The forest was still save for the shallow, ragged breaths of the defeated.


    The faint light of the moon illuminated the broken forms of Donovan, Theran, Miriam, Mikhail, and the Younger Woman as theyy sprawled on the dirt, their bodies trembling with exhaustion.


    Every muscle ached, every ounce of mana had been drained, and the faint warmth of life itself felt like it was slipping away.


    Miriam let out a small, pained whimper, her hands clutching at her abdomen where one of Lyerin''s torturous insects had burrowed beneath her skin.


    The sensation was unlike anything she had ever endured—like a living, writhing fire tearing through her insides. She could feel it moving, biting, devouring.


    Theran was no better. He had copsed to his knees, his face pale and slick with sweat. His blood magic, once a source of pride, was now a curse.


    The toll it had taken on his body left him too weak to even scream. He clutched his side, feeling the alien movements within as one of the bugs dug deeper.


    Donovan, lying t on his back, stared up at the canopy of leaves above.


    The moonlight blurred in his vision, obscured by the tears he couldn''t stop from spilling. He had failed—failed hisrades, failed himself.


    The humiliation was unbearable, but the pain was worse. The insect inside him was relentless, gnawing at his very essence.


    Mikhail and the Younger Woman fared no better.


    Mikhail''s breathing wasbored, each inhale feeling like ss scraping against his lungs. He could feel the parasite nestled in his chest, its tiny legs skittering against the walls of his ribcage.


    The Younger Woman had copsed into a fetal position, her body shaking as she gritted her teeth to keep from screaming.


    Lyerin stood over them, a dark silhouette against the pale light. Hisughter echoed through the forest, a chilling, almost melodic sound that seemed to seep into their bones. He sped his hands behind his back, his posture rxed, as if he hadn''t just orchestrated their utter humiliation.


    "Look at you," he said, his toneced with mockery. "The mighty assassins of the Borgias Family, brought low by a few little bugs. Pathetic, isn''t it?"


    Donovan''s lips parted, but no words came out. He wanted to retort, to defy, but his voice was gone. He could only manage a faint, guttural sound that barely reached his own ears.


    "I can see it in your eyes," Lyerin continued, his grin widening. "You think this is the end, don''t you? That this is where you die? How tragic. How poetic. But also…" He knelt down, his face level with Donovan''s. "...how predictable."


    Donovan turned his head away, his teeth clenched as he fought against the wave of despair threatening to consume him.


    "Come now," Lyerin said, rising to his feet. "You''ve faced death before, haven''t you? Surely this isn''t the first time you''ve stared into the abyss. Or is it different because it''s me standing on the other side?"


    The others were silent, their pain too overwhelming for words. Their bodies were heavy, their spirits crushed. Even the thought of resistance seemed impossible now.


    Miriam closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had always prided herself on her resilience, but this… this was beyond anything she could endure. She could feel the bug''s movements growing slower, as if it were nearing her heart.


    Lyerin began to circle them, his boots crunching against the dirt with deliberate slowness. "It''s fascinating, really," he mused. "How fragile you all are. How easily you break. And yet, you keep fighting. Why? What''s the point?"


    He stopped in front of Theran, who had copsed forward, his forehead pressed against the ground. Lyerin nudged him with the tip of his boot, chuckling when Theran didn''t respond. "Still alive, are we? Good. I''d hate for you to miss the grand finale."


    Theughter came again, louder this time, reverberating through the air like a cruel symphony. It was a sound that seemed to pierce through the assassins'' very souls, amplifying their agony and despair.


    The Younger Woman opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused and ssy. She looked up at Lyerin, her lips trembling as she tried to form words. "Why…?" she finally managed to whisper.


    "Why?" Lyerin repeated, tilting his head as if considering the question. "Why not? You see, I find your suffering… entertaining. It''s a delightful little reminder of how superior I am. Isn''t that reason enough?"


    The Younger Woman closed her eyes again, unable to bear the sight of his mocking grin.


    But then, something unexpected happened. Lyerin stepped back, hisughter subsiding into a low chuckle. He raised a hand, and with a snap of his fingers, the unbearable writhing within each of their bodies ceased.


    The relief was immediate. Donovan gasped as the burning pain disappeared, reced by an overwhelming sense of emptiness. Theran copsed fully to the ground, his breathing ragged but steady. Miriam clutched her stomach, her tears now flowing from a mixture of relief and residual terror. Find adventures at empire


    "You''re wee," Lyerin said, his tone casual. "I''ve decided to take the bugs back. Call it a… moment of mercy."


    Heughed again, softer this time, and turned his back on them. "Don''t get toofortable, though," he added. "This little game isn''t over yet. Rest while you can."


    The assassinsy there, too drained to move, too wary to trust his words. For now, at least, the pain was gone. But the weight of their failure—and the shadow of Lyerin''s next move—hung over them like a storm cloud, promising that the worst was yet toe.


    The forest echoed with the slow, deliberate pping of Lyerin''s hands. Each p resonated in the eerie stillness, amplified by the weight of his dark presence. His smile stretched wide, and his violet eyes sparkled with an unsettling mixture of amusement and menace.


    "Ah, bravo," Lyerin said, his voice dripping with mockery and delight. "Bravo, my little insects. Truly, you''ve outdone yourselves. I haven''t been this entertained in centuries. The desperation, the ingenuity, the sheer audacity—it''s almost poetic."


    He began pacing in a slow circle around the assassins, his boots crunching softly against the dirt. His pping slowed, but his grin never wavered. "You know," he continued, his tone conversational, "there''s something to be said about the human spirit. You''re like moths drawn to a me, knowing full well you''ll be burned, yet unable to resist. It''s admirable in a pathetic sort of way."


    Donovan, Theran, Miriam, Mikhail, and the Younger Womany sprawled on the ground, their bodies battered and drained. They exchanged furtive nces, their breaths shallow andbored. They didn''t need words to understand one another; the years of training, of shared missions, had honed their instincts to an almost supernatural level.


    Lyerin stopped, sping his hands behind his back as he turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder at them. "You''ve amused me greatly," he said, his voice dropping to a low, almost intimate tone. "But do you know what I find most entertaining?"