I woke up to someone pounding on the door of my cell. I had been imprisoned for 5 months. I sighed and stood up, the chains around my wrists and ankles clanking. It was the same thing everyday. Wake up at dawn, eat a meager, not filling breakfast. I was dreadfully thin, the dull green tunic they had given me to wear hung on me, making me look thinner. They barely fed me. I was kept in the high security cells, deep underground. I was a deadly assassin, the most wanted man in the country. Now I was nothing more than a prisoner. My food slipped through the slot at the bottom of my door. I walked over to it. Hardtack again. That's all I got to eat. I knew the other prisoners got much better food than this. I sighed and ate it. I slid the tray back through the slot, then sat on my cot. I was still very hungry. I felt my ribs. They stuck out more every day as I lost weight. Every time I thought I didn't have any fat left, I would discover I was thinner than I was the day before. My skin had no color to it at all, my cell didn't even have a window. I hadn`t seen the sun since I got here. I still didn't know how I got caught. I had just completed a job when out of nowhere I had been hit with drugs and taken here. They hadn`t killed me, though I deserved it. The crimes I had committed were punishable by death. I hadn`t even gotten a trial. The slot at the top of my door opened. 

“Kheal Nightfall, against the wall.” A guard said. I heard him stifle a snicker at his almost rhyme. I stood against the wall as I had been told. The prison warden walked in. This happened everyday. There was a whip on his belt. I had never been whipped, the guards were too afraid that I would kill them with it then escape. He was going to ask me the same questions he asked me everyday. 

“I suppose you`re tired of eating hardtack by now, aren't you?” he asked. I shrugged. 

“I`m used to eating the same thing over and over.” I said like I did every day. It was true. Royal had trained me to eat the same thing every day and be okay with it. The warden nodded. 

“I suppose it's easy, given the lifestyle you chose.” He said. He said that everyday. We had the same conversation every day. I shrugged again. 

“I`m going to make this easy. You`ll answer my question and you`ll get better food.” I didn't really care, I knew at this moment, Royal was planning a rescue for me. The warden looked me dead in the eyes. I stared fiercely back. I wasn't afraid of a whip. The question was coming. 3. 2. 1.

“Where are the guild bases?” Right on time.

“I won't tell. I'm loyal only to Royal.” I said. I smiled at my rhyme. The warden sighed. 

“I will ask you one more time. Where are the guild bases?” I laughed. 

“I told you, I`m not gonna tell.” I said with a grin. I was sure I had gone a bit mad here. Being cooped up underground did something to the mind. The warden sighed again. He turned and exited the cell. 

“I will be sure your hardtack is given to you in smaller portions. I'm sure that will loosen your tongue.” The cell door slammed shut. I looked at it for a long minute, then sat on my cot again. I would get out, I knew it. No walls could hold me for long. I could do what I wanted here, like sleep all day. I stood up and started doing push ups. I did 100 each day. It kept my strength up. All I would have left after my fat was gone, was my muscle mass. There were weights to lift here, I had seen them on my way in. Being a high security prisoner, I didn't get to use them. A guard pounded on the door. I looked at it. The slot at the top opened. 

“You`re never getting out. You`re gonna be here until you die.” The guard said. I laughed, yep, definitely mad.

“You don't know my relationship with Royal, do you?” I said. “He`ll come and get me out, you wait.” I cackled a little before gaining control of myself and resumed my pushups. The guard slammed the slot shut. I hit 100 push ups and stopped. I began to do sit ups. The ground shook. I stood up. Earthquakes were not common in this area. I couldn't see out of my cell, so I didn't know what was going on. The ground shook again. Explosions. The slot opened. The guard's face appeared. He held a dart gun to his lips. He blew. I dodged the dart. I may be a prisoner, but I had naturally fast reflexes that imprisonment couldn't dull. He reloaded. He didn't get the chance to fire again before he was dead. I stared at where he had been. Royal`s face appeared in the slot. I smiled. He had come for me. 

“Hold on.” Royal unlocked the door. He came in and unlocked my chains. We walked out together. He led me above ground. I shielded my eyes from the sun when we got to the surface. The glorious sun! I stopped myself from cackling. 

“I got him, let's go!” He had brought other assassins to help rescue me. We began to run. We had only gone about ten feet when I began to huff. 5 months in a jail cell had put me out of shape. I pushed myself to keep going. Eventually, I couldn't. We hadn`t even made it to the wall yet. Royal picked me up and threw me over his shoulder with ease. It made sense, I was a bag of bones. I bounced as he ran. We ran past the wall. I looked over at the prison and laughed. I was free! All we had to do was lose the guards chasing us, which was easy. We quickly lost them. We arrived at a camp where Royal set me down. He grabbed a bag sitting by an unlit fire. He pulled clothing out of it. 

“Here. go change out of that.” Royal handed me the clothes. As I went behind the thick trunk of a tree to change, they lit the fire, which gave me an idea. I took off the tunic. When I did, I looked at my ribs. I could see every one of them. I put on the clothes Royal had given me. They hung on my thin frame. I would gain my weight back and they would fit. I put on the mask and fingerless gloves Royal had given me. I picked up the tunic from off the ground. I brought it over to the fire and threw it in. I watched it burn with a grin on my face. I watched it intently until it was nothing but ash. Then I sat down. The other assassins looked at me funny. I didn't care. I had gone slightly mad while in the prison. I knew because of the thoughts I got and the way I cackled at insults like they were funny. I also sometimes heard voices. Tiny voices telling me secrets. Secrets no one knew. I sometimes told them secrets.

The assassins set to work making lunch. Real food had never smelled so good. I knew I would have to take it slow, though. I have had nothing but small amounts of hardtack to eat for the past 5 months. My stomach couldn't handle large amounts of regular food. Royal gave me a small amount of the food. I had only taken a bite when I jumped up to throw it back up. I would get used to regular food again. I simply ate small bites to take it slow so I wouldn`t throw up again. 

We set out towards a guild base.We wouldn't stop at the town next to the prison, I had just escaped, it wasn't smart. We would stop at a town that was far away from the prison. I could recover there. Then I would get back to work. I would be careful this time.Though I was pretty sure I had been betrayed again. No one but Royal and a couple other assassins had known I had been going after the captain of the guard. I knew Royal wouldn't betray me. He had raised me. Loved me like I was his real son, though he didn't have any.  We went at a walk, for my sake. I would work hard to get myself back in shape. I looked at the sky. It was a brilliant blue. I hadn`t seen it in 5 months. I smiled. It wasn't a normal happy smile. It was the smile of a mad man. 

One week later

I woke up and rolled out of bed. I felt my ribs. I had gained some weight, but I was still on the thin side. My ribs didn't stick out as much now, and my clothes fit better. I was still slightly mad, though. That wasn't going to change. I'm sure everyone knew about my madness by now. Someone had insulted me, and I`d cackled like I had started doing in the prison. I was still the best assassin though. I had done a couple jobs already. They had been as big as my usual hires. I was back. I was being careful everytime I left a job. I had killed several bounty hunters already. My bounty was 30,000 crowns now. If I got caught again, I would make someone very rich. I was the most wanted and feared man again. The news of my escape had spread like a wildfire. I had to be careful when I left the guild base. I went into the dining room to eat. I could eat large amounts of food without throwing up. I piled my plate with food and ate it all. I went to our exercise room where I worked out everyday to get myself back in shape. The base was partially underground, so we had a lot of room. It had several floors, but I stayed on the top ones. I had spent 5 months underground, I`d had enough of being underground for right now. I ran laps around the room. I had enough muscle, I was just out of shape. I could no longer run large distances. I was in better shape than I was a week ago, but not in as good of shape as I had been 5 months ago before I got caught. I heard the door open. I looked over. Royal walked into the room. I ran over to him. 

“I figured I might find you here.” He said. 

“I'm getting myself back in shape.” I said. Royal nodded. 

“I have some news for you.” Royal said. “You're going to be a dad.” I looked at Royal funny. 

“Kiara?” I asked. 

“Yes.”

“Did I…?”

“You're the only one she's ever been with.” I didn't say anything. 

“How far?” 

“We found out shortly after you were arrested. We decided to wait to tell you until you had recovered.” I thought about it. I decided that I wasn't going to abandon this kid like my parents had done to me. 

“Where is she?” 

“She's in the barracks downstairs.” I stopped myself from sighing. I didn't want to go down there, but I also needed to go to her. I hadn`t seen her in 5 months. I hadn`t even known she was here.

“How long has she been here?” I asked. 

“She arrived this morning.” Royal answered. I went out and went down to the barracks. I had my own quarters now. Royal had given them to me. Probably to spare everyone from my madness. I walked in and saw Kiara in the corner. Her stomach was round with child. I came over to her. She looked at me and hugged me.  

“Kheal!” She exclaimed joyfully. She pulled down my mask to kiss me. Of course, I replied with one of my own. She ran her finger across my ribs. She could feel them of course, they weren't fully covered yet. 

“You're so thin.” She said. 

“I'll gain weight.” I reassured her. “I heard about…” I wasn't sure if anyone else in the room knew. 

“Yes. Yours.” 

“It was an accident, I promise. We weren`t even trying.”

“It's a risk we took.” I put my hand on her stomach. It felt firm

“Let's keep this child, I don't want them to have a start like mine.” I said. Kiara nodded in agreement. We went upstairs together. The mad part of me didn't know what to do now that I was going to be a dad. The sane part of me was happy, even though it had been an accident. I left Kiara at the dining room. I slipped out of the base to get some air. I was going to be a dad. I wanted the best life for my child. I lived a life of crime. That was no way to raise a child. Royal had raised me that way, and now I was the most wanted man in the country. I had gone to prison, and would go back if I got caught again. I would be there for life, I`d never get to raise my kid. My kid would grow up without a dad. I almost never knew about them. I couldn't just quit being an assassin though. I would be hunted no matter what. I slipped out of the alley and crept along the buildings of the town. It was how I avoided being spotted on my way out. I bumped into someone. We both fell over. I stood up but kept my face down to avoid being recognized. 

“Sorry. My mind was in another place.” I said.

“It's fine.” The person said. “I'm looking for Kheal Nightfall. Have you seen him?” 

“Depends on who's asking.” I said. 

“You don't recognize who I am? I'm the prince.” Upon hearing this I grabbed the prince and dragged him into an alley. I looked him in the face. 

“I`m Kheal Nightfall.” I said. The prince stared at me for a second.

“You're young.” He said. “I had always thought that you were older.” It suddenly made sense as to why I didn't get a trial after getting caught. The king hadn`t wanted the world to know that I was a 20 year old. He hadn't wanted them to know that they had been afraid of a young adult. 

“Why are you looking for me? Tell me before I kill you.” I said. 

“I have a proposition for you. I`ve been sent by my father to strike a bargain.” 

“If it's from him, I don't want to hear it.” I turned to go. 

“If you agree and do it, you`ll be cleared of your crimes.” I stopped. My unborn child went through my mind. If I got cleared, I could raise them the right way. But what would Royal think? If I agreed, I`d be betraying him. My loyalty would be in question. He had raised me. He might think I was ungrateful. I turned back around. 

“What does he want?” I asked. 

“He needs you to kill someone. A king and his wife of another country. A country he wants to invade.” The prince said. I mulled it over. 

“I'll think about it.” I said. I walked out of the alley. I went back to the base before the prince followed me. I found Kirara. 

“I've been thinking.” I said.

“About what?” Kirara asked. 

“About our child. The life we're living isn't the life to raise a child. If one of us gets caught and put in prison, they`ll be down a parent.” 

“I know. But we can't stop. We`ll be on the run. That isn't the way to raise a child either.”

“The prince offered me a job that could clear me. Not many people know about you. If I take it, we could give our kid a normal life. But, I don't want to betray Royal. He raised me.” 

“I know.” Kirara put her arm around me. “It's a hard decision to make. Either way, someones losing someone.” I nodded. 

“I told him I`d think about it.” 

“Do what you think is right.”

“I will.” I pulled down my mask and kissed Kiara on the head. I pulled it back up and let Kiara go where she needed to go. I went to my quarters to think about how I would explain my concerns for my child. I sat on my bed and sighed. I was conflicted. I didn't want to lose Royal, but I didn't want to lose my child, either. I flopped back on my bed. I stared at the roof. Someone knocked on my door. I quickly sat up. The door opened and Royal walked in. I wondered if he knew about what I had discussed with Kiara. 

“I 'm concerned about the upbringing of my child.” I said. “The life I live isn`t the life to raise a child in.” Royal nodded.

“I know. I found it difficult to raise you in this life.” He said. I looked at him in surprise.

“Really?” I said. Royal nodded. I sighed. “I can't just quit what I'm doing. I would be hunted no matter what.” Royal sat next to me. 

“I heard that the prince offered you a way to clear yourself of your crimes.” He said. I nodded. 

“If I take it, I'll lose you.” I said. I loved Royal like he was my dad. He loved me like I was his son. My real parents hadn`t wanted me, but Royal did. 

“Do what you know to be right. You're loyal to me, yes, but you're also loyal to your family. Do what's right for them, not for me. I love you. You`re my son. Nothing will change that.” Royal pulled me into a hug. He had never hugged me. 

“If I get myself cleared, I won't be able to see you again.” I said as I hugged him back. 

“Set conditions, you can get what you want that way.” I nodded. Royal left. I thought about what conditions I wanted to set. Then I went to find the prince. I slipped out in my usual way. I found the prince outside the inn. Before he could give me away, I dragged him into an alley. 

“Have you decided?” the prince asked.

“I have, but with three conditions.” I said. “One, I can visit my father, Royal, without getting arrested and accused of conspiring. Two, my girlfriend gets cleared whether she helps or not. Three, I get my own manor and enough money to keep my family`s stomachs full.”

“Your terms are high.”

“You better agree, or your father can get someone else, someone less skilled.”

“I'll see to it that you get exactly what you want.” I nodded. 

“Good. I`ll leave in three days. I need to gather supplies.”

“We'll provide transport.” The prince said. I turned around and left the prince standing in the alley without acknowledging what he had said. 

Three days later, I stood at the pier. I had an armed escort of guards, the prince had decided it was safer to make it look like I was being shipped out of the country. I didn't believe him. I was sure it was to humiliate me. This wasn't a prison ship, and I wasn't even wearing shackles. I walked up the gangplank of the ship I was to take. I held my head high, refusing to look humiliated. Once I was on, I went straight to my cabin. It was at the bottom of the ship, below the cargo hold. It had no windows and water leaked through the walls, one drop at a time. Slowly. I set my single bag on the cot in the cabin. It was low to the floor and had holes in it. The one I had slept on in the prison had been in better shape. I decided I would sleep on the floor. I set up my bedroll. The ship lurched as it set out. I went above deck to watch my home disappear. I stood at the rail until I couldn't see it anymore. When I came back, I could live a normal life. One where I didn't have to hide. I could raise a family, get married. I sensed someone behind me. I slowly turned around. The person was walking away swiftly. 

“Come back here.” I said coldly. They turned around. It was a short fat man. 

“You're Kheal Nightfall.” He said. 

“Ya think?” I muttered. 

“What are you doing on this ship? Don't you have people to kill?” I walked over to him, My six-foot frame towering above his. 

“You`ll be on that list if you don't walk away right now.” I said. The man scurried away from me. I watched him go below decks. Another person came up to me. 

“Don't scare my crew,” he said. The captain. “Maybe where you come from it's okay to threaten people, but not here.” Where I was from! He made it sound like I was foriegn. 

“I'll consider it.” I walked away with stealth like grace. As I walked away, I heard the captain say. 

“Why did I agree to transport him?”  I smiled. Even the captain was scared of me. 

I stood at the bow and watched the new country appear. It was covered in forest. There was a small fishing town on the coast. That was where I`d get supplies. I`d only eaten the food I had brought, I didn't trust the captain and his crew to give me unpoisoned food. When the ship landed, I walked off it. As soon as I touched solid ground, I stumbled. My legs felt wobbly. The crew laughed at me. 

“`e`s got wobbly legs!” One laughed. I held my head up high and walked, though wobbly, away. I had been on a ship for a week. I was used to the movements of the ship as it sailed through the waves. The wobbly feeling didn't last long. After I had gone several feet, my legs felt steadier. I walked into the town. As I walked through, people stared at me, but not in fear. I was used to fearful stares, not stares that seemed… confused. I supposed it was because of my eye. They probably hadn`t seen anything like it. I found a shop and walked in. It was quiet. The only sound was the bell at the door that rang as I walked in. the shopkeeper behind the counter looked up as I approached. He looked at me with the same look of confusion that the townspeople had. I began to suspect there was something more to it than I thought. 

“How can I help you?” He asked. 

“I need traveling supplies.” I said. The shopkeeper nodded and gathered supplies for travel according to what I told him I needed. I paid for the supplies using the money the prince gave me to use. I walked out and began to head toward the castle. It wasn't very far away, according to the map I had. As I walked, I got the feeling I was being watched. I looked around. I couldn't see anything. There were too many shadows. I looked around slowly, turning in a circle. There! I saw a small circle of light. The light was green. Like the iris of an eye. I stopped. 

“Show yourself.” I said. I put my hand on my dagger. Someone stepped out of the shadows. They wore a hood and had a glowing eye. 

“I haven't seen you before.” the person said. I could tell by their voice that they were female. 

“I don't live here.” I said. 

“Of course you do.” I shook my head.

“I don't. I came here for a job.”

“What kind?”

“I can't tell you that, it's classified.” The woman took off her hood. 

“Are you sure you don't live here? Who are your parents?” she asked. I began to walk away.

“My parents abandoned me on the edge of a river. They left me to die.” I said. “They didn't want me.” For a second, I didn't hear any noise behind me. Then I heard the woman follow me. 

“I`m Anastasia.” She said

“Kheal.” I answered. 

“Who raised you?” I turned to look at her. 

“Are you just gonna ask me questions? If so, you can just leave me alone.” I snapped. I turned back around and doubled my pace. Annoyingly, Anastasia kept up with me easily. I turned around, A fire burning in my eyes. 

“Look little girl, I am a deadly assassin, I am not afraid to kill you, I won't hesitate to kill you. I suggest you leave me alone, or you won't draw your next breath.” I snapped. I turned back around and began to jog. 

“Hold up. You can't talk to me like that and walk away!” Anastasia caught up to me easily. “Who made you so cold?” I stopped. 

“Where I live I'm a criminal.” I said. “I've learned not to trust anyone. There are only two people in this entire world that I trust, and that's my adopted father, and my girlfriend. My father took me in when no one wanted me. He gave me a home and a family, now I`ve got one of my own. I'm here to make a proper life for my unborn child. I`ve got something to do that will clear me of my crimes and allow me to raise my kid the right way. I won't follow in my parents' narcissistic footsteps!” I turned away from Anastasia. I felt her put her hand on my arm. 

“Let me show you something.” She said softly. I looked her in her eyes. I wasn't very soft. There were only two people in the world that I let my guard down around. Royal and Kiara. Yet somehow Anastasia had managed to break my guard to pieces. I wasn't sad about being abandoned, I was mad. Her eyes were similar to mine, only she had a green eye and a brown eye, her green one was glowing. I looked ahead, I wanted to get home as fast as I could. Then I realized that I knew nothing about where I came from. The fact that Anastasia had the same kind of eyes as me made me wonder if this place was where I came from. No one at home had eyes like mine. 

“Alright.” I said. “But then I need to go.” Anastasia nodded then began to lead me off the forest trail. I followed. She led me deep into the forest until we came to an encampment. It was filled with small huts. There were people with glowing eyes everywhere. They all had varying double eye colors. Some had one green, one blue with one glowing, others had one blue and one brown, others had eyes like Anastasia`s. Some had a hazel eye with another eye color. They all stared at me as we walked in. They had never seen me before. A sense of wariness had settled over the camp. 

“We used to have homes, but once the King came into power, we were all forced into hiding. He tried to suppress us and killed our kids. Your parents may not have abandoned you because they didn't want you, but to keep you safe.” Anastasia said. “Many parents did that. They would take their kids to other countries and leave them for someone to find them. Not many came back. They had either got lost to the sea, or were killed by the king's men. The ultimate hope was for the children to find their way back home once the King's reign was over.” I looked around. Did my parents really want me? We stopped at a hut that was bigger than the rest. Anastasia knocked on the door. A tall man with a green and a glowing blue eye opened it. He looked at us.

“Anastasia, who is that?” he asked, gesturing with his head to me. 

“This is Kheal.” Anastasia said. “I believe he is one of the Lost.” The man looked me up and down. 

“Take off your mask.” He ordered. I stared blankly at him. I didn't want to take off my mask.

“I don't take it off.” I said. “I only take it off in front of guild members at home.” 

“If you won`t, I will.” He reached to pull off my mask. I acted on instinct. I grabbed his outstretched arm and flipped him over my back like he was nothing. 

“Don't touch my mask.” I said. Everyone stared at me. “I've got to go.” I turned and went back to the trail. I didn't hear anyone following me. I knew I had just disrespected their leader. I probably wasn't welcome there anymore. I found the trail and kept going to my goal. I never should have followed Anastasia. I heard someone behind me. I sighed and turned around. It was Anastasia. 

“You can't just leave like that, where are you even going?” she asked.

“I'm going to kill the king and his wife.” I said. 

“Are you mad?!” I looked Anastasia in the eyes.

“Yes, I am.” I said. “It's the only way to clear my name. I have a duty to my family, even if part of it is adopted.” I turned around and kept going.

“When you're done, come back.”

“I`m not sure I can. I'll probably have guards chasing me, to go back is to doom all those people in that camp.” Anastasia nodded.

“Then I guess this is goodbye.” I nodded. 

“Goodbye.” I said. I heard Anastasia step off the trail. I arrived at the castle. There wasn't much activity, but I knew I would have to be stealthy, given what happens to people like me. I decided to wait until nightfall, so I could slip in under the cover of darkness. 

Night fell as I slipped across the courtyard of the castle. I slipped inside as the front doors closed for the night. No one saw me. I stepped into the shadows. I looked around. I saw the king going into a room across from the second floor landing. He didn't come back out. I assumed that was his room. I waited a few minutes. Then I slipped up the stairs like a shadow. I pressed myself against the wall next to the bedroom door. I reached over and opened it then slipped inside. I closed it behind me. The king and queen were asleep. I pulled out my dagger and slipped over to them. I slit each of their throats. As I was leaving, I heard the soft cries of a baby. I looked around. There was a cradle next to the queen's side of the bed. I slipped over to kill the child, but stopped. The baby looked me in the eyes and suddenly I couldn't kill it. It was small, and now an orphan because of me. I gently picked it up. It was a boy, he looked to be about 7 months old. I decided to take him. I slipped back out of the castle. I made my way far away from the castle. I set up camp in a clearing in the forest. I laid down and held the child to my chest then, I fell asleep.

I stood at the bow of the ship that was taking me home. I had gone back to the hidden camp to tell the people living there the news of my success. I didn't tell them where the child had come from. I saw my home appear on the horizon. After three days away, I was eager to get back home. The ship landed and I traveled back to the guild base where Kiara and Royal were. The prince was waiting for me there. I met with him in an alley.

“The job is done, tell your father. I expect my conditions to be filled or you may find yourself and your father dead.” I said. The child I had orphaned was tucked against my chest under my cloak. I turned and left before the prince found out about him. I went inside the guild base. I found Royal first. He hugged me. I peeled myself away.

“Careful.” I said, showing him the child. He was asleep. Royal nodded. 

“Kiara is resting downstairs.” He whispered so he wouldn't wake up the child. I nodded and went to her. She was laying on her bunk. She was awake. She carefully sat up when she saw me. 

“Kheal.” She said. She sounded really tired. I knelt in front of her. 

“I have a child who needs me too.” I said, indicating our child and the one I had orphaned. I showed her the child sleeping in my arms. 

“Aww.” Kirara said. I let her carefully take the child from me.

“I need your help.” I said. “I can't give him everything he needs.” Kiara nodded. 

“I'll help you.” She said. 

“There's one other thing.” I said. I pulled out the ring I had been saving for years, hoping that there was someway I could change my lifestyle and marry Kiara. 

“Will you marry me?” I asked her. Kiara, with tears of joy in her eyes, nodded.

“Yes.” She answered. I slipped the ring on her left hand. Then I pulled down my mask and kissed her.