Without a second thought, I made a sudden dash towards the back of the tavern, to a hidden part that I had spotted earlier. I slid under a rickety old table with a large tablecloth draped over it and held my breath, trying to make myself as small as possible.

The man shot a bolt in the dark using the direction of my sound but missed his target narrowly once again. He laughed in amusement at my bold feat as he quickly came to realize our plan to distract him.

He scanned the area in suspicion as he called out mockingly, "You think your little trickery can outsmart me, Vix'tar? Your quick reflexes and cunning are no match for my experience in hunting down your kind."

He chuckled to himself, relishing in his own superiority, as he moved closer to Naia's hiding spot.

I knew it was too risky to let Naia fight him alone, even though she was one of the best fighters I had ever seen. But there was something about the way this man carried himself that made me realize he was in a league of his own.

The way he moved with deadly grace and precision that made me shiver with fear. It was clear that he was not just some thug hired for muscle, but a highly trained killer with years of experience. The thought of facing him in combat made my heart race and my palms sweat.

But I knew I didn't have much choice. The only thing standing between Naia and death was my ability to draw this bastard's attention towards me.

"Who are you?!" I shouted angrily, revealing myself in hopes that it would distract him long enough to allow Naia to finish the job.

As soon as I revealed myself, he stopped dead in his tracks and started making his way to me slowly.

"Oh Lai, Have you forgotten about me already?" " He mocked sarcastically "Worry not dear, you'll start remembering me sooner or later." He added with a cruel chuckle.

I had never encountered this man before, and yet, his voice seemed strangely familiar to me. It stirred up deep feelings within me, memories that were not mine.

This man reminded me of someone…someone that I used to call friend. Someone I loved dearly and cared for deeply. My mind struggled to recall his name, the memories were fading fast now. All that was left was a haunting feeling that this man resembled somebody very close to me.

"Are you working working for the Obsidian Circle? Or perhaps you were sent by the Insurgents?" I asked boldly, almost hoping that my words might change the outcome of things.

The Insurgents and the Circle did have a history of working together, and it only made sense that they would send assassins after us considering how much trouble we've caused them recently. But I had to be more careful with my words. I couldn't risk suggesting that this man betray his orders and his banner for a deal, not when we were already skating on thin ice.

Despite my attempt at diplomacy, the man continued to approach me without answering. The sound of his crossbow being cocked was the only reply I received.

He replied, his tone laced with sarcasm, "Oh sweetie, do you really think that everyone who comes to kill has some ulterior motive? How adorable. You really have no idea how the world works, do you?"

He chuckled to himself, clearly amused by my naivety. It was clear that he thought we were fools for not realizing the true nature of his intentions.

"You see, not all assassins are driven by loyalty to a banner or cause. Some of us are just in it for the thrill of the hunt. It's not about power or revenge, its simply an adrenaline rush, a game that we play like children. But you would know all about that wouldn't you, little girl?" He said jokingly.

My blood ran cold hearing those words come from his lips; I felt sick to my stomach knowing that people like him existed in the world. People who enjoyed killing others for sport and pleasure, not caring whether their victims deserved it or not.

My patience wore thin as I tried to hold my tongue, but I wasn't sure if it would last.

"If you're going to try and taunt me into doing something stupid with all this nonsense talk then don't bother," I warned, taking another step forward and drawing the dagger that I kept concealed behind my cloak. "Because I'm not afraid of you!"

His eyes lit up, obviously pleased that he finally got to toy with me a bit. For a moment, the place went silent as the three of us stood there waiting for someone to make a move in the pitch black room.

As I finished speaking, the silence grew longer and longer, until it became almost deafening. I had the sense that something was very wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

And then, suddenly, I felt a cold breath on the back of my neck, and a pair of strong hands wrapped around my throat cutting off my air supply.

I gasped for breath, struggling against his iron grip, but it was no use. He was too strong, far stronger than any human should possess. His fingers dug painfully into my flesh, squeezing tightly.

I managed to scratch his eyes with my nails, causing him to release his chokehold slightly, allowing me to take in some oxygen once again.

But before I could even fully recover, the man was upon me, faster than I could react. His face was covered by a half-broken bleak gold mask that concealed his left eye, and a deep cut ran from his bare neck to just below where he wore his leather chest piece.

As he held me down, I felt his hot breath on my ear, and he whispered something that made my blood run cold. "You and I are going to meet again soon," he said, his voice filled with a twisted sense of amusement. "So keep those pretty little eyes of yours open."

He drew his sword and brought it down towards me with deadly precision. I tried to dodge, to move out of the way, but it was too late. The blade came crashing through the middle of my chest and pinned me to the wall with terrifying force.

My vision swimming with red, I watched helplessly as Naia launched herself at him.

Her arms shook violently as she strained to keep her grip on her sword, struggling against the strength of the larger warrior. In an instant, the two went tumbling across the tavern, crashing heavily into tables and chairs alike until finally falling to the ground amidst broken crockery and smashed glass.

The man struggled beneath her weight, trying to shake free of Naia's grasp as he tried to regain control of his dagger. She managed to grab the knife with one hand and thrust it upwards into the base of the man's skull. Blood gushed forth from his mouth and nose as he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Before I could even speak, Naia rose to her feet, looking shaken by the experience but otherwise unhurt. The look in her eyes told me everything: I wasn't going to live much longer either.

My vision began to blur as I struggled to keep my focus. Naia was beside me, her expression full of sorrow and despair. My mind was clouded, but I knew what I had to do.

As the last vestiges of life left my body, I felt something missing from my leg. It was my Dorlascan dagger, which had fallen to the ground somewhere during our struggle.

With a struggling gasp, I reached pointed in the direction where the dagger lay.

"M-my dagger..." I mumbled weakly, reaching down to pick it up.

Naia looked at me with tears welling up in her eyes before picking the weapon up from where she lay and bringing it near to me.

I held it with her hands as she turned away, unable to watch me die. With trembling fingers I pulled the edge of the blade just below my heart and held it firmly with my hands on top of Naia's.

Her fingers trembled as she held it close to my skin, feeling its coldness seeping through her palms. Then without warning, the dagger came alive under her touch and pulsated with energy so strong it felt like fire running through my veins.

It was beautiful, powerful beyond anything else I had ever seen before. And yet, it was also painful; every movement seemed to cause excruciating pain all throughout my body.

"The curse..." I mumbled weakly, unable to form any words more coherent than that.

"No!" Naia cried, her voice breaking as she clutched the dagger tight within her hands knowing what she had to do in order to save my life. "There must be another way! There has got to be—"

"There is no time! You have to kill me now or I will surely die," I insisted, gritting my teeth as I drowned in my own blood.

She stared at me with misty eyes, shaking her head slowly. Her lips were quivering as she tried to find words to ease my agony.

"Don't worry..."-I murmured softly, closing my eyes and preparing myself for death.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, trailing off my chin as I spoke the final line I would ever say in this world... "you could never hurt me".

With a single motion, she plunged the dagger deep.

There was no pain, not even when the tip pierced my beating heart. All I felt was the warmth of her hands holding mine, the serenity and peace flowing through us both as we shared a final embrace together. I felt comfort in the knowledge that she would not remember this, that she wouldn't have to feel all the things I did after she killed me. This was my fate, my burden to carry.

And yet despite knowing exactly what was coming next, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of melancholy, a sense of leaving something behind. But it was only temporary. Soon, I would wake up again, back to the beginning of this twisted nightmare.