The sun was sinking behind the mountain ridge when Jose's body was finally loaded into the ambulance.

  No one cracked jokes now.

  No one forced logic onto what they had witnessed.

  The forest stood still behind them.

  Watching.

  Diluc remained near the vehicle long after the others stepped away.

  His hands were steady.

  But his mind wasn't.

  "You survived once…"

  The whisper replayed in his head.

  "…but she won't."

  The words didn't feel like a threat.

  They felt like certainty.

  And that was worse.

  The Call

  Diluc took out his phone and called Bella.

  She picked up almost immediately.

  "Hey, brother."

  Her voice sounded relaxed.

  Normal.

  Too normal.

  "I'm bringing your favorite for dinner," he said. "Don't cook anything."

  There was a small pause.

  "Oh," she replied lightly, "you don't have to rush."

  He frowned slightly. "Rush?"

  "I'm not home yet."

  The words hit him wrong.

  "You were supposed to leave early."

  "I know," she said quickly. "I wanted to. But my friends dragged me to a café near campus. They promised it would be quick."

  He didn't speak.

  She laughed softly. "You know how girls' hangouts go. 'Five minutes' turns into two hours."

  "What café?"

  "Tea & Me Cafe. Near the east gate."

  His grip on the phone tightened just slightly.

  "What time did you leave campus?"

  "Like… thirty minutes ago?"

  Thirty minutes.

  That meant she had stayed later than planned.

  Stayed in an open area.

  After he specifically told her not to.

  "It's fine," she continued gently. "I was heading home soon anyway."

  Diluc looked toward the mountain ridge.

  The sun had almost disappeared now.

  Shadows stretched long across the land.

  "Send me your live location," he said calmly.

  She went quiet for a second.

  "…You're doing that voice."

  "What voice?"

  "The 'I'm not panicking but I definitely am' voice."

  He didn't deny it.

  "Just send it."

  A small sigh.

  "Okay."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  A second later, his phone vibrated.

  Location received.

  She was still at the café.

  Not on the way home.

  Not in a cab.

  Still sitting there.

  "Bella," he said more firmly, "leave now. I'll pick you up."

  "You don't have to—"

  "I'm already on my way." he said

  And hung up.

  Bella stood up and left the cafe.

  Scene Shift

  Darkness.

  Not the absence of light.

  But a place where light did not belong.

  A vast hall stretched endlessly beneath a ceiling lost in shadow. Pillars carved with ancient symbols rose like silent sentinels. Cold mist clung to the black stone floor.

  Dozens of figures stood in the darkness.

  Unmoving.

  Watching.

  Their eyes glowed faintly—

  Purple.

  Blue.

  Gray.

  No faces visible.

  Only presence.

  At the far end of the hall, elevated above them all, stood a throne carved from something that looked like obsidian but breathed like living stone.

  Upon it sat a woman.

  Still.

  Regal.

  Her form draped in flowing dark silk that seemed woven from night itself.

  Only her eyes were clearly visible.

  Crimson.

  Brilliant.

  Commanding.

  The Empress.

  Silence reigned until her voice echoed through the chamber.

  Calm.

  Controlled.

  Ancient.

  "What have you planned, Sorcerer?"

  From among the shadowed assembly, a single figure stepped forward.

  Tall. Cloaked.

  He moved with calculated reverence before kneeling on one knee.

  Head bowed low.

  "My Empress," he said, voice smooth as venom, "this time I have sent one of my deadliest assassins."

  The chamber remained silent.

  The red-eyed Queen did not blink.

  "The target will not survive."

  A faint smile touched her lips.

  "Confidence," she said softly, "has been your weakness before."

  The Sorcerer lowered his head further.

  "This one does not fail."

  City

  The sun had already disappeared.

  Only a faint purple afterglow remained in the sky.

  Streetlights flickered on one by one.

  Bella adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked along the quiet street near campus. Most students had already left. The evening air felt cooler than it should have.

  Across the road, shop shutters were half closed.

  Traffic had thinned.

  Her phone buzzed.

  Diluc.

  She smiled slightly and answered.

  "Where are you?" he asked immediately.

  "Relax," she teased lightly. "I'm on the main street near East Gate.

  Bella kept walking, phone pressed lightly to her ear.

  "I just need a little more time," Diluc said. "Traffic near the bypass."

  "It's fine," she replied. "Don't rush. I'll stay on the main road so you can spot me easily."

  "Good."

  "I'm not a child, remember?"

  A faint exhale from him. Almost a smile.

  "Stay visible."

  "I will."

  They hung up.

  Bella slid her phone into her bag and continued walking.

  Streetlights buzzed softly above her.

  Shops lined both sides of the road.

  Neon signs flickered.

  But something felt—

  Off.

  She slowed slightly.

  Her footsteps echoed louder than they should.

  She glanced to her left.

  A tea stall that had been open earlier… was shuttered.

  To her right, the pharmacy lights were off.

  Vehicles passing, distant conversations, traffic noise.

  She stopped.

  That's strange.

  This road was never this empty.

  It wasn't late enough.

  It wasn't raining.

  There wasn't any event nearby.

  "Where did everyone go…?" she muttered softly.

  A chill brushed against her neck.

  The streetlights flickered once.

  Then steadied.

  Bella turned slowly in a full circle.

  The road stretched long in both directions.

  Completely empty.

  Not a single person.

  Not a single moving vehicle.

  Even the air felt heavier.

  As if sound itself had been muted.

  High above—

  On the rooftop—

  The male figure watched her.

  Still.

  Calculating.

  Bella didn't see him.

  But she felt uncomfortable.

  instinct told her one thing—

  Keep moving.

  So she walked.

  Slowly.

  Carefully.

  On the roof, the man began moving too.

  Unhurried.

  Certain.

  The street stretched endlessly ahead.

  Still empty.

  Still wrong.

  Then—

  Headlights.

  In the distance.

  Two beams of white light cutting through the lifeless street.

  Bella stopped.

  The assassin did too.

  The lights grew brighter.

  Closer.

  And then—

  The sound hit.

  Music.

  Modern.

  Confident.

  Completely out of place in this silent world.

  A low, sleek luxury supercar emerged from the empty road.

  Its engine purred smoothly.

  Untouched by the stillness.

  Focus shifts—

  Hands on the steering wheel.

  Slender fingers adorned with pop rings catching faint streetlight reflections.

  Long hair flowing freely in the open window breeze.

  A confident, effortless posture.

  The car slowed.

  Gliding forward with controlled elegance.

  The assassin's glowing eyes narrowed slightly.

  The vehicle stopped directly in front of Bella.

  Engine still running.

  Music still playing.

  The driver's side window lowered slowly.

  Bella stepped closer.

  And then she saw her.

  The driver was breathtaking.

  Confident posture. Beautiful eyes. Long hair flowing lightly in the evening breeze. Rings catching faint reflections from the dashboard.

  For a second—

  Bella forgot the empty street.

  Forgot the silence.

  A faint blush warmed her cheeks.

  The girl smirked slightly.

  "What?" she asked playfully.

  Bella blinked. "Nothing."

  "You were staring."

  "I was not."

  "You definitely were."

  Bella looked away, embarrassed. "I'm waiting for my brother. He's coming to pick me up."

  The girl nodded casually, resting her arm on the window frame.

  "This road's kinda dead tonight."

  Bella glanced around again.

  Now that she noticed it—

  It was strange.

  No pedestrians,cars,distant chatter.

  "…Yeah," Bella muttered. "It's weird."

  The girl shrugged lightly.

  "Get in. You can call him from inside. I'll drop you home."

  Bella hesitated.

  The music continued playing softly.

  The engine purred steadily.

  Everything about the car felt real.

  Normal.

  Grounded.

  Which made the empty street feel even more wrong.

  "I don't even know you," Bella said cautiously.

  The girl grinned.

  "Fair."

  She leaned back slightly.

  "I'm not a serial killer if that helps."

  Bella let out a small involuntary laugh.

  The tension eased — just a little.

  "Call him," the girl added lightly. "If he answers, great. If not, I'll drop you. Main road, open area. I'm not kidnapping you."

  High above—

  The assassin remained still.

  Watching.

  Assessing.

  He did not move.

  Not yet.

  Because something about this situation had changed.

  And he needed to understand how.

  Bella stood there, thinking.

  The empty street behind her.

  The warm light inside the car in front of her.

  And for the first time—

  The car felt safer than the road.

  Bella got inside the car.

  END OF THE CHAPTER