Just a slight glance to the left, Aderia caught sight of the shadow that had just been at the edge of his vision.
She stood there quietly, straight and unwavering. The red short trench coat peeked out from behind her flowing black hair, which fluttered slightly in the cold wind. The black strands made the off-white load-bearing wall behind her seem dull and lifeless.
Her tight black pants blended seamlessly into the night, and if it weren't for the conspicuous red coat, Aderia might not have noticed her presence at all.
She was looking up, seemingly at the stars, unaware of the two black-clad homeless men slowly inching toward her from a blind spot.
Should I help her? Aderia thought, weighing the risks and benefits.
Perhaps it was the cold wind whistling around him that awakened his conscience. He changed his intended course and walked toward the girl.
"Miss, are you alright?" he called out.
The girl raised a pale hand as if she had just noticed the approaching homeless men and was about to do something. Aderia's voice reached her at just the right moment, causing her to pause.
"You…" she began, turning to glance at Aderia, but then she changed her mind. Narrowing her eyes with a slight smile, she whispered, "Someone's following me! You, come over here and help me!"
Why doesn't she seem worried? And why is she giving me orders right away when I'm here to help?
But the girl's firm tone left Aderia with little choice but to move closer.
Without warning, the girl grabbed Aderia's hand and started running.
"Wait a minute, it's just a couple of homeless guys…" Aderia tried to say, but he was already being dragged along by the girl.
The two homeless men, realizing they had been spotted, dropped their pretense and charged out from behind their cover, heading straight for Aderia and the girl.
There had been some distance between the girl and the men initially, so her sudden escape made it difficult for them to catch up. This turned into a rather classic chase.
Aderia ran alongside the girl, her black hair lightly brushing against his face with each stride.
Night, a mysterious girl, a chance encounter, a chase—how romantic! Isn't this the dashing life I've always dreamed of?
Feeling a surge of excitement, Aderia tightened his grip on the girl's hand and pulled her along.
They reached an intersection, and if Aderia remembered correctly, a right turn and a quick run up the stairs would lead straight to his rented apartment!
He swiftly pulled the girl to the right, deftly unlocked the door, and they slipped inside just before the homeless men could catch up.
Peering through the blinds, Aderia watched the street outside.
"Hey!" A man's voice echoed from the narrow alley they had just escaped into.
"Which way did they go?"
"Seems like they turned right?"
The sound of footsteps grew louder as the men neared their location.
Tap, tap.
"Where are they?"
The two men were now standing right outside the apartment, but finding nothing, they hesitated only briefly before deciding to search deeper into the alley.
"They're gone."
Aderia let out a breath of relief and turned to check on the girl, only to find her doing the same—peering through the blinds to survey the outside. Her deep crimson eyes were elegant and mesmerizing.
In his peripheral vision, the figures of the homeless men had completely disappeared. The girl gently shook Aderia, who was still lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" Aderia finally asked, the relief of surviving the danger evident in his voice.
"I'm fine," she replied, her red eyes glinting with amusement as she stared at him.
"What was their deal?" Aderia asked, still panting as he tried to recover from the sudden exertion, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.
The girl's eyes sparkled with laughter as she looked at Aderia's disheveled state. She tilted her head slightly, as if pondering how to respond.
"Hmm... I don't know. I was just out for a walk, and suddenly they were following me."
"They seemed pretty organized. If that's the case…"
"Never mind that! You saved my life! You were like a hero today —— and...you're cute."
Before Aderia could react, the girl's hand was already on his cheek, a faint scent of jasmine and pear wafting into his senses, making him momentarily dazed as he stared at her.
"What's your name?" the girl asked, her warm breath tickling his ear.
"Aderia," he answered.
The girl's smile froze for a moment.
"Aderia, huh? You were so brave! People just walking passed me like they don't have vision, Why did you help me?" she asked.
"No deep reason to be honest, I just do, couldn't just stand by and let a girl get attacked if it was within my power to stop it. It would go against my dream!"
"Your dream —?"
"To be a gentle yet deadly handsome guy."
"Hahahahaha!"
The girl burst into laughter, her voice filled with amusement as she nearly doubled over.
Is it that funny?
Aderia watched as she laughed uncontrollably, unsure of what to say.
"I never imagined Iskandar would have someone as interesting as you!"
She wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, she grabbed Aderia by the collar, pulling him close, then pressed him down onto the floor, kissing him deeply.
"This is your reward. I'm Shia, Shia Shuster. Remember it well~ Though, you won't have the chance."
Before Aderia could process her words, he noticed his body going numb.
"Poison…? Why…? I was trying to help you…" His voice trailed off as his consciousness began to fade. He tried to push her off, but found he couldn't move a single muscle.
"It's a shame. You really are cute. But, I can't let you live, not when your name is Aderia. And since you did help me, I'm giving you an enviable way to die. You can boast to other ghosts that you kissed the famous Shia Shuster~" she said with a playful tone.
"Die…? You… who are you really?"
"That's a secret. Any last words besides that?"
Shia leaned closer, gently caressing Aderia's face as if cradling a newborn. Her breath was warm against his ear, keeping him barely conscious.
"I hope you—"
"Yes, what is it? I'm listening."
Shia playfully blew on Aderia's ear, genuinely curious about his last words.
"I hope you… escape these dying fates you don't like."
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes… they're full of exhaustion, aren't they?"
As the final words slipped from Aderia's lips, her breathing gradually slowed. It was as if her consciousness was sinking into the depths of the ocean. A faint smile played on her lips, a smile that seemed to mock Shia.
For a moment, the room was enveloped in an endless silence. Shia stood there, staring at the now-unconscious Aderia, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair with her right hand, deep in thought, as if Aderia's last words still echoed in her ears.
Shia gave Aderia a light kick.
"Fate, huh?"
She repeated softly, her crimson eyes reflecting a hint of confusion and sorrow. She had never expected to hear such words from someone she had planned to kill.
"Exhaustion… me?"
Shia chuckled softly, shaking her head as she gently touched Aderia's cheek, her movements tender as if handling a sleeping child.
*Knock, knock.*
A sudden knock on the door interrupted the stillness, revealing the presence of the two vagrants from earlier.
"Your Highness, are you alright? Mr. Simon wants to know how the task is going."
"...It's almost done,"
Shia replied, her hand gently caressing Aderia's hair.
With a practiced motion, she retrieved a small silver handgun, no larger than her palm, from behind her thigh, casually playing with it. A thin, elegant cigarette, unnoticed until now, hung from her lips, releasing a soft swirl of milky-white smoke that began to fill the room.
Silence reigned.
"Your Highness, the Demon Hunter is getting close."
"—Yes, I know. I'll handle it."
A hunter who doesn't finish the job is no true villain.
The soft chirping sound that followed could be mistaken by neighbors as nothing more than a pair of sparrows engaged in a nighttime quarrel.
A quality silencer indeed.
The room filled with smoke, both from the cigarette and from something else entirely—the unmistakable scent of gunpowder.
*He was almost my type, too,* Shia mused, watching as blood pooled beneath the still form of Aderia.
Calmly, she stepped back, smoothing her hair as she evaluated the scene.
"Simon really handed me a tough one this time. Let's go, before the Hunters arrive."
The night was eerily silent, save for the fading footsteps echoing down the alley. Inside the room, Aderia lay lifeless, his blood spreading across the floor.
3:00 AM.
In a forgotten corner of the city, a faint purple light began to shine, gradually enveloping Aderia's body.
The necklace around his neck, which had been cracked, finally shattered, revealing a small, gleaming purple gem inside.
[Fateful Encounter; Midnight Maiden (Mission Complete, Divine Map Activated)]
[It's late at night, and hunger drives you to seek a snack]
[You change direction and come across a girl in distress…]
[...You've died...]
[…But the gem within your necklace has preserved your life, activating the Divine Map.]
A steady, gentle purple light filled the room. The bullet wounds at the back of Aderia's head began to heal, pushing out the bullets with a metallic clink as they hit the floor.
Just as I thought, this is only the beginning.
Damn, this hurts like hell!
Aderia's eyes flew open, his jaw clenched to stifle a scream. Although his wounds had healed, the pain of death and resurrection was still fresh and sharp.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by darkness. It seemed that the considerate Miss Shia had turned off the lights before leaving.
Blood, pooled from the small-caliber bullets, had gathered around him. There was less blood than expected, but still enough to cause concern.
[The room is pitch black. You decide to turn on the lights.]
[Shia Shuster notices the light and returns…]
[...You're dead.]
Okay, no lights, then.
[The room is pitch black, but you decide to move in the dark…]
[You clean the blood off yourself and the floor…]
[Shia Shuster senses something wrong and returns…]
[...You're dead.]
[Shia Shuster returns…]
[...You're dead.]
[…You're dead.]
[…]
..
[The room is pitch black, and you're covered in blood, but you decide to continue playing dead…]
[…You wake up on the floor, sore all over. It turns out sleeping on the floor isn't the best idea.]
Got it. This is a villain who likes to make sure. I guess I'll be sleeping on the floor tonight.
Aderia calmly dismissed the last line.
Great, time to sleep. Love sleeping on the floor, best thing ever.
Encouraging himself, Aderia remained on the floor, feigning death.
Half-asleep, Aderia thought he heard a loud noise from the alley. Exhausted from everything that had happened, he drifted off into unconsciousness again.
---
Wilson Street,
a nondescript little lane in the city of Iskandar, far from the city center. The only thing notable about it was its proximity to the Iskandar Academy.
Usually deserted except for the occasional vagrant, the street was now attracting a crowd.
The small alleyway beneath a modest apartment complex had been completely destroyed.
Potholes and craters marked the ground, and even the nearby infamous unfinished building had collapsed.
A silver-haired girl knelt on the ground, dressed in the black-and-red uniform of the Academy, her head resting on a boy's unmoving body.
Her shoulders shook occasionally, as if she was crying.
The boy lay there, motionless, like a corpse.
"Brother, Aderia! How could you… just die like this…?"
When Aderia woke up again, a girl in an Academy uniform was crying over him.
"Um… I'm not dead yet."
"Ah!—A zombie! Is it possible that I missed you so much that I'm hallucinating? Waaaah…"
The silver-haired girl rubbed her eyes, but peeked through her fingers, watching Aderia's reaction.
This brat—she's faking it.
Aderia flipped onto his side and raised his right hand, snapping his fingers against her forehead, leaving a red mark.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For pretending not to know I'm still alive."
"That was *concern,* you know! I was just worried about you!"
"You talk too much. You already came out last night and saw I was fine."
"Heh heh—"
The girl laughed awkwardly, pretending not to understand what Aderia meant.