First Blood

The mansion was eerily quiet as Kent sat in the expansive dining room, sipping a cup of tea while Oakley stood by the window, his sharp eyes scanning the perimeter. Colette's absence was always noticeable—the bustling energy she brought to the household seemed to leave with her.

"You seem unusually calm, Mr. Kent," Oakley remarked, his voice steady.

Kent glanced up from his cup, a faint smile on his face. "I trust Colette. She's strong, and she knows how to handle herself."

Oakley chuckled softly, adjusting his glasses. "That's true. She's a force of nature, but even she worries about you. She left very specific instructions to keep you safe."

Kent leaned back in his chair, his expression growing thoughtful. "She worries too much sometimes. I'm not as helpless as she thinks, you know."

Oakley gave him a knowing look but said nothing, the silence stretching between them.

Suddenly, the faint sound of gunfire shattered the quiet. Oakley's head snapped toward the window, his sharp eyes narrowing as the distant echoes grew louder.

"What's going on?" Kent asked, setting his cup down.

Before Oakley could answer, a soldier burst into the room, his face pale. "Sir! We're under attack!"

Oakley cursed under his breath, straightening his suit. "Who?"

"The Black Dawn," the soldier said, his voice trembling. "They've breached the perimeter."

Kent stood, his eyes wide. "Black Dawn? The rival gang Colette went to deal with?"

Oakley's jaw tightened. "They've lured her away on purpose."

The soldier hesitated, his expression grim. "They're here for him," he said, nodding toward Kent. "They know he's important to her."

Oakley turned to Kent, his usual composure giving way to urgency. "Kent, you need to hide. Now."

Kent's face hardened. "I'm not going to just—"

"You have to," Oakley interrupted, his voice firm. "If they get to you, it'll break her. Do you understand? You're her weakness, and they know it."

The tension in the room was palpable as the sound of gunfire grew closer. Kent reluctantly nodded, his hands clenching into fists. "Fine. But you have to be careful too."

Oakley gave him a brief nod, then turned to the soldier. "Get him to a secure location. I'll handle this."

The soldier gestured for Kent to follow, but before they could move, the doors to the dining room burst open. A group of Black Dawn operatives stormed in, their weapons raised.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, pointing at Kent.

Oakley moved with surprising speed, drawing a pistol from his jacket and firing off a precise shot. The first intruder fell, but more poured in, forcing Oakley and the soldiers to take cover behind overturned furniture.

"Go!" Oakley shouted, firing another round.

Kent hesitated, but the soldier grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the side exit. Bullets whizzed past them, splintering wood and shattering glass as they ducked and weaved through the chaos.

As they made their way through the mansion, Kent could hear the sounds of the battle intensifying. Oakley's voice barked orders, and the soldiers fought valiantly, but the Black Dawn operatives were relentless.

"They're everywhere!" the soldier said, his voice strained. "We need to move faster!"

Kent's heart pounded as they reached a hidden passageway, one Colette had installed for emergencies. The soldier pushed open the concealed door and ushered Kent inside.

"Stay here," the soldier said, his tone firm. "Don't come out until it's safe."

Kent nodded reluctantly, stepping into the narrow passage. As the door closed behind him, he leaned against the wall, his mind racing. He hated feeling helpless, knowing that people were risking their lives to protect him.

Outside, the battle raged on. Oakley, flanked by a small group of loyal soldiers, held the line in the main hall. Despite being outnumbered, he fought with ruthless efficiency, his calm demeanor unshaken even as bullets flew around him.

"Push them back!" he commanded, reloading his pistol.

One of the Black Dawn operatives sneered as he fired back. "You can't stop us! We'll finish this before Colette even knows what's happening!"

Oakley's eyes narrowed, and he aimed for the man's shoulder, taking him down with a single shot. "You underestimate her," he said coldly. "And that will be your downfall."

The sound of an explosion rocked the mansion, and debris rained down from the ceiling. Oakley shielded his face, gritting his teeth. He knew they couldn't hold out forever—not without Colette.

But they had to buy her time. And they had to protect Kent at all costs.

"Fall back to the secondary positions!" Oakley shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Don't let them reach the safe room!"

The soldiers obeyed, retreating in an organized fashion as the Black Dawn operatives advanced. The mansion was a battlefield now, and every corner was a fight for survival.

The mansion's main hall was in ruins. Smoke filled the air, and the sound of gunfire and clashing steel echoed through the space. Oakley stood amidst the chaos, his suit stained with dirt and blood, his pistol raised as he squared off against the Black Dawn's commander—a towering salamander man with molten orange scales and eyes that burned like embers.

"You've done well to hold out this long, old man," the salamander sneered, gripping a flaming warhammer in both hands. His voice was deep, gravelly, and full of cruel amusement. "But this is where it ends. You can't stop me, and you can't protect him."

Oakley's jaw tightened as he adjusted his stance, his calm demeanor masking the strain he felt. He was a strategist, not a front-line combatant, and the sheer strength and ferocity of his opponent were beginning to wear him down.

"You underestimate me," Oakley said evenly, firing off a shot.

The salamander swung his hammer, the flames wreathing it deflecting the bullet mid-air. He closed the distance in a flash, forcing Oakley to dive aside as the warhammer slammed into the ground, leaving a fiery crater where he'd been standing.

"You're all talk," the salamander growled, swinging the hammer again. Oakley barely managed to dodge, but the heat singed his jacket, and the impact sent him stumbling.

The fight was desperate. Oakley fired shot after shot, each one expertly aimed, but the salamander's molten scales and raw power made him nearly unstoppable. The warhammer swung in wide arcs, the flames licking dangerously close as Oakley tried to stay out of range.

But it wasn't enough.

With a roar, the salamander lunged, knocking the pistol from Oakley's hand and slamming him to the ground. The warhammer was raised high, its flames casting a sinister glow over the room.

"This is the end for you," the salamander sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

Before the hammer could fall, a loud whoosh filled the air, followed by a deafening explosion of wind. The salamander staggered back, roaring in surprise as the force of the blast sent him crashing into a wall.

Oakley, dazed and bruised, turned his head to see Kent standing in the doorway. His hands trembled as he clutched the empty shell of a magic wind grenade, the remnants of its enchantment still swirling around him.

"Kent…" Oakley breathed, his eyes wide with shock.

The salamander groaned, struggling to rise, but the grenade's blast had done its job. His body was riddled with wounds, his molten scales cracked and bleeding. He collapsed moments later, the light in his ember-like eyes fading as his lifeless body slumped to the floor.

Kent stared at the scene, his face pale. The grenade fell from his hands, clattering to the floor.

The sounds of battle around them seemed to fade as Oakley pushed himself to his feet, clutching his ribs. He glanced between Kent and the dead salamander, his expression unreadable.

"Kent… you saved me," Oakley said softly.

But Kent didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the salamander's body, his hands trembling as the weight of what he'd just done began to sink in. For the first time in his life, he had taken another person's life.

"I… I killed him," Kent whispered, his voice barely audible.

Oakley took a step toward him, unsure of what to say. He had seen death countless times, but he knew Kent had never been exposed to the darker side of Colette's world in this way. "You did what you had to do," Oakley said carefully, trying to find the right words. "If you hadn't acted, I'd be dead right now. You saved lives."

Kent shook his head, his eyes welling with tears. "I… I didn't want to kill him. I didn't…"

Oakley placed a hand on Kent's shoulder, but the younger man flinched away, his emotions spiraling out of control.

"I need to go," Kent muttered, his voice choked. Without waiting for a response, he turned and ran, his footsteps echoing through the halls as he fled the battlefield.

Kent locked himself in his room, the heavy door shutting out the sounds of the mansion as soldiers worked to secure the perimeter. He sat on the edge of his bed, his hands clutching his head as the image of the salamander's lifeless body replayed in his mind over and over.

His breathing was shallow, his chest tight. The guilt was overwhelming, and no matter how much he tried to tell himself it had been necessary, the weight of what he'd done refused to lift.

Outside the room, Oakley stood silently, his hand resting on the door. He had always been good with words, but now he found himself at a loss. How could he soothe someone like Kent—a kind, innocent soul—after such a traumatic experience?

With a heavy sigh, Oakley turned and walked away, deciding to give Kent the space he needed.

Inside the room, Kent buried his face in his hands, his heart heavy with guilt and grief. All he could think about was how Colette would react when she returned. Would she be proud of him? Or would she see the broken man he felt like in this moment?

For the first time, Kent felt the full weight of what it meant to be part of Colette's world. And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could bear it.