LAUGHTER FILLED THE air from a nearby building. A twig crunched under a man's foot as he approached. A smile pulled at his lips. They wouldn't be celebrating if they knew he was outside waiting for them. 

The man's silver hair blew in the wind as he approached the door. "All right, we all know the plan?" A woman called in a loud voice, "Tomorrow, we break free of our prison and return to our normal lives!"

Cheers echoed throughout the room. The man shook his head. Matilda always hated living in the arena, but the government threw her in here when they found out she was responsible for identity fraud.

 The thieves around the area gather at this building for unity. A gong sounded in the distance. His eyes were trained on the door of their club. Somewhere, a soul had lost their battle against the arena. Now it was time for these thieves to join them.

Reaching behind his back, he grabbed a long rod that ended in a curved blade and removed it from its sheath. His scythe gleamed. He pulled the rod over his head with one swift motion and forced the blade toward the door. 

A hard wind shot from the blade, connected with the door, and flew inside. Another gong sounded. The door had smacked against something. From the gong, he knew the door had killed someone. One less thief to worry about.

Silence replaced laughter. He strode inside; all eyes were on him."Well, look who came for a visit," a silken voice stated. He narrowed his eyes at Matilda as she strutted closer. 

"If it isn't the Undertaker himself." A frown crept over her features as she spoke. She flounced over to the door and kicked it hard. "Looks like your reputation precedes you, Sebastian."

"I'm not here to talk." With those words, he shunted his scythe behind him and dashed forward. He swung his scythe frontward. The blade connected to the chest of several thieves. Matilda drew a dagger and charged. 

Sebastian pulled his scythe back and plunged it ahead. Matilda dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. He swung his scythe toward her once more.

The tip of the scythe hit the ground with a hard smack, sending debris flying. A piece of hardwood flew toward a couple of onlookers.

One man jumped out of the way. The woman froze. The wood hit her hard in the head. She flew backward into the wall. Her body fell limp as a gong sounded in the distance.

"Sara!" the man cried and rushed to her side.

Shaking his head, Sebastian returned his gaze to the woman before him. "This ends now!" He pulled his scythe behind his back and closed his eyes. He focused his mind and heard a woman's steps rush toward him. She was going to kill him if he hesitated any longer. 

Sebastian opened his eyes; they glowed a deep emerald. He focused his power on his blade, glistening a darker shade than his eyes. The woman jumped into the air with her daggers pointed downward.

Chaos reigned as the remaining thieves ran for the exits or shelter. Sebastian gritted his teeth. He was going to be the only survivor. He raised his scythe above his head and spun it. Invisible blades, made from pure energy, shot out in every direction. The gong rang for a straight minute.

The ceiling cracked. The walls shook. Wood particles fell down upon the inhabitants. Sebastian's eyes returned to their natural color. Placing his scythe back in its hilt, he turned his back on the room.

 As he walked to the main exit of the building, he ran his hand against the wall, leaving a trail of decay in its wake. Sebastian exited the building and inhaled the fresh night air. As he exhaled, he snapped his fingers. The thieves' den collapsed in on itself.