Down the pine-enclosing path was a factory of death. An armory within the headquarter’s walls that housed the endless weapons of the division. Though the assassins had permission to keep portable bladed weapons on their person, more demanding jobs that required more firepower were kept there. The path to it was rather cut off from other facilities in the walls in an attempt to safeguard the arsenal from bad apples. As such, it was heavily monitored by thermal-imaging, infrared cameras, sound monitoring systems, and other spectrums of sensory technologies employed.

And that was where Mira made her way towards, knowing she was being watched. The brief synopsis of the target in question allowed her to figure out the traitor had a mission commissioned around dusk that day, so she figured this would be the best opportunity to strike. But to think tonight Mira will kill one of their own people. An asset to their ranks, and they are there to see it. Whatever this ‘traitor’ had done, they truly were up against death itself.

Mira stopped her trek and looked up. Despite the heavy surveillance, the building itself was not rigged with any sort of traps. A lone warehouse in the middle of the woods. Anyone could have been none the wiser to what was housed here. She stood in front of it, somewhat hoping said traitor would spot her, throwing away all the principles she learned and letting her last opportunity to keep her life as an assassin slip away. But for a good minute of waiting, nothing came about.

“...What am I doing?”

Do I want to keep this job or not?

Mira examined the warehouse. The workers never dismantle the scaffolding used for construction. Future repairs perhaps? In any case, they were perfect.

With a deep breath, she leaped onto the platform and climbed through an open window. Darkness immediately enshrouded her. The uneasy feeling clouded her mind the moment she landed onto the inner scaffolding rails. Mira could best see ten feet in any direction, and any ambush could mean her death. She had been trained to muffle her footsteps when moving, but that resulted in hearing her own heart thump in her chest for the duration of the walkway.

They say her sweep with a sword was the best in her generation. To be blunt, she sucked at swinging a sword which held true to this day. But this single arc of a move was her bread and butter. Crossing her right arm over to her waist’s left, focusing on her target, then sweep. She had practiced this move over and over since she first picked up a sword, and she just had to perform it one more time.

“...!”

After following the interior scaffolding for the greater part of her inner monologue, Mira finally sensed some movement below the railing. Focusing her eyes, a black figure shifted left and right ever so slowly floating in front of a multitude of swords, scythes, carvers, sickles, cleavers, bows, all of varying sizes. And there they were, the target in question cloaked in shadow. They appeared to be in the midst of perusing the assortment of gear available with their back facing forward—the perfect opportunity to strike.

The possibility of this being a trap was 50/50. An enemy as competent as a ‘traitor’ could have easily baited themself and triggered some blade to whip across, severing any attacker.

Yet…

You just gotta make do with what life throws at you.

Mira pounced. No traps. No sudden movements or glinting lights. The line from her to the figure presented itself. With all the strength she could muster, she swung the arc. But—instead of a cloud of crimson, a shower of sparks emanated from the collision. It was blocked.

In that one brief instant, however, Mira’s blood froze. The sparks allowed for light to encompass the area just enough to see her target’s face. No… that’s… But she would get the confirmation of her fear a moment later.

“Now this proves my theory.” Red eyes appeared within the dark as long black hair fell back.

The figure in question was…

“Chantou?!”

Immediately jumping back, Mira kept her gaze fixed. Now that her eyes adjusted to the light level, she could see, beyond any doubt, that she was staring at her own friend.

At a loss for words, the only words she managed to choke out was, “But… why…?”

“Why? Hmm. How can I put it simply?” Chantou settled her chin on her index finger. “Superpowers?”

Of all the times…

But despite the inappropriate jest, her tone of voice implied that—“You… knew about this?”

“I was quite surprised that it would be you. Thought that chance was 20% but in fact, it happened. Welcome friend.” Chantou chuckled. “Guess good ol’ Teijian really is scared of a coup d'etat.”

A dozen questions raced through Mira’s mind. This whole setup seemed like a tasteless joke after the dreadful ordeal of termination lately. Yet Chantou wouldn’t be so cruel as to fake a mission to give her friend false hope. Knowing her, there must’ve been some other explanation out there.

“That’s… going to be difficult to answer.” Chantou smiled as if she expected that exact question. “Sorry, I’m gonna have to respond with another question. Do you remember the night where we stargazed with Emerald, thinking of weird animals from whatever combinations of stars?

“We talked about spreading our wings. One day getting the hell out of Menuai and doing stupid ‘n illegal activities in other nations that would get us banned from setting foot there. Well, Emerald jumped the gun and declared that she would go beyond the forest that next day.

“But we know, she got a mission that morning. And never heard back.”

Mira, half dazed, half listening, could guess why.

“Must’ve had ears even where we gazed. And knowing how skilled she was, they decided to put her to rest. The ones with the most expertise, the most potential for a rebellion had the highest likelihood of one day betraying. And now they decided to silence me.” Chantou raised her head, letting bangs fall over her eyes. “Perhaps I scored a little too high in their tests. Or perhaps my act was too perfect last night.”

The Reaper. A death being that could reap the souls of anyone if it so desired. Sure. Mira understood the potential threat. But…

I’m gonna get out of here one day. I have to. We have to.

Those words were an act? The tone, her body language, the look in Chantou’s eyes felt far too genuine for her to be faking it.

“Then everyone would be disappearing left and right.” Mira recalled the numerous times where she listened to passerbys longing to go to the capital, Reine. “People talk about leaving all the time. Some even try to do it. But they always return home. Almost always… anyways.”

Chantou cocked her head as if Mira’s response was without question. But she took on a slight grin as she spoke. “That’s only half the story. Back then in the last job we had, that professor and Chordian officer talked of… ‘Aoi’.”

Aoi?

“That wasn’t all academic talk, but you were probably dozing off anyways. No one in Menuai is allowed to know the existence of Aoi. Even accidentally can be devastating. Luckily your ‘this woman must be crazy’ tells me you completely forgot everything from that time.”

“N—No… It’s just that you seem to know everything.”

“Emerald was the one who taught me. As for who taught her… could be anyone’s guess.”

Mira took a step back, crossed her arms and let her head lean back for some time. There was only so much information she could take in before words began going into one ear and out the other.

Goddammit. And here I thought I had my termination to think about.

“...And? Why did he send me? There’s no way I could’ve killed you.”

“That I’m not sure.” Chantou perused through a nearby crate. Finding what she was looking for, she slid the lid off and tossed it aside. “The only thing I can think of was that they intended for me to eliminate you first. After doing so, I’d meet the same fate as Emerald had.”

Figured as much. The test was secondary.

“Then I’ll just fail this mission. I decided, I don’t care about not being able to assassinate anymore.” Saying that, the massive weight that had been fostering in Mira’s chest suddenly lifted. It was a euphoria she hadn’t felt since the days she hung out with Chantou and Emerald. To think it was that easy to just let it go—

“—We can’t do that.”

But that weight came back crashing down.

“Why not?”

Chantou picked up a dagger from the crate and flicked her arm at an unsuspecting banner on the wall, causing an out-of-place crunch sound. At the moment of contact, some high pitched frequency blared static before ceasing.

“That was the last hidden audio transmitter.”

The surveillance. At that very moment, fellow assassins could very well be on their way to take their heads for all the reasons Chantou divulged. Had the nonexistence of traps tricked Mira into believing the trackers and wiretaps only stopped at the end of the path?

“B—But why even explain all of this to me if you knew they were listening?!”

Chantou didn’t respond. Instead, she shook her head as that same smile behind Emerald’s tree formed.

“Mira, kill me.”

Blunt words came from her friend.

“Wha…”

No, she didn’t say to… but she heard right. To kill her. An idea so absurd that Mira felt the blood rush from her head causing her to catch herself.

“Then run away from this place as fast as possible. If you do that, then you can take back your future you so desperately wanted.”

Continuing the mission? “But killing you is exactly what Teijian wants…”

“If I’m not dead today, then I’ll be dead tomorrow in one shape or another.”

Mira couldn’t shake off the imagery of her one remaining friend under another tree. To think the weight of taking another person’s life was finally manifesting after so many years.

“They’ll catch me.” Another excuse.

“You know, whenever our trainee group has a foot race, you always come up top. Your quick feet is one of your greatest assets. Plus—” Chantou held her trembling right wrist, “—never had my hand stung this badly.”

Mira clenched the hand used to strike Chantou’s block. “S—Still, you could survive much better than I could… And wait. That doesn’t make any sense. Can’t we just escape together?! What’s the problem with that?”

“I… I have my own reasons.” She hesitated. “Sorry for being so selfish. Listen Mira, I’m not gifted as you think I am. Maybe you’ll learn the truth, maybe you never will, but I’ll say this now. You are the one who puts in more effort than all three of us.” Chantou turned to face a distant window that had let trickles of moonlight in. “Well, I guess my only regret now is never getting some hot foreign boyfriend to impress my friend.”

“Chantou… you… you idiot.” The excuses dried up. Her breathing was shallow, and she couldn’t stop gritting her teeth. “You’re coming with me. There is absolutely no reason not for you to.”

“I… I really can’t tell you.”

“If you’re really not going to tell everything to me, your friend, then I’ll stay right here.”

Because…

I really don’t want to be alone.

“Mira…” Chantou walked forward toward her, carrying the moonlight with every step. “Don’t waste a life someone handed back to you. Live a real life in this world.” Her hands pressed gently on Mira’s shoulders. “Be a lumberjack for the logging industry, mow some lawns for elderly, study to become an engineer, medical practitioner, or scientific researcher, start a business that’ll flop a month later like 90% of startups, find a hot foreign boyfriend and settle down, hell, become a Samurai for the Alkain government, or join some rag tag team and go on stupid quests for world domination. Anything.”

There was no avoiding it. The words had cut into Mira’s soul enough to render her willpower drained up. She always lost every time they bickered and now was no exception. With Chantou’s arms moving to hug her, every muscle that tensed overtime slowly relaxed in Mira’s body. Feeling strokes through her hair, she wondered what she could have done to prolong this tender moment.

Since when did she have a way with words?

“...I’ll try.”

“No, you will.”

With that, the unspoken agreement was forged between the two.

“Then there is only one thing left to do.”

—A sudden surge of white filled Mira’s vision followed by an intense burning sensation that flowed in every part of her body. As quickly as it appeared, the feeling immediately dissipated leaving her baffled as to what came about her.

“Wha… what was that?!”

Jumping back and squinting at an amused Chantou, she could’ve sworn a pale violet mist gave off from every part of her body. But just as that sensation before, it disappeared the second Mira blinked.

“You’ll learn in due time.” Chantou took a step back and offered her heart. “From here on, you’ll be the Reaper.”

Mira knew there was no time to argue or question anything. All that she could do now was to unsheathe her sword and hold back the crushing hole in her own heart. She held its grip firm, squeezing out every possible second with her last friend one final time.

Not you too. Our group… and Emerald said the exact same thing to you.

Assassins were drilled to always be wary of your surroundings. Ready for any witnesses. For any blind spots that can draw attention. To take any opportunity and seize it. But that moment was none of these.

Mira took a stance. “Here I go.”

With that, that was the first time Chantou ever completely relaxed her guard and allowed the consequences to lead her. As Mira’s blade pierced her heart, a sorrowful pain enveloped hers.

・・・・・

Mira ran. She ran and ran and ran.

Her surroundings once again warped into an endless blurry motion of color, but without the familiar people and sights accompanying. Every protruding branch stung enough to pierce skin as she shot through them. However, those weren’t the only cause for her wounds. Their strikes were already enough to cause significant blood loss—the ones to clean up the job after two conspired to defect from the village. Shouts rang out from behind in a panic of losing their target in the midst of the endless ivy. In the territory of assassins, they were still at the mercy of nature.

“Khh—!”

A lone tree root snagged her foot enough that her whole body doubled over—down a steep hill. Every tumble on the dirt swept a cloud of debris into the air. Every hit stung every part of her body. Every pain ignited like fire. She finally hit the ground, at which point the momentum kept on going, until she rolled to a complete stop in a grassy field.

For a good minute the dirt cloud lingered above which luckily offered some camouflage within the dark, dense foliage. Voices and the slightest bit of leaves shuffling continued and expanded, until they eventually dispersed.

The raiding party seemed to have lost her, but—

“Ah…”

Her body didn’t respond to any command she gave it. She laid, unmoving. And the time passed in that state.

It was odd. She should’ve died a long time ago. For a division said to be the most notorious and efficient in their work of assassination, they failed to kill a single lone girl. Mira had doubted her friend's belief that she could outrun her fellow assassins, and yet she was still alive.

“So that’s what that dream was.”

In the end, everything that transpired in that dream happened. The itches everywhere, the sparse clouds covering the sky, and the feeling that everything had came crumbling down.

“I’m sorry Chantou… Looks like I couldn’t do it…”

To bleed out helplessly in an unknown, isolated, and solitary forest after all of the effort Mira had mustered to search for a greater future…

It was truly lonely.

With her hand stretched outwards, she saw it. A light shining far brighter than the others in the night sky, and yet a light so disconnected from its counterparts. It was a celestial object far more familiar to the lands than any other light.

If the stars won’t do it, then…

Until her vision faded white, Mira aimed for the distant moon.