"Aaaah!" Kevin screamed, falling flat onto the ground. Even with such a sudden movement, the Monster still stayed the same distance away from his face.

"Aw, man, I'm really sorry about that," the Monster said, rubbing the end of its limb on the back of its neck. "This wasn't how I wanted it to go."

"What are you?" he asked, leaning closer to the floor. Tears threatened to flow out.

"Glad you asked. I'm Anyurapantaheshle, but you may call me Greg. No need to introduce yourself, Kevin Alisto, for I know who you are, and what you were meant to be."

Kevin looked around, briefly scanning the area, before realising there was nothing to grab. "Where's my suitcase?" he asked, noticing it missing.

"Well, what I meant was- Did you just ask where your-? Never mind. You just need to know that I have it. Now, If I could, without interruptions, let me talk about Destiny."

Kevin decided that this Monster seemed... safe, if a little quirky. So he decided to test the limits. "I know about what destiny is, and I know that mine is to be nothing."

Greg laughed. "Oh, how wrong you are. Your Destiny is to be-" Greg's words were filtered through a censor, sounding more like static, or the wind blowing around him, than actual words. It stopped, as if sensing what it said made no sense. "Huh. That curse is really something. Nevermind the fact it-" Again, wind, "But that it also stops words, is quite curious. No wonder the Master wants the one who placed it on you."

"The Master? Who's that?" Kevin asked, now laying on the ground. He was just too tired to move any more.

Greg twisted its horrendous mouth, which forced the teeth to twist, as though on a conveyor belt, in what must've been a grimace. "Forget I said that. Anyway, because of this curse, your Destiny doesn't exist anymore. Which means that you should not exist, yet you do. My Master's not the only one that finds it interesting, but he's the only one that doesn't want to, A, kill you, B, torture you, or C, use you in a dark ritual. For example, the Inquisition-"

"Stop right there!" yelled a voice that came from the other side of the courtyard. Kevin looked over, noting Greg moving to the side a little, and found a girl with hands on her knees, panting. Kevin would have just ignored her, if it wasn't for the flying sword aimed at him. "If you cooperate, your death will be swift and painless!"

"Wants to kill you," finished Greg.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Why'd you tell him we were going to kill him?" yelled the girl. Only then did Kevin realise that it wasn't her who said those things, but the sword. The sword that was leashed like a dog being taken on a walk. The sword that was tugging towards him. "We could have just lied!"

"Only sinners lie, Mini," the sword chastised.

"Yeah, well, we have to lie, in order to catch sinners," she argued, pulling the sword closer.

"But then we'd have to catch ourselves."

"But then we'd have the sinners."

"But then what happens to our oaths?"

"But-! Hey, where'd he go?"

Kevin was gone, nothing there to tell if he was really ever there or not.

Greg was laughing their teeth off. Literally. They started to fall out after it started rolling around, holding their presumed stomach. the teeth, thankfully, left no trace after they disintegrated. "Did you see her face?" Greg bellowed, its voice producing no echoes. "They didn't even realise we left!"

Although Kevin was slightly ashamed of it, he also let out a little giggle, almost forming a smile. "Yeah, that was pretty great," he admitted.

"Well, what now? Are you going to run? Or are we going to embarrass them?"

"Of course we're going to screw with her. I don't think I'll be outrunning her," Kevin admitted, stopping for a brief moment to catch his breath.

"Hmm, that is true," Greg admitted.

"We just have to get to the main building. And then..." He stopped when he noticed the figure at the end of the corridor, nonchalantly walking around, even whistling to themselves.

"Uh-oh," Kevin quietly muttered. "Gotta hide." Unfortunately for him, it was a straight corridor with no empty rooms.

Even worse for him, the figure turned down the corridor he was in. The whistling was soft, almost enchanting, calling him.

"Oh, come on," cried Greg, snapping Kevin out of the trance. "Why is he here? Run! Now!"

Kevin scrambled on his feet, feeling a sudden pressure envelop his body.

"Well, well, well," whispered the man, his voice resounding through the corridor. "Not many can escape my trance." He whistled a flat tone, carrying it for well over ten seconds.

Kevin saw the world disappearing throughout those ten seconds, his legs disintegrating from his body, fires licking his body, his family even appearing from nowhere. He felt... tired. Couldn't he just give up? Couldn't he just-

"No," Kevin muttered, the image breaking. "I don't deserve that."

"I can show you something worse, if you wish it," called the man, still walking at the same pace. "Of course, I don't understand why you rejected happiness, but to each their own. Now, what'll it be?"

"Run!" Greg called. Kevin finally started moving, barely in time to avoid the flying sword that came for his neck from behind.

"Now, who is this, if not for the trainee, Mini Parks?" the man asked, his voice just as surprised as Kevin's.

"Be quiet, Pied Piper!" cried the sword, lunging towards him. "You're lucky we have an even higher priority target than you!"

"Yeah!" echoed Mini, glaring at him.

He stared, blankly, before laughing melodiously. It sounded sweet, just like honey. But it also slowed Mini down, making her feel like she was swimming through it, until his laugh finally disappeared.

"You say that, but you just let him get away," the Piper said, pointing.

Kevin cursed, turning the corner just before she turned her head.