Lost Planet

-First encounter-

Diluc cleaned the last glass, his eyes never leaving the counter. He listened intently to the talks of the drunken people, listening to any rumors that should not have been said. A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump a little, and he looked up, seeing the familiar face of the bard who gave his performance in the taverns ever so often.

"Master Diluc, you seem troubled, did someone tell you how grumpy you looked?"

Diluc's brows furrowed as he looked at the bard who wore a teasing smile. It was a joke, he knew it was a joke, so why did it sound as if it was full of venom..?

"Venti."

It was a short greeting, a rather blunt one at that, a quick nod in the bards direction and he turned around, preparing the usual for him. He was here so often that Diluc remembered each and every order he made, usually it is always the same, sometimes he did change it to a different drink.

Pouring the liquid into the freshly cleaned glass he turned back around, only to be met with silence, his eyes widened and he stared at one thing, a cloaked person standing at the entrance. He couldn't see the face, nor did he recognize the build and physique of that person, and then he noticed black slime dripping onto the wooden floor, dripping from their cloaked face.

"Who..."

"(D)(i)(l)(u)(c)"

He shuddered at the person's voice, it was as if it was slowly clawing its way into his mind, he started hearing whispers as the person stepped closer and closer, and the closer the person got, the louder and more violent the whispers got.

"Stop...back off!"

Diluc was confused, where were the other people that were just sitting at the bar, where was venti, did they all leave?

The person reached a hand out, and he saw a ring, a blue shimmering ring. It looked like it was glowing even, a snowflake in the middle of it.

"I said BACK OFF!"

With that he threw the glass, the liquid flying through the air and the glass hitting the person, shattering into tiny bits of glass. An unholy scream left the person's mouth, it sounded like it was groaning in different languages.

And suddenly the lights flickered, and went out. The heavy breathing of the person....no creature, was the only sound in the tavern.

Diluc heard his heart beat in his chest, and he heard the creaking floorboards, the groaning and moaning of the thing getting closer. Diluc was not one to panic but somehow even the slightest thought of that thing reaching him made his mind race.

He was defenseless, he was blind, the dark felt heavier than normal, like it was not just him and the creature in the tavern. It had to be a dream, it had to be a nightmare, this can't be real.

"Who are you...what do you want from me..."

And suddenly the lights flickered back on, and he stared into what he only could hope was not real, it made his stomach twist and turn, it made him feel as if someone was slowly cutting through his skin.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

And when he blinked, he stared into Venti's face, worry laced over it.

He saw little droplets fall from the hair of the bard, was that alcohol?

A shattered glass was lying on the floor next to him and now he saw one of Venti's cheeks were bleeding, some glass cuts littering his face.

"Diluc, are you alright.. what has gotten into you?"

Venti placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched, stumbling back against the bottles on the shelf.

And as the bottles fell around him, he felt like something was wrong, like he was being watched, like something was making its way into his mind.

Venti covered his face as people screamed at the falling shelf, and when Venti reached out to grab Diluc, to pull him away, Diluc saw it again, standing at the doorway, black slime pooling to the floor.

"DILUC!"

The wooden shelf fell down with a sickening crack, Venti's eyes widened at the blood slowly coming out from beneath the shelf, his body shook, and the lights began flickering. And yet, nobody noticed the cloaked figure exiting the tavern.

"WE NEED HELP RIGHT NOW!"

People screamed and tried lifting the shelf, as others ran to the church to request Barbara's presence, while others rushed to the KoF headquarters to report the incident.

The crumpled body of the dark knight hero laid there, eyes wide open, some limbs in unnatural positions and shallow breathing leaving his mouth.

The black death was on the hunt.