Old men and women, abandoned by society. They walk the endlessly repeating road of villages, towns, and cities. Those who had been abandoned by their own country due to their old age and lack of wealth. Those “cursed by immortality,” as said by those above.

Their collective footsteps drove into the gravel and brick, destroying the surface and their bare feet all the same. At night, those brought down by others hide under the bridges of those who always look down, not even a look of pity.

Their bodies would thin by the day. Their steps would lighten by the hour. Their breaths shallowed by the minute. Those old men who had lived long enough had long-grown beards of wisdom.

“Pitiful fools.”

Someone sat on the ledge of a building, watching these old people continue on. The man of complex demeanor wore a black dress shirt and pants. His eyes were that of an endless void and his hair and complexion were light, with his hair being the color of ash.

“To be abandoned by society and then be too kind and withered to retaliate. Not only is it a poor excuse, but it’s pathetic. Hell, they’d be better as sacrifices. At least then they wouldn’t be taking up space.”

His palm had long been holding onto the ledge, yearning for the release of jumping into the crowd.

“Melias, you still have a major problem with talking to yourself. You can’t just let your thoughts be open to the spying of others.”

A man with golden eyes approached the ash-haired man from behind. He donned a tailcoat that seemed to never tatter. Melias slowly turned around, the annoying comment obviously getting to him based on the clenching of his fist.

“I’m mad I can’t argue against that.”

His fist soon relaxed and he once again grasped onto the ledge. He asked the question important to the situation.

“So why are you here anyway. It’s not time for the assault is it?”

The golden-eyed man watched Melias.

“No, we are not close yet. It’s still a month away at the earliest.”

“That long? Really? What’s taking you so long? The longer we wait, the more likely he is to grow exponentially.”

The man’s eyes glowed a deep gold as he stared down the brazen Melias.

“You act like I can’t do the same.”

Melias brought his palm to his face and lowered his body down to lay.

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“You know that’s not what I meant. You can grow quickly, but he can grow faster and without having to go through the effort of finding the pieces to do it.”

The golden-eyed man sighed before getting to his reason for coming here.

“I plan to go after another piece.”

“Who?”

“A woman, a retired mercenary who wields a whip. I fought her once before, about forty-five years ago. She-”

“Hold on! You lost?”

Melias sat up in shock and excitement which interrupted and annoyed the golden-eyed man. He released all the dead air in his mouth and decided to fast-forward the conversation.

“Telling you was the only reason I came. Don’t expect to be able to contact me for a few days.”

But Melias seemed to ignore the man as his body shook due to his own excitement.

“Hey, Apathian, can I have those old people down there.”

Melias’ finger directed to the crowd of “immortal bodies” who had been abandoned.

“As long as you only take them and don’t cause a ruckus.”

The golden-eyed man disappeared in an instant, but Melias didn’t care to notice. The smile on his face was full of excitement and fueled by the prospect of pleasure.

With two taps of his index finger, the night had begun.

…

Many of the old men and women had continued to wander even when night had come to the planet.

“Hugh, what are you doing? We need to rest for the next day.”

Hugh was an old man who lost his wife to a disease and then was abandoned by his own children. The old woman, Delilah, who approached him was one of his former neighbors who got kicked out not long after him.

“There's not much resting will do for us. I feel like I’m more likely to be harmed in my sleep than I am when awake.”

Hugh tried to lift his arm, but it wouldn’t move. His muscles and bones had become too weak for him to do much. His legs were the only things that worked well enough to move, but even those were quickly giving out.

“Still, you won’t see the next day if your body gives out.”

“I’ll be fine.”

As Hugh walked forward he could hear the sound of something heavy dropping to the floor. He slowly turned back to see Delilah on the floor, unmoving. Hugh backed away, his knees cracking and popping with each step. A small ball of light soon appeared from her fallen body.

Another old man soon fell to the ground. Then another. Each one fell, releasing a ball of light into the sky. The balls of light soon began to magnetize in one direction; to the top of one building. There sat a man of inelegant yet powerful appearance.

The balls of light began to collide and form bigger orbs as they approached the man. His mouth seemed to move as if speaking, but he was too far away to hear.

Hugh continued to back away and escape whatever tragedy was occurring. Just as he felt a good distance away from everyone else, he could feel the man’s eyes stare down at him.

The old man let out a moan of fright as he wished to run away, but he was too weak. He didn’t know what to do.

Hugh blinked.

The man on the building was gone, but the orb of light continued to move, but now toward him. Hugh slowly turned his head, his body nearly paralyzed. He saw the man and at the same time felt the man’s finger tap his back.

The old man quickly fell to the ground like the rest. He felt his entire being crying in agony. All his senses soon split off.

He could only feel a sense of yearning toward the incomparable force next to him.