Chapter 16: Return to the Fray

Rider leapt from one end of the meadow to the other, spraying dirt as he slid to a stop. He looked down at his hands, examining them for a moment. The bones that had made up his body were now pitch black. The blue smoke that arose from his Spiritual Core in his head seemed to be taking well to the new body that his Master and Caster had made for him.

"I understand your need to test your limits before we start today, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make a mess of this place," Caster criticized from her resting place. She lounged atop of a tree branch not far away, examining a fruit she had plucked out of the tree.

Caster's Reality Marble took the form of a beautiful garden, with the sun shining down hotly, yet plenty of shade to hide in. It could be called a paradise. Except to Rider, who was annoyed by the lack of a lake. The only water was a few small streams nearby.

Rider responded to her request by dashing over to the tree she was in and punching it with all his might, causing it to explode into wooden splinters. The tree's bottom flipped out from under it and it fell down next to Rider.

Caster came floating down, gently as a fallen leaf. She sighed. "Such stubborn intensity. It's such a shame you're missing the one bone that counts."

"As if I'd be interested in a wench like ye?"

"If you two have time to bicker, you have time to prepare for the battle ahead. I assume you remember the plan?" Other Caster called to them from the other side of the meadow, walking slowly towards them.

"Aye."

"Of course."

"Good. Then we'll have nothing to fear when they come."

A ball of light suddenly appeared next to Caster. Caster turned to it and leaned towards it slightly. A strange humming, almost like a broken harmonica, came floating out of the orb.

"You summoned one?" Other Caster asked, clearly agitated.

Caster gave a slight shrug. "I couldn't be bothered. It did the job just fine."

Other Caster grumbled something under his breath. "And the result?"

"They're coming. They'll be here soon."

"I would have an easier time believing that if you actually took the time to do as I asked," Other Caster responded, folding his hands behind his back.

Caster gave a flighty laugh. Her voice, however, betrayed her true feelings. "You don't get to order me around. You know that."

Other Caster and Caster merely stared at one another for a few moments. Other Caster grunted and turned on his heel, walking away. Rider waited for the Other Caster to leave the Reality Marble before turning to Caster.

"We ought ta kill 'im."

Caster didn't respond at first. "We will. As soon as he hands over all that Mana he's been sitting on. His Noble Phantasm is capable of stealing Mana from defeated enemies, even ones he himself didn't kill. He has a lot from the previous war. Once he gives it to me so I can fully summon my Noble Phantasm, you're free to destroy him. At that point, we'll have enough mana from the slaughter of all the people in this town that we won't need him anyway."

"And what of the Mana ye got from me undead horde in tha Locker?" Rider asked.

"Well… if worst comes to worst, I'll use that to summon my Noble Phantasm but… I'd prefer to have enough to make sure I summon him at the same time."

Rider gave a throaty chuckle. "Yer a bilgy strumpet. I agree. 'Tis a shame after all."


Sakura had no idea that she would be standing on the same building, looking at the same tower twice in this war. It was wetter and colder this time, and far darker. The setting sun was blotted out by black clouds, casting the usual shade of red the town had on at this time into a deep dark blue.

To her immediate right stood Lancer, standing in the same pose as last time, observing the tower through the rain. Behind her and to the left stood Archer and Berserker. A glance over her shoulder told her that they were ready to move when she was.

Behind her and to the right, a bit farther back than where Archer and Berserker were, was Chiaki and Remia. They were talking about something. Remia had his gun drawn and he was demonstrating some kind of hand motion to her. It was a strange, almost snapping movement with his finger after he mock fired the gun.

He was teaching her Detonation. Sakura might've been worried that Remia was trying to teach her this so late in the war, but ultimately she just appreciated that Chiaki was preparing herself further for the battle ahead - even if it was impossible for her to use it so soon after learning. Any advantage they could get, she'd take.

Of the three Masters, Chiaki had the least combat capability, which made her the weakest link. But Berserker was insistent that she come for whatever reason. The bond those two shared was odd… and yet somewhat familiar.

Truthfully, Sakura didn't mind. Or couldn't mind, more accurately. She had other things to worry about. In her hands, she clutched a long case. She had stored it in there as a precaution. It had been some time since she had used it… but if this was a trap, then she needed to be ready to fight with everything she had.

Even an old friend's final parting gift.

"Liselotte Tower has been closed down for repairs," Lancer narrated his findings, "but there are no workers there now."

Sakura mused how Lancer and Caster's fight was actually advantageous to them entering the building now. Sakura had felt that a direct approach would've been what Caster and her Master expected of them, being overconfident in their power. A sneakier approach, perhaps one that allowed them to subtly penetrate the bounded field surrounding the penthouse, would give them an advantage they didn't have last time. Of course, Caster and her Master may have been prepared for this as well, but Sakura felt that whether they knew or not, it was still a safer way of approach.

Sakura couldn't discount Caster's Master. She had seen him in the previous war. His power was nothing special. He was the weakest Servant in that war, but his ability to gather Mana was unprecedented. That fact alone made him so much more dangerous as a Master than he ever was as a Servant.

Yet Sakura kept this fact from the others. She didn't want them to become unnerved by him. They were going against two servants, Caster and Rider. Possibly three if Assassin took advantage of the chaos to attack. Adding a fourth would not only mean they were outnumbered, it would put everyone on edge as to what he could do. Sakura had a plan to deal with him before his identity ever came to light.

You'll make sure to prioritize Caster's Master the moment he appears? Sakura telepathically asked Lancer. He gave a slight nod in response.

Then, unless you have any further observations to make, let's get started.

Sakura turned to face her allies, setting down her case for a moment. "Remember, Caster and Rider are likely working together, but that doesn't mean Assassin won't attempt an attack. Keep on your guard, protect your Master at all costs. Masters, stick to your Servants. Help where you can, but don't get in the way. If they're facing off against another Servant, you should stay back. However, as everyone except Lancer and I are already aware of, Rider is capable of raising the dead. Dealing with these zombies is largely what we'll be doing," Sakura explained.

Remia stepped forward, folding his arms. He nodded at the case she was holding. "That what I think it is?"

Sakura glanced at it. "Depends on what you think it is."

Remia smirked, giving a quick turn to the other members of their team. "Y'all 're about to see one of the last real Maguses around kick ass like no one else can."

Sakura closed her eyes and bristled. She really wished he wouldn't hype her up like that. The little demonstration that she had showed Remia when they first met was probably leagues above anything she could do now, due to how much Mana had disappeared from the world since then.

Sakura turned her attention back to the tower. "Lancer and I will proceed first. Archer, keep us covered. Once we give the signal, Berserker shall follow us, then Archer," Sakura spoke. With no further explanation, Lancer wrapped his arm around her as he had done last time and kicked off the side of the building.

Unfortunately, because of how dark it was, Sakura found herself much more terrified as they whizzed through the black and rainy unknown. Lancer landed lightly in front of the doors, closed off by construction barricades. He let go of Sakura and walked towards them. He drew a rune on the door, and the lock clicked open a moment later. He turned, motioning for Sakura to come inside, which she was more than glad to do just to get out of the rain.

Lancer summoned his spear and drew a rune at the edge of it, generating a bright light to illuminate the room they were in.

The lobby of the tower greeted them. A place usually so bright and welcoming now felt very hostile, as the only light in the room struggled to hold back the darkness that encroached at the corners of the area.

Sakura turned to Lancer, who was turned to face towards the roof. "Anything?"

"Not that I can see. The runes can only do so much. If they're hiding, they're likely to still be in the penthouse. Whether or not they know we're here is yet unknown."

Berserker suddenly came through the door with Chiaki.

Lancer turned towards them, clearly irritated. Sakura held up a hand, stopping him before he could start. "You were supposed to wait for a signal."

"That light wasn't the signal?" Chiaki asked.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. There was no hiding it now. Lancer could replicate the effects of Presence Concealment with his runes in order to get the drop on someone, but there was no way for Berserker to hide his presence. Regrettably, that meant the element of surprise was definitely lost to them now, if it hadn't been already.

No matter. At least we'll know that they'll expect us, Sakura decided in her head.

Archer and Remia stepped through a shimmer in the air, Archer missing his cloak. A moment later, he called it to his hand and wrapped it around himself once more.

That Noble Phantasm of Archer's was very useful for infiltration. It was a shame they couldn't have used it more effectively here.

The wind outside started to slam into the side of the tower, making the foundations rumble and the doors clatter.

"Are we ready to ascend?" Lancer asked after the rumbling quieted.

"Hold up…" Remia spoke, looking towards the end of the lobby. Behind the desk, a man was exiting a back room. His hard hat and vest revealed his occupation as a construction worker.

"I thought you said the place was empty," Remia whispered harshly to Lancer as he moved closer. Lancer held out his spear horizontally, blocking Remia's path.

"It was… he just showed up out of nowhere."

Sakura realized only too late. The Master of Caster had done the same thing before.

Chiaki suddenly shrieked. When Sakura whirled around to see why, she saw Berserker standing in front of Chiaki, both of them looking at the doors as if something was there… and Sakura soon saw that there was something there. Water.

Dark water flowing at the edge of the door, as if they had somehow been submerged. It ebbed away and then crashed into the doors once more, making them clatter. Water had spewed through the cracks, spraying Chiaki with the water.

"Rider," Lancer growled.

The man in the hard hat stepped forward, revealing his watery, zombified state. Soon, more zombies appeared out of thin air, stepping from the shadows as if they had always been there. Rider and Caster were indeed working together… and it appeared Caster had used her Noble Phantasm to lure them into an ambush by Rider's zombies.

Another crash of water shook the tower.

And he's cut off our escape in all directions but one… Sakura thought to herself, looking upwards.

"We don't have a choice right now," Lancer spoke, as if he had read her mind. "Once that water breaks in, it'll drown us. Whether we move up now or later is trivial."

Sakura gritted her teeth. She wanted more time to think it over… but it was time they didn't have. "Up! Everyone move to the upper floor! Lancer, clear a path!"

Lancer vanished, and a hole in the roof of the lobby suddenly ripped open. Sakura felt herself being picked up by a massive arm she assumed was Berserker's, and she was taken through that hole in the roof. The floor above was darkened as well, but she could see that it had been closed off for repairs, and several walls were missing. Looking back, it was a miracle that the tower didn't collapse because of Lancer and Caster's battle.

The tower shook once more, and the sound of rushing water came drifting through the hole they had just come through.

Lancer lit another orb of light, only to reveal that the entire crew of construction workers were still around them… or perhaps they had been up here the entire time. They had a choice to make.

"Can anyone detain them without killing them?" Remia shouted out, placing a hand on his gun.

"...give me a moment," Archer replied. He dashed forward and grabbed onto one of the lumbering figures and pushed him back. They disappeared, and the space around where they once were shimmered.

It shimmered almost immediately again, and Archer reappeared alone. His eyes were bright, clearly impassioned. "I can. Defend yourselves… I will clear them out," Archer stated resolutely. He became a blur, dashing around and picking off the zombies, one by one or two by two and vanishing into the Spirit World with them.

Sakura was relieved. It meant one less problem they'd have to deal with.

Unfortunately, her relief didn't last long.

She saw what happened next, despite the speed at which it happened. Archer was moving towards one of the zombified crewmen, arms outstretched in order to grab him… but then the corpse exploded.

It was an odd sight, but it looked as though the skeleton suddenly ripped its way out of the zombie's skin and moved forward at a frightening pace, throwing a strike into Archer's chest.

Rider, now sporting an all-black skeleton body, had just thrust his hand through Archer's body, spurting blood all over the dilapidated boards that surrounded them.

"Archer!" Chiaki cried.

Archer spat up blood immediately, spraying over Rider's face. Rider didn't seem to care. He lifted Archer off his feet with his arm still stuck in Archer.

"Ye stopped me from killin' tha girl back on tha beach. So I'll be takin' yer life instead 'a her's," Rider growled.

Lancer was suddenly beside Rider, his tattoos fully alight. In a single swipe, the arm that was stuck through Archer was cut off. A swift kick to Rider sent him flying back through the wall of the tower, busting open a way to the rainy outside. Lancer became a blue streak, following him out.

Remia was the first at Archer's side, helping him stand. Sakura moved closer to get a better look at the wound, as did Chiaki.

"God damn it…" Remia swore. It wasn't good. The wound was near his Spiritual Core, that much was obvious… but it didn't pierce it directly, thankfully.

"You have to... keep going…" Archer growled, placing a hand on Rider's disembodied arm and pulling it out of him. More blood flowed from his wound. Archer summoned his cloak and wrapped it around himself.

"Now hold on just a damn minute, you ain't in any condition to continue," Remia protested.

"I can't use Bloody Cloak and the Red-Tailed Hawk Prophecy at the same time… I have no way of detaining the zombies without killing them…" Archer groaned in pain, steadying himself away from Remia. "You have to move on… or they will overtake you."

"And what about you?" Chiaki asked.

"I will be okay…" Archer replied. He turned to look at Berserker, and he began to change into Spirit Form, presumably to preserve Mana. "Caster… must be stopped…"

Berserker had a stern look. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "You heard the man. We best get going."

Sakura paused for a moment.

Lancer, I take it that you can deal with Rider? Sakura asked him telepathically.

Easily, was his response.

Sakura turned to Berserker. "Alright. Without Lancer and Archer, getting to the top will take some time, but it's still doable. If you can clear a path to the top first, then come back down for-"

There was a shockwave. No… not a shockwave… but it felt like it. It rippled through Sakura's body as if an explosion had gone off beside her. But she remained still. The looks on Chiaki and Remia's faces told her that they had felt the same thing. And they all felt it come from the top of the tower.

"Caster…" Berserker glowered.

She was activating her Noble Phantasm. There wasn't time anymore. As far as she knew, Caster didn't have a target for her Noble Phantasm… which meant that she didn't need one. And anything that required that much Mana to activate certainly wasn't good.

"Berserker, you need to get goin'. We'll catch up," Remia spoke. Berserker hesitated for a few moments. He looked at Chiaki.

"It's… alright. I'll be okay," she said.

Berserker arched an eyebrow. "So does that mean you didn't want to fight by my side?"

Chiaki looked stunned. "Me? How would I be of help?"

Berserker shrugged. "You'll find a way. You always do. Besides, I'm tired of someone else doing my job for me. So… one more time: do you want to fight by my side?"

Chiaki blinked. She cleared her throat and looked at her feet for a few seconds. When she looked back at Berserker, she had a large smile on her face she was desperately trying to keep under control. "Hell yeah, I do."

Berserker picked her up and angled himself so that his back was facing the roof. "Brace yourself. This is gonna be a bumpy ride."

He pushed off the ground and went crashing through the floors of the hotel, one after another. Sakura and Remia simply looked at the first hole they made in the roof.

"Man, those two…" Remia whistled.

"We should get going ourselves," Sakura spoke, back on topic. She wanted to avoid this situation at all costs but… it was now up to her and Remia to kill Caster's Master.

Remia nodded, drawing his gun. "Let's go hunt us a Master, shall we?"


Berserker exploded through the floor. He landed and let go of Chiaki, letting her straighten herself out. The rain and the wind was immense. He hoped Chiaki would be okay.

They were in a mostly destroyed penthouse. As he recalled, Lancer and Caster had had a battle here some time ago…

Caster herself was waiting patiently, cross legged, on a half destroyed sofa. Her staff was floating behind her, and her claws and horns were on full display. She had a magical shield formed above her that kept the rain off her.

"Why hello there, Berserker. I'm very surprised to see you. I thought Lancer would be the one to make it up here… no offense."

Berserker didn't respond at first.

"Why are you doing this?" he eventually asked.

Caster tilted her head. "I'm sorry? What exactly are you referring to? Attacking you and your friends?"

"Letting Rider do as he pleases. Do you understand what you did to those he had under his control? Do you not feel any remorse for tearing their souls out?" Berserker interrogated, taking a few steps forward.

Caster gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, you sweet thing… heroes never seem to understand why anyone would turn their back on the code of morals this world so desperately clings to."

Berserker scowled and got into a fighting position. If she wasn't going to answer him…

"Easy there, big boy. Don't be too excited to get to the main course. I'll talk to you all night, if you'd like…"

Caster turned her head towards the sky. There was a vortex in the sky, causing the clouds to spiral into chaos. The source of the storm.

"Of course, you'd have to be willing to let me pull this little thing off in order to hear my full answer. It's not terribly convenient, I know, but if you're really that curious-"

"Fine then. Skip the answer. I'll take your name instead," Berserker replied.

He had a plan. He already had an idea of who Caster was… but he wanted to confirm it first.

Caster took a moment to respond. She looked at him. "Well, you're no fun… maybe we can turn this into a game? Defeat me before I've completed the summoning-"

"No!" Berserker roared. "Do as I say, or I'll kill you."

The green orb surrounding Caster exploded outwards. Berserker quickly shielded Chiaki from the blast, but found the wave of energy wasn't meant for offense. He barely took damage.

"Now… those are words I've heard too many times. 'Caster, do this and we'll win the war', 'Caster, stop going out and killing random men', 'Caster, do as I say', 'Caster, stop having fun'."

A green lightning bolt came down and struck her, showering the area with sparks of a similar color.

"I am sick and tired of being told what I can or cannot do!" she screamed.

Berserker stood ready, in case she attacked out of nowhere. She was unstable now. It could happen at any time.

Berserker just had to guess at this point, and hope he was correct.

"Lilith… I see. Master, do you recognize the name?" Berserker called out beside him.

Chiaki glanced at him. She had been looking on the scene the entire time, completely silent. "Lilith… everyone's at least heard the name. I've never been terribly familiar with the legend, but as I understand it, she's a demon of seduction."

"Most demons started out human," Berserker replied, turning his attention back to Caster. "That right?"

Caster's face, covered by the mask, didn't betray any emotion.

"You're quite clever. You almost remind me of him…"

"I've heard that phrase a lot in this war, always in different contexts. It's starting to creep me out."

Lilith actually laughed. It wasn't a flirtatious giggle or a condescending snicker, it was a laugh.

"Oh, he was funny, too… not like Adam. Adam was so droll and boring. He worked hard, but was so damn adherent to the rules. He wanted me to be, too… so I ran away and met my true love," Lilith reminisced, flying higher into the air and spreading her arms wide.

The vortex spiralled faster and faster. The ritual was near completion. Berserker doubted he could stop it at this point…

Berserker… you remember what I asked? Chiaki asked him telepathically.

Berserker stopped. That's right.

"I will," he spoke aloud.

You better do it now. If she pulls off that Noble Phantasm, who knows how many people are going to die?

Berserker clenched his fists. Just a little longer…

"Caster!" Berserker called out. "You're strong enough to not have to rely on the Noble Phantasm, aren't you?"

Caster stopped her ascent for a moment. She looked down at him. "Berserker… trying to manipulate me? Control me? You're much smarter than you look."

No use… I'll have to kill another one, Berserker thought to himself.

He launched into the air and flipped, bringing his heel at Caster in a kick. Caster disappeared in a green flash of light and his kick hit air. A flash of green reflected off the downpour of rain, alerting Berserker to the fact that Caster had appeared behind him.

He spun in the air, turning his momentum into a strike at Caster. Caster dodged back, towards the ground.

Chiaki took off, igniting her hands into the Lightning Cestus. She jumped at Caster with her hand outstretched.

Caster stepped off to the side and spun, grabbing onto Chiaki's wrist. "How pathetically slow," Caster chided. Chiaki took a step out and planted her foot. She pivoted and brought her other hand around into a hook.

Caster easily swerved around it, but Chiaki hadn't been aiming for her body. Chiaki's hand instead slammed into Caster's arm, the one holding on to Chiaki. The lightning flowed through Caster for a moment, shocking her enough to force her to let go of Chiaki.

And distracting her enough for Berserker to close the distance. He twisted his body and clamped his hands together, slamming his elbow into Caster's face. The force from the blow knocked Chiaki off her feet backwards, but she was able to roll like Berserker had taught her to disperse the impact.

Caster went flying back, and her mask shattered into fragments. She went tumbling end over end until eventually she skidded to a stop.

She laid there, disheveled, for a moment or two.

She struggled to her knees. Her hair was a mess, her dress had been torn and ruined, and blood was now trickling out of her mouth. However, the moment she realized her mask was missing, her clawed hand went to her face.

"N… no. You broke my…" Caster whimpered.

Berserker held for a moment. He knew he should keep the pressure… but there was that twinge of pity he felt for her. He had seen people like her before. At first, he threw them off to the side, defeating them or killing them in the name of justice…

Will you be willing to kill Caster? She had asked.

Of course, he had responded quickly.

He should have known better. But Chiaki knew. Berserker was a fool for not understanding the real question she was asking.

He wasn't willing. Not until he had done everything in his power to try and save her first. But now he knew… he couldn't take that chance. If she lived any longer, it would put Chiaki into more danger. There was a chance he could save Caster… but was that a risk he was willing to take? More accurately, would he be willing to risk Chiaki in order to gain the opportunity to potentially save Caster?

"I'll kill…" Caster suddenly spoke. She was now standing, but slumped over, her hand still on her face, trying to hide it.

"...everyone..." Caster wailed.

The clouds in the center of the vortex above them suddenly parted, and a bright light shone out. Berserker didn't take the time to look. He bolted forward, keeping his arms in. It was time to finish this.

Bat-like wings sprouted out of Caster's back, and she took into the air at a frightening pace. Berserker jumped to intercept, but she aimed a blast of green energy that slammed him back into the roof, causing the already weakened building to crumble beneath his landing spot and plunging him into the floor below.

He sprang to his feet and leaped back out the hole back to the penthouse. Caster was now turned away from him, slowly floating away. She was still near enough to the ground that Berserker could reach her… but she seemed to be fading away into a shadow that hadn't existed previously. If he had to guess, she was escaping into the Reality Marble that Tohsaka had encountered when they were here last time. Berserker dashed forward.

But so had Chiaki. Chiaki she had moved at the exact same moment Berserker had, but in the time it had taken him to get knocked down and get up again, she had closed the distance between her and an unsuspecting Caster. She jumped and grabbed on to Caster with her hands sparking with lightning.

"Chiaki!" Berserker called.

They disappeared an instant before he could close the distance. Berserker stopped in his tracks, simply staring at where they once were.

Chiaki was now alone with Caster in a Reality Marble that he had no way to penetrate. He had to get Lancer or Archer… one of them might know how to-

His thoughts were interrupted by a strange humming. He hadn't noticed it at first, but it had been slowly building for quite a while now. It was a dissonant cacophony of strange whistles and buzzes. It was like an orchestra made entirely of broken pan flutes.

He turned and looked skyward. It looked like he was right. He wouldn't have stopped her ritual even if he did kill her.

Which meant it wasn't a ritual at all, he guessed. It was a signal to attack.

Above him, flying en masse from the end of the vortex, were many balls of lights, vibrating and whirring, flying around erratically, down to the city below.

Caster's Noble Phantasm was here.


Rada always loved one thing above all else. Power. All power

Physical, political, social. It didn't matter to her. Power was power, and it excited her. She had done her best to become powerful and to surround herself with powerful people. She had dated several bodybuilders, martial artists, and other sports stars. Each replacement more impressive than the last.

So it surprised her the moment that her steroid-infused-all-star boyfriend was nearly murdered by the Stranger.

She followed the Stranger after their little altercation that left her beau a bloody mess in an alleyway somewhere. At first, she was curious to see just how he had accomplished such a feat. He was able to detect her following him easily. Then she realized that he was different.

His strength was unparalleled, that was revealed the moment he defeated her ex. His mind was potent, as shown by his ability to see through her following him so quickly.

But the clearest sign of his uniqueness was his voice. It radiated pure, unadulterated, overwhelming power.

She had to have him. She revealed to him her riches. Told him of her standing in the public eye. Inserted the fact that she had ties to both the presidency and the criminal underworld (subtly and with plausible deniability, of course. She didn't know if he was recording something). And she told him that she would be willing to share it with him so long as he joined her at her lovenest this evening.

He seemed disinterested, but agreed, much to her surprise. She was worried he was going to be one of those "too strong for worldly desires" types.

It wasn't hard to seduce him. He barely reacted to anything she did, but all she needed was to hear his voice in order to be pleased. It was intoxicating. It was like she was doing something so horribly dangerous by keeping this man's company, yet she couldn't possibly begin to understand why.

It hadn't even crossed her mind to ask his name. She regretted that after he decided to leave.

His departure was so sudden. He stood up in the middle of their lovemaking and brushed her off himself. Like a man possessed, he walked toward the large window that looked over the city.

"What the hell? What are you doing?" she asked, desperate to hear his voice again.

"For too long have I quested, ignoring my duties. It is time for my return."

She didn't really register what he had said… she just felt the waves of strength radiating from his voice.

A bright flash of light snapped her out of her fervor. The Stranger was now standing in a full set of silver armor. He splayed his hand forward, and the window shattered, letting in the cold and wind.

Only now did she begin to understand why she was so attracted to him. Why he was so different. Why she felt so endangered and excited by him.

He wasn't even human.

Another flash of light came, but formed into a pair of angelic wings on his back that glowed with energy. He walked to the edge, and the woman could only stare as he jumped, bursting over the horizon and out of sight within seconds, leaving a trail of quickly dissipating light as a marker of the path he took.

Rada was never satisfied after that. She wanted so desperately to meet that being just once more in her life, and searched for him endlessly... but she never saw him again.