-1Dark Meridian

Nathaniel stepped out of the dark oval. He flicked his wrist as it dissolved in the air.

Everything surrounding him was dark, in varying shades of black. The only thing interrupting the void was the rippled reflections of light on the water's surface, framed by a rocky arch stretching across the cove. Boulders of varying sizes were strewn about, decomposing into the dark sand, and jagged mounds lined the land's horizon. Nathaniel sighed as he saw his breath.

"You have arrived."

Nathaniel's eyes darted around the landscape, searching for the voice's owner. His head jerked in all directions, like prey searching for a hiding spot. His eyes could only tell the slivers of light apart from the dark. He took a few steps forward for a better view, but to no avail.

"Over here," the voice beckoned, slightly louder.

Nathaniel's eyes found his objective. A cloaked figure was sitting on a nearby boulder, staring into the dark horizon. Nathaniel made his way over towards him, stopping a few feet away.

The figure turned his hooded head. "I must congratulate you on your reinstatement."

Nathaniel looked down at his white coat, as if it hadn't been there before. "Well, I'm not exactly proud of it."

The cloaked figure returned his attention to the waters. "Pride…what a useless emotion."

Nathaniel looked back up. "I'm sure you can do without it."

"I already have."

Nathaniel nodded in recognition, leaving a silence only filled by the soft lapping of waves.

The crunching of sand joined them as Nathaniel made his way over to the boulder and sat down. He shoved his hands into his pockets and relaxed his shoulders.

"I assume you'll still help us."

Nathaniel nodded, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "I promised, didn't I? I just…won't be able to do so as often as I used to."

"I suppose, then, it was mere chance that you were able to come here."

"It only happened a few hours ago," Nathaniel turned his head, "and I was the only one available for the job. Hence the lack of pride." He turned his head back.

The silence carried on.

"Well," Nathaniel began to stand up, "I've got to head back. They've probably started to form a search party."

"It has not been that long," the man replied, "are they really that strict?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "They are now."

"Was his defection that grand?"

"Let's just say it was a spectacle," he said as he walked down the beach. He stopped and waved back. "See you later," was all he said as a black oval covered him from head to toe before dissolving back into the air, leaving nothing behind but his footprints.