In Stance,

On top of one of the imperial palace's spires, a moving silhouette of a woman and a man could be seen. An eerie glow illuminated the area for, despite the fact that the moon is in its full phase, the area they are in is just too obscure for the light to reach it. It could also be blamed on the ongoing feast held in the Eastern Wing of the Palace, for it is the 100th anniversary of the Treaty and the inauguration of most men who will be knighted tonight. It is an auspicious day, for the day is equal to night, and the defenses are at their weakest. The chatters, sloshing of drinks, subtleties and grand music drowned the murmurs of the lady on top of one of the Palace's middle towers, while the man kept watch. Crimson bathed the drawn lines on the concrete but the woman did not yield to the biting sensation of silver against her palm. Her voice came out in soothing and sighing hushed tones when the marking started to let out a gust of smoke. The blood shed started to follow the contour of the lines, and the markings gave a faint burning smell. The woman clenched the silver tighter and stopped chanting. A certain chill covered her entire body with sweat and the feeling of having her body being torn apart makes her want to hurl and fall down to her knees. Her vision turned hazy and the whites of her eyes turned into the dangerous blue hue. Hurried yet nimble footsteps clashed with the sound of the rustled garments when the man tried to steady the woman who almost fell on her bottom. This made a certain shadow move at the other side of the roof, but nothing else could be heard aside from the gasps and scratches of the woman on her skin. "Key." A stern voice with steadying arms supported her weight but all she wanted to do is to have the power to scream. The sensation of the skin being peeled in agonizingly slow pace is an underwhelming comparison. Her body turned slick due to cold sweat and the heat and coolness collided like raging powers, wanting to subdue her. The man held her into position until the sensation subsided. A thud could be heard and the body fell on the concrete. A glint in the man's eye could be observed when he witnessed the movement. The chill became a comfortable trance and feeling. Key's mouth contorted to a smile. The woman glowed and turned to face the man. She glided her finger from his shoulder blade down to his cufflinks, as if nothing ever occurred a while back, and spoke. "The extraction. It is done." Tension is palpable in the air. He steeled his expression and raised his eyes towards the female. "What needs to be done?" "You shall keep it a secret." "I shall." "Drop the remains." It is now his turn to feel the lead-like weight of dread at the pit of his stomach. "That is not necessary." "Neen, remember the plan. You have to drop the remains." As Neen took a step forward and clasped the shoulders of the body to keep it in a sitting position, he said something to Key without looking back. "This day was not intended for such a purpose so why..." "Must I remind you that the poison will spread further and will be harder to purge if you are to hesitate?" Neen flinched by the mention of the drug. He had forgotten about the drug after witnessing how the extraction had hurt Key. He positioned the body into a crouch. His grip loosened and he pushed himself to stand. The woman is still glowing when she took a step forward and hugged Neen. "You are aware that this is for the best." Her whispers sounded like a sigh of relief to his ears, putting him into a trance. "It is... for everyone's welfare." He closed his eyes and removed the hands locked around his torso. He took a step forward towards the body at the edge of the area and lightly kicked the body out of the tower's support. With a burst of light, Key vanished to thin air and the screams of the people from below filled Neen's senses. The marking on the concrete disappeared like a lie. From above, one can only hear the screams, feel the eerie silence draping the night sky and the crimson in the ancient fountain's waters. Looking down using only his eyes, Neen muttered to himself. "Equinox is indeed a blessed day."