Seraphis marched up the grand staircase of the Assassin’s Guild, her boots
clacking
against the worn wooden steps. The atmosphere in the hall below was
still tense, thick with the metallic scent of blood
. The severed head still hung on the shield like a grim warning, its lifeless eyes staring down at the assassins who dared to even consider betraying the guild.
She didn’t bother knocking.
With a swift, brutal kick—
CRASH!
The
wooden door
of the Guild Master’s office
burst open
, slamming against the wall with a loud
BANG
.
Behind his desk, the Guild Master—
a grizzled man in his late forties with sharp, calculating eyes
—was just about to take a sip of his tea.
The moment the door
exploded inward
, he startled—
spitting his tea all over his desk.
For a few seconds, he just sat there, stunned,
watching the tea drip from his papers onto the floor.
Then, he slowly exhaled and muttered, “Really?
Again?
”
Seraphis smirked, crossing her arms as she stepped into the room. “What?
It’s just a door.
You can always replace it.”
The Guild Master, whose name was
Hale Vortain
, pinched the bridge of his nose. “You say that
every single time
you break my damn door.”
She shrugged. “Maybe you should
reinforce it with magic
or something.”
Hale let out a
dry chuckle.
“You know, I
just might.
”
Seraphis smirked. “Oh, I dare you. But if you do, I’ll just use
magic to keep it open forever.
”
He
sighed heavily,
leaning back in his chair. “Why do I even put up with you?”
“Because I keep things interesting.”
Hale muttered something under his breath but
didn’t deny it.
A Message Delivered
Hale wiped the tea off his desk with a rag, then
fixed Seraphis with a sharp stare.
“So?
What do you want?
”
Seraphis leaned against the desk, her white hair
falling over her shoulder.
“Well, I figured you were watching. What did you think of our little…
performance
?”
Hale leaned back, folding his arms. His expression remained
neutral
, but she could see the amusement in his gaze.
“I’ll admit,” he said after a moment, “it was effective.”
Seraphis smirked. “
Just effective?
”
He gave a
low chuckle.
“Fine. It was… let’s say,
memorable.
”
She grinned. “Don’t you think it sent a message?”
Hale drummed his fingers against the desk. “Oh, it
definitely
sent a message. Loud and clear.”
He leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
“Now
everyone in this guild
knows what happens to traitors.”
Seraphis tilted her head. “And?
Do you approve?
”
Hale sighed, rubbing his temple. “You expect me to approve of you **dragging a half-dead man into my guild, decapitating him in front of everyone, and then
mounting his head on a shield?
”
Seraphis shrugged. “I mean… yeah.”
Hale let out a deep,
resigned sigh
. “You’re
completely insane.
”
She smirked. “
And yet, you still keep me around.
”
Hale shook his head. “
You’re a menace.
”
Seraphis crossed her arms. “Call me what you want, but you can’t deny that after tonight,
no one will ever question our strength again.
”
Hale tapped a finger against his desk. “That part… I won’t argue.”
The Reality of Leadership
The Guild Master exhaled slowly, his
sharp gaze flickering with thought.
“You know,” he said, “there’s a difference between
fear and respect.
”
Seraphis arched a brow. “You think I’m leading with fear?”
Hale met her gaze. “You made a statement tonight, but it was one of
violence.
You have to be careful with that.”
Seraphis frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Hale leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “If all people see is
brutality
, they’ll fear you—but they
won’t
follow you out of loyalty. They’ll follow you out of
self-preservation.
”
Seraphis
rolled her eyes.
“So what? You want me to be all
nice and diplomatic?
”
Hale chuckled. “Not in the slightest. I know that’s
not who you are.
”
He studied her for a moment before continuing. “
I just don’t want you to forget the difference.
”
Seraphis didn’t respond right away.
She
understood
what he was saying.
But this world?
This world didn’t reward
kindness.
It rewarded
power.
Still, she wasn’t
completely heartless.
She knew the value of
trust and loyalty
—but right now?
A reminder was needed.
And if that meant putting a
traitor’s head on display
, so be it.
Hale’s Final Verdict
After a moment of silence, Hale sighed. “Either way, the damage is done. The message has been sent.”
Seraphis smirked. “
So… you’re saying I did good?
”
Hale gave her a
flat stare.
“Don’t push it.”
She chuckled.
Then, his expression turned
serious again.
“Now tell me… is it over?”
Seraphis exhaled. “For now. But something tells me that won’t be the
last
traitor we have to deal with.”
Hale nodded. “Agreed.”
He rubbed his chin. “But you’ve given them something to think about.”
Seraphis grinned. “Good. That was the point.”
Hale chuckled, shaking his head. “You really are a menace.”
Seraphis shrugged. “
You wouldn’t have it any other way.
”
Exiting in Style
Seraphis stretched, turning toward the now
completely broken
door.
Hale sighed. “Do me a favor?”
She raised a brow. “What?”
“
Fix the damn door on your way out.
”
Seraphis smirked. “Oh, I would, but…”
She took a step forward, then suddenly
vanished into mist.
The next second—
A
white raven
shot through the broken doorway, flying out into the night.
Hale groaned.
“…Damn menace.”