Obsidian (2022)

4. Retaliation vs. Retribution

Chapter 4

Retaliation vs. Retribution

"There's a thin line between revenge and justified punishment which is often crossed by our own ego, blind to see the difference when we take justice in our own hands."

There was an unmistakable smell of burned, decaying wood in the fogged air, mixed with the breeze of the cold night. Rin hopped off his bike, as soon as he saw the loose chain around the gate bars. There were no locks on it. A rush of panic flowed through him. Had someone else investigated his cousin's murder? He left the funeral ceremony first, so even if someone wanted to investigate, it wasn't going to be tonight. Everyone was too scared about Vito's death or too obsessed about the ungoverned district for the time being. He passed by the gate and hurried towards the entrance.

Climbing the stairs, he saw the opened door. There wasn't even a knob on it, just a hole right through it. Thieves could have broken in, he figured, but who would dare to rob a dead Royal's home?

The corpses of the bodyguards were still inside the manor, unmoved for the following investigation the Royal detectives had to do. He staggered over the same guards, he poisoned the previous night. Looking down on their features and dead eyes, visible from moonlight coming from the windows, he felt pity, but no regret. He'd rather die too than regret the needed sacrifice he had to make for his goal.

Rin glanced aside to the rest of the hall. It was a tradition to close all the curtains of the dead person's home. There was no way they would have left the curtains opened when they found the bodies. Even vinegar was spilled to decrease the blood odor.

He threaded further down the hall, clutching the handle of the sword, attached to his hip. His breathing became longer and steadier, as the intense gut feeling had boiled his blood, his vision adjusting on the faint light, and his mind focused on even the slightest sounds. The deadly silence had imprinted images, of who could be lurking in the shadows. His heartbeat drummed in his ears.

***

"If it's just one person, I can make them disappear," Darya whispered, one step behind Kieran.

"No." He glanced at her. "It can only be a Royal coming at this hour in a dead person's home. People would get suspicious if he or she just disappears. It's better if I kill the Royal." He whispered. "They will connect the murder with the previous Royal. Here, take care of this." He handed Darya the bag.

He reached for two daggers in his chest pocket and slid them out. He put a finger on his mouth to shush Darya from asking any more questions.

Kieran crept forward and then waited for the Royal to walk up the stairs where they were an easy target.

The steps were silent, almost perfect, Kieran thought. But almost, wasn't good enough for his skills.

He heard the steps getting closer and then they stopped. Come on, what's stopping you? Kieran gripped tighter on his dagger. The royal wasn't coming up.

"Kieran," Darya whispered loud enough to get his attention. "You need to see this."

Kieran turned towards her. Standing next to the window, she was looking down, her eyes deeply focused and her lips in a straight line.

Glancing outside, his breath stopped halfway. All the dried-up leaves, the hollow trees and creaked brunches in the deserted garden, were fading away, some slower, some faster, but they were simultaneously disappearing from what was once a garden, leaving nothing, but tiny pebbles on the ground and dust in the air.