The embers spewed from the collapsing iron cage had filled the dungeon with thick smoke. Kael's visibility had dropped to zero. He stood on guard, sword in hand, in front of the dark elves' cell. Yet there was a strange silence within the smoke. Neither Zadil's mocking voice nor the sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor could be heard. Only the crackling of the embers and the voices of the prisoners...
Kael's instincts began to sound the alarm. An assassin like Zadil would never miss such chaos. Something was terribly wrong.
Kael expanded his Mana field. The chaotic, impure Mana currents that normally radiated from every corner of the dungeon had suddenly ceased at the spot where Zadil was. Zadil's ominous, sharp Mana seemed to have vanished.
As the smoke began to slowly dissipate, Kael froze at the sight before him.
Zadil lay on his back on the ground, right next to the collapsed chain basket. His eyes were open, but he stared motionlessly into the void.
Kael lowered his sword and approached the body with slow, deliberate steps. There was a flawless cut on Zadil's body, running from his throat down to his chest. A single, smooth, and deadly strike...
"W-what on earth is this?"
Kael's mind was struggling to process the shock of this impossible assassination.He looked around, wondering if there was anyone else besides Zadil.Kael's mana detection field sensed no one besides himself and the captives.A second later, without sensing even the slightest mana fluctuation, the tip of a sharp dagger pressed against Kael's throat.
Kael couldn't even look back from behind his mask. The figure that appeared behind him seemed to be made of shadows. His mana detection range had completely failed to detect this presence behind him. This was a level Kael had never encountered before.
Kael slowly turned his head to the right. The hand holding the dagger's hilt was adorned with moon-engraved tattoos. The tattoos spread slowly from the wrist upward, glowing faintly in the darkness.
"These tattoos..." he thought to himself.
The entity behind him had mistaken Kael, because of his mask, for a member of the organization or another enemy.
Kael had even stopped breathing as he felt the pressure of the dagger pressed against his throat. From the figure behind him, not a single heartbeat nor the slightest trace of energy could be detected. There was only the grip of the silver-tattooed hand on the dagger and the cold breath he felt on the back of his neck.
The mysterious assassin broke the silence and spoke up
"Are you wondering who took down Zadil? I'm wondering who you are and what you're hiding under that mask, you rat of the organization."
Kael tried to swallow beneath his mask. The tip of the dagger pressed lightly into his skin.
"I'm not a member of the organization. I came to rescue the captives... to rescue the captives."
The stranger laughed derisively.
"Rescue the prisoners?" He tightened his grip on the dagger.
"Tell me the truth, or I'll send you to join Zadil. What's going on in these ruins? Who was Zadil working for?"
The stranger's tone sounded very familiar to Kael... Somewhere deep in his mind, that voice stirred a familiar echo. An echo from years ago, from a single night, from a memory...
"Answer me!" the stranger shouted, his silver tattoos beginning to glow even brighter in the darkness
After a moment's hesitation, Kael tried to turn his head slightly to the side despite the dagger at his throat. The eyes behind his mask were fixed on the stranger's face. Those tattoos, that voice... it was impossible. But he was here.Instead of answering the stranger's question, Kael whispered his name.
"Ashaell?"
The dungeon fell silent for a moment. Even the crackling of the embers had ceased.Ashaell, in shock, loosened his grip on the dagger for a moment. How could this masked boy, in the deepest, darkest corner of these ruins, know his name? Only a few people in these lands knew that name.
The shock was instantly replaced by even greater anger and suspicion. Ashaell pressed the dagger against Kael's throat, this time harder—hard enough to cut through his skin. A thin trickle of blood began to seep from Kael's neck.
"My name..." Ashaell said, his voice now more menacing.
"Tell me how you know my name! Who are you? How do you know me?"
The light from the silver tattoos began to spread rapidly from Ashaell's wrist up his arm, fueled by his rage. Kael sensed that this deadly assassin behind him was ready to tear him apart simply because he knew his name. Time was running out, and Kael had to choose his words carefullyAshaell's dagger was pressed against Kael's throat.
Kael remained silent. Answering might only heighten the tension. From beneath his mask, he fixed his gaze directly on Ashaell's icy brown eyes.
Just as Ashaell, disturbed by the masked boy's bold demeanor, was about to press the dagger in a bit harder, his eyes drifted to Kael's fingers.A portion of his glove was torn, and beneath that tear, a ring with a familiar silver gleam was visible
Ashaell's hand, clutching the dagger, paused for a moment. Looking closely, he saw the small silver ring on Kael's ring finger—the moon seal on it was slightly worn, but its outline was still distinct.
Ashaell's mind drifted to the ring he had given Kael just before being expelled from the tribe's council.
That day, before Lunarya used magic to pull Kael out of the forest, that small parting gift he had placed in his friend's palm...
Ashaell's fingers loosened their grip on the dagger, and his pupils dilated in shock; the glint of the silver engravings had faded for a moment.
"This ring..." Ashaell said, his voice sounding not like that of an assassin, but like someone calling out to a long-lost friend.
"Kael...!!"
Ashaell took a step back; her hands trembled slightly as she sheathed her dagger. She stared at the masked child as if a ghost stood before her.Kael slowly removed his mask. His face looked far more mature than the little boy in Ashaell's memory.
As Ashaell looked at Kael's face, she felt that flawless, assassin-like composure completely shatter.
The armor of this girl, who hadn't let anyone get close to her or trusted anyone for years, had cracked for the first time under those familiar eyes.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ashaell lunged forward and embraced Kael tightly.All the pressure created by years of loneliness, endless missions, and the guilt she carried had eased with that embrace.
Kael responded to her friend in astonishment; she wrapped her arms around Ashaell more tightly than she had since the day she left the forest.
"I was going to kill you..." Ashaell sobbed, her tears falling onto Kael's shoulder.
"I thought I'd never see you again after that day..."
Kael placed his hands on his friend's hair, gently pulling her away from him to look into her face. The vulnerable expression in Ashaell's eyes pierced Kael's heart.
"I'm here," Kael said, his voice trembling slightly.
"You were always on my mind; I thought of you every day as I touched that ring. I missed you so much, Ashaell."
Ashaell leaned her head against Kael's shoulder again at this heartfelt confession, and for a few seconds they tried to fill the void left by that longing. But the heavy air of the dungeon pulled them back to reality. Ashaell quickly wiped away her tears and composed herself.
"Well, what about you..." Kael asked, stepping back.
"What are you doing here, right in the middle of this hellhole? How did you get here?"
Ashaell's gaze drifted to the cell in the corner where the dark elves were held. A stern expression had settled on his face.
"A group from my clan was ambushed by this organization while using the trade routes. Some were sold into slavery, and others... are being held here for experiments. I came to rescue them."
Kael furrowed his brows.
"Alone? There are warriors in the dark elf tribe far more senior and experienced than you. Why did they assign this mission to you?"
Ashaell turned his dagger with a mocking smile on his face.
"The tribal council didn't want to send me at first. 'It's too dangerous; let's leave it to another unit,' they said. But ever since that day, I've trained nonstop. My speed, reflexes, and mastery of shadow magic are now on par with the other warriors in the tribe."
Kael realized just how much Ashaell had grown stronger because his mana field couldn't detect him—he was moving so fast that Kael didn't even notice there was an assassin in the area until Ashaell had his dagger at his throat.
"I pestered my father... for days. I begged him for this mission, argued with him, and was even willing to risk exile. I was constantly tracking this organization's trail. I proved that I was the only one who could penetrate their heart."
Kael looked at his friend... He now understood better that Ashaell was no longer just a child, but had transformed into an assassin who carved his own path through this pitch-black darkness.