The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

31. Assassin

AZALEA SELENE WAS walking away from the weapons room, her combat boots creaked against the weathered wooden floors. Her bag of weapons was thrown over her shoulder. Her hands moved towards her collar, a black material formed from her shoulders and fell to her ankles. White wings embroidered on her back. It was a leather overcoat. She swished her hand to her left, a black wooden mask formed in her hand. She set it over her face.

Rings with chains appeared on her fingers. Her green eyes looked determined from behind her mask. She had gotten better since her fight. She made her way towards the main hall.

"Are all students here?" Agrona called out. The students answered in unison. All the students that were leaving the Black Academy then had all gathered there. Anna was not going to go after her target then. It had been almost a month since the Selection's last stage.

Azalea and Ben were leaving the Academy, along with ten others. Not only that year's selected black assassins were there, but the past few years' students too. Agrona and Gabriel stood there.

"The bus towards the city will be here in a few minutes, please remember that this bus is only available to go from here," Gabriel said as he surveyed them, "If you are to come back, you will have to rely on other means of transportation."

"When your targets are acquired, you can get the name of your next target at the given locations in your files," he continued, pointing towards the scrap of paper he held in his hand, "After that, you may choose to come back to the Academy with your own means of transportation and prepare. Or you may stay in the city with the money acquired after the assassination."

There was a moment of silence, as Agrona turned towards Gabriel's inspecting eyes, her eyes widened, "Oh! Yes— good luck to all of you."

"As of today, you are the pride and joy of the Black Academy." Agrona said with a more composed voice, "As of today you are all Black Academy Assassins."