The night wind howled mercilessly, its icy breath slicing through the silence beneath a sky swallowed by thick clouds. Not a single star dared to reveal itself. Even the moon had vanished, as though it, too, refused to witness what was about to unfold.
I stood at the edge of the tower, my gaze fixed on the city sleeping far below.
A faint thud echoed behind me.
There was no need to turn around.
The moment her presence seeped into the air, I already knew who had trespassed into my little sanctuary. Every being carried a distinct aura, and hers was impossible to mistake.
"I can see it written all over your face," she said as her footsteps slowly closed the distance between us. "You're planning another one of your games, aren't you? What is it this time?"
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
"Really?" I asked, amused. "What kind of game do you think it is?"
I glanced over my shoulder.
"Wanna play it with me?"
Another violent gust swept across the rooftop, ripping my hood from my head. I caught it before it could fall, casually pulling it back into place.
"No thanks," she replied without hesitation. "I'd rather not."
"Oh?"
"I don't want my life or my fate getting tangled with yours."
A quiet chuckle escaped me.
She didn't want to?
How ironic.
Had she never realized that simply standing here... speaking to me... already meant she had stepped onto the board?
Whether she acknowledged it or not, the moment our paths crossed, she had become another piece in the game.
Not that I actually had one planned.
Still...
Teasing her sounded far more entertaining.
"You don't?" I asked. "Are you really that sure?"
"I've never been more certain."
Her voice was calm, unwavering.
"I don't want anything to do with you."
"Damn..."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"You make it sound like I'm some kind of cool villain."
"...And you're not?"
She cut me off before I could finish.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of doubt in her voice.
"You are a villain."
A brief silence followed.
"Everyone knows that."
I almost laughed harder.
Everyone?
No.
Not everyone.
Not even a handful.
Only those unfortunate enough to learn the truth.
The instant those words left her lips, the atmosphere shifted.
The wind roared.
From every crack in the stone walls, countless thorn-covered vines burst forth like starving serpents. They slithered across the tower floor before coiling around my arms, legs, and torso with frightening speed.
The thorns dug into my flesh.
One after another.
Warm blood trickled down my skin, staining the vines crimson.
Pain surged through my body, yet I remained perfectly still.
Calm.
She couldn't kill me.
Not because she didn't want to...
But because she couldn't.
And besides...
Something like this was far from enough to kill me.
"Easy there, babe," I said with a grin despite the blood running down my sleeves. "I mean no harm."
For now.
"Shut up."
Without another word, she stepped backward and leaped from the tower.
The vines instantly withered away, dissolving into black petals that scattered into the wind, leaving behind nothing but dozens of fresh puncture wounds across my body.
I stared at the blood seeping through my clothes and sighed.
"Ah, geez..."
"Wounded again."
"The ones from last week had only just healed."
I clicked my tongue.
"Is she a sadist or something?"
A small laugh escaped my lips.
"She really enjoys tying me up with those thorns."
I brushed the dust from my sleeves before hopping onto the stone railing as though nothing had happened.
The clouds slowly drifted apart.
From behind them, a pale full moon emerged, bathing the world in silver.
I looked up at it.
"Villain..."
The word lingered in my mind.
How amusing.
To be judged by people who only knew fragments of the story.
A grin slowly spread across my face.
"But I do love playing matchmaker."
I tilted my head, watching the moonlight reflect in my crimson eyes.
"Just not with red strings."
"My game..."
"...uses black threads."