Two quiet, peaceful days passed without disturbances—
no assassins, no strange shadows, no whispers of danger.
But on the third morning, the day the nobles chose to begin their coup, everything changed.
At dawn, Raven left the orphanage, heading toward her mentor's home to help with repairs. Around the same time, Sister Mari left with Rin and several children, heading toward the market to buy supplies.
The city felt unusually calm.
Too calm.
Raven spent the whole day assisting her mentor. By the time they finished, the sun was dipping low, brushing the sky with orange light. Her mentor, always fond of the children, decided to return to the orphanage with her to donate a few items and play with the younger ones.
But when Raven reached the orphanage gates…
She felt… nothing.
No laughter.
No running feet.
No voices.
Just silence.
A silence that choked the air.
She pushed open the door.
And froze.
Lira—Raven's friend from the orphanage—lay on the floor, blood pooling beneath her from a wound in her side and another on her arm. Her hands still gripped her sword, knuckles white. The children huddled around her, crying, bruised, terrified.
When the children saw Raven, they ran to her, hugged her feet, and began to cry.
They all started talking together. "Men attacked us and they were hitting everyone. They took mother Mary " and started crying.
Raven patted their heads and said with a smile, "Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'll make sure of it."
And she walked towards Lira .
Raven sank to the ground beside her.
Her voice came out calm. Too calm.
Raven:
"Lira. Tell me what happened."
Lira's breath trembled as she looked up.
Lira:
"Men… attacked us. They tried to hurt the children. I fought— I fought as hard as I could, but… there were too many. Too strong…"
Her voice cracked. Tears spilled across her cheeks.
She held out a crumpled paper with shaking fingers.
Lira:
"They… they made me give this to you… I'm sorry—Raven, I'm so sorry. I tried. I really tried. I'm weak—I'm useless—"
She broke down, sobbing.
Raven placed a steady hand on her shoulder.
Raven:
"You're not weak.
And because of you, the children are still alive."
Only then did she take the paper and read it.
A short message.
A crude map.
A red X marking a place outside the city—far away, at least six hours by horse.
"We have the nun and the children.
If you want them alive, come alone."
Raven recognized the location instantly:
A ruined, abandoned village used by travelers decades ago.
The nobles wanted her far from the capital.
Far from their coup.
Something snapped inside her.
Her vision tinted red—not from emotion, but from anger so deep it felt ancient. It reminded her of Liz.
Of loss.
Of helplessness she refused to relive.
Her thoughts turned into a single sentence:
I will kill them all.
Every last one of them.
She rose slowly, her posture controlled, her expression unchanged—too calm. Too still.
Her mentor stepped in front of her.
Elyra :
"I'm coming with you—"
Raven (voice quiet, cold enough to freeze bone):
"No."
Her mentor flinched.
The air around Raven had turned icy, Dark,heavy, suffocating.
Raven :
"Stay here.
If they attack the orphanage again, the children will need you."
Before her Elyra could argue—
Raven vanished , disappeared right before everyone's eyes, leaving everyone in shock.
Her teleportation ability tearing the air with a violent ripple.
In the next heartbeat, she appeared at the marked location.
The dead village was silent, wind whistling between broken houses. Ahead, a group of mercenaries lounged carelessly around a small hut, drinking, laughing.
Among them were robed figures—black mages using corrupted magic.
They turned their heads at the pressure suddenly filling the air.
A dark, crushing aura radiated from the girl who had appeared before them , from nowhere.
Some mercenaries trembled, but still drew their weapons.
They didn't live long enough to swing them.
⸻
Raven stepped forward.
Shadow energy twisted behind her, condensing into a dagger of pure black—her manifestation magic.
She didn't change expression.
She didn't speak.
In a blur, she moved through the mercenaries.
Ten seconds.
Maybe less.
Bodies hit the ground one by one, expressions frozen in shock, throats slit or hearts pierced.
Raven didn't even break a sweat.
The black mages panicked instantly.
Mage:
"H-How did she get here so fast?! She wasn't supposed to arrive until nightfall—this is impossible!"
Raven didn't care.
Not about their fear.
Not about their confusion.
Not about their lives.
"Do you want my help ?" Morrivayne said in an amused voice from within her mind. But Raven did not speak or reply to her.
A lance of pure energy formed in her hand—the one she created using the Soul Magic she had copied during the second assassination attempt.
She mixed it with her dark energy.
The result was catastrophic.
The first mage died before he could shield.
The second imploded, soul torn apart.
The third tried to run—she didn't let him make it two steps.
When the last body fell, silence reclaimed the village.
⸻
Raven pushed open the hut's door.
Inside, mary Mari was tied with her hands behind her back, blood running from a cut on her forehead. Rin lay unconscious, bleeding from multiple wounds. Four children huddled together, bruised and crying.
When the nun saw Raven , her eyes filled with tears of relief.
The moment Raven stepped inside, the children sprinted toward her, clinging to her legs.
Raven (softly):
"You're safe now. Don't worry."
She untied mother Mary, who immediately embraced her.
Mother Mari:
"They're trying to kill you, Raven ! Why did you come?! You should have hidden—"
Raven(small smile that didn't reach her eyes):
"It's fine. Everything will end today , now let's go back home. "
She lifted Rin carefully into her arms.
Raven:
"Hold onto me. All of you."
They stared in confusion, but obeyed.
And in an instant—
They were back at the orphanage.
⸻
Raven set Rin down gently, and her mentor hurried toward her.
Mentor:
"Raven you ok , That ability… what was that?"
Raven:
"I'll explain later."
Her voice was distant.
Raven:
"Please, take care of Rin's wounds."
Her mentor's eyes narrowed.
Mentor:
"…Raven. Where are you going?"
Raven turned toward the city, toward the palace where the coup was unfolding.
Her golden eyes had turned dangerously calm.
Raven :
"To finish what the corrupt nobles started."
Then she vanished again.