The moon hung low like a judge watching over silent executions, casting long shadows across the quiet walls of Asher's mansion. Soldiers were scattered across the perimeter, swords at the ready, bows strung taut, eyes scanning the trees for danger. But none of them noticed the first death.
A silent twang.
A soldier at the north post collapsed, an arrow buried in his neck.
Another turned to raise the alarm—thump—his chest pierced before his mouth could form a word.
Perched lazily atop a tall tree trunk, her crossbow cradled like a lover, Whisper licked her lips and whispered to herself, "This is too easy…" Her words vanished in the wind as another arrow found its mark. She didn't blink. Her fingers moved like a machine, arrows falling like silent death upon anyone foolish enough to move.
Below her, cloaked figures emerged from the shadows like phantoms—members of the infamous Assassin Guild. Clad in black and grey, their movements were synchronized, methodical. Each one carried strange weapons infused with dark shadow energy. At the heart of the group walked their commander—Marshal , the deadliest among them, and wielder of a dark shadow ring that twisted shadows into weapons and creates shadow portal that he used to lead the other inside the mansion.
Meanwhile, inside the mansion, unaware of the storm brewing, Darian, Elisa, Talon, Lyria, and Garek were ungaurd in a tense circle at the corridor at which the princess and queens room where at the far end which was seriously gaurded, the air heavy with unresolved emotions.
"She's hurting. You can see it in her eyes," Lyria said, arms crossed. "Selena needs Asher now more than ever."
"But how can we suddenly even trust someone who is a clone made not just by anyone but Lysar!" Talon argued. "She's not the original. I mean—she's kind, yes, but doesn't that weird anyone else out?"
" It doesn't beside I think both Asher and Selena has feelings for each other."lyra added.
"Yeah,She's more than a copy," Elisa interjected. "She's her own person. She has memories, feelings, loyalty. What more does she need to prove, clone or not I think Asher needs to wake up.?"
Talon smirked. "Well, Princess Lily doesn't have to prove anything. She's always been on Asher's side. I'm just saying—he needs someone real."
Garek shifted uncomfortably. His voice was low, uncertain. "Selena... has been with him since the beginning. Clone or not... I think she's the one who truly understands him but I see them more as brother and sister rather than lovers."
Lyria looked at Garek curiously, but said nothing. Elias raised a brow. "I support Selena. She stayed even when he was emotionally distant. She never gave up. That's loyalty."
The debate turned humorous when Darian leaned back in his chair and said with a sly grin, "I'm rooting for the Queen."
Everyone stopped.
"The Queen?" Elisa blinked.
"You mean Asher and the Queen?" Talon repeated, half-laughing.
"What? She flirts with him every chance she gets," Darian shrugged, playing it off. "They'd make a scandalous power couple."
"You're crazy," Garek muttered.
But before laughter could fully erupt, Garek's expression changed. He stood abruptly, his hand reaching for the blade on his back.
"Something's wrong," he muttered.
Darian's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly with magic. "He's right... I sense dark energy."
Lyria stood at once. "I'll warn the others." he vanished into the hallway, speed and urgency in every step.
The doors exploded open as shadows seeped into the room like living fog. The temperature dropped. From the darkness stepped a dozen cloaked assassins, faces hidden behind obsidian masks. Their leader—Marshal —stood tall at the center, his left hand engulfed in tendrils of shadow magic radiating from a twisted ring on his finger.
"Kill them all," Marshal ordered.
The battle erupted instantly.
Talon swung his butchering sword with wide, brutal arcs, cleaving through one assassin but barely keeping up with the overwhelming swarm. Garek blocked a flurry of blades, then countered with sharp, efficient slashes, but he was being pushed back.
Elias manipulated fire, sending blasts toward her foes, but the shadows consumed her flames, snuffing them out like candles.
Darian stroked with his Silo, a magic beam of slashes shaped like the crescent moon moved in dozens, launched with precision aimed at the shapeless intangible shadows,and sliced it at the bottom . But the shadows kept reforming, like ink spilling across a page.
Marshal stepped forward and drove his fist into the ground. A wave of shadow exploded outward, sending all five flying into opposite corners of the room. Their weapons clattered. Blood trailed from lips and noses.
While the rest of the shadows moved forward to attack.
"We're not gonna make it," Garek coughed, struggling to his knees." Don't think like that they haven't won yet we still need to stand our ground" Darian commanded.
Far away, high in the trees, Whisper saw it all.
"These brats are done," she murmured.
She drew an arrow, its tip gleaming with a faint green—poisoned. She pulled it back and took aim at Darian, who was just barely lifting his head.
"Time to kill their morale and end this."
Her eyes narrowed with an evil smile. But something was wrong.
She felt it first—the air pressure changed.
Whoosh—CLANG__BANG!
A sharp blade slammed into her bow, throwing it aside. She tumbled from the tree, twisting midair and landing with feline grace. She turned sharply.
Standing before her, a gleaming long sword in her hand, was Cassandra, eyes burning with cold fury.
"Well, well," Whisper said, wiping dirt from her lips. "Didn't think you'd make it in time,hahaha I was starting to get bored."
Cassandra smiled, the kind of smile you see before a storm swallows your ship. "I noticed you've been a little too cozy up here. Guess I'll have to eliminate this neusance before she ruins the battlefield."
They clashed instantly.
Whisper was a blur of speed and grace, launching arrowheads like daggers, spinning through trees, and flipping through air. Her arrows weren't just sharp—they were tipped with bone poison, which corroded whatever it touched.
Cassandra didn't flinch. Her eyes shimmered—Vision of Truth as she saw whisper's future move. She saw every move seconds before they happened. She ducked a slash, spun under a volley of arrows, and closed the distance.
Whisper tried to bait her with words. "So you left the Queen and Princess unguarded for me? That's a bad move. I thought you were smarter."
Cassandra didn't respond. She twisted midair, dodging another bone arrow, and slammed her sword toward Whisper's face.
Clang! Whisper blocked it with her bow again but was pushed back. Sweat rolled down her brow.
"Damn it... how is she reading my every move,how is she so calm in this situation, shouldn't she be more worried about the princess and queen.?"
Whisper pulled out a black-bladed short sword and lunged forward with an overhead strike.
Cassandra side-stepped, sliced through the air behind her, cutting clean through Whisper's leg armor. Blood splattered. Whisper hissed, flipped backward with one leg, and fired three poison arrows in one shot.
Cassandra twirled between them like a ghost, kicking off a tree trunk and throwing an aura slash. It scraped past Whisper's cheek, slicing skin.
"You're starting to piss me off!" Whisper roared.
"I'm just getting started," Cassandra said with a smirk.
Their fight became a deadly dance of acrobatics and blades, Cassandra gradually gaining the edge.
Meanwhile…
Inside the mansion, the battle was nearing its end.
Talon's cutlass was broken.
Garek was bleeding from a deep gash in his thigh.
Elias could barely stand.
Marshal walked through the battlefield slowly, his body radiating a black mist. Behind him, tendrils of shadow coiled around his remaining soldiers, boosting them with strength and speed.
Darian raised his silo for one last blast, aiming for Marshal's head—but the ring activated again, deflecting it into the wall.
As Marshal raised his hand for the finishing blow, ....then the entire mansion trembled.
Everywhere was filled with pressure and everyone felt heavy.
The shadows froze.
Everyone neck turned in uniform to the entrance of the room as a crack echoed down the marble hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. Unapologetically confident.
And then—Asher, who came out of the queen and princess room, stepped into view. His coat flowed behind him like a king's banner. Shadows bent away from his feet. His eyes were aglow with demonic spiritual magic.
The pressure in the room dropped.
Even Marshal took a step back.
Garek, beaten and barely conscious, smiled faintly. "About time…"
Asher didn't look at anyone. He walked past his fallen comrades without a word, his chains slithering behind him like hungry serpents.
He stopped in the center of the room.
His voice was deep, distorted with something ancient—demonic.
"WHERE IS KORRIN"
He asked slowly.
No one answered.
Then he raised his head.
"I SAID...."
"WHERE IS KORRIN?!!!"
The shadows recoiled and trembled in fear.
Marshal narrowed his eyes. "what is this familiar feeling." he said to him self.
"Where have I felt this energy before....this feeling....this feels like...like I am facing the president...."
"Like am actually facing Korrin!!!! "
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