In the Arms of the Assassin

Chapter One: Shadows of the Past

They say you never feel real pain until death..

Why did my pain come in the form of a name. 

Cassius. Cassius. Cassius. 

My name is Isadora, and I've spent my life navigating the treacherous waters of the underworld. Born into a world of secrets and shadows, I learned from an early age that trust was a luxury I could ill afford. My parents, both renowned operatives in their own right, disappeared under mysterious circumstances when I was just a kid, leaving me to fend for myself in a world that cared little for he struggles of a lone teenagers. 

I survived the only way I knew how - by honing my skills as a covert operative, mastering the art of deception and subterfuge in a city where danger lurked around every corner. I became a ghost, slipping through the cracks of society unnoticed, my existence known only to a select few who dared to tread the same shadowy paths as I did. 

But amidst the chaos and danger of my solitary existence, there was one constant - a name that haunted my every walking moment, a face etched into the darkest recesses of my mind. Cassius Ivory. The boy who had once been my closest friend, my confidant, my ally in a world that seemed determined to tear us apart. 

But that was before everything changed, before betrayal tore our friendship asunder and cast us onto opposite sides of a bitter divide. Cassius chose a different path, one paved with lies and deceit, leaving me to pick up the pieces of our shattered bond and forge ahead alone. 

Or so I thought. 

As I rounded the corner of the deserted alleyway, my heart pounding in my chest, a moving figure was seen just inches in front of me. 

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, my voice sharp with suspicion as I squared off against the figure lurking in the shadows. 

The figure stepped forward, stepping into the dim light cast by a nearby streetlamp. My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the face beneath the hood - a face I had once known all too well, a face that I had tried so desperately to forget. 

"Cassius?" I breathed, disbelief coloring my tone as I stared at the person who had once been my ride or die, now transformed into a stranger cloaked in shadow. 

"Isadora," he acknowledged, his voice low and guarded, betraying none of the emotions swirling beneath the surface. "Fancy meeting you here." 

I narrowed my eyes, studying him intently, searching for any sign of deception in the shadows that cloaked his features. "Save the pleasantries," I retorted, my tone laced with skepticism. "What are you doing here?" 

Cassius shifted uncomfortably under my scrutiny, his gaze flickering briefly before settling on mine. "I could as you the same question," he countered, his voice calm yet tinged with an edge of defensiveness. 

I bristled at his response, the memories of our shared past bubbling to the surface like a tempest unleashed. "I'm not here to reminisce," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "I have a job to do."

"You mean we?" He remarks, a smirk creeping over his face. 

I pause. No. This cannot be happening. I am not going to be fighting to the death with Cassius Ivory over something this important. I hesitate for a moment before spitting my words out. 

"Look, just get out of my way," My gaze meets his, his smirk slowly leaving his face. My blood was boiling, but was it in determination or anger? "I don't want to hurt you." I finish, flicking my cloak back from my knife holder ready to grip at any moment. 

His eyes meet my hand, and back to me, then my hand, and finally back to me. Does he find this amusing? I have a job to do and ex-best friend of not, I will not let anyone get in my way. Finally the blistering laugh leaves his lips, only making me more hot. 

"You really think you have what it takes?," he snarls, digging through his pocket at the same time. I watch his hands in caution but then the shiny, glistening, diamond meets my eyes. I stand blank, my eyes locked onto the diamond I was set to retrieve. "Guess you're not the best at everything." he replies, quickly turning his body towards the end of the roof.

I watch his every movement, I need that diamond and he knows how much I need it. His feet leave a shadow and I am forced to chase him down. My heart beating faster than it ever has before, I reach for my grapple, to only watch him dive off the roof. In defeat, I fall to the edge of the roof, peaking over. What the hell? Where did he go? 

It didn't matter because now he has the diamond and I don't. All I know is if I don't get it, Jerry is going to absolutely murder me. Cassius Ivory, I will find you.