Chapter 1

"Everyone, hurry up! We leave by midnight." Ryles ushered the group out of the meeting room. There were about ten of them, young men who were professional thieves working under the notorious mastermind Leo Caud'von. He was the most feared figure in all four lands of the empire. His name was well-known, but his face remained a mystery, as his movements were akin to that of a phantom. This only heightened the fear surrounding him, especially after the audacious robbery of one of the royal princes, despite the prince's elite squad of guards.

Traveling long distances had become a dreaded ordeal due to the constant threat of being robbed, a fear that had persisted for years.

"Master," Ryles bowed upon entering the room. "Everyone is ready," he said, waiting for his master to lay out the instructions as usual.

"What about the little one?" Leo asked unexpectedly, surprising Ryles.

"He's with us," Ryles responded, puzzled as to why the little one was being mentioned.

"Let him lead tonight," Leo's voice dripped with nonchalance as he smoothly sauntered into the inner room, leaving Ryles dumbfounded.

"Follow every single instruction he gives tonight," Leo's voice echoed from inside the room. Ryles could only stare in disbelief, not a word of protest escaping his mouth. His master had always been mysterious, but tonight's decision felt like a gamble.

Tonight's operation was particularly dangerous. They were set to raid a prominent merchant, Percival, the most successful and connected merchant in all four kingdoms of the Suncrest Empire. Protected by all four kings, Percival was traveling to the north with a substantial amount of gold for an important event. Despite this, he was accompanied by strong soldiers provided by the king of Mythoria. But would these soldiers be enough to stop the notorious robbers, known to be far worse than pirates?

***

Ryles had given everyone their respective roles, and when he finally announced, "Little one, you take the lead," gasps and murmurs erupted. Displeasure with the arrangement was evident.

"Silence," Ryles thundered. "If you have a problem with it, tell it to master yourself." Everyone immediately quieted and began filing out.

For a brief moment, Ryles glanced at the little one who seemed confused yet composed. He then mounted his horse, and everyone rode off.

***

Merchant Percival had been traveling for days, and so far, he had not encountered Leo's men, which felt ominous. He sensed it was the calm before the storm and devised a plan to confuse and throw them off, in case they met before reaching the North.

Hidden deep inside the dense forest, Ryles and the others were disguised as ninjas, blending seamlessly with the dark atmosphere. Trained from a young age by their master, they could hear the sounds of carriages or running horses from miles away. Another of their specialties was throwing knives or flicking needles dipped in poison from a great distance, hitting their targets precisely. While the others were seasoned, the boy known as the little one had joined only five years ago. He wasn't as well-trained, yet he was ordered to lead tonight. Nervous and scared, he took a shaky breath before facing everyone. They all stared at him, different emotions displayed on their faces.

Jax, one of their members, came running swiftly and stealthily from uphill where he had gone for better sighting.

"Target is a few miles from here, they will be crossing soon," he reported to the current leader.

"How many carriages are there?" Raven, the little one, asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Four to be exact," Jax responded. Something wasn't right. The number of carriages a merchant takes on a journey is usually four, but for a merchant with a large amount of gold for a significant event, there should be more.

"Didn't old man Jenkins say the merchant would be traveling with a large amount of gold?" Raven asked Ryles, who also sensed something was off.

"Old man Jenkins wasn't lying. Master read his mind before accepting the deal," Ryles deadpanned. He had been there that night too. Something was definitely up with the carriages.

The carriages drew nearer, and everyone got ready, waiting for Raven's signal.

Suddenly, it felt like a dream. SWOOSH! They launched an attack, throwing a huge stack of fiercely burning hay onto the road to startle the horses, shooting knives to weaken or kill their targets. They soon emerged from the shadows to hijack the gold in the carriages. But before they could, something exploded from within one of the carriages, blasting everyone off their feet. The soldiers seized the opportunity to launch an attack, and soon, the thieves were outnumbered. Coupled with the serious injuries from the blast, they had no choice but to flee. Only five of them escaped, with the rest either dead or captured by the soldiers.