I stared into the mirror, wondering if I would ever get used to the face that stared back. It had been ten years since that bloody day, ten years of hell. I'd slowly grown used to the death that surrounded me, even gotten used to my strange new vision of sharp blue, green and yellow shapes, but I was still a bit on edge looking into my own reflection. Staring into my own demonic eyes.
Perhaps the rest of me could pass as relatively human. My skin was pale but dull, probably more like sand or clay than porcelain. My long, dark hair looked normal enough, but the strands were stiffer than a normal person's hair should be and the colour wasn't quite black or brown, but some muddy shade in between. I had long, sharp fangs where regular human canine teeth should be. I scrutinized myself and determined that I at least looked mostly human. But these eyes, no one could ever look past them.
The sclera of my eyes were a nightmarish black, void of any life. My pupils were distinctly snake-like slits, with vivid yellow irises surrounding them. I had unnaturally long lashes to protect the sensitive organs from damage. It made me look sinister.
How fitting.
I clenched my fist but refrained from lashing out and shattering yet another mirror. With an irritated huff I turned away from the horrific sight and made my way out of the tiny bathroom. Snatching my long, tattered coat and shrugging my arms into the sleeves, I didn't bother to tie any of the straps as I left, leaving them hanging. I pulled a pair of worn sunglasses from the deep pocket and pushed them up the bridge of my nose as I stepped outside the dingy apartment and onto the terrace outside.
I glanced up to see angry clouds blocking out the sun and I scowled. I had been feeling pretty chilled lately, I guess this would've been why. I checked the aged watch on my wrist, double checking that my timing was right.
With an agitated grunt I grabbed onto the railing and swung my legs over the edge, propelling myself downwards to the terrace below. I landed soundlessly, crouching in front of the sliding glass door. I peered inside. My sensitive eyes could pick up movement in the far corner of the room and I tilted my head just enough to see further inside.
My target, a Duchess of some small country who had been lobbying to stop human trafficking, and had been gaining quite a lot of support for her efforts lately, was stripping in front of a much younger woman. The two shared an intimate moment before locking their lips together. I seized the opportunity.
I inched the door open ever so slightly, angling myself directly across from the pair. From my breast pocket I retrieved a tiny blowgun, and I swiftly loaded it with two thin, deadly needles. I lined my gaze up with the Duchess' neck while she had her back to me. I breathed in calmly, narrowing my inhuman eyes, and I fired the first shot. The needle sunk into her neck just slightly, no more than a pin prick, before it fell out of her skin and dropped to the floor. The Duchess yelped and her hand flew to the tiny prick.
"Ouch! I think a bug stung me!" She exclaimed. She moved just slightly over and her companion was in my line of sight. I fired the second shot. It hit it's mark just below her left collarbone, near her heart. She gasped as it pricked her, hands coming to cover her bare torso as her eyes landed on me. I rose from my position and slammed the sliding door open. I didn't need to be stealthy any longer.
"Wh-who are you?!" The Duchess shrieked, grasping for the sheets on the bed. I didn't humour her with an answer. Instead I tiredly made my way to an armchair across the room and allowed myself to sink into it, pulling the sunglasses from my face and pinching the bridge of my nose as I let my sore eyes rest.
"You don't have much time left." I informed the lovers across from me without looking up at them. "You should make do with what little time together you have." I could smell the tears that fell from one of their eyes. One of them leapt from the bed, dashing to the table nearby and clutching at the phone there. I could hear the sound of the dead line and the shuddering breath that the woman let out.
She tried to run towards the door, but tripped and fell before she could really get anywhere. I opened my eyes and glanced down at her. It was the Duchess who was trying to fight, I wasn't surprised.
"The hemorrhaging should start soon." I commented idly, like I was talking about the weather outside or which sports team would be playing that night. As if on cue, her eyes went wide and she began writhing in pain. Coughing and choking on the air she needed to live, she doubled over as she vomited out blood and bile, clutching onto her stomach desperately. I scrunched my nose up as the smell bombarded me like a punch to the face.
Her companion on the bed was not faring much better, her skin had gone pale and she was vomiting as well. Her left breast had swollen and the skin where the needle pricked her had changed to a much uglier colour. I imagined it was bruising a disgusting purple and yellow at this point. The Duchess heaved another pile of blood from her stomach, falling over and lying pitifully on the mold-ridden carpet.
"Wh-what did you, urhg, d-do to us?" She struggled to get the words out as she gasped for air, clutching desperately at her abdomen. I could only watch with a pitying look.
"The needles are laced with my venom." I said simply. She glared up at me with unbridled rage, and I had to shift my gaze away from her. "It's nothing personal. You were getting too close I guess." I muttered the last part. It wasn't my business to question my Teacher's orders.
"F-fuck… you…" She gasped out. I sighed. I walked over to where she lay, crouching down beside her. She had lost consciousness, though blood still spilled past her mauve painted lips. I examined her, noting with mild interest that the site of injection had not swollen as much as her companion's had. It seemed as though it was taking longer for my venom to snuff her out, too. I tucked that bit of information into the back of my mind.
"Sorry. I wish I didn't have to, but orders are orders." I said aloud, although by now I was speaking to the dead. I reached out to the Duchess' slender wrist and pulled it towards me. Shining darkly against the ghostly pale skin of her hand was a sparkling gold ring, housing a magnificent ruby in the center and wrapped snugly around her middle finger. I plucked it from her hand before gently placing her hand back on the ground. I glanced back towards her companion, her lover.
She had fallen off the bed, nearly into the pile of her stomach contents and blood. I grimaced at the sight of them. They had been happy for a moment, and I took no pleasure in taking that from them.
I pocketed the Duchess' ring - proof that the deed was finished - before I bent low to scoop the dead politician into my arms. I carried her to the bed, carefully laying her down there before turning to do the same for her lover. I lay the two next to each other, reaching out to close their eyes for good. For a moment, I could pretend that they were simply sleeping next to one another, blissfully ensnared in their love for eachother and wrapped up in the warmth and comfort of their shared company.
The daydream only lasted a moment. I didn't dare to allow it to fester into something more.
With nothing more to do, I turned away from the women and made my way back to the terrace. It had begun to rain, and a flash of lightning lit up the sky before a clap of thunder echoed through the decrepit city. I grimaced at the sound, my ears now hyper sensitive to even the quietest of sounds. I pulled the expansive hood of my ragged coat over my head and glanced briefly over the edge of the terrace. Three stories up. I'd done worse.
I braced my arm on the ledge and leapt over, plummeting down to the ground and landing gracefully in the alley below. A haggard looking man watched in exasperated awe as I straightened out, shrugging my shoulders back to loosen the tight muscles in my back. I lowered my head to the ground, my hood shielding my grotesque eyes from the rest of the world.
I reached into the pocket of my coat, pulling out a burner flip phone. I dialed the only number saved on it and held it near my ear, though not directly up to it. I heard the click of the phone being answered.
"It's done." I stated simply.
"Four streets down, your ride is in the alley." A gruff voice answered brusquely before the line went dead. I snapped the phone shut, tossing it into a nearby trash can as I passed it. I strode through the empty street, keeping my head down and using my sense of smell and sound to guide me. I could smell the crisp leather of the car two blocks away, it didn't take me very long to get to it.
I climbed into the back seat, throwing the hood off of my head and brushing a hand through my hair in mild irritation as I allowed myself to relax in the car.
"Oh? You seem moodier than usual today." The same gruff voice spoke beside me. I turned my agitated stare onto him.
My old swordplay teacher, now my supervisor, Charles Bauer sat beside me with a smug grin on his aged face. He held his ornate cane between his widespread legs, resting his hands on it as he lounged in the seat. I ignored his jab, continuing to stare at him blankly.
"Proof." He demanded. It wasn't a question. I pulled the extravagant ring from my pocket, dropping it unceremoniously into his open palm. He chuckled darkly as he stared down at the ring, engraved with the Duchess' family crest. I turned my head to stare out the window as the car began to move, forcing my thoughts to go blank rather than to stray back to the lovers I had massacred.
"Are you ready for another job?" Charles asked. I snorted. "Already?" I replied, and he chortled.
"I'm sure two helpless women didn't wear you out." He insisted. I continued staring out the window, waiting for the briefing. It wasn't like I could actually say no anyway.
"Your next target has become quite the problem for one of our clients in the east. He's a rising star among the populace, and a skilled warrior for their army. He's giving our people a run for their money, that's for sure." He chuckled again. I sent him a sideways glance.
"It sounds like you want to recruit him, not kill him." I commented, my voice devoid of any emotion. Charles hummed in thought.
"To be honest, if I thought that he might join us then I probably would recruit him." He replied. With a disappointed sigh, he continued. "Alas, he's far too self righteous to listen to us. It's a waste of potential, but he needs to be dealt with." He turned his cold glare fully to me. "Snuff him out." He commanded cruelly. I nodded my head once.
"Name?" I asked. He grinned devilishly.
"Yuuma Sato."