Rosakai’s hand came away with what looked like ink as he touched the side of his face, his black, inhuman blood sticking to the fabric of his glove. Hot explosions burst in loud pops and bangs behind him as bombs fell upon the city from high above. The night air was heavy and metallic tasting, a lingering scent of rust and sour milk. He hurried through the desolate streets, his black boots splashing in thick pools of dark liquid. The city of Gallery was alight in a great roar of flames, human corpses piled up along the side of the roads.

It had been a long time since Rose had seen this kind of death…this kind of war.

“Rosakai!” A strong hand clapped him on the shoulder.

Rose gritted his teeth, hand automatically clenching the hilt of his sword as his eyes snapped up to see a man with dark skin and black hair suddenly beside him.

He loosened his grip, sighing angrily, “Damn you, Blade.” He shrugged the man off him as he looked around them quickly. While Rose remained unflinching at the nearing explosions, the prospect of being ambushed weighed on him. “You’re a fool to startle me,” he hissed, his nerves on high alert.

“I’m sorry, but we’re running out of time. We’ve taken care of most of the soldiers, but soon there will be no city left to burn.” Blade’s orange eyes seemed to glow in the firelight as he loaded his gun, staying close to Rose’s side. “We need to find him. Fast.”

Rose nodded. “C’mon then.” The stone ground was cracked, moss and dead weeds sprouting from the fractures. Almost every building they passed was broken and deserted, black and red with sparking fire. There were no stars here, only a sky filled with dark smoke, glowing red as it mirrored the massacre they stepped through.

Rose could see Blade eyeing him cautiously as they checked each building, looking for any signs of life. “Is there a problem?” Rose asked. His gloved hands sent charcoal crumbling to their feet as he leaned against a doorframe, shaking his head with frustration and disappointment as he found the building empty…just like all the others had been.

“Nothing.” Blade sounded unconvincing, causing Rose to turn and stare at him coldly. Blade’s muscular shoulders shrugged as he broke eye contact, admitting, “Your hood slipped. You might want to cover your hair so we’re not spotted by the enemy. We were slowed down enough taking out that last patrol…”

Rose glanced sideways at a broken window, looking at his reflection, cold and dead like winter. Everything about him was white against his lengthy black coat. His silver eyes were piercing, even compared to his pale skin. Blade was right, he hadn’t noticed that the wind had pushed back his dark hood, a gust whipping his long white hair into a frenzied mane around him. He gritted his teeth at the image, eyes flashing.

Swiftly he pulled his hood over his hair, tugging it down tight so the wind wouldn’t disturb it again. His fingers gripped the hilt of his sword like a vice, gaze flicking to where Blade held his gun. “Thank you. Still, if we encounter any more soldiers, don’t worry, I’ll deal with it,” he muttered under his breath.

There was silence between them as they continued down the street, sounds of war echoing in the distance… And then Blade swore, swatting Rose’s arm.

Rose stopped as he looked up to scowl at Blade and asked, “What is it?”

And then he realized what Blade had been trying to warn him of, his stomach sinking.

Even in the distance he could see the man striding, unphased, through the mounds of corpses towards them. “Crimson…” Rose breathed the name he loathed, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. It had only been a matter of time.

Crimson’s muscular build was commanding, his short white hair tousled in thin strands over his face. His eyes were the same red as the human blood that stained his white military uniform, eerie and demonic. He had stopped a few feet away from where Rose and Blade stood, keeping his distance as he called, “I thought I’d find you here, Rosy.” He grinned, his hands up by his shoulders in mock surrender. “I just want to talk.”

Rosakai stayed perfectly still, his heart racing as it hammered against his ribs. “Get the others,” Rose harshly whispered to Blade, not breaking eye contact from the man with red eyes.

As Blade turned and left Rosakai’s side, the man in front of him laughed, putting himself disturbingly out of place from all the gore. “Calling for backup, are we?”

Rose took a step forward, readying his sword. “I know you don’t want to talk.”

Crimson glanced at the sword in Rosakai’s hand as he sneered, “We both know that won’t be enough to kill me.”

Rose felt his thin brows furrow, his upper lip curling into a snarl. “No. But it’ll hurt.” Distance suddenly felt like the last thing he wanted. Rose was determined as he took his time walking towards the other man. Crimson was unmoving—unflinching—as Rose stopped so close their foreheads nearly touched. Fire formed in the palm of Rosakai’s free hand and disappeared as he closed his fingers into a fist, eyes locked with Crimson’s. “Your master sent you to do his dirty work, did he?” Rose asked, his eyes falling to where Crimson kept an equally impressive sword strapped to his belt. “Should have known.”

Crimson laughed, biting his lower lip so it drew black blood. He licked away the droplet slowly, cocking his head to the side as he scanned over Rosakai’s face; it was like he enjoyed Rose’s rage. “He’s your master, too, Rosy.”

Rosakai snarled, steadying the sword in his grasp. “I hold no loyalties to him…or to you.”

Grinning, Crimson sighed as he conceded, “I don’t want to fight you, Rosy.” Stepping away from Rose, he drew his sword with a heavy scrape of metal. “Though I will, if that’s what it takes to convince you.”

“Convince me?” Rose scoffed, every muscle in his body tense. “I thought you said you just wanted to talk?”

Crimson paused calmly, his red eyes glowing with the inferno around them. “And you said you knew that I didn’t.” His stare was menacing. “I’ll ask you one time… Are you going to join us?” There was a deadly threat in his low tone.

Rose was seething. He let out a hiss of breath, shaking his head slowly. “Never.”

Crimson took one step back before he brought down his blade hard.

Rose raised his own weapon quickly and blocked the strike with a heavy clang. Hatred drove through him, burning in his veins and replacing his blood with acid. There was an immediate desire to shove his sword through Crimson’s chest and wipe that smug grin off his face. “You’ll never have my allegiance. You’re better off killing me,” Rose snapped.

Crimson threw his head back, howling with laughter. He held his sword loosely, theatrically unconcerned. The tips of his fingers tapped the hilt impatiently, waiting for Rose to make his next move. “I doubt that very much… It’s only a matter of time.” Crimson’s brow twitched, his smile knowing. “Assuming I don’t take you up on your offer and kill you first.”

Rose swung at him, though the blow was blocked in a clash of metal, sparks showering against the stained ground. The force sent Crimson skidding backwards, creating a tidal wave of blood. There was not a second of hesitation as Rose charged him, raising his sword and bringing it down in an arc.

Throwing his hand up, Crimson caught the blade with his bare palm, blood splattering the ground and onto Rosakai’s clothes and face. Rose drew the sword back, smoke causing the air to ripple with heat, blood blurring his vision black.

Rosakai froze, feeling the tip of Crimson’s sword on his neck.

He couldn’t move.

“Look how far you’ve fallen. So emotional, as always… Pathetic.” The tip of Crimson’s sword had just enough pressure against his skin to draw a droplet of black blood. There was satisfaction in his voice as he murmured, “You’re so predictable, Rose.”

Rose scoffed, baring his teeth. “Bombing an entire city just to draw me out? That’s predictable. What’s next? Are you planning to destroy the world for your master’s game? All of Sanctus?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Crimson growled, his sword biting harder into Rosakai’s throat as it kissed his flesh. More blood slowly trickled down his neck like a black snake, but Rose refused to react; it would only give Crimson pleasure. “But, you’re wrong about one thing, Rose. All of this?” He gestured to the burning city and the lives that had been lost because of it. “It’s not for you.” He clicked his tongue, “Tell me…where is Zephren Kyne?”