CHAPTER 5: ONCOMING DEATH PART 2

 For a very long time, Leo had a kind of vision that always made him worry secretly. He would always see someone driving a knife into his chest despite his attempts to stop it. It was weird, bizarre, and scary. Though in reality, Leo was a good fighter with immense strength, in his visions he always failed to stop those hands driving the knife deep into his chest. The face of the person he had always desperately tried to see, but there was always a thick layer of fog blocking it.

For a very long time, he had wondered who it would be. That was the only vision Leo had seen that he felt was going to take place in the far future. For years, the vision kept showing up repeatedly, which kept him secretive and calculative. He never went out to operate himself and didn't fully trust his men either.

Tonight, the breeze blew differently, and Leo felt it. He knew something wasn't right. Yet, this didn't stir him from his position. Instead, he continued to sit on the lush grass meditating.

And it happened again... the vision.

Master Leo sat majestically on his throne-like chair, with a puff stick in his mouth, when a shadow suddenly loomed over him. He had seen this too many times not to know what was next, but for some reason, he couldn't stop the attack. Those familiar hands once again drove the dagger into his chest without mercy. Frustration bubbled in his blood, and he looked up amidst the fog, trying desperately to see the face of his killer. Surprisingly, the fog cleared, and he saw the face of the traitor. Eyes burning with hatred glared down at him with such intensity that it could drill a hole in his head.

Master Leo's eyes widened as the person drove the knife further into him. Like a dream, he felt a pull as if being dragged out of the room, but it was just the feeling of returning to reality.

Master Leo's eyes snapped open with labored breath, cold sweat dripping down his back. His state of meditation broken, he just sat there in silence, digesting what he had just seen, and silently connecting the dots. He couldn't believe it; the person who would kill him was the little one. Now it all made sense that he had been having visions like this ever since the little one joined their group. A deep frown settled on his face as he thought of what could make the little one try to murder him.

"Did someone hire him? Or was he planted by someone?" Now that Master Leo thought about it, he realized that Raven had always been a big mystery to everyone. He was always reclusive and quiet, which made him hard to read. His thoughts were always locked in, making it difficult for Master Leo to ever read his mind. He never cared about the kid as he didn't show any sign of distrust, but now, looking at everything, he suddenly felt uneasy. The thought of Raven trying to murder him suddenly left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was well aware that Raven might possess the same ability as his. He just couldn't fathom how powerful or how well-inclined the kid was with his ability. Master Leo had thought to train and use Raven as a powerful tool, but with the vision he had, it would be courting death.

With clenched fists, Master Leo stood up, storming back into his room. He furiously wrote on a small parchment paper before sending it out using a bird.

***

Somewhere in Valoria, men and women were gathered drinking and partying. Some were gambling while others were dancing with their partners or participating in something unholy. Red lanterns dotted everywhere as waiters went about their jobs, serving more wine despite how drunk many of their customers already were. The ladies were dressed in skimpy clothing and drowned heavily in perfume, trying their best to entice men. The moonlight did nothing to make the scene less unholy. This place was known as the red light district. It was home to prostitutes, useless drunks, and gamblers. The place was always bustling with people every night despite the amount of fights or raping. Yes, ladies could be easily raped if caught in a corner alone or in an alley.

There were rooms to accommodate those who wanted to carry out their promiscuous acts. Though it cost a fortune, many would still pay for it. In one of these rooms was Ryles, with three women in bed, a smirk playing on his face as they kept on touching him. There was barely any piece of clothing on their bodies. The whole sight was tempting; it could drive the lust in any man. But Ryles patiently sat in their midst with an evil smirk. This made the ladies desperate, as they wouldn't get paid if they didn't satisfy their customers. They began stripping slowly to entice their handsome customer, but Ryles' eyes only squinted in suspicion, his expression turning grim. The ladies thought they were already getting his attention and began scooting closer, only for him to push them off of him with a frown. His gaze fixated on the window behind the women. A bird sat there on the windowsill, staring at him. Ryles knew very well what this meant and immediately stood up and went towards the bird, despite the gasps and whines from the ladies behind him for abandoning them. He carefully removed the note on the bird's leg, and it flew off. Quickly reading the note, he walked to the fireplace and threw the note in to burn.

"Out!" he commanded, his voice dangerously low.

"But sire, we haven't done anything yet," the first lady spoke up, moving closer to him in an attempt to seduce him, but Ryles wasn't in the mood anymore.

"I said get out!" he barked, sending the ladies tumbling out of the room with just one glare from him.

He sat on the edge of the bed, albeit a little restless and uneasy. He couldn't understand his master.

Though the master had always given him solo missions like this without the rest of the members' knowledge, tonight was very unexpected and bitterly disturbing.

"Isn't the master pleased with the little one?" he thought to himself, his teeth set in a firm grind, a grim expression on his face.