The night grew old and weary, light threatening to push its way past the horizon soon. A lone figure sat perched upon a crest in the landscape, dressed in casual human attire; a plain black shirt and pants, blood staining both pieces of fabric. His name was Sceleris, some form of the Latin word for ‘villain’ or ‘crime’. He picked it out for himself millennia ago, when he decided he needed something to be called. The darkness felt thick, almost oppressive. Still, sleep eluded him, but he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to care; the calm in the eye of the storm, as he liked to think. His mind wandered, from his past to his future with not a lot in between. That is, not until somebody smacked him upside the head and drew him back to the present, quite literally.

A second silhouette, this one very clearly female, took a seat beside her companion. Her clothing also appeared very human, a pair of shorts and a tank top clinging rather tightly to her sleek curves. But perhaps the most abnormal aspect of her physique was the long, slender tail that curled around her legs, concealing a vicious, poison-tipped blade inside. Her name was Xierra. Unlike Sceleris, she was once human, and her name was merely a modification of her birth given name, ‘Sierra’. She cast him a malicious grin as he glared at her bitterly.
Truth be told, he hadn’t noticed her arrival, but he’d never allow her the satisfaction of knowing she caught him off guard. Not a word passed between them for a very long moment. Another truth: he couldn’t be more content in her quiet presence, and if they spoke, he wouldn’t know what to say to her anyway. But as with the last, he’d never dare admit such things to her.
Finally, she broke the silence, sending his heart thumping in his chest. Her voice contained some surreal enchantment that absolutely captivated him, his attention fixated upon her words as they left her soft, scarlet lips. “Don’t mistake this for me caring at all, but I’ve got to ask. What’s wrong with you?” Truth was, she cared far more than she’d like to. The fact that she cared so much for him made her horribly uncomfortable, and she’d sooner die than let him know.
He risked a glance over at her, his face impassive and apathetic. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she hated him and everything he stood for. In truth, that was exactly what was wrong with him. He hated the fact that she hated him. And he deserved her abhorrence, indeed. He insulted her and the ones she actually did care about, acted like a child and never took her seriously. Of course, he only ever wanted to impress her, catch her eye, but he’d royally messed that one up. He inadvertently declared war, a challenge neither of them wanted to give up. Once it began, it never stopped, trading blows both verbal and physical to the point where he considered the very things he had been considering before her arrival. “I’m going to The Sea in the morning. If you ever see me again, I won’t recognize you.”
These words struck her like sticks and stones. The thought of him disappearing from her life, too, devastated her. The last individual she developed feelings for vanished out of the blue one day and she wasn’t certain how she’d handle a repeat of her past. Not that her affections made any sense to her. Sceleris was the master of the ocean, Xierra was the master of the inferno. Sceleris was a pureblood arch demon, Xierra was a lowly human transformed. Destiny itself seemed to plot against them, lining up every conceivable conflict it could manage. Truly, this match was never meant to be. Her dark sanguine eyes narrowed up at him, as she clenched her jaw firmly. “Why?”
The Sea he referred to would remove his weakness from him. Many tormented souls made their way to the purgatorial waters to release some suffering and start anew. As the tides washed over a sinner, they would take with them memories and emotions in exchange, leaving a hollow shell and a clean slate. Truthfully, he planned to leave because of her. His unrequited love had become too much to bear, and at this point, he considered it a flaw. A part of him still hoped she returned his feelings, at least to some degree, but for the most part he had convinced himself that she loathed him. Taking a deep breath, he began, “I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have. She will never feel the same for me as I do her. It’ll be better this way, erasing her from my life entirely. Not like she’ll miss me at all.”
The demoness couldn’t believe her ears. Her heart splintered in her chest, fire pulsing through her veins. Of course he loved another. How foolish of her to hope for his fondness! She ruined her chances with him ages ago. Overreacting to little discrepancies, falling prey to her anger, and generally making herself out to be utterly insane in his eyes. She knew how little he thought of her; he made his opinion extraordinarily clear. He thought he was so much better than her, and, perhaps, he was right. Swallowing her anguish for a moment, she hissed out the opposite of the truth. “I sure won’t, for one. Go for it, and good riddance.”
Somehow, he wasn’t surprised by her response. Had he really expected anything less? Picking up the shattered fragments of his lacerated heart, he rose to his feet and turned away from her. Dawn’s first rays broke past the horizon, the clouds flushing a pale shade of crimson. Two of the three moons in the sky faded out of existence as the sun began its steady conquest of the sky. When he spoke again, his voice held in it an edge of ice. “Goodbye, then, Xierra.”
“Goodbye, Sceleris.” Hardening her heart, she stood by his side, drowning out the aching throb that pressed at the corners of her thoughts. Morning soon prevailed, the light from the massive star in the distance piercing, the spectrum alive at its core. Her tail flickered idly around her legs. Finally, she heard him shift.
Sceleris didn’t know why he chose to act, even after his mind had been set. He supposed he’d never really get a chance to find out for himself. The time for what-ifs and maybes passed, all he knew for sure was that he needed this kiss. Taking her chin in his calloused fingertips, he turned her head to face him and brought his lips down upon hers in one, smooth, swift strike. After the initial shock, she felt herself conforming to his embrace, twisting the knife in deeper. Confusion flooded her thoughts, but it possessed little time to linger. It only lasted a fleeting moment, and then it vanished, his body dissolving from the material world to begin his journey, and end hers.
Xierra spent a long, horrified moment considering the sudden gesture. She found no other motives logical. The sun rose higher in its crest, casting the barren landscape in its bloody glow. A cry of despair drew itself from her lips as the realization dawned on her all too late. She let her love slip through her fingers, never to return to her again. Now exposed, clear as daylight, mocked the truth.