Shadow Betrayal: An Assassin's Story

3 - DEFIANCE, SECRETS AND SACRIFICE - 3

Raven's POV

"This is a stupid idea!" Kaemon's voice bounced off the cold stone walls as he paced like a caged animal. We'd been given an hour to decide, but the tension was already pulling us apart. Kaemon was dead set on saying no, Faolan just stood there, annoyingly calm as always, and Nasir kept stealing glances at me, like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. My eyes stayed glued to the floor, the weight of the decision pressing down on me like a lead blanket. This was the moment we'd all been dreading, and now that it was here, the fear was almost choking me.

Kaemon's rant showed no signs of stopping. "It's suicidal! We can't accept that deal. Anyone else, fine. But the king Ziu? It's madness. No, no, no, no, no. We just ca—"

"Kaemon, shut up for one second, you obnoxious loudmouth!" Nasir's voice cut through the noise, sharp as a blade.

Kaemon froze mid-stride, his face flushing bright red. "What the hell did you just call me?" His voice was low, fists clenched like he was ready to throw punches.

Nasir didn't even flinch. He just stood up, taller than Kaemon by a solid foot, and looked him dead in the eye. "I called you a loudmouth because you never know when to shut up." His words hit like bricks, calm and brutal.

The tension between them crackled in the air, but I'd had enough. My patience snapped like a thread pulled too tight. "Will both of you just shut up for one fucking minute and let me think!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the room like a thunderclap.

The silence that followed was thick, hanging over us like a storm about to break. Kaemon and Nasir turned to look at me, their bickering forgotten, waiting for what I'd say next. The weight of their eyes on me was almost suffocating, but I forced myself to look up, locking eyes with both of them.

"We're taking the mission." The words came out heavy, each one like a punch to the gut. Just saying it hurt, like sealing our fate with a sentence I wasn't ready to serve.

Nasir gave a small nod, his face unreadable, but he seemed a little less tense. Kaemon, though, looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "B-b-but why? You know it's suicide. We'll end up dead, or worse—slaves. And I don't know about you, but this baby was not built for slavery." He gestured to himself, his voice shaky, his earlier bravado crumbling into dust.

I shot him a look that could kill. "Kaemon, one more word out of you and I'll skin you alive right where you stand."

Before he could respond, Faolan finally spoke, his deep voice steady and unbothered, as usual. "Then we'd best get moving. Sunrise isn't far off, and crossing miles of desert isn't exactly a stroll in the park." He gave Kaemon a pointed look, daring him to start up again.

"And Kaemon," Faolan added, his tone turning even sharper.

Kaemon straightened up, eyes narrowing. "What?"

"If you've got a problem with the mission," Faolan said, his voice dropping to a low growl, "speak now, or we'll leave here one man short."

The threat hung in the air, and even I felt a shiver crawl down my spine. Kaemon's face twitched, but no snappy comeback came. Silence fell over the room again, heavy and full of dread as the reality of what we were about to do settled in.

"I see you've made your decision. Excellent. My men will escort you to the kingdom's borders, and you'll be provided with everything you need." My father's voice was smooth, like this whole thing was just another day at the office.

Two guards stepped forward, their faces barely hiding the disgust they felt for us. I bit back a sigh, knowing this was just the beginning of the shitstorm ahead. But as we moved to follow, my father's voice stopped me cold. "Raven."

I turned, face already hardened into the mask I'd been wearing around him for years. The others stopped too, concern flickering in their eyes, but I gave a tiny shake of my head. I could handle this. They got the message and kept walking with the guards.

I stood there, facing my father, my heart a mix of anger, confusion, and something close to... resentment. "Yes, your highness?" I spat the title like it was poison, daring him to react.

For a second, I thought I saw something in his face—regret, maybe even guilt—but it was gone in a flash, replaced by the same stone-cold expression he always wore. He stepped closer, hesitating like he didn't know how to approach me. His arms twitched, like he wanted to reach out, but they dropped uselessly to his sides. He leaned in, his voice low, almost like he was sharing a secret. "Beware of the woman they call Visha. She'll do whatever it takes to stop you, but you can't let her."

The warning sent a chill down my spine, but I kept my face blank, even as the tension coiled tight in my chest. I didn't trust myself to speak, so I just nodded.

"And, Raven?" His voice softened, almost too quiet to hear.

"What?" I said, barely holding on to my patience.

He paused. The silence between us stretched, thick with all the things we'd never said to each other. When he finally spoke, his voice was so soft I almost missed it. "I'm sorry."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught, and for a split second, the armor I'd built around myself cracked. My father stepped back, and in his eyes, I saw something I hadn't seen in years—sorrow. Real, crushing sorrow.

Memories of a time when things were different, when he was just my dad and not the king, flashed through my mind. I closed my eyes, trying to block it all out, but the emotions clawed at me, threatening to pull me under. I took a deep breath, forcing the tears back, fighting to stay strong. I couldn't fall apart now, not in front of him.

Without another word, I turned and walked away. Each step felt heavier than the last, the distance between us growing, but somehow never enough. Maybe, in another life, we could've been a real family. But not in this one. In this life, I had a mission to complete, and a world of lies and betrayal to navigate.

The road ahead was long, and the darkness felt endless. But I'd made my choice.

And I wasn't turning back.

************
A shorter chapter, but it is the actual kickoff to the book and it only gets better from here. I promise.
And also. Do you guys prefers a first person pov or a third person pov?

Word Count: 1113

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