The carriage rattled away, leaving Viviana alone in the dusty street. She walked towards series of alleys and ended underground inside the Abyss guild, its dark stone walls looming against the setting sun. A heavy metal door stood before her. She pushed it open. Inside, the air was saturated with the smell of sweat and steel. Her handler, Talon, a man whose face was full of old scars, greeted her.
"Number 57, you have arrived."
Viviana's lip curled. "I go by the name Raven now. I earned it myself." Her voice was a low growl, like gravel shifting.
Talon's eyes, cold as chipped ice, held hers. "Of course, you did." He pulled a heavy leather pouch from his belt and tossed it to her. The clink of coins inside was a welcome sound. "Your share. Job well done."
Viviana didn't say thank you, she never did and Talon never expected it.
He began to brief her on the next task. "Your next target resides in Eldoria—your birth kingdom." Hearing this, her face frowned.
As they spoke, they passed the training ground. The clang of metal on metal echoed from within, and the grunts of exertion filled the air. Viviana saw figures moving, new faces, young and eager.
"New recruits, huh?" Viviana said, her gaze fixed on the sparring bodies.
Talon followed her gaze, a grim smile touching his lips. "It will be a shame to see these talents go to waste, just like I didn't let yours go to waste."
Viviana stopped walking. She stared at the recruits. One of them looked scared, his hands were shaking as he dropped the weapon. "There is no place for fear in the Abyss, Only the strong remain standing." The instructor barked.
His words, innocent enough to an outsider, struck a chord deep within Viviana. Her eyes unfocused, and the sounds of the present faded. The training hall morphed, the current recruits replaced by a younger, harsher memory.
[ FLASHBACK]
This very training hall. The air was filled with dust and the stench of blood. A 14-year-old girl, small for her age, clutched a kitchen knife in her trembling hand. It felt too big for her thin body, too heavy for her tired hands, yet her knuckles were white from her grip.
"Number 57!" Talon's voice ripped through the air, his voice booming across the hall. "Remember what I taught you: 'Kill or be killed!' Only the strong remain standing!"
Viviana was the only girl. Around her, five boys, all older, all bigger, circled like hungry wolves. Their grins were cruel, their eyes glinting with a dangerous excitement.
She was terrified, her heart pounded so loud she could barely hear anything else.
"Please let me out, they will kill me ." She screamed, pleading to be spared but Talon had left, left her to her fate.
"Use what I have taught you to save yourself, I have high hopes for you" With that, Talon locked the hall and left.
One of them, a large boy with a scarred eyebrow, lunged first. Viviana ducked, the knife a blur as she parried his crude attack.
Viviana raised her hand in surrender " Please I don't want to fight you, just let me go."
The large boy replied " Didn't you hear what master Talon said, Kill or be killed. Beside we don't need a weakling female here."
The large boy lunged again using the hilt of his weapon to hit her stomach causing her stagger. The fight went on. Hours blurred into a timeless struggle. The boys were relentless, their attacks coming from all sides. Viviana was overwhelmed with desperate defense and sudden, brutal strikes. She moved with a raw instinct, fueled by the main urge to survive. Her breath hitched in her throat, her muscles burned, and sweat stung her eyes.
The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the training hall in hues of blood and orange till the moon found its way in the sky. The air grew cold, but Viviana felt only the searing heat of exertion. One by one, the boys fell. First, the large one, his roar cut short as Viviana's knife found its mark, slashing his throat, blood sprayed on her face but she kept going, her head replaying the words "KILL OR BE KILLED." Then another, collapsing with a choked gasp.
When Talon finally returned, the training hall was silent save for Viviana's ragged breathing. She stood in the center, a lone, battered figure. Her clothes were torn,her arms were shaking, her knees were weak, her skin streaked with grime, fresh cuts and blood. Her chest heaved, and her hair clung to her bloody sweat-drenched face.
Around her lay the five boys. Their bodies were still, their weapons scattered on the blood-stained ground. The kitchen knife, gleamed darkly in her hand, coated in the blood of her first kills, dropped to the floor with a clatter.
She was breathing so hard, she didn't even hear Talon walk in. He stared at the scene, he didn't smile, he didn't scold her. " You are finally learning." He said.
Viviana looked at Talon, her eyes wide and haunted, but also with a strange, fierce light within them. She had survived. She was the one standing.
[ FLASHBACK ENDS]
Viviana blinked, the harsh reality of the training hall snapping back into focus. The sounds, the smells, the familiar faces – they all rushed in.
Talon's voice became audible again. "Your next target is Crown Prince Dominic Of Eldoria."
Viviana's face changed. " Crown prince?" she whispered. "That's new…"
Talon nodded. "He's been causing problems for some of our clients. They want him gone. Together with his supporters."
Viviana looked at him, her eyes sharp. "What do I tell the royal family, The king, the queen and Lilliana? What kind of story are you planning for my exit?"
Before Talon could answer, a loud noise came from the training hall. A shout. A scream.
Viviana turned her head.
A man was yelling at the recruits. He was tall, muscular, with messy hair and a cruel smile.
He pushed a younger boy to the ground and kicked his sword away.
"I can smell the fear emitting from you and it disgusts me." the brute snarled. "You're just trash! Since when does the Abyss allow weaklings live?"
An instructor tried to stop him. The man shoved him aside like he was nothing.
Viviana's hands clenched. Her eyes darkened. Her jaw tightened. "Number 24" She hissed, recognizing him. If he was so strong, he should prove it outside the guild, not by picking on those weaker than him. The sight of his arrogance, his casual disregard for others, fueled a quiet rage within her.
Talon saw it. "Would you like to train a little?" he asked.
Viviana was surprised. But something in her blood burned. She nodded once.
They walked into the hall.
"Number 24!" She called.
Everything stopped.