Ehrir hated to count the days but still did it as the years slowly passed him by. If his calculations weren’t wrong, today was the twelfth day of the eight year since he awakened to life as an Undone One. “How little time”, he thought. It felt like there was a giant gap of years dividing him from his old years and the inevitable death. Although Ehrir didn’t knew his real age he couldn’t be older than thirty-five years, not with his jet black hair and the few wrinkles on his face. He’d go insane if he lived like that for another twenty or thirty years. Maybe another plague would come sweeping through the kingdom and end his life, or some drunk bandit would cut his throat in the dark embrace of the night. Either way it would be a relief.

Ehrir sighed and started wrapping himself with the rags that he used as a blanket. It was the middle of the autumn and the nights were already longer than the days. The sunset was turning the city into a mosaic of dark shadows and warm red lights. The streets of Borhael were already half-empty and quiet. Soon all of the normal citizens would be home, asleep in their beds. The only people who roamed the city at night were the guards, the drunkards, the homeless and the bandits. Ehrir, of course, fell in the third category. He didn’t fear no one at night – the guards ignored him and most drunkards were in a state which made them harmless. The bandits didn’t trouble him either – even the lowest of cutthroats had no reason to even look at him in this miserable state. Sometimes he got in meaningless fights for a piece of cloth or a bits of food with the other homeless people wandering the city, but it was nothing big. He was safe.

Ehrir’s residence was now a small alley in the outskirts of the trade district of Borhael. It was good – just wide enough to be comfortable and also hideous enough for him to not be seen from the big streets from both sides. It was the third week since he began sleeping here and it would probably not be long since someone stronger and bigger tried to take it from him. In such case he didn’t have any choice but to run and find another place – the world of the homeless was cruel and he didn’t want to have his arms or legs broken. He had seen a beggar killing another one of his kind rarely. They would often just break few of their bones before abandoning them somewhere. Such injuries would surely would kill Ehrir in his current state, but he wanted to die without pain, not to suffer for hours and days. The world had given him enough suffering already.

Such dark thoughts orbited in Ehrir’s mind before falling asleep almost every single day. Today was not an exception. He lied in the alley for almost half an hour, wrapped in his rags, and thought about his past. But finally the fatigue from the day – just as monotonous and meaningless as the ones before it – made him fall asleep. High above in the sky the moon rose and the darkness engulfed everything. Soon the city guards - wearing lanterns casting soft golden glow, and dressed in their pale blue uniforms - started roaming the streets. But beyond their gaze and from the shadows came the scum of the underworld, from the lowest of thieves to the high-ranking members of the Seven Stars Gang.

***

The feeling of cold metal touching his cheek woke Ehrir up. It was an unpleasant sensation, especially in the coldness of the autumn night. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. The hair on his neck stood up immediately.

He was surrounded by three young men in long dark coats. They were all dangerously looking, with daggers in their hands and rapiers on their belts. Their faces were beautiful and clean, without even a trace of a scar. That was uncommon for their profession. One of them was squatting and holding his dagger next to Ehrir’s cheek, and another one was smiling while holding a glowing crystal, emitting dim white light.

But what surprised the Undone One most was the seven white stars embroidered on the collar of the man’s coat and on these of his comrades. They marked them as members of the criminal overlords of Borhael – the Seven Stars Gang. And based of the color of the stars they were high-ranking members. What could they want with him?

“Careful now, buddy”, said the one that had his dagger on Ehrir’s cheek. “No sudden movements, or I’ll probably have to cut you a little.”

Ehrir swallowed his saliva. Strong fear crept up in his mind. It was primal fear of danger and injury. And of death, although he longed for it. He looked into the clear blue eyes of the man before him. He was relaxed and calm, like he wasn’t ready to kill him in an instant.

“W-what do you want from me?” It took him several seconds before he spoke up.

The man before him smiled with childish happiness and then he began to speak in a quiet and calm voice, while slowly pushing his dagger’s tip into Ehrir’s cheek until it penetrated the skin. A single drop of blood rolled down his face.

“Look, buddy, it’s not personal. I mean… well, damn, look at yourself! By the looks of it you can’t even harm an ant, let alone someone important to us. The problem we have is this guy over here.” The man against him rose his arm and pointed at one of his companions. It was one who wasn’t holding the crystal. He was the farthest from Ehrir. Half of his face was sunken in shadows but Ehrir could tell by the other half that the man was very young. His features were almost childlike. He was dripping with sweat and holding his dagger rather nervously.

“So”, continued the man before Ehrir, “This is my little brother. His name is Rahel and today is his first day as an official member of the Seven Stars Gang. And at our humble organization we have a simple rule for newcomers – you have to slit someone’s throat in the same day that you become a member. Sometimes it is the first taste of a blood for a new guy, sometimes it is just a ritual for a hardened killer. For my bro it is his first time taking someone’s life and it is a great honor for you to be his first target.”

Ehrir’s heart was beating faster after every word told by the man. Part of him felt some undefined happiness that he may finally be released from this miserable existence here, but his self-preservation instincts kicked in long ago and now he was terrified. He could only watch as the man against him stood up and took a step back. He then made looked at his brother without saying a word. The young man – or the boy, rather – came forward without much confidence. Innocence glowed in his aquamarine eyes. Those weren’t the eyes of a killer. They lacked the thirst for blood. This young man could never really kill, or at least Ehrir thought so. The world of the homeless taught him to evaluate someone by his eyes long ago.

The boy stopped before him and took a long look at the blade of his dagger. The steel shined under the light from the crystal of his comrade. He sighed.

“Please… stand up.” His voice lacked confidence. It was frail, delicate and weak. But Ehrir was sure that if he didn’t obey the order he would be handled by the boy’s brother. And he definitely didn’t want that. He stood up as fast as his stiff body let him. Countless old and familiar pains rose because of the sudden movement. Some part of him rejoiced at the idea that he wouldn’t need to feel these pains anymore.

Ehrir had now gathered the confidence to speak up, but he didn’t know what to say.

“You are wondering why we chose you, right?” the voice of Rahel’s brother sounded loud and strong. He was looking into Ehrir’s eyes. “It’s simple. You were the only one around besides the guards. And you are a homeless man. Your life is probably miserable. I can see it in your eyes, buddy. You have suffered a lot. You really want to be dead, don’t ya? I can tell that my bro is really just giving you a present, in a sense. We will end you for good. You won’t have to sleep on this cold pavement anymore and you won’t have to endure the loneliness of this type of life. And besides… If we didn’t chose you, it would be some decent man or woman. Probably one with home and family and all that stuff. And with regrets, most importantly. So… I think it’s a pretty good decision to kill you. What are you gonna say?” The man’s smile just grew bigger and bigger with every word.

It took some time for Ehrir to finally nod as an answer. He began speaking. Or murmuring, rather.

“I understand… I do want to die. Please… please kill me.” The words he said weren’t really lies. The rational part of him was ready to embrace death with calmness. His animalistic side, however, was not. The instinct to run or to attack these people was almost as strong as the one telling him to beg for his life and hope for a chance to survive. Ehrir suppressed them both.

When he heard his words, Rahel’s brother smile got even brighter somehow. When he spoke his voice was powerful and understanding as if he was face to face with an equal.

“You seem to understand. That look of yours… there’s something strange in you, buddy, something strong. If we weren’t in this situation I would have probably thought about letting you join our little gang or one of those that serve under our command. At least you are ready to embrace death and that’s something I can respect… Any final words?” He spoke with a serious expression on his face.

Ehrir looked straight into the man’s eyes. Was there really anything that he wanted to tell the world as a last message? He gazed inside his mind and memories, and then at the Changelings’ Brand upon his palms. The scars were as new as if done a month ago. Ehrir smiled bitterly. Yes, there was something he wanted to say.

“If you ever come across a Changeling in your lives”, said he with his most serious voice, “you can tell them that one of the Undone Ones is waiting for them in the afterlife. And that he is ready for revenge.”

Rahel’s brother started laughing. But it was a joyful laugh, not a mocking or a teasing one. It was clear to Ehrir that he noticed the Brand long ago.

“You’ve got some guts, buddy”, he finally spoke after a while, “I can respect that too. This world is losing something with your death. But there is just no other way.” He got silent for a second and then a slight smile surged up on his face. “Rahel… kill him.”

Ehrir’s heartbeat got faster, but he stood as still as a rock. He didn’t have the willpower to another thing. He also didn’t have the desire to, really. The boy before him took a step forward and then placed the dagger on his throat. And after that he lowered it. And rose it again.

“You should act faster, boy”, said the man with the crystal in his hand. Since now he hadn’t spoken a word. “The guards may sweep by at any moment.”

“Right. I’ll do it. I just need a little bit of time.” Rahel’s voice was a bit more confident now. He looked at Ehrir with remorse in his gaze. His tone became quiet, almost a murmur. “I’m sorry. I will make it as painless as possible. I promise.”

And then the dagger got on the left side of Ehrir and started swinging towards his throat. Hot tears rolled down the Undone One’s cheeks and great fear overcame every part of his consciousness. Time slowed down to a crawl and the past eight years flashed before his eyes. The missing memories didn’t show up even in these final moments of his life.

And then he felt something inside of him. It was just like a spark – warm and bright but not big and by no meaning powerful. Its existence probably wouldn’t last longer than that of a real spark. But it gave him enough courage to finally fight.

Deep animalistic growl came out of his throat and his hand – the same hand that was endlessly aching from the Changelings’ Brand – acted faster than lightning and grabbed Rahel by the wrist. His dagger only scratched Ehrir. And while he held onto the boy’s arm, his mind held onto the spark. And suddenly it grew and turned into a fire that filled his body to the brim. There was power within these flames, enough power to change the world and to rule destiny. They burned him and they were hurting him, but it was a sweet, cleansing pain.

Ehrir’s grip on Rahel’s hand tightened. He could almost feel his bones under the boy’s frail flesh. And in his mind he wished them to turn into something different. And his thought became reality. And he Changed them.