[Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted-Psalm 25:16]

"Oh Lord, as I have always asked and sought this answer, I must ask and seek again, if only to reassure myself that this is the correct course of action." The near silent prayer of the whispering young man was lost in the breath of the wind, its soft sound gliding away into heaven from where he knelt on the ground upon the darkened hill of ancient ruins.

All around him, the rubble of an ancient castle, one that seemed to be fighting a losing battle to time, stood like a silent watcher, as listened in on the prayers of the man within it's boarders. The walls cracked and shattered, tumbling down all around him in a heap of grey brick and dust.

His cloak was dirty and fringed, as though it had not been washed in weeks, and was torn to shreds at the ankles. The onyx cloak instead dangled just below the knees, making his filthy black pants visible to the world.

The figures head hung low, his hands tied together in prayer as his whispers continued to fill the otherwise silent air. Slowly, his head raised to the starry sky, gazing up at the gleaming silver shape of the full moon. Soft black bangs swaying in the breeze, the man's ever constant prayer's came to a halt at the sight of the shining orb that was hung in the sky; his eyelids fluttered gently, a soft smile gracing the features of his dirty, rugged face.

Of course.

He couldn't stop now, not when he was so close. Not when he already had one foot in the door. How could he even think of such an outrageous thing?

Shaking his head lightly, chastising himself, the man slowly rose to his feet. Planting the soles of his combat boots firmly on the ground, he rose from the dirt to stand upon the hill, looking out across the starlit landscape.

Romania was beautiful this time of year, of that he could not deny. The rolling hills meshed with the numerous trees the country's ancient forests, which stretched out before him like an angelic garden, lit only by the stars that lay in the inky darkness of space above; the small town of Sighisoara was a mere flicker of light in the distance, like a candle in the breeze.

What a beautiful place for a war.

The man's gentle eyes gleamed in the starlight, their mess of green and blues whispering like the sea; like a shuddering breath of depth and mystery and silence. They sang about the atrocities of life, and truths that shouldn't be known, and the sweetness of death that was always so close.

His soft smile rested upon his features like cracked stone.

I'm almost done. So close.

He moved like a shadow, a spirit, in the night. Even as the soles of his boots clashed against the rough Romanian soil, no sound was made, and the silent night remained undisturbed. The wind that whispered across the land blew back the man's ruined cloak, so that if someone had been present at the time, and had been keen enough when looking, they might have been able to make out all the strange things about the man they hadn't noticed before; like the sable colored armor that was pressed against his body, or the tiny crimson hilts stowed away on his belt, or the old bloodstains on his pants, or the silky red cloth that lay beneath it all.

If they were looking, they might have been able to notice the demons his eyes, or the tired creases in his face, or the fact that he was far too young to be carrying any of these features, which made him seem so very old. They might have noticed that someone his age should be out enjoying the joys of youth, a beaming smile on their face as they entered the springtime of life and joyously squandered away their time with friends, and family, and lovers. That someone his age shouldn't look so tired.

But no one was there, they never were, so these things remain unsaid, and the specter of a man ghosted across the small meadow, melting into the shadows of the forest and making his way towards the town in the distance. Through the shadows of the forest, he traveled alone, without a single light to guide him, except those that twinkled like glitter in the inky curtain above.

Moving with purpose, the man soon disappeared from view completely, dashing towards the distant town in a blur of movement.

Oh Lord, may you guide me in my actions going forward, as I pray they may be my last. Oh Heavenly Father, I pray that you gift me victory through your grace, and that my sins be washed away so that I may soon rest in your embrace.

In the shadows of the forest, the movement blurred man's face seemed to fall into a sad, determined frown.

I hope that this may be the end. That this battle, nay, war, may be my last, and that I may soon rest. Oh Lord, it's in your name we pray. Amen.

Yes yes, hello there my valiant, brave, patient readers. So, as you may have noticed, quite a few of my stories were *cough* Erm, deleted. To be honest, I needed to clean the slate and start anew. My writing style and quality, as well as my willingness to put legitimate effort into revision and editing, have all been [Leveled Up] (At least I feel so)so to speak, so I wanted to be able to put my work out there without the worry of being judged by old pieces.

Now, on this story. I just kinda, well, thought it up while I was staring at the drafts for a different project. I was bored and had writers block, and I thought this would be a great way to cure it, and have fun at the same time! So obviously, as of this moment, this is just a stand alone, 'proof of concept' kinda piece. If y'all like it, I might think about putting some effort into fleshing it out into a full story; and all things considered, I think it would be fun, but that's all up to you guys. I have plenty to do otherwise, so if you all don't want me to, I'll probably end up forgetting about it.

Anyway, all up to you guys I guess UwU.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and make sure to review and follow and all that other junk! Have a nice night(or day)!

All the love in the world,

Erebus