Prologue
Have you any soul?
He was distracted, thoughts rolling between the crevasses of his mind, rolling a piece of gum between his teeth in an attempt to stray his thoughts away from the ever-thrumming gnawing just beneath the skin. If the young man truly applied himself, he could focus on the ticking that came from the clock on the opposing wall.
Not that, that was any better, just a maddening countdown of the time he had left. Count his breath, the hum of blood in his ear, rise and fall. A tapping against the board draws his attention away from himself, he was the only one left in the classroom, and Kiro barely caught the tail end of Maka's pigtails as she left the classroom.
"You're distracted." Sid's voice cuts through the air, and Kiro blinks slowly, dragging himself into a stand. "My mind was elsewhere." That was no excuse, Sid was relentless with keeping the attention on him, especially since it was hammering in the details on working with one's partner equally.
"We were discussing the attributes of the soul, Kiro. As a Utility Meister, this should come across as rather important." There's nothing childish in his demeanor now, just the set features of a teacher scolding his student.
Sometimes Kiro couldn't help but wonder why they bothered. It's not like he was a professional liar, the instances where his body seized up, curled up and fainted at least once every three months from the sting beneath his skin. There was no hiding his condition, the poison that flooded through his body had to be easily detected. But not once was he ever approached, pinned down and questioned why-
"Pay attention, this is important as your career as a Meister." Brown eyes narrowed on him, dull and intense all at once. The teacher didn't know, that much was seemingly set in his actions.
"I haven't chosen a weapon yet, won't need to."
The glare from the older man's eyes was to cold, in turn keeping his thoughts tucked carefully away. Kiro couldn't read him, no matter how much he wished he could at least begin to understand this man. "Such arrogance will cost you, you know." The teacher's voice rebounded back to stoic, drawing out as if he knew for certain his future. In truth, Kiro shouldn't even be in this class, and the Teacher knew it. He was only here as a substitute Meister when needed to take on the role of a Meister when one's Meister was recovering, but the skill of the Weapon was required.
This left a cold, almost damp, shiver gliding across the surface of his skin. This man was one of the few to continuously make him uncomfortable as if he could see right through him. For all Kiro knew, that was exactly the case.
Sharply tugging his bangs left a dull ache that spread across the flush of his cheeks, little needle pinpricks that drew him back into his own world. The Young Meister abandons the classroom in a rush.
One of the balconies would keep the quiet of the world as his companion.
Fingertips shaking, pale lavender eyes roamed over the bag at his side, digging tirelessly through his pockets. Distractions, distractions to keep away from the itching pain buried in his flesh. It was not normally such a distraction, but today, the pain ate away from within, and he feared he would soon faint from the ringing in his ears.
The small flute shakily twirled between his hands, fumbling to place his hands in the proper position, lips closing around the end of the flute. Broken notes cracked against the previous silence, Kiro's chest heaved as he slowly drew away from the murky thoughts of the world. Foggy vision clearing, the notes themselves darkened, flowed against the sunlit air as the sun began to sink.
"You're good..."
The soft whisper startled him, turning his head to peer over his shoulder. A tiny, red-haired girl was standing in the doorway, her, hazel?, eyes cast down onto the floor. Kiro nearly hadn't heard her and beckoned her to come over.
Upon closer examination, her eyes were revealed to be golden, wide and set into a peach shaped face. In a way, he supposed she could be called cute if she would bring herself to stop looking so pitiful. Like a kicked dog.
"It's starting to get late, why are you up here?" A silent question, the flute shortly pocketed away for the time being. Who even was she? Kiro had certainly never seen her before, and he was certain he could remember someone with hair as dark a red as that. However, instead of the intending effect, the girl walked further out onto the balcony, golden eyes peering out over the edge. Mesmerized by the sight before them it would seem.
She looks him over briefly, smiles a quiet smile before looking away. "That seems...so sad. But beautiful. Your song." Kiro barely heard the girl speak, a soft whisper as she spoke. From those very words, the way she carried herself-
Pain flared up, making his skin go paler than it was already. A swallowed bout of coughing that never broke the surface of his throat. "Thank you."
He manages to speak, look her dead in the eye as she gazes back up at him. "Who are you?" He whispers, and the girl tilts her head, as though confused by his question. "Maria. Just Maria." The male nods, curious though he would not act on it now, watching as she turned around, barely looking over her shoulders.
"So...bye." How strange she was, even as she ran down the halls, her feet leaving soft thuds into the ground.
"Maria."
Kiro rolls the name on his tongue, white teeth gleaming in the dying sun. He wanted her. But why? Was she even a weapon? He could find out, but, that was a horrible idea. He was going to die, this was why he had no partner so why her? She never did answer why she was here, after all, lost perhaps?
The Meister shook himself, opening a small, hand sized bottle, crimson and scarlet swirling in the glass, staining his lips, easing his pain, erasing the thrumming in his veins. She would fade from his mind soon enough.
They always did after all, another Meister to wield and aid them. No such completion was to become his, not in this life.
"What's your name?"
A bell chimes in his ear, his fate was sealed.
Author's Note: Thus we have the beginning of our story, an introduction to our protagonist, who isn't as innocent as he appears. We also have the introduction of one, Maria Albarn, and as stated, Kiro's fate has been sealed. { As a note, Stein was changed to Sid due to timeline malfunctions! }
Stay tuned for the rest of, The Decay of Heaven