Blood

Sae wandered around the city, but never stopped to fully look around. Really, Sae only wanted to find the border, and the beautiful cherry blossoms around it. At the back of the city, opposite end from the Croft building, was a great forest of white cherry blossoms. Stone paths like a maze, surrounding each tree and each turn. Sae only followed one path, straight, but he ran into someone.

The same woman who found him in the first place, and the one he had just fought with. She wasn't in her black suit, but was still wearing that trench coat. She was right at the edge, almost seeming as if she wanted to cross but couldn't. Like watching a raven trying to fly with a broken wing and a chain around its neck.

"Have you ever disobeyed him?"

The woman turned around and looked at him with a blank expression. Her ruby red eyes showed that she wanted to explore, but she knew the consequences of her actions. Without any reply, she turned around and started taking off her jacket and white blouse, revealing a large scar on her back. A single reddened line that traced over her spine. What else caught Sae's attention was how skinny she really was. As if her flesh was almost hugging her bones. From the way she fought, she was strong and balanced but looking at her bare back, she seemed easier to break than a small twig.

"I have a contract with Daimon. I break that and I will have to pay dearly for it." she spoke in a cold tone as she started covering herself. Sae already hated Daimon before today, but after meeting him and now this? He wanted to "dispose" of him too.

"You don't have family, you don't have any close connections, you devote yourself to your work and strict schedule. You don't have a strong will to live, you're not in love...ah." the woman looked at Sae with a bored expression but was amused with his deductive skills even without asking her any questions.

"But you and Daimon are especially different when it comes to your eyes." the woman took off her mask, showing that she had a small smile on her face. Sae was already lost into the deep abyss that was her captivating eyes, color richer than even blood. She then turned her back once again, looking out into Country X. Meanwhile, Sae just passed her and the border with ease. Sae turned and as expected, her blank expression hadn't changed at all and there was no sign of irritation.

"How good are you with emotions?"

"If you were raised under the same man as I was, you'd know that emotion only led to torture."

Sae chuckled, "Well, I already have my share of that experience. Despite how little you show them, you are capable of feeling. You're just in a shitty environment."

"I'll be free soon enough. But it does not matter to me, Daimon has given me more than he has taken. I'm grateful to him."

Sae shrugged. Thinking back on his realization of how similar Daimon was to Levi, he couldn't help but think about his relationship with her. If anything, Levi was his first "owner" in his time as a slave. She was more of someone who'd get a slave than the young mistress who only played games with him as a way of learning more about him which other masters and mistresses couldn't care less about.

Was it bad that Sae thought this? Thinking 'Maybe it would've been best if I remained Levi's slave...'.

Seeing a subtle change in Sae's expression, the woman could tell that something was off and he was lost in thought.

"I've been sent to kill masters and mistresses countless times. I've been sent to capture their slaves and give them off to those who own slave establishments and greedy auctioneers. None of those slaves were like you. You're careless but you still have the ability to think with a rational mind, have reason in each decision. All others, even apart from slaves, already give up the second they lose their normal lives."

Sae crossed his arms and closed his eyes, 'You know, I really don't understand why people decide to compliment people on how they've lived their lives, only seeing the good. Sure, I try to live with reason, but no one can stay like that. I've lost it many times as a slave and as a dumb little shit who killed his own parents. Just by saying those last four words, you already see a little darkness, right? Tch." Sae clicked his tongue. His chest started burning up, blood boiling near his heart as a wall started surrounding him, separating him from the woman who started to lose her humanity.

Sae looked up from the ground, seeing her eyes wide with an intense desire for blood lust as an insane, wide smile spread on her face. Her body was shaking violently as Sae could hear a faint, horrifying laugh coming from her. Sae slowly stepped up to her, grabbing her shoulders and gently shaking her. When she finally looked Sae in the eyes, she reached into her pocket and plunged her silver dagger directly in the center of Sae's chest. The blood stained the front of Sae's shirt as it slowly spread out.

She didn't speak one word. She only laughed manically while watching the blood spread while Sae couldn't take his eyes off her. She seemed pained but her smile didn't fade, it only spread wider and her laughter grew louder. Her heartbeat was so loud that even Sae could hear it pounding from inside her chest.

"Hey..." unable to find the right words to calm her, Sae just resorted to hugging her tight, preparing for another stab. But she didn't move. She stood motionless, comforted by his kind embrace warming up her cold body.

Her mind went from dark and angry to completely and utterly, blank. She didn't understand what Sae was doing, or why she couldn't move.

"Blood lust is a powerful thing. If you can't control it, especially when you want to, you'll end up doing something you'll regret. Life's too short to be brought down by your own guilt."