The assassin’s confidence vanished.

His eyes widened.

Because the daggers had stopped.

Not against armor.

Not against a shield.

Not against another weapon.

They had simply stopped.

Frozen less than an inch from the boy’s chest.

The rooftop fell silent.

Rain hung motionless in the air.

Even the wind seemed afraid to move.

The assassin pulled harder.

Nothing happened.

The blades refused to advance.

“What…”

For the first time in years, uncertainty entered his voice.

The boy stood calmly.

His torn clothes fluttered slightly in the strange stillness.

His dirty face remained expressionless.

Then he slowly closed his fingers.

CLINK.

Both daggers trembled.

The assassin’s arms shook violently.

The weapons were pulling away from him.

“No.”

He tightened his grip.

The daggers pulled harder.

The metal screamed.

The assassin planted his feet against the stone rooftop.

Still not enough.

The weapons tore free from his hands.

The crowd below never saw it.

The palace guards never saw it.

Only the moon watched as two silver daggers floated through the air.

Then turned.

And pointed directly at their owner.

The assassin stumbled backward.

Fear appeared in his eyes.

Real fear.

The kind he usually saw in his victims.

The daggers hovered beside the boy.

Like loyal hunting wolves waiting for a command.

The boy finally spoke.

His voice was quiet.

“Who sent you?”

The assassin remained silent.

The boy took one step forward.

The daggers followed.

“Who sent you?”

Lightning flashed across the sky.

The assassin suddenly smiled.

A strange smile.

Almost relieved.

“You don’t know.”

The boy frowned.

“Know what?”

The assassin laughed.

A cold laugh.

“You really don’t know who you are.”

The boy’s eyes narrowed.

The killer continued backing away.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Toward the edge of the rooftop.

“The kingdom has searched for you for years.”

The boy remained silent.

“The king.”

Another step backward.

“The nobles.”

Another step.

“The Black Council.”

The boy’s expression changed.

He had heard that name before.

Whispers in dark taverns.

Stories told by frightened travelers.

The Black Council.

A secret organization powerful enough to influence kings.

Dangerous enough to erase entire families.

The assassin noticed the recognition.

His smile widened.

“Now I know why they fear you.”

Lightning illuminated the city.

The assassin suddenly pulled a hidden knife from his boot.

Then another.

Then another.

Seven blades.

All concealed.

All poisoned.

The killer hurled them at once.

The knives shot across the rooftop like silver lightning.

Impossible to dodge.

Impossible to stop.

The boy raised one hand.

Every blade froze.

The assassin’s smile disappeared.

The knives trembled.

Then joined the floating daggers.

Now nine weapons surrounded the boy.

The storm intensified.

Thunder shook the city.

The assassin stared.

And for the first time—

he looked completely defeated.

The boy took another step.

The floating blades followed.

“Who sent you?”

The assassin swallowed.

His confidence was gone.

His arrogance was gone.

Only fear remained.

Then something unexpected happened.

The assassin suddenly dropped to one knee.

The boy froze.

The weapons hovered motionlessly.

“What are you doing?”

The killer slowly removed his mask.

The boy’s eyes widened.

The man wasn’t old.

Wasn’t cruel-looking.

Wasn’t monstrous.

He looked exhausted.

Broken.

As if carrying a burden for years.

“My name is Kael.”

The boy remained silent.

“I was never sent to kill you.”

The rooftop became quiet again.

“What?”

Kael lowered his head.

“I was sent to find you.”

The boy frowned.

“That’s a lie.”

“I wish it was.”

Kael slowly reached into his cloak.

The floating daggers immediately aimed toward his throat.

He stopped.

Careful.

Slow.

Then removed a small silver medallion.

The moment the boy saw it—

his heart nearly stopped.

He recognized the symbol.

Not because he had seen it before.

Because he had dreamed about it.

For years.

A silver wolf surrounded by seven stars.

The same symbol that appeared again and again in strange dreams he couldn’t explain.

Kael placed the medallion on the rooftop.

Then stepped away from it.

“We’ve searched for eleven years.”

The boy stared at the symbol.

The rain resumed falling.

The strange stillness vanished.

Thunder rolled overhead.

“What is that?”

Kael’s voice trembled.

“Your family crest.”

The boy froze.

Family?

He had no family.

He was an orphan.

Everyone knew that.

Kael looked toward the palace.

Toward the distant royal towers.

Then back toward the boy.

“They told you your parents died.”

The boy said nothing.

“Didn’t they?”

A knot formed in his chest.

Because they had.

The village elders told him that story his entire life.

Kael’s eyes filled with anger.

“They lied.”

The rooftop suddenly felt much colder.

The boy’s heart pounded.

“What are you talking about?”

Kael looked away.

As if the truth physically hurt.

“Your parents didn’t die.”

The words hit harder than any punch.

The boy couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t breathe.

Kael continued.

“They were taken.”

Lightning flashed.

The city below disappeared beneath shadows.

“Taken by who?”

The assassin laughed bitterly.

“The same people who sent me.”

The floating daggers trembled.

The boy felt anger rising inside him.

The metal around him responded instantly.

Every blade vibrated.

Every rooftop weather vane shook.

Even nearby palace bells began rattling.

Kael noticed.

And his face turned pale.

“Control yourself.”

The boy ignored him.

“Who took them?”

Kael hesitated.

For several seconds he said nothing.

Then he whispered two words.

“The Black Council.”

BOOOOOM.

Thunder exploded overhead.

But neither of them flinched.

The boy’s fists clenched.

His entire life had been a lie.

His family.

His past.

Everything.

Then a new sound emerged.

A slow clap.

Both immediately turned.

Someone stood atop a nearby tower.

Watching.

Applauding.

A tall figure wearing black robes.

His face hidden beneath a hood.

Neither the boy nor Kael had sensed him arrive.

That alone was terrifying.

The stranger continued clapping.

“Remarkable.”

His voice echoed across the rooftops.

Kael instantly stepped backward.

Fear filled his face.

“No.”

The hooded figure smiled.

“Oh yes.”

The stranger removed his hood.

Kael looked like he had seen a ghost.

The boy understood why.

The man’s eyes were completely silver.

Not gray.

Silver.

Glowing silver.

Ancient.

Cold.

Powerful.

“Master…”

Kael whispered.

The man nodded.

“Disappointing, Kael.”

The assassin lowered his head.

The silver-eyed man looked toward the boy.

Then smiled.

Not kindly.

Not warmly.

Like a hunter finding something valuable.

“At last.”

The boy felt every instinct screaming.

Danger.

Real danger.

Far worse than the assassin.

Far worse than any killer.

The silver-eyed man slowly raised one hand.

The storm above the capital immediately changed.

Dark clouds began rotating.

Lightning gathered overhead.

The air itself seemed heavier.

The boy stared.

Even Kael looked terrified.

The silver-eyed stranger smiled.

“You’ve inherited more than you realize.”

The floating daggers suddenly dropped to the rooftop.

Not because the boy released them.

Because something stronger had forced them down.

The boy’s eyes widened.

Nobody had ever done that before.

The stranger took one step forward.

Though he stood on another tower entirely.

Then another.

Walking through empty air.

The storm carried him.

The city below disappeared into darkness.

The silver-eyed man stopped above the rooftop.

Floating.

Watching.

Waiting.

Then he spoke the words that would change everything.

“The weapons obey you.”

Lightning flashed.

His silver eyes glowed brighter.

“But they obeyed me first.”

The boy’s heart stopped.

The stranger slowly extended his hand.

Every dagger on the rooftop lifted into the air.

Including the assassin’s.

Including the boy’s.

Nine blades.

Now floating around the silver-eyed man.

The storm roared.

The city trembled.

And for the first time—

the boy realized he had finally met someone even stronger than himself.

Someone who knew exactly who he was.

Someone who had been searching for him since the day he disappeared.

And someone who clearly had no intention of letting him leave.