Chapter 9: Whispers in the Dark

The night was thick with silence, the kind that carried hidden dangers and unseen eyes. Valerius stood atop the northern watchtower, his golden eyes piercing through the darkness. The moon cast its silver glow upon the vast land of the Darius Clan, yet even its light could not reach the shadows creeping at the edges of his vision.

He could feel it.

Something was coming.

His Hidden Fates Protection had stirred earlier that night, a ripple in the currents of destiny. It was subtle—almost imperceptible—but he was no fool. The universe was shifting, and when it did, it often meant that enemies were already on the move.

The Gathering Storm

The wind carried a faint scent—damp earth, metal, and something else. Blood.

Valerius turned sharply.

"Leonidas," he said, his voice measured but commanding.

His eldest brother emerged from the shadows, clad in dark armor, his face cold and unreadable. "You sensed it too?"

Valerius nodded. "Something lurks beyond the borders. Not a mindless beast. Not a wandering bandit. Something calculated."

Leonidas tightened his grip on his sword. "Do we strike first?"

"Not yet," Valerius murmured. "If they think we're unaware, they will show their hand."

Leonidas nodded, stepping back into the darkness. He understood. The hunt had begun.

The Web Unraveled

Back in his study, Valerius sat before his Disorganized Library of Knowledge, reaching into the vast labyrinth of ancient texts and forgotten tomes. Somewhere within the chaotic archives of his mind, there had to be something—some fragment of knowledge that could illuminate their enemy's identity.

The AI Chip-like assistant whirred in his consciousness.

[Searching for relevant information...][Processing historical patterns...][Cross-referencing with past incidents...]

Lines of arcane text and fragmented memories flickered before his eyes. Then, at last—a match.

"The Blackthorn Cabal."

Valerius's gaze darkened.

The Blackthorn Cabal was not an ordinary group of assassins or mercenaries. They were Magus-killers, a secretive order that specialized in eliminating rising threats before they could fully bloom. Silent. Efficient. Absolute.

Their targets? Individuals with great potential.

Valerius's lips curled into a sharp smile.

"So, they've already noticed me..."

The Shadows Strike

Midnight fell. The Darius estate was quiet. Too quiet.

Then—a whisper of movement.

A single figure slipped through the outer defenses, blending into the night like a phantom. Their steps were weightless, their aura suppressed, their very existence reduced to nothing more than a fleeting breeze.

But as they reached the inner courtyard—

A trap sprung.

Chains of luminous energy erupted from the ground, ensnaring the assassin mid-step.

The figure froze, but only for a fraction of a second. With inhuman agility, they twisted their body, shattering the magical bindings before vanishing into the night.

Yet it was too late.

Leonidas was already moving.

His blade cut through the air, aiming for the intruder's throat. But the assassin ducked, twisting impossibly fast, retaliating with a dagger coated in dark venom.

Clang!

Steel met steel. Sparks flew. A deadly dance began.

From the tower above, Valerius observed. His brothers had trained for this moment—they would hold the enemy long enough for him to act.

His mind reached into his Memory Vault, recalling every recorded battle technique, every assassination method, every counter-strategy he had ever learned. His AI Chip processed it all in a fraction of a second.

[Calculated trajectory. Predicting enemy movements...]

There.

Valerius extended his hand.

A ripple of arcane energy spread through the air as a single word left his lips.

"Bind."

A temporal force wrapped around the assassin, freezing them mid-motion.

For a single heartbeat, time itself refused to move.

Then—a sword plunged through their chest.

A Warning in Blood

The assassin coughed, dark blood spilling from their lips.

Leonidas twisted the blade, ensuring the kill. "Who sent you?"

The assassin chuckled weakly. "You already know..."

Their body convulsed. A dark rune etched onto their forehead flared—then their entire form collapsed into dust.

Valerius's eyes narrowed. A self-destruction curse.

A warning.

But it didn't matter.

He knew who was watching.

And soon, they would know who they had provoked.