Chapter 30: No Name

Assassin, No Name, Shadow

Imperial Calendar: Year 1596, Month 4, Day 1

City of Valenwood, north of the Imperial Territory, Sea of Souls

-I had what you could call a little sister... I guess she's dead now. I don't know how to feel about it, you know, I never thought I'd be in this place with someone similar to me.

-I can understand a little... we're actually quite alike. I also have a sister... I don't think she's dead, at least I hope not, I don't know, you know, after all, she's supposed to be under someone's care... damn... sometimes I hope she's dead rather than under that guy. Sigh... quite contradictory.

-I want her to be alive, really, but right now she can't leave this place, it's quite frustrating...

-You'd better give up, believe me, I've tried, I can't move anywhere and he doesn't move either. As I told you, I am his shadow after all...

-I'm a shadow too, right?

-I suppose so...

Is it the same as returning from death? Or can it be said in another way, when I arrived at this place I was bewildered, I was supposed to be dead, now it was a strange place yet at the same time a familiar place, I felt very comfortable, as if this place were my home right now, as if I had grown up here. When I walked aimlessly, I felt gazes on me, thousands of them, they weren't scary, I could see them, shadows of different types and heights.

I met another person, surprisingly he was just like that young man... he welcomed me with a natural smile, I unconsciously let my guard down and sat next to him. We talked about our situation, it was as if we were childhood friends, a natural connection formed.

According to his words, thanks to him I am in this place. I had asked him what exactly he did, but he shrugged, he had no idea.

After continuing to talk, he told me that this place was actually the sea of souls of that boy.

I don't know how it works, I've tried to understand how I am alive in the soul of someone who is alive out there.

-Don't you think it's actually our soul that's in this place?

It was a somewhat correct assumption, after all, only a soul can or tries to coexist with another, right? We have the appearance of flesh on the outside, but inside, I'm not sure....

Dez brought more hands to his chin and thought for a few seconds. That was the name he gave himself, he told me his real name was Zed, but since he is now the shadow of his own body, he reversed his name.

I should also think of a name for myself... A name for an assassin... that's something unthinkable and impossible for us, we are nothing more than trained dogs... we didn't need names, we were assigned a number, and mine was 010. It was okay to give myself a name... I think so, after all, I'm already dead, it shouldn't matter much right now. I'll have to think of one...

-I'm not sure... What I remember at that moment was that what disappeared from his body was your shadow... but something without a soul should be impossible to exist, that's what I read myself, but since this place seems to violate all that, I'm not sure, also with such little information we can only come up with basic and unfounded ideas, for now it's better not to think too much about it.

-You're right.

During the days, we just observed through the eyes of the owner of this soul, like talking to the noble and his daughter, and also how he received a complete beating from her.

-I thought he was someone strong...

I was surprised at how he was brutally beaten by such a delicate young girl, although I had to admit that the girl's sword skill is of a high level.

-He isn't. He just pretends to be, what is scary is the head on his shoulders, he is very intelligent and cruel, haha, he doesn't even know how to use the dagger in his hands, let alone a sword. During the time I've seen him, he's only taken advantage of his ability to hide in the shadows, he has some control over martial arts, but it's not the best help.

-I see...

I was aware that he was the one who killed me, I don't hold a grudge, I simply wasn't vigilant enough, plus my mental state wasn't the best at that time. I'm still alive, that's what matters, that's what I want to believe.

-What does he plan to do?

-Train with the sword, I suppose, I also think he wants to flirt with the noble lord's daughter, but seeing how things are going, I'm not sure he'll succeed.

-Marry?

A commoner like him with a noble's daughter, the simple idea is tremendously wild, irrational, and stupid in itself...

-Yes, that's the only way he can enter the Northern Academy.

So that's how things are, you really can't enter that academy without being noble, but still, for the father to agree... it's surprising.

Sinking into my thoughts... a little face appears in front of my eyes... I want to see her one last time, but now I can't.

-Do you want to see that girl? As I told you, I also have a sister, on the way to the academy he said he would visit her... you know he's strangely kind, I suppose it's because we literally can't betray him, we are his shadows after all.

It's true... if I ask him... even if she's dead, he can do the same thing he did with me...

-I'll try.

Thinking about it another way, I escaped the clutches of the assassins' guild, I left that darkness to enter another kind of darkness, it's kind of funny, you could say I have freedom, yes, freedom to choose a name, the only thing that changed is that I'm under someone else's shadow, it's like changing bosses more or less, I don't know, I don't know anything about this.

-This place is so peaceful.

-It sure is.

The enormous sun shone high above Zed's soul, while the calm waters below us remained extremely still.