Jani's thoughts spiraled, every synapse of his brain firing uselessy in the face of his intoxication.
Looking up at the man with a shaky gaze, he tried to form a sentance, but was interrupted by the white haired man showing a nice wristwatch.
The watch's minute hand was aflame, going towards 8:30 PM exactly, which was marked in red.
"Don't try to hurt me, avatar of hunting. Any damage done to me will decrease your time remaining on the living's plane."
The white haired man sat next to Jani.
Forcing through his dizziness, the drunk man stuttered out a few words.
"How do you know I'm the avatar of hunting?"
His speech was slurred as he look at the white haired man, half awake.
"Every question is a moment you lose. You have 55 seconds left, so I'll cut to the chase. In a dream last night, the concept of aging death came to me, and told me to find you. I have an ultimatum."
Jani gripped the table trying to stand up and summon his cleaver. He couldn't, collapsing onto the booth's edge.
The screech of glass shattering filled the room, glasses and bottles falling and breaking like crystal rain.
The booth's doors opened, allowing lights and music to pierce their privacy. A neon white strip of luminosty divided the room in half, seperating the two men.
"If you meet the avatar of form, you are to slay her, then to contact me. Are we clear?"
The white haired man slid a phone number to Jani, the seconds on his watch ticking down.
"I dont kill!"
The white haired man interrupted him, pointing to his wrist.
"Then consider it a hunt. Or delude yourself enough to believe you'll never meet her, I dont care.
The man crossed the threshold, crouching down onto Jani's level.
"Either that, or tell me what flowers I should bring to your grave. Twenty seconds."
Jani bit his lip as the clock ticked down. The music and lights seemed muted, distant.
Devoid of life, energy.
'Should I use justice? I'm pretty sure the conditions are met.'
Jani attempted to summon his artifact, but was unable to, as it required a certain amount of focus.
Light attempted weaving itself into the object, fighting to create shape that could combat the world full of inequity.
To become an shining beacon of justice.
Then, the weave collapsed, dispersing into meaningless, unordered photons.
Jani's brain felt scattered, the world spinning.
Reality itself was disorienting, chaotic and without inherent sense.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
9 seconds remaining.
"Hurry it up, hunter."
He kept forcing his brain into overload, if he could just summon justice in time.
Light reapeared, fighting for its right to exist.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Six seconds remain.
'Just a little more, focus! I can't kill, I can't!'
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Two seconds remain.
Light finally started to coalesce into the artifact, but it was far too late.
"I'll do it!"
The loud watch stopped ticking, the small flame extinguished.
"Good. You don't have to search for her. Just, if you ever cross paths, kill her. It doesn't have to be at first meeting, but your absolute goal must be to kill her in a reasonable time frame."
Leaving the booth, the man waved his hand. He said one last thing, his tone completely even, devoid of interest.
"Don't let her touch your vitals."
Jani fell to the floor, staring at it, half awake.
'What is wrong with me?'
He looked at the ceiling, flashing lights obsuring his teary gaze.
'Why can't I protect lives?'
Pushing himself up onto the seat, Jani squeezed his head roughly.
The poison surging through his very veins numbed the agony, both within his soul and body.
By the time Jaxon stumbled into the booth, now a bit more sober, Jani was getting ready to leave.
"Hey, where are you going, Jan? I got us some more drinks."
Jani looked at the bottle in Jaxon's hand, turning his head away.
"Thanks for the invite, but I have to go rest."
Jax grabbed the tall man's shoulder.
"You—you can go. But first, we gotta talk about Elizabeth."
Turning around Jani frowned, staring into Jax's soul.
"You have to stop leadi—leading her on."
Jax slurred.
"I—I know you have a problem... problems... with releationships, but you—you have to give her a clear cut answer soon. She was, uhm, crying on my damn door yesterday."
He looked at Jax with disdain, Jani turned around wordlessly, then drunkenly stumbled through the club and onto his motorcycle.
Driving inhibited through the loud and bright city, his thoughts spun.
'Haven't I promised myself to not kill except on Hunt's orders? Survival is the only thing that matters, but...'
The motorcycle sped up, frigid winds biting into his skin. His whole essence was consumed by a familiar frost.
'I couldn't die..But I should've fought back! I should've—I should've...'
The vehicle sped up further, turning into a black smear among rainbow beams of luminousity.
'I—I wasn't the one at fault! I wasn't! It was the alcohol! That's it! I—if I was only sober, this wouldn't have happened!'
His hand gripped the bar tightly, the metal bending under his grip.
'What if I just don't kill form? What if I just back out?'
The floating vehicle slid into a curve, Jani's bloated mind barely managing to stop it from slamming into a building.
'No, he wouldn't have forced me into a deal if some ability wasn't keeping me in check. Or would he?'
The real question was much simpler.
'Am I ready to lose my life to save hers?'
Lights shined brighter than ever before, the wind attacking his being ferociously. Noise overwhelmed him, his mind absorbing its frenzy.
The motorcycle came to an abrupt stop, its momentum dissapeared instantly. Each step towards his home was quieter, more unassuming than the last.
With a soft click his door opened, bathing himself in a pleasant, soft light. The house was warm, silent.
The man sat down, staring at his own hand.
The question was finally answered.
'Then, it is simple. Just as Hunt's targets do, she will die so I may live.'