Shadowed Wings: The Tale of the Silver Raven

Raven's Final Reckoning

**"Tell me where Fanny is!"** Ray's voice sliced through the darkness, her knuckles colliding with Paul's face yet again. He gasped for air, blood trickling from his lip as he insisted, "I swear, I don't know where Fanny is." But Ray didn't believe him. Not after everything. She had heard enough of his denials. Each hit brought more frustration, more rage. An hour had passed, and still, he held firm—still, he insisted on his ignorance. Ray crouched in front of him, lifting his bloodied face by his chin. Her voice was low, menacing, "Okay, listen carefully. This is your last chance. Tell me where Fanny is, and I'll make sure your death is quick and painless. But if you waste my time again..." Her grip tightened. Paul, trembling, repeated himself yet again, "I swear, I don't know where he is. I didn't kidnap him. I have nothing to do with this!"Ray's patience snapped. She kicked the chair from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. She hauled him up by his collar, her grip like iron, and shoved a crumpled note in his face. "Then explain this! Can you read?" Paul squinted through the haze of pain, forcing out the words, "I have the Wolf's little brother. Get him in time, or you might lose him too."Ray's voice was a venomous whisper, "You see? That's you, Paul. You have Fanny. Now, tell me where he is!" Her desperation only fueled her rage.Paul screamed, "You're insane! I don't have him! I had nothing to do with this, Ray. For God's sake, let me go!"She dropped him to the ground, his head smacking against the cold concrete. Dazed, Paul tried to stay conscious, the world around him spinning. And then, he saw it—Ray approaching, gun in hand. His heart pounded, the blood rushing in his ears. This was it. This was how it would end, not by the law he had served but by her—a woman driven mad by the loss of her last thread of hope.Ray grabbed him by the collar again, her eyes wild. "No one else knows who he is. No one else would write this. So, the next words out of your mouth better be Fanny's location, or I'll make sure they're your last." She shoved the cold muzzle of the gun into his mouth, her finger hovering over the trigger. Paul's eyes filled with terror, unable to speak, unable to breathe. He shook his head violently in desperation, his mind screaming for mercy.Then—**click**.Ray let him fall to the floor, still alive, still breathing. But barely. The sound of the empty chamber echoed in the cold, dark room. Paul lay there, gasping, his vision blurring as the bright light overhead burned his eyes. He was alive. Somehow, he was alive. But the silence that followed was worse than death. He could only hear the slow, deliberate footsteps of Ray as she walked away, her back turned to him.He tried to speak, to plead, but his voice came out in a broken rasp, "Ray... please. I don't know... where Fanny is. But I can help you find him. Please... listen to me."Ray paused, her voice now cold and detached, "No need for that. I found him."She slid her phone across the floor toward him. The screen flickered to life, showing a video. Paul strained to see, his heart sinking as the footage unfolded. A man was running, desperate. Then came the gunshots—three precise shots to the chest, forming a cruel triangle around his heart. The man staggered, fell to his knees, and collapsed lifelessly onto the ground. Paul's breath caught as he saw a group of men step forward, dousing the body in gasoline before setting it ablaze. The flames danced in the dark, consuming the figure on the ground. The scene was chaos, yet eerily silent.A voiceover crackled from the video, filled with menace, "It's one for one. Next will be you."Paul's voice trembled, "Is that... Fanny?"Ray's silence was confirmation enough. She stood there, frozen in the aftermath of the revelation, her voice hollow as she whispered, "I failed him... just like I failed his brother. I lost them both."Paul could hear the weight of her grief, the bitter edge of regret. She spoke more to herself than to him, "Maybe... if I had left him on his own... maybe he would still be alive. Somewhere. Somewhere safe."The video continued playing, voices continuing the haunting narrative. "This brat would have died a long time ago if that Raven hadn't intervened," a gruff voice sneered. "I wanted to keep him hostage, but she got to him first.""Who is he?" Another voice chimed in."The Wolf's brother. Yes, the legendary Green Wolf—the one who died ten years ago. He wasn't the only one supposed to die that day. Raven was the target too. But she escaped. Lucky for her."Paul's pulse quickened as the truth unraveled, the puzzle pieces falling into place. The voice on the video continued, "Oh, that brat torched my entire operation center. I tried to kill her again, but she escaped and took out my top agent—the Mantis. So, I sent someone to expose her identity as the Silver Raven. She didn't just survive that trap, but she killed Mantis too. This burning body here... it's payback. Revenge for Mantis... and for everything she's done to me."The video crackled, and the screen went black. Silence enveloped the room once more, leaving nothing but the weight of those final words hanging in the air.Ray stood motionless, her heart shattered beyond repair, as the reality of her loss closed in around her. The world had taken everything from her, piece by piece. Paul lay there, staring at the ceiling, wondering if there was any escape from the nightmare that had just become his life.
The Silver Raven stood in silence, her eyes fixed on the dimly lit room, listening to the recording that unraveled more of her past. As the voices echoed in her mind, her resolve only deepened. She inhaled slowly, feeling the cold steel of determination settling into her bones. "Well, if we're settling old scores..." she murmured to herself, her voice laced with both bitterness and resolve, "You still owe me. " The words hung in the air like a vow, a promise to end the cycle of vengeance once and for all. This would be a battle between equals—one on one.With steely focus, she began to methodically check and load her guns, her movements sharp and precise. The sound of metal clicking into place punctuated the silence, each sound amplifying the tension. As she packed her weapons, she pulled open a small drawer, retrieving a shiny, pristine bullet. She gazed at it for a brief moment before slipping it into a separate pouch—this one was special. It would mark the end of her long, blood-soaked journey.Paul, still bound and bruised on the floor, watched in stunned silence as Ray—or rather, the Silver Raven—prepared herself. There was an urgency to her movements, a desperation that hinted at more than just revenge; it was as if every second she remained alive was a burden too heavy to bear. He finally mustered the courage to speak, his voice shaky, "Ray?"She turned sharply, her fierce eyes locking onto him with an intensity that made his blood run cold. The transformation was complete. She was not Ray anymore , she corrected him, her voice low and dangerous. "It's Raven. For you, Silver Raven."Her words were like a whip, sharp and unforgiving. She approached Paul, each step filled with purpose. He felt her presence before he saw her—a dark, formidable aura that filled the room. It was terrifying. He could feel the weight of her stare, each word she spoke laced with lethal intent."You're starting your shift tonight at midnight, right?" she asked him, her tone almost casual. Paul nodded weakly, unable to break the spell of fear that had gripped him. The power radiating from her was nearly suffocating."Congratulations," she said with a twisted smile. "You're going to get promoted. Be at this location as soon as your shift starts." She handed him a small, folded piece of paper with an address scribbled on it.Paul frowned, confused by her sudden offer. "You're just... handing over your boss like that?"She shook her head, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Not exactly. You take care of the evidence—make sure nothing points back to me—and then you can have him. A nice little package for your promotion."Doubt flashed across Paul's face. He had been in the game too long to take things at face value. "And what guarantee do I have that this will actually get me a promotion?"The Silver Raven's gaze hardened. "You have to trust me on this one. I won't bail out. You've seen what I can do, Paul. This ends tonight, one way or another."Paul let out a bitter laugh, trying to shake off the fear. "Trust? You? Really? You killed your own sister. In my opinion, that disqualifies you from talking about loyalty."The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Her eyes darkened, the intensity in her stare enough to make him feel like he was being flayed alive by her very presence.