He was completely alone. Eyes closed and breathing slow and deep, he relaxed, his pale body in stark contrast to the smooth, black surface he lay upon, his skin showing no signs of cold in the frigid hall. The temple was like a mausoleum, cold, lifeless, and silent, and the black stone of the massive chamber was eerily lit by faint, flickering torches that stood along the wall. Just like the tomb it resembled, this place would be the grave of the sacrifice, a noble alter to the one who would give his life for the revival of the Lord of Darkness.
He lay now upon the sacrificial alter, his cunning mind racing and imagining what it would be like for the boy who soon would lay where he now did, a willing sacrifice who would give up his body, heart, mind and soul for the resurrection of the god that lay within him, just as the oracle foretold. The day was fast approaching. It would not be long now…
The silence was disturbed by the soft echoing of feet as they made their way down the aisle, and the man on the alter took a sharp, deep breath, held it for a moment, and forcibly exhaled, attempting to expel his frustration. The echo grew louder as the intruder approached, and it finally stopped, followed by the swift clicking of heels, and his green eyes shot open and focused on the man that now stood by the alter.
"Sir!" the newcomer said, saluting. "We have located the exact coordinates of the boy It appears as though he has found the senshi."
With a sigh, he sat up, dangling his long legs off the edge of the stone slab. "This is to our advantage. We can recruit them to our cause. No doubt they will be willing to fight against those fiends."
"Shall I oversee that, my lord?"
"No. I shall attend to that myself. I would like to make sure that they are aware that we mean them no harm." He rubbed his hands over the smooth surface of the alter, the black stone radiating heat that had come from the white haired man's body. "What of the warrior?"
"We have analyzed his energy signature, my lord, and have determined him to be of the Dark Kingdom."
"Impossible," he drawled. "The Dark Kingdom was destroyed years ago, the senshi saw to that."
"Apparently, that has been marginally reversed, sir. The interceding warrior was Jadeite, the King of the East."
The white haired man was suddenly interested, cocking his head to one side. "Now, who would release that rogue?"
"We cannot say, sir."
"That is your mission," he said dismissively, looking up at the empty shell that hung from the pillar above the alter. "Find and locate the warrior's master."
"And if we see Jadeite again?"
The man shrugged. "Kill him." The soldier saluted his superior once again, and the green eyed man nodded. "Dismissed."
He turned on his heel and marched out of the temple, the echoing of his shoes upon the floor becoming softer and softer until the sound faded away entirely. Sighing and closing his eyes, he moved his hand down the pillar, feeling the cool granite beneath his fingertips. "Tell me," he said softly, looking at the corpse that hung above him. "Are you trying to get in my way?"
From the shadows of the corner, out of sight, a pair of red eyes on a shadowed figure melted back into darkness, vanishing from the room.