What are we?

"I'm so dead!" He mumbled as he ran, panting hard. The tree branches and leaves swept past his face as he ran in the bushes. He took a quick glance at the sky, the sun was almost all in this time, and there was barely any light! He continued racing until he could finally see the small village ahead. He stopped to walk; he could see a few people left outside, and some others directing their young to their different huts. They all exchanged jovial greetings before he stopped at the door to his hut. He exhaled heavily, knowing what would come the moment he stepped in. He had tried his best to keep to time, but it was difficult to. He pushed open the bamboo-made door as quietly as possible; it made a slight creak sound before he peeked into the house. It was dark. He walked in, and shut the door with the same measure as he opened it. He tiptoed in.

"You're already old enough to know when you're wrong"

He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice. He traced the voice with his eyes and it came from his left side. Immediately, the sound of something striking with another was made, and a candle stick was lit up. He turned to see the face of the man, it was Leelam.

"I'm sorry Leelam" He said, with his eyes fixed on the ground below him.

"You're sorry, again?" Leelam asked.

He was seated, as still as a mannequin, his eyes not moving away from the fire on the candlestick.

"It won't happen again, I promise" He said, pinching the skin covering his throat.

"This isn't the first time I've heard that, neither is it the second, nor the third..."

"Archer!" A yell came from his right side, and then a young girl came out, and hugged his legs.

"You're back" The girl said.

But when she looked around, and realized the heavy aura the room was exhibiting, she moved backwards, and peeked at Leelam from her brother's back. The middle- aged man got up, stretched his waist, and walked towards them. His every step portrayed power, authority and oppression.

"Be more careful watching the time Archer, you know your predicament..." Leelam warned before he walked past them, and almost immediately after Leelam's last sentence, Archer's fingernails pierced through his thick, black gloves, they were dark, thick and long. Fangs forced their way out of his mouth, and his eyes turned deep red. It was sunset.

"And that's exactly what I mean" Leelam mumbled before he

walked in.

"How was your day brother?" Shania asked, moving to his front this time. Archer sighed, and walked to take a seat.

"It was okay dear, but a bit of a bad ending" He said as he patted her head with a smile. She giggled and hopped on his laps.

"I understand" She said softly.

"Do you?"

"Yes I do"

"It's difficult Shay, trust me, it is. Living with a restricted time for everything is. I don't understand why I have to be the one with the curse, like, why not you?'' He teased, and she lifted a brow almost immediately.

"Are you serious right now?!" She shook her head negatively.

"Look, it's not a curse, it's really cool to have such powers, and it's not too much for you to handle. Nature knows why it bestowed it on you" Shania said.

Archer smiled at his sister's maturity. She had really grown so much. He sighed, moved his hands up and stared at them, his thick, black claws. They looked worse than the other days. He sighed again, and laid his head to rest on the bambo-made chair.