A light midnight breeze blows past the pale man. It tousles his auburn hair, and his eyes close in response to the coolness. He breathes out through his mouth then closes it into a frown. The man stands upon firm asphalt. Its heat from the previous day seeps through his shoes.
A whispering shift in the shadows causes the man to open glowing, red eyes. A smile that seethes arrogance overtakes his features. From within his tailored made suit, he turns and looks down at the silver watch wrapped onto his wrist.
"You're late." His voice is smooth with just the right amount of annoyance. It speaks of superiority. It whispers, "you, little darkling, are beneath me."
"No, your watch is off." The childish voice slides behind him. A breath in his ear, and he resists the urge to flinch. His teachers would have been disappointed at weakness.
The man turns slowly. Eye color forced into a light sky blue.
"This is not mine. I apologize for its deficiencies." He nods his head in mock apology. A high-toned laugh from the thick shadows several feet from him sounds out into the night. The shadows stir unease within him. He should be able to see through them.
"Let's cut this game short, shall we? There are far better uses of both our times than spending the night here." The shadows flow away from her and she spreads out her arms to gesture to the surroundings.
The pair stand where two roads intersect in the middle of an empty grassland. The girl, whom he can now see, smirks at him as he stares. She wears a summer dress spotted with sunflowers. Her light brown hair lifts in the breeze and large sky blue eyes study him. Her face is rounded like a child's. With that body, she could be his younger sister.
"You speak of cutting games short, yet you come dressed like that."
She pouts at his scolding tone and stands on the tiptoes of her sandaled feet.
"You were the one who said I should look the part." The childish tone that she had adopted takes on whiny pitch.
"Now," Her voice loses its pouting tone, "what information do you have to offer?" As she speaks, the man steps a few steps closer.
"One of the Dark Lords will be attending the tournament that you have shown interest in."
A look of confusion dawns on her face.
"Are you certain it is not one of their servants? The Dark Lords themselves don't like the Mortal World much. I don't really see them attending a children's card game." Her words, her tone, insult him. She acts as though he is a fool who knows nothing. He may have only learned of her kind's existence a year ago, but a year was enough to learn the most important parts.
"Don't act like that." He keeps his snarl inward. However, his tone is a touch harsh.
"Like what?" The girl tilts her head to the side. The false confusion is still written across her face.
"Like I am a fool. I know what that tournament means to your kind. Three Millennium Items in one place is enticing enough to draw all sorts of you Monsters from the Shadows. Your survival does depend on who owns those Items after all. In the wrong hands, you might find yourself bound to stone."
The mask of confusion drops and the girl frowns. Her eyes flicker once, but he does not see to what color before they are once again sky blue.
"My, my, you know a lot. On a side note, I learned that information when I was six months old. What are you again? Oh yes, one hundred and fifty." Her tone carries a hint of warning. He walks up to her, grabs her chin, and forces her gaze up.
"Don't act superior to me, Ar-"
A dagger slides into the man's belly. The girl uses her free hand to slap his hand away.
"Oh, I didn't underestimate you. You are good at hiding your true emotions behind a mask. However," She stands over him as he sinks to his knees and breathes in gasps.
"Even if they are hidden you let them control you too much. For example, no matter how angry you were or how much you wanted to feel more powerful," She kneels and pulls the dagger out.
"You shouldn't have touched me."