My form hadn’t returned to normal, but if I was being honest, I liked the new white in my hair with the red tips. It felt different, a bold statement against the backdrop of the familiar black. As I stepped into the safety of the doorway, my gaze locked onto the small, mousy-haired girl with a cuff in her ear. She stood frozen, her eyes wide with surprise, while the boy beside her, preparing to step onto the bridge, seemed equally taken aback by my presence.
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Their jaws dropped in absolute shock, reflecting the mix of emotions swirling within me. This was not the response I expected; I had hoped for indifference or perhaps a slight nod of acknowledgment, but their expressions made me feel suddenly exposed, like a spotlight had been turned on just for me. I shifted uncomfortably, half wishing to melt back into the shadows while craving their acceptance at the same time.
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The atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension as I continued to hold their gazes. "What?" I asked, my tone more defensive than intended. This was my moment of boldness, and yet their shock made me question everything: the changes I embraced, the path I was stepping into, and the very essence of who I was becoming.
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I rolled my eyes and narrowed my gaze at her. “Didn’t think I would survive? Sorry to disappoint. It’s clear you know my goddamn name, so fucking record it and stop gawking like you didn’t know I was the superior opponent. Next time you send a friend to their death, be sure they understand the full extent of their opponent’s abilities.” I shook my head and shoved past her, watching as she quickly scrawled my name on her paper, tears flooding her eyes.
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“It’s Kirishina. One R,” I called over my shoulder, the satisfaction curling my lips.
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As I walked away, I sensed someone approaching. A blond boy stepped forward, sorrow etched on his face. “Are all you Darksbanes lacking in emotions? That was her brother you just murdered!”
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My eyes widened, and a smile stretched across my face at the thought. It felt like a weight lifting, a sense of power rushing through me. “Emotions? Please,” I retorted, leaning into the thrill of it all. “In this world, power is all that matters. Maybe if they had trained harder, they wouldn’t have ended up as another casualty.”
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I took a step closer, relishing the boy’s shock. “Welcome to the real world, darling. This is what it means to be an assassin, steele yourself and make note of my power and dont underestimate me next time. perhaps, if she cared so deeply for her sibling she shouldnt have sent him out on that bridge to meet me in the middle.”
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I was inches from the boy’s face as I tapped his cheek with my pale hand. “All of you betrayed are the same, you know. You judge me and look upon me with disdain, all for the mistakes of my parents. Maybe try getting to know who I am before making your snap judgments.”
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The boy recoiled at my remark, his eyes wide with terror. I turned away, a chuckle escaping my lips as I walked off, relishing the power I felt in that moment. The transformation and bond between me and Abraxes was now complete, and there was no going back. Each step I took felt lighter, fueled by the thrill of having embraced my true power, is this what it felt like for my father with achron? i couldnt help but wonder..
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no, achron is the demon of madness, and a good friend to me.
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Abraxes' words became my very own thoughts, intertwined until we were one mind. *Friend? Of course he was your friend; you seem like the type to befriend a demon that incites madness,* I mused, fully aware he would catch the thought.
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There was a dark thrill in acknowledging our connection, a bond born from shadows and secrets. Despite the chaos that surrounded us, I felt an unsettling comfort in knowing that I wasn’t alone. Together, we could embrace whatever the darkness had to offer. The world may judge us, but in this twisted alliance, this was freedom. i felt nothing for anybody it was like being on thin ice with my true feelings lying just below the thin surface.
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I found my place against the wall on the far side of the vast cavern, sheltered from the snow and cold that swept through the metal bridges. From my vantage point, I kept a watchful eye on each doorway, waiting to see who would emerge from their own dark passage.
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One by one, five initiates entered through different doors, but only some would return—or perhaps none at all. My gaze fixed on Kaleigh as she stumbled down the steps of her own entrance, the man at her doorway taking her name with an insouciance glance.
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Her blond hair hung matted against her face, stained with blood from a gash across her cheek and another over her brow. It was a sight that tugged at something deep within me, a reminder of the brutal reality we were all facing.
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Her gaze finds mine, and through what I am sure is agonizing pain, she smiles at me and limps to my side. “You bonded with the demon prince finally! God, that white is bold. But you did it! Your father would be proud, Kiri.” she exclaims excitedly, she had been waiting for this she wanted to see if my father was the only one whose hair did that its been a curiosity for many years of hers.
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I giggled at her excitement as if now was the time for laughter with so many dying on the bridges just beyond the wall of the cavern across from us. "Yeah, I did. I don't know how proud he would be knowing his daughter killed a child he had granted mercy to, but I wasn't getting through that without Braxes' help." I sighed, the weight of my thoughts heavy. "The Academy is already going to strip us of everything that makes us well, us. But in this form, I…"
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How do I tell her I couldn't feel regret or guilt or really anything meaningful at all? The truth settled like a stone in my stomach. It was as if those emotions were shadows, just beyond reach, leaving me empty, caught between the exhilaration of survival and the numbness of what I had done. "But in this form, it’s like I’m just… here,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t tell if I’m alive or just existing.”
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Kaliegh’s gaze softened as she pulled me into a hug, her warmth wrapping around me like a protective shield. “You are both, existing and alive,” she whispered, her voice steady and comforting. “We betrayed are told a different story when it comes to your father... it’s your mother they hate. You were in her belly when they began that war. It wasn’t until an arrow fired at your mother grazed the armor over her belly that Orin Darksbane lost control. It was understandable to the parents; the life of his child was threatened, and even though you almost died before you even had the opportunity to live, he still fought Tynon for the mercy of all of us here.”
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Her words struck a chord deep within me, stirring emotions I’d buried beneath layers of doubt and fear. “Do not for a moment think he would not be proud of you, Kiri. Today, you showed resilience and strength, defying all odds and crossing that bridge. You have come into the Darksbane legacy through your bond.”
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She cupped my face, her thumbs brushing lightly over my cheeks, grounding me in the moment. I looked into her green eyes, overflowing with care and compassion, while I felt my own azure eyes reflect only emptiness. How could she see something in me that I struggled to recognize?
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Her words reverberated in my mind, battling against the swirling chaos of my thoughts. I wanted to believe her, to see myself as she did—strong, worthy, connected to a legacy that felt like a weight rather than an honor. But self-doubt clawed at my insides, reminding me of the expectations, the fears I tried so hard to escape.
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“You’re not just a part of that legacy; you have the power to redefine it,” Kaliegh continued, sensing my uncertainty. “Your past doesn’t dictate your future. The choices you make from here on out are yours alone.”
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With each word, a flicker of light ignited within me, a small but fierce flame challenging the darkness I felt so enveloped by. Maybe she was right. Perhaps blending the strength of the Darksbane legacy with the compassion I held within me from my time in the greenhouse. It was a daunting thought, but in Kaliegh’s embrace, I began to believe that maybe me and abraxes were different. maybe we could change the view of this accursed bloodline.
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I looked past Kaleigh for a moment, seeing a man standing against the wall. He was dressed in tight-fitting armored assassin's garb, sleek and menacing. He appeared to be a year older than Lucas, as indicated by the blue ties around his waist and mask. Navy blue leather belts crisscrossed his torso, holding at least a dozen sheathed daggers, along with two swords strapped along his back. His hair was black, partially concealed beneath his hood, and sitting right above the edge of his face mask were a pair of steel-grey eyes that seemed to bore into me with an unsettling intensity.
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I glanced back at Kaleigh, who looked at me with concern, her eyes twitching half-closed for a moment. "Who is that?" I asked, nodding in his direction. Kaleigh sighed and turned me away, pressing my back against the wall. "Listen to me, stay away from him. That is Azune Stone. Your mother put his mom on a satire cross and peeled her flesh off in front of him and his father, who’s ironically your grandfather's right-hand man. Your father killed his two younger brothers in front of him as well; his father shot the arrow. He will kill you." Her voice was low and trembled with fear, and the gravity of her words settled heavily in the air between us.
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Great, not only was I forced to be in this fucking academy, but now I had a greater enemy—a highly trained assassin who could kill me before I even set foot through the academy doors. Just fantastic! As if my life didn’t suck enough already. The weight of it all felt suffocating, and I couldn’t shake the anxiety creeping in. It seemed like I was being set up for failure at every turn.
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"Great, so my parents are the reason he's mostly an orphan. My grandfather keeps Torence Stone busy—busy minds can't cause mischief, that's what he says," I grumbled. Just then, a woman of the same rank as Azune came down the line, her red curls bouncing in a tight ponytail as she organized us into single file. "My name is Parker Silverwind," she announced, and there it was—the cuff in her ear. She was a betrayed, just like so many others here. Of course, it made sense; it was the anniversary of the war just a week ago. These kids were either born right before I was or were just infants back then. Great. Just great. The weight of history pressed down on me, and I felt like I was trapped in a cycle of revenge and betrayal that had been brewing long before I was even born.
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Parker cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing on me as a malicious smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "As we walk out this door, you will realize that on the other side of those bridges, the numbers of you initiates have significantly dwindled. Half of you are dead. Lesson one: don’t make friends or relationships you’re not willing to lose. In the academy, many of you will die! Even if you make it through, each and every mission you are assigned comes with its own dangers and must be treated the same as the bridge—like it’s the last, as if you can die at any moment."
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She leaned in, her gaze piercing through me. "Many of you earned your place here; some of you are council kids pushed into this life, and others... well, you're just here to become weapons of mass destruction, capable only of killing." The weight of her words hung in the air, a grim reminder of the harsh reality that awaited us. I felt the chill of her stare, and I knew she was speaking directly to me.
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"I am delighted to announce we have a bit of a celebrity here with us today—" Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. No. Please, God, no. "Kirishina Darksbane is here with us today, and it seems she has passed the test. We all recall her mother, Nyreah the Dragon, and if you don’t, let me remind you: she rode on the back of a dragon as she burned the entire kingdom of Telmithryn to ashes and unleashed her demon-possessed husband to slaughter all who hid and resisted the punishment of treason for hiring a contract on the king's head. Let’s give her a round of applause for her parents, the conquerors of Telmithryn!"
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I was mortified. No... well, if I had any chance of making friends, it was gone now. A round of applause? My ass. It felt more like a cue for everyone to know that I was fresh meat.The weight of those names felt suffocating, and I could hear the whispers and judgment brewing around me.
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I was so screwed. Although some of the initiates didn’t exactly look angry... almost intrigued. A boy with short red hair behind me and light brown eyes and a gap-toothed grin approached. “Hi, my name is Ryan. Your dad is fucking awesome, by the way,” he said quietly.
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I glanced up to check his right ear. There was indeed a cuff. My lips parted as my brows knitted together. “Awesome? He was a fucking murderer. But I am grateful you don’t hate me. Call me Kiri,” I said, giving a half-smile and shaking his hand.
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He smiled back, “My father’s story paints him as a protective father. He also said that to become your friend, I’d never find one so loyal.” Ryan blushed a bit. “By the way, the white hair is super cool.”
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Parker's throat cleared, shattering the tense silence that had hung over us like a heavy fog. "Are we done having our own conversations? We have better things to get to." The disdain in her tone was palpable, and I couldn’t suppress the anger bubbling within me. I hated her. Abraxes felt it too; I could feel the heat of his rage tingle up my skin, a constant reminder of the volatile emotions swirling around us.
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"You will all be paired with a Rafiq, which is a rank 4. This person is to be solely responsible for you until you become a master assassin," she continued, devoid of the slightest hint of empathy. "All disobedience and rule-breaking will not be tolerated. These are the individuals who will make and break you. They are the people you answer to—nobody else. They are your boss."
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Great. So, we were stuck with people at the same rank as Parker. The thought sent a wave of dread through me. Please, for the love of God, don’t let me get paired with her. Images of different ways to kill her surged in my mind like a chaotic slideshow, each one darker than the last. I forced myself to focus, pushing the cruel fantasies away as I tried to breathe through the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.
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This was supposed to be a pivotal moment for us, but instead, the looming uncertainty felt suffocating. I couldn’t shake the feeling that my fate—and possibly my life—was about to fall into the hands of someone who wouldn’t care if they shattered me in the process.
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Parker turned to an informant, who handed her a scroll while adjusting his metal, full-circle glasses on the bridge of his nose. As she unfurled the document, I caught a glimpse of her expression, and my stomach dropped. The moment she saw the first name on the page, her face blanched, and her icy gaze shot directly toward me. There it was, clear as day in her light green eyes: an unmistakable loathing. I fucking hate you.
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It was evident she wanted me dead.
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“Azune Stone, you are hereby tied to Kirishina Darksbane for the next five years. She will be your shadow until she can become her own,” the informant declared, his voice dripping with malice as he articulated my name, almost as if it were poison on his tongue. The way he pronounced it sent a chill down my spine.
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Without missing a beat, she spun on her heel, gripping the little man in his deep purple robe. “I told you my boyfriend doesn’t get paired with that thing!” she barked, her rage evident in her tone. The little man clutched at Parker’s hand, clawing at it in desperation.
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Oh, I see now—she was Azune’s girlfriend. That explained the palpable animosity radiating off her. It felt as though she were carrying the weight of an old tragedy, some deep-seated vendetta against me, almost like it was her mother who had been killed right in front of her.
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The air between us thickened, laden with tension. I knew this wasn’t just a simple pairing; it was a battle line drawn in the sand. If only she could see that I wasn’t the monster she believed I was. But in her eyes, I was already guilty, and the weight of her fury was almost unbearable.
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Azune pried himself off the wall and approached Parker, a look of unease shadowing his features as she carefully placed the tiny man in purple onto his feet. “Shit, Parker, I’m sorry. It’s not up to me; this was the Council's choice,” he said, his voice laced with regret.
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As Azune walked past them, he directed his intense gaze at me. My heart raced; his eyes were captivating. His cut jawline and strong features seemed to pull me in, despite my better judgment. I shook my head, trying to shake off the unexpected attraction.
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He bowed his head slightly, a small grin breaking across his face. “I am pleased to accept,” he said, his voice smooth and confident. I felt the weight of his words settle in the air between us, creating a tension that was hard to ignore.
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The cavern around us faded into the background as I focused on him, trying to comprehend the mix of emotions swirling within me. This was a moment I never anticipated, and yet here we were—at the crossroads of fate and choice, my heart caught in a tumultuous dance.
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and then Add to home screen.