A week had passed since Rory started working for Kei. It had honestly been a stressful and strange environment, if Rory was being honest. There were so many strange people that left Kei's office and any time Rory brought it up, he was brushed to the side with some random answer.

It was starting to piss him off.

On a brighter note, he had managed to find an apartment not too far away from Ink Publishing. The building was modern and sleek in design. If Rory didn't have his current job, he never would have gone for something as posh as this place. However, he decided that he could turn over a new leaf and start fresh.

It was proving to be much harder than he imagined. He couldn't help but think of Nix. Sure, she could be a royal bitch and a pain in his ass, but she did offer him employment and a steady paycheck. Even if said paycheck was barely enough for him to live off of.

He wanted to stop by and properly apologize but he was afraid. Something was holding him back.

Shaking his head, Rory stepped off the elevator and onto the top floor of his new home. He lived in room 19 and had a gorgeous view of the city. The apartment complex was fifteen stories high.

Smiling to himself for finding an apartment in record time, Rory wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He accidentally bumped into someone causing them to crash land on the floor.

"I'm so sor—" Rory's words got stuck in his mouth when he met eyes as black as black could get. He couldn't even see the whites of this man's eyes. It didn't help that the man was wearing all black and his skin seemed to be a little too dry in places. It looked like white paint flaking off a wall after years of use.

The man rose to his feet and bared his teeth at Rory.

Rory didn't waste a second as he pushed the man back to the ground and dashed down the hallway to the nearest stairwell. Already he could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.

"What the fuckity fuck was that?" Rory shouted into the empty stairwell.

His heart nearly left his mouth when he heard the stairwell door burst open with an ominous bang.

"I guess I shouldn't've pushed him a second time." Rory muttered as he jumped a few railings to reach the eighth floor.

He breath was coming in short spurts as he forced himself to run faster. He heard the strange man getting closer and closer and his heart was about to burst from all the fear and adrenaline pumping through his system.

Floor 3.

Just a little further, Rory thought to himself.

It happened in slow motion. One minute, Rory could see the door to freedom and the next, he felt inhumanly strong hands grab his shoulders and slam him against the wall. His hands were trapped and pinned above his head. He heard a metallic screeching and gritted his teeth. He felt cool metal against his wrists.

He realized, a little too late, that his hands were now pinned to the wall by metal which had somehow been twisted like rope to form makeshift cuffs.

To say he was terrified was an understatement.

"What the fuck are you?" Rory questioned, his voice barley above a whisper. It was unnerving staring into those black, hollow eyes.

The man didn't look phased in the least. Where Rory was sweaty with red cheeks, this man was as pale as ever and didn't look as if he had just ran down fifteen flights of stairs.

"You ask me what I am?" The man hissed out in a papery thin voice. "I am a reminder to every being that has always been, will become, and has yet to be. I do not tolerate a cat and mouse game. We are at war and I will not idly sit by and watch as Death plays this childish game. You belong to him and, as such, you will join him whether you like it or not."

Fear flashed in Rory's eyes as the man crept closer. "I don't understand."

Amusement flickered across the stranger's face. "Oh, you will. Once you join Death in immortality you will remember everything. And you will remember me. I am not one to grace others with my presence. I will grant you a promise older than time itself." He leveled Rory with a look. "Your death will be painful. I will drink you dry and have you begging for Death to come and take you. However, your mortal, human world will be safe. You are marked by Death's Kiss. This world is not."

Fear all but consumed Rory as the man sprang forward and sunk his sharp teeth into his throat. It was a deep bite and no matter how hard Rory fought or how loud he screamed, he was alone.

No one was coming for him.

No one would search for him.

No one would miss him.

As Rory took his final breath...

As the last drop of blood was drank...

The strange man took a step back and offered a sad smile to the unfortunate soul now bound to Death for eternity. It wasn't every day that Time itself made an appearance.

"It has been done."

                                                                  ***

Somewhere, not too far away, stood a man with ice in his eyes and fire in his soul.