"On certain nights… silence doesn't mean peace, but the beginning of a countdown."
⸻
The night felt heavier than usual.
The air was cold, saturated with the scent of rain that had yet to fall.
Kaizlan stood atop the roof of an abandoned house, watching from a distance the window where Elian sat with Raen.
Ever since he had seen the mark, the world around him had lost its clarity.
The target was no longer just a name in a file. It had become a shadow dragging him into a past he didn't want to remember.
He tightened his grip on the dagger's hilt, as if the strength of his hand could choke the unsettling feeling in his chest.
But it wasn't fear he felt… it was something far deeper.
⸻
Inside the room, Raen spoke with a voice that carried the weight of certainty, as though every word he uttered was meant to be preserved.
Elian listened intently, yet his eyes… were scanning the faintest movements outside the window.
He didn't look directly at Kaizlan, but his demeanor suggested he knew someone was there.
Kaizlan stepped back, then sat on the edge of the roof.
Inside, a silent debate raged:
"Do I kill him and finish the mission… or do I search for the truth?"
He remembered his mentor's words:
"The more you try to understand, the weaker you become."
⸻
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from the narrow alley behind him.
Not careless footsteps—measured, heavy, deliberate.
Kaizlan turned his head, eyes catching the silhouette of a man approaching.
Tall, wearing a long black coat that reached his ankles, and a hat that shadowed most of his face.
In his hand was a black cane, though the way he carried it was far from harmless.
The man stopped a few meters away and spoke calmly:
"This mission isn't yours alone, Kaizlan."
Kaizlan froze.
"How does he know my name?"
⸻
No answer came.
In the next moment, a sharp whistle cut through the street, followed by the sound of many feet rushing in.
Kaizlan realized instantly…
The area was surrounded.
But who had reported him?
And why did he feel… that this stranger hadn't come to fight him, but to lead him somewhere else?
⸻
Inside him, there was only one certainty:
Tonight… a door would open that could never be closed.