The raven landed with grace to perch upon the shoulder of another figure who had appeared from nowhere. 

This figure was different from the other four. Watching the group with eyes obscured by shaded glasses, his intellectual air and presence overshadowed the existence of those that accompanied him. With the raven now upon his shoulder, there was something about him in particular neither Silas nor Sky could pinpoint. Black feathers molted from his arms; and like a gentleman dusting off the sleeves of his suit, he brushed the down feathers from his cloak. 

Walking towards the group, his attention fixed on not a single person but the chains that lay unmoving, like snakes in wait, on the ground at the center of everyone. 

The raven cooed as the man absently reached a hand to stroke the creature's beak. Across the divide, Silas glanced at Sky. She was looking back at him, the chains and the man who was set apart from them all. 

The newcomer stopped his calm advance before the two metal lines, studying every link.

A ghost, anchored to a Soul Collector by chains. They were unique. From the ethereal iron, the man’s head turned slowly from Silas to his Sky.

Silas knew. It was no secret who this man was.

"Johannes Faust. This one has been sent to collect you." said Silas. Following the line of chains back towards the Soul Collector, the man, on whose shoulder the raven perched,  shifted his fluid movement to approach the man in black. 

Feet from Silas, the newcomer came to a standstill. They were of similar stature although certainly the Collector was the taller of the two. The man held out the black gloved hand opposite to Silas’ marked palm.

"A pleasure," Faust said, not in the least intimidated by Silas' threat. "and you are?"

The Collector did not extend a hand to shake; instead his black eyes were focused on the extended hand of his due collection. Silas' expression visibly darkened. Faust sighed, his hand falling away, the raven upon his shoulder ruffling its feathers in annoyance. Clucking, it snapped its beak at the Collector.

"I see," Faust said. He wasn't a man to waste his time. Time was precious, even for the immortal. "you would prefer to keep this entire affair nameless.”

Turning from Silas, Faust's attention turned to Sky. Moving from his place, heads turned with his movement. Stepping alongside the line of chains, Faust neared the ghost woman to whom Silas was connected. Stopping before her, there was a pause before he gave her a gentleman's bow.

When his composure straightened again. Sky was left wide eyed and speechless. 

"I have never seen a ghost so close. I must say, I am taken by your presence. What are you called, my dear?" He asked Sky. The chains and the ghost girl remained deathly still, the links waiting for a command or signal from the Collector. The aura emanating from the man confused her. There was something strange about him. Different from anyone.

Slow, she moved from side to side, scanning Faust from his feet to the top of his head. His gaze, hidden by dark glasses. He allowed her curiosity. The raven perched on his shoulder hopped down to Faust's extended arm, suspicious of the ghost. In turn, a calm poise, Faust, with his playful grin never fading, stroked the bird's head to relieve its worry.

"His Sky Lark," She finally answered, pointing with a ghostly finger to her Collector whose gaze remained locked upon them. While the Four stood quiet, they were waiting for their fun to begin.

Faust was curious about her in return. 

"This enquiring mind would like to know more of you, sweet creature. Your Keeper is very lucky indeed to have such a tame thing as you." Taken aback, Sky didn't know what to say. Only a handful of Others spoke to her aside from Silas. And the way Faust spoke was intriguing. Intoxicating. "Would you be so kind as to tell me the name of the one to whom you are connected?"

Faust cast a glance back at the Collector, Sky's eyes following. She looked to Silas but across the roof, all the Collector could see in his own black vision was his target. 

"Silas Meier." She answered as a matter of fact. Every Other in that strange world knew who Silas was. It was odd to meet someone who did not. 

"Thank you." Faust nodded, appeased by her obedience. Turning from her to face the Collector, he made his introduction, 

"Some men sell their souls for power, others for wealth. I sold mine for knowledge; while it would appear that you sold yours for love."

There was a visible shock on Sky's face. She would have paled if it were possible. Silas felt it and in an instant he made his command. He wasn't going to wait any longer.

"My Sky," Silas spoke, his dark voice pouring out into the air like night incarnate. She knew what he was going to say even before he said it. Looking to the one who held her chains, it was clear in her eyes that despite not being able to object because of the rules of her binding, her heart was imploring for him to reconsider the command he was about to make. Faust was not as he appeared. What they saw was only the surface of who he really was and there was more to him than the file of information Yona had given them. Silas. Her lips formed his name. Calling him to think again but he didn't listen. "immobilize Johannes Faust."

There was no resistance. 

Like a puppet under complete control by the puppeteer, Sky obeyed. The chains whipped into the air, past Faust and the Four. Lifting Sky higher and giving her enough clearance to bring the chains in an arch in the air, out of reach. With a turnaround in the air, the ivory of her clothes with fronds of white mist, Sky was facing Faust once more, now higher in air. Startled, the raven upon his shoulder took to flight, flying past Sky and circling away from what was about to come. Released onto Faust, she reached out to him, and he reached back, watching her intently. The Four remained still. 

"Come then," He welcomed her. 

Her face closed in, her hands reaching for his chest. Faust received her with welcoming arms. A beautiful killer. 

She touched his chest, not the intent to rip his soul from his chest, no. She would do as Silas commanded so that the Collector would have his own opportunity to mark his target before collection. Cardiac arrest would suffice.

Pushing forward, her gaze caught Faust’s expression. His smile remained unwavering. And as she pushed harder, she suddenly stopped. It was as if she had hit solid ice. Her hands were not able to push through, nor was she even able to move him at all. There was suddenly no life within and he was weighted to the Earth as an immovable object. 

The realization in the ghost woman's eyes was quick to return.

She couldn't immobilize him.

Why? 

In shock, she looked at her own hands and how suddenly, she was powerless.

Without warning, Faust grabbed her hand. When out of instinct, she tried to snatch it back, her struggles were met with a sharp jerk to shake her of her attempts to pull away as Faust made a conscious effort to not touch the chains. Silas' head visibly twitched in reaction. No one touched his Sky.

"Gentle." Faust hushed, ignoring Silas and focusing on the ghost girl. "Cease your struggles and allow me my curiosity."

"Let me go," Sky hissed quietly.

"No," Faust replied flatly. He scanned her, studying what exactly she was. An unfortunate creature of circumstance, he concluded. She was caught between worlds and made to serve the Collector and Lucifer's command.

Silas stepped towards them and the Four stepped between, creating a wall to stand in his way. He wasn't to interfere. 

The Collector's shadows angrily came to life as black tendrils reaching from the ground. 

With his free gloved hand, Faust reached to Sky's face. She was still and wide eyed. His fingertips brushed down from her cheek, to the line of her chin, all as Silas watched through the barrier the Four created. 

Snatching her jaw in his grasp, roughly pulling her attention to his gaze when she tried to look away. Into the mirror of black glasses. He was reading her soul. She squirmed to pull back from the grip on her hand and chin but it was solid. 

"Retreat!"  She heard Silas across the divide. 

 Her own thoughts were screaming as she couldn't pull back from Faust's hold. 

"Stay," Faust whispered to Sky, analyzing her. Their faces were mirrored, and unrelenting he fed from her thoughts through her eyes. He tilted his head, an unspoken signal to check and see that she understood. She did and she calmed. Sky stopped resisting and Faust loosened his hold on her chin.

"I can already tell he wastes you." He said. 

"Stop," She hissed, trying to look away from his fiercely unfaltering glare she knew was there just behind the dark lenses shielding his eyes.

"He will come to understand his ignorance. He must decide what it is that he wants most. He isn't ready to face me. Not yet. The Four must die, and then we shall meet again on more even fields." Faust spoke in a quiet voice on his breath to Sky. He leaned in close, whispering to only her through a gentlemanly grin,

"I shall make you mine."

A cold fear raked through Sky's being. Her dread ran like an electric jolt through the chains to Silas. The hold on her chin slowly fell away without her even moving. Sky clenched her jaw shut, finally looking away towards her Collector and the Four between them.

When Sky looked once more, Faust was gone. Only a scattering of black feathers left in his wake. 

By the Devil's order and Faust's game, the Four were to be collected. While they were only along on Faust's ride to silence any opposition. The Child, the Youth, the Woman and the Man stood now in their way and Faust wouldn't appear again until they were all collected.