A rainy day in Loflein

“He’s ‘ere Boss! We can’t stop ‘im, what are we gunna do?” A man, covered in the blood of his allies yelled out, looking towards a figure bathed in unnatural green light and smoke sitting upon a metal throne. The many guards positioned in this hall turn towards the entrance, as they hear sudden screams of their comrades that go quiet just as fast. They stand ready, gripping their various scrapped together weapons tightly. Though their faces are unrecognisable through their helmets, their fear is plain to see with how intensely their bodies are shaking.

The person on the throne rises, then raises a hand and calmly states: “Stand ready, defend me with your life.”

The grunt covered in blood slowly puts himself on his feet again, and carefully pulls a gun out from under his trenchcoat. With trembling hands, he points it towards the entrance. The silence was deadly. There were no more sounds of battle, but that uneasy feeling of death waiting just around the corner prevailed. They then finally heard echoes, echoes of footsteps coming down the hallway towards them. The grunt’s breathing was irregular, quick. Before he finished one breath he was already halfway through another. It was then that he pulled the trigger and fired at the silhouette coming through the black mist.

It was quiet again. They heard nothing. No sound of impact, no more footsteps either. The guards however didn’t dare take their eyes off of that entrance. The men then heard a voice that shook them to their core, yet none could say why. “These don’t work on me” A man, clad in black with a white mask covering his face emerged from the shadows. He was holding the bullet that was shot towards him mere moments ago. “Now drop your weapons, leave this place and never come back. See this as a second chance. If you decide to return to this life, you’ll be cut down like the rest”

The guards look towards each other and do just as the shadow told them. “Just what do you think you’re doing! Get back here! You repay me like this?” Their leader looks to the grunt with the gun and says: “What are you waiting for? Shoot him again or I’ll shoot you!”

The man looks between his boss and the figure in the doorway. He closes his eyes and pulls the trigger once more. This time, he hears the sound of the bullet making contact with flesh. When he opens his eyes, he sees the shadowy figure still standing, and after glancing at his boss, he sees a corpse upon a bloody throne. He quickly turns towards the figure, and carefully puts the gun down in front of him. He raises his hands, to which the shadowy figure responds: “Smart choice, now get out of here.”

He nods, and hurriedly runs away from the scene, as he gets back onto the rainy streets of Loflein.