of pain. Both blood and faint colored energies spilled from the open wound. As Arunos stepped back, content with the damage he had done, a soft glow enveloped the beast. Again, it's wound slowly closed, earning a frustrated growl from the man. His eyes traced the stream to its source:

Tier was holding his hands out, healing the creature.

Seeing that it was lured away from the sacred oak's magical well that healed it, the young mage had followed Farren's orders to keep the creature alive. Yet, even with its cut healed, the beast again began to convulse again.

Arunos was not pleased.

"Urrrk...!" Tier strained, holding his spell. "A-Arunos..." His voice shook. "H-he... spotted me...!"

[Lepa]

"I got you covered!"

As Tier healed the creature, Farren stood in the background, charging up another spell of his own. Whatever it was, his seemed to take much longer. That left both of them open, leaving only one who could fight: Kross. The hunter readied his bow, once again nocking three arrows. "Hey! 'Runos!" Kross called out, drawing the string back. "Eat this!"

The arrows fired into the air, whirling towards the Duskslayer. "Pah!" He growled, whipping his sword at the projectiles. He swatted two aside. The third one harmlessly clanked off of his armor. He snerked at the feeble attack. Only then did he feel one pierce his skin. The man swore. He grabbed at his arm where the arrow had stuck. "Ghh..." He sucked in a breath with pain.

"Dunno if you've noticed," Kross breathed. "But I... use a little magic myself." He smirked.

"Y-you...!" Arunos grit his teeth with a hiss. "Heretical... scum...!" The man clasped the arrow, his hands glowing. Arunos closed his eyes in focus. As his aura of light grew bright, he sucked in another breath of air and yanked the arrow free from his arm. Though blood splattered, the wound quickly closed. When he opened his eyes, they shone brightly with a renewed sense of vigor. "...I will deal with you later."

"Wh...?!" Kross was taken aback. "He can do that...?!"

In the moment the hunter stood speechless, Arunos lunged at the beast again. Kross swore, giving him chase. Not only did he have to fend off Arunos - he had to take care that he wouldn't be mauled to death by the creature he was trying to defend! It was a... challenging balance to maintain, especially since he couldn't use his bow at such a close range. With each slash and slice, Kross had to parry with his machete, then dodge a pair of snapping fangs. Claws raked at the air, steel clashed against steel, and copious amounts of blood was drawn - at least, it was in Kross' case. Arunos had a layer of armor to protect him while the beast had a steady stream of healing, leaving Kross to take the brunt of all injuries.

Finally, the hunter stumbled back, falling to the ground. The last sword strike proved to be too much for him to block. "Ngh..." He groaned. He was in bad shape. He could only take solace in the fact that Arunos wasn't doing much better. Even with his light based healing, the Duskslayer's fatigue seemed to quickly return. The beast itself was battered and bruised, even with its healing stream. If anything, it was more agitated than ever and began to encroach.

If Farren was going to act, it had to be now.

[Lepa]

"Farren...!" Kross weakly called out. The beast loomed ever closer to him.

"I'm ready!" He responded. "Tier, keep it up!" He ordered, and the young mage nodded, maintaining his healing. A mystical green aura enveloped Farren's body, his hands emitting the brightest points. "Spiritī terrarum..." He muttered. "Advoco tuus adiuvare me...!" He shouted, curling his fingers and scooping his hand upwards. Again, thick vines erupted from the ground. The sprouted beneath the beast, trapping it again. It snarled in protest as Kross breathed a sigh of relief.

The entire time, Farren had kept his other arm - his wounded arm - raised. Above his palm, an ethereal flower bud levitated. It pulsated with soft, glowing light. "Hrmph...!" He grunted, casting the phantom bloom at the beast. It struggled at the sight of the approaching spell, flailing, trying to pull away, anything. Once the bud landed within the creature's soul, it stopped. Again, a soft, peaceful glow of radiant energies enveloped the beast. Its wounds were restored, its bruises vanished, and...

It began to thrash again.

"What?!" Farren grit his teeth. "But...!"

The creature opened its jaws to roar in pain.

Instead, it released the scream of a girl.

[Lepa]

No one could believe what they heard.

Except maybe Farren.

The archdruid stepped forward, holding his injured arm. A myriad of possibilities raced through his head. Was it another druid? A mage trapped in a spell? A lost, mythical beast? Or perhaps...

The manifestation of the vial of souls?

As he approached the beast, it twitched and convulsed in pain again. Its eyes were screwed shut. Farren ventured close. With the creature encased in vines, he would be safe.

At least, he hoped he would.

"...Hello?"

The soft greeting was enough to startle the creature.

Its eyes snapped open again. Its maw opened as if to make a sound, but nothing came out. Instead, it glowed much more intensely than before. The beast shuddered as lights shimmered and whirled around it. Farren flinched, raising an arm to shield his eyes. Now that he was close, he could feel all sorts of magical energies radiating from the creature. The fresh scent of leaves, a gentle breeze, the coolness of the shade, the warmth of light...

...Too much light, in fact.

Farren grunted, narrowing his eyes as he struggled to see the creature. All of the energies circling it pulsed and morphed, converging into an iridescent glow that consumed the creature's form. Then, with a final roar, the energies burst forth in a blinding light.

It disappeared.

[Lepa]

====================

"..."

"Looks like you've cheated me."

Miyo could see or feel nothing - all she heard was the deep, smooth voice. It was distant and echoed softly, like the sound of a thousand whispers. The girl strained to open her eyes, but there was only darkness. She attempted to move, but felt as if a weight held down not just her body, but her emotions, her... soul.

"Wh... What...?" was all she could manage to reply, her voice small and weak. The voice chuckled softly.

"I am... surprised."

Miyo blinked. Her vision began to return.

As her blindness wore off, control gradually returned to her muscles as well. Slowly, she felt out her surroundings with tentative pats. Her seating was cushy and soft, like... velvet? There seemed to be a pillow or two, as well... Was this a couch?

"Are you listening? Miyo?"

The girl snapped her head back to the voice. It came from a blurry figure sitting before her. She squinted, trying to blink away the remaining blurriness that plagued her vision. The strange white void surrounding them didn't seem to go away; the room was in fact shrouded in an misty fog. When her eyes managed to refocus however, she could clearly see that the figure was a man.

A frighteningly attractive man.

Miyo squeaked in surprise. She only caught his gaze for a second, but... his features were sharp, his hair was dark as night... but his piercing eyes stood out most. They exuded an ominous aura of power and judgement that felt like they bored into her very soul. It made her feel... vulnerable. Of course, Miyo took it as embarrassment - after all, he was rather handsome... intimidatingly so. She grabbed a nearby cushion, burying her face into it to hide the reddening blush on her cheeks. He laughed.

"I suppose that makes you guilty as charged."

"G-Guilty of wh-what?!" She stammered into the pillow, squeezing it close to her chest. Her voice was muffled. "Wh-who are you, anyway?!"

The man leaned aside in his armchair, resting a cheek on his knuckle. His posture was relaxed but his demeanor was commanding - he might as well have been sitting on a throne. The movement was small, but the shift was enough to get Miyo to briefly peek over the cushion. He offered a small smile.

"I am Death."

[Lepa]

"...Death?"

Miyo repeated incredulously, dropping the cushion that hid her face. "Wh... Wh-What exactly do you mean by that?" She stuttered, still flustered under his gaze. "Like... is th-that an alias? Or an a-acronym? Or, or... " She curled her fingers around the pillow with a nervous squeeze. "You c-can't just... like... be the concept of dying...!" The man gave her a pointed look.

^{"...Can you?"}

He made no response, only smiling deviously. His arresting look was enough to make Miyo's cheeks grow red again, forcing her to avert her eyes in embarrassment. "B-But you're just a man..." She muttered. He laughed softly.

"Death appears... in many forms." His wispy voice echoed. "I appear this way..." He paused. "...Because you desire it."

"Kyaa!" Miyo jumped. His voice was suddenly close, whispering in her ear. As she clutched the cushion, he laughed again - he hadn't moved an inch from his seat. "H-How did you-" The girl began to ask.

"I told you." He lifted his arms and shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "Whether or not you believe me is up to you." Miyo shut her eyes and bit her lip. It had to be a trick. There was no way... No way that Death would be so... frustratingly teasing! And ruggedly handsome! The girl knew she was a romantic, but even she didn't think she was bold enough to imagine such a person! When she heard of people having heart pounding reactions to death, she didn't think it'd be like this!

All while these thoughts raced through Miyo's head, she couldn't help open her eyes again. She saw that the man was smirking, as if taunting her about her flustered thoughts. Again, she felt the heat rising in her face.

"Just... Why am I here?!" The girl demanded, hoping her assertion would cover her embarrassment. Then, she added more meekly, "...S-Sir."

"As I've said..." He continued, a small tinge of amusement still present in his voice. "You've... cheated me." He had lingered on the word cheated, almost as if there was a slight edge in his tone that sent a chill up Miyo's spine. The man had said he was Death. She still had a hard time believing it, but if it was true, then... she couldn't imagine he'd have been happy about what she did.

"A-Are, you, um... m-mad?" She asked timidly.

"Honestly..." The man leaned back, crossing a leg. "It's a miracle that you managed to survive such an ordeal..." He spoke as if he hadn't heard her question. "It's hard to believe... that you're still alive after that."

Miyo paused. "Um, come to think of it... After what, exactly?" She frowned. He said she cheated him... Death. She cheated death. But... how? She couldn't recall what had happened. What had she even been doing before this? The girl tried to wrack her brain for the events before she ended up... here, but a thick haze blanketed her memory.

"Mmmm..." the man leaned back, tenting his fingers. "...You've already evaded me today..." He looked aside, again ignoring the question. "Let's see... Aster City, hmmm?" He purred. Miyo absolutely could not handle it, but the man paid her no mind. "...Ah, that's where that dweeb is..." He mused, then gazed back at the flustered girl. "You'll be meeting one of my students soon." He rested his cheek on his knuckle again. "How fortunate - or unfortunate - for you."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Miyo pouted, staring down into her cushion. A suddenly hand cupped her chin, tilting her head up. She turned beet red as her eyes were forced to meet his.

"It means..." The man frowned. "He's a high caliber moron with the charm of a doorstop." He paused. "...But his heart's in the right place."

Miyo blinked. "...What?"

"Oh, looks like it's almost time for you to go..." The man looked down at an imaginary watch on his wrist. He glanced back to the girl, her face still a rosy color. "Hmhmhm..." He chuckled softly, amused as ever.

"Hopefully this'll be the last you'll see of me for a long time."