Lurking In The Shadows

Alec abruptly realizes that they were doing it wrong. Though he didn't have complete confidence that he would be able to take care of the intruders himself, he thought that he still had a good chance he could do it.

In that case, he should split up with Dietrich along to avoid the incoming disaster over at Blanche and Franz's bedroom.

Alec studies the ward painted on the door, realizing that the silencing ward was inked sloppily and inaccurately onto the door, silencing all sounds from inside the room, as well as also blocking whatever sounds that were coming from outside.

Sloppy.

Careless.

Or had they just not bothered to properly learn the warding sequence? It angered him at the show of gross inaccuracy that could have been prevented with just enough practice.

Using something that they couldn't get write on the field was just asking for trouble, but then, Alec supposed that he shouldn't be critiquing the enemy's techniques and have thoughts about how he could do it better.

He was utterly disgusted at the show of incompetency that was being revealed right now.

"Dietrich," Alec pitched his voice low. Although they should not be able to hear him from inside, he would not take any chances.

Dietrich's hand twitched slightly, indicating that he was listening, but didn't otherwise move his death glare from his brother's door. He looked like he was a hair away from charging in and recklessly saving his brother.

"Dietrich, you have to go."

Dietrich's eyes snapped to Alec's, a burning anger in them. "I will not."

"Don't make me repeat myself. Do you think this is the only room that they will target? If you were in your room, as you should have been, then you would likely have been 'taken care of' as well. Go. Alert your parents."

"I-" he started, his voice containing the undertones of a growl.

Alec cut him off. "I can handle this. Let me handle this. Go. Now!" Alec barked. He fingered the daggers that were strapped at his sides.

Dietrich was torn between obeying and staying. Who knew what they were already doing to his younger brother inside there? Could he really trust the young boy?

He shouldn't even be able to comprehend the severity of the situation!

The younger boy still had a smile painted on his lips, but his eyes were cold and cutting.

It made Dietrich wonder whether what he saw earlier in the boy was an illusion, but he had no time to contemplate that right now. Dietrich hesitated for the briefest moment, turning back and tearing down the hallway. The quicker, the better.

"Watch out for ambushes," he heard the cold, low voice echo behind him.

Alec turned his attention to the door. The ward on the door did not prevent Alec from spreading the slightest amount of magic throughout the air, accurately giving him insight into what was happening in the room.

There were five of them, excluding Kieran, who was being restrained.

The blond's magical signature was agitated and tinged with anger. Good. There was no trace of fear, something which he was sure would agitate the Rothschild branch family members inside.

It meant that they would not allow him to die. Not just yet.

Working quickly, Alec hashed out the briefest semblances of a plan to most efficiently take down the incompetents inside the room.

Granted, it made things easier because of said incompetents, which was the only time where he was glad to meet those incapable bastards.

The familiar sing of blood flooded through his veins, as it was wont to do in times of danger. His heart pulsed, as if thrilled.

Five of them.

One by the door, three around the bed, and one by the window.

At this time, Alec was steadily pumping magic into the area around his eyes, as well as the eyeballs themselves, and strengthening the linkage. He used everything, leaving him just the barest hints of magic. This would, hopefully, not throw off his balance too much whilst still giving him an edge.

Since it would be foolish to change anything regarding his strength earlier, where he would be unlikely to control himself as he wished, he opted to try and enhance his dynamic vision and Awakening the rod cells inside his eyes instead, giving him more control over himself in the darkness.

As he did this, his eyes were closed, adjusting to the darkness. Alec ignored the burning pain that were scorching his eyeballs. The pain was bearable.

Alec Awakened as much as possible whilst retaining consciousness. He could do this. Five people of foundation stage. Manageable.

He owed a favour to the Rothschild main family, and this was the perfect time for him to pay it back.

Alec unsheathed one of the daggers, testing the weight now. They were equally as weightless as compared to before.

The moment a patch of clouds covered the moonlight that had been previously reflecting down the light of the moon, Alec slid the door of Kieran's room open silently, jumping onto the Rothschild branch family's member's back in a singular, smooth move.

Since the man had so conveniently decided to stand in front of the door as a 'guard', then Alec would be letting him down if he didn't pay him any attention, right?

Alec could see as clear as day. Or rather, his night vision was so enhanced that he didn't feel any discomfort moving around in the darkness. It was different, sure, but it did nothing to hinder his movements.

Before the man could react, Alec already slid the dagger's edge against the hollow point of the man's neck, angling his head down to prevent the greater mess of the arterial blood spray from leaving his neck. The Rothschild branch family member's eyes bugged out before losing all light.

There wasn't a single sound as this process was carried out.

Alec propped the man's body against the wall, thankful that Kieran's room was stupidly large.

The bed was a distance from the door, which provided Alec some breathing room. From here, Alec could see that one of the supposed 'watchers' was actually hanging around on the balcony, looking outside like a complete idiot.

Alec didn't even know what to say. Just how incompetent could you get? If you were breaking into someone's home and torturing slash assassinating someone, then shouldn't you at least keep your guard up and do your job properly?

Or was it that he was just that confident they wouldn't be caught? Overconfidence was a leading cause of death as long as you weren't a Main Character, after all.

Alec glided over to the idiot on the balcony, yet again thankful that the room was cast in darkness. Mainly because the idiots probably wanted some dramatic effect as Kieran was tortured for their amusement or whatever.

Alec made sure that he caught sight of the blond's eyes as he moved past. The blond's eyes were filled with hatred and defiance, but he never made a sound.

Even as their eyes met, Kieran's eyes immediately slid away as he continued glaring at the person sinking their blade into his flesh. He never once showed that he knew there was someone else there, which Alec appreciated. At least he was better than these incompetent hacks who were losing themselves in the rush of pain and torture.

Alec darted to the balcony, where the man, who was staring down at the grounds outside the mansion was lounging around.

The man, or rather, the sentry had grown bored over doing nothing, turning around at the last moment. Alec immediately stabbed his dagger forward and cut to the side, opening a large hole in the man's neck.

The System clapped his hands over the man's mouth, preventing any spillage of noise even as he died messily.

Unfortunately for the System, because the man had turned around, the arterial spray of blood was unable to be avoided, coating the boy in a splatter of blood over his face and clothes.

The blood got everywhere, which made Alec feel a weird thump of feelings that he didn't know how to describe the moment it touched his skin. A slight shiver worked its way through his frame, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Alec placed the body down, making sure not to make another noise.

One of the women, who had been watching her brother and sister work the blonde main family bastard over, sniffed.

She sniffed harder. "What's that smell. Blood?"

Her sister rolled her eyes even as she dug in the blade in her hands. "Obviously it's blood. What else could it be? It would be stranger if you didn't smell it."

"No, like-"

Before she could react, Alec killed off the one who spoke, licking his lips, grinning.

The tang of iron in the blood gave his kill a strange taste.

There was a gurgle of blood as the woman died without even seeing who killed her.

""Sister!""