Chapter 2: Second Chance

Vae

“He’s not dead?!”

“Nope. The one you killed was a substitute. Seems the prince is very strict about his safety,” Kieran, a scout, said.

No wonder he was so easy to kill. I was wondering how a Lycan Alpha could fall that easily. Turns out he was just a substitute. And that behavior….., doesn't look like what a lycan prince would have done, I could have put those points together before taking action.

The glass cup in my hand shattered.

“Elite Assassin, Shadow Rank Vespera. Report to Shadow Master B’s office.”

The Shadow Master I’m under.

Every scout looked up from their computers and turned toward me.

“Oh crap. Here it goes,” I muttered, turning away.

“Haha, try to stay alive,” Kieran chuckled behind me.

I ignored him and walked out.

The Black Lotus Guild has one major rule: 'A Failed Blade Is A Broken Blade.' An assassin must never come back without completing a mission. Whoever does is marked for elimination by the Guild itself.

The Black Lotus Guild is a deadly underworld hit syndicate feared by kingdoms. Their operations are swift and unpredictable. Trained from a young age to kill, aim, and shoot, I’ve become the number one elite Shadow Assassin.

The door to his office opened with a soft hiss. He sat behind a desk with one or two guns lying on it, hands resting on the surface, staring at me with predatory eyes.

“Elite Assassin Vespera reporting."

"I underestimated my target and failed my mission. I ask for a second chance.”

This is pure risk. The Guild does not give second chances. I’m walking on a thin line here.

He looked at me for a long while. I made sure not to break eye contact, to show how serious I was. After what felt like a year, he sighed.

“Second chance?”

“I would—”

“The Guild does not give second chances,” he interrupted, voice cold as ice.

I dropped to one knee and put my hands together in the Guild’s signature of respect.

“The Crown Prince is an Alpha Lycan heir. He possesses abilities that surpass ordinary werewolves. He’s surrounded by Lycan guards twenty-four seven. A normal werewolf can’t get close to him, and he can’t be killed with a normal bullet. But…”

I looked up at him.

“Go on,” he said, clearly interested.

“The prince does not have a mate.”

He sat up straighter, understanding what I was getting at.

“I have an ability. I discovered it last year after my first shift. I can sense the darkest physical desires of wolves around me and project an illusion that perfectly mimics their dream mate.”

He gave me a skeptical look.

“But it doesn’t work well on strong-willed or emotionally guarded people. If I’m given a second chance for this mission, I’ll give it my all.”

He studied me for a moment, then pulled out some files.

“Crown Prince Ryker attends Ironfang Royal Academy and is usually seen there. You are to infiltrate the academy and kill the prince using the method you suggested.”

“Your new identity will be delivered to you today. Prepare to leave tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

He opened a drawer and brought out a small silver container.

My pills…

His cold gaze stayed fixed on me.

“This mission was assigned by the Guild’s Grandmaster himself. If the Grandmaster is interested in a target, it means the mission is important and must be carried out successfully… without any mistake. Unless…”

He tossed the silver container to me. I caught it mid-air. Inside were several silver pills.

“These pills will last for two months. You have two months to complete the mission. If they run out…”

We both knew what that meant.

I went down on one knee again, forming the Guild’s respect sign.

“I assure you, sir. I will not fail.”

He nodded slowly.

-------

“Vae Shadowmoon. Sounds like a name someone would bow for,” Kieran said, chuckling.

“Shut up, Kieran. Must you play with everything? Vae is about to face a mission that threatens her life and you’re busy making jokes,” Mira, a surveillance scout, said.

They are the only people close to me in the Guild. Every other elite assassin is just rank. We were both abducted by the Guild as children and have confided in each other ever since.

“Okay, okay. But she’s very powerful. Who wouldn’t bow?” Kieran said, still laughing.

“Haha, so funny,” I replied, packing the academy uniform and the forged identity card into my bag.

“Just complete the mission and don’t die, okay?” Mira said, already on the verge of tears.

“You should be telling them to beware of me,” I smirked.

They both hugged me, saying they’d miss me even though they knew I wasn’t a fan of hugs. I tried to shrug them off, but they held on tighter. Argh.

“Aren’t you two supposed to be at your posts right now?” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh yeah—”

“Oh my, it’s past the time—”

They scrambled out of the room.

I exhaled and reached for the last item in my bag.

A Silvermoon crest.

My heart tightened a little. Memories from years ago tugged at me. My eyes grew watery.

“I’ll get you justice”