The sun spits its painful rays out into the world. Most noticeably, through the opened window of a pitiful man sleeping in a luxurious bed.

Pitiful is simply the best word to describe the man’s situation at the moment. Naked. No sheets on the bed. The stench of alcohol lingers upon his skin and hair. Yes, a pitiful sight if there ever were one.

Gai chokes on some snot. He coughs, shooting straight up. Bile fills his mouth. He vomits to the side of the bed onto the floor. A pool of foamy, clear liquid pools around the stonework. It sneaks underneath the frame as if it’s ashamed to exist at all.

“Uggghh!” groans Gai. He stares lazily at the pile of puke. “Good morning,” he mutters to himself as he rises from the bed.

Gai stumbles around the room. At a nearby table by the door, a bucket full of water sits. Gai grabs a handful, thrusts it into his mouth, then uses the rest to wash the oils off of his face.

Soaked, Gai looks up. A mirror is positioned above the little table. Gai stares into it.

Bags bulge underneath his eyes. His beard is out of place; straggly. It doesn’t necessarily look bad. If anything, it only makes him seem even lazier, though a handsome sort of lazy. His dark hair looks like an assortment of smoky firecrackers were set off atop his brow. If he were a little fatter, a little uglier, he wouldn’t be able to pull off this look.

“What did I do last night?” Gai pauses. “Ah, lots of drinking and screwing!” He snaps his fingers. “Forgot about that! Hahaha! Hmm.” He stares blankly at his face in the mirror. “My head hurts.”

Gai yawns. He walks across the room to a sack bag sitting in the corner. He opens it up. Inside is an array of clothes, some minor objects, and money. Everything he owns besides the clothes on his back, his coat, and his sword is contained within this single bag. The maid service at this place is impeccable. Whenever Gai needs it, he has them wash his clothing. It comes back folded, sitting on a nearby chair for him to stuff roughly into his bag again.

Lazily, Gai puts on a pair of black pants and a long gray button-up shirt. He tucks it into his pants, tightens them together with a belt, and laces on his daily boots. There, he moves to his closet. Sitting inside on a hanger is his jacket. It’s the only piece of clothing he truly cares about. It looks like a black trench coat, but there are plates of black steel on the arms, back, and chest areas. Gai slots on the coat with care.

“Okay, what to do today? Am I forgetting something?” Gai quietly asks himself.

Voices sound off in the hall.

“Think he’ll wake up soon?” asks one. It’s feminine. Young. Maybe early twenties?

“It’s almost nighttime, so yes,” replies another voice. Also young and also female, though much snarlier. Gai dislikes her tone of voice.

“I hope the lady doesn’t end up marrying him,” grumbles the first one. “Prince Christopher is so charming.”

“Not like that barbarian,” agrees the second. “There’s no chance he’ll win the contest. I wouldn’t worry.”

“Oh right! I’m getting engaged!” Gai snaps his fingers upon realization. “I forgot all about that! Hahaha! Hmm. Why am I doing that again?” He pauses. “Free food? No. That wasn’t a guarantee. Room and board? I don’t think that was part of it. I barely remember what the girl looks like,” admits Gai to himself. “Ha! That’s not good. What did I have to do again? Fight a duel? Yeah, that’s it. A duel. Against that pretty little blonde guy with all the chivalry. Gods, he looked pissed. Ha! How could I forget that?”

Gai yawns. His arms stretch behind his head. In the corner by his bag sits a sword. It’s a simple one in a worn leather scabbard. The handle is thin, wrapped in black leather. The guard juts out in four directions like a compass. Each point on the guard curves upward towards the blade-like spikes. The blade appears to be thin but not quite a rapier. It’s a strange contraption. The sword has been left unaccompanied and unused for many days now.

“Maybe I should go talk to that girl. I think I was supposed to or at least I wanted to. I can at least do that. Maybe I’ll remember why I actually stayed then.” Gai scratches his beard as he yawns a second time. “Then again, nobles are never any fun. Especially noblewomen. Bad personalities and terrible fucks,” he complains. “Eh, I’m sure we can still have fun.”

With that decision made, Gai claps his hands together.

“Okay!” Gai pauses. “I have no idea where she is.”

Gai peeks out the window. He stares up at the sky. The usually bright color is beginning to dim purple. A sign of sundown. Gai has barely been up thirty minutes, and already the night is sinking in.

“Well shit. Better hurry.”

Before leaving, Gai grabs a small flask hidden inside his bag. He takes a long swig of what is inside then places it back where it was. Satisfied, Gai heads to the door and opens it, much to the surprise of the talking women just outside. As predicted, there are two female maids. A blonde one stands to the left while a brown-haired one, a little taller than the other, stands to the right.

“Hello, lovelies.” Gai smiles. He waves one hand. “Do you know where, um, uhhh…” The name escapes his mind. “Do you know where my fiancé is?”

The maids frown at Gai.

“What?”

“You forgot her name?” they accuse in unison.

“What makes you think that? No, I didn’t,” lies Gai immediately.

“What is it then?” the blonde one asks.

“What is what?”

“Her name,” clarifies the blonde maid.

“Oh.” Gai pauses. “I don’t need to be quizzed by a maid. A cute one, but still a maid.”

The blonde maid shakes her head. “I knew he wouldn’t get it.”

“Leave already if you’re going to waste everyone’s time. You’ve already caused enough trouble,” the brunette maid adds. She looks as if she’s struggling somewhat to say these words.

“Huh?”

“Lady Scarlet is a good person. She deserves someone of equally good graces to marry her,” says the brunette with more confidence than when she first started talking.

Gai chuckles. “And that’s not me in your eyes, is it?”

Both maids shake their heads.

Gai’s eyebrow raises in surprise. “You actually like the person you work for?”

“We love Lady Scarlet,” the blonde snaps.

“She treats everyone equally regardless of position,” the brunette adds. “She smiles at everyone the same, and she always tries her hardest.”

“We admire her,” the maids finish in unison.

Gai stares. “Well damn.” He scratches his head. “Scarlet, huh? Now I really need to see her again.”

Gai has known not a single noblewoman to get such resounding, hopeful recommendations from their staff besides his elder sister. It’s not like the help will be outwardly mean towards the people that employ them, mind you. Gai realizes that. The sentiment is generally forced, rather. In this instance, Gai sees that they genuinely care for their charge. She has earned their respect.

“Guess she’s not a totally terrible person. Sounds like she could be boring, though,” Gai thinks. “A goodie-goodie. No, I think she said she hoped all nobles would die, or something like that. The memories are too hazy. Damn, I was drunk. Well, she must have been interesting if I'm still here.”

“Why? You haven’t cared to so far,” says the blonde maid.

“I believe I promised her a date at some point? She’s probably spent enough time with that prince. It’s my turn to make an impression.”

The maids frown.

“I fear you’ve already made one,” the brunette mutters.

“A poor one,” adds the blonde.

“Nothing is set in stone.” Gai shakes his head. He begins walking away. “Never mind, I’ll find her on my own. Thanks for the info!”

Gai heads down the hall.

“That’s the wrong way,” one of them mutters.

Gai turns around. He looks at them as he passes them a second time, correcting his route. “I knew that.”

•

Gai moves about the castle. He visits a variety of places. For a snack, feeling peckish, he finds his way to the kitchen. The chefs inside greet him as if he’s a ghost that suddenly materialized out of thin air. From there, he starts checking rooms. Most are empty. In a few, he catches soldiers taking breaks. In one unfortunate event for the people inside, Gai stumbles upon the baths. The male baths. Gai awkwardly moves away as an explosion sounds behind him.

“Where the hell is she?” Gai asks himself after his period of searching draws no positive results.

Like earlier this morning, a stroke of luck hits the young man.

“Scarlet’s being lazy today…letting me carry books up to her room,” grumbles a female voice. “This is what I’m doing with my free time?”

Gai peeks down the nearest corridor from which the sound emitted. He watches as two women walk down the hall, one older than the other. The youngest is dressed in guard regalia. Her black hair is cropped short, but Gai can even tell through the armor: she’s a beauty.

“They employ a lot of women here,” mutters Gai to himself. “The baron has good tastes.”

“She’s deep into her research again,” the older lady replies. She’s dressed like the maids from before. There’s a certain level of class that comes from her. She’s clearly above them in station. “What could it possibly be this time? It’s always something.”

“She’s looking to maybe write a book about diet and exercise in her free time,” the guard speaks.

Gai crinkles his nose. “What?” he whispers to himself.

“Is that so?” the maid asks.

The guard nods. “Yes. She’s noticed a trend in class mobility. Those at the bottom are in relatively good shape because they do labor-intensive jobs but do not eat the right items to maintain a balanced diet, as she put it,” the guard continues. “While the ruling class tends to be more overweight because, while they get the right nutrition, they do not exercise in the same way. Lady Scarlet tends to consider herself in shape, so I’m assuming she’ll write a book targeting government officials to promote what she calls public health.”

The maid shakes her head. “She’s always coming up with something. It’s scary how smart she is. Even when she was a babe, the girl always had a light of intelligence in her eyes, bless her heart.”

“Public health? What is she, a saint?” Gai thinks to himself. “Now that she says that, it does make sense. Rich people are fatter. They die earlier deaths. Peasants exercise a lot, but they die at lower ages, too. Huh. Diet and exercise. I do it naturally. If people need to be told these things, they probably deserve to die.”

The maid and the guard continue walking away. They disappear around a corner in the hallway.

“Guess I should follow them,” Gai mutters. “I don’t want them to get in my way though. They seem like they would.” He shrugs. “Time to disappear.”

Gai allows a special muscle in his body to activate. As it does, his visage upon the human eye begins to fade until what was his body disappears from sight completely. His well-hidden, secret Admix gift of invisibility hides him from view.

“They walk too fast,” Gai thinks. “I’d prefer a leisurely stroll, myself. I mean, look at that woman walk,” he ponders in reference to the black-haired guard.

Gai follows the guard and the maid down the hallway. They make multiple turns. At each, Gai sighs. Finally, they rise up a flight of stairs. Gai thinks it might be the end of his journey. No. More hallways. More stairs. They go down again for some reason. Then, finally, they arrive at a door.

“I hate this place,” Gai realizes.

The guard knocks on the door. “Scarlet! I brought your shit!”

Gai recoils. “Did she really just talk like that to her Lady?”

The door opens wide. Out comes Scarlet.

“Oh. I forgot. She’s damn gorgeous,” deems Gai upon seeing her again. He stands just behind the guard and the maid, invisible to the naked eye.

Scarlet’s hair is tied into a ponytail for the day. Her long, fire-red hair flops behind her back while some scattered red strands curl around the sides of her face. She adorns her torso with a sleeveless top. It’s tucked into a skirt. Both are seemingly tied together with a nice belt. She doesn’t wear shoes since there isn’t a need to do so in her own room.

“Got the books?” Scarlet asks. She moves a strand of hair behind her right ear.

“All four thousand of them,” complains the guard.

“I would have gone to get them myself, Remi. You know that.”

“It’s my fault for offering. I realize that now.”

“Sorry you’re struggling. It’s never been a problem for me.” Scarlet shrugs. “It makes sense; I’m in better shape than you.”

Remi frowns. She flicks Scarlet on the forehead.

Gai raises an eyebrow.

“Ow.”

“Just because you’re on another one of your passion projects doesn’t mean you can suddenly think you’re better than me,” explains Remi without an ounce of tact.

“Oh? That feels like a threat.” Scarlet smiles. She shakes out her wrist. “We haven’t sparred in a while, have we?”

Remi’s tone lowers. “Too true.”

“Children, children, settle down,” orders the maid.

The two immediately break off any hostility. “Sorry Sonya,” they apologize together.

“What just happened?” Gai wonders through his confusion.

“Why do you need these anyways?” questions Remi.

“Reference materials,” Scarlet quips.

“So you can study, start to write a book, then move on to some other project?”

“Sounds about right.” Scarlet seizes the materials from Remi. “Thanks for your help.”

“Do you want to go into town later? It’s getting dark, but if I’m watching over you, it’ll be fine.”

“No, no. That’s alright.” Scarlet waves off her friendliness. “I think I’ll turn in early today after some reading. Then I can get up sooner for training. Got to keep the routine, especially since I won’t be able to give Master Talbert any notice in a time he’ll find acceptable. You know what he’s like when he’s annoyed.”

All three women shudder.

Gai winces at the sight.

“Fine, fine. That’s as good a reason as any,” admits Remi.

“Do you need anything, dear?” Sonya invites Scarlet.

Scarlet sways her head. “I think I’m good.”

“Then have a lovely night,” Remi exudes sarcastically. She goes to shut the door on a chuckling Scarlet.

The heavy door swings behind as Remi and Sonya take off.

Scarlet turns away.

Gai uses this moment to sneak in through the gap as the door closes. No one notices him, nor did he expect them to. His infiltration is a success.

•

Gai admires the room. It’s nothing like the women’s rooms he’d been in before. There’s hardly a sense of decoration. While there are brighter colors and some plants, they seem to be there as a mere facade. Like they were added to cover up the boredom of the room, not create a room itself.

The bed is neatly made. The wardrobe is closed. No clothes are waiting out. Everything is in proper order. The only area of disaster in the room is a large L-shaped desk slapped into the corner near the far-side window. Books lounge about it like corpses. A small library by the fireplace is lined with even more books haphazardly placed onto shelves in seemingly no order. Scarlet sits in front of her desk, book in hand, reading away.

“She might be a bit too studious for me,” notes Gai internally.

Scarlet props her feet up on the desk. They cross over each other with the left foot landing dominantly on top. She slouches into her chair. One of the many books given to her by Remi lays between her arms. To be more precise, she uses her arms to keep them in place while her breasts act as a fleshy stand for the literature.

“Creative.”

Gai carefully examines Scarlet. He gets in close and peers at her hair, skin, and eyes.

“It doesn’t look like it from a distance, but she’s pretty well-toned. Nice skin save for a few scars. Gods, I wish I could remember better what we talked about,” Gai internally complains. Ignoring his frustration, he ratifies a rather unexciting conclusion. “I can always learn that later. Okay! Better introduce myself again.”

Taking a few steps back from Scarlet until he is by the door, Gai undoes his invisibility. A great tension releases from his core as his abilities cease.

“What’re you doing?” Gai requests out of the blue. It’s his first word to Scarlet in da—

“Gah!”

The next thing he knows, Gai is pinned to the ceiling spread-eagle like he’s making a snow angel on a blissful wintery morning. Black stems protrude from Scarlet’s back. They hold Gai to the roof with black, demonic-looking fingers.

“This is uncomfortable.” Gai tries to move his body, but it is wholly restricted. “Hey, you have gifts! That’s amazing! What a cool ability!”

Scarlet stands below Gai. “Gai?” She gawks at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to say hello.” Gai forces a pained smile. “Can you let me down?”

“Hello? I haven’t seen you in days.”

“Have you missed me?”

“Not really, no,” Scarlet answers without delay.

“Damn. Brutal.”

“I’d kind of forgotten you were here if I’m being honest,” says Scarlet. Her eyes reflect how little she cares for the man pinned to the ceiling.

“You keep swinging even when a man is down. You’re mean,” replies Gai snarkily. He closes his eyes in defeat.

“If you say so.”

The black tendrils coming from Scarlet’s back disappear into a smokey liquid that soon evaporates fully until there is nothing left. The weight holding Gai high into the sky dissipates.

Gai lands nicely on his feet. He stumbles slightly but sticks the landing for the most part. He breathes. His hands brush off his shoulder sarcastically.

“Sorry for startling you. I have a light step,” Gai admits now that he’s safe on the ground.

“You didn’t startle me,” Scarlet returns hastily.

“No?” Gai crosses his arms over his chest. He leans back slightly on his heel as a knowing smile puckers his lips. “Was that scream your version of a hello then?”

“Shut up.” Scarlet shakes her head. She sits back at her desk. Her back rests against her chair while her hands sit comfortably in her lap. Both her legs remain tightly closed. She stares blankly at Gai.

“Sorry. I’ll forget I heard anything,” says Gai. “You’re a Typical, huh? That’s boring, but at least you have one of the strongest abilities, even against Admix.”

Scarlet’s brow crinkles in confusion. “I’m a Dyad, not a Typical.”

“A Dyad?”

“I can use Light and Dark abilities. You already knew that.”

“I did?”

“Yes. At the ball,” says Scarlet. “I fought a bunch of mercenaries to show everyone how I’ll be able to pop out strong babies.” She keens at the tail end of the comment. “I used my gifts to fight. We’ve already been over this.”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“I was drunk. I only remember bits and pieces of that night, if I’m being honest.”

Scarlet’s mouth drops open. “And you’re telling me this now?! Do you even know why you’re here?!” She stands up angrily. Her hand juts out an accusing finger at the man standing in front of her all nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I remember I got to fight some guy so we can get married or something. That’s about it, right?”

Scarlet slowly closes her eyes. She pinches her brow with her fingers. “Really?”

“Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong, just an ass,” groans Scarlet. “What was the point of doing such an embarrassing thing like that in front of the whole crowd if you were drunk and didn’t actually care?!”

“I’m sure I had a good reason.”

Scarlet gawks in disbelief. “Unbelievable.”

Gai pats his chest. “I get that a lot.”

“Rarely in a positive way, I imagine.”

“I’ve heard it plenty of times in many positive ways. Sometimes screams. I’m a gifted person. What can I say?”

Scarlet rests her arms over her chest in an accusing way. “Why are you here? Why bother talking to me now? Let me guess, you’re planning on leaving soon. Have you had your fill of our generous hospitality?” she mocks.

“Why would you think that?”

“It’s the rumor going through the maids at the moment. Everyone thinks you’re a scumbag taking advantage of the baron’s hospitality for free shit. I tend to believe that assessment, especially now.”

“Hey, I am most definitely taking advantage of this situation,” Gai agrees. He points at Scarlet. “But I’m not leaving,” he says.

“You’re not?”

“Hell no. Everyone’s got to get married sometime.”

“That’s a terrible lie.”

“And you’re good-looking, so I think we’ll have a lot of fun together.”

“Thanks. What a pointless reason.”

“Don’t mention it.” Gai pauses. “At the ball, were we talking shit about nobles?”

Scarlet says nothing.

“I think we did. If we did, we have a lot in common.”

Scarlet raises an eyebrow. “Is that all you remember? My deep hatred for my own life?”

“Ha! That was you. I remember you now!” Gai beams. Memories begin flowing back to him. “You want to travel and fight and stuff! That’s what I do all the time!”

While not everything from that night has returned to Gai’s head, enough bits and pieces have returned to give him some bland hint at his original actions. The interesting emotions he felt when talking to her rewrite his ambitions for the girl.

Scarlet frowns. “Are you sure? Seems like you’re a scammer to me. Are you even the son of Baron Regal? Is Gai Regal even your name?” She shakes her head. “This is why IDs matter,” she whispers quietly to herself.

“That part was true,” Gai admits. “I just haven’t been home in years.”

“Then how did you know about the ball? Why come?”

“Happy coincidence.” Gai taps his nose. “Luckily, my dad still seems to be alive and in power. Good for him.” He clasps his hands together. “After that, I ate and drank to my delight. Met up with a lovely lady after talking to you. Had a swell time. Other than that, the specifics are a little hazy.”

“Lovely lady, huh?” Scarlet’s stare buries itself into Gai’s eyes. She doesn’t seem that angered by the information.

“It was a party. What can I say?”

“So you really are that kind of guy…”

“Yes! And I will never change my ways, but—” Gai motions around the room. “—I can get you out of this shit.”

Scarlet freezes.

“Interested?” Gai asks out loud.

Scarlet sighs. “Fine. Let’s hear it. What do you propose?”

“I win the duel, we get married. We go through all the ceremonial stuff for a while. We leave this place, run around, fight, drink, eat, and fuck. Sound like a plan? Sounds like a plan to me. We don’t have to be faithful to each other. You don’t have to love me and I don’t have to love you. Could care less about that shit. I just want to have fun, and we could have some fun together. I can tell. How about it?”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“If it were that easy, I’d have done it years ago,” says Scarlet. “The whole reason I’m going through with this is so that I don’t burn any bridges. Do you think it’s smart to piss off my family when they have so much influence?”

“Do you have any siblings?” asks Gai.

“A younger brother.”

“Then they’ll get over it in time. Promise.”

Scarlet’s eye twitches. “It cannot be that easy.”

“Trust me, it is. I haven’t been home in years. Me. First-born son.”

Scarlet’s brow knits together in confusion. “Did…Did they not send anyone after you?”

“Everything fades in time. I have brothers for backups. You’re just a daughter, so you’d be fine.”

“If that’s true, I don’t even need to go through with this shit.” Scarlet paces the room. “Am I an idiot? Wait. Is your father first-generation nobility?”

“Hell no. He comes from a long line of assholes.”

“My father is. Do you think I can still leave the way you planned?”

Gai frowns. “Oh. Didn’t know that.” He dwells on the issue for a moment. “He’d look like a major bitch in the nobility world if he let his only daughter flee his home and ignore his wishes. Not a single person would respect him if his own daughter didn't. Ha! Well damn, I guess you do have to get married cause he will hunt your ass til the ends of Tellus.”

“Great. Thanks for the reminder,” says Scarlet, frowning. “Then your plan doesn’t work and there’s no benefit in marrying you.”

“Nah, it does. We just have to tweak it a little.” Gai smiles as he puts a single finger in front of his lips. “The point of the marriage is to build connections, right? And we’ve got a five-year time limit on children. Easy! We’ve just got to get our families so intertwined in business before we split that our actual marriage doesn’t matter.”

Scarlet stares at Gai.

Gai stares back, still smiling. “Think about it! They’d hush it under the rug if we fled at that point cause then it’d embarrass them both. They’ll have what they want. We’ll have what we want. It puts both parties in the position to move on, no? No bridges burned just stressed. It shouldn’t affect our lives too much, no more than getting married and having brats would. You’ll have to sacrifice a little to get something you want, and this is probably your best solution. How about it?”

“That plan has a lot of holes in it. It’s also overly optimistic. There are so many things you haven’t considered or are assuming. Plans like that don’t usually work.”

“It’s called taking a risk, Scarlet. You’ve met with Christopher. Did you have a conversation even close to the one we’re having?”

“…no. It wasn’t as…flexible, at least.”

“If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But know this, I don’t want to have children and I don’t want to be restricted. Together, we’ll find a way. There’s no doubt in my mind. If you can’t trust me, believe in my desires at least.”

“That…kind of…okay,” muses Scarlet. “But you haven’t seen your parents in years, you said. The power of our engagement hinges on the bonding of our families. I’m sorry to phrase it like this, but do you even matter to them anymore?”

At that, Gai’s grin falters. Darkness overtakes his eyes.

Scarlet shivers slightly. Her eyes advert away. “Sorry. I should have phrased it differently.”

“I’ll reach out to them and patch things up. Don’t worry,” says Gai in a soft, even tone. It’s like a whole new voice was implanted within him. “Knowing them, they ignore it for the chance at a good deal with your daddy. Don’t worry about that. They’re shitbags like all the others.”

“What…Why did you…leave?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” says Gai as he falls back into his normal persona. “Personal. And it doesn’t matter.”

“It might be—”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Sorry.”

Things are awkward for a moment.

“What do you say?” Gai relaxes back into a smile. “We’ve got a rough plan, but a plan. It’s all subject to change, but we can work it out. I’m optimistic. In the end, we’ll be free. That’s a promise. Then you can learn from the best on how to live. Sound like a plan?”

Scarlet hesitates. She begins to pace. She does so for a while in silence before speaking. “Most of that sounds fine, actually,” Scarlet admits after a while in a surprised tone. “Almost too good to be true, if I’m being honest. What’s in it for you?”

Gai shrugs again. “It sounds fun.”

“Yet another terrible reason to marry someone!”

“I do what I want whenever I want when I feel like it,” says Gai firmly. “Right now, I’m fine with bumming around this castle getting free shit, marrying you, and setting off together into the distant sunset until we get bored of each other. It's not like I have a plan in life. I do things that seem fun, and right now, this shit seems really fun. So let me help you, alright?”

Scarlet pauses.

“I would not be here if I didn’t have a good reason to be. I may not really remember why, but I trust my drunken judgment cause that’s the kind of guy I am. Does that make sense?"

“No, but it does not matter at this point, honestly. If you win the duel, I don’t really have a choice in the matter regardless. Sure. Whatever.”

“Against the pretty little blonde prince?” scoffs Gai “Easy.”

Doubt laces Scarlet’s eyes. “We’ll see.”

“That’s later!” Gai places his arm on his chest then bows. “Now, will you do me the honor of accompanying me out for a night on the town?”

“Why are you being so dramatic?”

“You seem kind of bitchy right now, so I thought I might cheer you up.”

“I’m not bitchy.”

“Really? Studying all the time. Complaining. Dressed all conservative. You seem like a stuck-up person. You’ve probably never even been drunk before. A few drinks here and there? Sure. Never drunk. Really drunk. Let me show you the way because the potential in you to be someone amazing is there, I can see it.”

Scarlet rolls her eyes.

“That wasn’t an answer,” says Gai.

“Yes. Sure. Let’s go out,” agrees Scarlet, finally, after being battered into submission by Gai’s relentless nature. “Leave first. I don’t want to look like this. It’s too formal. Plus, it’s cold out.” She gestures out of the room. “Bye-bye.”

“Fine, fine.” Gai opens the bedroom door. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I’m very good at picking out outfits.”

“Go.”

“Alright, alright,” relents Gai. He walks out the door, swinging it behind him to close.

A pause.

Gai’s gift muscle tenses, turning his body invisible.

There’s still a gap in the door. His view is obscured from Scarlet’s sight. He slips past back into the bedroom.

The door closes.

Scarlet is alone.

Alone with an invisible man.

Gai moves to the window by the desk. It’s just a small distance from the door. He sits upon it while he watches Scarlet.

Scarlet glares at the ceiling. She pauses for a beat before sighing. “Weirdo,” she mutters to herself before smiling. “What to wear, what to wear?” She crosses the room to her wardrobe and pulls it open. “Last time I went out, I ruined something nice. Should probably wear something I picked up in town to look more normal. Coats. Simple black pants. Boots. Maybe a cloak to hide my hair? That’ll work.”

“Last time? Maybe she’s more fun than she acts,” thinks Gai. “I hope so. It’ll make it easier to get her in bed.”

Scarlet pulls clothes out of her dresser. She continually drops items onto her bed: a set of black pants, a pair of black boots, socks, a simple cotton shirt, and a grey tunic with a turtle-neck look. The tunic is odd, shaped more like a jacket. The bottom is circular around, but the front suddenly cuts into two large ‘V’ like daggers at the bottom.

“She has such a common sense of style.”

Scarlet begins undressing.

Gai smirks. He leans against the edge of the window, reclining his body against it. His feet kick up to rest on the edge as the show begins.

Scarlet’s shirt is untucked from the skirt. It flaps delicately against her skin. She begins to unbutton her shirt.

“I don’t expect much. She’s average in the chest. Better than being flat, though,” Gai admits to himself. “Boobs are boobs. I’m sure they’re still great.”

The shirt drops to the floor.

“Huh?”

Scarlet wears a contraption of white bandages underneath her shirt where her breasts are. They press them into her body, restraining them against her skin. Gai can tell they’re bigger than on the outside. The bandages keep them contained.

Scarlet breathes out. She stares at her banded contraption before observing her entire figure with a vacant glance. “Why the hell is this my life?”

Gai stares at the banded contraption. He’s never seen someone bind their breasts together in cloth so tight. “Why, though? It's like she's...ashamed...”

Scarlet continues undressing, but Gai doesn’t notice. Confused thoughts enter his mind until he starts to feel guilty.

Turning away, he rotates his feet are dangling out the window. Gai stares off into the distance at the lovely view of the forest beyond. Water’s Bastion can be seen off in the distance to the left. Water. Beautiful buildings. It is all accented by the purple haze of the sun slowly drifting behind the horizon.

“You can come in now,” Scarlet yells loudly at the door signaling she is done changing.

Gai says nothing.

“Gai?”

Nothing.

Scarlet opens the door. She peers outside. “Gai?”

“It’s a nice view here,” Gai suddenly says. He undoes his invisibility.

“Jesus Christ! Fuck!” Scarlet suddenly shouts. She turns into the room, stumbling slightly. She looks around until she sees Gai sitting at the window’s ledge staring at the world outside.

“Jesus Christ? You scream some guy’s name when you’re scared?” Gai turns. His face contorts with confusion.

Scarlet pauses. “Sure. That’s a better explanation.”

Gai chuckles. “Is he a former lover?”

Scarlet looks up. She winces.

“What?”

“Nothing. Waiting for lighting.”

“You’re strange.”

Scarlet’s face contorts with concern. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“Wouldn’t you have seen me if I was?”

“I’d hope so.”

“Then there’s your answer.”

“That…what?” Scarlet cocks her head to the side in confusion.

“Quick question, though,” Gai requests.

“Hmm?” Scarlet blinks rapidly as she’s pulled away from the far reaches of her mind. “What’s up?”

“What’s the purpose of that bandage around your chest?” Gai makes a motion around his abdomen like a wrestler displaying a title belt.

“You were in here!” Scarlet points accusingly. Her face begins to tint red. “How come I couldn’t see you? Where were you hiding?”

“I was at the window the whole time,” Gai comments lackadaisically. “You didn’t notice. I walked back in a few seconds after I left. You need better spacial-awareness.”

“The hell you were!”

“I did and I was. You’re blind.”

Scarlet begins walking.

“Where are you going?”

“Grabbing my sword,” Scarlet replies immediately.

“To?”

“Stab you.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Gai rushes across the room. He grabs Scarlet’s hands in his own, spins her around, and pins them to her sides. “Please don’t.”

Scarlet blinks. “That was fast.”

Gai winks. “I’m very fast.”

Scarlet glares. She stares up at Gai as he pins her.

Gai releases Scarlet. “Never mind, buzzkill. Seriously though, what’s the wrap?”

Scarlet flicks Gai’s nose.

“Ow,” mocks Gai.

“Fucking pervert.”

Gai stares at Scarlet.

“What?”

“I thought you’d be a lot madder. You’re kind of calm,” notices Gai.

“It’s whatever,” dismisses Scarlet. “I understand where you’re coming from. It’s a natural male hormonal reaction that blinds and caps your normal, human thoughts. It’s very distracting and unwanted. Trust me, I know.”

“What?”

Scarlet lightly slaps Gai’s right cheek. “That didn’t make any sense to you, did it?”

“Not at all.”

Scarlet smiles. “Good.” She walks away. “Shall we go?”

“You didn’t tell me about the bandages on your chest,” Gai challenges. He seems genuinely curious. “You torturing yourself or something?”

“What? No.” Scarlet shakes her head. She points at her breasts. “It’s to smush them down and keep them from moving.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“You ever try running or walking with two giant sacks bouncing on your chest?” supplicates Scarlet. Her expression deadpans as she looks at Gai.

“Ah.”

“Keeps them tight and unmovable like they aren’t even there,” Scarlet further explains. “That’s about all you need to know on the subject, I reckon.”

“What are they like underneath the wrapping?”

“So, how are we getting out of here?” Scarlet ponders. She completely ignores Gai’s question. “The guards won’t let me through at this hour without prior approval and someone watching over me. None of my friends are available tonight to police us since I blew them off to study. To leave, we’d need to go through the front gate. They’ll check us there. We’ll get turned back. Any thoughts? Or did I get changed for nothing?”

“Hmmm, how do your powers work?” Gai asks .

“What do you mean?”

“You have Dark abilities. They allow you to kind of ‘extend’ yourself, yeah?”

“Basically.” Four dark tendrils move from out of Scarlet’s back. “I can reach and attack things at a distance. Grab stuff. It’s helpful. I’m sure there are other things I can do, but I haven’t figured them out yet.”

“Can you pull things toward you?”

Scarlet nods.

“What about pulling yourself towards things?”

Scarlet pauses. A light seemingly flickers above her head. “Yes.”

“Then grab onto this window and lower us down with your gift. We can sneak around close to the walls once we hit the ground. Then when we get to the wall, send your gift up top, tie another around us, and pull us up.”

Scarlet stares at Gai for a moment.

Gai raises an eyebrow. “Will that work?”

“It will absolutely work,” Scarlet realizes. “Why didn’t I think of that? That’s genius.”

“Genius, huh?” Gai saunters closer. “Does that earn me any special prize?”

Scarlet grabs Gai’s hand.

“Oh, I didn’t think that’d actually work. I’m ready if you—”

Scarlet drags Gai to the window while he’s talking. The darkness of the night has finally set in. Guards are beginning to light torches around the area. The place below the window is luckily still dark.

A tendril wraps around herself and Gai. Another, much like a hand, grabs tightly onto the wall.

Scarlet jumps.

“Fuuuu—Oh?” Gai begins to scream but stops when he realizes their descent is abnormally slow.

“Really?” Scarlet judges Gai. “This was your idea.”

“Give me a warning next time,” Gai mutters as they float to the ground.

“You deserved it.”

“That’s fair.”

The pair drift to the ground like a feather falling from a bird. They watch as the world around them floats like an endless void cascading them in the colors of the night. The ground stretches out its arms to greet them like the reunion of long-time friends.

They reach the ground.

“Oh Gods, we’re not dead. That’s great! A great plan!” says Gai.

Scarlet lets the man go. “You seemed excited even when you thought you were going to die.”

“What? Yeah! Of course! If it happens, it happens. I don’t try to control life. I make decisions, live with them, and watch the world move on.” Gai’s eyes seem to soften. “We’re all so insignificant. I’ll die one day. If I have kids, they’ll die. Their kids will die. On and on goes the chain of death. But when do we really die? I like to think it’s when we’re finally forgotten.” He smiles. A glow seems to radiate from him. “We’ll all be forgotten someday. Even the most famous among us. Then why bother with such things? Why preserve something instead of using it? I want to live a life with no regrets. Try things. Experience life before it’s gone. Is that too much to ask?”

Scarlet stares at Gai in surprise.

“What?”

“I kind of thought you were some horny dick with no perspective on the world,” Scarlet answers truthfully.

Gai laughs. “Look at you, all judgmental and shit.”

“You crashed my engagement party, challenged a prince to a duel, and embarrassed my family all because you were drunk. Not only that, but between talking to me and offering the challenge, you implied that you screwed a random woman. The whole embarrassing-my-family part was kind of nice though,” admits Scarlet. “Since the duel, the maids have said you sleep all day then go into town all night doing Gods know what. Mere days before the duel, you decided to speak with me. You admitted you barely remembered talking to me at the ball. Then you watched me change somehow. That’s not even including all the perverted comments. Sorry for not thinking highly of you!” She bows sarcastically.

“Okay, you have a point,” begrudgingly admits Gai.

The pair walk to the gate. They’re close to the front entrance but not so close that they’ll be discovered. Torches illuminate the area now. The guards have gone around making sure there’s enough light for the staff to see as their duties continue until the morning.

“Ready?” Scarlet asks Gai. She stares up at the wall. It’s clearly taller than six people standing on top of each other.

“No. I’m scared. Hold me close.” Gai reaches for a hug.

“I always hate how guys like you act towards women,” grumbles Scarlet to herself. “How could girls fall for that shit?”

“Low standards,” returns Gai. “It wears on them after a while. Eventually, they say, ‘fuck it,” and I’m in.”

“Wow. Okay then. That’s terrible.” Scarlet shakes her head. She holds out her hand. “Hold on tight.”

The tendril of darkness wraps around both of them again. It secures them much like a harness. Two others lurch upward at the wall. They clamp to the top with ease.

Slowly, they rise.

They keep climbing higher until they reach the top of the structure. Both make sure their footing is sound before passing over the other side of the wall.

“I really wish I’d grasped this sooner.” Scarlet stares in awe as they rappel down into the forest nearby. They’ll land adjacently to the road. Two moons illuminate their visages. “Now I have a way of escaping if I ever need it.”

Gai stares up at the moons and the stars in disbelief. “We’re kind of flying,” whispers Gai excitedly.

“If only.”

A quiet night.

A peaceful night.

The forest is beginning to fall asleep.

Two pairs of feet land within its embrace. Grass smoothes beneath their weight. Bugs watch with disinterest at the new arrivals. Some mammals scatter.

“That worked wonderfully,” says Gai.

“And I now have a better understanding of my abilities,” Scarlet tacks on. She looks at her legs. “I can literally fall from any height and not die if I’m quick enough and there’s something to grab onto.”

“You’re welcome.”

Scarlet begins walking out of the forest. Gai follows closely behind. They reach the road in only a few moments.

“You’re rather lucky to live where you live,” Gai talks as they walk the darkened path. They’ll arrive in town in around thirty minutes if they keep their pace.

“How so?” Scarlet banters back with the man. Her tone is only mildly interested in the conversation.

“It’s so safe,” pouts Gai. “Kind of boring, but lucky for your citizens.”

“Because of the war threats? We’re too far from the border to worry about that.”

“No. The Synborn. Those poor shits love the woods, whatever the variety.”

“Oh.” Scarlet pauses. “Yeah, we don’t really have any of them here. They crop up from time to time, though I’ve never seen one.”

“They’re rare.” Gai gestures into the woods. “You’re right, soldiers likely cull most of them, but there’s probably some still out there. Most of them are extremely weak but others can massacre entire towns of people. Ain’t that shitty?”

“I’ve always pushed it to the back of my mind,” admits Scarlet. “It’s hard to believe they exist, honestly.”

“I’m sure you’ll see one someday. Especially if you end up with me.”

“Thanks for that. I didn’t need to sleep tonight.”

“Shhhh!” Gai puts an arm around Scarlet’s shoulder. “I’ll keep you company.”

Scarlet sighs. “All that just so you could do this?”

“It simply worked out this way.”