Rain tore across Eldrenvale, hammering the streets and rooftops. Thunder rolled like distant cannons, and lightning split the night sky. Light shone on the uneven, spiky outline of the Duke's mansion. Every window glowed with candlelight, mocking the storm outside.
Kael crouched on a wet rooftop, cloak clinging to his back, eyes sharp as daggers. Fingers sparked faintly with electricity, ready. Below, guards patrolled with the arrogance of men who believed no shadow could touch them.
"One misstep, Kael, and you're just another corpse," he reminded himself, remembering his master's words. "Shadows are your allies. Strike with precision. Lightning follows only your will."
Two guards paused at the gate.
"Did you hear that?" one muttered, glancing toward the shadows.
"Probably rats," the other replied.
Kael smirked faintly. Rats don't move like this.
He dropped silently onto a balcony, dagger in hand. Lightning arced from his fingertips, striking the first guard squarely in the chest. The man was violently screaming before hitting the rain-slicked ground. The second guard swung blindly, but Kael rolled under the blade, dagger flashing. Sparks hissed as metal met electricity.
"Too slow," Kael muttered, jumping over a railing to strike the next pair of guards. A spinning kick sent one flying into the gutter. The other barely had time to cry out before lightning surged from Kael's hand, sending him sprawling against the wall.
Rain plastered his hair to his forehead, his cloak sticking to his back. Every shadow in Eldrenvale whispered secrets, and Kael listened. A motion in the alley caught his eye — not one person, but two: hooded scouts slipping between crates, one watching the gate while the other kept a nervous distance, fingers raised as if to signal.
Curiosity can be fatal.
Kael launched himself from the rooftop without hesitation. Lightning flared along his knuckles as he spun through the air. He landed behind the first scout before the second could lift a hand; dagger at the throat, breath hot in the man's ear.
"Orders?" Kael asked, cold and sure.
The scout's knees trembled. "N-no—no harm. Orders… from a handler. The Guild—" He swallowed. "You've been noticed."
"By whom?" Kael's voice was a blade.
The scout's eyes darted to the second figure, whose fingers trembled over a tiny whistle. "The patron… someone watching the Guild's movements. They sent us to report. That's all."
Kael's jaw tightened. He pushed the scout away, leaving him crumpled in the rain, and watched the other vanish down the lane. Whatever hand was moving in the dark had eyes everywhere tonight. That was enough warning.
He moved like a shadow through the storm toward the Duke's mansion, every footfall measured. The house loomed ahead, windows bleeding candlelight into the rain. Inside, the Duke's laughter cut through the night — rich, cruel, oblivious to how close death had crept.
Kael slipped through an open lattice, cloak dripping. The hall smelled of wax and arrogance.
"Ah… the Guild sends a gift?" the Duke sneered, rising from his chair.
Kael's blade hummed with stored lightning. "Your corruption ends tonight."
The Duke's grin curdled as he drew a curved sword that shimmered with dark, crackling runes. "Bold. Foolish. Let's see if you survive."
Lightning arced from Kael's hands as he lunged. The Duke unleashed a wave of black energy; Kael rolled, dagger slicing through the blast. He vaulted over a desk, sending papers and candleholders crashing to the floor. Guards surged forward, but Kael was everywhere—leaping across railings, flipping over furniture, striking with lethal precision.
"You'll die here," the Duke growled.
Kael crouched atop a balcony railing. "I hunt shadows. You only think you do."
A guard lunged from behind. Kael ducked, spinning, and kicked the man into the Duke. Sparks erupted as dagger met magical blade. Kael vaulted onto a chandelier, swinging down, knocking the Duke backward into a stack of crates. Lightning surged from his fingertips, sending two more guards flying.
"You can't hide in shadows forever!" the Duke roared, swinging wildly.
Kael grinned faintly, crouching on a windowsill. "I don't hide. I strike."
In a single fluid motion, he leapt, dagger aimed at the Duke's chest. Lightning flared as the magical shield faltered. Kael's strike pierced through, and the Duke collapsed, dazed and bleeding.
Rain poured in through the shattered window, washing the hall clean of sparks and smoke. Kael melted into the storm, disappearing like a shadow. Whispers of the Stormblood Assassin rippled through the city streets once more.
The night was alive with rain, lightning, and danger—and Kael was already moving, unstoppable, hunting the next shadow that dared challenge him.