The weather during autumn was more often than not always windy in the United Kingdom. Strong winds being a common occurrence not without the frequent smattering of rainfall to accompany its presence. As if to prowl on the struggles of those who either chose or had no alternative to travel during such weather, it was now and again an everyday annoyance like any other. In said weather late one evening was an individual pushing through the storm as he travelled through Yorks historical concrete maze to end the days struggles from daily responsibilities.

Full standing at a height of 6ft 1 yet hunched forward enduring the cold of the biting wind hammering paled skin which needed more sunlight, as a single soul was in the monotonous routine of their walk home. His clothes giving sign of standard construction overalls and the name badge on his left chest, “Bryan”, couldn’t help but wade forward. Having been beaten and battered not just by the weather but also by life physically and mentally tell tale signs of heavy bags under the eyes as worn and wrinkled skin gave picture to his daily struggles.

‘Tired. I knew it wouldn’t be easy getting myself back into the world but still…’

Lingering thoughts of unease clouded this persons mind as his walk was nearing the mid waypoint. Sounds of the city breaking through the wind were a constant reminder to him that there were still people living their own lives be it work or pleasure. The common over the top revving of an engine in the background echoing off the building walls, the odd persons footsteps here and there walking though the streets as the splash of water traced their steps and the sirens of services blaring off into the distance only to be carried away by the wind.

‘Nearly home now. I’ll get a shower as soon as I’m in and then I’ll just relax the rest of the night away in bed. Maybe a cup of tea’.

Thoughts of comfort being a motivator for the walk back slowly clouded over again as a small pit of emptiness opened in his stomach.

‘Home. To an empty house. On my own. Nobody to welcome me again’.

A growing ball of sadness started rolling around in that same pit. As usual in response he tightened his gut, clenching it hard. No more thoughts. Just motions. Pushing forward. Trapping whatever worries or fears he had in that now immobile ball. He knew how to cope, he’d figured out his own quirks that worked in helping him deal with it. There was never any permanent answer but it still helped.

And so on he trudged, letting his mind wander as he simply let his monotonous actions carry him forward. His consciousness wandering as memories fell back to his past. Living a struggle of wanting to be close to people but always being too afraid to get close to them- developing relationships with people and experiencing more in life than he could alone. That train of thought was a constant, like the tide it would always creep up on him, constantly flowing back and forth. Wishing he could have experienced more.

That wasn’t to say he was lacking, he’d had plenty of achievements in life from graduating university to winning multiple awards for athletics throughout his younger years. Yet one day it all just stopped. The motivation within him extinguished. The failure of not creating any long-standing relationships with anyone had taken on a subconscious toll that hit his consciousness with a hard dose of reality. Having failed to successfully reach out to people and share in their moments of life with them after all those years.

The only true connections he had with people were his parents. They were always a pillar for him and a hearth of comfort and safety whenever he returned home. Brightening his day that they were a part of his life.

Sadly that hard dose of reality soon hit him again only when his parents would soon pass away. His father passing first from having smoked since young. The coughing fits were becoming harder and longer to endure. He’d seen the signs, but ignorance is bliss and when it happened, his devastation only came second to his mother who shortly after followed his father. He could see the light of life she had within her dim dramatically after his fathers passing… Struggle all he did to try and care for her, she only gave him a saddened smile in knowing how it would soon be her time too.

Afterwords his soul became numb. Cold to anything and everything that happened around him. Locking his own existence to himself, he fell away from society and worked whatever jobs he could away from public eyes.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips only to be smothered in the winds turmoil as he continued walking on. Nobody else none the wiser to his ongoing struggles. Looking up and admiring the street lights on his path home he simply lost himself in their soulless light. Just him, walking on his way accompanied by the screams of the wind and the pounding of the rain to ease his solitude. Only for the wind to take on an odd pitch from what he had been hearing all this time. Slowing his steps, he focussed his hearing on the wind thinking it was just his imagination but then, not so much more clearer but certainly more noticeable as he was focussing in on it…

“..el...”

He began looking around in slow observation, the street he was walking down was all but empty, the night skies naught but pitch with the rain lightening up leaving only a thin film of haze to obstruct his view. The street lights giving light to most of the area as he looked around checking for obscurities until he closed his eyes in hopes it’d help with focusing his hearing.

“...llpppp...”

His body tensed and adrenaline trickled throughout his body as alertness took priority when he heard the voice a little more clearly; desperate and pleading.

Rushing off into the direction he’d heard the noise, little had he prepared himself for what he’d see when he gained sight of the two individuals in front of him down an alleyway. One appeared to be a young woman, somewhere around her early twenties whilst the last was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties. The individual condition of their persons however was what caused him distress, the woman was clearly the victim of some form of assault with cuts across her entire person from top to bottom. Sprawled out weakly along the floor.

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Whilst the man was a lot taller and well built than he had initially realized, standing close to 6 ft 5 maybe but what shocked him more was the facial expression he had on as he glared down at the woman below him. Bloodshot eyes, body hunched forward and an almost feral like snarl escaping his lips as he looked exhaustingly angry.

Before any action could be taken, the aggressive man turned with a suddenness that appeared all too unnatural, his eyes focused solely on the intruder to whoever witnessed him and his prey.

Observing the woman on the floor below at first glance it was immediately imperative that he focused the man’s attention onto him and hopefully get him to leave the area, her condition clearly in dire need of medical assistance.

“Hey there mate, I don’t really know what happened here for things to turn out this way but given that ladies condition I’d say you’ve made your point… How about you just head on your way and leave, yeah?”

The attackers eyes were glistening with pure hatred towards him. He couldn’t understand why, yet the man’s stance now shifted fully towards Bryan as if he deemed him an immediate threat; giving view to the dagger located in the man’s right hand.

At first glance it appeared to be a normal dagger with only the hints of red blood leaking off it’s edges. However, upon closer inspection he noticed that there was a yellow jewel embedded on the pommel as well as golden intricate engravings down the blade itself. It’s detailed design however gave no false impressions on it’s actual deadliness proven by it’s latest victim currently lying on the floor.

Bryan had no idea if the attacker was going to move on or not so he decided to do the next best thing and lead the man away from the woman hopefully giving her time to gather a little strength and get away from the current area.

“Look, just walk away okay? We don’t need to make this situa-”.

“Mirroes Sifol Gearesh!”

A language he’d never heard before interrupted him and all too soon did Bryan realize that something had impacted his whole body as he was thrown against the alley wall.

“Ugh!”

“Sa luden eksa-over strength! Give me yours!”

Words that were unknown to him suddenly began making sense, he would’ve paid closer attention to such a freak change if it wasn’t for the sharp pain he felt in his abdomen.

Looking down he’d noticed red beginning to smear through his clothing causing panic to burst from within.

The dagger that’d been held in the attackers hand had pierced through his stomach and was now jutting out with that jewelled pommel on full display from the now spreading crimson.

His body in shock and unable to gather his senses allowed the attacker to easily close the gap between them, reaching down and picking him up by the throat with a single hand.

The attackers otherworldly strength despairingly gave Bryan the stark realization of how unnatural this entire encounter felt as his body was thrown again only this time towards the woman who was collapsed on the floor deeper in the alley. Dagger still embedded in his stomach.

“I’ll get back what’s mine! I’ve come too far!”

His attackers voice a snarling roar of defiance to whatever grievances he was calling out against.

What few seconds had been granted to Bryan through this lull in action only came up with hopelessness, as his strength plummeted drastically. His body was already up against the woman who was either unconscious or dead only to make him feel more helpless in failing to have given her a chance to escape.

Looking up as the attacker now loomed over their bodies Bryan could only grit his teeth in resentment at how things had played out.

“Be my strength for my kingdom to b-”

Before the attackers words could be finished a light flashed engulfing the three people in the area. Swiftly followed by a flurry of actions.

The once thought unconscious woman beside Bryan instantly gained a burst of life as if possessed. The bleeding wounds which she’d suffered seemed all but insignificant given her fluidity in movement. Jumping to her feet as she crouched down next to Bryan and looked directly at the dagger protruding from his stomach – face expressionless.

All too suddenly however did she tear it from it’s victim without thought or concern for his well-being to swiftly pounce upon the snarling attacker who had made them suffer.

“What!? You dare!?!”

All attention was now focused on the woman now attacking their assailant. Swiping his hand out not as a punch but a claw like grip, he attempted to swing at the woman before him only for her to immediately crouch low, sweeping her leg through her opponents own.

“Wha?!

Seeing her actions and thinking he’d easily withstand her strength given her pathetic resistance from earlier, lead to surprising shock as his balance gave out and soon found himself with his back on the floor. An instant later he was now resisting to hold off her obscene surge of strength. The once self owned dagger now finding itself pointed directly above his own stomach as he struggled to match her strength with his own giving out. Slowly. The distance closed as she overwhelmed his own struggle clearing way for fear to creep it’s way through his now rapidly collapsing dominant persona.

“Where?! Where did you… GET THIS STRENGTH?!?”

All he received in response was that same emotionless gaze. And slowly as his strength waned under the intense pressure that was constantly being applied to the dagger did it steadily pierce then puncture through to his core.

“Noooooooo….”

His voice that was once a bestial roar of confidence now only became a limp of whimpered injustice as his strength left his voice and his body in turn.

Throughout this entire exchange did Bryan look on helplessly as his own strength petered out. Watching on as the attackers body now lifeless began to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Full muscles and healthy skin began to weather away until naught but the bones of his body became the definition of his once past self. His dried out husk beginning to fleck away to dust inch by inch by the buffering winds that slithered through the alleyways.

Whatever strength Bryan had left after witnessing such a sight vanished. As he could only rest his head back onto the concrete floor, looking up into the narrowed view of the sky in-between the buildings. Rain smattering his face as he helplessly chuckled at what a ridiculous and unfair experience he’d been associated with.

That view became obscured however, when the woman who had revived herself by his notion suddenly stood over him. Again, emotionless to his plight as her eyes bored into his, almost viewing the depths of his soul. Everything around him felt it had come to a standstill, the world witnessing this momentary exchange of tranquillity. Yet, in that moment, was the dagger once more plunged into him, only this time, it was straight through his heart.

There was no hesitation, no confliction, no remorse. Swift and thorough. In his final moments, did he notice that whatever light had once been in the woman’s eyes had now completely faded as once the dagger was embedded once more, did she collapse atop his body.

Within this brief moment before death, the rising tide of sadness over swept him. Nobody would remember who he was. Nobody would mourn his death. Just like the body he witnessed become naught but dust would his own life amount to the same fate.

Not even nature would let his final tears be known as they were washed away by the rain.