DarknessLord21

He was trained to take lives. She taught him what it meant to live.

Aiden, a 21-year-old assassin raised by a cold, ruthless organization, receives one final mission: eliminate the only daughter of a noble family, Elena Rivers — a kind-hearted 19-year-old known for her compassion toward the poor and orphaned.

But from the moment he sees her, Aiden's resolve begins to crumble.
Her smile. Her warmth. Her belief in kindness.
Something inside him shifts.

Instead of completing the mission, Aiden gives her seven days to live.

Seven Days Of Redemption

The night was growing heavier, clouds swallowing the stars. Rain threatened the silence with a distant rumble. Aiden's breath was shallow, his side aching from the old bruises, but his steps didn't falter. He knew Dante was here. He could feel it in the air—like the cold before lightning.

He'd barely escaped prison with Milo's help. Every second counted now.

Inside her estate, Elena paced her room restlessly. Since Aiden's arrest, her world had twisted. She hated him at first—for the lies, the secrets, the betrayal. But even more than hate, what grew in her heart was confusion.

Why had he looked at her like she mattered?

A part of her believed he was different.

The other part screamed she was being foolish.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. Then dimmed. Then went out completely.

Her eyes widened. She looked out the window, then to the hallway. Quiet.

She opened her door and crept down the corridor.

Across the street, Aiden watched from the shadows. He could see flickers of movement inside. Then a tall silhouette entering through the second-floor balcony.

He moved with brutal elegance. Like a dancer in a silent massacre.

Back at the Syndicate base, Lucien stood watching multiple screens. One showed Dante inside the estate. Another displayed a paused image of Aiden, taken days ago—just before he'd been captured. He no longer spoke to the room. He just stared, silent, disappointed.

"Aiden. You were meant for more than this."

He looked to his right. Milo's system breach had left traces.

Elena heard a sound—a soft click.

She backed into a corner, hand trembling on her phone. She tried to dial emergency services. No signal.

"I know you're in here," a voice called out. Calm. Male. Cold.

Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind.

"Elena! It's me!" A voice whispered.

His face was battered, lips cracked, eyes intense with fear and urgency.

"You have to trust me. We need to go. Now."

"You?! After everything you—how did you even get out?!"

"No time. Someone worse is here. His name is Dante. If he finds you, you won't have time to scream."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?!" she hissed.

"No," he said quietly. "But I'm still trying to protect you. Doesn't that count for something?"

A creak echoed down the hall. They both turned.

"We have to go," Aiden said again, grabbing her hand.

"No! I don't even know who you are!"

"Then let me show you... by getting you out alive."

A door burst open down the hall. Dante's shadow emerged, long and deliberate.

"I can hear you. Come now, and I might make it quick."

Elena's eyes filled with fear. She looked at Aiden, her breathing shaking.

Through corridors. Down staircases. Across shattered windows and fallen guards.

Aiden led her into a side passage, one only servants knew. He pushed open the cellar doors, revealing the outer wall leading to the stables.

"Once we're out, head for the forest. Milo left a safe house. I'll catch up."

"No! I'm not leaving you behind!"

"If he catches both of us, it ends here. Please, Elena."

Tears welled in her eyes. Her lips trembled.

"Because the night I met you... I remembered what it felt like to be human."

Elena ran. Into the night. Into the storm.

Behind her, she heard the first gunshot.

Chapter 11: A Storm In The Dark