Rain drowned the streets of Eldrenvale that night.Thunder rolled above the rooftops as shadows danced between flashes of lightning.
On the highest roof of the Duke's estate, a figure crouched — black cloak soaked through, a blade glinting faintly in his hand.
Kael.Known in whispers as the Stormblood Assassin.
He watched the guards below move in lazy circles, unaware their deaths were seconds away.Raindrops slid down his mask as his sharp grey eyes studied every movement, every breath.
"Four guards. Two near the balcony, one at the door, one patrolling the east side," he murmured to himself.
Lightning cracked.
By the time thunder answered, Kael had already moved.
He dropped silently, landing behind the first guard. One arm hooked around the man's throat — a swift twist, and the body slumped without a sound.The next guard turned, confused, mouth opening to shout—A dagger flashed.Silence returned.
Kael wiped the blade on the dead man's cloak. His movements were smooth, practiced — not cold, but controlled.He wasn't here to enjoy the kill. He was here to finish a contract.
He slipped through a side window into the Duke's mansion. Candles flickered along the corridor.Gold-framed paintings of noble ancestors stared down at him, their painted eyes judging — but Kael had long stopped caring about noble blood.
Every step he took left only a whisper.
Then—The sharp scrape of steel.
Kael's instincts screamed. He spun sideways just as a sword slashed through the air where his head had been.
A tall man in silver armor stepped from the shadows. His cape bore the Duke's crest.
"An intruder?" the knight growled, raising his blade. "Who dares enter the Duke's home?"
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Move. I don't want to waste time."
"You picked the wrong house, rat!"
The knight lunged. Steel met steel. Sparks burst in the dark hallway as Kael deflected the first blow, ducked under the second, and drove his elbow into the knight's ribs.
The man grunted but didn't fall. He was skilled — disciplined.Kael felt a flicker of respect. Then he vanished.
The knight blinked — Kael was gone.A flash of motion behind him — pain bloomed in his neck.Before he could scream, Kael's dagger cut cleanly across his throat.
"I told you," Kael whispered, lowering the body, "move."
Kael continued down the corridor. The Duke's chamber was ahead — light leaking from the cracks beneath the door.
He pushed it open.
Inside, Duke Rethan sat behind a desk, surrounded by ledgers and half-burned letters. The man looked up, startled, his jeweled rings catching the candlelight.
"Who are you? Guards!"
Kael stepped closer, dagger glinting.
"They won't come."
"Wait—wait! I can pay double, triple what they're offering—"
"You can't pay for your sins," Kael said quietly.
The Duke froze, sweat running down his face.
"You don't understand! I only—"
"I understand enough."
Lightning lit the room. When it faded, the Duke's head hit the floor with a dull thud.
Kael cleaned his blade, then burned the documents on the desk. Flames rose, consuming letters that spoke of bribes, murders, and betrayals. The stench of ink and smoke filled the air.
"Another one rotting from the inside," Kael muttered. "Eldrenvale never changes."
He moved to the window. Outside, more guards were rushing through the courtyard, shouting.Crossbows raised.
Bolts hissed through the rain.
Kael leapt out the window, landing in the mud below. A bolt grazed his shoulder — pain flared, but he didn't stop. He darted between statues and hedges, movements fluid and silent even as arrows whistled past him.
One guard blocked his path, blade raised high.Kael slid under the swing, sliced the man's leg, then slammed a dagger into his heart.
Another came from behind — Kael spun, grabbed the man's wrist, and twisted until bones snapped.
"Monster!" a third shouted.
Kael flicked his wrist. A throwing knife whistled through the rain and buried itself in the man's throat.
The courtyard fell quiet.
Kael stood in the center, chest rising and falling, blood washing away in the downpour.His veins pulsed faintly with light — a faint crackle of lightning under his skin. The Stormblood.He clenched his fist until it faded.
"Control it," he whispered to himself. "Not tonight."
He turned and vanished into the storm.
Hours Later – The Guild Below the City
Hidden beneath Eldrenvale's old cathedral was a maze of tunnels — the home of the Assassin's Guild.
Kael walked through the entrance chamber, cloak dripping. Torches burned along the walls. The smell of steel, oil, and damp stone filled the air.
Rogue eyes followed him as he passed. Whispers rippled through the hall.
"He's back…""Stormblood himself…""Finished the Duke job, I heard…"
Kael ignored them and kept walking until he reached the inner chamber.
There, seated before a massive table of carved obsidian, was Master Ardyn — tall, silver-haired, with eyes as sharp as knives. The man who had raised Kael since he was a child.
"You're late," Ardyn said flatly.
Kael dropped the bloodied emblem of the Duke onto the table.
"The target's dead. No survivors."
Ardyn leaned back, inspecting him.
"And the wound on your shoulder?"
"Barely worth mentioning."
A faint smirk touched the older man's lips.
"Still pretending to be invincible?"
Kael didn't answer. He glanced at the flickering candle beside them.Its flame trembled, just like the lightning that sometimes flickered inside him.
Ardyn reached into his cloak and slid a parchment across the table.A red seal marked with the Guild's crest.
"Your next contract."
Kael frowned.
"Already? I just got back."
"Time doesn't wait for rest. This one's special. It's a protection job."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Protection? We're assassins, not guards."
"This request came from Lord Veyne himself. His daughter's life is under threat. Internal conflict, assassination attempts, political filth… he offered gold and favors."
"And you want me to babysit a noble girl?"
"You'll guard her, quietly. No one must know who you are. You'll go undercover."Ardyn's voice dropped lower. "Consider it… a test."
Kael studied him for a long moment, then took the parchment.The seal cracked open.
Inside, the name written in elegant script:Elara Veyne – Aurevale Academy.
He exhaled slowly.
"A noble girl. An academy. What am I supposed to do there?"
"Blend in. Watch. Protect. And if anyone comes for her…"Ardyn's gaze hardened."Eliminate them."
Kael stood, tucking the parchment inside his cloak.The torches around him hissed as the storm outside rumbled again.
"A new mission," he said quietly, pulling his hood over his eyes. "Another storm to walk through."
He turned and disappeared into the dark tunnels, footsteps echoing softly — a shadow moving toward his next hunt.