Dark sewers. Twisted bodies. I start coming upon them at every turn. Disgusting and vile, there are countless members of the Omniscient Guard strewn about the Undercanals. Their transformed bodies still wriggle even as life leaves their bodies. Next to them, I find many still human bodies in hoods and cloaks which are unmistakably the Stranger’s followers. Also dead. It seems both sides suffered catastrophic losses moving through the tunnels. Odd. Wasn’t the palace supposed to be undefended?

Moving deeper, I stop using magic, and pause, getting the distinct feeling that I’m being watched. The Omniscient Guards that were chasing me either lost interest or fallen behind. However, the resulting silence is more eerie than encouraging. Just get Natalia and get out. Passing another clump of bodies, I ignore the increasing feeling that something is wrong. My wariness grows to a fever pitch, as do the twists and turns, and I find it impossible to jet through the sewers with magic. However, on foot and unassisted by magic, Natalia is pulling ahead of me. The distant splashing of her feet is becoming impossible to make out over the sound of my own steps in the water. Luckily, I won’t get lost, even if I can’t follow her footsteps. The bodies of the Stranger’s men, as well as the Omniscient Guard, paint a very clear trail. I just need to follow all this death.

At some point, Natalia’s footsteps disappear completely. Amidst the muddy green water, which has turned brown from all the blood mixed into it, I cock my head. Reaching for the future, I find it blocked. The Stranger must be close. Unable to rely on Foresight, I instead call upon magic and mana for reassurance. Words whisper in my mind, and I prepare for battle, reviewing the tactics I have prepared. I also consider strategies to bind Natalia. Can’t rely on her to come with me willingly. Stepping forwards, I see light ahead. There’s an opening coming up. Some sort of archway. Is this it?

Running to the edge of the archway, the opening is about big enough for three men to go through at a time. A disguised door lies in pieces just beyond the threshold. It’s been blown off its hinges. The way is wide open. Poking my head through the archway, I peek outside. What I see is…awe-inspiring. And fearsome. We are inside the palace…right in the heart of Merekeep-

This is…the throne room?

It’s…it’s a huge space. As if made for giants. Vaulted walls, an unnecessarily high ceiling. There’s enough space in here for a small army. The floor alternates between white and black tiles, a checkered pattern. It’s like standing on a titanic chessboard. However, in a normal game of chess, the pieces are removed from the board when captured. This doesn’t seem to be the case here. The floor of the throne room is littered with bodies of the Stranger’s men as well as Selena’s mutated Omniscient Guard. A desperate battle with a tragic ending. It seems that throughout the entire vast hall…only two have survived. But neither are the girl I’m searching for. Instead, it is two of my mortal enemies.

Come on…where are you?

From my vantage point at the forgotten archway, I scan the room for Natalia. However, she is nowhere to be seen. I find only a man in a familiar smiling mask, and a woman whose face has eluded me for the past few years. They stand a mere ten paces apart, before the steps of Merekeep’s golden throne. For fighters of their caliber, they may as well be touching blades. Those ten little steps could disappear in a single heartbeat.

“You’ve lost, Selena,” the Stranger’s gloating voice matches his smiling mask perfectly. For once, his feelings are plain to see. He no longer has any reason to hide. “Just as you took everything from me…now I shall do the same to you.”

“How are you back?” Selena is a dark-haired woman with a sharp angular face. Her face looks paler than it should be as if she hasn’t seen sunlight in a very long time. She raises a thin sword and points it at his face. “I don’t believe it. No one could have survived those wounds. This can’t be real!”

“Dead is…a subjective term really.” Her opponent suddenly manifests a dagger in his right and left hands. The cruelly smiling mask mocks her, “Unfortunately, Merekeep is my city. Its secrets are not something a traitor like you could ever understand.”

“You were experimenting on your own people!” Selena’s expression turns dark and stormy. She flips her sword to the other hand and lets the tip drop dangerously. Her knees bend, coiling up like clockwork springs. It’ll happen soon.

“Yes, you’re right…they were my people!” The Stranger laughs. His maniacal guffaws echo throughout the grand hall. “It was my right. You have no idea the true purpose of Merekeep. What it means to be an assassin. Do you think we were always bounty hunters? Contract killers satisfied with licking scraps from the tables of mages and kings? No…we used to be so much more! The age of Qi, of the fighter, that was our time!”

“You’re insane. The last age was just bloodshed and slaughter. Who would want to go back to that?” Selena whispers quietly. She shivers as if recalling some unspeakable horror, “I had to stop you!”

“Is that how you justify betraying your Lord?” the Stranger sounds disgusted, “Greedy backstabber, p-l-e-a-s-e…I’ve seen how you treat the Demi’s. Merekeep is rotting, and you’ve done nothing to stop it! We have become shadows of our former selves under your rule! So don’t try to pretend that you did it for the greater good. You simply wanted my position, my power-”

“Heh…caught me.” Selena’s meek expression suddenly turns wicked. “At least my men were only monsters in name!” Her scared, trembling lips curve into a smile as she flickers-

*Whoosh*

One heartbeat.

Ten paces gone in an instant-

F-Fast!

*Clank*

A blurry figure appears above the Stranger.

“Die!” Selena’s sword swings down. Her expression is unhinged, “This time I’ll burn your body, freak!”

“You won’t get the chance!” The Stranger meets her blade with two daggers crossed into an ‘X’. For a second, they’re locked together, her sword held in place by his knives. He growls, “Isn’t it harder when my back isn’t turned?”

“Not really!” Selena bears down harder. Her slim frame contains an unbelievable strength. It’s like watching Romy or Jarshan fight. Even from here, the wind from her sudden movement forms a blast wave which wips my hair back. I clench my fingers on the archway, trying to avoid being pushed back. Keeping my eyes on Selena, I make sure not to blink from the flying dust. She twists, performing some sort of strange move, “I killed you once…I’ll do it again-”

*Flicker*

“What?” The Stranger’s head turns slightly as Selena disappears. Her sword remains locked between his daggers, but the woman is gone. She…dropped her blade?

*Flash*

A silver line of light appears behind the Stranger. I don’t have time to cry out, even if I wanted to. Selena blurs back into existence, her dagger carving a silver path straight for his back-

“You’re mine!”

*Puchi*

“Huh?” Selena’s blade sinks into the Stranger’s back. However, her triumphant smile soon fades. She lets out a gasp as a sword emerges from her own back. The Stranger didn’t even look. The moment she appeared, he blindly reversed his dagger and stabbed behind him. As if he knew she would be there. A perfect counterstrike. “But how…?”

*Splurt*

“Tch.” Like an unkillable monster, the Stranger turns around as if there isn’t a knife in his back. He rips his dagger out of Selena’s belly. Ruby-like drops of blood spill from her stomach, as she tries to stay upright. But then the Stranger kicks her knees in and she tumbles to the ground. “I spent years preparing for this. Do you really think I wouldn’t know your dirty tricks?”

“Freak…the Upper Houses will never accept you!” Selena, to her credit, does not beg. Even as the Stranger knocks away her sword, she continues to curse him. “Merekeep won’t take you back!”

“So what?” The Stranger reaches down and grabs a bundle of her hair. Lifting Selena up like a ragdoll, he regards her quietly for a moment. “All of the traitors that backed you are mine again. The Omniscient Guard is mine. Even that lieutenant of yours has abandoned you. Who’s going to stop me? You? Not anymore-”

*Svit*

His dagger rises like a painter’s brush and carves a bloody red line across Selena’s throat.

“Hurk!” She drops, gasping for air, her claw-like hand reaching out towards him. But the Stranger merely turns his back to her. Reaching behind his back, he pulls out her knife and drops it on the ground.

*Splurt*

Blood leaks out of his back, but soon stops. Cracking his neck, he slowly hobbles away. Behind him, Selena flops around helplessly, as the Stranger ascends the steps towards the golden throne.

…

At the top, he calmly turns around again.

“Enjoy death, Selena.” The Stranger lifts his head slightly. His mask glints as he slowly sits on the throne. “Unfortunately, no one will be bringing you back.” He puts his hands on both armrests and watches her drown in her own blood.

…

…

When the light leaves Selena’s eyes, the Stranger leans his head back. I let out a breath, sinking back into the shadows of the secret entrance. Their entire battle happened in mere moments, an incredible display of speed which shook me to the bone.

It’s over-

*Flicker*

I see something above me. A flash of orange on white paint. Somebody’s…climbing on the ceiling. I see a bushy orange tail poking out of her black robes. As the Stranger relaxes after the fight, she makes her move. Silently, the assassin clambers out from the shadow of a chandelier above the throne. Natalia sneaks across the ceiling, upside down, like a little spider. Her claws cling to each crack in-between the tiles, and when she turns her head, I see Blink’s dagger glinting in-between her teeth. I wave at her frantically as I realize what she’s planning-

No…no…don’t do it!

Natalia, hangs high above the Stranger. He still hasn’t noticed her. There’s still time for her to turn around. But an uncontrollable rage blinds her eyes. She doesn’t see me. I can only watch as her lips curl into a snarl around the dagger. And then…she drops.

Oh God.