The moment she’d heard the eerie cry of a child echo through the woods, she knew. That was their signal. A distraction, a lure. And now they were here.

Arwan was the talkative one, known for cracking under pressure. Morana—sharp, cold, and silent—rarely wasted words. Nerissa glanced behind her, relieved. They were far enough now that Lucien couldn’t hear or see what was about to unfold.

“We gave you a chance to run,” Morana said coolly, drawing a dagger from her belt. “Don’t blame us for being rude.”

Nerissa scoffed. “You expect me to believe that? I know your game. The moment I turned my back, you'd shoot an arrow through it. Just like you did to that young lad last winter.”

Morana froze mid-step. “How do you know about that?”

She smiled thinly. “Arwan and Morana. So reckless. Ever wonder why the guild only sends you on small, insignificant tasks?”

“M-Morana…” Arwan began, voice quivering. “That night... The Shadows' leader rescued the boy. He works for them now.”

“Shut up, Arwan!” Morana snapped, glaring. “If you’re implying this brat is the leader of the Shadows, you’re delusional. She probably just happened to see us, and we didn’t notice. Just another witness that needs to be silenced,” she added with a wicked grin.

Nerissa tilted her head. “I’m quite curious… what makes you so sure I’m not?”

Arwan answered before Morana could. “The leader of the Shadows is… overwhelming. Their aura alone can paralyze a man. No one knows their face—not even the highest clients. They say the leader took over at just six years old… eliminated everyone who challenged them. But they’re merciful. They let us live that winter night.”

“It seems Arwan here is a fan of Nyssa,” she said with a faint chuckle, materializing a sword from aura alone.

Morana’s eyes widened. “H-how did you do that? I didn’t even sense a flicker of aura from you. There's no way you’re from the Shadows.”

“Oh?” Nerissa took a step forward, the smile never leaving her face. “Why not?”

“You’re only a child.”

“That’s what makes me the best in the Shadows.”

She let a third of her aura unfurl, thick and oppressive. The air grew heavy. Arwan stumbled back, fear etched into his features.

“She was hiding her aura,” he whispered. “And perfectly. She's in complete control…”

“What’s wrong?” Nerissa taunted. “Why hesitate? I’m just a little girl, remember?”

Morana’s jaw tightened. She infused her blades with aura. “Stop whining, Arwan. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Nerissa grinned. “It’s about time.”

Morana lunged. “I’ll make this quick, little one—”

Nerissa’s arm moved subtly, and the water from the creek rose to intercept. It formed a whip that lashed Morana back, then surrounded her in a glistening bubble. Morana’s eyes filled with panic as she thrashed, unable to break free.

“I’m sorry,” Nerissa said, tone flat. “But I don’t have time for hand-to-hand combat. I have a schedule to keep.”

Arwan hurled daggers, but with a flick of her wrist, they veered midair—slamming back toward him. He managed to deflect most, but one sank into his leg with a wet thunk. He gasped, falling to one knee.

Desperate, Morana pointed toward the direction they’d come from and mouthed the words: The target.

Nerissa’s expression darkened. “I should have gotten rid of you two back then.”

Recognition flickered in Morana’s eyes. Her struggle paused.

“Wait! Please… don’t kill her!” Arwan begged. “We didn’t know! We disrespected you unknowingly!”

Nerissa tilted her head, amused. “By sorry, do you mean, ‘Let’s pretend you never tried to kill my friend?’”

“Your… friend?” Arwan repeated, confused. “You’re not here to guard him?”

She shrugged. “Wasn’t, originally. But I suppose I am now.”

She released Morana from the water bubble. Arwan rushed to her side as she collapsed, gasping and choking on the water in her lungs. Nerissa watched them calmly.

Perfect. Just where she wanted them.

While they were distracted, she began to feed water into the soil beneath them, dissolving it into slick mud. Slowly, quietly, it shifted into quicksand.

Arwan patted Morana’s back as her coughing subsided. “To think… the leader of the Shadows is a child,” he mumbled.

Morana, still panting, looked up. “I apologize for disrespecting you. We swear on our lives we’ll keep your identity secret. Thank you for your mercy.”

Nerissa tilted her head, mock-thoughtful. “Hmm… that’s strange. I don’t recall saying I’d let you go. If memory serves, Ms. Morana said, ‘A witness should be silenced.’ And honestly? I couldn’t agree more.”

The assassins tried to rise—only to realize they were stuck.

“You… tricked us!”

“I did no such thing,” she said lightly. “You just jumped to conclusions. I never said a word.”

“Then why release me?!” Morana snarled, struggling as the quicksand rose past her waist.

Nerissa’s smirk sharpened. “So I could handle you both at once. I already told you—I’m on a time limit.”

“You can’t do this! We swore not to tell anyone!” Arwan cried, panic rising in his voice.

Her expression chilled. “You injured and tried to murder my friend. That’s something I don’t forgive.”

The quicksand climbed steadily upward. She glanced down.

“You’re sinking slower than I’d like. Let’s speed things up.”

“Wait—please!” Arwan cried, as Morana shrieked.

“Vortex.”

The command was calm. Instant.

The earth began to spin beneath them, a deadly whirlpool of mud. Within seconds, they were gone—swallowed whole. Silence returned to the clearing.

With one gesture, she withdrew the water from the ground, leaving no trace of the battle. No footprints. No broken branches. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

She turned on her heel and headed back toward Lucien.