ASSASSIN'S CREED: VANGUARD

CARNAGE

The village lights were so close, a beacon in the darkness, promising safety and distance from Raphael. But as I reached the edge of a narrow trail, a crushing force gripped my throat, lifting me off my feet.

My vision blurred, and I gasped, clawing at the hand that held me. Raphael’s face loomed in front of me, twisted with cold fury.

“You just can’t make things easy, can you?” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “Always so determined to play the hero.”

I choked, every word I tried to form lost in strangled breaths. My mind was racing, fighting to stay conscious as black spots danced across my vision. Desperation surged through me, drowning out my fear. This was Raphael—someone I’d once trusted with my life—and now his face was filled with nothing but contempt as he tightened his grip.

“You should have listened, Bella,” he hissed, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “You could’ve died quickly. But now, I’ll make sure you suffer.”

A surge of anger flared within me, giving me just enough strength to fight back. My hand fumbled for the dagger strapped to my side. With the last bit of strength I had left, I drove it into his arm.

He roared in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to twist free. I fell to the ground, gasping, the cool air rushing into my lungs like fire. I scrambled back, clutching my throat, my breaths ragged and shallow.

“You little—” Raphael’s words were cut off as I staggered to my feet, backing away, keeping my eyes locked on him. His face was a mask of fury, blood dripping from the wound in his arm. I knew I only had seconds before he’d recover, before he’d come at me again.

“Why?” I managed to rasp, still fighting for air. “Why turn against everything?”

Raphael’s expression twisted with disdain. “Because the Brotherhood is weak. Chained by ancient traditions, clinging to useless ideals. And the Templars? Blind, arrogant fools, desperate to control what they can’t even begin to understand.”

He took a step closer, his voice turning almost manic. “But me? I understand. I see what the artifacts can do, what the Pieces of Eden could achieve in the right hands. Power beyond anything the world has ever known. I’ll wield it, Bella. And you could have stood by my side—if you’d had the vision.”

I forced myself to straighten, meeting his gaze head-on despite the terror clawing at me. “No… I’d rather die than betray everything we stand for.”

He sneered. “Then so be it.”

With a swift motion, he lunged, but I was ready this time. I sidestepped, tripping him just enough to send him stumbling forward. Without looking back, I turned and bolted, running deeper into the forest, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Branches whipped against my face and arms, but I barely felt them, my only focus on getting away, putting as much distance between us as possible. My legs burned, every step a struggle, but I knew I couldn’t stop—not now, not with Raphael hunting me.

Behind me, I heard him crashing through the underbrush, his voice taunting, calling out like a twisted predator. “You can’t escape me, Bella! You’re only delaying the inevitable!”

But his voice was fading, my desperate sprint finally paying off as I gained ground. I spotted a low ridge up ahead, and with a final burst of strength, I threw myself over it, crouching low as I hit the ground and rolled.

For a few seconds, I lay there, hidden by the shadows and the undergrowth, struggling to quiet my breathing, to still the panic racing through me. I heard Raphael’s footsteps slow, his curses muffled by the trees as he moved further away.