Glowing Lights

[Ria]

A couple of days ago, Ria checked into the Paradise Hotel to spend some time in the tropical country. She had overheard many conversations about how fantastic and beautiful the place was, with so many relaxing activities. It also just so happens to be the hotel's anniversary weekend. Their rooms were almost fully booked up except for one room which had a cancellation, luckily enough, shortly before Ria arrived to request a room.

She spent Friday exploring the surrounding areas and spent Saturday checking out the yoga class and hot springs. Today, there was a party for the hotel on the beach that would last into the night. Ria quite enjoyed watching the other guests having fun and swimming in the ocean. Not knowing how to swim herself, she stayed close to the shore, only letting the water reach her ankles.

The party also had an ongoing barbecue throughout the day and into the evening. Ria found some of the food to be a bit tough to eat but also rather delicious. She watched other guests play volleyball and other beach sports. She was amazed by the surfers with their smooth control of planks of wood, as she understood, on the waves.

As the sun began to set, the lights came on. Music was playing and people began to dance. Ria happily watched from the sidelines, shyly avoiding being asked to enter the dance floor. After a while, as the night sky grew darker and darker, Ria began to notice the moon. It was full and bright in the sky. Slowly, Ria began to saunter out of the lighted area that the hotel had set up as she walked along the sand looking up at the moon.

Before she knew it, Ria had wandered far from the hotel's lighted area. What alerted her, however, was not the fireworks that were going off in the distance nor the waves crashing down by the shoreline. There was some sound that was out of place. A sound that belonged neither to the party nor to the beach's nature. Ria quickly turned to look in the direction of the sound and, the moment she spotted an object speeding towards her, a burst of light appeared in front of her to block it. As the object touched the light, it disintegrated into it.

Realizing that this was something that was sent at her to hurt her, Ria's small burst of light quickly spread until it surrounded her like a shell. Ria watched in the direction the object came from, awaiting more or the person behind it. She had a concerned look on her face, but stood straight, as she waited for her attacker to appear.

[Hyades]

Despite arriving this peaceful place where most people seek to enjoy and rest, Hyades do not lose focus on his task. He is given a special task from Victor this time, not to eliminate target as par from client, but it is a target that is requested by Victor himself. He did not ask why as always since he swiftly took the request and carry on with the task given to him. The target is known to be a magic practitioner, so he would do this task in very cautious manner. Having the letter written in description about the figure of his task, he searched patiently inside the crowded place of the resort while act as he is there for a vacation himself.

"Let's see, according to the letter, she should be somewhere here..." Hyades think as he read the letter with his casual face as his eye wonders around searching for his target. "Pink... pink... good lord there just too many people in this place, and there already couple of girls and even guy with pink hair here!" Hyades rubs his head as he seems to have trouble to find his target. Despite having a good eye, it is still hard to find someone in this crowded place using his eye alone. He then walk to the counter and ask the counter if there is a cute girl with pink hair but is mute. It is confirmed by the Hotel's Clerk as he makes excuses bout him being her relatives. Thanking the clerk, he prepares to leave but was called out by the clerk again if he needs to know her rooms number. He decline the offer since he told them that he will find her herself, for the thrills of it and for a good surprise.

It took time until he finally found his target, as he presume. Watching from afar, he observes his target and after a while, he finally convinced that it is his target. "She is a cute one. Sadly, it is not her lucky day to be targeted, by us..." Hyades sighed as he munched fried chicken wing in that is served in the buffet in the hotel. "Oh wow! This is a good one! Garu will surely love this!" Hyades smiles excitedly as he remember bout his eagle, Garuda. After packing some of the in his lunch box, he then continues observing his target, and wait patiently until it is the right time, to kill his target.

Time move fast, despite the party and event going on, he did not lose his focus as he observe his target from afar without taking much attention in the crowded area. His patients pays off when his target slowly make her way out of the crowded area. Feeling lucky since his target move to more and more secluded area, and to makes things better, it is now night time. Making sure to take a good distance from his target, he then quickly take out his bow and arrows and take aim. Not faltering nor hesitate despite how he feel bad about taking this girl's life. "Death at the beach with good views of the moon, such shame but oh well," He shrugs as it is already his routine to kill and live for another day. Taking a deep breath, he release his finger as the arrows was shot directly at the girl's heart. To his surprises, his arrow did not just dint hit the girl, but was blocked and disintegrate on the spot.

He knew that his target is no ordinary person, but for her to simply block his sneak attack is out of his expectation. Knowing that his presences is known, he then quickly continue shooting more arrows, one at a time. Moving from one place to another, Hyades dash as he keeps on shooting his arrow as he tries to studies his opponent. He hopes that shooting from multiple location, he might able to bypass her magic or shield as he assumed. The fight starts now.

[Ria]

Ria saw as another object came flying towards her and hit her shield, disintegrating into it. She stared at the spot it hit with a sad expression, recalling how the outside of her shield is dangerous to people who might touch it.

As more similar objects were hurled her way, she watched them hit her shield and tried to make out where they were coming from and who was shooting them. She tried to think back over who might've seen her abilities and might want her dead. Sure, there were villages in Tenka and Ianne that reacted negatively to her abilities, but not everyone was so harsh as she discovered.

It would be easy for Ria to signal for help from the hotel with a burst of light but didn't want to risk letting others be harmed by the person trying to harm her. Not wanting to attract the attention of partygoers, Ria simply waited for the attacker to give up and come forward. After all, how many objects of that nature would he still have left when he's firing off so many to be incinerated? His supply must run out eventually.

[Hyades]

"And there goes my 10th arrow..." Hyades sighed as he noticed how his attack are useless against the shield that is forge by his target. Thinking that it would be pointless to shoot from a far, perhaps the shield power isnt that strong in close range? Not wanting to lose his advantages as his target still unaware of his position, he quickly dash in as close as he could from behind his target, drifting as he brakes on the sand while he aims to make another shot, a special one. An Explosive arrow.

As the arrow hits, it exploded. The explosion aren't that big, as it is designed to pierce through metal plate thus it is safe to be used without making too much attention and luckily the sound it makes aren't that loud too. Waiting for the smoke to dissipate he readies his arrow just in case if that plan fails. Seeming expecting the result, Hyades sighed as he sees his target is yet again unharmed by his attack.

"You are one tough young lady, aren't ya?" Hyades speaks as he gave an irritated smiles of his.

[Ria]

As the arrows finally stopped, Ria looked around with a concerned expression. She still wasn't sure where exactly this person was or who he was. It wasn't long after the arrows stopped when she heard another object coming towards her. She turned just in time to get a glance of the person's face before his next arrow hit with an explosion. Ria's eyes opened in surprise as she saw the small blast that then dissipated into smoke before fading away, revealing the person behind it.

When the man finally spoke, addressing her, Ria's concerned expression slowly melted into a gentle smile. She was relieved to finally see the person who was trying to attack her. Now, however, she had a question that she hoped he could supply the answer for.

Smiling gently at him in hopes of showing that she means no harm, Ria slowly raised her right hand with her first finger outstretched. Then, in the air, she began to write. As she wrote in the air, the letters remained for about ten seconds each before slowly disappearing. WHY? She wrote, the question backwards to her so that he would see it properly, intending to get across the question of why he was after her. After she finished writing her question, her gentle smile faded back into a concerned expression and she lowered her raised hand back down, taking hold of her other hand low in front of herself.

[Hyades]

As Hyades are annoyed by the fact that he isn't able to injured this girl, he did not expect to receives a gentle smile from the girl whom he already shot many arrows with an intent to kill her. Reacted to it normally, Hyades grin widely at her as he fix his posture before saying something. "Aren't you a smiley type?" he rubs his head, as he never expect his target to be this type of a person.

Still being wary of her every move, Hyades almost taking his defensive stance when the girl tries to do something. To his surprises again, she wrote something on air. "Why?" Hyades responded with a confused look. "I got orders to kill you, that's it~" He smiles cheerfully at the girl as he prepares his bow.

"So, you won't mind if I just shoot you and end this?" He give his innocent look at the girl he is trying to kill. Despite saying something terrible about killing someone, he just can't help it but to be cheerful at most of the stuff he do.

[Ria]

Ria's expression grew more concerned as the man responded to her answer. His cheerful smile while talking about killing someone made his answer even more painful to hear. How could this person have reached such a point where he is happy at the thought of taking a life? What had he gone through to reach that point? These questions echoed in her mind as she looked at him with concern. Not concern for herself, but concern for him.

Ria shook her head "no" at his question with her eyes, still filled with concern, staring into his eye. She noticed the eyepatch on his other eye but that was a question for another time. She figured it probably related to the previous questions in her mind.

After a few moments, Ria slowly raised her right hand again to write another question for him. WHY DOES THAT PERSON WISH ME DEAD? Ria asked, still wanting to know the answer before proceeding with other questions.

[Hyades]

"W-why are you looking at me like that?" Hyades stutters as he is unable to understand why would the girl would give him such a concerned look on him. He wonder why would she concerned bout him while she should be concerned bout her current situations.

"Aw, this would take a while then," Hyades rubs his head as the girl shakes her head, indicating a 'no', which is of course should be done. Taking something from his bag is plans to set something when suddenly the girl wrote another words to him. "I don't know, I don't ask, sorry~" He give another cheerful smile of his as he prepares a trap from his bag.

"Since that i can't simply shoot you, I'll just have to wait... until opportunity shows up then~ Since... you don't fight back," Hyades give her a faint sinister smile.

[Ria]

Ria's concerned expression grew more concerned, if possible, at his response again. She watched him as he pulled something out of a bag. Hearing right away that he already understands she won't attack him, a hint of surprise added to her concerned expression. She would have smiled at the acknowledgment of her gentle nature if not for one troubling fact: his smile. Again, she questioned herself what could have happened to make someone turn out having such darkness in them that the thought of killing someone brought them a twisted sense of joy.

Ria's expression returned to its previously concerned appearance as she pondered this. Remembering her questions of why she's targeted and the fact that this person doesn't even know why, Ria slowly raised her right hand again.

NOT KNOWING WHY YOU'RE ASKED TO KILL... She began writing, pausing until the words faded before continuing. ISN'T IT UNNERVING? She felt worry for this person who killed irregardless of the nature of his target simply because he was told to do so.

[Hyades]

Hyades slowly prepares his trap without concerning what his target will do, since he believe that she won't retaliate at all. Thinking it is naive, but he still just had to do his job. As he wanted to plant his trap, the girl wrote another sentences. He never think of stuff like this, but when the question is asked, he began to think.

"Now that you mentioned it, I never really think about it," He then simply sits down as he start to think about it. "I guess I just simply follow the flows without thinking. I'm done thinking bout these complex stuff anyway, its confusing," He then stands back and start to throw dozen of metallic substance around the girl. It is a trap that shoot metal dart at high speed when triggered.

"I can't simply die, so I had to do something, and I guess doing this stuff is my way of passing time perhaps?" Hyades sits down again as he stare and question the girls back. He somewhat are having a good time talking with her, and he dint realized it, not yet.

[Ria]

Feeling a hint of hope as he stopped what he was doing to sit down and think, Ria's concerned expression lifted ever so slightly into a faint caring smile. She hoped he would see it as strange and begin to question such things but then he seemed to shrug it off as complex and confusing as stood back up to continue what he was doing. Ria's expression returned to concern as he shrugged it off, letting out a small breath of air.

Ria watched him with concern and confusion as he put a bunch of strange things around her. She walked to the edge of her shell and crouched to stare at one through the light shield. She didn't know what it would do but the thought of it being a tool to kill made her feel sadness inside. The things humans would build and create simply for the purpose of hurting others seemed tragic to her. Humans can create incredible things, as she'd seen in Gradia. Why build amazing things with the purpose of hurting or even killing others? This, she couldn't understand.

When he started speaking again, Ria turned her attention back to him. She stood back up and took a step back to the center of her shell, facing him with her concerned expression. Hearing that he considers killing others as simply passing time was nearly heartbreaking for Ria. Her eyes glanced down with deep sadness and she lifted her hands, clasped, against her chest.

Still looking down, with her eyes almost beginning to look moist even, Ria slowly lifted her right hand again. KILLING... she began to write, DOESN'T IT FEEL... HEAVY...? She wrote her question slowly, her body visibly turning in on itself. Her left hand was clenched tightly against her chest, her shoulders pulled forward and down, her head down with her eyes beginning to water as though about to cry.

[Hyades]

Hyades noticed how the young girls eye starting to show signs of getting teary and how she still shows her concerned looks. Of course this kind of topic will make anyone sad. But he wonders why, why would she feel sad, for him? A person who tries to kill her just because for his job and his way to deal with his daily life.

Then another floating letters was written. "Killing is already normal to me, so I don't really feel anything at all," he laugh a bit seeing that this is kinda funny to him. "It's been a long time since i feel heavy, I guess it only happens when I loses someone," his faces shows a bit of a sadness before he shakes his head before he grins back at the girl.

"Say young lady, what's your name? I'm curious, since you are the longest person whom I ever tried to kill and might also even the longest I talk to. It will be a shame if I don't know your name. Oh right, my name is Hyades by the way," Hyades stares at the girl with a smile. For the first time, he is taking his time, doing something else than killing someone.

[Ria]

At his response, Ria lifted her eyes only to look back at him. She thought of how tragic it was that some people can reach a point where taking a life truly means nothing to them. His laughter at it only made her feel more sad. When he added that it only happens when he loses someone, Ria's head rose again as her sad and concerned expression faced him straight on again. She paid close attention to the sadness reflected in his own expression before he shook it off to grin again. She wondered for a moment if losing someone was what drove him to begin killing others.

When he changed the topic to that of names, a hint of surprise was added to Ria's expression. She still maintained that concerned expression as she listened to him. Glancing down, still with sad thoughts in mind, Ria slowly lifted her hand to write her name, RIA, in the air for him. When she finished, her hand remained in the air as though signaling there was still something she wanted to write. Her eyes had drifted down and to the side slightly.

DO YOU KILL... BECAUSE YOU LOST SOMEONE? She wrote slowly after a moment's hesitation. When she finished her question, her eyes looked towards him again, still with that concerned and sad expression.

[Hyades]

Hyades can only stare at the girl's eye with wonder in how concerned she is towards him. He started to remember the last time he received that kind of look, which is whenever he went to hunt wild animal, his lost lover gave the same kind of look, but more into concerned of his safety. This girl however, shows different kind of concerned look and Hyades can only wonder why she gave him that kinda look. Does he concerned this girl that much?

"Ria? That is a cute name," Hyades smile as take something in his bag. It is the chicken wing that he gets from the resorts buffet. "Pardon, I got a bit of hungry here. Would you like to have some?" Hyades cheerfully offers her his food. It is seems that he enjoys the talk until he is willingly to share his food.

When Ria wrote another sentences, Hyades cheerful face changes. Hyades can only stares at Ria as he is thinking deeply about this. And after taking a deep breath and giving a sigh, he then replied. "You can say that I started killing because I've lost everything and feel useless in unable to protect anyone that I've known before," Hyades said it with a slightly sad face but maintained his small smile. "This group I joined, told me that they are going to change my country. Since I'm a failure before, I should make myself useful for someone else," Hyades then look at Ria's face with a grin before continuing. "Now that I think bout this deeply, It is simply because someone in my group saved me when I tried to kill myself. That should explain why I'm willingly hanging around in this group, despite already losing my motivation to live," He laughed a bit, remembering how it is Shawn that saved him when he ran amok in killing the outlaw that destroy his village. He finally sees it clearly now in his reasons.

"The sun is about to rise soon. If I don't kill you, other assassin will hunt you eventually but I still don't want to fail my leader. So I'm sorry, I still have to kill you Ria," Hyades gave her another smile as it is something he had to deal with it. For once, he is feeling sad about killing someone, which is Ria.

[Ria]

In any normal introductory situation, Ria would be overjoyed to have her name praised as being cute. This situation, however, was rather troubling to her. Every time she meets someone with cruel intentions, especially if they don't seem troubled by their own darkness, Ria can't help but feel very concerned for that person's mental and emotional state. She can't help but to want to try getting through to them, somehow, in attempt to encourage them to seek to become better.

When he pulled out leftover food and offered her a piece, Ria seemed as though she hadn't even noticed it, focused on the conversation she really rather have.

When Hyades answered her question, Ria looked directly at him with a sad and concerned expression. She tried to picture the loss of a previous life, the inability to protect the ones cared about. She watched his sad smile closely, feeling a weight of sadness in her own heart for him.

Her concerned expression remained as he explained that the group he joined planned to change his country. She could only think questions like: how could killing others change a country for the better? Killing, as she saw it, was a wicked act done by people who are either hurting or angry that can tear their souls apart the more they kill until they become numb to the loss of life with some learning to even enjoy watching others die. Those who are able to reach that point tended to become warped and forget or deviate away from what may initially have been a good intention.

Hearing, then, that Hyades had already lost the motivation to live, Ria felt an added weight of concern and sadness for him. She recalled moments when she wondered why she was allowed to live considering what she had done to her father and the purpose he had for her raising her. All her life she was raised separate from the world with the purpose of launching a murderous attack on angels in heaven for her father's revenge. All her life she felt a huge weight of sadness for what her father was and the wickedness that destroyed him inside. She was intuitively aware that, should she follow her father's wishes, she too would become filled with such a destructive darkness.

After accidentally killing her father in self defense, Ria spent a long time struggling with her own life. She could feel a hint of that darkness imprinting on her heart for the murder of her father. She didn't know how or where to move forward in life as she had been sheltered in one solitary place all her life. It wasn't until she finally ventured away from her father's house and discovered other people in the world that she realized there might be something she could live for. She thought a lot about darkness versus light inside one's soul. She knew the two could exist at the same time in one person. Through her travels, she discovered that a lot of good people seem to have a hint of darkness somewhere inside but also that a lot of bad people seem to have a hint of light even they themselves might not be aware of. She realized that she wanted to help people. She wanted to help good people reconcile and forgive themselves for their hints of darkness and she wanted to help bad people realize their light in hopes of them learning that they can change and be forgiven if they change for the better.

When Hyades spoke again, Ria was pulled back out of her concerned thoughts. Ignoring the fact that it was still hours away from sunrise, Ria contemplated that other assassins might make an attempt on her life again later. She considered, for a moment, why she should hold so firmly to her own life. In truth, her own life wasn't so important or special to herself. The main reason she didn't want to give up is that she didn't want to allow him to simply kill another person indiscriminately as though taking a life meant nothing. She wanted him to realize the weight of taking a life in hopes that he might make better choices in the future. Perhaps, then, he might redeem his soul from darkness.

After a moment, Ria shook her head to signal "no". Her fists clenched slightly and her concerned expression slowly took on a determined look. She didn't want to allow him nor the other assassins he knew to kill her. Standing straight, with a confident sort of air, she then raised her right hand and wrote.

I WILL NOT DIE.