He was born into a home of riches, and not only was he wealthy in possessions, but whatever he tried—sports, entertainment, education, even business—he was naturally gifted enough to surpass the average person.

He lacked nothing, and whatever he desired was given to him without hesitation.

Within this life of comfort, a child both confident and arrogant was born. Everyone else was inferior. To be acknowledged by him was like winning the lottery; to be considered an equal was beyond a miracle.

This child's presence weighed on the minds of those who loved him. He was too perfect to judge and yet too flawed to leave unchecked.

What they'd created was the same thing they couldn't control: cocky, prideful, and arrogant.

In this world, the child still inhabited the same shadows as in his previous life. Too perfect, and yet too flawed.

***

Halo and Leto casually strolled the streets of StoneHaven.

The streets were as quiet and deserted as they'd anticipated. There was neither the stench of Sinners nor humans.

The day before was no different. Not a single Chaos Eater roamed the streets then, the night was the same, and now, still nothing. Despite building an army over recent days, none were roaming about.

Strange, but that was Halo's least concern.

While Leto struck one pose after another as if modeling for a magazine, Halo ducked into open shops and gathered supplies and rations.

He looked like a thief. But really, if he left these supplies, they'd rot anyway. In a way, he was doing the locals a favor, they wouldn't have to return to homes reeking of decay.

That familiar thrill that ends in disappointment when you want everything you see but can't afford any of it? Halo was in the same situation, except his problem wasn't money but where to store everything he'd seen and wanted.

Soon, a sack weighing more than him sat on his shoulder, and he adjusted his stance methodically to stay balanced.

"You do realize they can return tomorrow, yes? So maybe don't empty out everything they own."

Leto's words fell on deaf ears. No one lived here anymore, and that was all that mattered to Halo.

But as they walked, something caught their attention, making their skin crawl.

They intended to learn why the Prince had ordered everyone to leave StoneHaven. Though they'd both anticipated the worst possible outcome, it now seemed to be materializing before them.

Before them were two individuals, who were, without a doubt, the Prince and Arlen.

The Prince had short dark hair with multiple earrings and wore black and red suits that perfectly concealed any sign she was a woman.

In fact, if Halo hadn't known it beforehand, he would never have believed she wasn't a man. Now, he doubted that assumption entirely.

Her feminine charms were undeniable, but there was something about her, an intimidation that even the fiercest men couldn't match.

Beside her stood Arlen. Halo had pictured her as a man, but she was a woman with deep green hair. Her hair was disheveled as if she'd just rolled out of bed, though the dark circles under her eyes told a different story.

She was wearing a casual white and black shirt, and she could barely stand there without yawning.

They locked eyes, the seconds stretching out, the hot sun beating down. But the entire time they stood there, neither party spoke.

After a brief pause, the Prince and Arlen began walking away. Halo started after them, but Leto grabbed his shoulder.

"Let's keep our heads, buddy. I don't know exactly what's going on, but at least we can be sure they won't be trying to kill us right now."

Halo said nothing, he only stared.

"Let's just return home and think this through…"

The last thing Halo wanted was for anyone to dismiss him as a threat, but the way those two looked at him conveyed exactly that.

Perhaps they didn't realize he was the one who'd reduced their forces to two. He was an army unto himself.

He moved less actively than before, but managed to get a glimpse of where they were heading. It was a rough estimate, about three to five blocks from where they'd been standing.

"What do you think?"

When they finally got back, Halo dropped his luggage and settled into his seat. He ran through scenarios about what the Prince and Arlen's True Abilities might be, based on their flaws and his observations.

He could see himself winning in several scenarios, mainly because none appeared to depend on her True Ability, much like Halo himself did.

"Hey, dickhead… I asked you a question."

Halo shrugged.

"You saw it yourself. They view us as nothing but insects, buzzing around until we look away, then gone."

He gave his words a beat.

"I'd say we kill them for their naivety."

Leto chuckled and began cracking up.

"You really think you can take those two down?"

His laughter ceased, and he sighed.

"You have your strengths, I won't deny that. But when it comes to discipline, that's my domain. Go babysit the whining Chaos Eaters, I'll handle the real work."

Halo barely heard anything he said.

Maybe he was looking at this wrong. What if the Prince and Arlen hadn't evacuated everyone because they also feared something? Or perhaps they believed that whatever their creation had become, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

It was a fair analysis, but his mind scratched it not long after, moving on to countless possibilities.

But when he came back to reality, he knew he needed to think through their alternatives better. Iris had trusted him with their plan's execution, and the best he could do was come up with a better response to their situation.

Before his mind could wander further, Leto turned to him and spoke, his eyes narrowed. The seriousness in his expression was something Halo had never seen from him.

"What if I told you Iris is Hex?"

Halo felt the chills.

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