Kael breathed in shallow gasps, his chest heaving as he strained to stay upright. The warrior beside him was a blur of motion, a whirlwind of death, slicing through the last of the assassins with precision akin to that of a seasoned predator. Bodies littered the alley, blood thick in the air, but Kael's mind was solely focused on one thing: survival.
More would come. They always did.
But this time, Kael wasn't waiting to die.
He stumbled forward, forcing himself to stand upright, his sword still clutched in his bloody hand. His vision swam, but he gritted his teeth, blinking away the dizziness that threatened to pull him under. The warrior glanced at him, his expression unreadable as he wiped the blood from his blades, his movements so fluid they almost seemed inhuman.
Stay on your feet, Kael," the warrior growled. "If you want to make it out alive, you need to move faster.
Kael shot him a glare, but there was no time for a response. From the shadows ahead, more figures emerged, their footsteps heavy with intent. This time, there were six of them, and they were faster and more coordinated than the last group. They didn't even hesitate or pause to consider Kael's weakening state. They were here to finish what had started.
"You really think you're going to walk out of here? " one of them called, his voice mocking. His eyes were cold, devoid of mercy. "It's over, Shadowborne scum."
Kael's blood boiled at the mention of his family's name, but he couldn't let anger cloud his judgment. Not now.
He wasn't fighting for his life anymore. He was fighting to free himself from the curse of the Shadowborne legacy, from the chain of bloodshed and murder that had been his family's curse for generations. He wouldn't let it end here. Not like this.
The first assassin lunged, his blade flashing with deadly speed. Kael barely had time to react, raising his own sword just in time to block the strike. The impact sent shockwaves up his arm, but he held his ground, his sword grinding against the assassin's. With a swift kick, Kael knocked the man back, giving him just enough space to launch a counterattack.
The assassin recovered quickly, but Kael was already moving, his body fueled by desperation and rage. He slashed his sword across the assassin's chest, drawing blood, but the man didn't falter. Instead, he grinned, blood staining his teeth as he lunged again.
This time, Kael wasn't quick enough.
The killer's knife flashed in the dim light, striking true and going into Kael's side with a horrid thud. Pain detonated in him like wildfire, and he gasped, falling back. His vision spun, but he wasn't done yet.
The warrior was already in motion, his twin blades a blur of silver as he cut down the assassin with ruthless efficiency. The man dropped to the ground without a sound, but Kael barely noticed. His side burned, his blood soaking through his torn shirt, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop.
He came around to face the next assassin, the one who had been circling around to his back. But the man was quicker than Kael was prepared for. He swung his blade with a brutal arc, aiming for Kael's throat. Kael twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the assassin's blade still scraped across his cheek, and the pain of the gash was deep.
Kael's heart was racing, his hands slick with sweat and blood. He could feel the end drawing near. His body was breaking down, his mind clouded with the overwhelming pressure of the battle. But there was no way out now. No way to run.
Another assassin came in from the left side, his sword up high. Kael brought his own sword across with a swing, meeting the assassin's blow head-on with a deafening clang. Pain shot through his arms as if they had been caught on a bone, but he didn't let up. He pressed forward, slashing across the man's torso. Blood spurted, but the assassin didn't go down. He backed away, clutching at his wound, but it was too little, too late.
Kael's vision blurred, his energy spent, but again the warrior was there, lethal movement pouring into every step. In the space of a heartbeat, the warrior twin blades sliced through the air, one burying itself in the assassin's neck, the other cleaving through his midsection. The assassin fell, his body crashing onto the ground with a sickening thud.
Kael stood there, panting, his sword still raised, his body covered in blood. His muscles screamed in protest, his wounds raw and deep, but he wasn't done yet.
The worst was yet to come.
From the shadows, a larger figure emerged, his silhouette looming like death itself. The others stepped aside, clearing the path for this final adversary. This one was different. Taller. Stronger. He moved with an unnerving calm, his eyes cold as he assessed the scene.
The warrior's posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the new arrival. Kael's heart skipped a beat. This man was no ordinary assassin. There was something about him—something primal—that made Kael's blood run cold.
"You've made a mess of things, Kael," the man said, his voice smooth and low. "But I'm afraid your time is up."
Kael's breath lodged in his throat as the man readied his sword, the blade shining like a fang in moonlight. It was longer than any blade Kael had ever seen, curved like the claws of some ancient predator.
"Not today," Kael growled, forcing himself to take one step forward.
The figure did not answer. Instead, he swung his blade at terrifying speed, the arc of the strike nearly impossible to follow. Kael barely had time to raise his own sword to block the blow, and the impact shot shockwaves through his body. His sword shuddered violently in his grip, but he somehow held it steady, gritting his teeth against the overwhelming force.
The larger man sneered. "You really think you can stop me?"
Kael said nothing. He couldn't. His body was too broken, his strength too spent. But he fought on, his blade meeting the larger man's with everything he had left.
The warrior stepped forward, his blades flashing, but the larger man reacted with surprising speed, parrying the attack with a flick of his wrist. The force of the impact sent the warrior stumbling back, but he recovered instantly, slashing again with brutal precision.
Kael's world narrowed. The assassin before him wasn't just skilled; he was otherworldly, his movements fluid and graceful, like he had no weakness. His sword cut through the air with the power of a storm, each strike aimed to break Kael's defenses.
Kael stumbled back, his legs wobbly beneath him. He could not bear the stinging in his side and the flow of blood soaking his clothes, but he couldn't stop. For him, this couldn't be the end. He had to survive. He had to free himself from the shackles of the past.
The bigger figure didn't even hesitate. With a swiftness that stopped Kael's heart, the man lunged forward, his sword flashing like lightning.
Kael tried to move, tried to block, but it was too late.
The blade sank deep into Kael's chest, the force of the blow taking the last breath from his body. He gasped, his vision going dark as the world around him spun wildly. His sword fell from his grip, the blood pooling around his feet as the pain swallowed him whole.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, the world went dark.