Rigo led the way into the deepest section of the imperial palace, her eyes remaining alert even though this territory was intimately familiar to her. She had walked these long corridors of cold marble floors countless times, memorizing every dark corner and hidden passage along the way.
Beside her, Leon walked with an effort to appear calm.
But Rigo noticed something unusual in the boy’s movements—a faint tension that felt out of place. It was as if Leon recognized this place far more than he should.
The imperial palace stood in majestic splendor, with towering pillars and walls carved with gold. The air carried the scent of incense that always reminded Rigo of the Emperor’s absolute authority—the same fragrance she had smelled the first time she entered this place as a small child who knew nothing.
This palace was the symbol of everything she had learned.
And, ironically, everything she had lost.
As they approached the main training chamber of the Imperial Assassin unit, Rigo studied Leon carefully. There was something strange about the way the boy observed his surroundings.
Instead of the awe or fear most children showed when confronted with the beauty—and terror—of this palace, Leon seemed…
familiar.
He looks like he was born here, Rigo thought, watching him from the corner of her eye.
There was no amazement in his expression. No discomfort.
Only a pair of eyes quietly tracing every corner of the hall with an unsettling familiarity, as if Leon had walked these corridors before—perhaps in another life unseen.
Moments later, they entered a vast hall that served as the headquarters of the Imperial Assassin unit.
The room was filled with carefully arranged weapons resting on metal racks. Various suits of armor hung along the walls, while a large table stood in the center, covered with maps and mission scrolls.
Five figures stood inside the room—people Rigo knew well.
Members of the elite unit trained to complete every mission without failure.
But the most striking figure was the large man standing at the far end of the hall.
A faint pulse stirred in Rigo’s chest when she saw him, though she was accustomed to suppressing any emotion that might arise.
Darius.
The commander of the unit.
And Rigo’s father.
Darius studied Leon with eyes that carried both caution and curiosity.
“Welcome to the Imperial Palace, boy,” he said in his heavy voice.
His expression was hard and cold, the kind of authority only possessed by someone accustomed to commanding soldiers on the battlefield.
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Leon lifted his gaze and met Darius’s stare directly.
There was not the slightest hint of fear.
In fact, his eyes narrowed slightly, as though something about Darius stirred something deep inside him.
Rigo watched the reaction carefully.
Could it be that Leon… recognized Darius?
That was impossible.
Leon had only just arrived at the palace for the first time.
And yet…
something felt wrong.
Something that made Leon tense in a way different from other children.
“I am Commander Darius,” her father continued bluntly.
“From now on, you are part of this unit. Only the strongest survive here.”
Rigo heard the cold firmness in his voice—the same tone she had heard countless times as a child, when Darius ordered her to suppress fear and pain during training.
She knew exactly what Leon would begin to experience from this day forward.
A faint, unexpected sympathy stirred inside her.
She quickly pushed the thought away.
I cannot be weak, she murmured silently to herself.
Leon swallowed before replying.
“I understand, sir,” he said in a quiet yet determined tone.
But his gaze remained locked onto Darius with an intensity that felt unnatural.
Rigo noticed how Leon seemed to tremble—not from fear, but as if he were holding something back.
His eyes carried confusing emotions.
Hatred.
Fear.
And…
sadness.
Darius stepped closer, examining Leon more carefully.
“You look too thin to become an assassin,” he said, his voice low and faintly mocking. “But there’s fire in your eyes.”
“We’ll see how long you last here.”
Leon did not move.
Though his body clearly stiffened.
The tension between them seemed almost tangible.
Was there some hidden history between them?
Did Leon know something no one else did?
After that, Darius began introducing the other members of the unit.
They were the most skilled assassins in the Empire—people Rigo had fought beside in many bloody missions.
Kara – The Swift Shadow
Kara stepped forward with graceful confidence, a cold smile forming on her lips. With short hair and a slender frame, she specialized in close combat, using extraordinary speed.
“I’m Kara,” she said to Leon.
“Fast. Unpredictable. Deadly.”
“I hope you can learn to move as quickly as I do.”
Leon nodded slowly, though his gaze remained distant.
Rigo knew Kara was dangerous—always moving like a shadow that could never be caught.
Ren – The Silent Hunter
Ren was a tall man with sharp gray eyes. He stood quietly, yet his presence carried a quiet menace.
“I’m Ren,” he said simply.
“I hunt from a distance.”
A master archer capable of eliminating targets without a sound.
“If you want to survive here, boy… learn to be silent.”
Leon stared at him calmly.
Rigo noticed the boy becoming more cautious.
Ren never missed his targets.
Tor – The Bone Breaker
Tor stepped forward next.
His massive frame was covered in bulging muscles. He grinned widely, revealing crooked teeth.
“I’m Tor,” he said proudly, raising his huge fist.
“I’ll teach you how to crush enemies with your bare hands.”
Leon said nothing.
He simply stared at Tor with unwavering determination, despite how small he looked beside the giant man.
Mira – The Poison Manipulator
Mira stepped forward with smooth elegance.
Her long black hair was neatly tied behind her back. Her eyes were cunning, and her smile carried quiet malice.
“I’m Mira,” she said softly, her voice like a whisper.
“Here, poison is the deadliest weapon.”
“I hope you’re not afraid of dying slowly.”
Leon nodded again, clearly struggling to suppress the emotions stirring inside him.
Soren – Master of Shadows
The final figure stepped forward.
Soren wore a long black cloak that concealed most of his form.
“I am Soren,” he said quietly.
“I will teach you how to disappear into darkness… if you’re fortunate enough to live that long.”
Leon studied him carefully.
But Rigo noticed something unusual in his gaze.
Something strangely familiar.
When the introductions were finished, Darius stepped forward once more and stared at Leon with renewed intensity.
“You are one of us now, boy,” he said coldly.
“There is no mercy here.”
“Only missions. Blood. And loyalty.”
Rigo watched Leon closely.
The boy seemed to hold his breath, as if something larger than words struggled to escape him.
When they finally left the hall, Rigo decided to speak.
“Why did you look so tense in front of Darius?” she asked quietly, her hoarse voice barely audible beneath the sound of their footsteps.
Leon slowly turned toward her.
His face tightened.
“I don’t know,” he finally answered.
But the uncertainty in his voice suggested otherwise.
