9 Black Sheep

Erena Xestis is what many nobles would call a "black sheep" of a household especially considering the odd demeanor she has around others. She didn't enter Curse Academy to prove anything or make her worth to others known, nor does she even speak with the cadence that nobles use in Superbia.

A prideful place.

A prideful land's prideful way of speaking around those lesser than them.

At least these were the thoughts she carried as she gazed out into the distance. The morning was freezing with white blankets of snow at her feet. She stood at the edge of a cliffside gazing into the empty valley outside of Curse Academy.

A battleground to put children to death.

The end of their world.

Erena closed her eyes as she let her mind flow back to the talk she had the day prior with those two peculiar people. One's name was Nabi and the other was Greed—but Greed couldn't be one's true name, only something false.

False names are things that people use to hide behind.

Like a Mask.

What is Greed's Mask then?

She looked behind her, letting the sight of more students fill the snow-covered mountainside, all seemed to have that same expression on their faces. One that she could barely put a finger to understand why one would carry such a look.

They appeared hungry. Like starving beasts on the hunt, yet tired as if they never had the chance to sink their teeth into prey.

Lifeless gazes.

Despite this, one seemed to stand out in the eyes of Erena Xestis. The golden fireflies of Reiju danced around his fingertips forming a scarf to defend the small frame of a boy in the cold. His golden eyes had a powerful glow to them as he commanded Reiju, yet he appeared out of place with the clothes issued to him by the Academy.

A boy. The same boy who launched weapons at her without a care in the world that somehow quelled the rage of Nabi, who Erena believed would have murdered her in cold blood if given the chance from the one look she had towards her with those dead eyes.

The boy whose mask she desperately wished to peel back to see what was within.

Greed.

_______________________________________________________

"Hey!"

A voice called out to him through the field of white, a voice that Guisei barely recognized, the same voice that belonged to a noble but couldn't give a damn if what came out was even close to it or not.

"Strange," Guisei muttered in response.

"I didn't know strange was how people greet others in the morning, I learn more the longer I seem to stay alive here."

Her voice was bubbly and had a glimmer of confidence behind it. Like a pearl hidden within a clam's domain. Guisei's gaze appeared to dull at the realization. He opened his lips to speak only for his train of thought to be--

"I never pegged you as a morning person."

Interrupted.

Erena's eyes were like scopes carefully taking in Guisei's action and reaction to whatever she did. Behind her violet gaze seemed to be something more from what Guisei could grasp.

It was irritating.

He let a yawn escape him, closing his eyes to keep any hint of irritation away from her. Guisei opened them back to display the darkened circles that made themselves scarce upon his dark skin.

"Being a morning person is easy why you don't sleep, Serena, believe it or not."

"Erena," She corrected.

"My memory isn't that good for people I barely know that eavesdrop on private plans and conversations."

Erena allowed a frown to make its home upon her face. Even when taken by sleep, the boy still kept that carefree and mocking tone. The feeling she felt from him was so familiar, but also....

Different.

Off.

Way off.

Not nobility.

But something else

What else?

Reset.

"I… I thought I already apologized for it," Erena muttered. "Then again you have a bad memory for these things so I doubt an amnesiac like you would remember."

She chose to stumble on her worlds, keeping the same tone as before with the boy as before.

Guisei let a smirk grow on his face, his presence expanding from his short fame as if to tower over her with a sense of sadistic glee.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Greed."

"That isn't my name."

Erena's demeanor shifted.

Like a Queen putting a king in check.

"Oh, then you want to tell me what it is then?"

"No reason to waste it on a black sheep of a noble who can't even fit the archetype correctly."

"What's the fun in doing that I wonder, Greed?"

There wasn't one, or wasn't one enticing in the eyes of Guisei--sure you can present yourself as powerful or strong, even have those with skill willing to serve you but in the end it's meaningless even.

What good is another standard noble?

"..."

The words brought him to silence.

Checkmate.

"Guisei."

Erena smirked at such an easy victory or the one that revealed itself to her. She brought a finger to her lips before chuckling to herself…

"It's silly, almost as if someone tried using the old Supebian tongue for a name that means nothing if you were to look for a meaning."

"Nobody asked for the deep analysis, I doubt you just want a name out of me, unless that's all you need nowadays to put a target on someone's back."

Guisei watched as Erena innocently thought to herself. The air around her appeared tranquil, but even Guisei was aware that nobody had such a peace like that. Her violet gaze met his before breaking away.

A reward for her victory over him.

"Mutual Protection."

The boy raised a brow at her words.

"What exactly would you protect me from?"

"Nothing physical, but you and that Nabi girl could make use of someone with experience here in your legion. Especially someone that doesn't have any desires. That won't cause any conflict between what you and her want, right?"

"Fine."

Guisei looked at the girl before him. Erena Xestis, the noble closer to a black sheep.

The girl who had no desires.

The girl that should only exist at the world's end.