Hosenka City was the capital of luxury, summer festivities and relaxation. The eastern town was filled to the brim with tourists and emptied every resource to entertain them; the common folk was pleasure-seeking, and their hedonistic tendencies bled into every person who entered the flamboyant metropolis, even affecting a very particular thief. Nuala Nazari had lost herself in a plenitude of criminal and questionable activities and the woman enjoyed her time away from nagging guild members and pressing matters and duties.

The Voidling lay amidst an ocean of silk pillows, and the chambers she had rented were hard to beat for fanciness and comfort. Spread across the floor, the bed, the wardrobe and even the basins of the bathroom, shiny gems and glistening pieces of jewelry could be found, all of which the clever thief had acquired within a few days of her initial arrival in Hosenka City. It was nighttime and Nuala left a window open to allow the cool midnight air to breeze through her room, when her keen ears perked up at the sound of a conversation being held just below her window.

“Inform the other guards that Kenzo Valens has entered Hosenka.”

Somehow, the Voidling’s face lit up with something akin to happiness, and the name made her hypothetical heart skip a beat. Nuala got dressed almost immediately, and while Hosenka was all about relaxation and vacation the thief chose her usual attire, tight black pants, a cropped top and her trusty daggers at her thighs, over a dress this time. Only Nuala’s purple hair was left untouched; it had grown longer over the past months and cascaded down the length of her back beautifully, ending far below the hips. Furthermore, the thief took ahold of a small box containing one of the many pieces of jewelry laying around, with the exception that this one had been chosen for the mercenary in particular – because it suited him.

Nuala had left her chambers within a few minutes of receiving the news and made sure to stab the guard who was on duty for carrying over the information of Kenzo’s arrival on her way to his hotel. Not enough to stop the newsflash, but at the very least it would delay the flow of information, giving them some time to enjoy themselves before all hell broke loose.

The patient thief waited somewhere in the distance, lurking in the dark until she was sure Kenzo had left his chambers and they were available for her to break into peacefully – and when the time came, Nuala did just that. The warrior had disappeared into the lobby, probably searching for food or booze, and the curious rogue took that as a chance to sniff through his rooms and search for that shiny sword of his, but of course without avail. The stupid mercenary always had some sort of trick up his sleeve, and at some point Nuala got so frustrated that she looked under his bed where she only found dust and cobwebs, but no Masamune.

Frustrated by this loss, the Voidling sighed dramatically and rolled out from under the bed. Where the hell do you keep all your shit, Nuala asked herself and ran her fingers through her hair, vowing to find Kenzo’s item stash no matter what! Her train of thoughts was interrupted when she heard the door clicking, and swiftly and with silent steps the Voidling hushed over and hid behind said door to spook him when he entered. So much that he might even accidently drop his sword!

Kenzo stumbled on his way back to his room as he tried to contain a laugh. As he tried to reach the door at the end of the hallway (which he’d left a couple of hours ago), every bit of concentration he could muster was key to not falling into the ground. It had been so long since the last time he’d felt that way that he had completely forgotten the sort of reaction that it brought upon him. It was as if he was riding a bike. Only that the bike had no steering handles, no pedals and it was strapped to a rocket while he was unable to get down. In hindsight, accepting the granny’s proposal was not the best of choices.

Rewinding some minutes back. Kenzo had decided to go to the lobby’s bar for some drinks. It was his first time in Hosenka and it had also been a long time since he last took a vacation. While his guildmate Rania had decided to go to sleep early that night, the blue haired mercenary itched for some fun. Little did he expect that once he’d sat with a bottle of sake at the bar an old lady next to him would offer him something he forgot that existed. ”Would you like a Kampo pill, young one?” The tiny frame of a rugged lady looked at him from the stool at his side. Her wrinkles covered completely her face. The male even wondered if she could see with so many folds over her eyes, but he thought that she was the epitome of what a sweet old grandma looked like. Yet, here she was - offering Kenzo one of the most potent drugs existing in the Joyan market.

Kampo pills were something that the mercenary had grown to respect during his time at Joya. Still, they made for baller nights if he was being honest. As a rush of adrenaline flowed at the proposal, the male completely forgot the side effects it had. Excited by the idea, Kenzo paid the amount of money she requested and downed the pill, without preparing first. As he felt the substance kick in, it all came back to his memory. You were supposed to take Kampo pills at a safe place where you could lay down. For the first half an hour, a person would feel extremely drowsy and detached, almost like a drunk person at the border of a blackout. The word inhibition became non-existent as well along with his sense of self-preservation. After the time passed though, Kampo pills gave one of the best rushes of ecstasy and feel-good that existed, while also brining back control over motor and brain functions. For that reason, Kenzo instantly left everything at the bar to try and reach his room before the effects were too strong.

”Aaah shit” Kenzo mumbled with a chuckle as he struggled with his room key. He was starting to feel his consciousness fading away. Finally, he was able to enter the place…

When Kenzo struggled to enter his hotel room, a sneaking suspicion made its way up the Voidling’s mind. His words alongside the misplaced chuckle made her re-consider her intentions for a moment, and when the mercenary entered the room the woman decided to see for herself first. Nuala smacked the door closed behind him and, with a step forward and a simple but energetic push against his back, threw the blue haired onto his bed. Kenzo landed face first, but Nuala had crossed the distance in a heartbeat and turned him around to look at him. He seemed dizzy, but otherwise healthy and much to her surprise she couldn’t smell much alcohol on the human.

“Boo,” the woman whispered into his ear and turned his face towards her own. “I missed you. Are you on drugs?” It’s a good thing that Nuala had killed the guard on her way here, because the mercenary was in no condition to fight anyone or anything – especially not her. Her expression turned smug as Nuala took a seat on top of him and began inspecting the male thoroughly. No sign of Masamune just yet, or any of the other belongings she knew he had – he didn’t become an infamous and wanted criminal for nothing. Eventually the Voidling’s eyes fell on his ring and her brows furrowed as she took his hand into hers and lifted it up to inspect it further. It looked simple enough, not like anything special and yet it seemed out of place for someone like Kenzo to wear jewelry.

“What is this?” She asked, pointed at the ring on his finger and made sure he could see his own hand. “Did a girl give this to you?” Her voice sounded irritated when she said those words, but after giving it a second thought the thief only laughed and shook her head. “Pfff, as if.” Kenzo could barely keep it together on a night in Hosenka, there was no way that guy actually had a girlfriend. Much to Nuala’s dismay the mercenary, who was an otherwise fun individual, was currently in some sort of vegetable state and she even had to consider the fact that he had been poisoned by someone, although his pulse and heart rate seemed fine.

Bored and left with nothing else to do while Kenzo was in this state, the Voidling thought of something hilarious and began sitting him up against the bed frame. Then she took his shirt off to reveal the hole in his body and, without hesitation to prove her complete lack of a conscience, began throwing little grapes that were on a platter on a table next to hers through his stomach. Eventually Nuala grew bored of that as well and turned her attention back to his ring. She put Kenzo back into bed, made sure he was nice and comfortable between a stupid amount of pillows, and then took the ring off in an attempt to put it on. When she did however, a bright light sparked up and suddenly all of his items and belongings fell out of it.

“Oh, so that is where you keep all your shit,” the woman said and arched a brow. A magical ring, that was pretty clever she had to give him that. Without hesitation Nuala took a hold of Masamune, put his Helmet of Ares on and, not very elegantly, began swinging the sword around. It was heavy, way too heavy for her to be wielded with one hand – which made it useless for her fighting style, but even like that it would fetch a high price. The armour was way too large for her, so she left that on the ground for now. Every now and then between her swings, Nuala shot Kenzo a glance to see if he was doing any better yet.

"You don't mind if I keep all of this, right? Just say nothing if you don't mind!"

The moment Kenzo crossed the door, he was completely screwed up. As his mind started to drift and the effects of the Kampo Pill kicked in, he noticed he was not alone in the room. Out of nowhere, the male’s balance was off, and he fell face first into his bed. Before his baked mind could process it though, he heard a familiar voice creeping from behind. As an invisible force field turned him around to face the ceiling, the male was finally able to see who the invader was. To Kenzo’s surprise it was none other than the lilac-haired thief Nuala. It had been a while since the two of them had parted ways in Marigold, but it felt like their conversation had never reached a conclusion. A bitter smile appeared in the mercenary as she saw her on top of him. ”No fair…” Kenzo dragged his voice while he spoke in a tone with a hint of resentment. ”Why do you always have to tease me in my dreams? Go away.” The mercenary flailed his hand as if trying to scare a fly, irritated and almost hurt by something. In his high, he had inadvertently confessed that he’d dreamt about the woman, thinking that the one in front of him was simply another mirage. Not that he particularly cared in that moment, either way.

As the hallucination teased him, Kenzo could only chuckle. ”Pfft.. as if” Kenzo said when Nuala asked him if his ring was given to him by a girl, only to read her mind since she said the same thing afterwards. This confirmed the warrior’s suspicions. The Nuala in front of him was simply another product of his dreams. So why not go to sleep as well? Drifting into a deep slumber, the poor man didn’t notice a single thing while the girl had her fun with him. Minutes went by and soon enough, the side effects of the Kampo Pill ended. As he slowly recovered his consciousness, he noticed he was buried beneath a mountain of pillows. ”What the fuck?”.

Suddenly, a question startled him out of his lethargy. Rising from the bed, Kenzo turned around to see Nuala playing around with Masamune and his helmet on. Truth be told, she looked quite silly, thing that brought out a chuckle from the male, alerting her of his presence. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at her once again in case he was seeing things. ”Quite a persistent mirage… Why don’t you go and try to steal from someone else? You’ve already stolen enough from me” Kenzo said with a playful smile. The real effects of the Kampo Pill had him now in a state of bliss, brimming with confidence and excitement while also disinhibiting the normally reserved man. Standing up, Kenzo got close enough to grab Nuala by the waist. ”Go back to your captain before you cut yourself with that.” A devilish grin followed his words as he gently placed his other hand over the golden blade’s hilt, grabbing hers.

The Voidling felt genuine happiness when she learned of the mercenary’s arrival. His sharp tongue, carefree attitude and brute behavior were reminiscent of a person from her past – and he was a sweet reminder to a face she had not seen in decades. When Kenzo’s smile turned bitter the moment he saw her face, Nuala’s lips thinned into a line and she hesitated for a moment. If he didn’t like her as much as she’d thought it certainly would hurt her feelings, but instead he complicated things by saying something that didn’t sound right at first. “Why,” she began, but realizing that the mercenary was in no proper condition to talk or make sense of the things he’d said, she gave up on it for the time being.

Shortly after the Voidling was occupied playing around with her newfound toys; the Helmet of Ares was too big for her head, and because the woman was untrained in wearing armour, it kept slipping and sliding down into her face, inhibiting her vision and causing her to stumble backwards and lift her head in order to push the piece of headgear backwards. It was an ugly thing, but she doubted it served as little purpose as it seemed – Nuala had mingled with many enchanted items and weapons in the past and she would bet her daggers that this helmet had been enchanted as well. Much like Masamune, the golden piece of armour radiated a strange magical aura that she was unable to connect to or active, but that made things all the more interesting. Nuala had seen Masamune’s abilities before and knowing that it was quite similar to Finn Merten’s Durendal made it all the more tempting to steal.

But Nuala had promised Kenzo that she would never betray him, and the Voidling had every intention of keeping that promise.

It seemed that the threat to snatch his gear was enough to snap Kenzo’s consciousness back into the present day; she heard him chuckle and slowly get out of bed, but the warrior’s movements were still slow and sloppy and Nuala paid them no heed until he crossed the distance between them and put one hand to her waist, and the other one on top of her own. The Voidling tightened her grip around Masamune and lifted her head ever so slightly, allowing for their eyes to lock. The mercenary had never been the type to whine; he was reserved, a private person who never overshared and she was surprised to see him complain to her so openly.

“I have never stolen anything from you.”

His playful smile betrayed his bitter words, and when Kenzo casually mentioned the Captain  the Voidling swallowed hard and took a step backwards. The diamond-like glimmer in her amethyst eyes became dull, and her lips parted as if she were to say something, but Nuala kept quiet instead. It’s true that there had always been a lot of immediate affection between them, but neither had ever acted upon it and life had taken its course. She didn’t think he resented her for it, but when he revealed that she was taunting him in his dreams Nuala couldn’t help but think that she’d been wrong about that, and that making assumptions had made things worse. Still, his words were uncalled for and because she’d been so glad to see him again, because they were so similar, they stung an awful lot. She hadn't expected to be rejected like that.

“You don’t mean that,” she said quietly and lowered her gaze, twisting her arm to shake his hand off. “You are on some sort of stupid drug that your mortal brain can’t handle and you don’t mean that. Go back to bed and recover, so we can have a normal conversation.” The Voidling breathed a sigh and, with her free hand, took the stupid helmet off and threw it into the corner of the room.

“That thing’s doesn’t fit my head anyways.”

For all intents and purposes, Kenzo was having quite an interesting trip going on in his head. Even if he wasn’t aware about it, his mind had started mixing memories and reality ever since the night the thief and the mercenary had their little adventure at Port Astera. Now that he was under the effects of the Kampo Pill, some of these delusions had crossed onto the real world. Once Nuala rebuked his initial accusation, it only managed to make the male more bitter. ”What do you mean Hima? You stole my heart all those years ago…” Kenzo sighed as he rubbed his temple, as when a person tries to gather patience against someone that doesn’t understand no matter how many times you’ve explained them. ”You always come back to haunt me in my dreams” As he rambled at his delusion, a creeping suspicion popped into his head. Once Nuala twisted her hand free from the male’s grip, it started confirming his theory. Was the woman in front of him actually real? But… why was she here? ”Huh? You’re not Himari?” Kenzo’s mind still scrambled to make sense of reality. Even if he had woken up from the pill’s side effects, he was still under the influence of a potent drug.

Kenzo squirmed his eyes as he tried to get a better look at the woman in front of him. She was visibly upset, throwing off the helmet she held in her head angrily at the wall, something that Kenzo couldn’t understand. Against her words, the male could only chuckle. ”Why would I go to sleep silly?” It was way too early for him to go to bed. Besides, he was planning on going out for partying, right? The night was still young. However, there was still something bothering the man. As he saw the purple hair of the girl in the room, a spark of clarity rushed through Kenzo’s mind. ”When did you get here Nuala?” His mind became clear for a second, forgetting everything he’d just said or brushing it off as internal monologue. What exactly was going on?

Well… let’s do some context first. It had all started the day the two of them met once again at a bar in Port Astera. After being lucky enough to earn an entrance to the fancy city casino, Nuala introduced herself as a certain “Amira”. Maybe due to the anagram, similarity in words or familiar feeling of finding himself in the company of a beautiful woman like the Daeva Eye member, Kenzo was caught off guard. Certain memories of his past had rushed back at him, memories he’d long sealed in the depths of his unconscious. Kenzo had only fallen in love with one person before, back when he still was a mercenary in Joya. Their days were full of bliss and happiness, days he cherished in the bottom of his heart. However, tragedy had struck and Kenzo was betrayed. Yet, the sight of the thief reminded him of the woman he loved. Himari had around the same silhouette as Nuala, height, and all. Her silky black hair and amethyst gaze made him fall in love. Once Kenzo was reminded of Himari through Nuala’s eyes, the warrior had begun mixing the two of them in his dreams. The memories of his past haunted him, making the scars of betrayal burn anew. It was undeniable that Kenzo found the Daeva Eye woman attractive, feeling the slightest hint of disappointment once he heard she was in a relationship with his friend Kazimir. However, it had been the haunting dreams of the last months what he saw as she barged into his room, owing to the effects of such a power pill.

”You’re actually here, right?” Kenzo came close enough to touch the girl’s back, still debating in his mind whether she was real or an hallucination. The tact on his hand told him yes, the lack of warmth from her body told him no.

In her frustration, the Voidling was unable to make sense of her companion’s words. He rubbed his temples in distress and Nuala took a step backwards to properly look the man up and down, and whereas he appeared to be in his usual, prime condition it seemed that a lot of things were going on in Kenzo’s head and his mind was playing tricks on him. Nuala didn’t feel any pity towards the human, for he’d brought this upon himself, but when he spoke the name of another woman a wave of relief washed over the thief. Nuala exhaled a sigh and leaned her back against the nearest wall, closing her eyes for a moment to process what had happened between them.

“Of course I’m not Himari,” the thief spoke quietly and ran her hand through the long, purple hair. She had never heard the name before, but by the bits and pieces of information he was giving her the woman was able to put two and two together. And for what he had been through, she did pity him. Mortal love was a terribly complicated, painful thing and a look into his eyes told her everything she needed to know, for this was not sadness over loss, but sadness over betrayal. Humans were cruel beings, and even after she'd spent forty years in the underworld and the same amount of time on earthland, Nuala felt as though she might never understand how mankind had become so wicked.

“I have been here the entire time, no one else is,” she answered his question and took the man by the arm. Nuala led Kenzo back to the bed, where she sat him down and noticed the new guild insignia on his back, below his neck. The Voidling graced the tattoo with her fingers, and upon confirming its identity mild confusion tinted her expression – but those questions were for another time. Nuala always felt strangely connected to Kenzo, and after taking another, proper look at the man she realized it was the vulnerability that his physical strength couldn’t protect him from that made her want to be by his side and keep him away from more pain.

Perhaps it were their similarities, both in lifestyle and attitude, that drew her towards the mercenary. His free-spirited lifestyle was admirable, and she enjoyed how wildly uncontained he was in all aspects – it was a sentiment she shared with him. When Kenzo sat down onto the edge of the bed, Nuala stood by his side and put a hand to his alabaster jawbone. Tilting his head upwards, her eyes locked with his and the Voidling smiled a bleak smile. “Yes, I’m actually here, you have nothing to worry about.” Nuala recalled the night of their first meeting, shortly before the two of them went separate ways. There was something there, something that had anchored his presence into her mind permanently, something that wouldn’t let her forget about his existence – something she’d been suppressing ever since that fateful day.

Without motion, the Voidling stared him down in silence and eventually her smile turned crooked. “I remember now,” she said to him and watched how the light of the lamps reflected in his blue eyes. “Why I told myself to never love another human again. One sip of alcohol, or one tiny pill, and you fall defenseless.” The woman shook her head and flicked a few strands of hair out of her face. “And I know exactly the type you are,” in that moment her gaze intensified, and Nuala’s amethyst eyes glared right through him. “The type that dies young.” She let go of his face and took a small step backwards, leaning down until their faces were on the same level. Nuala was no longer smiling and instead, a pulse of energy seeped through the room.

Nuala leaned onto Masamune, the sword had been in her possession the entire time. Another pulse of energy, and then another before the Voidling began to change. “And while I don’t know who Himari is, I can assure you this much,” she said and while she spoke, the woman’s skin had begun to change. The purple markings on her face started glowing, the colour of her eyes intensified and a dark layer of second skin spread across her body, revealing her true form as a creature of the void.Somehow, while retaining a humanoid body, the Voidling’s looks had turned more primal in her natural form and as her aura spread into every inch of the room, the presence of something not human could clearly be felt and seen.

“She and I are nothing alike.”

”Thank goodness..” Kenzo exhaled loudly out of relief. As the woman by his side introduced herself as Nuala and sat next to him, his mind finally focused on what was in front. His previous hallucinations of ghosts past suddenly vanished and a streak of clarity filled his mind. There was no mistaking it. For one reason or another, his friend was now sitting next to him. There were few people in the world that could understand the warrior as much as she did. Even if they had never spoken much about deep things, the energy surrounding her reminded him very much of his own. Untamed, irreverent, and living by their own rules. Both knew about the harshness of the world, the veil of hope and wishful thinking that blurred the perception of reality for most had long been lifted for the two of them. While many clung to things like faith and dreams, Kenzo felt that she too knew better. Reality was a bitch. Only those that did what was necessary were able to achieve their ambitions.

For that reason, Kenzo had felt an instant chemistry with the woman. It hadn’t been long since they got to know each other, but Kenzo trusted her more than most for it. Even if he still was under the effects of the drug, his mind came slowly back to him. This was the modus operandi of the Kampo Pill after all. Once Nuala reassured him that she was in fact there, the mercenary smiled at her. ”You have no idea how glad I am you’re here” It was a genuine smile, one that demonstrated his sincere thoughts. Thanks to her, he was finally able to lock any thoughts about Himari away again.

However, the air of relief wouldn’t last for long. The atmosphere took a turn as an ominous shadow loomed over the thief. ”Huh? What are you talking about?” Nuala spoke out loud and her amethyst eyes looked directly at him, but her words were not directed at him, and her eyes were lost in a plane far away from here. Her voice turned bitter, almost as if hatred creeped up her. Kenzo’s pulse started increasing while a familiar feeling grew upon him. Every last hair strand in his body stood up, every cell in his body screaming at him, telling him he was in danger. It was a sensation he knew all too well. Bloodlust.

”Hoh? Says who?” Kenzo replied defensively, almost out of instinct. He certainly felt that her prophesy over his death was not something she’d say, but it made him angry for a reason. There was something wrong with the woman in front of her. A chill ran down his spine as a pulse of energy filled the room. He was now certain. There was no way the girl in front of him was Nuala. As she took a step back and a pulse of energy suddenly filled the room once again, Kenzo’s fight or flight instinct kicked in. Out of nowhere the woman in front of him underwent a sudden transformation. It was unlike anything Kenzo had seen before, turning her into a being out of this world. His heart raced with shock. The scene in front of him was too surreal to comprehend. Kenzo pressed his eyes together, wishing he’d open them and everything turned to be just another mirage from the drug. However, that was not the case.

The being still held his sword, leaving him virtually defenseless. She still looked like Nuala, but her appearance was far beyond that of a human. Climbing over the bed, the male took a step back as he menacingly asked the question bursting in his mind. ”Who the hell are you?!” Kenzo grit his teeth, scrambling within his thoughts for an answer. His gaze of relief was now hostile. He’d heard of shapeshifters before, creatures of the dark that were able to assume the form of one’s beloved. Yet, he never expected to be ambushed by one in Hosenka.

Kenzo’s reaction was foreseeable, to be expected even; the human warrior had never seen a Voidling in his life. The majority of mankind hadn’t, for Nuala’s race wasn’t able to breed and control its own existence. The reason for why she was, was merely an unlucky coincidence, an unfortunate string of events that she’d somehow managed to come out of alive. And since the Voidling’s birth she’d been met with nothing but hostility from humans and other races alike, because neither believed she held a place in this world, even less on this earth. Nuala often felt at a loss for words when she reminded herself that she’d suffered through a forty year long nightmare only to return to a world that didn’t want her anymore. And with that, her alien energy subsided.

But with Kenzo things were always different, always more complicated. The mercenary didn’t reject her existence, he was completely in denial about it. When he questioned her identity, the Voidling broke into hysterical laughter. Aside from the foreign features, the strange energy Nuala radiated and the way with which the female carried herself, there weren’t too many differences, and most certainly not enough for him to not recognize her. “It’s still me,” she snorted and shook her head vehemently; strands of long, purple hair fell into her face, but even the mercenary couldn’t deny that her eyes–eyes he had seen into many times before–were the same. “You hurt my feelings, Kenzo.” And words that should have resounded in mockery only hinted at pain.

When he climbed over the bed to get away from her, Nuala burst into laughter again. She knew that it was partially the fault of whatever drug he’d consumed, and the humans reaction to seeing something so otherworldly was as hilarious as it was sad, because Nuala had hoped for more, especially from him. “I thought out of all people, you’d be the one to understand that not everyone is always who they seem to be,” she spoke and tightened her grip around Masamune. Perhaps he wouldn’t even remember any of this the next morning, but those memories would live with her forever. The Voidling uttered a sigh and ran her hand through her hair, uncertain of what to do next.

He gritted his teeth, and she noticed that his skin had paled. For once, the woman was in a risky mood, deciding that this was a good moment for them to figure out what their companionship truly meant to either of them. Because she wanted to trust him, but there were so many things Nuala didn’t know about Kenzo in return; the drug’s side effect was partially responsible here, but the rogue knew that there were some more deep rooted issues he had with what she was – and those issues had nothing to do with drugs.

With Masamune still in hand, the Voidling walked around the bed and (at a reasonable pace) approached the mercenary. She looked up to him and handed him his sword back. “If you can’t recognize the people you are supposed to trust, you won’t make many friends in this country, or anywhere else.” She gave him a weak smile, and sought out his gaze. If he allowed, their eyes would lock. “And something about you tells me that you are awfully tired of being lonely.” After meeting him for the first time, Nuala always felt that Kenzo craved intimacy and trust from another person, but struggled to accept those things into his life. She didn’t know what had happened for him to become so bitter at such a young age, but unless he actually let her in there was nothing she could do for him.

And in the end, that was his decision to make and not hers.

Kenzo’s tension was a mix of confusion and fear. He had never heard, seen, or found out about anything that let him know that Nuala’s current appearance was what she had always looked like. Well, aside from the two or three times when he noticed her body temperature was below what he’d expect but he didn’t give it any profound meaning. Certainly, that tiny detail never prepared him to the truth he was seeing before his eyes. As he saw Nuala break into strong laughter, Kenzo gulped in anticipation. He was unsure as to what to think anymore, so he simply waited for her to speak first. Once she reassured him that it was her, a worry started growing up inside his mind. He had conflicted feelings; on one side, he had seen Nuala a couple of times before, so he couldn’t deny that the person in front of him looked exactly like her. If it happened to be a shapeshifter, it had nailed the woman’s factions to a fault. However, Kenzo was starting to be sure that the person in front of him was not a shapeshifter. Aside from the hostile pulse of energy radiating from her, she showed no signs of aggression. Furthermore, it was exactly that pulse of energy that confirmed her identity. Kenzo had been busy with making a distraction at the Astera casino to have noticed, but he perfectly remembered the beam of energy she had blasted towards him which allowed him to escape towards the elevator. Now that he could see and distinguish magical energy with his right eye’s ability, he was certain it was an exact match.

After telling the frozen mercenary that his doubts hurt her feelings, Kenzo simply bit his lip with a look of anguish in his face. Her eyes did not lie, and it was those very same entrancing eyes ones that he’d definitely seen before. Opening his mouth for a second, he stopped before words came out. He didn’t know what to say, or what to think for the matter. His mind ran with so many questions that he was unsure as to what ask first. Her words hurt his heart, knowing full well what she meant. Knowing full well that they were true. Still, he simply lowered his gaze. It wasn’t until she slowly approached him and returned his sword that he finally had the courage to speak up. Her final statement had formed a knot in the mouth of his throat, as if she had lift up the lid to the place where he bottled up years of pain.

”I-I’m sorry Nuala….” Kenzo’s facial expression finally subsided, giving him the ability to relax his tensed body. Masamune was in his hand, but strength left his body, thus falling to the bed as his arms turned limp at his side. ”It’s just that I-.” Words still escaped his lips. Every fiber in his body wanted to tell the woman about himself, but he didn’t know where to start. ”It was stupid of me not to realize before…” Kenzo shook his head, knowing full well it was time to face his past. Maybe due to the pill he’d taken, or maybe because he was finally ready, but courage to make himself vulnerable finally came to him. ”I think you know about this. Back in that day when the two of us met in Crocus, I told you that I was cursed by a dark being.” Kenzo sighed as he closed his eyes, lifting his head to the ceiling, trying to recall an ugly memory. ”That day, my family was killed by a demon, leaving me magicless and cursed.” The warrior brushed his hand against the jawbone coming from his right cheek. ”This was everything I had left. However, it wouldn’t be the last time I knew about it. -Becoming an orphan in Bellum I spent my days stealing and struggling for survival. All of this until I finally met a mercenary company.” Kenzo’s expression turned bitter with nostalgia. ”I spent the next ten years of my life there. It was a place where people didn’t judge me by my cursed appearance, but rather the skill of my sword. I had finally found a place to call home.”

The man took a pause before continuing. ”However, it all ended two years ago… Once the rift between heaven and earth opened in Fiore, it reached all the land. My company was ambushed by a traitor amongst us. However, just as we prepared to fight, the enemy was not human. Devils and spawns coming from the depths of hell killed each and every of my peers. Even I-“ Kenzo had to take a pause before continuing, lest emotion overcame his words and his voice broke. ”As I fought to survive.. I-I felt the power of the demon sealed inside me take over my body, throwing me into a frenzy. Next time I woke up, all of my peers were slaughtered. My blade tainted in blood of both demons and humans. It was at that moment that I promised I’d end their kind to the last, before joining my brothers myself…” Kenzo’s words were full of sadness. As he muttered his next sentence, he shifted his gaze away from the girl. ”That’s why.. When I saw you earlier… I- Well.. You know.”

The Mercenary took his sword back and with Masamune now in Kenzo’s possession the tension inside the room dissolved. Nuala shook off the feeling of uncertainty that had been plaguing her, and when a faint ripple of energy seeped through the air, her true from was dispelled and the Voidling was back to looking like her usual, human self. Sensing relief, both in his voice and his demeanor, Nuala knew in that moment that Kenzo wasn’t a threat, and that the source of his agony was something else entirely. The woman ran a hand through her hair, whipping back the thick, violet strands as she walked across the room and grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the glass cabinet of his apartment; it seemed like the right time for a drink.

He dropped down on his bed and nothing could have prepared Nuala for the sob story that followed shortly after. At this point the thief couldn’t help but wonder if he’d truly lost his mind, and why her presence had triggered such a reaction, because surely this wasn’t his first time taking drugs of any kind. Still, instead of interfering with the story he told the woman stayed silent, lighting up a cigarette and taking the occasional sip from the bottle of (as it turned out to be) whiskey.  Even though Nuala had been born human, there was nothing comparing her to the mortal race any longer, minus her appearance and perhaps her language. The Voidling gawked at Kenzo as he spoke about his past, his betrayal and the demons that still haunted him years after, and it was in that very moment that it occurred to her how weak the mercenary truly was.

His emotions made him vulnerable, because he had no way of controlling them – and that’s why he hid them away so well. She leaned back into her chair; Nuala’s head tilted to the side, and her amethyst eyes fell on him. Maybe I made a mistake, she thought to herself, and in that moment the Voidling had made a decision. Her lips turned upwards, hinting at the faintest of smiles, before she took a pull from her cigarette and exhaled the smoke. “How tragic,” she said eventually, uttering a sigh as her arm holding the cigarette fell limp to her side. “You let one bad experience ruin your entire life,” Nuala scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. It was so easy to hate something, and even though she knew how simple minded Kenzo (and most mercenaries) were, it still surprised her to hear those words from his mouth. “You lost everything except your life, and instead of seizing that opportunity you choose to waste it away on something that’s in the past, something you can’t change anymore no matter how hard you try.” Even to Nuala, who was immortal, that seemed like a waste of time.

“You only have 20, maybe 30 more good years before your back starts hurting and you die from tuberculosis. Might as well spend your time doing something more valuable than drowning in self-pity and obsessing over demons.”

Her words were harsh, but that was just the type of person Nuala was. If she pitied herself and dwelled in the past, she wouldn’t have survived a single day in the void, but she survived forty years in it. She understood the implication Kenzo made towards the end of his story, and a grin spread across her face the moment she heard him say it. Grabbing her bottle to take another gulp, Nuala placed it down onto the table before standing up and walking over to him. She sat down on the bed, crossed her legs and stared the mercenary down relentlessly. He looked sad now, and the innocence of it all reminded her just how young the human still was. Placing a hand to his white jawbone, the thief twisted his head around and glanced into his eyes.

“And if it makes you feel any better: I’m definitely not a demon.”

Kenzo was definitely at a low place. That was exactly the reason he’d decided to shut everyone away from him in the past. The male was certainly a dysfunctional person, one who got carried away by his human emotions as much as the next. He had sworn to himself that in order to live peacefully the best thing to do was not feel anything. Yet, here he was again. After his guildmates started disappearing one by one, he knew he’d made a mistake once again. For years he’d lived without caring for others. However, knowing his friend Finn had died was too big of a burden.

Drugs, alcohol, gambling… All of these were nothing but mere distractions from reality. Distractions from his frail psyche, from falling into despair. What use did living have if one had nothing that tied him to life? Kenzo had obtained strength higher than many could only dream about. He’d surpassed his human limits and transcended closer to godhood. For all intents and purposes, he was strong. Yet, what use was his strength of when he didn’t even know the face of his enemies. The warrior was definitely not one to mope about things, but the kampo pill had brought his deepest emotions from within.

On the other hand, it seemed that Kenzo’s rambling brushed her the wrong way. The woman was never one for pleasantries, so he didn’t hold it to her. In a sense, he too was the same. Most of the time he didn’t give two shits about someone else’s problems. Yet, he hoped she’d understand. Once Nuala scolded him and spoke of his death, the mercenary grit his teeth in anger. He knew he’d probably outlive most people from his generation, perhaps even Nuala. After breaking his human shackles, he understood that. However, he was a person whose life had been fueled by anger and desire for revenge his whole life. The fact that she told him to spend his time doing something more valuable really got to him.

”Where the hell am I supposed to start at then, huh? Please enlighten me how to bring Finn back from the death… I’ll part right away” Kenzo’s external sadness had been replaced by anger, his sentence coming with a strong undertone of sarcasm and defiance. He knew Nuala knew Finn, so there was no need to further explain. However, the male had no intentions of antagonizing her. His anger was simply an extension of his grief.

The mercenary’s eyes gleamed with fire, almost as if a sinister light came out from within. The teeth in his jawbone grew sharper, leaving behind an ominous smile. The curse in his body acted in mysterious ways. However, there was one thing Kenzo knew about it. There was a single emotion he’d always needed to take care of. The moment he let anger take over his body, the more his mind was consumed by the evil inside him. As the warrior defiantly gazed at the purple haired woman, a hint of bloodlust could be felt making him ignore even her last remark.

Nuala Nazari wasn’t exactly known for her gentle heart, or her soft spoken words. The Voidling was cold-hearted (in every sense of the word) and in spite of having taken a liking to the human warrior, she did not mend words when it came to expressing her thoughts and even though his grief affected her – she did care for him after all – Nuala wasn’t going to sugarcoat things for Kenzo. But perhaps the Voidling should have, because when she looked at him and watched as sadness turned into anger and frustration, she couldn’t help but pity the mercenary further. “Listen,” she began, still searching for the right words to say this time around, not wanting to hurt him even more. “I’m sorry you got hurt in the past, but for your own sake you have to keep it together.” The Voidling stifled a sigh, not wanting to admit that she herself was getting a little overwhelmed by the situation as well.

Humans and their overflowing emotions were something the alien girl could hardly relate to anymore. Yes, she did still experience them, but not in the same manner as they did. Nuala was collected, much calmer and overall kept her cool pretty well – that is, until the blue haired man informed her of the death of their mutual friend, Finn Mertens. Nuala’s purple lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Instead, the Voidling gasped for air and her mouth thinned into a line. Her expression became blank, and against her will she could feel an unwell sensation creeping up in her stomach; a painful gut feeling that quickly spread throughout her entire body.

“I did not know that,” she simply gave back.

Finn saved Nuala’s life after a thief contract of hers had gone wrong, and the two of them had bonded over the previous year. Durendal peaked her interest, but it was the person whom Nuala ended up choosing to stay in contact with and even though their ways had parted a long time ago and the two had yet to reunite, the Voidling always thought fondly of the human, and his memory was dear to her heart. He was still young, and even though the rogue didn’t expect him to last for a long time (as with all mortal warriors), finding out that he’d passed so soon tore at her heartstrings. The woman lowered her gaze and turned away from Kenzo. ”How–,” she began, but Nuala found herself almost unable to even say those words – or to continue those thoughts.

”He was one of the strongest and smartest people I knew, he wouldn’t have just died on us.”

Nuala wasn’t given a chance to properly cope with the news, and as a result doubt poisoned the Voidling’s mind – she wasn’t going to accept this, not without finding out what had truly happened. The atmosphere in the room took a sudden shift however, when Kenzo’s demeanor changed, but Nuala didn’t have time for this nonsense. Disregarding Kenzo’s sinister aura, the woman merely (and very suddenly) clenched her hand into a fist and straight up punched the warrior into the face. ”Screw you,” she snarled at him, and the tone of her voice revealed that she was openly getting upset. ”If you were struggling that much you should have said something sooner.” Nuala’s lips were trembling and as her amethyst eyes fell on the human, a few tears began running down her cheeks. She completely dismissed them however, and simply continued to yell at Kenzo. ”And what the fuck is that supposed to mean, he’s dead. How did he die? Can he even die? You’re not making any sense right now.” The Voidling wiped her tears and stood up from the bed to start pacing around the room restlessly.

Nuala did not for once doubt Kenzo’s words, because even if he was on drugs he wouldn’t say something outrageous like that and straight up lie about it. So instead, her mind went down a rabbit hole, desperately trying to put together a puzzle without its pieces. The thief then quickly realized that without Kenzo’s knowledge on the situation she wouldn’t be able to investigate – and in his current state the human was as worthless as any of them. Taking another sip from her bottle of alcohol, she eventually came to a halt and her gaze focused back on him.

”If I had known Finn’s guild was filled with good for nothing men, I would have never left him there alone.”

Kenzo knew that the harsh words of the woman were true. He knew that, but the fact that his mind refused to not cooperate with his logic frustrated him even more. The warrior was in a dark place. Heck, he had just taken a stupidly strong drug. As such, the inner monologue in his mind repeated the same words Nuala told him. ”Get your shit together” Kenzo had come a long way from his past days. Fiore had been nothing but an adventure. Furthermore, it was the place where the male had seen the biggest development in his strength. For someone that pretty much only had his pride on his fighting skills left, he couldn’t have asked for more. Yet, he also felt that he was hiding and avoiding the real issues. It wasn’t for anything that Kenzo hadn’t gone to Fairy Tail to speak with the guild master. She definitely knew something about his own mother, but the blue haired Bellan had decided to avoid it. Why was it that for all of his strength he was still afraid of facing reality?

*SMACK*… The normally sharp and agile warrior was instantly brought out of his inner monologue. He was so absorbed in his own mind that he completely forgot about Nuala. Truly, the sudden shifts in mood from the mercenary were rather intriguing to say the least. Owing to the powerful effects of the drug, he was surprised he was able to feel so many things and go through so many emotional states as quickly as he did. Looking Nuala’s anger and grief over Finn simply helped Kenzo come back down to Earth. Yet, it wasn’t until he saw a trail of tears forming on her eyes and running down her cheeks that he finally snapped mostly out of the trip he was going through. That had always been a weakness of the mercenary. For some reason, there was something inside the man that made him react strongly to the tears of a woman. Mind you, he could by no means be considered a gentleman or something of the like. In fact, he rarely worried about stuff like that as much as his concerns for women went. Yet, it was an unconscious reaction. Something that reminded him of his deceased mother.

”Yeah…” Sheepish words came out with a bitter half smile. The male sighed strongly, finally releasing the tension he’d been accumulating through the rollercoaster of emotions he’d gone through that night. It was definitely very far fetched from the plans he had in mind when it started, that was for sure. However, he finally managed to pull his shit together. He still felt his mind a little woozy from earlier, but Nuala’s punch had brought him out of the depths of self-pity. ”I felt the same way when I heard about it. But I’m definitely certain that he died-” Kenzo’s voice hinted a pinch of sadness, but he was in control once again. He had mourned his friend for a long time now. As he saw Nuala’s anger and sadness take over her for a second, he was surprised to see just a tiny bit of an example of how he’d behaved so far.

”*Sigh*.. You’re also right… I’ve just been lamenting and drinking myself for far too long. I’ve done nothing but waste time” For some reason his mind felt clear now. For a long time he’d decided to cope with things alone, so he’d forgotten how good it felt to share pains and sorrows with someone else. He hadn’t talked to Noel at all, or anyone else that understood his wound. Now that he saw Nuala grieve along, he felt energy coming once again to him. ”I’ve yet to tell anyone else since it’s only a suspicion. But, remember that time we were set up in Astera?” Kenzo lift his head to look at Nuala as she took a sip from the bottle. He still had a calm demeanor, but he was filled with determination. ”I don’t think that was a separate incident.”

The warrior clenched his fist before standing up from the bed. He released his frustration with a strong side punch to the wall, leaving his hand against it. He’d become rather strong in the last weeks, so even that managed to create some slight cracks on the concrete. Nothing a few jewels at the lobby couldn’t fix though. ”I’m getting to the bottom of this… But I need your help”