The curl of lips into a cynical grin suited Demetri so well. It didn’t matter what business he was conducting. His body followed the slender man in to the building behind them. It was their usual meeting spot when having their “Business meetings” so the speak. This fun house where they had first met. The woman, carrying only the gods would know. Anything from child to disease. Not that is truly mattered to those who took them. It was the risk they were running.

One particular girl caught his eye almost every time he walked through the door. Today it was no different, except now he was being ripped from this room by Isaiah and into a womanless room. A sigh slipped through his teeth as his lip curved into their neutral position on his face

“Do you have the next target?” He asked in a half serious, half bored, tone. As they got deeper into the details Demetri's boredom faded and the amusement came back. This may be the nitty-gritty for his partner, but the action and follow through were the young man’s favorite part of their business agreement.

The night would be long, and with fresh scarlet covering his hands, Ghost, as named by those above him, slipped down the dark streets. The slums only allowed so much light the reflect off of his figure. He made no effort to conceal what he couldn’t. It would be fruitless. Although a nice percentage of his body was painted with blood, somehow it didn’t spill onto the ground. There would be no trail left to show the Absolutes where to find him. He was truly a ghost.

After a night of searching for his bed and crashing for the night, Demetri awoke with the blinding sun on his face. His mask lay on the floor beside him. The dirty hovel that the man called a home was more than most that took residence in this part of town. He had a pile of dirty cloths, rank from sweat and daily labour, that made up his bed, but at least it was a bed.

Commotion brought his lazy body to the window with his days cloths in his hands. Slowly dressing his watched from the inside before sliding on his mask and heading out. He had the have been the only one who would show up late to this gathering. However, when he heard his own name echo from the Absolute standing at the head of the crowd he had a mix of emotions. The only reason he had entered was because he had to, so whatever he won would go to the bounty hunters. Hopefully there would be something in it for him personally.

[hr]

From the Shade’s compound Gabbie had took off early that morning. She knew exactly where the lottery would be announced and she didn’t want to miss a thing. As custom with Shades, the woman wrapped her robe around her. The black fabric giving her the same figure as a man to average build. This was the same for all Shades. Shapeless and neutral. Even her voice wouldn’t betray her. The mouthpiece she slipped on giving off the same voice as every other Shade in the city. She wasn’t allowed to be herself outside the village-like community of her achieved status.  

Walking down the streets of Tarrin, any Shade would stand out against the vibrance of the crowd. Gabbie was more of a dull blob in a sea of colour. The figure-less woman walked through the crowd, until she could at least see the Absolute who was speaking. Behind her hood and blacken mask her eyes widened with the excitement that would be unacceptable for a Shade to express more physically in public. Her own name echo through the crowd. Now to see why this so called ‘lottery’ had no previous records. Gabbie began to imagine what this would mean for her.