The rain was pouring down hard, as if it was about to drown the entire city. The sky was thundering, and it was quite unusual for such rain to fall in the winter. A young woman, her face covered by a cloak, stood outside The Shadow Weavers Guild without an umbrella. A guard from the Merchant Guild asked her to come inside.
The guard led her from the main hall to another reception room. She was completely drenched, so the guard asked her to change. His voice was stern but polite. "Ma'am, please change," he said, then walked out and headed towards the director's office. The young woman paused for a moment and then changed into the clothes she was given. This mysterious young woman was none other than Sophia Rutledge, Count Rutledge's daughter.
--One day earlier--
At Viscount Rutledge's mansion, Sophia was looking out the first floor window. Her eyes were on the butler, who was holding a pile of files. Looking at them, Sophia mumbled, "Are these the files of the Merchant Guild?" A light smile came on her face.
She slowly walked down the stairs and stood outside her father's office. Inside, the butler, her mother and her father were talking about the Merchant Guild. Sophia was listening to everything carefully. After a while, the butler came out of the office and Sophia went to her room.
When her father left the office, Sophia came back there and started looking at the Merchant Guild files kept on the table. She was reading each file carefully. Then her eyes fell on a file, which her father had rejected saying that it was of a new guild. Picking up the file, she smiled and said, "Let's meet them. Who knows, they might work out."
-- Present time --
Now Sophia was in the drawing room of The Shadow Weavers Guild. She was feeling upset and irritated because it had been an hour since she had come there, but till now no one had come to talk to her. She was about to get up and leave the room when the guard came and said, "The director has called you to his office, My lady."
---
--Guild Master's Office--
At the same time, on the other side, Viscount Rutledge entered the Merchant Guild Master's room. There was only one candle burning in the room, spreading a dim light. A shadowy figure stood near the window, whose presence had a mysterious charm.
As soon as Rutledge entered, the unknown Figure spoke, his voice was so deep and cold that Rutledge's body shivered. "Why have you come to this small merchant guild of ours, Lord Rutledge?"
Rutledge calmed himself down and said, "I desperately need your help, Guild Master."
---
Sophia sat in the pitch-dark drawing room, her gaze cold and vicious. The storm outside might have raged, but the turmoil inside her was far more dangerous. She hadn't come here for friendship or partnership—she had come here to threaten her after so many years, to find something she shouldn't have touched. They had come to reveal secrets that should have been buried deep. And for that, they would pay a price.
The guard returned, his voice formal but slightly uneasy. "The director is ready to meet you, My lady."
Sophia stood, her steps measured and dignified. There was a strange gleam in her brown eyes, as if she had planned her move in advance. She followed the guard, who led her through the narrow alleys to the director's office. The room was fully lit, and clean.
-- Director's Office --
The director stood when she entered, his sharp eyes examining her carefully. "Lady Rutledge," he greeted, his voice a mixture of caution and curiosity. "This is unexpected. And in such stormy weather, may I know the reason for your visit?"
Sophia smiled slightly, but her face refused to reveal any emotion. "Business, Director. A matter that demands the utmost secrecy."
The Director motioned for her to sit down, watching her every move closely. "Secrecy?" he said thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair. "That word is not new to us. But tell me, Lady Rutledge, what is the matter that has drawn you into our shadows?
Sophia's gaze hardened, and her voice took on a cold restraint. "There are two people to be found, to be taught a lesson for what they are planning to do, Director. And I have to deal with them—quickly and without fault."
The Director's gaze grew sharper. He spoke, leaning forward slightly. "Lesson is a big word, madam. And it would be no new word for one of your blood. Do you really believe that is the case for us? Even your father could have done that."
Sophia looked at him without blinking. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure." She said coldly, leaning forward slowly. "I don't care how far the consequences go. I just want to make sure that no one dares to cross my lines again."
The Director laughed slightly, but there was a wariness in his eyes. "You have come to our shadows to demand blood, Lady Rutledge. That's obvious. But blood stains, no matter how clean, are left behind. Are you ready for that?"
Sophia's smile didn't waver. "Blood stains fade, Director. But power and fear are forever. I hope your guild understands their value."
The Director watched her carefully for a moment and slowly nodded. "You have piqued my interest, Lady Rutledge. Your request will neither be easy nor cheap. But if secrecy is required, we are the best."
Sophia removed a small, intricately carved box from her cloak and placed it on the table. "It contains everything you need. Names, locations, and enough gold to ensure your loyalty. Half now, half when the job is done."
The Director opened the box, glanced at its contents, and closed it quietly. He looked at her and said, "You are playing a very dangerous game, My lady. One wrong move, and the hunter could become the hunted."
Sophia stood, straightening her cloak. "Then I would advise you to make no mistakes, Director." She turned and headed for the door, but paused at the doorway and turned back. Her voice was a cold whisper. "Failure is not an option."
The sound of her heels echoed in the silence as she stepped into the hallway. The Director leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He said softly to himself, "What an interesting woman. It will be interesting to see how far she will go."
----
-.The Guild Master's Office.-
The room was shrouded in darkness, only slightly lit by the faint flame of a candle placed on the desk. Viscount Rutledge was asked to sit in the chair next to the desk. The man standing by the window spoke, his voice loud and shrill, as if it cut through the cold air.
"You seem to be in great need of help, Viscount, to have come all the way here in such a terrible storm," the Unknown figure said, his voice a mixture of curiosity and sarcasm.
Rutledge's hands were shaking as he sank into the chair. His voice, weak and broken, finally came out.
"My mines... my gold mines... are all gone. Flooded, destroyed."
It was hard to tell if his trembling was due to the intense cold or the burden of his loss. He took a shuddering breath, trying to compose himself, and then said,
"I need 10,000 billion in gold. It's my last hope." The man standing by the window didn't move. He was silent for a moment, then let out a light laugh that sent a shiver down Rutledge's spine.
"10,000 billion in gold? That's a lot of money," he said, turning slightly so that the flickering candlelight could highlight his sharp, piercing features.
"You chose me without knowing what kind of person I am. Do you have any idea what my help is worth, Viscount?"
Rutledge cleared his dry throat nervously, the dampness in his coat making his anxiety worse.
"I… I'm willing to pay whatever price it takes. Just save my land, my family, my honor," he stuttered, desperation evident in every word he spoke.
The Unknown figure took a step forward, his boots echoing on the hardwood floor.
"Honor?" he said sarcastically.
"There's a strange thing you hold on to even when you're begging for mercy." He bowed slightly, his shadow looming over Rutledge.
"I'll give you the money, Viscount. But remember, there's a price for everything. And that price… may be one you're not willing to pay."
The room was still shrouded in darkness when Viscount Rutledge said softly,
"I have no other choice."
The stranger standing by the window turned slightly, his sharp eyes shining in the dim light. His voice, cold and deliberately slow, broke the silence of the room:
"What if this rain is not just nature's fury, but has come to destroy someone? To drown a kingdom? Can that be, Lord Rutledge?"
Rutledge's face turned white with fear, as if he had heard something he had never thought possible. His voice came out shaky, "I... I don't know what you are saying, Guild Master. I must go now. Please, please help me."
The Guild Master laughed softly, a laugh that echoed through the room and sent a shiver down Rutledge's spine.
"No, you don't understand now," he said in a sarcastic tone. Then, suddenly changing the topic, he asked,
"By the way, how is your shipping business going these days? Anyway, let it go."
Without waiting for an answer, the Guild Master pulled out bags of gold from the darkness and placed them on the desk.
"Take them. Now go."
Rutledge hesitated for a moment, then picked up the bags of gold with trembling hands. He nodded and hurried out of the room. The sound of his running footsteps gradually faded away.
As soon as the door closed, the Guild Master's laughter echoed through the room—low, scary, and unusual. It was a laughter that was terrifying and bounced off the walls, a laughter that seemed to promise destruction.
But just then, the Guild Master pulled out a small pocket watch from his pocket, with strange and complex symbols engraved on it. He opened it and looked at the hands of the watch, which were moving strangely in the opposite direction of time.
"It's too late, Rattledz," he said in a low and venomous tone. "You have written your own fate."
He stopped the watch, and at that moment, the flames burning in the room suddenly rose unusually high, casting ominous shadows on the walls. The sound of running footsteps heard outside the room suddenly stopped.
The Guild Master tilted his head and a creepy smile spread across his face. He spoke to the empty room, his voice dangerously quiet.
"Ah, they'll find you. Let me see how far you can run now."
A distant scream was heard, loud and heartbreaking, then suddenly all went quiet.
The Guild Master laughed softly into the darkness and whispered, "The hunt has begun."