The first target was a port authority administrator named Lord Emrick Thane.
According to imperial intelligence, Thane had been falsifying cargo manifests for eighteen months – the exact timeline when demon smuggling had increased. He lived in the merchant quarter, maintained minimal security, and followed a predictable routine that included late-night visits to his mistress in the River District.
Damien waited in the shadows of an alley between the mistress's residence and Thane's route home.
The thirty percent corruption made planning the kill emotionally simple. No moral wrestling, no questioning if this was justice or murder. Just tactical assessment – how to eliminate the target without detection.
Thane appeared at midnight, walking alone, slightly drunk, completely unaware he'd been marked for death.
Damien let him pass the alley entrance, then moved.
