Chapter 2: Lana

Alex couldn't read this girl's angle. He assumes it had to be some trick but couldn't help but feel enamored by her. Until he knows for certain, he cannot lose focus. The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, until the girl in white broke the silence.

"I know you're there. You know you don't have to hide right?" she spoke in a soft, soothing voice.

"Hmph, you would not find me a friendly face." Alex warned.

"Oh? I'm sure it won't be too bad if you try."

After thinking for a moment, Alex concedes. He drops down and lands gracefully without breaking the floorboards. He slowly walks forward until he reveals himself in the moonlight with his usual stoic demeanor. Alex half-expected the girl to be intimidated, but far from it, the girl kept a small smile and her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I heard rumors of the nomad dressed in black living in this church so I got curious...."

"And you came with no plan to defend yourself"

"Oh don't think I'm defenseless than I look." she said without changing her smile.

"Hrrngh." Alex grunted.

"...do you live here?"

Alex only responded with silence, he couldn't give personal information to someone he just met.

"It's a bit clunky and dusty. Maybe you could clean it and put some furniture in it if you're gonna call this your home."

Again, silence.

"You're not a talkative person are you?"

Alex stayed silent and looked away.

"That's okay, I mean it's not like you'll scare me off."

"You're a magic user?" he responded sternly.

Her smile grew wider and rubbed her knuckle on her temple as if she got clumsy.

"Hehe! So you knew? I guess magic users can sense each other no matter how big or small it is."

She then straightens up.

"Yes I'm a magic user, my magic allows me to heal people, though there are some things I can't heal."

Alex narrowed his eyes in skepticism, he's not stupid. He could sense her magic is more potent than just simple healing as she claimed.

"What about your power?"

Again he was not surprised she would sense his powers, he knew he couldn't evade her forever so he decided to give an answer.

"Nothing good. If anything it feels more like a curse than a power."

"That's not very nice to treat what's yours."

Silence was the only response she got, and it only became more awkward by the second.

"Listen I gotta go, I-Aaah!"

While she was moving to pick up the flowers, she tripped and time seemed to slow down as she fell. She closes her eyes and braces for the impact, but it never came.

She opened her eyes and saw the red eyed teen staring back at her green eyes. His left hand caught her right arm preventing her fall.

Alex took a glimpse of her in the moonlight. Her beautiful gold hair shimmered, her fair pale skin compliments her cute face. She is admittedly beautiful.

He finally pulled her up and placed his other hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes shone like gems, full of life and the desire to help, but for some reason, he could sense sympathy from her eyes. He could also see her cheeks were red, then he realized their position, he blushed and quickly separated from her.

"You should be careful." he says while looking away.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking. Clumsy me."

"Wait, your ankle, you're hurt." he said with concern.

She looked at her ankle where she tripped and saw a slight bruise.

"It's okay, I can fix this. I'm magic remember?"

She knelt down and hovered her hand over her bruise. To Alex's intrigue, her hand glows and just like that her ankle heals. She sighed with relief and stood up facing back at him with a smile that had no care in the world.

"See? Good as new as if it never happened."

Alex had witnessed that she did not lie about her ability to heal, but he's still convinced that she is capable of more.

"Anyway I gotta go, the children are gonna be wondering about me." she said politely while bowing.

"You take care of children?" he asked curiously.

"Yep! In the orphanage, those kids can be quite energetic so it's best that I leave now."

Then Alex realized something. "Hey you shouldn't be out by yourself especially at night, there are monsters out there."

"Why? Are you worried about me?" she teased.

Alex flinched before he looked away while grumbling.

Then the girl giggled a bit. " Hehe don't worry, I can take care of myself, magic and all. It was nice meeting you."

The girl turns to leave but then stops midway and turns back at him.

"By the way, I forgot to ask you your name. I'm Lana, Lana Astrea. What's yours?"

Alex thought about giving his name to the girl now named Lana, who was staring at him for an answer. Should he really tell who he is? Until a moment later he decided to be vague.

"Alex."

Lana smiled in satisfaction. "Alex...you really interest me. I'll come by to visit sometime okay? You better remember."

She went to the front door, waved goodbye and left.

Alex just stood there with his thoughts. As beautiful as she is, he is always skeptical by nurture. People had tried to kill him, let alone try to trick him, because he believes everyone's desire doesn't always mean good. Ever since he lost his family and his love, he took comfort in isolating himself from people because anyone he met either betrayed him or died protecting him. Even his own twin sister made the ultimate betrayal by leaving him for dead just for power and revenge became his in the end. He stopped letting people in his heart.

Yet this girl walked in and the feeling of distrust simply vanished. He couldn't tell if she was being innocent or tricking him, so far he didn't sense any dangers. But there was something about her that intrigued him.

Little did he know, she would not be the only one put in his path that will change everything.

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In the trees in the forest overlooking Luciana Villa, stood dozens of ninjas clad in black and green. On the highest branch, stood an intimidating figure with his arms crossed.

A black skin-tight suit with green linings and a golden scorpion emblem printed on his right shoulder, a yellow sash wrapped in his waist, a black hakama with leg wrappings, and a green scarf flowing in the wind. His sheathed katana hanging on his back and the kyotetsu-shoge on his left hip.

He wore a cowl over his face, his narrowed eyes visible as he looked at the city intently. Searching to kill the reaper.

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On the roof of one of the houses stood a girl in a red short yukata with black interior clothing, a black sash tied around her waist with black feathers and black thigh high boots. She has raven black messy hair tied in a tail with a red ribbon, pale skin and amber eyes.

She has a unique looking sword dangling at her left side. The katana blade held by arms extended from the short stem holding the blade at the front exposing the blade tang. The handle is black with red silk wrapping over it, and the stem has some sort of rectangular casing which glows orange.

She stood at the roof with her hair waving at the wind. Her foot on the Beasthound she had just slain. She came here with an intent to fix the broken.

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In the streets of Luciana, a man in white stood the lamp post.

Short silver hair, pale complexion, and blue eyes. He dons a white coat zipped-up with a blue sash wrapped around his waist under a silver belt holding his sheathed saber. Dark blue pants and white boots.

His expression once was a calm and stoic demeanor, now written with malice in his eyes, one that the infamous reaper would know too well.

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In a deserted area 150 miles from Luciana stood ruins of a temple. But it was deserted as everyone thought.

Some people went to investigate but they never came back, and for good reason.

The ruins lurk with dark powers, a bunch of humanoid silhouettes made of darkness with purple tint patrol the grounds. Deep within the ruins was a broken throne made of stone.

The figure that sits on it is a man with black angel wings, holding a black scepter with a black bat wings around the red crystal controlling the darkness. Skinny build with black tattoos resembling tiger stripes, shirtless with white pants and black boots with gold linings, ghostly-white skin with dark veins in his arms and face, his long luscious dark purple hair shadows his handsome face and glowing purple eyes with black sclera.