romantic way—she hadn't been interested in him like that, but he had sought her out as a friend. He had always been an idiot in her mind, drawn to the girl who no one knew and no one understood.
And she had stupidly let him. She hadn't sighted the Reaper in years before that night. A small foolish part of herself had started to hope that he had left her alone. She didn't exactly let Nathan talk to her, but she didn't do a very good job of making him go away.
It was funny how one bullet—something so small and so fast—could so efficiently end a life.
At twenty-one, death was something some people her age had never encountered. It was an old enemy to her, a fact of life.
The people she loved would die.
It was simply what it was. Fact. She had learned not to fight it.
And so she had always been alone.
#
When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the slope of a hill, in a bed of coarse grass. Above her lay an expanse of stars. They looked too bright and too close to be real, fully illuminating the area. Rae took a deep breath, slowly sitting up. She stared down at her hand. It seemed unnaturally pale in the starlight. She thought she seemed almost translucent, like the light could travel straight through her.
She ran a hand through her long black hair, taking a deep breath. She didn’t feel quite normal. It felt like her body wasn’t her own, like she was still floating in a dream.
“Hello, Arbiter,” said a male voice from behind her. “Good to see you awake.”
Rae tensed and turned her head sharply, thinking it was the Reaper. The man behind her, though, was someone she had never encountered before. His hair was a bright gold, and his eyes were blue. Where the Reaper wore black, he wore white—a long sleeved white shirt, pants, and a cloak that rested lightly on his shoulders. His skin was the same shade as the Reaper’s, but while the Reaper radiated death, this man did not. He was handsome, but she instinctively shied away.
The Reaper was handsome too. The Reaper looked like someone she could trust too. She knew better than to fall for that.
“Don’t worry,” said the man, giving her a small smile. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just here to talk.”
“So talk,” said Rae. “I’m listening.”
“You aren't going to ask me who I am?” asked the man, his smile fading as he looked at her. “You seem...surprisingly calm, considering all of this. Almost like someone who's given up.”
She didn't answer that. She couldn't. He sighed as the silence grew deeper, coming to stand next to her.
“I wanted to talk about the deal you made with the Reaper,” he said, stopping beside her. Rae didn’t move to get up, instead resting her hand on her knee as she looked up at him. “You’ve been sent to the Twilight Realms, to search for Kaeltharin. Do you even know what you’re looking for?”
Rae paused, staring up at him. Truthfully, she had no idea. He had told her that it was an item, but that could mean anything. Her mouth twisted into a scowl. Of course he wouldn't tell her much. He had no intention of letting her or Nathan go. He would let her run herself ragged for a year, and then he would come to collect…
The thought chilled her, and she wrapped her arms around her knees for warmth.
“…No clue,” she admitted, looking away from him.
“I see.” He slowly lowered himself, sitting down beside her. She tensed, but did not move away. He was different from the Reaper. that much, she was sure of, though she didn’t know how or by how much. “I would not have expected him to. The Shard of the Star is an item from an ancient age. Even in the Twilight Realm, it is something of legend. Few are aware of its existence, fewer still know how to find it. To find it, you will need to go into dark corners untouched for centuries, and into the darkest part of yourself. You will be tested by forces any sane man would leave alone, and you will be brought to the brink of despair, if you
And she had stupidly let him. She hadn't sighted the Reaper in years before that night. A small foolish part of herself had started to hope that he had left her alone. She didn't exactly let Nathan talk to her, but she didn't do a very good job of making him go away.
It was funny how one bullet—something so small and so fast—could so efficiently end a life.
At twenty-one, death was something some people her age had never encountered. It was an old enemy to her, a fact of life.
The people she loved would die.
It was simply what it was. Fact. She had learned not to fight it.
And so she had always been alone.
#
When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the slope of a hill, in a bed of coarse grass. Above her lay an expanse of stars. They looked too bright and too close to be real, fully illuminating the area. Rae took a deep breath, slowly sitting up. She stared down at her hand. It seemed unnaturally pale in the starlight. She thought she seemed almost translucent, like the light could travel straight through her.
She ran a hand through her long black hair, taking a deep breath. She didn’t feel quite normal. It felt like her body wasn’t her own, like she was still floating in a dream.
“Hello, Arbiter,” said a male voice from behind her. “Good to see you awake.”
Rae tensed and turned her head sharply, thinking it was the Reaper. The man behind her, though, was someone she had never encountered before. His hair was a bright gold, and his eyes were blue. Where the Reaper wore black, he wore white—a long sleeved white shirt, pants, and a cloak that rested lightly on his shoulders. His skin was the same shade as the Reaper’s, but while the Reaper radiated death, this man did not. He was handsome, but she instinctively shied away.
The Reaper was handsome too. The Reaper looked like someone she could trust too. She knew better than to fall for that.
“Don’t worry,” said the man, giving her a small smile. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just here to talk.”
“So talk,” said Rae. “I’m listening.”
“You aren't going to ask me who I am?” asked the man, his smile fading as he looked at her. “You seem...surprisingly calm, considering all of this. Almost like someone who's given up.”
She didn't answer that. She couldn't. He sighed as the silence grew deeper, coming to stand next to her.
“I wanted to talk about the deal you made with the Reaper,” he said, stopping beside her. Rae didn’t move to get up, instead resting her hand on her knee as she looked up at him. “You’ve been sent to the Twilight Realms, to search for Kaeltharin. Do you even know what you’re looking for?”
Rae paused, staring up at him. Truthfully, she had no idea. He had told her that it was an item, but that could mean anything. Her mouth twisted into a scowl. Of course he wouldn't tell her much. He had no intention of letting her or Nathan go. He would let her run herself ragged for a year, and then he would come to collect…
The thought chilled her, and she wrapped her arms around her knees for warmth.
“…No clue,” she admitted, looking away from him.
“I see.” He slowly lowered himself, sitting down beside her. She tensed, but did not move away. He was different from the Reaper. that much, she was sure of, though she didn’t know how or by how much. “I would not have expected him to. The Shard of the Star is an item from an ancient age. Even in the Twilight Realm, it is something of legend. Few are aware of its existence, fewer still know how to find it. To find it, you will need to go into dark corners untouched for centuries, and into the darkest part of yourself. You will be tested by forces any sane man would leave alone, and you will be brought to the brink of despair, if you
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