The silence in the palace was deceptive. By day, its halls teemed with servants and court officials, but at night, it became a different creature altogether one that whispered with secrets and moved with shadows.
Liora kept her back to the wall as she crept through the corridors, trying to memorize the twisting layout. The Crown Prince's words echoed in her head: Spies, rivals, assassins.
"Great," she whispered to herself. "I'm about to die in a place where I can't even find the bathroom."
A soft chime in her head interrupted her panic.
[Mission Sub-Objective: Survive targeted assassination attempt]
[Bonus Reward: +50 Soul Points if you identify the assassin's employer.]
Liora's blood turned to ice. Targeted assassination?
As if on cue, a faint footstep sounded behind her. She spun, but the corridor was empty.
"Okay," she muttered, heart hammering. "I'm not paranoid. This is real.
She darted into a side hallway lined with paper lanterns and paused just in time to catch the flash of movement a blade slicing silently through the air where her neck had been.
She dropped to the floor with a yelp as the assassin stepped into view, dressed head to toe in black, face hidden. Without a word, he lunged again.
"I can explain" Liora blurted, grabbing the nearest object a heavy vase and hurling it at him. It hit his shoulder with a satisfying thud but barely slowed him down.
Her only option was to run. She tore down the corridor, skirts snagging on sharp corners as the assassin's footsteps closed in behind her.
She rounded a corner and skidded to a halt. Three palace maids stood in a huddle, whispering. At the sight of her frantic expression, one shrieked.
"Assassin" Liora gasped. "He's right"
But the women didn't scream for help. Instead, their eyes narrowed, and in a blink, two of them pulled daggers from their sleeves.
"You have to be kidding me, she breathed.
The first maid lunged, and Liora ducked instinctively, rolling across the floor as the second's blade sliced through the air. She scrambled toward the third, hoping at least one was innocent, but the woman smirked and kicked her square in the chest.
Liora crashed into the wall, gasping for breath.
"This isn't personal," one of the maids said coolly, raising her dagger. "You're simply in the way."
"Wait" Liora blurted, hands raised. "Who sent you? Was it"
She didn't get an answer. A crossbow bolt whistled out of the shadows and struck the maid in the throat. She dropped instantly.
Liora jerked back as a figure emerged from the darkness. It wasn't the Crown Prince.
The newcomer was a man in dark armor, his eyes glinting like molten gold under the torchlight. "Move," he ordered, raising his weapon again.
"Who are you?" Liora demanded.
He didn't answer. Another bolt fired, taking out the second maid before she could react. The assassin from earlier appeared again at the end of the hall, and the armored man pushed Liora behind him.
"Stay down," he hissed, drawing a sword.
Liora crouched low, heart pounding as the two men clashed in a blur of steel. Sparks flew with each strike, and she could barely track their movements.
[Warning: Vital threat detected.
Death probability: 78%.]
"Not helping!" she hissed at the System's voice in her head.
The armored man ducked a swing and countered with a swift upward strike, sending the assassin stumbling back. The enemy disappeared into the shadows seconds later, leaving behind only a smear of blood.
Breathing heavily, the armored man turned to Liora. "You shouldn't be walking around the palace alone at night," he said sharply.
"Thanks for the tip," she shot back. "Who are you?"
He hesitated before answering. "General Kael. I serve the Crown Prince."
Liora blinked. She'd heard of him Kael, the youngest general in the empire, famous for his ruthlessness.
"You were the target tonight," he said flatly. "If you don't want to end up dead, stay in your quarters. The palace isn't safe for someone like you."
She opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes silenced her. Kael turned and strode off into the darkness, leaving her alone in the flickering torchlight.
[Sub-Objective Complete: Assassination survived]
[Bonus Objective: Employer not yet identified]
Liora slumped against the wall, trembling. Someone in the palace already wanted her dead and she was certain this wouldn't be the last attempt.
As the System's timer ticked down, one thought kept racing through her mind:
I need to figure out who's behind this… or I won't last the week.