In the midst of psyching myself up, I saw a troop of men approach from several sides. Front and the back door. Some mingling just outside in the quad.

Great, this was all I needed right this second. For a brief moment I wondered if they were forewarned soldiers under the lordling’s command. Builds certainly looked the part – but no. House of Raktkalis had universally recognisable aesthetic and they didn’t shy away from it. The servants had been unmistakable, for one.

These common thugs, on the other hand, were trying to blend in. Casual sports suits and all. They have probably been dancing around me for days and I just ignored them as part of the scenery. After all, everyone and their little sister brought in some muscle. My conditioning probably simply subconsciously steered me away from potential danger. Still, I should have noticed before they have gotten the kill order.

I reflected on that and great many other regrettable things whilst climbing out of the window. Sat amongst plump thorny bushes waiting for the coast to clear, only to spy something promising. One of the familiar servants scurried off to carry out some other awfully early errand.

I followed her. It was the upstanding citizen from before. I judged so from a particularly small stature, and not the girl’s overflowing conscience.

I needed a confirmation first and foremost. I was not going anywhere near those houses without a firm and compelling reason.

Finally noticing me, she nervously looked around and determinedly declared, “I can’t talk to you.”

“D-does he have my lapt-t-top?” I asked eagerly, betraying my nerves and the anxiety.

Even though servant’s face contorted with sympathy, there was no reply. Not a verbal one. She looked away as her arms went up in a self-embrace. Understandable trepidation. Who would want to snitch on their provider? Such a noble one at that. I absolutely would have looked after my own hide first, without even thinking about resorting to a half-hearted kindness – once.

Regardless, it was enough of confirmation. I smacked this woman on the jaw and she flew off like a dust bunny. I hissed. My blow wasn’t that strong. This frail girl was about the only person I even had the chance of knocking out.

Dismissing this surge of power, I dragged the light body into a nearby classroom and put her baggy gown on. Luckily, it fit. I had worried, because I was of a healthier build. However, my skin tone was darker. Also, I had hair. Industrialised Kalanta had certain particularities and one could not escape the appropriate look. The plastic gown masked no discrepancies on its own.

Soaped up my hair at the sink and began shaving, as much as I was cursing. It was not a simple task to pull off with a utility knife, but I’d done it before. At least the tool was sharp. Afterwards, I drew all over my exposed skin with the chalk I’d found by the blackboard. Could not have done shoddier job if I tried, but my trusty inventory was behind the backs of murderous brigands and these were the materials I had on hand.

Gliding out as modestly as the gown’s owner before me, I reached a certain dorm and climbed the stairs to the penthouse. I’ve never been here before – mostly due to a healthy dose of self-preservation. However, that also meant I knew exactly who to avoid and where. Roughly.

Two suites occupied an entire level, and both occupants could have their platoons dance freestyle without ever touching. Luckily, the guardsmen weren’t nearly in such overabundance. After all, the academy was universally considered safe. Whatever was present, stood away from the direct path and blessed me with the exact opposite of close scrutiny.

I turned towards the door marked by these tell-tale cultural differences.

Darkly-clad soldiers were tense but crowded away as if trying their best to be less of an eyesore. Perhaps it annoyed their master to have all this eager manpower underfoot. How insanely exploitable. Young Raktkalis must have thought himself invincible. Certainly impervious to a direct frontal assault.

Well, it was the unthinkable. I was here only because I had no other choice. However, that’s exactly how assassins are presented their tasks too.

I crossed the forbidden threshold and stepped inside. The décor was predictably dark. Wide tinted windows, carpets only a shade less black than the glistening marble floor. Only the servants stood out in their discordant whiteness, floating around noiselessly like disembodied souls. By the looks of things, the breakfast feast was about ready to be eaten. Not the place I wanted to be at.

I made my way up to the dais and glided towards the other rooms as quietly as the rest of the ghostly ensemble. Not a single head was lifted to look my way. Servants meticulously stuck to their tasks. Alarmingly convenient.

This could end really badly. I’d be mistaken for a contract killer. They’ll torture me to find out details I do not possess.

My legs tried to give out on me out of nerves, but this was not the time nor the place.

What the hell was I doing here? This was supposed to be simple, risk-free affair. I kept my head down and never even crossed paths with these people precisely due to danger they presented, regardless of associated rewards on anything related to ruling elite.

Soundlessly cracked the first door open. Empty. The following room presented with a soft growling of dogs. I bypassed it without checking. My fingers shook, contemplating the options in the likely case my property was in there.

Not having much choice, stuck my nose into the following chamber. Weapons cache. Even though lethal contraband was harshly discouraged, precious contenders to the throne were permitted firearms for self-defence. Of course, the privilege extended to their sworn swords too.

Following door – the wardrobe. For lineage who’s never even dreamed of wearing anything besides black, this was a lot of various shelves. I could bet Raktkalises lost at least one flamboyant cousin to whoever policed this household’s dress code. I imagined the tasteful fellow just getting shot right at the dinner table.

Up next – I heard deeper exhales of near-wakefulness. The bedroom of lord princeling himself. Also not something I should encroach upon at any cost. Bless this beauty slumber.

Damn. If not for that whole other situation, I would have had access to my resources. Roll a vial of sleeping gas in – and my peace of mind would be in hand. In more ways than one. Should have placed some essentials in locations besides the places I slept at. A staggering oversight influenced by a deceptively peaceful environment. It will end up costing me not only success, but also the survival.

No. No visualisation of worst case scenarios. Learn from this.

Which left me with the final room. Corner. The office view that people craved. It would be promising if not for the fact that the inhabitant had something against natural light. However, I was in luck. A table, cabinets. I almost hadn’t expected this eccentric décor to encompass an actual desk.

I hurried to shut the door behind me and began to rummage. The room was so tidy it bordered on an unused. For a moment I was afraid the compartments would be empty, but an odd stack of books was revealed once in a while. Even then, drawers contained no knickknacks, just orderly stacks of irrelevant schoolwork.

Had these been some documents, I could have just walked out and been content. Pity. However, state affairs being hidden away I could completely understand. The absent sundries baffled me. Where were the personal trifles? Even having servants didn’t excuse this severe a lack of personality. Not even a single quirky pen. The assignments didn’t have doodles in the margin. I filled in a slur out of spite.

Missing likability aside, most important quandary was blaring in my mind like a siren. Where was my laptop? I’ve checked every surface and recess. Everything besides the safe, which I had no way of opening. Insipid young master did not jot down his passwords for the visitors to see.

Worse. I heard him stir behind a wall. Raktkalis had finally woken up and was walking around. The footsteps were heavy and determined. He obviously had no need to sneak around his own place, unlike the servants whom I suspected to be there too, but had no definite proof of.

I hid, but echo of bare feet drifted off into the great lounge. At the window I pondered choice between just leaving, and pushing my luck some more. The device I sought could have been with him in the bedroom. Unlikely, but not impossible. I would certainly try to crack the password and calculate my haul deep into the night. However, this asshole probably had other people for tedious tasks like that. Chances are, my property was a floor below in grubby hands of a duty-bound musclehead. Too late to go looking in that haystack now.

I stashed away the desire to be virtually anywhere else and, timing my expedition with the receding stomps, stepped out and snuck those unspeakably dangerous several steps into the man’s bedroom.

Perhaps I had been wrong about servants eagerly attending to their lordling from the moment of his waking – the evidence of life had not yet been erased. Bed remained unmade. Shirt lay on the floor and a drawer was left ajar. A phone had been ditched by the bedside. The sight actually let me breathe out in relief. So this was a person after all, not some android that just lay ramrod straight the whole night.

I hurried to rummage through the drawers in an otherwise empty room. Barely started when I heard remarkably rich voice ask, “Where’s the report?”

I would not have ever attributed that timbre to a teenager. Perhaps I was mistaken, as the institute was open to all ages. A realisation which made this endeavour that much more dangerous. He could be a proper officer with all appropriate experience and personal resources.

“Not yet here, Master,” one of the servant girls made a silent, nervous excuse.

“But you’re all here,” Raktkalis sounded terribly displeased about something and I did not envy the poor souls in his line of sight. There was something debasing about that tone.

Wait. All? He counted me in. How did he know? Were there cameras? Was I being too loud? Did he catch a sight of me sneaking? So many possibilities ran through my mind and all of them were utterly irrelevant. It was useful to have good hearing in situations like these. Extra time to panic!

“Come here,” a louder tone commanded, specifically aimed at someone in another room. Needless to say, I wasn’t about to comply.

A servant of the household would already be prostrated before the master, because not a second later the pompous lord got up and went looking for such blatant disrespect. Heavy footfalls were getting closer without any hurry in them. He knew exactly where I was and that I had been cornered. Lordling still assumed this was but a meek attendant rather than a trespassing hit man. Little miracles.

Grabbed the only thing of value in sight – the forgotten phone – and tiptoed to the window. This was the fifth floor. Even a seasoned assassin would have hard time climbing down, especially in this scanty gown and nothing else – and I was no seasoned assassin. With a little more time and less of a pounding pulse I could make my way down. I had neither luxury. Footsteps weren’t already here only due to the enormous living room.

I bit down on the gadget, hung myself off the sill on the outside and closed the window. Heard him stride in and ponder in confusion. Menacing presence then thundered out to check the other rooms. Confusion and doubt will buy me only so much time. I still needed to get off here and my fingers were starting to tire. I hadn’t neglected training per se, but turns out this easy-going campus life was disagreeing with me anyway.  

Free-fall wasn’t a viable option. Not if I wanted to keep my delusions about walking away from this. I would still need to sacrifice something for a favourable outcome and that would have to be my hands. I let go, immediately grabbing for sill of the floor below. Elbow hit concrete and shattered – or at least tried its best to give that impression. Fingers desperately clung onto the rough surface. Didn’t manage to hold on. Body weight pulled me down.

I reached out the grazed forearms to repeat the manoeuvre, only to slam both wrists onto the hard surface this time. My debilitated body didn’t feel pain, otherwise I suspect the sensations would have been blinding. Some problems had their upsides. This one I really liked, especially at times like now.

The controlled fall was terrifying nonetheless. My teeth were clenched tight around the precious bargaining chip and that helped to keep quiet. I also had that other incentive – if I don’t do this exactly right, the misery will be much worse. I tried to cling with the profusely bleeding arms again. And again. Right until plopping down on the pavement.

I simply breathed without seeing anything in particular. Attempted to move and everything but the arms worked as it should have.

I was alive. I could probably walk. I couldn’t believe this worked.

However, this was far from over. Blinking vigorously and willing the stupor away, I got up and inspected my palms. Blood pooled in the recesses. I flung it into the distance to lead the pursuit the wrong way and darted back into the building through a window I knew to be unlocked. This place had a terrible problem with vandals.

Shower curtain of a gown was predictably awful at impeding the outflow of blood. I was twisting the hem up and around my raw arms but ended up simply smearing the fabric and losing grip. It was easily the worst article I’ve ever worn. I was convinced this body bag of a dress was determined to let me bleed out. What a convenient design. Raktkalis might get me yet – in a most unexpected way. At least that upturned hem contained all the dripping.

Sprinted towards a communal shower. Needed to be rid of this reddening chalk. Perhaps nick a towel or even someone’s change of clothes. There still wasn’t a soul around, but soon this place would be swarming. And crowds were the best way to disappear.