(Author's Notes: I apologise in advance, this chapter came out really bad. After having a long pause between writing the previous chapter it was difficult to get back into. I just hope that it's still okay to read. Also, if and when you get to that part, Neji sounds a bit like a fanatic...to me at least. So I apologise for deviating from the character.)

After languid moments when the world seemed to have ceased its natural rotation time suddenly resumed its destined flow. The breeze could soon be felt, its malicious kiss stung against Neji's cheek as he stood somewhat enchanted by the mysterious beings ethereal beauty which he had failed to recognise due to his ignorant fear towards the latter. He had appeared so suddenly, his identity unknown though there was suspicious relating him to that of the creature praying upon the village, however the notion seemed impossible; how could such a superciliously mesmeric being, who could share only the affiliations of an angelic race, be such a murderous creature?

Neji viewed the dazzling red eyes that stared back at him for a second time, the sight no less captivating than the first time his gaze had aligned itself with the creature's as he felt himself being encapsulated body and soul by those burning orbs which threatened to set him alight. How wonderful it must be to stand in the presence of such a being, to experience their ravaging, hot gaze and feel somehow at peace, drunk with arrogance at being permitted audience. If he were to die at the hands of one such as that then regret would be non-existent, he would achieve the sensation of fulfilment at having decided his own destiny whilst experiencing a death at such divine hands.

Snow soon accompanied the bitter winds, spiralling about the vast void like sky as it fell gently towards the earth, its alluring enormity too much for the soft petals of white to ignore. Neji understood the gravitational manner to which the snow accommodated, feeling a similar sensation towards the dark haired youth who was now making deliberated advances towards him, his footfalls light against the crisp, freezing blades of grass that dared to emerge from beneath the blackened soil. As the distance between the two diminished with the passing seconds Neji could feel his pulse quicken, his heart frantic and confused to the effects the deific anchorite was stimulating within him. It was not fear, he believed, that caused the blood to rush through his body but awe, the grace at which the stranger moved and the power her exuded from those fragile limbs presented him as a paradox, a Pandora 's Box which should not be opened. Neji had never been so inquisitive towards such a living thing as a fellow human, only inanimate objects and those creatures incapable of speech held his attention for their mystic was never putrefied through convoluted means of speech. They stood alone, their meaning hidden within themselves without seeking recognition by other such living creatures or those as contemptuous as humans, they merely existed for the sake of existing, they left no proof of their time in life nor did they feel the need to do so. Neji believe this man was the same, he stood far above himself and the likes of Lord Hiashi atop his own prestigious pinnacle and Neji was not humiliated to think otherwise, to see the truth for what it was: this man was far superior.

Now he and the dark haired beauty were stood inches apart, their breaths exchanged in silent plumes as he continued to glower down at Neji, who remained motionless, captivated by the creatures form. Were the youth the monster at all he would only incite awe for his artistically deceitful façade. Neji wondered if he might infer into the passionate emotions he directed towards him, however he may only view them as base and characteristic of general human beings.

Regardless, the red-eyed being wore a perpetually delicate scowl that caused his eyes to appear almost feline, slanting slightly beneath heavily curved lashes which Neji desired to count, wishing for all the time in the world to study the face that beheld him. He blinked in rapid succession, the everlasting image of the sweet, crimson orbs burning deeper into the Hyuga's thoughts, a sight he would gladly hoard for himself; he greedily desired that those eyes only ever look at him the way they were at present. Yet the dark haired youth seemed to harbour his own feelings, those of which Neji could not understand, though he dare not attempt to interpret the superior emotions of the inhuman creature in fear of insulting the one he could only presume to be a god of some sort. His own thoughts seemed to contradict themselves as he questioned himself; if such majesty were to exist, to stand before a Side Branch member, one cursed to a service he did not desire, surely to even consider it would be blasphemous?

Then, in a motion that shook Neji to his darkest core, the stranger's hand was at his cheek, his fingers softly brushing against his pale skin in a sardonically endearing manner, a grim smile forming across his full lips. He eyed Neji with an undistinguishable emotion as the tips of his fingers slipped down towards Neji's rigid jaw, tracing the delicate arch of the bone which appeared protuberant underneath his tight, wan skin. He procrastinated against the need to breath, tormenting himself with the idea of the man's fragrant scent which he desired to sample and take into himself like a poison that would lovingly corrode his lungs. This yearning he felt, it was almost as unnatural as the stranger's complex appearance, it incited a wave of guilt and displeasure. His father would certainly be disappointed, seeing his son reduced to such an affectionate husk of the former independent, impartial man he had once been. He had never been so easily swooned, yet such was the effect of the enthralling individual; Neji believed the being would unquestionably ridicule his emotions, thus the intimate gestures towards him were out of spite or pity.

"Beautiful." Neji finally managed to whisper, his words no more than a silent breath that would be stolen by the raging wind that cut between the two men. He never intended to be heard, hoping that his words would only be recognised by the transient plethora of snow, its puerile touch attempting to steal the warmth which preserved his life that would soon die out against his heated flesh. The cold formations of water which occurred shortly after beaded his hair like a pearl stringed adornment, each darkened droplet seeking to reflect the light of the celestial body which had shied from sight behind the thickening layer of clouds. All the while the stranger's hand remained, positioned at the underside of Neji's chin as he made to life his face to the heavens, revealing the length of Neji's pale, slender neck. He shivered against the cold; unaware that his body had grown numb and immovable, disobeying his commands to step back as he felt a sudden change in the world's atmosphere.

Suddenly a pair of strong, claw-like hands were at his shoulders, he could feel himself falling and the rush of air that blew past his ears. The motion was unexpected yet it felt as if he were falling through a body of water, the descent protracted and painstakingly languid. The frozen earth greeted his back, reminding him of its imperceptible allure, reassuring him that he still belonged to the world, yet it caused him great agony; its uneven surface buried into his spine and forced his chest to recoil as he made to clutch his bruised sides, yet he was pinned to the ground like a butterfly encased behind a layer of cold glass, forced to look up into the smirking face of his beautiful attacker. A few dazed moments passed as his eyes strained in an attempt to adjust their vision after the destabilising impact his head had suffered, staring blankly into the darkened vermillion gaze that towered above him. The clasp at his chest was quickly broken with a single swift motion, exposing his neck and shoulders to the cold elements; he shivered violently as he listened to the charming laugh that the creature emitted. The sound slipped from his throat, dancing in Neji's ear as he made no attempts to move, feeling the strong grip loosen as the creature lowered its body, placing its sumptuous lips inches from Neji's throat.

As he lay upon his back, staring past his assailant, the winds began to shift once again, dragging the clouds violently from their designated course to reveal the moon which had been eclipsed, its silver light quickly cascading down to kiss the earth it desired to greet. He studied each visible crater, finding the stars that dared to approach the magnificent spectacle that resided far beyond mortal reach, yet here he was, a star just below its own celestial body; the creatures warmth almost pooled into his, their fragrances mixing to form a sensual poison which he greedily swallowed. Soon his back became numb with pain as the cold snow beneath melted, drenching his shirt which stuck to his skin.

The dark haired being continued to stare down, his dark eyes weary as they threatened to close, yet they slowly traversed along the shimmering ribbons of hair that spread from behind the Hyuga's head, each strand alight with the moon's iridescent glow. Removing one hand from the latter's naked shoulder he took a handful of sinuousness hair between his fingers, letting the brunette river slip from his grasp towards the snow blanketed earth, marvelling the youth's mortal charm as he lay eclipsed by his shadow. Then, with great caution, he pressed his lips to the soft, exposed skin, feeling the pulse of the veins beat gently against his parting lips as he breathed in the human aroma.

Pain was a sure sign of living, though it burned and tortured the soul and body to an unimaginable extent it could never be remembered or relived, agony meant that life still flowed through that red river; first the sensation erupted at his neck, sharp and nauseating, the heavy scent of iron soon clouding his thoughts as he saw through the corner of his eye the trail of crimson the fell from his open wound He watched as the snow greedily lapped up the excess flow that could not be cultivated, the pristine white powder turning an ugly hue of unnaturally vibrant pink as the colour spread, desperate to escape. Yet he was trapped, unable to flee as the creature above his stole his life, his lips pressed firmly against his skin to force the blood along his throat. Neji could hear the unbearable convulsion of its throat as it swallowed, panting lightly whilst it shivered with ecstasy.

Soon Neji's body began to shake, his muscles twitching frantically in a subconscious attempt to fight of the violent assailant, yet, despite the growing apprehension he felt as the light of the moon began to ebb from sight a quite peace took over as his mind wandered about his past, the pain no longer dominating his thoughts but instead to the tender caress of the young man's lips. Gravity released him of its earthly shackles; the mood urged him with its subtle light to let his eyes close to the world as he fought for consciousness, a battle he felt he was losing. Death was casting over like a dark tidal wave, submerging him in a suspended state of 'nothingness'; there was nothing to be heard nor felt, even sight had abandoned him until his mind too entered oblivion.


He wondered as he looked on towards the youth who stood motionless in his presence, letting his body be blanketed in darkness, and felt a weight pass over his chest, a feeling that had long deserted him. His eyes studied him in awe, taking in his form of splendour as if he were a godly messenger, yet to inspire such hope in a mere mortal creature was not what he had anticipated.

He was already aware that the humans had attempted to deceive him, sending instead a voluntary sacrifice in place of his chosen candidate, a pathetic resort to which he felt a hint of sympathy for the boy; his face displayed his youth, a sprout amongst a vast landscape of trees that could barely shelter itself from the winds that wished to rip it from its roots, but here he stood without the protection of those more experienced than himself, agile and determined with a glare hued with rebellion. As he returned a heated glare, the white orbs that stared back at him flickered with turbulent emotions but he could see, those eyes feared nothing; they had witnessed death, the face of such an entity would surely be greeted as a forgotten companion. It almost troubled him to see such a being that had such disregard for the act of living, however, for him humans did not live but merely survived, a fate he had fortunately betrayed.

Stepping closer he felt the potency of the boy's ominous stare causing a shiver to travel up his spine; the whites of his eyes merged with his lilac irises, indifference was the nature of his soul, he survived by thriving in shadows, away from attention, an insignificant child with little remorse who showed no signs of empathy. A malicious heart beat strongly beneath that chest, he could hear it, almost feel it pulsating across the empty space that surrounded them. Yet as he gained more ground he realised he was looking at nothing more than a reflection, a living embodiment of his former self, almost identical in emotions; their souls cried out for one another though he doubted any form of recognition from the infantile creature who continued to look back with the same, static expression of a child lost in thought, enjoying the workings of their own mind where they sought solace from an unforgiving world.

He was reluctant to leave the juvenile human alive, but what future was to be gained when their pasts had both been so bitter? He foresaw no possible change for the glass eyed youth, his heart would close with every year and would cease to function in that figurative manner humans perceived; to prolong such suffering would be a cruel act, one which he was well aware would consume his already regretful conscience. Merciful as he was he continued to advance until only a meter stood between them. The wind was suffocated with the intoxicating aroma of human flesh, blood and the beings natural musk, a perfume that caused his frozen blood to boil and piqued his desire. Never before had a being stimulated such a reaction to omit within his immortal veins though believed it were so only because the face which stare back at him seemed almost too eager to proceed to the afterlife.

The urge to take his face within his cold fingers was too much to bear as he gave in to his baser longings, sighing heavily as the touch of human skin reawakened dormant memories he had since forgotten. Yet he tormented himself, stood firmly in position as his eyes scanned over the porcelain body draped in layers of delicate cloth, a humble fabric that paled in comparison to his own fine garments.

The boy trembled before him, the cold attacking his body with its finite shards of ice that swirled amongst the tempest, some forming needles of snow that rained down to coat his hair and dark crown of eyelashes which framed the pearls buried deep in his visage. He tempted him with his innocence, the childish glow in his eyes that saw an angelic figure where there was to be none; he mistook his form, oblivious to the living devil that housed itself inside a human husk. How could a human look upon him as if he were something beautiful when he saw himself as nothing more than a decadent soul confined to a decaying corpse, his own reflection shunning him, fearful of its own existence.

There was little point feeding upon the pity the child evoked, the impartial atmosphere that had cocooned the two proved too much for him to withstand any longer; it was now when the moon had emerged from its tranquil slumber that he would steal the last light of existence the frail body contained. He would so loving, taking the youth into a firm embrace that would offer no salvation yet establish the much needed conclusion he knew the being desired. With his lips pressed to the pale creatures neck he sunk in his elongated fangs, tasting the blood that rushed towards the cold air as he drank the red liquid, drowning himself as he lapped up the essence, allowing scare enough time to breathe. Underneath his body he could feel the human youth quivering, his breathes ragged and muffled, whimpering occasionally when the pain became too excruciating to remain silent; he bit down against his lip to prevent any audible cries from escaping, determined to meet death with blood stained dignity. However, his lust intensified with every pained, satin snatch of air as the being attempted at last to call out, his words strangled but otherwise hauntingly melodic against his beastly ears, all the while his cold hands clawed against his back; he almost smiled to himself as he felt the youth dig his nails deep into his shirt, feeling the sharp edges puncture a first few layers of skin. It had been many years since he last felt pain for himself; his skin burned, almost as hotly as his blood soaked lips as the pursed tightly against the raw flesh, purple and bruised.

Finally he released the being and stood, looking down in sour content at the lifeless body, each frail limb cast out, the snow that lay at its perimeter disrupted due to the light thrashing motions it had employed once he had sunk his teeth deep into its throat. There was something alluring about the sight of the broken body, the pale skin that appear almost invisible in the snow save for the aura of blood that swam around the island of flesh and the cascades of hair that stretched out like inhumane fingers. There was still an ounce of life preserved in that fragile corpse, the slight rise and fall of the chest and crystalline tear that slipped slowly down the youths pale cheek. He wondered, had the being been granted solace or had it come to regret its loss?

Nevertheless, he was now responsible for the human creature; it would be humane, be the human thing to do, if he were to quickly kill it now, to snap the brittle bone that resided under the weak muscles of the neck and end the trauma. But he was no human.