A loud noise pulled me out of sleep.
Not a scream.
Not a nightmare.
Something solid, wood hitting wood, maybe a door, maybe boots on the floor above.
My eyes opened immediately.
For a moment, I didn't breathe.
I am waiting and listening.
There are no flames.
No blue fire.
No voices.
No faces.
…no nightmare.
I exhaled slowly.
Then I realized…
I wasn't lying down.
I was being carried.
My body was stiff, then I realized that I was covered in bandages.
It seems they bandaged me first before carrying me when I fell asleep.
I lifted my head slightly.
It was Eremes who carried me on his shoulder.
His pace was steady, careful, as if I weighed nothing.
I tapped his arm lightly.
He glanced at me.
I moved my head slightly, signaling to put me down.
He didn't argue.
Gently, he lowered me to the ground.
The moment my feet touched…pain surged.
My shoulder burned. My legs trembled.
But I stayed standing.
In front of the inn…
They were all there waiting for me.
Spiro.
Wrapped in thick bandages around his stomach, standing straight despite it.
Robert.
Even worse.
His entire torso, arms, and even part of his neck were wrapped. He looked like he had been barely stitched together.
Theo.
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking… oddly normal.
Margaretha.
Agni.
And Pritha.
The moment they saw me…
Margaretha's eyes widened.
Then…
She ran to me.
Pritha followed right behind her.
"You idiot!" Margaretha shouted, but her voice broke halfway.
She stopped in front of me, hands shaking, not sure whether to hit me or hold me.
Pritha didn't hesitate.
She grabbed my arm tightly.
"You're alive…"
Her voice was small.
Relieved and shaking.
Theo clicked his tongue from the side.
"Wow. Look at that. The corpse came back to life."
He tilted his head, squinting at me.
"Are you sure you're not a ghost? Because honestly, you look worse than one."
I stared at him.
"…shut up."
He grinned.
"Ah, good. Still rude. Definitely alive."
Robert walked closer.
Slow.
Heavy.
He didn't say anything at first.
Just looked at me.
Then nodded once.
"That's enough."
Simple.
But it settled something in my chest.
Spiro stepped forward.
Slow.
His eyes locked on me.
Checking.
Confirming.
Then…
He moved past me.
Punch.
The sound echoed.
Spiro's fist slammed into Seyren's face.
Hard.
Seyren didn't move.
He didn't block or react.
He just took it.
"You knew," Spiro said, his voice low but shaking with anger. "You knew we were already being targeted by the Count's assassins."
Another step forward.
"Then why did you keep giving those orders?"
His voice rose.
"Why did you send us again and again?!"
Fellow Assombrir clan members moved immediately.
Two of them grabbed Spiro's arms before he could strike again.
"Calm down."
"Enough."
"It was necessary," Seyren said calmly, wiping the blood from his lip.
His tone didn't change.
Not even slightly.
"We knew Count Bordeaux was involved."
"But we had no evidence."
He looked directly at Spiro.
"And thanks to you… Now we do."
Spiro struggled against the grip.
His body tensed.
He tried to move again…
But the hold tightened.
"Spiro."
A deeper voice.
One of the senior Assombrir members and Spiro's uncle.
"…don't forget our nature."
Spiro froze.
He's breathing heavy.
"…I know… uncle… I know…"
His voice dropped.
Quieter.
"…just let me be for a moment."
They released him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Spiro stepped back.
Then sat down heavily on the ground.
One hand covering his face.
"I won't report this," Seyren said quietly.
"But control yourself." He added as he walked away.
"You are our future leader." This time, his uncle was the one speaking.
"Don't forget that." The uncle says it as he follows Seyren.
Silence.
Then Seyren turned.
"As for the rest of you kids, go inside."
He walked past us.
Eremes followed.
The Assombrir clan moved with them.
As Seyren passed Spiro, He stopped for just a moment and whispered, "Don't worry about the hit. I understand."
Then he continued walking.
We stood there in silence.
The tension is still heavy in the air.
"Spiro…" Pritha stepped forward hesitantly.
"Go inside," Spiro said without looking up.
"I'll be fine."
"But—"
"Go."
His voice was final.
We didn't argue.
We are slowly moving upstairs to our room
***
Inside the room…
The door closed.
And for the first time, we were alone again.
No one spoke at first.
Then Theo broke the silence.
"Well… that was fun."
He leaned back.
"Next time, let's try not getting hunted by thirty assassins. I feel like that's a reasonable goal."
Margaretha shot him a glare.
"You almost died."
Theo shrugged.
"Almost doesn't count."
Pritha tightened her grip on her sleeves.
"…I thought we were all going to die."
Silence followed.
Robert sat down slowly.
Every movement stiff.
"…they were stronger."
"Not just stronger," I said quietly.
"They were prepared."
All eyes turned to me.
"They knew we were coming."
"They set the trap."
"They waited."
Spiro wasn't there.
But his absence felt heavy.
Margaretha looked down.
"…I couldn't do anything."
"You did," Robert said simply.
"You're alive."
We started sharing.
Slowly.
Fragments at first.
Then more.
Theo talked about slipping through shadows, nearly getting caught twice, and how one assassin "smelled like rotten meat," which apparently helped him track him.
Margaretha described being chased across rooftops, her voice shaking at certain points but steadying as she continued.
Pritha spoke less.
Mostly about running.
Holding Agni's hand.
Not letting go.
Robert didn't say much.
Just…
"I stayed behind."
A pause.
"…then I ran."
They looked at me.
I hesitated.
Then…
I told them.
Not everything.
But enough.
The sewer.
The betrayal.
The screams.
The bodies.
No one interrupted.
Theo tilted his head.
"Honestly, I think the real winner here is Rick."
He pointed at me.
"Turned assassins into each other. That's efficient."
I didn't answer.
"…they killed each other," I said slowly.
"For my eyes."
The room fell quiet again.
Pritha whispered…
"…one million gold…"
No one laughed.
Theo let out a slow breath.
One by one…
We lay down.
Still in our clothes.
Still covered in bandages.
No one said goodnight.
But eventually…
Sleep came.
***
The morning came.
I woke up.
No nightmare.
For a brief second…
Everything felt normal.
Then…
Sharp pain comes immediately.
I looked down.
The Bandages still everywhere.
My body felt heavy and slow.
Robert was still sleeping.
Barely moving.
The others were gone.
I got up quietly.
Carefully.
And left the room.
Downstairs…
They were all there.
Eating in silence.
I joined them.
No one spoke.
Just the sound of utensils and chewing food.
Then…
something came.
The heavy and dense pressure.
It was familiar pressure.
Everyone froze.
A masked man appeared slowly.
Master.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
He walked forward slowly.
Then, stopping beside Seyren.
Seyren stood immediately.
Without a word.
"Come," Master said calmly but full of dignity.
They walked toward the basement.
Only after they disappeared…
Theo whispers, "…I hate it when he does that."
"…it feels like he sees everything." Margaretha nodded slightly.
"He probably does," Agni added quietly.
I said nothing.
But my chest tightened.
Because deep down…
I knew…
We weren't done yet.