Assassin Mage

(One Hour Earlier)

The abandoned house stood in eerie silence, untouched for years, yet filled with echoes of a life once lived. The moon cast pale light through the shattered windows, illuminating the dust that danced in the air. Rayne stood at the entrance, his silhouette motionless against the night, a lone figure revisiting the ghosts of his past.

His footsteps were slow, deliberate, as he stepped inside. The wooden floor creaked beneath him, a sound so familiar it sent a shiver down his spine. He had been gone for seven years, yet everything remained frozen in time, coated in dust and decay. 

Rayne moved through the rooms, fingers trailing across old furniture, overturned chairs, broken shelves. His breath hitched slightly when he saw the remnants of his childhood, a wooden training sword leaning against the wall, a faded book with his name scrawled in uneven handwriting. But nothing struck him harder than when his eyes landed on a small, cracked picture frame sitting on a forgotten table. 

He picked it up carefully, brushing away the layer of dust to reveal a photo of himself and his mother.

She was smiling, a warmth he could no longer remember firsthand, only in fragments of memories buried deep. He traced a finger over her face, swallowing the lump in his throat. He could still hear her voice if he tried hard enough, still feel the way she used to brush his hair out of his eyes. 

But then reality crashed in. 

Rayne's expression darkened as he recalled the brutal truth, she was gone. She had died seven years ago during the Dark Mage attack, the same night he had died. 

Or at least, the night Leo Ryder died. 

His grip tightened on the frame as his mind reeled back to the moment he had awoken, not in this ruined house, not in the kingdom, but in a cave surrounded by three dragons. His chest had burned with unnatural heat, his body foreign and different. And the one truth that had hit him like a blade to the heart, everything he had once known was gone.

Rayne exhaled sharply, pushing the painful memories aside. He set the frame down carefully, his gaze lingering on his mother's image for just a moment longer before turning away. 

There was no time for ghosts. 

Tonight, the past had called him back, but the future was waiting.

***

Rayne stood at the threshold of the abandoned house for a moment longer, casting one last glance at the ruins of his past before exhaling softly. It was time to leave.

The night was deep and quiet as he walked the lonely path back to the palace. His mind was restless. Memories of his mother, of the life he had lost, clashed with the reality he now lived. He had spent so many years perfecting his disguise, ensuring no one ever suspected who he truly was. But standing in that ruined house had shaken something loose inside him, something he had buried for so long. 

And yet, he knew there was no place for sentiment. Leo Ryder was dead. Rayne Egan had a mission to complete.

As he approached the castle walls, the air crackled with magical energy. At night, Arcania's palace was sealed with protective enchantments, no one could enter or leave without proper clearance. A lesser mage would have been stuck outside.

He was not a lesser mage. 

His aura flared for a fraction of a second, the shadows around him darkening. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, phasing through the wall as though it were nothing more than mist. The protective spell, meant to ward off intruders, rippled around him before yielding to his presence. 

Once inside, he continued his path toward the main palace building. The night was still, the corridors dimly lit by enchanted lanterns. Everything appeared normal, but….Something was off. Rayne stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing. A foreign presence. An aura that did not belong.It was subtle, barely there, but strong. Dangerous. 

His pulse quickened. 

Without a second thought, he moved. His steps were silent as he approached the main hall, his senses sharpened. And just as he rounded the corner, He saw it. A shadowy figure, cloaked in darkness, standing before the wall leading to the path to Emeney's chambers.

Rayne's breath slowed. His fingers twitched, ready to summon his sword. But before he could act. The figure vanished. It disappeared into the wall without a sound, slipping through like a phantom. And in its wake, three bodies lay lifeless on the marble floor.

'Palace guards….not king's guards' He thought. 

Rayne's gaze hardened. His jaw clenched as he took in the sight of their still forms, blood pooling beneath them. They didn't seem like they even had the chance to fight back. 

His eyes snapped to the wall where the intruder had disappeared. 'He's going for the Princess' He immediately realized. Rayne didn't hesitate. He moved.

***

The dark mage's blade gleamed in the dim moonlight as it came down toward Emeney's exposed throat. A kill meant to be swift, silent. But just before the fatal strike….A hand shot out, gripping the assassin's wrist like a steel vice.

The blade trembled, frozen mere inches from her neck. 

The hooded figure snapped his head to the side, eyes twitching with surprise as he found Rayne standing beside him, his grip unyielding. "Not on my watch" Rayne muttered, his voice calm but edged with lethal intent. 

The assassin mage barely had time to process what had happened when Emeney stirred, letting out a soft breath before her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze locked onto the intruders in her room, Rayne gripping a cloaked figure, a blade poised just above her. 

Her heart slammed against her ribs in shock. "What…?!" 

Before she could react, the dark mage lashed out, twisting his body to drive a brutal kick into the distracted Rayne's chest. He flew backward, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud.

The assassin turned back to the princess, his blade flashing once more, aiming to finish what he started. But he struck only air. Emeney had already moved, acrobatically flipping out of bed and landing on her feet.

Her breathing was sharp, her pulse racing, but she had no time for fear. She was awake now. Ready. Clad in only her night shorts and a tank top, she stood firm as the assassin wasted no time, lunging at her once more. 

But she was fast as well. "Get out to safety, Rayne, and get backup" She yelled out. 

She stretched out her hand to her side and her sword immediately materialized in her grasp, its blade humming with raw energy as she blocked his attack. Steel met steel in a violent clash, sparks flying between them. 

Rayne, recovering from the impact, narrowed his eyes as he watched Emeney holding her own. She was impressive. Her movements were quick, her sword strikes sharp…but she was still full of openings. And the assassin mage saw them. Each time the dark mage attempted to exploit her weaknesses, Rayne subtly intervened. Before he joined the fight. 

A flick of energy here, a slight redirection there, all unseen. Emeney never noticed, but her mistakes never cost her. Instead, Rayne absorbed the hits meant to cripple her, his body tanking the assassin's brutal magic-infused strikes while keeping up his facade of a mere B-Class mage. 

He fought alongside her, making sure she stayed in the lead, allowing her to think she was in control. But behind the scenes, he was the real threat. The battle raged on, swords clashing, magic crackling. The room became a battlefield, furniture shattered, walls scarred by stray spells. 

Then, Pain. The assassin's blade sliced across Rayne's arm, a deep cut spilling blood. But he barely flinched. He only gritted his teeth and kept fighting.

And then, he decided it was enough.

In one swift motion, Rayne landed a devastating, magic infused hidden blow to the assassin's ribs, his strength far surpassing what a B-Class mage should be capable of. 

The dark mage let out a strangled gasp, his body crumpling to his knees. But to everyone else, it looked as if Emeney had landed the finishing strike. She didn't hesitate. With a swift, clean motion, she raised her sword and beheaded the dark mage. 

His lifeless body slumped forward as his head rolled across the floor. 

Silence. 

Both of them stood there, breathing heavily, the scent of blood thick in the air. Rayne wiped his injured arm, his expression unreadable. 

Emeney exhaled, steadying herself before glancing at him. "Are you okay?" 

He looked at her, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I should be asking you that, Princess"

***

Minutes after the dark mage's body hit the floor, the air in the princess's chamber remained thick with tension. Emeney exhaled sharply, running a hand through her disheveled hair as she took in the mess left behind. Broken furniture, slashed curtains, burn marks from stray magic. Her sanctuary had become a battlefield.

Rayne, calm as ever, had already begun handling the dark mage's corpse, dragging it toward the center of the room. 

As she adjusted a fallen table, her frustration boiled over."You shouldn't have been here," She snapped, turning toward him. "I gave you an order. You could've been killed!"

Rayne, crouched beside the lifeless body, barely looked up. "I'm fine" He replied, while feeling beads of sweat forming on his forehead. But he didn't think much of it. 

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not the point!" She folded her arms. "You disobeyed a direct command. What if you had been too slow? What if he had actually killed you?"

Rayne smirked. "Then I'd be dead. No use worrying about it"

She clenched her jaw, frustration mixing with something else, something she couldn't quite name. But as she paced the room, her thoughts shifted. Her brows furrowed as she replayed the battle in her mind. Something wasn't right. The assassin had been too easy to kill. She had been fighting well, but not flawlessly. And yet, she hadn't suffered a single scratch.

She turned slightly, stealing a glance at Rayne, who was still busy with the body. 'Did he…?'

Before she could finish the thought, the door to her room burst open. Xander, Commander Dion, and two King's Guards rushed in, swords in hands, their faces etched with urgency. 

Their eyes scanned the room. The princess was alive, and the dark mage dead. 

Xander's breath hitched in relief on seeing her. "Emeney!"He immediately closed the distance, pulling her into his arms. "We got here as fast as we could," He murmured against her hair. "The patrol found the dead guards in the main hall. We knew the intruder was most likely coming for you through the path he took" 

She tensed slightly but let him hold her, still too deep in thought to respond. 

Across the room, Commander Dion observed the scene with sharp eyes before his gaze landed on Rayne, standing against the wall, arms folded, and with a calm expression. 

"What happened?" Commander Dion asked, voice firm. 

Emeney pulled away from Xander and quickly explained the attack, how she had fought the assassin mage with Rayne's assistance, how the intruder had been dealt with, how she would have been dead if Rayne wasn't present while she was asleep, and how they both slew the mage, a little assistance from Rayne who served as a distracting tank. 

As she spoke, Xander's grip on her arm subtly tightened.Jealousy flickered in his eyes. Rayne, a mere B-Class mage, had been the one present to assist her and not him, her fiancé. It didn't sit well with him, and he also wondered what Rayne was doing in the room in the first place. 

When Emeney finished recounting the events, she turned to Rayne, her tone softening slightly. "You should go get that wound checked"

Rayne scoffed, flexing his injured arm. "I told you, I'm fine"

"You're bleeding"

"It's nothing"

She gave him a pointed look, and he sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll go" 

He took a few steps toward the door, then he swayed. His vision blurred, his legs buckling beneath him. A sudden wave of dizziness hit him like a storm, his strength vanishing in an instant. They all noticed this, staring at him confused, except Emeney staring at him worriedly. "Rayne!?" She called his name. 

He collapsed.

"Rayne!" Emeney called out and lunged forward, catching him before he hit the ground. She knelt beside him, cradling his head in her lap, panic flickering across her face. 

Xander and Commander Dion rushed over, eyes sharp with concern as they examined him to know what had happened, and then they examined the wound on his arm. And then, they saw it. 

The edges of the cut were darkening, veins around it turning an unnatural shade of black. 

Commander Dion's expression hardened "Poison" He announced. 

Emeney's breath caught in her throat. The assassin's blade had been laced with poison. And Rayne, her unlikely protector was fading fast.