A Cold Return [Aven]

---

This whole trip to Fiore was supposed to be a vacation. With his immense wealth, Louie could afford to explore just about every nook and cranny of Ishgar whenever he felt like it. He had been to just about all of Napedia's neighboring countries, and when he wasn't travelling, he was living it up someplace else. Fiore wasn't any different—it all started as a getaway from the stagnant routine back at home, but Louie ended up with more on his plate than he anticipated.

This was the place where he acquired his magical abilities. It was the place where further grew his riches. It was also the place where he committed his first murder and then the careless demise of lives that followed. It was as if all of his deepest impulses were nurtured between these borders, but Louie also couldn't escape the wretched people that inhabited this country either. They were insufferably prideful and simply couldn't understand why Louie was justified in doing what he did. They couldn't comprehend they were all mere stepping stones down his river of glory and gold and fought him every step of the way. Everyone insisted on impeding his path when all he ever wanted to do was live his life as he deserved, but lately, there was one man in particular that just as alive in his dreams as he was in reality—Vandrad.

Ever since what happened on that expedition, Louie hadn't shown his face anywhere near the Fairy Tail guild. Not out of shame or embarrassment, but because he was teeming with a fury so immense that he couldn't even step outside without wanting to tear something down. The only reason he didn't act on that impulse was because he couldn't be bothered to deal with even more Rune Knights on his ass than he already had. He wanted Vandrad dead and wanted to be the one to make sure he met that fate, but he couldn't show up at Fairy Tail just yet—not like this.

Or so he thought.

Clad in fashionable and dapper clothes was none other than Louie Calvin Klein himself, donning a face full of confidence that, while large, existed in the shadow of the malice that dominated his expression. He was a good-looking man, but the rubies in his eyes looked less like gems and more like blood today. There wasn't a frown or a smile on his face—just a look that gave the impression that if you so much as bumped into his shoulder, he'd slice you into two.

Despite it having been weeks since he last came to the guildhall, the reason he came today was no different than the reason he'd usually come—to see Nessa. Whether or not he'd tell her beforehand that he was coming largely depended on his mood, and this time he came unannounced. His hope was that, like usual, he could grab her and leave. Maybe find something else to do, and just otherwise be in each other's company until Louie felt better. But as the blonde stepped into the guildhall, he was greeted with one of the last names he wanted to hear.

"I personally talked with the guy, but I think Vandrad's gonna make a pretty dope ace," commented one young man that Louie had never seen before. He and another guildmate were chatting over some food at a table, but the only Louie could focus on was what he said.

"You," Louie looked at the man with wider, dangerous eyes, "what did you just say?"

Louie began to walk over to them with a face that was anything but friendly. They choked up and flinched, too taken aback by their strange guildmate's energy to respond. It was then that someone else from across the room spoke up, and it was a young woman this time.

"Vandrad was promoted to ace, Louie! Haven't you heard?" said the woman, a righteous smile on her face. In a way, she looked like a little proud to have said that with a tinge of spite in her voice, and upon further inspection, Louie realized that this was the chick that had spilled something on his suit all that time ago. That event led to his first encounter with Vandrad. "And he deserves it, too!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about... none of you do."

"I'm just glad that there's something in charge that knows how awful you are! You might as well just leave!"

Louie's brow twitched just slightly. There was a pause between him and the girl, and a small crowd of people inside who caught wind of what was going on. The times where Louie simply didn't take Nessa and leave, but rather stuck long enough to interact with others hardly ever went well. And with his fragile temper skating on thin ice, it was all about to get worse. Right now, Louie didn't care about the consequences—he was only seeing red.

"Hah... I knew I should've killed you when you first ran your mouth all that time ago. I'll fix that mistake right now," Louie opened his palm and began walking towards her. In almost the blink of an eye, a relatively large golden blade formed in his hand.

At first, the room made collective gasps, and wasn't sure whether or not Louie really meant to kill her. But as he kept approaching and fidgeted with the weapon his fingers, there was not a thread of mercy in those eyes clouded with anger at that moment. He made no efforts to conceal his magical power, which easily surpassed everyone's in the room twelvefold. It was enough to keep them frozen with hesitation, if not fear, and it seemed as if everyone were about to witness a murder. People screamed and many ran to the woman's aid when they realized they were at the point of no return, but it was too late. With his blade in hand, Louie lunged at the girl who could only stare at him indignantly, in some disbelief that he was acting on his terrible impulse. Her back against the wall and his looming shadow rapidly approaching, Louie coldly glared down at her.

Without hesitation, Louie thrust blade at her sternum, when something unexpected happened.

---