“Get up.”

ㅤThe piercing clang of metal bounced in James’ head.

ㅤThree bored-looking guards stood at the door, two with their swords drawn. One entered alone, a rope in his hand.

ㅤ“Stand up and turn around. I will need to tie your hands.”

ㅤJames nodded and slowly pulled himself up, his bones and muscles aching from the awkward position they’d been set in.

ㅤHe slowly and obediently offered his hands behind his back to the guard, who looked a little more nervous than the others. Once his wrists were secured, the door was opened wide.

ㅤ“Follow us.”

ㅤJames walked with them, keeping his senses aware of every stumble, every hitch of breath, every water drop that fell to the floor.

ㅤHe had one benefit at this time: the knights weren’t vigilant nor wary of him and it didn’t seem there was a mass of personnel at their disposal either. Whilst they did pass the odd guard here and there, a normal knights’ post should’ve had more.

ㅤThey didn’t do their jobs properly anyway, James spitefully thought as he recalled the blatant trafficking he’d found. They had more resources at their disposal than he did so there was no excuse for their ignorance.

ㅤJames wouldn’t try to escape yet though. He didn’t know where Eris was and it seemed like the best place to start was that brown-skinned knight who’d stolen her. There was no point to freedom if it meant he lost all chances of ever getting her back.

ㅤ“Where are you taking me?” he asked his escorts.

ㅤ“Shut up, man.”

ㅤ“Just say sorry and leave peacefully, yea?” another one said to him. “It saves us time too.”

ㅤThe first knight laughed at that. “It’s clay-face on duty this morning. There’s not going be anything peaceful about this.”

ㅤThe other guy groaned, long and exasperated. “Fucking annoying.”

ㅤ“Guys, be careful what you say. You could get arrested.”

ㅤ“That’s not going to happen,” the other replied. But, despite his words, none of them spoke any further than that.

ㅤThe damp musty air seemed to get lighter and fresher the further they went. Multiple wooden doors flanked them on either side but it wasn't until they got to the end that they stopped, with one knight giving a quick rap of the knuckles.

ㅤ“Enter,” was murmured from within.

ㅤJames mentally prepared his typical script of responses to the questions he would inevitably be asked. This was far from his first time being captured but he did fear his luck would eventually run out.

ㅤThey pushed him inside, causing him almost to trip. He wanted to bite their heads off with an array of colourful words.

ㅤThe bastard who’d arrested him was sitting at his desk, writing something.

ㅤ“Sit him down.”

ㅤThe knights who were so chatty before followed Alexander’s orders wordlessly. They forced him onto a metal chair, bolted to the ground, and tied his hands behind the back. James gave an experimental tug but his arms wouldn't budge.

ㅤ“Get out.”

ㅤThe knights bowed and obeyed. James could hear their chatter and laughter from the other side of the door fade as they walked away.

ㅤHe finally got to see Alexander face to face, although the man didn’t pay him much attention and focused only on his papers. It wasn’t until a few silent minutes passed that Alexander finally looked him in the eye, putting his pen down.

ㅤAlexander slowly and deliberately looked James’ naked body up and down, examining it.

ㅤWhilst James knew the nudity was simply a tactic to make him feel vulnerable, his body told a lot of stories with its scarring. It was uncomfortable.

ㅤ“Let’s start with your name,” Alex finally said, picking his pen up once again.

ㅤ“Thought you know better than I do.”

ㅤAlex didn’t seem to appreciate his sarcasm.

ㅤ“What would you claim it is?”

ㅤJames thought to himself for a moment, wondering what name he hadn’t used with the authorities yet.

ㅤ“James.”

ㅤ“James… what?”

ㅤ“I’m a commoner,” James replied. “No surname.”

ㅤAlex tilted his head, his suspicious eyes narrowing. “Most commoners have a last name.”

ㅤ“Not this one.”

ㅤThe man grunted and wrote some notes.

ㅤJames stretched his neck to the side, trying to get the ache to subside.

ㅤ“Current address?” Alex continued.

ㅤ“Don’t have one.”

ㅤ“Location and date of birth?”

ㅤ“I’ve always been an orphan. I don’t know either.”

ㅤ“Okay, then what was your orphanage called?”

ㅤ“I didn’t have one. I was always homeless.”

ㅤJames could tell the knight was getting more and more frustrated with the smooth and convenient answers he was providing. It was probably annoying for Alex that James was claiming to have no paper trace of his entire life, but he couldn’t prove it was a lie.

ㅤ“What can you give me?”

ㅤHe thought for a moment. “There will be tax documents submitted in my name and details. That would be enough, surely?”

ㅤ“Where?”

ㅤ“Corbella.”

ㅤAlex quickly realised where that was. “The other side of the kingdom, huh? What bullshit.”

ㅤJames shrugged.

ㅤAlex’s eyes had dark bags under them. The knight must have been awake all night to look as exhausted as he did.

ㅤ“I’m sorry for everything. I won’t do it again.”

ㅤ“You don’t even know what you’re apologising for,” Alex murmured, not looking up from his desk.

ㅤ“The knights outside said it would make their work easier if I did.”

ㅤ“Did they now?”

ㅤPetty revenge perhaps, but it was what they deserved for making him stumble.

ㅤSilence fell again and James settled into his imagination to avoid boredom. Patience was something he was good at as a career assassin. He thought about Eris.

ㅤAfter a few minutes, Alex reached under his chair and dropped James’ bag on the table, followed by his sword, his clothes, and the number of weapons he’d hidden on his body. It was nerve-racking seeing Eris without her rags. Her sheathe was delicate gold embroidery on top of black metal and it’d been a while since he’d last seen her like that.

ㅤOut of the bag, Alex took out his purse, his vial, and a dagger and placed them in front of James. He watched James, as if waiting for him to explain.

ㅤJames didn’t know what Alex wanted him to say. “Yea. That's my stuff…?”

ㅤ“This is all very expensive,” Alex said. “Too expensive for a homeless commoner.”

ㅤ“Well, I’m not homeless anymore...”

ㅤAlex raised his brows. “Oh? You don’t have a fixed address though?”

ㅤ“Yea, I was in the middle of moving.”

ㅤ“And all these weapons…?”

ㅤ“I like hunting,” James replied smoothly.

ㅤ“With all of these?” Alex gestured to the excessive pile of daggers and small blades on the table.

ㅤ“I really like hunting.”

ㅤAlex slammed his fist into the wood, the indignation finally boiling over. “Listen, these are royal orders from the Crown itself. I know who you are.”

ㅤ“You don’t even have proof.” James was getting angrier. He was sick of hearing about royal this, royal that. “If you really believed I was Jay, you would've put me down for execution by now.”

ㅤAlex didn’t respond to that. He stood and strolled around behind James’ back. James kept a constant eye on Alex as the man gripped his shoulders, the thick fingers digging into flesh.

ㅤ“Your left arm must’ve been so severely burnt. I’m surprised you can still use it.”

ㅤJames did his best to keep his heartbeat steady, knowing it could be felt through his skin. “It happened a long time ago. It’s fine.”

ㅤAlex leant down, his mouth at James’ ear.

ㅤ“The ones on your hands are new,” he uttered.

ㅤJames clenched his fists as though it could undo what Alex had seen.

ㅤ“In fact, they look like they've been burnt over and over again,” Alex continued, as if he was hypothesising to himself. “Especially on your right hand, despite there being no other burns on that side. It’s strange.”

ㅤJames kept his gaze trained on Alex, viscous dark eyes blazing right back.

ㅤ“This is quite weird too,” Alex went on, walking back around and picking up Eris. He leant against the table as he examined her, his fingers tracing over her glorious craftsmanship. He made a show of trying to unsheathe her, but not being able to.

ㅤJames’ chest chilled.

ㅤ“Now, most idiots have no idea what this means,” Alex explained. “But I know. She’s a relic.”

ㅤJames kept his mouth clamped shut as his brain stirred up multiple trails of thought at once, offering multiple overlapping answers but not knowing which one was best to follow.

ㅤ“Jay’s victims all look like they’d been eaten by their wounds with nothing but hard charcoal left. I’d wondered if those were just exaggerated rumours before. But now?”

ㅤJames couldn’t stop his mind from racing. He needed to kill this man. Now.

ㅤ“It’s you.” Alex smiled, a dead indifference about him. “I know it's you.”

ㅤ“It’s not—”

ㅤAlex hushed him by grabbing his mouth and face. “I don’t care whether you deny it or not. All that matters is that I know.”

ㅤJames yanked his head away. “What do you want, an autograph from the guy? You sick piece of shit.”

ㅤAlex seized James’ jaw once again, rougher than before. His face crowded his.

ㅤ“It’s not about what I want. It’s about what your Crown wants.”

ㅤJames glared with all the hostility he could muster in his panic.

ㅤAfter a moment, the bastard let go and took a step away, looking through James’ belongings with particular interest in the vial.

ㅤJames needed to de-escalate the situation quickly. There was one last card he could rely on.

ㅤ“Jay has been killing for decades. How can it be me? I’m twenty-five.”

ㅤAlex stared at him and James tentatively relaxed. He’d clutched it.

ㅤBut, then, Alex tilted his head in thought.

ㅤ“You know… I have a theory.”

ㅤJames’ heart sank.

ㅤFuck, fuck, fuck. “It's impossible.”

ㅤ“It’s not.”

ㅤFuck.

ㅤAlex walked past and opened the door. “Guards!”

ㅤThe three knights from before rushed in.

ㅤ“Take him back,” Alex ordered. “No clothes, no food, and no sleep.”

ㅤ“I already said it’s impossible!”

ㅤAlex’s oppressive gaze pressed him down, completely cold-blooded. James quickly learnt that silence was his only option.

ㅤ“Douse him in cold water too.”

ㅤJames’ luck had, indeed, finally run out.