Life is Hard.

Cain felt something lurking in the shadows.

Watching him.

He sighed. Recognizing the creature's silhouette. Before breaking into a hazardous smile. His blue eyes gleaming with unrestrained, bottomless madness.

It was a wonder that he was still in control of himself. Not succumbing to the ravaging madness that has been with him since...

Forever.

He knew there was only one reason for this control he managed to chain himself with.

A painfully depicted memory of a woman with beautiful golden lock of silky hair that reminded him of the sun and light blue gaze of the sky, resurfaced.

He pushed it away.

The shadowy creature that lurked in the dark came out in form of a black smoke towards his left shoulder. Then solidified into a crow with lifeless Scarlet red eyes.

"Looks like you finally found me, Theodore. You came later than I expected."

The crow cocked it's head to the side then crowed. It's cry could make any normal human's heart palpitate in terror.

But Cain found it annoying instead.

"Aish.. Quit, making irritating noises in my ear, Theodore and talk to me, instead!"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance and kept on strolling to the destination he aimed at.

He then hit the crow with a casual wave. But the sheer force of it shattered the creature into black wisps of darkness before another crow resurfaced from it.

This time quietly following Cain, judiciously.

It reeked of death. Accompanied with the waste desolate lands of Scaroth. Which was only few hours ago filled with bustling Hunters from the HGA and days ago filled with people. The scene of the crow admist the waste lands was...

Painful.

Not that Cain ever cared about insignificant people's death unlike a certain someone.

"Tell your master to speak, Crow. Before you start annoying me, again."

The smirk on his face promised a painful death and for a moment the lifeless eyes of the crow shook with fear before disappearing instantly as if it was never there in the first place.

"Master Theodore instructions are from the assignment you both discussed earlier..."

Something lethal flashed deep in the madness that enveloped in his eyes.

"Am listening..."

After the message was passed. The crow combusted into a deep darkness reuniting with the shadows. Leaving Cain alone.

Surprisingly, the bloodlusting thrill in his beautiful eyes was intoxicating. He spotted Allen in the distance waving at him.

Her face was regaining more traces of color. Better than how pale it had been before. Then, she did resemble a walking corpse.

"Yo! Cain. Will you be using the carriage with us? Am not ready to be cramped up inside with you. Especially with your long legs in the way."

Allen had a wide grin. Drinking wine from a bottle. Gulping it down hungrily. Watching him warily.

It made him chuckle. The fear and wariness was always there... No matter who he met. Except Levi and Theo, of course.

'It seemed she saw the crow. Nothing really gets pass Allen.'

Cain noted, impressed.

Allen chuckled this time around. As if reading his mind.

"You don't have to worry. I got errands to run."

She nodded a hint of a smile still on her face.

"Are you now in house arrest from Theodore? Man..you are in hot soup."

Cain shivered at the thought of being under house arrest from Theo.

Allen hit his shoulder. About moving forward. Before stopping abruptly.

"You are going after the Vice Head of the magic Tower, right?"

'It was only right that he would. Since it remained members of the magic Tower to keep shut.' Allen thought.

Cain let out a sardonic creepy laugh.

Once again Allen had already easily discovered his next actions even without enough clues. She was a smart one even though she was basically... closely drunk all the time.

He turned meeting her red eyes. Her blue hair messy from the earlier windy hurricane.

The blood stained around her body seemed to pulsating with life.

She would have befitted the name Scarlet queen, if only her hair wasn't blue.

One of the strangest, rarest hair in the Empire. But in comparison to the color in his mind, strangely was better than lilac colored hair of the woman in Levi's arms.

Not that he cared, anyway.

"We can't control the Magic Tower's high ranked sorcerers, since they possess an equal footing with us. So we need to create a diversion to avoid rumors of a code red high ranking monster living in Russex. It might bring the Council of Shadows' attention."

Allen giggled. Slightly drunk. Her Scarlet gaze a bit unfocused.

"Too bad... I hate missing out on all the fun. I would have joined you in a heartbeat if I don't feel a drawback from using my essence outrageously. How did you see my moves earlier, brother?"

His white lashes dusted the tops of his cheeks as he closed his eyes, feeling...

Annoyed.

He just wanted to walk away. But putting up with a drunk Allen wasn't an option. Especially, when she could crazily launch herself in danger to get what she wanted. He didn't want any trouble from Theodore because of him physically hurting her. So he had to endure her.

For now.

Normally, if it was any other woman. They would have lost their heads already. Or tongues if he was being merciful.

He couldn't do it to her.

And damn, she knew this...

She had never lost the opportunity to take advantage of it.

"You were mad."

Usually, other women would have coyly flirted with him. With a stupid catch phrase while slyly bolting away from him. Acting as a moth, stupidly attracted to a flame from a distance.

But Allen....she was always different.

Instead, she grinned and told him how brute his words were and how he will never get a girlfriend.

Cain rolled his eyes. Already leaving.

"You are forgetting something, brother."

Allen looked up to him with a serious gaze. Her Scarlet red eyes in lethal slits.

Cain glanced back at his sibling. His beautiful dark blue eyes, narrowing.

"Carolina... she has ties with the Assistant Head, Griffen Night. Excluding the fact he is the next-in-line son of a Marqueness Charles. I will assume you aren't trying to kill him mostly because of you are jealous of how close he is to Carolina, right? Do you think Carolina will forgive you if she ever finds out? I know Theodore would have sent Fiona. So I can only assume that you intentionally got yourself involved."

Cain froze.

"Aaah... I did hit the hammer on the spot. You still love her, don't you?"

It wasn't a question. It was as if she was stating facts.

"Shut up, Allen."

Cain hissed, his hand twitching. Already reaching his limits. And having an uncontrollable urge to snap her neck off.

"Don't go overboard and kill him, Cain. Follow whatever Theo tells you. So you won't regret it in the end when you still got a chance."

Allen took a swig from her wine. Unbothered by the tight grasp around her neck as she stared at the culprit.

She internally shuddered.

The storm-like madness in his eyes was dense and suffocating. Intense bloodlust seeping out, violently.

It was shocking and deep.

"Mind your fucking business, Allena."

He then let go of her neck. Prowling away.

Traces of a smile still tugged at the corner of her lip. She took another gulp of her wine. Whistling wildly to her favorite music. Feeling the beat reverberating in her mind.

Watching the harrowing bloodshed caused by her fellow humans. Ignoring the foul stench of burnt corpse and the decaying blood of the Tyrant, a bit far away. Under the beautiful moonlight and lively, twirling fog.

It was both acutely distressing and unearthly gorgeous.

She knew from then henceforth that there would be a drastic change occurring.

Soon.

She just didn't know whether it would be good as the weather, now or tragic as what was happening under the aerial fog.

She remembered the purple-haired fox that was shockingly in Levi's arms.

She took another swig of her wine. Loving the taste of the sweet wine, she 'borrowed' before sighing softly walking towards the carriage where Carolina resided. It was better that they would start leaving now. The stench was just too much. It reminded her of old painful memories. The wine was slowly losing its effects in her mind. Making it harder to....

Forget.

"Aaah...Life is so complicated."

Life is truly hard.