Page 2

a fleeting moment, an eternity

I took a walk around Soulesity’s West side, popping a tiny illegal pill to make life a little more interesting, though it only distorted colours, making them more vibrant.

It also relieved my constant headaches. When you get hit in the head a lot, the headaches don’t really go away.

Probably why Niko forces me to take one day off a week.

I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going, looking down at the puddles underneath my feet, finding it unusually amusing at that moment.

Considering most in this city are criminals, witnessing someone get mugged or murdered isn’t unusual. It’d be wise to be more careful with where I step. But I am the Vulture, trained by Niko, and surpassed him after just a few years. No one would dare to even think my name.

Two sets of feet stopped in front of me, forcing me to look up.

Oh, for blood's sake.

Even though the twins were identical, the same dark skin, same short dark hair, and the same dark eyes, it was easy to tell them apart by the way they carried themselves.

Sterling walked with a straight back, giving him just a few added centimetres, and Leo's eyes were always alert, scanning rooms for exits and trouble.

I had grown a lot recently and for the moment we stood at the same height, but it never mattered. I have always looked down at them and everyone else for that matter .

“You’re in my way,” I said in a low voice, looking at them with disinterest.

“Rare to see you without any bloodstains.” Sterling smirked.

“Well.” I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. If I was going to be forced to have a conversation with someone, I needed something to keep me from getting too bored. “You did steal my job the other week.”

“Yeah, we got your warning,” Leo muttered.

“Maybe you shouldn't have waited so long to do it,” Sterling mocked. “You know, clients get impatient.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I never talked to clients. They all go through Niko and he selects which jobs I take on.

Leo nudged his brother. “I think Silias has a job for you, Vulture.”

I scoffed. “Isn't Reaper competent?”

Ever since Reaper came about, Niko and I have noticeably received fewer contracts.

Everyone wanted to test the new meat, see if she really was as good as they say.

So beautiful, apparently, people paid Silias just to see her.

And rumour said she didn’t disappoint, even exceeded expectations, but I hadn't properly seen what she could do, so I had no opinion on her. Surely we would meet soon. We’re in the same field after all.

“She’s still learning, and it’s a one-person job,” Leo said.

I waved them off, inhaling smoke. “You know where to find me.” I walked around them, tired of the conversation. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a girl concealed behind them, and my breath hitched as I abruptly halted, nearly choking on the smoke swirling around me.

Bloody hell.

I’m not one to be attracted to anyone. Honestly, I find everyone utterly forgettable, but never in my entire existence had I ever encountered someone so impossibly ethereal, so profoundly otherworldly.

My legs trembled, desperate to crumble to my knees in reverence.

No words could capture the essence of her being, any attempt wouldn't do her justice.

Poiesis, you really took your time on this one.

Though I'm tall, she was tiny, just reaching my chest. Her long, painted nails glimmered with embedded diamonds, casting tiny rainbows with each delicate gesture as she tucked a strand of long dark hair behind her ear, revealing multiple silver piercings sparkling against her porcelain skin.

A black turtleneck paired with a short red skirt and black thigh-highs adorned her body again.

Did she have one outfit, or was this just her signature look?

With a slushie in hand, she took a sip, the icy drink staining her dark red lips with purple. Finally, she lifted her gaze to mine, and I was instantly trapped. Her eyes were a crystal, icy blue, a colour I had once believed didn't exist in this world.

There was something haunting in her gaze.

Her eyes held an emptiness, void of any and all emotion.

We were the same. Born incomplete, broken by society and stitched together by survival—two souls in a world that had failed to embrace us, both searching and waiting for something, but unsure of what.

I had faced countless killers in my life, but none like me.

None like us.

Her lips parted slightly, and I held my breath, carefully leaning in closer, eager and anxious to hear the voice such a beautiful girl could possess.

The rumours were true.

Before she could utter a sound, Leo stepped in front of her, blocking my view and snapping me out of my trance.

I met Leo's eyes. “Reaper?”

His lack of response confirmed it.

How old is she? Gods, I hope she never hears those rumours about her .

Leo furrowed his brows, a squint of caution in his eyes. He had one hand in his pocket like Sterling, ready to take out their weapons to defend her.

“Chill—”I blew a cloud of smoke into the sky. “What do you think I’m going to do? Kill her?”

There was a slight pause before Leo cocked his head. “She is your competition, isn’t she?”

Competition? Please. No one could compare to me . People may think I’m cocky, but cocky would mean I can’t do what I say. “I don’t kill little girls.” I took a deep inhale of my cigarette and blew it out.

“She may be small, but don’t underestimate her,” Leo warned.

“She’s the same age as you.” Sterling smirked.

“Seventeen?” I almost laughed, but they weren’t joking.

I took one last look at her, desperately wanting to hear her voice. Reaper, on the other hand, didn’t seem too curious about me. She just turned her focus to her slushie, occupied with getting the last bit on the bottom. So, I left, disappearing into the crowd.

Our first meeting was just a fleeting moment, but it would last an eternity in my mind.