Shadows Within Shadows

Dawn crept in slowly.

A pale glow filtered through the cracks in the ruined temple walls, casting eerie shadows across the bloodstained floor. The corpse that had spoken the night before was finally still, its lifeless form swaying slightly in the breeze.

Kaito sat on a broken pillar, idly spinning the Black Lotus token between his fingers.

A choice.

That's what they called it.

But he knew better.

Wu-Jin wasn't offering him a path—he was tightening a noose.

And Jin Tae-Hyun had spent an entire lifetime dodging nooses.

---

The Weight of a Decision

The silver-haired assassin stood nearby, arms crossed. She had remained silent all night, watching him, waiting.

"They'll expect an answer soon," she finally said.

Kaito smirked. "And if I say no?"

She tilted her head. "Then they'll expect your corpse."

Fair.

Kaito exhaled slowly. He'd played this game before. Back in his previous life, the rules were the same—join or die.

But he wasn't some desperate rookie.

And if the Black Lotus thought they could leash him, they were in for a surprise.

He tossed the token into the air, caught it, and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Alright," he said, stretching lazily. "Let's go see what the big boss wants."

---

The Black Lotus Stronghold

The journey took half a day.

The Black Lotus Stronghold wasn't marked on any map. It was buried deep in the mountains, hidden behind layers of natural barriers and guarded passageways.

By the time they arrived, the sun hung high, casting golden light over the sect's sprawling fortress.

Kaito whistled. "Not bad. I was expecting something more… ominous."

The assassin gave him a side glance. "It's not the outside you should be worried about."

The two of them crossed the main courtyard, passing by masked disciples who moved with an unsettling stillness. No wasted movements. No idle chatter.

Killers.

All of them.

And every single one of them was watching him.

Kaito smirked.

If they were waiting for him to look intimidated, they'd be disappointed.

---

An Invitation to the Abyss

Wu-Jin was waiting in a grand hall, seated on a raised platform like a king on his throne. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, calculating.

"You came," he mused.

Kaito shrugged. "Would've been rude to ignore such a warm invitation."

Wu-Jin chuckled. "And? Have you decided?"

Silence stretched between them.

Kaito glanced at the masked figures lining the walls. No escape routes. No obvious weapons within reach.

If he said no, he wouldn't make it to the door.

He knew that.

But he also knew something else.

No one here knew the full extent of what he was capable of.

And that was his greatest advantage.

Kaito smiled.

"I accept."

The words left his mouth easily, smoothly. But deep inside, his mind was already working through contingencies.

Wu-Jin's smile widened. "Good. Then let's make things official."

He clapped his hands.

A door at the back of the hall slid open.

Kaito turned, expecting another elder, maybe some sort of initiation ritual.

Instead—

Two figures were dragged into the room.

Bound. Beaten. Barely breathing.

Kaito's heart slowed.

One of them—he recognized.

A disciple from the Hidden Serpent Sect.

A fellow assassin.

The other?

A child.

A boy, no older than twelve, trembling as he struggled against his bindings.

Wu-Jin leaned forward. "Loyalty isn't given. It's proven."

Kaito's breath was steady. His face remained neutral.

But inside?

Rage simmered beneath the surface.

Wu-Jin gestured at the prisoners.

"Kill one of them."

The hall fell silent.

The disciples lining the walls watched, waiting.

The silver-haired assassin beside him didn't move.

Kaito tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "That's it? Just kill one?"

Wu-Jin smiled.

Kaito let out a slow breath.

This wasn't a test of skill.

It was a test of submission.

And suddenly, he realized something.

They didn't trust him yet.

That meant—

They hadn't been the ones who orchestrated his setup.

Someone else had.

And that meant, whether he killed someone today or not—

He was still a loose end.

Kaito's grip tightened around the token in his sleeve.

His next move would decide everything.

And he had seconds to make it.