Assassin

The rifle was raised at them, her cold gaze fixed on her targets.

None of them exchanged any words.

It was as if the time had frozen; there was not a single sound.

How long did both sides stare at each other? No one knew.

But then, Nia broke the silence.

“Mers… no, it can’t be you... it’s not you, right? You’re just someone else who looks like her…”

“It’s not Mers,” said the tall girl in a cold sharp tone, “My name is Mersoy.”

Mersoy?

Nia couldn’t believe her ears.

But it all made sense, didn’t it?

A person who was captive in the forest for years. Someone, who didn’t know the world had changed, someone unaware of what came after that.

And above all, the person had a rare name that resembled the name of the famous Estoycan assassin.

Mers. Mersoy.

Nia gasped.

Are you the same person we tried to help?

It can’t be, it can’t be! That girl we rescued in the forest - she didn’t seem like a killer!

“You’re lying!” Nia yelled, “Who are you? Why are you imitating her?”

But is it that way? The voice inside her head was talking again. Was there not a moment, when something seemed off about her? Did she not look secretive about herself and her past?

Nia remembered fragments of a memory.

A strange bestial behaviour of the same girl - when Nia shot and killed the sea serpent.

In the end, we got to know nothing about her, the voice said.

It was true.

The tall girl closed her eyes and sighed. “I’ve told you already who I am. And I don’t like repeating myself.”

She glared at them.

“We saved your life,” Aez said, his voice trembling, “When Nia killed that serpent - I guess it was something special to you - and that’s why you reacted that way… but then you went ahead and-”

Mersoy said nothing.

But the more Nia thought about it all, the more confused and afraid she became.

“You killed them… all…” Nia spoke, her mind was in disarray.

Dead bodies, blood everywhere around them. Could a human kill that many without feeling any remorse?

If it’s really like that...

It was her - all along? We saved an… enemy back then?

“I’m not here to converse with you,” Mersoy said, her voice cold, “Step aside from the path and I’ll make sure you two make it alive. Do it otherwise, and you’ll die.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?” Aez hollered, his grip on his rifles were tighter and fire burnt in his eyes. “We are soldiers - and we won’t let you go and destroy our home. Back then, we were powerless, but now we aren’t!”

And instantly, he shot at Mersoy, aiming at her head.

Mersoy saw it coming, and dodged it easily, and pointed the trigger at Aez, “I said shut up and let me move on, and nobody among you would have to die! And you all - your stupid troops who have no idea about what’s the truth -”

“Don’t you dare to speak about the truth,” Aez said furiously, “We didn’t know back then, but now we know. There’s only one truth. You are the one who did all this.

He breathed in heavily. “Mersoy… it was you all along…”

Scowling, Mersoy hissed at them. “No. You’re wrong.”

“You still deny that when you clearly-”

Mersoy sighed. “You’re brainwashed in such a way… it’s pointless to argue with you. None of you will understand that it’s good for humanity if I can get through.”

“For humanity?” Aez yelled, “at this point, I don’t even believe you are a human!”

“It’s my last warning, stay out of the way, else.. I won’t hesitate,” she pointed the rifle at Nia and then to Aez, “to kill any of you.”

Nia’s heart was racing.

No, no, this can’t be the end!

I can’t let something like that invasion happen to Dottonex again. Never.

She clutched her rifle and pointed it at Mersoy, “I’d die rather than letting you pass, you traitor!”

“Then have it!” Mersoy screamed, shooting at Nia. But before the bullet could hit her, Aez shoved her and they both fell down on the ground.

“AEZ!” Nia screamed.

The bullet had passed just above Aez’s hair, and it hit the tree behind them, knocking down a branch over Nia’s head. As it hit her head, Nia’s vision started to become blurry. Touching the back of her head, she brought her hand in front of her eyes. It was red.

Just then, another sound came from behind them, and something fast hit Mersoy’s head, and she too, dropped on the grass.

Nia was losing touch with reality, but she heard some voices she felt like she had heard before.

“Notify Officer Morgan. Suspect is comatose.”

The words faded out, and the next moment there was complete darkness.

Arc 1: The Death of Hope -End