Red Strings Of Fate

Chapter 1: The Bond

She was kingdom's best assassin, a whirlwind of precision and skill, known for her cold resolve and unflinching ability to end lives on a battlefield.

So why was she hesitating now?...

12 February 2022,
The air reeked of gunpowder and blood, a sickening haze hanging over the battle field. Corpses littered the ground, in a brutal clash between Kingdom and Protocol.

Jett darted through the chaos, her knives gleaming as she cut through her enemies. She was unstoppable, deadly, a storm personified.. until it happened.

"JETT, WATCH OUT"

The voice reached her too late. She turned, only to see ŗ̴̨̳̱̲͈̟̬̾͘ë̸̥̼͔́̆̃̈́d̶̢̫̫͌̋̋̎̈́͐̒̕ͅa̷̢̩͖͓̗̥̼̬̭̓̉̅̏̉͗͘͝͝c̶̨̨͔̼̠̻̫̬̟̝̈́̂͑ţ̵̨̱̥̯̤̺͋̋͛̈́̿͒ẽ̸̡̠͙̝̺̭͓ḑ̴̡̝͇̗̲̄̀͘͜. . Her closest ally, the one who had brought her into Kingdom—lay lifelessly on the ground, her blood seeping into the dirt.

Jett froze, the world around her shattering into silence. Then came the rage.

Screaming, she charged forward towards, cutting down anyone in her path with a ferocity that terrified even her own comrades. But amidst the storm of her wrath, she stopped. 

A figure stood before her, a fair-skinned woman with long, jet-black hair draped over her shoulders. She wore a robe, her stance calm despite the chaos.

The assassin raised her gun, aiming it squarely at the stranger's head. Yet, her finger refused to pull the trigger. Her mind screamed at her to shoot, to finish the job, but something in the woman's gaze stopped her. It was steady, knowing, almost... calming.

Her chest tightened. She didn't understand. Why did the stranger's presence feel so familiar? So significant?

A flare exploded in the distance— a red smoke signal, ordering a retreat. Jett hesitated, then lowered her weapon.

"I hope we meet again" she said softly before turning away, disappearing into the haze of the battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~
3 Years Before,

Skye and Killjoy were having a conversation in the common room. Their voices carrying through the quiet halls.

"You ever heard about the red strings of fate?" Skye asked, leaning against the table.

Killjoy raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but also a bit skeptical. "Red strings? What, are you trying to sell me some mystical romance stuff?"

Skye chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Not quite, it's this myth where you're supposed to feel a connection with someone when you turn 16. If you've met them before, you'll reconnect. And if not, they'll just.. show up. Like fate just drops them into your life no matter where you are." 

Killjoy snorted. "Right. Sounds like something out of a fairytale."

Skye's grin widened. "Well, maybe it's not so far-fetched after all.. you see.. I think I actually felt it."

Killjoy blinked. "Wait, what? You? What happened?"

Skye blushed but quickly shrugged it off. "It's.. It's nothing, really. Just this feeling I got when I met someone recently. Just like the myth says. I think he might be.. it"

Killjoy's eyes lit up with excitement, "Ohooooh no way, who is it?"

Skye tried to look casual, but it was obvious she was hiding her grin. "His name is.. Yoru"

At this, Killjoy bursts into giggles. "Yoru? The new guy? Oh this is too good- Do tell me, Skye, have you confessed your oh-so-undying love yet?"

Skye's face flushed deeper. "I-It's not like that! We've talked but I haven't exactly told him the truth yet."

Killjoy wiggled her eyebrows, clearly teasing. "Oh, I bet you've been keeping it mysterious, huh? Playing hard to get."

Skye rolled her eyes, she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "It's not like that either, okay? But.. funny thing is we talked about it and he felt exactly what I did. Like— he even remembered me from a cafe months ago— talk about fate, right?"

Killjoy gasped dramatically. "Wait, he's been thinking about you? Skye, this is gold! Tell me everything! Did he blush when you talked to him? Did he say you looked good in your uniform?!"

Skye covered her face in embarrassment. "Okay, okay, stop teasing. But... it's weird, there's this feeling, like I've known him for longer"

Killjoy leaned back, clearly enjoying every moment of Skye's flustered state. "Oh, I'm so living for this. You two are basically destined for each other, aren't you?"

Skye gave a dramatic sigh. "I'm starting to think you're enjoying this way too much."

Killjoy just winked, a grin playing on her lips. "I'm just saying, if you two are really meant to be, fate's got a really funny way of showing up."