Chapter 25 - The Price of Betrayal
The night air was thick with the scent of blood. Lucien stepped over the corpses of Daggerbone assassins, their bodies still warm, their throats slit with the precision of a ghost in the dark. His katana dripped crimson, his hidden blade glistening under the dim glow of the streetlights. The hunt had begun.
---
Lucien moved through the shadows, his breath steady despite the boiling rage within him. He had spent years suppressing his emotions, training his mind to remain unshaken, but the moment Vance had taken Evelyn, something inside him snapped.
He wasn't going to let that bastard get away.
His eyes scanned the ground, analyzing the faintest disturbances in the dirt. A trail—hurried footsteps, dragging marks. Evelyn had resisted. Good. That meant they hadn't silenced her yet.
Lucien exhaled, gripping his blade tighter.
You're not taking her.
---
Somewhere Else - Evelyn's Struggle
Evelyn struggled against the tight grip on her wrist, her heart pounding as Vance dragged her into an abandoned warehouse.
"Let me go!" she shouted, twisting her body in a desperate attempt to break free.
Vance merely smirked. "Still feisty. No wonder Falkner keeps you around."
Inside, dim lights flickered above a rusted metal table. A few men stood around, clad in dark clothing. But it was the man at the center that caught Evelyn's attention—his face hidden behind a mask, his aura radiating pure malice.
Vance shoved her forward, forcing her to kneel before the masked figure.
"Is this the girl?" the man asked.
Vance nodded. "She's connected to him."
The masked man hummed in amusement, tapping his fingers against the table. "Interesting. Then let's see how much she's worth to him."
---
Outside, Lucien had already eliminated the guards.
They never even saw him coming.
One by one, they fell—silent deaths in the cold night. Lucien moved like a shadow, his eyes locked onto the building where they had taken Evelyn. He knew there would be more inside. He knew this was a trap.
He didn't care.
Lucien climbed the side of the building, moving effortlessly through the structure like a predator stalking its prey. His senses were heightened, his instincts razor-sharp. As he reached a ventilation shaft, he crouched inside, scanning the room below.
There she was—Evelyn, on her knees.
And there he was.
Vance.
Lucien's jaw tightened, his fingers gripping his katana.
Then, without warning—
CRASH!
The vent collapsed as Lucien dropped from above, landing in the center of the room. His katana gleamed under the flickering lights, fresh blood staining its edge. His hood cast a shadow over his face, but his eyes—those cold, merciless eyes—burned with an unspoken promise of death.
The room fell silent.
Vance smirked. "Well… that was fast."
---
Lucien didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, his katana slicing through the air with lethal precision. Vance barely managed to block, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks.
The force of the impact sent Vance skidding backward, but he quickly regained his footing. He grinned.
"You're mad. Good. Let's see if you've really changed."
The fight erupted in a flurry of steel.
Lucien was relentless, his strikes calculated and brutal. Vance countered with equal skill, his movements sharp and precise. They moved like specters in the dimly lit room, their battle a deadly dance of speed and power.
But Lucien was stronger. Faster.
Vance knew it too.
---
The other Daggerbone assassins moved in, attempting to overwhelm Lucien, but he was already one step ahead.
Spinning mid-air, he dodged a dagger aimed at his ribs, grabbing the attacker's wrist and snapping it effortlessly before plunging his hidden blade into their throat. Another enemy lunged—Lucien sidestepped, slicing through their torso in a single clean stroke.
Blood painted the walls.
Evelyn, in the chaos, saw an opening.
With all her strength, she broke free from the masked man's grip, dashing toward the exit.
Vance noticed immediately.
"Oh no, you don't—"
Before he could reach her, Lucien intercepted him.
Their blades locked once more.
"Stay the hell away from her," Lucien growled.
Vance smirked. "You care too much."
---
Lucien's next strike was devastating. His katana tore through Vance's defense, slashing across his arm. Blood splattered onto the floor.
For the first time, Vance's grin faltered.
Lucien pressed his blade to Vance's throat, his expression cold.
"This ends here."
But Vance only chuckled.
"Not today, Falkner."
BOOM!
A smoke bomb exploded between them, the thick cloud swallowing everything in darkness. Lucien's vision blurred, the air filling with the acrid scent of burning chemicals.
By the time the smoke cleared—
Vance was gone.
But Evelyn was still there.
---
Lucien turned to her, his expression unreadable.
Evelyn's breathing was heavy, her body trembling from the ordeal.
Lucien stepped forward, cutting the last of her bindings. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, but her eyes never left his face.
"Lucien… who was he?"
A long silence stretched between them.
Lucien exhaled, his gaze dark.
"A mistake I should've erased long ago."
---
In a hidden location, Vance sat before a dimly lit table, nursing his wound.
Across from him, the masked leader of Daggerbone stood, arms crossed.
"You failed."
Vance merely chuckled.
"I did what I needed to do." He looked up, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Now, we know his weakness."
The masked man remained silent before finally speaking.
"Then it's time to strike."
---
End of Chapter 25.