The old church stood at the edge of the city, half-swallowed by the forest.
Its roof was broken, the windows shattered long ago, and vines climbed the walls like veins on dead skin. The air was cold and heavy, filled with the smell of rain and old stone.
Kael stood on a hill nearby, looking down at the ruined building. A faint light glowed from inside—candles, maybe. He could see movement through the cracks in the walls. People.
He tightened his cloak and whispered, "So this is where she hides her snakes."
He moved like a shadow, silent through the grass. The moonlight barely touched him as he slipped toward the side of the church.
A pair of guards stood near the front door, talking in low voices.
"Boss says this meeting is important," one said. "Jane herself's coming."
"Yeah," the other replied. "Hope she doesn't lose her temper again."
Kael didn't wait for more. He circled around the back, where the wall had collapsed years ago. He climbed through the gap, careful not to make a sound.
Inside, the church smelled of dust, wax, and wet earth. The main hall was filled with about ten people—mercenaries, thieves, maybe assassins. A long wooden table stood in the center, covered with maps and coin pouches.
And there she was.
Jane.
She sat at the head of the table, wearing a black coat trimmed with silver. Her hair was tied back, her expression calm but sharp. Every movement around her stopped when she spoke.
Kael stayed behind one of the broken pillars, watching. His breath was slow.
Jane said, "Kael Draven is alive. You've all heard the rumors, and I'm telling you—they're true. My men saw him kill three of ours in the lower district."
A murmur went through the room.
"He's hunting us," Jane continued. "So we hunt him harder. I want eyes in every corner of the city. Anyone helping him will pay."
One man raised his hand. "Boss, why not let Rex finish him? He's the only one who can match him."
Jane's gaze darkened. "Rex has his orders. He's following Kael now. I want to know what the bastard is planning before we strike."
Kael's jaw tightened. So she really sent someone.
He shifted slightly to see better, and his hand brushed against a loose brick. It scraped against the floor.
The sound was small—but in a silent church, even small sounds echo.
Jane's head snapped up. "Who's there?"
Kael froze. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
A man near the corner pulled out his blade. "I'll check."
Kael moved quickly, crouching low and slipping behind another pillar. The man came closer, the tip of his sword catching the light.
When he was only a few feet away, Kael stepped out and grabbed him, one hand covering his mouth, dragging him into the shadows.
A soft thud. Then silence.
Jane turned back to the others. "Probably rats. Ignore it. Now—about the bounty. I want his head, not his corpse."
Kael's eyes narrowed. She doesn't just want me dead. She wants to humiliate me.
But then something else caught his attention—one of the men at the table.
The scar on his cheek. The way he fidgeted with his left hand.
Kael's breath hitched. Darren.
He remembered that face. A friend. An ally. A man who once fought beside him before betrayal tore their group apart.
Now Darren sat across from Jane, listening to her orders.
Kael's stomach twisted. So you joined her too.
He wanted to step out, to demand why—but he didn't. Not yet.
He turned and began to move back toward the hole in the wall. He had learned enough.
---
Outside
The forest was darker now. A light rain began to fall, whispering against the leaves. Kael pulled his hood tighter as he walked away from the church.
He had just reached the edge of the clearing when a flicker of movement made him stop.
Someone was watching him again.
Kael didn't turn his head. He pretended not to notice and kept walking, his senses sharp.
Behind him, Rex crouched in the branches of a tall oak. His breath was steady. He had followed Kael from the city, silent the entire way.
He had watched Kael sneak into the church. Watched him slip out again without being seen.
Rex thought to himself, He moves like a ghost. Even after death, he's still dangerous.
He remembered Jane's voice from earlier that night. Follow him, but don't engage.
But something about this man bothered him.
Kael didn't act like the monster Jane described. He hadn't killed anyone unnecessarily in the church, even though he could have.
Rex frowned. Why would Jane lie?
He stayed in the tree as Kael disappeared into the woods. Then, quietly, he followed again—keeping to the shadows.
For the first time in years, doubt started to creep into Rex's mind.
---
Back inside the church
The meeting had ended. The men were gone. Only Jane remained, sitting in the candlelight.
She stared at the spot where the sound had come from earlier. Her instincts told her someone had been there.
She walked to the corner, looking down at the floor. There, in the dust, was a footprint.
Fresh.
Her eyes narrowed. "So, you did come, Kael."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a small pendant—a half-broken coin. She turned it over in her hand.
It was something Kael once gave her, years ago.
Her expression softened for a brief second before hardening again. "You should have stayed dead," she whispered. "Because now, I'll make sure death finds you properly."
She put the pendant back in her pocket and turned toward the door.
"Rex," she murmured under her breath, as if he could hear her through the night. "Don't fail me."
---
Deep in the forest
Kael reached an abandoned shed and stopped to rest. He wiped the rain from his face and sat against a wooden beam, breathing slowly.
The memory of Darren's face haunted him. His mother's death. Jane's voice. Everything blended into a single thought—revenge.
He clenched his fist. "She built this guild from blood. Then I'll drown it in her own."
Outside, a soft rustle.
Kael looked toward the trees, but saw nothing. The forest was quiet again.
Rex stood a few meters away, hidden behind the trunk of a tree, watching Kael from the darkness.
He whispered to himself, "Why does she hate you so much? What happened between you two?"
For the first time, he didn't feel like a hunter. He felt like a man caught in someone else's war.
As the rain fell harder, Kael leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. The fire inside him burned quietly—but it was growing.
And in the shadows, Rex turned away, his jaw tight.
"I'll follow him," he muttered, "but maybe not for her anymore."
The night swallowed both men, one driven by vengeance, the other by questions.
And somewhere far behind them, Jane watched the city lights fade, not knowing that the threads she pulled were beginning to twist around her own throat.