Chapter 27: Captured

Perseus POV

"Seriously kid, you can't just pretend that you didn't put those men down." the old man said in the morning

"I'm like 9, I can't do anything like that."

"Whatever...this town is like that often...but it's quite a coincidence that when there are mysterious men who are found dead, it happens to be when you return home."

"Yeah, it's weird."

"I know that we're not close, but it won't hurt to have me know the truth sometimes."

"And like I said...I know nothing."

*****

[A: It won't hurt you to reveal some things to him. You already spied on him, he's genuine.]

"I know...but I rather not."

[A: Why?]

"He'll die if that happens."

[A: You don't know that, I'm sure that that are people out there who care for you and will be there for you.]

"I'm not denying that they don't exist...it's just that they're not alive."

[A: I respect your opinion, but they're alive.]

Throughout my life, death has been a constant companion, a specter that haunts every corner of my existence. It seems that anyone who gets close to me is inevitably doomed to meet their end, one way or another.

I never knew my parents, and the caretakers at the orphanage where I grew up all met untimely deaths. Even the other children who were once close to me fell victim to sickness and tragedy.

Some managed to survive, but the pattern was undeniable. It became a well-known fact among the other orphans: You can be around him, but don't get too close. Don't befriend him.

I remember the whispers, the sidelong glances, the cautious distance that others kept from me. It was as if they feared that my mere presence would bring them harm, that the curse of death that seemed to follow me wherever I went would somehow infect them too.

And so, I learned to keep my distance, to guard my heart against forming attachments that would only end in pain and sorrow. I became accustomed to solitude, to the lonely existence of one who walks a solitary path through life, forever haunted by the specter of death.

But even as I grew older and ventured out into the world beyond the confines of the orphanage, the pattern persisted. Those who dared to befriend me inevitably met tragic ends, their lives cut short by misfortune or fate. It was a burden that I carried with me wherever I went, a weight that grew heavier with each passing day.

And so, when confronted with the opportunity to reveal myself to another, to open up and share my secrets with someone who seemed genuine and kind, I hesitated. I knew the risks all too well, knew the danger that befriending me would pose to them.

It wasn't that I didn't want to trust him, to confide in him and share my burdens. It was that I couldn't bear the thought of yet another life being snuffed out because of me. The thought of bringing more pain and suffering into the world was more than I could bear.

And so, I kept my secrets close, locked away behind walls of fear and uncertainty. For in a world where death was a constant companion, it seemed that the only way to protect those around me was to keep them at arm's length, to spare them the cruel fate that awaited anyone who dared to get too close.

Maybe it's fate that I'm destined to be the assistant hero, the one who works from afar, from the shadows, while the true hero basks in the glory of victory. Perhaps I exist not to stand in the spotlight, but to toil in the darkness, to do the dirty work that others cannot or will not do.

After all, I've always been surrounded by death, haunted by its presence at every turn of my life...death doesn't really affect me too much at this point...it's better to simply acknowledge the truth and move on.

For now, I'll just focus on recovery till they send them again, should be a while.

*****

3rd Person POV

Unbeknownst to him, a fresh group of assassins had been dispatched to eliminate him once and for all on the very next day. This time, they came prepared.

Inside the cottage, Perseus went about his daily routine, unaware of the imminent threat that loomed just beyond his doorstep. Alone and vulnerable, he was an easy target for the assassins.

Suddenly, the windows were shattered as the assassins launched their assault. With lightning speed, they breached the defenses of the cottage, breaking through windows and doors with effortless ease.

Perseus responded quickly and fought back valiantly, but he was no match for the superior skill and magic of his assailants. Despite his best efforts, the former slave found himself overwhelmed by the sheer force of his attackers. Cut off from any hope of escape, he fought on with grim determination, refusing to go down without a fight.

But in the end, it was not enough. The assassins proved too formidable, their power too great to be overcome. With a final, fatal blow, they struck him down

As darkness descended upon the cottage, the assassins vanished into the night, leaving behind nothing but silence.

*****

Perseus POV

I woke to a sight that was all too familiar. There he was, seated upon his throne, surrounded by his loyal entourage of mages and knights, their weapons poised and ready to strike at a moment's notice.

I sighed heavily with my gaze fixed upon the king. As the king regarded me with a mixture of disdain and triumph, I met his gaze with an equally cold stare. His status was nothing more than a hollow facade to me.

"Did you kill my men?" the king asked

"I don't know, I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"The assassins I've sent just now revealed to me that you've put up quite a fight...it means that you killed my men...you do realize what that entails...don't you?"

"I don't. And even if that was the case, isn't sending assassins against me wrong?"

"Assassins? No, you've misheard...I've only sent some men out to test you and we found that you held on such petty anger...you'll be executed within a week boy...I hope your death will serve as a good example."