"Wake up, now!"
The mysterious assassin is my new alarm. Wait, it is still dark outside.
"It is still the middle of the night."
"And?"
"Well, I…no, nothing." There is no point in arguing, I suppose.
I try to get out of bed I had so much trouble getting in after the suicidal training we did during the day. My legs still don't obey as they should, but at least now they move more normally. My broken fingers, however, are a lost cause. I just hope they will heal without a problem.
"Don't worry, as long as you don't try anything out of the ordinary. Your hand will heal. I do know how to break bones." She must have noticed I am looking at my fingers.
"Okay. So what are you going to break today?" I ask her casually like I am talking to an acquaintance.
"You will go to the room of your instructor from this morning, and steal the ring he is wearing on his index finger. The patrol will come and check your room in one hour. That is your time limit." No reaction…Well, too bad.
"Are you a thief or an assassin?"
"The difference between those two is too small to be considered. A thief sometimes has to kill. An assassin sometimes needs to collect evidence only. Enough talk, go."
"But, I don't know his room's location."
"Not my problem."
***
This is insane. Is she observing me? No, I suppose she knows there are instructors here to give classes. I might not be the only student she is monitoring after all. I open the door to get out, but as soon as I look outside, there is a light at the corner of the hallway.
The patrol just passed by. I didn't even know there were patrols. I sneak out and look at each door on the second floor, looking for a hint about the instructor MARK. Actually, do I really need to bring that one ring? If I bring another one, will she know the difference? Maybe she is observing me right now, so it would be better to find it.
I go to the first floor, but, as far as I can remember, there is no bedroom there. Is it outside? Should I go back to the second floor and double-check. No, let's go outside first. The front door is guarded, so that's a no. I open the window at the back of the castle, which connected to the forest.
After going through the woods, I circle back to the entrance; there is a guard. Only one, great. I take a pebble and throw it. But the guy doesn't move. Did he not hear the sound? I take another one and throw it again. This time he looks but still doesn't move. What kind of guard are you?!! This time, I take another pebble, bigger, and throw it at him while staying crooked in the dark. It hits him on the head. He looks my way and advances slowly. He is coming without a torch. Chance! As he comes, I circle him and pass the gate.
Outside the castle gate, there is a three-story building on the left and the road on the right. Must be where the officers stay. The building looks clean and new. And there are three guards at the entrance. This is impossible to enter. I can distract one guard, two at best somehow, but three. No, no, no. I must do it. I will show those bastards—all of them.
I walk while sticking to the shadows as best as I can, and manage to pass by the left side of the building without being noticed. Then I continue and go to the back of the building. There is a guard at the back. Improvise. I take a stone again and throw it. This time, the guard goes, I immediately run and enter the building.
Inside, there are no guards, only torches, at least for the first floor. While walking, I see a big notice on the wall.
'Ground floor: Guest room and Reception.'
'First floor: Conference room and Priest's office.'
'Second floor: Instructors and Officers of the order bedrooms.'
'Third floor: Commander and Vice -commander rooms.'
So, the instructor is on the second floor, alright. I go through the stairs and reach the first floor, with no guards also. Then the second floor. Is it my lucky day? Everything seems to be going just fine. I go to the left and look at the door. Bingo. On the second door, there is a badge.
'MARK GRANDCROSS.'
I open the door as silently as I can and enter. This room is pretty much the same as mine: a chair and a table on the side, and the bed. Ah no, there is also a closet. And the bed is way bigger. The room overall is bigger than you would expect if you only look at the door.
On the bed, there are two people. He stays here with a woman? Surely his wife then. Oh well, not my problem. I look at his hands, but there is no ring. Or at least, I don't see any. Did he remove it? Should I search the room? I don't know how much time passed already. I should go back. I was lucky not to be found out.
I somehow manage to go back to my room using the same road and tricks, but right when I am about to enter my room, I hear footsteps. The patrol is coming. I jump inside in a hurry and push the door without closing it so as not to make a sound. It has been one hour.
"You have failed, I see."
"You do have eyes then!" I answer with all the frustration I kept until now. "There was no ring to begin with, right? You just wanted to see me suffer. You sadistic-"
The assassin disappears in an instant even though I was looking at her. Before I even understand what is happening, I am pinned down on the floor, my right hand placed on my back, and something heavy on it. She is blocking it with her knee. "There was a ring."
"Was?" What does she mean there was? While thinking, I hear a tinkering sound, looking in front of me, I see a ring on the floor.
"I never said you would be the only one to look for it. you should have been faster."
"You are a bitch!"
"You think this unfair? Then simply die. The world does not care about you and your problems. Clients will dispose of you even when you cleared a mission just so there is no evidence. Other assassins will come for you because they were paid even though you shared a drink the day before. Your family will betray you to save their lives. If you trust anybody, then: YOU. ARE. DEAD."
For the first time, the voice of the assassin sounds more feminine and expressive. Have I not heard that voice before? My family already betrayed me, so I don't trust anybody.
"I thought you would at least be honest."
"I was. You just didn't ask for more details." What? Like you let even ask anything, you tyrant!! "In any case, you have passed today as you have managed to go and get back within the imparted time unnoticed. I will give 8 points and an extra 5 points."
"What is the extra for?"
"Doesn't concern you. That makes 30 points. You should sleep. Your body is heavily tired. Your performance today surprises me a lot." Like I thought, she is monitoring me.
***
The next morning, somebody knocks on my door.
"Is anyone here? Is he still sleeping?"