The sun was setting, splashing blood into the sky. The color wasn't strange, but the day was ending far too early for this time of year. It was summer and night didn't set in until around 8:00; judging by how long he'd walked since the last town, it couldn't have been 5, 5:30.

The young monk spotted a rock by the side of the road and decided to rest his feet. Sitting down, he removed his sandals and rubbed his aching feet, careful of the blisters that had formed. He stopped his ministrations and returned his sandals to their proper place. The monk stood and stretched, hearing more and feeling his joints crack at the motion. He looked at the sky one last time, the sun slowly dissolving in the distance and continued on his journey home.

It was late when the young monk finally caught sight of the temple steps, one of the only things illuminated by the moonlight, its' crescent shape diminishing its' glow. He looked further up to spot the temple doors but saw only blackness.

Strange, the apprentices should have lit the torches by now. Something's wrong. The monk took a deep breath and started up the stairs.

Blood painted the walls. That was the first thing the monk saw when he opened the temple doors. The second were the bodies that littered the floor, his brothers, twisted and broken. The third were the two strangers staring back at him.

"Told you we miscounted brother." The shorter of the two combed through long blonde hair as she spoke, staining it with the blood of the fallen monks at her feet. Her eyes shifted to the boy beside her, his black hair covering his eyes.

The boy lifted his head, a dark blue eye peeking from beneath his bangs, a sullen expression on his face. "It was too close a call sister. What if you'd killed them all? Brother would've…"

"You worry too much," she interrupted, ceasing her stroking. "I told you I had it all under control."

The black haired boy shifted his eye back to the monk who had plastered himself to the door, waiting. He stared into his brown eyes. "You are afraid. What is your name?"

The monk didn't know what to think. As soon as he'd walked into the temple and seen his murdered family, he figured he was next. So why am I still alive?

"Answer my brothers' question monk!" The girls' eyes seemed to flare as she yelled. She calmed and began to stroke her hair once again. The blood on her hands had dried, leaving red-black flakes to fall to the floor.

"S-S-Souji, my name is Souji," the monk stuttered. He was surprised he was able to find his voice, but he did not move, the temple doors were the farthest thing from the two murderous strangers. "What do you want with me?"

"Information," said the blue-eyed boy.

The blonde girl made a noise in her throat and vanished, her hand was around the monks' neck before he could blink. "Tell us where the scroll is, or end up like your brethren here."

"Sister please, there's no need for violence." the boy pleaded.

The blonde girl motioned toward the corpses on the ground. "It's a bit too late for that brother."

"Big brother wanted one of them alive. We can't kill him."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I can't have my fun."

The girl had removed her hand form the monk during this conversation, and he took that as his opportunity. Collecting what strength he had, he pushed the girl, who in turn collided with her brother. The monk flung open the doors and ran into the night.

"Dammit!" the blonde screamed, red filling her eyes.

Her brother stood and held out his hand to her. "He won't get far sister, I have his name."