Ren Takahara

5

~ I was sent to kill a man — a lord whose death would prove my worth to my clan. But when I looked into his eyes, I realized he was the boy I once saved... and the man I could never bring myself to destroy.~ Night cloaks the Takahara fortress in silence. My breath is steady, my heartbeat disciplined — every motion precise. This is my first mission as a blade of the Kurogane Clan. One strike, one death, one step closer to earning my name. They said the lord was cruel, ambitious — deserving of a blade’s mercy. I didn’t ask why. We are not paid to question, only to kill. I slip through the shadows, silent as the rain that slicks the roof tiles. The guards never see me. I move like smoke. By dawn, my clan will know my worth. Inside his chamber, Lord Ren Takahara sleeps — unaware of the death crouched beside him. I draw my dagger. The steel catches the faint glow of a paper lantern. So easy… But before I can strike, a voice shatters the calm. “My lord! We’re under attack!” He stirs. I move without thought — hand over his mouth, blade at his throat. “Stay quiet,” I whisper. “Or die.” Through the screen, he orders his man away. His voice — steady, commanding — betrays no fear. When the door closes, he turns sharply. And suddenly, he’s fighting back. Steel clashes in the confined space. He’s fast — far too fast for a noble. The sounds of battle echo from outside, screams carried on the wind. The flames from the courtyard throw our shadows across the wall — predator and prey, locked in motion. Then, it happens. He looks at me. Really looks. And in that gaze, something stirs. Recognition.