Haimon stood, partially concealed by the wall in front of him, peering around the damp corner. A heavy rain had descended soon after sunset, making the perfect cover to search for his target.

    The business district was almost completely empty after standard work hours. The usual bright atmosphere replaced with darkened windows and sketchy alleyways. A cold wind pushed past, making Haimon cross his arms for warmth. 

    Diagonal from where he was positioned, were two men talking. They wore plain dark clothes and occasionally scanned their surroundings. 

    They had first caught his attention when the slightly taller man, dressed in a long black hooded rain coat, yelled scolding words at the other. After a while, Haimon decided to keep an eye on them and see what they were waiting for.

    A couple hours had passed and the two men still paced the street impatiently. Haimon had now sat down, huddled into a ball for warmth. The rain had long passed, but between the breeze and chilled moonlight, Haimon's drenched state was starting to feel uncomfortable.

    Right when his eye's began to close shut, a new voice was heard from the street. Haimon jumped up quietly, adrenaline now rushing through his veins. Inching as close to the corner as he could, Haimon listened intently.

    "What the hell is this? You call us out here just to wait for hours, then show up without even an excuse?" the angry rain coat man complained. "If it were up to me I would-" The man was cut off by a bitter laugh, piercing the damp night air.

    "You would what? Do tell, fool. Tell me, so that I may have a valid reason to end the pitiful existence you call a life." A sinking feeling descended on Haimon, as the voice sounded identical to the lady from the hospital.

    Feeling in danger, Haimon began to move away from the wall. Before he could get an ample distance away, a strong grip rounded the corner and pulled him out into the street. Haimon made no noise as the grumpy man from earlier roughly dragged him over to the woman.

    Now standing in front of her, the mad man's grip still clutching his shirt, Haimon decided to use this as an opportunity. 

    "Who are you?" he asked, noticing her expensive coat and shoes. The lady squinted her eyes and offered a small smirk at the predictable question.

    "The better question is, what are you looking for? It's dangerous to be going around asking about things you shouldn't," she stated as if everyone knew this. Hamion tried to pull away from the man's hold, but only received an even tighter grip as a result. 

    "You don't answer my question, I don't answer yours," he responded confidently. Silence was heard as the four stood tensely. The woman seemingly contemplating something, ushered over the shorter, more timid looking man and began to whisper.

    The whispers only lasted a moment before the short man nodded towards rain coat. Haimon took that as his cue to break away and jammed his elbow into the man's ribs. A pained grunt was heard from behind as the hand holding Haimon dropped away.

    Running the opposite way of the woman, Haimon heard the splashing steps of the short man chasing after him. Grabbing a nearby trash can, he slammed it to the ground behind him. A loud thud was heard and a satisfied grin appeared on Haimon's face as he picked up speed.

    "You won't find any answers that way, Haimon!" the lady yelled in the distance, making him momentarily pause. After a few heart beats of debate, he decided that it was not worth the risk of another trap and continued to race towards an active area of the city.

    The next morning, Haimon woke with sore legs and some sniffles. After escaping the trap, set by Celia no doubt, he ran until a burn formed in his thighs. The nearest hotel served as that night's resting place and despite an immediate warm shower, a rundown feeling now plagued his head.

    A groan was heard as Haimon rolled over, tugging the sheets over his head to block out the morning light. 

    "Taken down by a cold? How weak," a voice spoke. The sudden voice caused Haimon to roll off the bed and land heavily on the floor, his heart beating achingly quick.

    "I was so hoping the voice in my head was gone. Why?" Haimon whined as he pulled himself back onto the bed. In response to his words, the stuffy sensation of his cold was quickly replaced by the reoccurring sight of dark red swirls.

    "Weakness is not a luxury you can afford, if you want to desolate those who wronged you," it whispered in his head. Haimon opened his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, heaving a sigh of defeat as he sat up.

    "And what exactly would you have me do, Adriana?" he asked half heartily. 

    Haimon had since long ago figured out who the voice belonged to. Growing up, he would always stumble across adults gossiping about the Evander family and their troublemaker daughter, Adriana. 

    Not one to be bothered by such flimsy sources, Haimon never took their words as truth. His thoughts were later proven correct when she saved him from a rabid wolf that same year.  

    Adriana soon after was banished and despite his constant inquiring, no one would answer his questions as to why.

    The woman chuckled in victory as she responded,"Please hold." Confused by the statement, a half awake Haimon soon noticed movement in the corner of his eye. 

    Spreading down his arms like a parasite, was a red pattern of rigid lines and semi circles steaming from his shoulders.

    As the design extended over his skin, the symptoms of the cold faded and an abnormal feeling of strength replaced his tired muscles. Annoyance rose in Haimon's mind as a thought sprung up.

    "Hey, if you can do this so easily, what was with all the previous pain?" he questioned grumpily. 

    Adriana mimicked his tone and replied with, "Well why did you get afraid every time I tried to help? The pain was merely a consequence for fighting the power I was so graciously gifting you."

    Haimon's face settled into a look of judgment at the disembodied voice's self centered view point. The design had now covered the entire back of his hands and rose up to his collar bone. Stepping into the bathroom, Haimon removed his robe and observed the impressive intricacy of the pattern.

    The red began on the back of both shoulders before traveling up, across his collar bone and down his arms. 

    The bright scarlet color strangely complimented his fair skin. Running a hand down his neck and over his biceps, Haimon found a rather unsettling sense of delight in the physical evidence of his power.

    Haimon glanced up at the mirror and became stone at what returned his gaze. While the design stayed inked in skin, his once blue eyes were now an ash grey. Leaning closer to the reflective surface, he felt foreign examining the echo before him.

    Dread set in as Haimon failed to recognize the person who gaped back at him. "Take it back," he calmly demanded Adriana.  Silence was the only response he received and in a more urgent state of fear he began to slam his hands on the counter. "Take it back!"

    The previous pleasure he experienced just moments before, was long disposed of. The realization of her manipulation regarding his compromised emotional state, drove Haimon into a fit of blind rage. However, despite his desperate pleads, the markings made no move to disperse.

    "There's no going back, young one. You made your choice back on the hill," Adriana stated plainly. Feeling the blood drain from his face, Haimon lowered his head to the cool surface of the ceramic counter, deep breaths releasing his frustrations. 

    "Haimon," Adriana called to him as he dragged his feet, face planting into the bed. "There is always a cost for strength. When your destiny is reached, I promise you will not regret your choice."

    A scoff was heard beneath the plush of the comforter. Turning his head to the side, Haimon meekly ventured, "Your promise is just empty words."

    "No, it is the catalyst for the future. I have always been on your side, Haimon." Adriana's words seemed more sincere than before, laced with what might be mistaken for compassion. 

    "Uh! If only Kori had died that day none of this would even be necessary. That man is nothing but a waste of time," Adriana fumed. 

    Haimon's eyes had widen since she spoke Kori's name. With alarmed eyes and a newly formed pit developed in his stomach, Haimon focused on only one word. 

    "What do you mean by if he had died?"