How to Make a Sinner Sleep

65 | rendezvous; a twirl of violence

The young male sneaking around with loud footsteps was unskilled, Kaden noted as he observed the darting figure. For an amateur, it could barely be sufficient. 

But his movements were sloppy and unnecessarily noisy—was there any point in hobbling around and accidentally bumping into bottles on the streets? However, in the town of bedridden citizens, it was more than enough.

A large hood hung over their faces, which did explain why they kept running into things. They couldn't see, of course. 

Or at least, Kaden hypothesized. 

He sighed. At least they found a disguise; the bare minimum of acting like a thief. It was awful regardless to watch such a terrible display of stealth. Were they even trying? Obviously not, or they would've at least tried to walk quietly instead of running noisily.

He strode through the streets, tailing behind. His pace remained steady. The figure hardly moved fast enough for a chase to be required.

The figure darted around a corner, and seconds later, the pink-haired man stopped at the door. He lifted his chin to gaze at the moon before remembering it was shrouded by clouds and fog. Sighing softly, the man closed his eyes.

The next second, a long leg swung through the air. 

It collided with the door, knocking down the old wood at its hinges with a loud thud. He didn't fear being caught; everybody was ill or dying in this strange town.

The three stalkers following behind stared with surprise, not expecting such a move.

Kaden ignored them and scanned the scenes within seconds.

A cramped and small space belonging to one of the poorer citizens. A frail child, curled and panting on the ground as their eyes were squeezed shut in the prison of a nightmare. Sweat beaded their forehead, and tears sprung at their eyes. 

The cloaked figure, now without their pathetic disguise, stood over a fallen faerie whose golden hair pooled over the dusty ground.

The man cocked his head, humming as a smile took to his lips. A familiar mask of cruelty. "This isn't a good look for you, don't you think? Really, what are you doing?"

The intruder swun around, alarmed, before lunging without a response. A gleam of metal flashed in front of Kaden's sharp gaze, and he calmly sidestepped to avoid it. The other collided onto the ground. 

"A secret rendezvous? A dramatic family tale?" He scrunched his nose, gazing coldly at the figure on the floor. "Although the participents in this room, a fallen faerie and an ill child, hardly fit the right characters for that role. I suppose if you're that desperate..."

The intruder leapt to their feet, dashing foward. Kaden's smile fell as he snatched their wrist, yanking them closer. "...You can dance with me instead?"

He threw them to the ground, hearing the muffled groan. They were persistant, he praised. The panicked attacks were hardly anything to take notice of, though he felt a little familiarity in the man's face, likely in his 20's. 

A person passing the village, finding easy prey? A coincidence or intended?

But if they were a student of the Academy, it was simple to find the trail so long as they were prompted or told. 

"......" They lunged again and Kaden laughed sharply, frost hitching his voice. Goosebumps crawled up the intruder's arm as he paled. "A dance it is, then. I'm not the best, I'm afraif. I've been told I step on others' toes."

He was done observing. Immedietely, he stopped being passive and dodged the next flimsy attack, swinging his leg high. It slammed into the other's waist, sending them scattered onto the ground as they coughed in pain.