Moonlight cast a silver haze over the courtyard. Armed guards patrolled lazily, unaware of the two figures slipping through their defences.
One, lean and tall, knelt by the door. His fingers worked skilfully as he tried to coax the cold metal lock into submission. The other, shorter and a bit rounder, stood awkwardly nearby, his head darting around like a restless rooster.
"Can you make it faster, Cassian?" The restless one mumbled.
Cassian's left eye twitched. "Stop asking every five seconds, Kain," he said, his voice taut with suppressed anger. Kain crossed his arms, like a child who didn't have his way. He looked away, but not before Cassian saw something dark flash in his eyes. Ignoring him, he grabbed a slim pick from his small satchel draped around his side and slid it into the lock.
Cassian knew he had to finish quickly, even though he hated to admit it, before his mother noticed his empty room.
The lock resisted, clamping hard on his pick and snapping it in half. Sighing, he reached for another. There go my lovely picks.
From the far corner, light from an approaching lantern spilt faintly on the floor. It was accompanied by idle chatter and heavy footsteps, each ticking closer to their discovery.
Shit, Cassian's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his hands working overtime.
The pick twisted unnaturally, rendering it useless. Cursing, he tossed it aside, fumbling for another from his satchel. Sweat slicked his cold hands as dread sank deeper in his mind.
Just as the lantern peeked over the corner, the lock gave way. In a fluid motion, Cassian opened the door, yanking Kain in, and shut it softly.
Light slipped from the door cracks, and two shadows blotted part of the light, bringing fear and anxiety with them.
"Did you hear something?" A gruff, unfamiliar voice asked. The night grew colder, and the silence became deafening. Cassian's fingers snaked around his pocketknife hilt, preparing for the worst.
"It must have been the wind or something," the other guard snorted. The footsteps retreated into the night, taking the pale light with them.
Kain exhaled loudly, putting his hands on his chest as he leaned against the door.
"That was close, all because of your fumbling!" He barked. Cassian hurled the satchel at Kain, which smacked into his chest, causing him to stumble. His eyes widened as Cassian marched towards him, his face dark with rage.
"My fumbling?" Cassian jabbed his finger into his chest. "Maybe you should do your job and quit whining." Kain's jaw tightened as he stared defiantly into Cassian's eyes.
Cursing, Cassian rubbed his face and turned away. "Idiot."
I could have spent the day resting rather than dealing with this fool, he thought, rubbing his face with his hands. But he couldn't afford to refuse any job that came his way, not with his… ailing mother.
His job now is to steal a valuable pendant, which is imported and said to be worth thousands of coins.
Weak moonbeams from a shuttered window cast a dim glow on the room's riches: gold pooled on velvet, and gemstones shone in chests. All neatly arranged on tables and shelves. The air reeked of dust, old parchment and clothes that hadn't been worn in years.
Heat pressed at the back of Cassian's neck uncomfortably. He fanned himself with his gloved hands, but it was as good as trying to cool a hot stream of water with a piece of paper. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Kain reach out to a pouch filled with precious gems. He snapped his fingers, causing Kain to jerk softly.
"We're here for the pendant. Nothing more." Cassian warned. A rule that separated him from other thieves who lacked a moral compass.
Kain's eyes flared, and his lips pressed into a thin line, but he put his hands down somewhat reluctantly.
The two soon found the pendant: a huge ruby stone connected to a silver chain. Cassian carefully placed it in his satchel and pulled Kain away before he stuffed his pants with gold coins.
The two slipped under the cover of shadows. They moved silently and persistently, like a plague of the night. They approached an edge of the fence that sprawled around the compound. Locating the hole they had used to gain entry, the duo wormed their way to safety.
"Another job completed," Cassian muttered emptily as he paused to let the calm night breeze wash over him. How long would I have to do this? He rubbed the back of his neck. This wasn't the life he wanted, but then again, he never had the luxury of choosing.
"Let's get back quickly before-"
A sharp pain shot from his lower back, spreading shock across his torso. A cold steel blade tore free from Cassian's back, leaving in its wake a fresh wave of pain.
He turned around to see Kain with a bloodied dagger. His face was twisted in an emotion that Cassian couldn't decipher.
"Kain?" he rasped out.
Without hesitation, Kain thrust the dagger into Cassian's abdomen, its aim true and unrelenting. Cassian shoved Kain aside, but his legs collapsed beneath him. Blood trickled down his lower half, a grim awakening to his dire situation. His world spun as he gasped for air, the iron tang of blood filling his mouth.
He looked up to see Kain looming over him like death, a crazed look in his eyes.
"What the actual f-"
"Stay down. It would be best for you." His voice was veiled and monotonous, not letting Cassian glimpse his inner turmoil.
"Have you gone insane?" Cassian tried to get up, but his legs gave way, and he crashed to the floor into a dishevelled heap.
Kain's mask slipped briefly. His lips curled downwards, and his jaw clenched in anger.
"Why would you care? I am nothing more to you than an idiot who can't seem to reach your expectations!" Each word became louder than the previous, his voice uneven with rage and frustration.
"So you are doing this because of a bruised ego?"
Kain ignored him and knelt to pull the pendant from the satchel, clutching it like a jealous owner.
"We both know you aren't a murderer." Cassian's attempt to dissuade Kain failed. Kain turned around and never looked back.
"Kain… Kain! Come back." He called out desperately, but soon enough, Kain had disappeared into the silent night, the woods swallowing him whole.
Cassian clutched the wound, and his palm became slick with blood. He crawled toward the fence, each shallow breath rattling in his chest painfully.
So this is it? The thought drifted unwillingly in his mind, a silent resignation to his fate.
A distant memory flickered through his mind, where his younger sister ran around and tugged a younger Cassian along. "What if we could meet again? In the next life?" she had asked once, her voice bright and her big eyes filled with hope. He had laughed then, believing it was the result of a child's imagination.
Now he found himself desperately clinging to that hope. The bleak, cloudy skies seemed to reflect his life. His world was closing, and his head felt light due to the lack of blood. Pain dulled into a distant feeling, and Cassian closed his eyes.
If only there were a second life, he would do things differently - learn to ask for help sometimes, keep family close and not let himself trudge along dangerous life paths. But that seemed too great a wish for a nobody like him to ask.
I'm sorry, Mother. Your son isn't coming home tonight.
With that final thought, he breathed his last, and his world faded to black.
Something answered his plea.