A woman walked down an empty, dimly-lit hall with clear confidence, the weapons on her belt swaying slightly with the movement of her hips. The only sound that filled the space was the clicking of her black boots against the hard floor. Torches lined the stone brick walls, but they were lit few and far between. The building - castle, if you will - had few windows, but the darkness of the night still consumed it. While the halls were typically swarmed by people, there were few to be seen that night.

She quickened her pace as she rounded a corner, the light of the torches reflecting off her long, braided, garnet hair. She glimpsed behind her before pushing open a dark, wooden door. Inside, there were bookcases lining the perimeter and a dark oak desk parallel to the door, with a window above it. A table with four chairs matching the desk sat to the right of the door. The room was lit with candles, some on the desk and others rested against the wall in between the bookcases.

When the door opened, a man sitting on the edge of the desk, reading, with somewhat messy, walnut-colored hair jolted his head up and smiled softly. “Hello, Astra. What brings you here?”

The woman, Astra, lightly closed the door behind her before she walked towards the man. She examined one of the bookshelves before glancing over at him, an unknown emotion in her eyes.

“I’m leaving soon. I should be back in a day or two,” Astra looked away and grazed the books with the tips of her gloved hand. Although some of the covers were ever-so-slightly dusty, they all appeared worn and recently read.

“Are you certain you do not want me to come?” The man’s smile faded from his lips as he closed the book he was holding and set it beside him on the desk. He then stood and approached Astra, a slightly concerned look on his pale face.

Astra nodded, her gray eyes meeting his pine eyes. “Yes, Soren, it’s indubitable at this point.”

“But why? It’s going to be very dangerous,” The man, Soren, stiffened his posture a little, “...They could kill you.”

“I am fully aware I may lose my life doing this, but it’s for my parents. I must avenge them,” Astra paused for a moment and scanned the room, studying every little detail as if she would never see it again. She glanced out the window to see the sun was near rising, so, after the slightest hesitation, she turned and walked to the door. “Goodbye.”

Soren sighed, “Good luck.”

Astra opened the door, stepped into the hall, and closed it behind her. After glancing around to find the hall still empty, she began walking right. Then, she turned left into a hall with doors lining the walls. Some sat untouched, likely forgotten, but two men stood guard outside of two double doors. They had swords and knives on their belts and heavy armor protecting their bodies. As Astra passed by them, they nodded respectfully and said,

“Elite Haven,” earning a side glance and flat response:

“Mezzos Amante and Ragazzo.”

She continued walking, ignoring the glances the men exchanged. As she began descending the stairs, she passed a woman around her age - perhaps eighteen or nineteen - dressed in novice’s clothes.

“Halt,” Astra commanded and turned to watch the woman stop and slowly turn around. “Vanore, what are you doing?”

“I’m off to visit Giovanni,” the woman responded, a slight nervousness infecting her voice. “Why?”

“Why? You, a novice, are walking about the castle at sunrise. And to see a man, a guard, at that. If I were an Elder Assassin, you would be expelled from the guild,” Astra smirked arrogantly, “You will be lucky if I do not tell any of the Mentors about this.” The woman rested her hand on her sword, earning a dirty look from the assassin.

“Haven, there’s no need for that,” The woman’s voice was shaking and she stepped backwards, but her heel hit the stair and she lost her balance. She fell backward and her palms hit one of the steps in her effort to catch herself. Astra looked down at her disapprovingly and shook her head. She confidently stared into the woman’s panicked eyes, silently ordering her to stay down, although it was unnecessary. The woman’s expression and body language showed unmistakable fear.

“Titles, Vanore. Initiates and above have titles. You should quit now; you’ll never make it past the first rank. There are others more deserving of the higher titles,” Astra’s lips formed into a condescending sneer before she whipped her braid around and walked away. “Go back to your room, and stay there.”

Astra heard the woman rise from the floor, but no footsteps followed. She rolled her eyes and glanced behind her to see nothing. “Don’t be stupid, Vanore.” Astra warned, and then continued walking, passing a few Veteran and Elite Assassins along the way. The busyness of the halls was returning, and soft conversations were held as pairs of well-equipped men and women walked down the corridor.

As she rounded a corner, Astra spotted Jaxtyn Ludwig, a Mentor who led the guild with Soren Alester and William Endrizzi. The tips of his messy, jet-black hair grazed the tops of his broad shoulders as he spoke, his body moving in a lively way. He was speaking to a man and woman, both clad in formal clothes made of satin and silk. The woman’s navy blue hair was pulled up in a bun on her head, curly strands framing her light face. She pulled a bobby pin from the back and showed Jaxtyn the sharp tips.

“...So, if it comes down to it, I have backups,” the woman glanced at the man, “but I doubt we’ll end up like that.” She grinned charmingly, like they were taught, and smoothed down her dress.

“Well, we shall be off, Mentor Ludwig. Thank you for preparing the guards for us. I’m certain it will make our job far easier,” The man said and smiled softly.

“You are welcome. Good luck on your journey, report back as soon as it is finished,” Jaxtyn exchanged a polite yet quick nod with the couple before they walked away. Astra approached Jaxtyn before someone else could. He glanced at her, grinned, and turned his head to watch them leave. “They’re quite talented actors. I’m impressed with their eagerness to help Giustizia.”

“Yes… they better succeed on their mission. Everything will fall apart if they don’t,” Astra grimaced and glared at them as they turned the corner.

“Oh, speaking of that, are you leaving now?”

“Yes, I am. The deed should be done by tonight.”

“I’m sure I’ll know not long after. The news will spread fast,” Jaxtyn glanced behind them, “So, I take it Soren is not joining you?”

“No, he isn’t. He was quite stubborn about it yesterday, and he asked again today,” Astra looked to the side and sighed quietly.

“He cares for you. You know that. He just wants to protect you.”

“I do not need protection. I have been fending for myself for fourteen years now.”

Jaxtyn shook his head, “You’re misinterpreting the point, Haven.”

“No,” Astra scowled and turned her head. “I am leaving now. Tell Mentor Endrizzi that I left on my mission for me.” She then walked past him, leaving him standing alone, watching her leave with an annoyed expression.

Astra reached the ground level after descending two flights of stairs and began walking to the exit. She passed the Great Hall, where groups of lower-ranking assassins were gathered, eating before starting their duties. The Basso Library, for Elites and below, was through a set of grand double doors around the corner, and across from that stood the hall that led to the indoor training court. The Training Hall was empty, as it was much easier and more efficient to train outdoors, and with the sunny weather, the assassins in training were outside. Just around the corner was the Entrance Hall. Huge wooden doors guarded by men led outside to the stables. Astra approached them and they opened the doors for her.
    When she stepped outside, the crisp, spring air hit Astra like a wall, and she walked straight to the stables, passing small groups of people, some headed to help with the horses and others leaving on missions. A black horse with white markings on its face was standing by a woman in rolled-up pants and a dirty shirt, who was adjusting the saddle on his back.

“Elite Haven, here is your horse, Midnite,” the woman said after spotting Astra, and stepped back. Astra nodded to her and approached the horse. She grazed his back with her hand and then promptly hopped on to it. “Good luck on your mission.”

“I do not need luck,” Astra replied and snapped Midnite's reins, causing him to begin walking forward. She glanced back one last time at the castle that she and many others called home, before furrowing her brows and looking straight ahead. With the smallest sigh, she urged her horse forward with a push of her legs and a crack of the reins. He bolted forward, weaving through the bothersome people, placed as if their job was to get in their way. Astra’s braid hit her back as she lightly bounced on her horse’s back, who galloped down the stone-brick path, swerving past the occasional horse-drawn carriage and horseback rider.

As they made their way down the path, the amount of people on it lessened and the air turned quiet. There was no civilization aside from the Giustizia castle nearby. Decades ago, only years after Giustizia was founded, the small villages that surrounded the castle were attacked. The fires that burned their buildings reached the heavens and threatened the new assassin’s guild. Few survived. Children, men, and women were slaughtered without care, only to threaten an organization they had no part in. This was the first act of violence Imperium took against Giustizia. They began a war that ended ten years later, leaving both groups at a loss.

Nearly five years later, Imperium attempted to do the same with the Giustizia castle, but they only partly succeeded. They killed one fourth of the Giustizia assassins, some by their own hands and others by the fire that ravished part of the castle. This started, “La Guerra dell'Infinito,” as Giustizia’s members called it, meaning, “The Infinity War,” as it began in 2221 and lasted for over a decade.

The remnants of the old buildings were still visible, but it was impossible to know what they were previously based off their appearance.

They entered a forest with trees lining the path and few people within sight. The leaves were appearing on the trees again, and the small birds perched in them were singing their morning tunes. As they grew deeper into the thicket, the light that shone down through the trees gradually disappeared, and a soft darkness conquered them. Silence replaced the comforting chirping of the birds and the animals vanished. The snapping of a twig or something of the sort startled the assassin and her horse, causing them to slow to a trot. Astra’s eyes darted around them, watching for anything - or anyone - suspicious.

The roofed forest made it nearly impossible for Astra to see past the first few layers of trees, so she signalled Midnite to speed up. The wood’s exit was clearly visible up ahead, but the issue was the fork in the path. It was possible to reach the clearing outside the forest from both paths, but one would be significantly more treacherous than the other due to lack of wear. When Astra reached the division, she glanced down both sides, but it was too dark to see anything.

She sat there on her horse, thinking, while eyes stared at her from the shadows. Their breathing was light and their movements quick. They held a dagger that reflected their dark face, which was contorted with concentration. The clothes they wore appeared ragged and old, and the dagger was no different. They took a tentative step forward before bolting towards the assassin.

Astra heard the hard sound of their feet, so she jumped off the horse and landed on the side opposite the intruder. She stepped back before whipping four throwing knives off of her belt and projecting two towards the person running towards her. The knives ripped through the skin of their legs, making them fall to the ground. Seemingly undefeated, the person attempted to stand again, only for their legs to give out and make them land with a thud.

Astra shook her head and approached the person. She briefly examined them before sticking her hidden blade into their skull, removing the knives from their legs, and returning them to their holders, along with the others she carried.

After glancing around to ensure there were no other people, Astra scooped up the body and carried it into the forest. She carefully set it down and searched through their pockets before closing their eyelids and whispering,

“Che tu possa riposare in pace,” like the Mentors taught them. She then stood and walked back to Midnite. There were no other people nearby, from what she could tell, so she hopped onto her horse and directed him to the right. She snapped the reins and Midnite sped up. The path she chose had the occasional overgrown tree reaching into it, but it was much easier to pass through than Astra was expecting. The exit was straight ahead, and they were close, so Astra cracked the reins again and leaned forward.

They emerged from the forest into a field of grass. Up ahead, a tiny dot appeared to be coming closer to them. Astra fearlessly, and perhaps stupidly, continued forward. As she stared at the dot, it gradually became two dots, and two people on horseback not long after. She charged forward, as did the unknown men. Astra pulled back on Midnite’s reins, signaling him to stop, so they would not crash into the men.

Astra pulled her sword from its holder and looked at the men with the utmost confidence. They both wore black assassin’s robes with a gem gripped by claws on their belt. These were Imperium’s men. One of the men slyly glanced behind Astra, but she caught it and smiled.

“I killed her. You picked such a poor assassin for the job,” she stated and lifted her chin slightly. The men glanced at each other before quickly dismounting their horses and unsheathing their swords. Astra copied them and lunged at one of the men. He deflected her blade and the other man joined, both expertly blocking Astra’s attacks.

“You’re such a weak little girl,” one man snarled, causing Astra to turn on him, stick her sword just below his ribcage, and push it up. He fell limp, and Astra jumped to the other man, knocking him to the ground and landing on top of him. She stuck her blade through his chest before standing up. The men were bleeding heavily, and their bodies laid lifeless on the path.

“Vai a dormire adesso,” Astra whispered and glanced at their horses. She paused before mounting her own and cracking the reins.

It was almost ten a.m. when Fort Imperium came into sight. It was a large, stone building with archers standing guard on every wall. Astra entered the forest near the fort, tied Midnite to a tree, and pet him before walking a few steps away. She then crouched down and scanned the path for Ashe Heilwig, the woman she was supposed to disguise as. Ashe was a reserved young woman with black hair and green eyes. She usually wore her hood, from what Giustizia assassins gathered, meaning Astra could hide her dark red hair. Her disguise only had to work for an hour at the most, so it did not have to be perfect. Astra grabbed two throwing knives off of her belt and watched for the woman clothed in white to appear.

To Astra’s pleasure, Ashe arrived not long after. Two thick, long strands of her hair hung in front of her face, which was hidden from her hood. She had a messenger bag crossing over her torso and bouncing with the movement of her horse. They were too far from the fort for the naked human eye to see them, so Astra successively threw the knives at her skull. Ashe’s body fell off of her horse and onto the ground, landing with a whump.

Astra sprinted towards the body and swiftly scooped it up before running back to the cover of the forest. She whistled for Ashe’s horse as she set down the body, and it came running over. Astra tied it to a tree, like she did Midnite, and waited to see if anyone would come and investigate.

After deciding no one saw the incident, Astra bent over the body and whispered, “La pace sia con te,” She then took Ashe’s bag and opened it. Inside, there were two pieces of paper, a dagger, and a small bag, but nothing else filled the space. Astra grabbed the dagger and inspected it. It appeared to have a real gem in the pommel, and the quillion was decorated with intricate markings. She arched her eyebrow and put it back. She then grabbed the small bag, opened it, and pulled out what appeared to be a bomb. She rotated it before nodding, certain it was a smoke bomb, before carefully placing it back in its bag.

Then, Astra pulled out the papers and examined them. One had a drawing of the dagger with little notes made, but it was nothing of importance. The other, however, was a letter. It read,

“Ashe,

When are you returning? You have been gone for so long, my dear. We have grown to miss you, Master Victrien has even been paranoid about your absence lately. He claims Giustizia is sending an assassin to do something, but he has no further information. I am unsure if we should trust him, as he seems to be losing his mind. Everyone else seems fairly relaxed, but he is still sending guards to patrol Giustizia’s forest in a few days. That is when he claims they are sending the assassin.

Perhaps we are fighting for the wrong team. Either way, please stay safe. You never know when someone is out to get you.

                            Love,

                            Erik”

Astra bit her lip as she reread the letter. She then glanced at Ashe’s body. “You just had to have a love interest to deal with, didn’t you?” She snarled and set the letter back in the bag. She hesitated, but it was barely noticeable, and began undressing the body.

After she had Ashe’s clothes in her arms, she walked away, leaving the nearly-naked body to rot. She then removed her own clothes and put on Ashe’s with speed and efficiency. The only thing she changed was the weapons, as she replaced Ashe’s practically empty belt for her own and put her hidden blades on her wrists. She pulled up the hood, removed her throwing knives from the body, and put them back on her belt. She managed to fold her own clothes and fit them in the messenger bag.

She put the bag on and untied Ashe’s horse from the tree, led it onto the path, and mounted it. They began trotting forward as if nothing happened. Astra kept her head down and her eyes up, watching the guards that patrolled the fortress walls.

When she reached the black, metal gate, a guard stopped her and barked, “Name,”

“Ashe Heilwig,” Astra responded, attempting to disguise her voice. The guard looked her up and down and circled the horse before shouting,

“Open the gate!”

Two men pulled the gate open from the other side and Astra entered the fortress. As soon as the gate closed behind her, a young man, maybe twelve or thirteen, rushed over to her and quickly said,

“Miss, I will take your horse for you,”

Astra dismounted it and nodded, allowing the boy to lead the horse away. She the looked up at the fortress. It was intimidatingly large, and the men protecting it from every angle made it even worse. She took a deep breath and confidently strode up to the entrance, where two guards looked over her before pulling the heavy wooden doors open.

She respectfully nodded to them and entered the building. Giustizia knew little about the interior of the Imperium fortress, as whenever they entered it, it was for an assassination, and nothing more. Astra glanced around before deciding to walk forward and to the right. The quicker she got to the, “Premium Burana,” the more likely it was that her target would be there.

Astra was walking down the hall when she heard someone shout,

“Ashe! Wait up!”

She stopped and glanced back to see a woman running towards her. She appeared young and weak, perhaps a fifteen or sixteen-year-old untrained assassin. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were the same, just darker.

“Ashe, you’re back! Erik has been anxiously waiting. Come on, let’s head to the Premium Burana, he should be there!” The woman, whose name remained unknown to Astra, grabbed Astra’s hand and bolted down the hall. The undercover assassin followed, matching her pace, as they ran down the hall. The woman led her up four flights of stairs, seemingly tiring herself out.

Although there was another staircase to go up, the woman turned left and said, through heavy breaths, “I wish it wasn’t at the end of this excruciatingly long hallway,”

Astra nodded in agreement and slowed down, so the woman did the same, “I am tired from my mission, as it was quite stressful. The Premium Burana is that door, correct?” Astra pointed to the door at the very end of the hall. The woman looked at her suspiciously, but nodded anyway.

“You must be exhausted if you’re forgetting where everything is! Do you want to take a nap and then visit Erik?” The woman asked, but Astra shook her head. Astra then glanced down the hall, pinpointed the door that appeared the most commonly used, and nodded to it.

“What is that, again?”

“That’s Jennings’ office. Don’t you remember?” The woman tilted her head. “That’s the library, that’s the storage room, and that’s the Humilis Telum Repono… Are you certain you are feeling alright?” The woman pointed to each door as she said its name. Astra nodded as she ran, “Humilius Telum Repono,” repeatedly through her head, attempting to figure out what it meant.

“Why is there no one in the halls?” Astra questioned and the woman shrugged.

“Lots of people are out dealing with the Giustizia assassins, those nothi.”

“Of course,” Astra nodded and glanced down the hall.

After confirming there was no one nearby, Astra gently placed her left hand on the woman’s shoulder and then stabbed her with her hidden blade. Assuming the woman was dead she swung the body over her shoulder and bolted towards the storage room. She quietly, yet quickly, opened the door and placed the body behind a stack of boxes. Astra felt the woman’s pulse, which was much slower than it should have been, but still there, before stabbing her again, killing her.

She then crept over to the door and put her ear against it, listening for footsteps. She heard nothing, so she stepped into the hallway, and closed the door behind her. The hall was still empty, fortunately, so she walked to the Premium Burana’s entrance. Before she opened the door, however, she opened her messenger bag and pulled a smoke bomb out of the small bag inside. She loosely rolled the smoke bomb around in her palm before balling her hand into a fist and opening the door.

Inside, there were desks lining two walls, couches and armchairs near a fireplace, which was against the wall across from the door, and a large table in the center of the room, as well as bookshelves and other miscellaneous things. There were seven people scattered about the room, but the majority of them relaxed around the fireplace. Astra scanned the room and saw Asher Victrien, leader of Imperium and target of her mission.

Hatred bubbled inside of Astra as she looked at the people in the room. They were the ones that caused Giustizia so much harm. They were the ones that killed hundreds of innocent people to make a statement. They were the ringleaders of the operation, and Astra was there with them. Astra scowled and moved her arm up to throw the smoke bomb.

Seconds before she could, a man with blue eyes and black, straight, shoulder-length hair said, “Ashe!” and stood. Astra raised her eyebrows and threw the smoke bomb to the ground. It exploded, and the room filled with dense smoke.

Astra ran to the man and swiftly killed him with her hidden blade before pulling out her dagger and running for the people by the fire. Blood splattered on the cushions as she cut through their delicate skin. Their lives were in her hands, and she was going to crush them.

She reached Asher, who had pulled out his sword but was clearly blinded by the smoke. She crept up behind him and stabbed him in the side of the neck, then she wrapped her arm around his neck and stuck her blade through his chest. She let his body fall to the ground, limp, and she moved on to the next person. They were all so weak, so easy to kill.

Astra smiled devilishly as she slit the throat of a defenseless young man. His skin felt thin, as did the blood that spilled out of the fresh wound and stained his light robes. Astra moved from person to person, relishing the sound of each individual’s flesh tearing beneath her blade. Their dark blood stained the carpet and everything surrounding them.

Then, there was one person left; a woman with her blades drawn. She and Astra ran towards each other, and Astra jumped into the air and landed on her, stabbing her in the chest on impact.

Astra was breathing heavily and her grin slowly faded away. Her heart was beating wildly, pounding in her chest. She looked down at her crimson-colored blade and realized what she had done. The dagger stared back at her, judgmentally.

The smoke was nearly gone, and she glanced around the room to see the mess she made. Blood was splattered everywhere and dead bodies laid on the ground, torn apart in her fury. Astra looked down at her clothes, but only her legs had anything more than a sprinkle of blood.

“Cosa ho fatto?” She whispered to herself and stood. She pulled the top of her uniform down a bit to hide the blood. She then stuck her dagger back on her belt before bolting from the room, slamming the door behind her. All of her common sense went to the wind as she flew down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom floor, she pulled her hood back up, which assumedly fell down as she was running, and quickly walked to the door. The guards let her outside without question, but when she reached the gate, the guards asked what she was doing.

Panicked, Astra responded, “I believe one of my weapons fell off of my belt not far from here. I need to go fetch it,” The guards looked at her skeptically, glanced at each other, and then pulled open the gate. Astra ran from the fort, feeling a million eyes on her back.

Astra entered the forest, not caring if any of the Imperium guards saw, and untied Midnite from his tree. She mounted him and then cracked the reins multiple times, making him gallop out of the forest and down the path. She glanced back to see nothing out of the ordinary, so she breathed a sigh of relief and snapped the reins again.

She passed through Giustizia’s forest without issue, and when she entered the clearing and saw the castle, she smiled her first genuine smile in ages. They went up the path and were immediately greeted by a woman, a different one than before, willing to take Midnite. Astra nodded and took her hood off after dismounting him. She glanced around the grounds, but she did not see any of the Mentors, so she went inside.

After glancing around the entrance hall but not seeing anyone she needed, Astra turned to one of the guards standing by the door and asked, “Where is Mentor Alester?”

The guard thought for a moment before responding, “I believe I heard two men saying that Mentor Alester needed to talk to them upstairs to some people not too long ago.”

“Thank you,” Astra nodded before taking off. She quickly walked down the halls and up the stairs. She arrived on the third floor and hurried to Soren’s office, which she heard voices coming from.

When she knocked on the door, a voice told her to come in. She entered the room and Soren raised his eyebrows. “Elite Haven? Are you OK? What happened?” He asked and straightened his posture. He was sitting at the dark oak table with the two men the guard mentioned earlier.

“I am fine, and…” Astra approached the table and rested her hand on the back of the empty chair, next to Soren. “I killed him and the others high in command.”

Soren pat the chair, signalling Astra to sit.

“Asher is dead?” One of the guards asked as Astra sat down and rested her head against her right hand. She nodded and bit her lip. Soren noticed her slightly strange behavior and, assuming it was because of what she did, gently grabbed her left hand and held it under the table.

“Is the war over?” The other guard asked and they all turned to Soren.

Soren shook his head. “No, it’s only just begun.”