Leon and Iris moved through the dark streets of Torren, their bodies aching from the battle at the Cross Estate. The failed assassination had left Leon injured, and worse—exposed.
The nobility would know his name soon, and the underworld? They didn't tolerate failure.
As they slipped into a back alley, Iris tore off a piece of cloth and pressed it against Leon's bleeding shoulder.
"Hold still," she muttered.
Leon winced but smirked. "Didn't know you cared."
She shot him a glare. "I don't want to carry your corpse."
He chuckled, then grimaced as she tightened the cloth.
"We need a plan," she said. "You know what happens when an assassin fails to kill a noble?"
Leon nodded. "They become the next target."
Iris sighed. "Exactly. And it won't just be the Cross family after you. The Black Vipers, the noble guards, and every bounty hunter in this city will want your head."
Leon leaned back against the wall, staring at the bloodstained bandage on his arm.
"So," he said, "who do you think will come for me first?"
The First Hunters Arrive
They didn't have to wait long for an answer.
As they stepped out of the alley, a group of cloaked figures blocked their path.
Leon's instincts flared. Bounty hunters.
The leader, a scarred man with a cruel grin, twirled a dagger in his fingers.
"Leon Drake," he said smoothly. "There's a nice price on your head. Dead or alive."
Leon sighed. "Just once, I'd like a bounty that says **'alive' only.'"
The man chuckled. "Where's the fun in that?"
Iris whispered, "Five of them. Armed."
Leon smirked. "I see three more on the rooftops."
The bounty hunter's grin widened. "Sharp eyes. But it won't save you."
Leon cracked his knuckles. "Let's find out."
The Fight Begins
The first attacker lunged. Leon ducked, grabbing his wrist and twisting sharply—a sickening crack echoed as the man screamed, his arm broken.
Iris threw a dagger, taking out one of the rooftop archers.
Another hunter swung a sword at Leon—he barely dodged, the blade slicing a few strands of his hair.
Too close.
Leon countered with a brutal kick to the knee, shattering it. The hunter collapsed, howling in pain.
Two more rushed in.
Iris slashed one across the throat, while Leon spun low, sweeping the last man's legs out from under him before driving his dagger into his chest.
Silence fell.
The bounty hunters lay motionless.
Leon flicked the blood off his blade. "Not bad for a warm-up."
Iris sighed. "This is just the beginning."
She wasn't wrong.
The hunt had only just begun.