A.S.S.A.S.S.I.N

Chapter 10: Shadows in the Dark

The early morning sun filtered through the windows of the loft, casting long, soft rays across the room. Tori stirred in the bed, her mind slowly waking as the events of the previous night replayed in her mind. The warmth of Derek's presence beside her was a comfort she hadn't realized she craved so desperately. She turned to look at him, his strong features relaxed in sleep, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to believe that things could be okay between them.

But the peace was fleeting. As she lay there, the weight of her situation crashed back down on her like a tidal wave. The Legion wouldn't stop. They wouldn't care that she'd chosen Derek, that she wanted to protect him and his pack. All they would see was her failure, her betrayal, and they would come for her—and for him.

She couldn't let that happen.

Gently, so as not to wake Derek, Tori slipped out of the bed, pulling on her clothes with practiced silence. She needed to confront the Legion herself, to make it clear that she was no longer under their control. It was a dangerous move, but she couldn't risk them coming after Derek or the pack. This was her fight, and she intended to face it alone.

Tori left the loft without a word, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she might not return. The early morning air was crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth she had just left behind. She moved with purpose, her footsteps quick and light as she headed towards the place where she had first made contact with the Legion upon returning to Beacon Hills. It was a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of town, a place that would raise no suspicion but was filled with shadows and secrets.

The journey to the warehouse felt surreal, the streets of Beacon Hills quiet in the early hours, giving her time to think, to plan. She had no idea what she would find when she arrived—if they would be waiting for her, or if she would walk into an empty building, a trap set for her. But one thing was certain: she had to do this. She had to sever her ties with the Legion once and for all.

As she approached the warehouse, the memories of her time with them surfaced, memories she had long buried. They had recruited her at a low point in her life, promising her a purpose, a way to channel her anger and pain. And for a while, it had worked. She had become their weapon, their tool for dealing with the supernatural threats that no one else could—or would—handle.

But it had come at a cost. She had lost herself in the process, becoming more and more detached from the person she had once been. Until Derek had brought her back, reminded her of who she really was—who she could still be.

Tori approached the warehouse cautiously, her senses on high alert. The building loomed in front of her, its windows dark, the entrance a yawning black mouth that seemed to swallow the light. She hesitated for a moment, every instinct screaming at her to turn back, to run. But she couldn't. This was the only way.

With a deep breath, she stepped inside.

The interior of the warehouse was just as she remembered—cold, sterile, and filled with an oppressive silence. The air was thick with the scent of metal and oil, a reminder of the many missions she had undertaken at their behest. She moved quietly, her steps echoing off the concrete floor as she made her way deeper into the building.

As she reached the center of the warehouse, she sensed them before she saw them. Figures stepped out of the shadows, their faces obscured by darkness, but she didn't need to see them to know who they were. The Legion. Her former handlers. The ones who had shaped her into the weapon she had become.

"Tori," a voice said, calm and cold. "We've been expecting you."

She turned to face the man who had spoken, recognizing him immediately. He was the one who had recruited her, the one who had trained her, broken her down and rebuilt her in the image of the Legion. His presence filled her with a mixture of fear and anger, emotions she had learned to suppress but now came rushing to the surface.