His Tainted Heart

Prologue

Luke knew he was going to die today.

He couldn’t run from them for much longer. Every breath he took burned his lungs. Every step caused his muscles to shoot up in agony. His whole being was filled with exhaustion. He couldn’t evade them any longer. They were difficult to hide from and impossible to run from. No matter where he went, they always found him. They seem to be hidden within every shadow and corner waiting to strike. There was no escaping the Black Order.

A frantic glance behind him confirmed that he had lost them for now, but he was not stupid enough to doubt their skills. They would find him within minutes. He had to find somewhere to hide, and fast. Then without a second thought, the boy made a quick turn into the opening of another alleyway and slowed down to a jog. Just before he could catch his breath, something smacks onto the ground behind him.

He did not need to turn around to know who it was. Standing behind him was a dark haired boy, not much older than him—a boy whose name alone was feared by many in the underworld. Some would call him a psychopath, others a deranged killer. But what else can you expect from a boy trained to be one? While others may be afraid of him, Luke was no coward. He would face his ex-comrade one last time and look him straight in the eyes before he died. With one swift twist of his body, he moved to face his executor who was watching him impassively. 

For a moment, the two merely stared at each other before the boy gave him a dark smile. “Hello Luke.”

***

The broad shouldered man stood formidably with his hands clasped behind his back as he watched the bustling city streets below. His tall dark figure was shrouded in the shadows, giving him an ominous and sinister presence. As he unclasped his hands and picked up the wine glass from the table beside him, the door to his office clicked open. Without turning around, he took a sip of red wine before his deep voice boomed with authority. “Was your assignment completed?”

The boy nodded. “Yes, it’s done sir.”

“Were there any problems?” questioned the man further as he looked away from the skyline and turned his cold grey eyes towards the boy. Even under his callous scrutiny, the boy did not flinch. There were very few people who did not cower in fear at the sight of him. The boy was merely one of them.

“No sir,” he replied.

The man took another sip from his wine before speaking, “You are almost ready to join the council and become a captain." He paused for a moment, his eyes carefully observing the boy infront of him. "However there is still one more task for you to complete before you begin the three trials."

Although the boy had no expressions on his face from those words, his whole being filled with pride. He had worked so hard to be part of the elite council and it would be honor to be bestowed the title of a superior. There had been very few people who had ever achieved this ranking, and even fewer who were this young to do so. It would allow him complete control and command of the others that were lower class than him.  “It would be an honor for me to complete it sir.”He answered.

The man gave him an icy smile. “Very well then. Your next task is something a little different...” He paused before taking a red folder from the table next to him and handing it to the boy. “It requires more time than your usual kills, as you need to get to know your target and gather information about her before you can do anything else.”

The boy swiftly took the folder from him and opened it. The first thing he saw was a hazy photo of a busy street with dozens of people walking in it. He frowned. Who was he supposed to be looking at? As his eyes continued to scan the picture, his eyes caught sight of a dark haired girl sitting at a bus stop. Somehow she stood out from all the rest. Maybe it was the way her soft golden brown eyes glowed against the setting sun, or maybe it was the fact that everything about her radiated innocence, but he couldn’t stop staring at her.

Then without warning, he felt a biting feeling at the back of his mind. She looked distantly familiar and he didn’t know why. It bothered him, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud. It almost came as a relief when his eyes drifted to the bottom of the page and he saw a name that he did not recognize. It only confirmed that she was just another stranger.

“This task may look easy, but it is not,” rumbled the man’s voice. “I expect the utmost performance from you. No loose ends. No mistakes. You have 90 days.” 

Quickly, the boy snapped the folder close and looked towards the man in front of him. He had never failed an assignment before, and he did not plan on failing this one, especially not when he was so close to becoming a captain. “You won’t be disappointed sir,” he replied in a detached tone.

“I expect so. You are dismissed,” said the man brusquely as he turned his scarred face to watch the city streets again.

___________________________________________________________________

Well this is just the revised story I started to post last year from one of my older collections. It's completely different now. Anyways vote or comment if you like it :)

Oh and of course this prolouge is dedicated to the awesome FeastOfNoise! For the support and the wonderful covers she is making me :)