Shadow Betrayal: An Assassin's Story

5 - SHADOWS, STEEL AND SURVIVAL - 5

Raven's POV

The moonlight cast long shadows as we squared off against the group of men in Razak. The night air was thick with tension, the dry heat from the day lingering like a second skin. Street lamps flickered as if they knew a storm was brewing, though the sky remained clear. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a countdown to the moment everything would unravel.

I gripped my twin blades tightly, feeling the familiar coolness of the metal. "Let's get this over with," I muttered under my breath. A quick fight. In and out. I wasn't here for games.

Next to me, Nasir stood with his usual unshakable calm, sword already drawn, his eyes scanning the group ahead of us like they were merely obstacles in a daily drill. Kaemon, on the other hand, looked like he was about to enter a party rather than a life-or-death battle. He twirled his knife, his trademark grin plastered across his face.

"Finally, some action!" Kaemon chuckled, glancing over at me. "Let's see if these guys can dance." He spun his blade with a flourish, his energy bordering on reckless. His confidence was equal parts infuriating and, in some twisted way, reassuring.

I rolled my eyes. "Kaemon, this is not a—"

Before I could finish, the first man charged at us with a rusty dagger, his face contorted in a savage grin. The air felt electric, and in that instant, the world seemed to snap into focus. I stepped forward to meet him, parrying his wild strike with one blade while countering with the other.

Metal clanged against metal, the sharp sound piercing the tense air. The battle erupted around us, each swing and strike adding to the symphony of chaos. I ducked under a heavy swing, my body moving on instinct as I struck back, slicing through the air with precision. Nasir, a blur of silent efficiency, dispatched his opponents with practiced ease, every move calculated, precise. His sword was like an extension of his body, cutting down men as if they were made of paper.

Kaemon, on the other hand, was laughing.

"Kaemon, focus!" I barked as I sliced through an attacker who had tried to sneak up on me. His laugh echoed in the night, a jarring contrast to the violence surrounding us.

He flipped over one of the attackers, landing behind him with ridiculous ease, then spun to face me, grinning like a maniac. "What? You want me to stop having fun now? I thought you liked my charm."

I barely had time to roll my eyes before I was forced to block a vicious strike aimed at my throat. I pushed back, gritting my teeth as the force of the blow reverberated up my arms. The man was strong, but strength wasn't everything. I twisted my wrist, forcing his blade down and spinning out of the way before slashing across his side. He crumpled to the ground with a groan, and I turned to find Nasir already dispatching another foe.

Kaemon, of course, was still laughing. His knife danced in the air as he took on two men at once, his movements fast and erratic. There was no rhythm to it, no plan—just chaos, and somehow, it worked for him.

"You're a lunatic, you know that?" I shouted, ducking as another attacker's blade whizzed past my head.

Kaemon winked at me. "And you're just jealous you don't look this good while fighting." He dodged a strike, his body twisting in ways that defied logic, and landed a solid punch to one man's face before slashing at the other with his knife.

Despite myself, I almost smiled. Almost.

That's when I heard it—a sharp shout from across the street. My eyes snapped toward the sound, and I saw Kaemon's carefree expression falter. One of the attackers had slipped past our defenses, his dagger raised high, poised to strike. Kaemon was too busy fending off another opponent to react in time.