The forest was no longer silent.
Even after the battle ended, even after my former instructor disappeared into the shadows, the air remained heavy — like the world itself was holding its breath.
"They will send more."
His final words echoed in my mind like a curse that refused to fade.
Of course they would.
The organization never abandons its weapons.
And I was once their finest creation.
I moved before the sun climbed higher.
Staying in one place meant death.
The small shelter I built over the past three years — the traps, the hidden paths, the quiet life I carved out of survival — I left it all behind without hesitation.
An assassin never grows attached.
That was the first lesson they taught me.
And the last one I could never forget.
Still… as I stepped deeper into the untouched parts of the forest, something inside me felt heavy.
Not fear.
Not regret.
But the faint echo of a life I almost had.
The deeper forest was different.
Older.
Darker.
The trees here grew taller than towers, their roots twisting like ancient serpents beneath the soil. Sunlight barely touched the ground, and the air carried a strange stillness — not peaceful, but watchful.
Even animals avoided this place.
Good.
That meant fewer witnesses.
And fewer interruptions.
I stopped beside a narrow stream and crouched low, dipping my hand into the cold water. My reflection stared back at me — pale skin, sharp eyes, and a face too calm for someone my age.
Eighteen.
Yet I had killed more men than I could remember.
What kind of human was I?
A sudden ripple disturbed the water.
Not wind.
Not fish.
Movement.
My body reacted instantly — dagger drawn, senses stretched.
Then—
A whisper.
Soft.
Unnatural.
"…Found you."
My eyes widened.
Too close.
I rolled sideways just as a blade pierced the ground where I had been kneeling.
Fast.
Silent.
Deadly.
Another assassin.
No — two.
No…
Three.
They emerged from the shadows like ghosts, dressed in black, faces hidden, killing intent suffocating the air.
Elites.
The organization wasn't testing me anymore.
They were eliminating me.
No warning.
No negotiation.
They attacked together.
Steel flashed from three directions — throat, heart, spine.
Perfect coordination.
No wasted movement.
No mercy.
Anyone else would have died instantly.
But I was not anyone.
I moved with the forest.
Low step — dodge.
Turn — parry.
Counter — strike.
One blade grazed my shoulder, warm blood spilling instantly. Pain sharpened my senses, not weakened them.
Good.
Pain meant I was alive.
And being alive meant I could still fight.
The first assassin lunged again, aiming for my neck.
Predictable.
I stepped forward instead of back — breaking his rhythm — and drove my dagger into the gap beneath his ribs.
Clean.
Precise.
Silent.
He fell without a sound.
Two left.
No time to breathe.
The second assassin attacked from behind — fast, relentless — forcing me back toward the stream. His blade danced like silver lightning, each strike sharper than the last.
Strong.
Very strong.
But his rhythm…
I recognized it.
A technique from the inner ranks of the organization.
Which meant—
He outranked me… back then.
Steel clashed again.
And again.
Faster.
Closer.
Deadlier.
Then—
I changed.
Not assassin.
Not human.
Beast.
I dropped low, letting his blade slice only air, grabbed his wrist, twisted — bone cracked — and drove my dagger straight through his throat.
Warm blood spilled across my hand.
One left.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The last assassin did not attack.
He simply stood there… watching.
Then slowly… he removed his mask.
My breath stopped.
"…Brother."
No.
Impossible.
He died.
I saw him die.
Three years ago… during the purge mission.
Yet the face before me was unmistakable.
The only person in that hell who ever protected me.
The only one who treated me like a human.
"How…?" I whispered.
He smiled faintly.
"The dead don't always stay buried."
My grip tightened on the dagger.
This was wrong.
Everything felt wrong.
"If you came to kill me," I said quietly, "then do it."
He shook his head.
"I didn't come as your enemy."
Silence.
Then—
"They're lying to you," he said. "The organization… the missions… the purge three years ago… it was never about eliminating traitors."
A chill ran through me.
"Then what was it?"
His eyes darkened.
"It was an experiment."
The forest seemed to close in around us.
"Experiment…?" I repeated.
"Yes," he said quietly. "They weren't creating assassins anymore."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"They were creating something else."
Something… worse.
Before I could speak—
The ground trembled.
Not footsteps.
Not battle.
Something… massive.
Alive.
Both of us turned instantly toward the deeper forest.
The trees shook.
Birds exploded into the sky.
And from the darkness beyond the roots of the ancient forest…
A roar emerged.
Not human.
Not animal.
Something far older.
Far more dangerous.
My brother's expression changed for the first time.
Shock.
"…They found it first."
"What is that?" I asked.
His answer came slowly.
"A failure."
The roar came again — closer now.
Stronger.
Hungry.
Then the trees broke.
And it appeared.
And in that moment…
I understood.
The world I escaped from…
Was far darker than I ever imagined.