Face to Face with Death (1)

[Warning: this chapter contains disturbing descriptions of gore and emotional suffering that can not be suited for a sensitive audience.]

~~~~

I felt a hole forming in my chest. An icy fear had settled there. The feeling was so overwhelming it would have paralyzed me if I hadn’t already been immobilized by Aurora’s spell. She had abandoned me, protected me. Denied me the sight of an execution.

My thoughts raced. I felt betrayed, but also relieved. She had kept her promise, shielding me from the dangers of her profession. I wouldn’t be haunted by visions of bloodshed and violence; I wouldn’t become an accomplice to these crimes...

My skin stopped being translucent. The invisibility veil that had hidden us until now suddenly lifted. Aurora and the marquis were facing each other. There was no escape left: Death was about to strike.

“Novae Kallingam.”

My mentor had cast a spell, but I had no idea what kind it was. I could only hear the whistling sound as the magic sliced through the air at lightning speed. The noise faded as abruptly as it had appeared.

Was it over? Is the marquis dead? Could I finally be free?

A dark laugh echoed through the air. The voice was deep and powerful. A man’s voice. De Ritella was still alive, much to my dismay. Had he dodged Aurora’s magical attack? Was it a nervous laugh because she had gravely wounded him? Was he about to strike back? Collapse?

Not knowing was unbearable. The answer was just a few meters away, yet I couldn’t grasp it. The paralysis spell was pure torture. I would hear every movement, every scream without knowing how to interpret them. My mind couldn’t help but piece together the scene from these sound clues. Even if they were mere fabrications of my imagination, these images would stay with me forever. My first murder... The moment had come. I was finally going to witness it, in a more unusual way than anything I could have imagined.

Staring at the last few steps of the staircase, I tried to picture the Marquis. A sketch flashed in my mind in several bursts. In the photos from the file we had studied, De Ritella was tall and distinguished. He always wore long overcoats in muted tones that highlighted his upright posture. His chest was puffed out, his chin lifted towards success. How could he exude so much confidence?

This man cultivated an air of mystery, concealing his face beneath wide-brimmed hats with upturned edges. Yet, in the shadow of the hat, between his jet-black hair, one could make out bright flashes of a mystical orange, like fire in the night. It was a bold dye he applied to the ends of his strands, a common strategy among nobles seeking to stand out. Alas, that wasn’t enough to face the fierce competition in the Capitol, which was why investing in luxurious jewelry was essential. As for De Ritella, he had a preference for topazes.

"What do you think? It's an absorption necklace. If you'll excuse me, I'll now contact security. Rest assured, I'll make good use of your bounty!"

His voice echoed again. I could almost picture in my head his mouth moving and his hands making grand, arrogant gestures. He had no reason to fear his opponent because he was untouchable.

The magical energy Aurora had launched had probably been absorbed by the necklace before it could reach its target. The ability of this artifact to divert magical energy made it highly coveted among nobles. That explained why he was still standing.

Seeing that magic had no effect on her target, the assassin immediately changed tactics. The marquis suddenly groaned, and I could make out, through his cries, the distinctive sound of a small object falling.

"Argh! Damn knife! You know how to aim, but you won't get me twice."

The Marquis took a step back. He drank something, then threw the container away. I realized it was a small vial by the crystalline shatter it made. It must have been a potion to heal the wound Aurora had inflicted on him. What had she aimed for? The shoulder? The heart? Was there a lot of blood? How well had the potion worked?

In response, I heard multiple cracking sounds, as if thousands of shells were being crushed, followed by hurried footsteps. Why was De Ritella running away? Wasn't he determined to capture the criminal who had infiltrated his home? Had he given up on that?

I had read in the target profile that he wasn’t trained in combat, but I felt that wasn’t the reason he had changed his mind. After a brief reflection, I made the connection between what I had heard and the man's reaction.

The sound of shells! Of course, plastic!

Aurora had just destroyed his only means of communication with the outside world. Like all nobles with a rich estate, the marquis probably carried a magical alarm remote. One press, and a close guard would rush in and handle all their problems. With no way to call for reinforcements, it made sense that he would go all out. De Ritella wasn’t being cowardly but rather sensible. Arresting a killer as dangerous as Aurora was worth far more than his own life. But if he wanted her captured, he absolutely had to make contact with the outside world.

He hadn’t taken more than five strides when Aurora stomped her foot with astonishing force. A wave of magic swept across the room, and an unsettling silence filled the air. I skipped a heartbeat, more alert than ever.

"Magic without consumables?!" the marquis exclaimed.

Why was she using magic again if she knew it wasn’t effective? Why had the spell stopped De Ritella in his tracks? What kind of magic had she used?

Several blows struck a wall. It echoed with clear chimes that seemed strange to me. What were the walls of this manor made of? The Marquis let out a frustrated growl as he turned back.

"Tch-tch-tch, you're not going anywhere. This is where it ends," she said in a blood-chilling tone. "You can't escape Death. When it arrives, you have to face it alone."

Those few words sent shivers down my spine. It felt as if they were meant for me personally. Far braver than I, the Marquis dared to respond to the embodiment of Death, "Excuse my rudeness. It is an honor to meet you, Killer Wind. Did you enjoy my collection of artifacts?"

His voice was far more sinister than before. How could he joke at a moment like this? Had he found another way out, or was this a desperate attempt to buy time?

"Who supplied you with the prohibited weapons?"

I had to admit, extracting information from the smuggler was a clever move. However, no one would confess knowing they were doomed.

"You leave me no choice..." the man growled.

What was he planning? Before I could think of a response, a gunshot rang out, then two, then three... The sound of the shots was muffled by the suppressor on Aurora’s weapon. Against such a weapon, the noble had no chance of survival.

"Don’t bother, your weapons won’t stand a chance against the torsion magic of Yegass fur!"

A torsion magic? What did he mean by that? Could he distort space using another artifact?

Like a predator, Aurora charged straight at De Ritella. The sounds of footsteps mingled with gasps of pain and exertion. I couldn't tell how he was defending himself or how the mercenary was attacking. A great dynamism filled their fight: it was an uncoordinated ballet of strides, some more crushing than others.

I imagined Aurora rushing at the Marquis, trying to slice his throat with her daggers. She shouldn't hold back given her speed. De Ritella, on the other hand, must have been deflecting each of her attacks at the last moment, stepping back to maintain a safe distance between them. New gunshots rang out until the magazine was completely emptied. The weapon was abruptly thrown away, sliding a few meters.

Had De Ritella disarmed Aurora? How? Was it because of the distortion magic? I wasn't particularly worried about Aurora because I knew she had more tricks up her sleeve. I just hoped this confrontation wouldn’t last too long…

Before leaving on the mission, I had noticed that the assassin always equipped herself with two silencers in addition to her array of daggers. At any moment, she could pull her weapons from a secret pocket or make him taste her fists like during our first training session. Was De Ritella a challenging opponent? Had we underestimated him?

Most definitely. He was nothing special, but his artifacts changed the game.

Someone sprinted forward; the person was abruptly halted before reaching their opponent. That’s when a series of sounds followed: a heavy, elongated object dragged a body down with it. I could have sworn it was a chain, its metallic clinks resonating in the air.

Where had this accessory come from? Was it a silent spell cast by Aurora? The one who had fallen gasped in surprise, but that wasn't enough to identify them. To put it bluntly, I was completely in the dark.

"If you can't answer my question, at least your corpse can leave them a little message."

My body jolted. Aurora's voice was more radiant than ever. She must have been in a position of power. Her words crushed any argument. She would make short work of the Marquis if he refused to cooperate. In fact, I believed the assassin reserved the same fate for him, whether he spoke or not.

No one moved. I could filter through a few gasps of fatigue. This mutual truce was an opportunity to catch their breath and think of the next move. But what could be done when everything seemed predetermined?

Eventually, the noble decided to play by Aurora's rules, “Kill me. They don’t care about sacrificing a pawn. To be honest, they demand so many resources from me that I’ve had to surrender almost all the artifacts from Cerem!”

Now he was the victim?! What utter indecency!

“Then why continue to serve such scum?”

“It’s an investment. When they master the full potential of demonic magic, Asyria will shine across the entire Continent, and my family along with it!”

What were they talking about? Demonic magic…?!

De Ritella seemed involved in a much more serious and complex affair than I could have imagined. The determination in his voice was such that I struggled to think he had lost his mind.

“Pfff, you won’t dominate anyone; it’s the weapons that will dominate you.”

My eyes widened. Was she referring to the prohibited weapons? The noble wasn’t rambling? Could Aurora really understand what he was saying?! My suspicions were just confirmed: the viper knew much more than she let on. Was she hiding this information from Justine?

“Don’t be so sure. Just so you know, magic works miracles, and progress cannot be stopped!”

No matter how hard I clung to each syllable spoken, I was completely lost in their implications. What camp did De Ritella belong to? Were we facing a greater threat than the Revolutionaries, or was it their doing? The chains suddenly broke apart. This chaos marked the end of the truce. The fight resumed immediately. This time, I could clearly distinguish blades sliding and clashing. Had the Marquis stolen a dagger from the mercenary? Many events remained unexplained, particularly how the man had freed himself from his chains.

The theories I built were shaky and certainly flawed, but it was all I had to try to understand. The moment my paralysis spell lifted, I had to be able to intervene. A bright light illuminated the entire ground floor for a second, followed by various crashes. The fight had suddenly become much more intense. I could barely follow what was happening, as the sounds merged together.

White smoke appeared at the top of the stairs. It coated the floor and silently advanced toward me, like a snake foretelling something ominous.

I was horrified to realize I could do nothing to prevent this suspicious smoke from entering my lungs. I struggled to hold my breath, completely losing track of what was happening on the ground floor.

Unfortunately, I couldn't fight against this vaporous enemy for long. Was it poison? Would I die without being able to call for help? What about Aurora and the Marquis? Worries clamored in my mind.

I summoned all my willpower in hopes of breaking the damned spell Aurora had cast on me. I realized after a desperate attempt that only the spellcaster could revoke it.

As the smoke brushed against my face, my eyes narrowed in a final reflex of fear. The gas was odorless. To my great surprise, nothing happened. Had I escaped poisoning due to my magical failure?

Then, the Marquis’s voice made me reopen my eyes.

“Those silver hair and eyes... don’t tell me…”

His surprise was so great that he couldn’t help but laugh—a laugh steeped in irony. I knew Aurora had a very distinctive appearance, but I hadn’t though it held meaning. A whole field of mysteries suddenly unfolded before me.

Who is Aurora really?