Death
The tires screeched against the wet asphalt as Kain drifted around the corner, pushing the car to its limit. The city blurred past him, neon lights reflecting off the rain-slick streets.
His breath was shallow. His hands tightened around the wheel.
Just a little more…
Elyse's apartment was only a few blocks away now. He could still make it.
He had to.
Then—
A flash of movement.
Kain barely reacted in time—he yanked the wheel, narrowly avoiding a figure standing in the middle of the road. The car spun out, skidding sideways before coming to a violent stop.
Kain didn't even hesitate. He was out of the car in seconds, gun drawn.
The figure stood motionless under the streetlight. A man in a long black coat, head tilted slightly. Watching.
"You're in a hurry, Kain." The voice was smooth. Amused.
Kain fired.
The bullet never hit.
Shadows twisted around the man, swallowing the shot into nothingness.
A Pact-holder.
Kain gritted his teeth. "Move, or I'll put a bullet through your skull before your little tricks can stop me."
The man chuckled. "You're not going to make it."
A cold, sinking feeling spread through Kain's chest.
No.
His grip tightened on the gun. "Say that again."
The man simply smiled. "Run along, assassin. You wouldn't want to be too—"
Kain was already moving. He didn't have time for this.
He sprinted past the man, leaving him in the rain, laughter echoing behind him.
The door to Elyse's apartment was open.
Not broken. Open.
Kain's heart pounded. He stepped inside, gun leading the way.
No sound. No movement. Just the slow drip of a leaky faucet.
The air was wrong.
He moved forward. Step by step. His boots left faint imprints of rainwater on the hardwood floor.
Then—
The smell of blood.
Kain's stomach twisted. He rounded the corner into the living room.
And the world stopped.
Elyse lay motionless on the floor. A pool of crimson slowly expanding beneath her.
For a moment, Kain couldn't breathe.
His gun trembled in his grip.
No. No, no, no, no.
His legs finally moved, carrying him forward. He dropped to his knees beside her, hands pressing against the wound on her chest. Warm. Too warm.
"Elyse—" His voice cracked. He shook her gently. "Hey. Stay with me."
Her lashes fluttered.
A faint breath.
"Kain…" Her voice was so soft. So weak.
"I'm here." His fingers curled against hers. "You're going to be fine."
A small, pained smile. "Liar."
Kain clenched his jaw. "Don't talk. Just—just hold on."
Her grip tightened for the briefest moment.
Then—
Her hand slipped from his.
And the light in her eyes faded.
A hollow silence swallowed the room.
Kain didn't move. Didn't blink. His hands remained on her, as if keeping them there could undo this.
The world blurred.
She's gone.
Something inside him snapped.
The gun fell from his grasp. His hands, coated in her blood, curled into fists. His breath came in slow, uneven gasps.
Then, a single sound.
A soft chime.
His head lifted slowly.
Her phone, lying on the table. The screen lit up.
A message.
Kain reached for it with shaking fingers.
He stared at the screen.
And something inside him burned.
TARGET ELIMINATED.
BOUNTY CLAIMED.
The message was signed with a name.
A name Kain would never forget.
A name that would die screaming.