A sharp blade flew past his eyes, deceptively aiming for his face, and striking true into the neck of Casian's inhuman assassin towering behind him.

The assassin jerked back, a flood of black blood rushing down his body, staining the floor and filling it with the revolting smell of rot.

The Wraith collapsed onto the floor, continuing to bleed out. It shrieked and writhed in pain before succumbing to the grevious wound.

'Huh'

Casian thought, stepping around the Wraith.

'It's… dead..'

His eyes glowered, before rising to meet the boy that saved his life. Or girl? He couldn't particularly tell. His saviour was inexplicably beautiful, and cruel sense of indifference was written into their face.They remained poised, as if they never threw a glass dagger at all. As if it was willed into existence.

Casian was not surprised by assassins. His life had been held together by a thread these past few days. Ghoulish monsters of increasing lethality hunted him. They were relentless, and hardly being alive, they craved Casian's death more than their own life.

He could not survive a Wraith. They were undead creatures, much like the others sent to end his life, but could choose to be intangible at will, were inhumanly swift, and had the strength of a Destined. By no logic should Casian have survived this.

And by no logic, Casian survived his previous three assassins. They were all dreadful creatures, perhaps not as deadly as a Wraith, but certainly bounds more stronger than Casian's feeble existence. The fact he remained alive at all… was pure luck, paranoia, and perhaps a bit of deception. 

He looked over to his saviour, and curtly bowed his head in thanks. Of course, he would love to speak thanks out loud, but the seal on his lips prevented as much.

And Casian was sure that his Saviour knew of this. The glass knife lodged in the throat of the Wraith vanished. 

The person standing in front of him had smooth, milky white skin, and eyes like sparkling rubies. Their face was perfectly proportionate, and had an almost child-like quality to it. They looked even younger than Casian, who had just turned fifteen.

But Casian knew better than to trust appearances. 

It was certainly a Destined standing infront of him. One of the chosen mortals to conquer Destiny, granted strange and varied abilities that transcended logic. But was that really the case? This.. person didn't seem particularly… Mortal…

They took off their hood of their cloak to reveal their pale yellow hair, flowing down to their waist. Wisps of their hair gently rocked in the air, as if some inexplicable force were twirling it around their fingers.

"Child." They said. And their voice sounded like a cacophony of children speaking to him at once. It was disgustingly unnerving.

Casian nodded in response.

"The gods are not happy with you." They said again. Casian flinched involuntarily, reminders of his sins rushing into his brain. 'No shit…' 

"But some do not wish to harm a child. Especially one as promising as you."

His saviour shifted towards him, smaller than him, but certainly more powerful than Casian in every way. They reached up, a placed a hand over Casian's mouth, and placed a thumb over his lips. He felt the seal on his lips hum gently, before vanishing as if it was never there. 'How could a mere Destined.. undo the will of the Gods?!'

The person's identity seemed to make more sense now. 'This… isn't a Destined… This is an Apostle.'

Suddenly, Casian had the ability to speak. But he chose to stay silent. 

"You are one of the Chosen. And because of that, I will show you mercy." They continued.

Casian kept his expressions neutral, but felt a deep surge of anger in his heart. 'This? This is hardly mercy! I barely have survived this past week, I barely overcame dispair!'

"You will come back to the Beckoning."
And that's that. The thing in front of him was at least an Apostle, and conveyed divine will. As a condemned mortal, Casian could not refuse. 'How tyrannical'

"You will rejoin the Chosen." 

"And then what? Shall I be executed as an example?" Casian says flatly, flames of anger lingering in his eyes, desperately trying to retain decorum.

The child meets his eyes with cold certainty. "No, you will fulfill your destiny."