As blood drizzled out of countless open wounds on his body, Adrian couldn't help but remember the first time he arrived in Nexaria, commonly known as the nexus realm amongst the outworlders.
The place was a lot of fun. He made many friends and even forgot about the past mishaps of his life. But for what? Three years later, he was being hunted down by the Ravens, a renowned group of assassins known for their notorious reputation.
"It... wasn't supposed to... end like this..." Adrian panted as he struggled to get away from his assailants.
The dark streets of Nexaria, which seemed welcoming mere moments ago, now gazed at him mockingly. His life has always been a failure, but Adrian thought his life in Nexaria wouldn't be the same.
"Come... just a... few more... steps..."
But taking those few steps seemed a herculean task. The adrenaline that helped him escape from the assassin's clutches was now working against him as it contributed to increased blood loss. Sooner or later, his legs would give away, and he would be at the mercy of his assailants.
"Those... damned... bastards!"
Adrian's mind wandered to when Seraphina gave him an important task. He was supposed to negotiate with the Ravens for their help in the upcoming subjugation quest.
However, as soon as he walked into their den, Adrian realised something was wrong. His 'Analysis' skill warned him, yet he foolishly thought everything would be fine.
The moment he turned his back towards the Ravens, they struck him with all sorts of poisoned weapons. From daggers to swords, arrows to spears... it was a miracle he managed to rush out of there.
But things were looking grim. He wasn't safe until he exited their domain. Until then, no matter how much it hurt, Adrian had to keep running. The echoing footsteps of his pursuers reverberated behind him, closing in on his location.
"Fuck... they must have... used a tracking spell..."
Adrian had hoped the narrow twisting and turning pathways would be enough to buy him some time. But it seemed he had run out of his luck.
Upon hearing those footsteps behind him, his pulse quickened as he felt the sting of cold sweat on his forehead. The assassins were closer than Adrian had expected, but he could do nothing except run.
"Come on... just a little bit... more!"
In the distance, a faint glow marked the exit—a chance at escape—the chance he was looking for all this time. The sight of his goal gave him a sudden boost.
The irony of the assassin's attack was that all the poison injected in his blood was helping him numb the searing pain, or else he would have collapsed long ago.
With his goals in sight, Adrian pushed his body to his limits, muscles burning with exertion. The adrenaline coursing through his veins granted him a temporary burst of speed, but his gasps for air revealed the toll it was taking.
"AARGH!!!"
Just when the exit was within his grasp, a sudden searing pain erupted in his right leg, and he stumbled forward, collapsing onto the concrete.
As he looked down, Adrian saw an arrow embedded in his calf, the shaft protruding obscenely. Gritting his teeth, Adrian fought through the agony and tried to crawl toward the safety of the exit.
"There he is! Don't let him escape this time!" a voice echoed in the dark.
Adrian turned to see the faces of the ones chasing him. While it might not do him any good, at least he could die holding onto a grudge.
'Grudge? Yes... It's the first time I've felt angry about something,' Adrian taught.
Anger was a strange emotion for Adrian. He hadn't been angry once in his life before. Not when his brother stabbed him in the back, not when his mother threw him aside... yet now he felt angry when a bunch of strangers were going to rid him of his miserable life?
However, his thoughts were interrupted by the assassins. The assassins closed in, emerging from the shadows like wraiths. The leader, clad in dark attire and wearing an emotionless mask, loomed over Adrian.
"Look at this bastard," A red-haired man murmured; a glint of steel flashed in the dim light as he unsheathed a wicked blade. "His stubborn gaze makes everything we did totally worth it in the end."
"Not to mention the money we'll get for killing him," The dwarven assassin chimed in.
*Smack!*
"Hey, you, Chubby! Why'd you do that!?" shouted the dwarf, rubbing where he got hit.
"Why are you saying that stuff in front of him!?" the 'chubby' guy replied.
It looked like they were about to fight when their boss came in and banged their heads together. They both fell to the ground, rubbing their heads.
"Finish the job first. We can discuss the money later."
"Who-ARGHHH!!!"
Adrian wanted to know who was the one that paid for his death. But before he could say anything, the assassins descended on him like a pack of wolves.
Redhead drove a blade into Adrian's side as he convulsed in agony. Meanwhile, Chubby loomed over him, a sadistic smile playing on his lips as he began pounding Adrian's face with his hammer-like fists.
Adrian's breaths came in shallow gasps as he realised there was no way out. He tried to crawl away, but his strength waned with each passing moment.
Finally, the masked leader gestured them to stop as he put away a holy necklace of goddess Aria, a deity from Nexaria known for mercy and love. It was pretty ironic to see the symbol of Aria in the hands of an assassin.
"Oh, Goddess Aria, keeper of serenity, grant me the strength to carry out this task in your holy presence," he murmured, his words barely audible in the stillness of the night.
Once the leader was done praying, he knelt down and approached Adrian with silent grace, akin to a predator closing in on its prey.
"Forgive me, as I commit a sin, but as a vessel of chaos, I must pray to the goddess of peace. May she welcome you with open arms."
Adrian couldn't even open his mouth to convey his thoughts to the assassin as he acted all high and mighty. But if he could, he would have yelled, "Fuck you and your goddess," at the top of his lungs.
A second later, the assassin's gloved hands encircled Adrian's neck, grabbing onto it with a cold and remorseless grip. And then, with a swift motion, he snapped Adrian's neck in half.
Adrian's lifeless form crumpled to the ground, and the assassin stood over him, his hands folded as if he were asking for someone's forgiveness. Once done, he turned to his underlings.
"Take the corpse to Doc," he said. "He's been asking me for another one lately. And be sure to get some money from him up front."
"Roger that, boss! Oi! Chubby, help me."
As his underlings got to work, the leader couldn't help but take another glance at Adrian. Although he had killed him, something told the leader it wasn't the end yet.