The Reaper (The Assassin Series Book #2)

Chapter 1

There are times in your life when the unthinkable happens. Whether it be something small or large, it was thought of as an impossible thing. Still, it happened. You see, nothing is impossible. Even if it is only in the slightest, there is a chance for every possibility to happen. If you keep that in my mind, then you will be ready for anything.

Actually, tweak that. It's a lie. There are some things you can never be ready for. They're just so unexpected and out there that you don't even consider it. That is where we, as people, begin to fail. We do not look at every possible scenario like we should. We don't pay attention to our surroundings. That is the key to everything. You must observe every object in a room, every movement someone makes, and everything you do yourself, because you never know if there is something hidden. You might be hiding something from yourself. The problem is that you do these things subconsciously, so you don't really know it. The solution could be from being drawn to a certain book to using the wrong word, when you actually meant what you said.

Being an assassin, I knew all of these things. I followed those rules because my life depended on it. Literally. Still, it didn't help me in the end, because I really didn't think of all the scenarios. I thought it was impossible for me to ever fall in love. Especially with Sebastian, considering how much I used to dislike him.

I always said that if I ever really did fall in love, it would be the death of me. I was right. I was blinded by love. So, when I saw Sebastian on that roof, all I saw was him. I was worried that he would die if he did not get down. I was surprised he had returned from Paris so quickly, and happy to see him. Then, I didn't scan my surroundings. By the time I heard the cracking, it was too late.

I never thought that was how I was going to die, but I did. Being crushed by a collapsing building... What a tragic way to die. It wasn't even like one of those beautiful tragedies. No, I got the gruesome tragedy that people have nightmares about. At the same time, I gave people nightmares, being the Widow and all. It seemed to fit well together. I was simply trying to end as myself.

I guess giving up on the life of the Widow was not enough to extend my mortality. Instead, I was given the chance to embrace another part of myself.

My eyes popped open and I gasped for breath as if I hadn't been breathing the whole time. I sat up straight and put a hand to my chest, trying to find a way to allow more airflow. My heart was beating rapidly and the blood rushed in my ears.

When I could finally breathe, I looked down at myself. I was still wearing my maids' uniform, but it was soiled with dirt and ash, crumpled. I noticed my body was in no better condition in the aspect of cleanliness. I couldn't figure out why. Then, I suddenly remembered what had last happened to me.

The building had collapsed on me! How the hell was I still alive?! There was no way I could survive that! No one could survive that!

I realized I was not in Phantomhive Manor. I was sitting on a bed and the walls around me were stark white. The bed would have been, but I made it filthy. There was a chair in a corner, a nightstand with a lamp on it, and there was some sort of wall decoration. I thought it was a painting, but I couldn't really tell. There was at least a frame. My vision was all fuzzy, which was odd considering my eyesight was perfect. Had it been damaged in my accident?

The white door suddenly opened without knocking, scaring me so badly I screamed. I thought it would be Sebastian, walking in to tell me that I was fine and what had happened. Instead, I was deeply disappointed. I couldn't make out the features, but I knew it was a woman. She seemed to be wearing a suit and glasses. I thought she had long brown hair. So, I had turned near-sighted. I demanded, "Where am I? Who are you?"

"Well, it's good to see you're awake. Let's go. We need to get you some glasses before I can explain anything," she said as she began walking towards me.

I warned, "You better stay away from me!"

The woman told me, "I'm not going to hurt you, but we must move quickly. We're on a tight schedule." She grabbed my wrist and I immediately kicked her in the stomach. She let me go, bending over. I stood up and kneed her in the nose, letting her fall backwards.

I ran out of the room as fast as I could. Everything in the hall was just as white as my room. What was that place? Was it supposed to be Heaven or something? Well, I didn't care. All I wanted was to get out of there.

I went right, using my instinct with which way led to the exit. I passed people all in suits, having some kind of weapon in their hands. My gun and knives had been confiscated. They must have known I would hurt them or something. How smart of them. If only they had realized I could work without them, which then made whoever they were fools.

I sighed in relief when I saw the double doors. It was the way out. I bolted through them and my mouth dropped open at the sight. I stood on a sidewalk leading to the building. The sky was a clear blue and the green grass was neatly cut. The buildings surrounding me looked exactly the same as the one I had just ran out of. It didn't look like a bad place at all!

Someone came up behind me and restrained me. They put my arms behind my back and they were too strong for me to break free. I let my legs give out, but the person simply kneeled next to me. "Let me go!" I ordered, frustrated.

"I knew you would be troublesome. It's a good thing I was here or else you might have gotten into an awful lot of trouble. Honestly, you should consider yourself thankful," a man told me. I recognized his voice, but couldn't place it. He stuck something in my neck. I began to feel sleepy. "Please, do not worry. It was just a serum to keep you from fighting me any longer. It will make you very weak, but will not make you fall unconscious."

As he helped me stand, I slurred, "Where am I?"

"I will not answer any questions until we get you spectacles. Please, stay quiet and follow me," he told me.

"What if I don't want to?" I asked, still having enough energy to be feisty.

"It was not a choice," he said. I sighed and he helped me walk to wherever we were going.

I had no idea what was happening to me, and I had so many questions. And I gained a new one as we walked on. I glanced into one of the windows and saw my reflection staring back at me. They were not my eyes, though. My eyes, which used to be a forest green, had a ring of yellow around them. I had never seen someone with two colors completely separated in their iris.

I touched the skin under my eye. It wasn't simply just the matter of what happened to me or where I was anymore. I was more interested in what I was.