The End of the Littlest One [Completed]

2. An assignment

After a short walk, Dante made it to Boss's office. He knocked on the heavy, dark door in front of him and waited patiently for a response to come from the other side.

'Come in!' he heard from the other side of the door.

Upon hearing Boss's voice, Dante gathered all the courage he had, which admittedly wasn't much at the time, and grabbed the door handle. He pushed it down and opened the door. The creak he expected, didn't make itself known. After he walked in, he closed it behind him.

Boss's office had large windows on the left wall. Heavy curtains hung on either side. The other three walls were hidden by tall bookcases, paintings, and other sophisticated things. The rug on the floor made sure no sound was to be heard when walking. The only indication for Dante that he was, in fact, walking came from his eyes. He couldn't hear his footsteps.

It was cool in the room. Even though the fireplace was on, the cold managed to get through the thin windows. Dante was relieved. The last thing he wanted now, was to start sweating.

The room smelled like paper and dust. It reminded Dante of the Academy's library.

With every step he got closer to the man sitting behind a large, dark desk. It was seemingly made of the same material as the door Dante had just passed through. The man behind the desk fit the room's vibe.

Boss was a little on the heavy side and was wearing a three-piece suit as per usual. Dante had never seen him wearing anything else. His beard was intimidating. Even though many students and faculty members speculated about his age, no one knew what it actually was. He was one of those men who could be thirty and sixty at the same time. The colour of his hair didn't give away hints either.

'Dante Simmons, I am glad you could make it,' he said. 'I hope the timing didn't bother you.'

Dante bowed his head down and back up again as a sign of respect for the man in front of him.

'It was not a hinder, sir.'

'Good to hear.'

Boss stood up from his chair and extended his arm. It was now floating above his desk. Dante took a few more steps and reached for Boss's hand with his own. After they shook hands, Boss continued.

'Sit down,' Boss said.

They released each other's hands, and Dante did as he was told. He sat down on one of two chairs on his side of the desk. Those chairs were notably less luxurious than the one Boss was sitting on.

'So,' Boss started.

While talking, he cleaned up his desk. He put papers on one big pile and put pens back in their holders. A book disappeared into a drawer, and a hat on the coat rack behind him.

'You might be wondering why I asked for you.'

'Yes, sir,' Dante responded.

'It's not because you are in trouble, do not worry.'

Another wave of relief came over Dante. His shoulders went down a little

It's not about Ben. Good.

'It is because I have an assignment for you.'

This threw Dante off his guard. Out of all the things he could have been asked to come for, this is why?

'An assignment, sir?'

Dante couldn't believe it.

An assignment. Already?

At the Royal Academy, completing an assignment meant you graduated from the Academy. It could take years before management deemed you worthy of an assignment.

Moreover, and maybe more importantly, an assignment usually came with a bonus. This could be something relatively small like a certain amount of money. However, in the past houses and stocks have been rewards. It all depended on the person behind the assignment: the contractor.

'Yes, an assignment. You have shown great competence. We from the Royal Academy want to reward you by giving you the opportunity to graduate at an extraordinary young age.'

'Thank you, sir. What will the assignment be? If you do not mind me asking.'

Boss smiled at the eagerness in the young man's eyes. That's what he liked to see. He opened one of his desk drawers and took out the envelope on top. He looked at it one last time before handing it over to the young man on the other side of the desk.

'In here is a piece of paper. It contains all the information you need.'

Dante took the envelope and inspected it. It was entirely blank except for the front. Dante Simmons was written in a peculiar font.

In here could be anything Dante realized.

From superiors, and a fair share of rumors, he had heard different assignments. They ranged from taking someone's daughter to a debutante ball to becoming a personal bodyguard for a few weeks. Dante was hesitant to open it. He simply didn't know what to expect.

Would he be ready for it? Would he be able to complete the assignment? What if he failed? He had never heard of someone who failed. Would you get expelled? What would Jun and Ricardo think? They had both been attending the Academy longer than Dante. Would they be proud? Jealous?

Dante had so many questions but didn't ask any. He was still staring at his name on the front of the envelope.

'You are allowed to open it,' Boss said, noticing Dante's hesitation.

Dante smiled briefly at the man in front of him. Then, he turned around the envelope and opened it. He took out the only piece of paper it contained and held it in his other hand. He read the handwritten text. It was simple and straight to the point.

Recipient: Dante Simmons

Objective: Kill

Target: Benjamin Laurier

Time: Two months

Extra reward: Whatever the recipient desires

Dante put the paper back into its corresponding envelope. He closed it and turned it back around, back to his name. It was indeed his name. No doubt about it.

So it is about Ben. Shit.

'Is everything clear?' Boss asked.

I can't do this. Why do I have to do this?

'Yes, sir,' Dante responded.

'Good. You are not allowed to ask any questions about the assignment. You are not allowed to tell anyone about the assignment, except telling them you have received one. From now on, you have been exempted from all duties at the academy. I trust you will do well. You may leave my office now.'

'Yes, sir.'

Why?

Dante stood up from his chair. The moment he started walking, he wondered whether or not he was going to make it to the door. His legs felt out of his control and his head wasn't completely present either.

When he had finally reached the door and pushed down the handle, his eyes started to sting. He sniffled and walked through the door, into the hallway. When he closed the door behind him, he held up the letter that was going to change everything, no matter what he decided.

With a blurry vision he put the envelope into the back pocket of his pants.

No.