The moon sat high over Castle Loon, casting long shadows across the stone courtyard. The halls were quiet now. Most of the surviving recruits were asleep, nursing bruises or buried in thoughts of death and purpose. But not all eyes were closed.
At the upper levels of the castle, in a chamber with open walls and thin flowing curtains, two figures stood in silence. The stars glittered above them, cool and distant. Torches burned along the perimeter, their flames swaying in the mountain wind.
Relshane stood with her arms folded, dressed in her dark high-collared instructor robes, her long silver hair brushing against her shoulders. Across from her stood Thein, the overseer of Castle Loon Assassin Campus. His black and crimson coat glimmered in the moonlight. His face was sharp and clean, eyes like tempered steel.
The air was thin before them and they seemed to be overwhelmed with the recent events in the Campus. They both knew the weight of the past seven days. They trouble they had. The fear of the unknown they had struggled with and now they were here. They final selection from the thousands had been screened out. Many are called but few are chosen.
"Fifty." Relshane turned her head. "Fifty survivors."
"Out of a thousand." Thein added. His face was pale. He stared at the wind without a pure aim. Just thinking about the after math of their screening exercise.
Relshane nodded. "That's five percent."
Thein's jaw clenched slightly. "Too few. That number is almost unacceptable. The annihilation rate for this batch is higher than any we've recorded in the last five years."
"True," Relshane said quietly. "But this group… they are not without promise. You've seen the report from Idran?"
"I have," Thein replied, stepping to the edge of the chamber. He stared out at the mountainous buildings beyond. "He noted around twenty standouts. A few beyond even his expectations."
Relshane moved to stand beside him. Her garment waving with the movement of the wind.
"Some already wield special abilities. Abilities that could help us reach the top. I have hope in this set. And Idran mentioned something about Xero."
Thein turned his head slowly. "That name keeps appearing."
"He's not the strongest, but he is… unpredictable. He adapts. Fast. He has something in him that even Idran can't define yet. That should tell you something." Thein was silent again.
"And we'll train them," Relshane said. "We'll push them beyond the edge. Tomorrow morning, we conduct the basics evaluation."
"Evaluation. I see."
Relshane nodded. "We'll break them down by specialties—who excels in tactics, who understands weapons best, and who shows signs of unique talent. Then Edwin will take over tactics training. Derick will handle weaponry art. Idran will begin awakening training."
Thein raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting them with that already?"
"They've survived more than most ever will," Relshane said.
"It's time to see what they're really made of. If we're to prepare them for the Grande Assassin Tournament, we need to know where each of them stands. Who can lead. Who can kill. Who can survive."
Thein grunted. "You really believe this set can rise to tournament level?"
"I believe this set can surpass it," Relshane said. The wind shifted. It moved across her face, caressing it smoothly.
In the Castle Loon Campus, it was not normal for the Training Team to go straight with the Specialty Training on new recruits. They usually had only General training on pure combat only.
After a pause, Thein's voice dropped a note. "You heard what happened in Lareth?"
Relshane's brows arched. "The demon outbreak?"
"Yes. I had word from the northern outpost. Dozens of demons. An arch-tier. But they were taken down."
Relshane's eyes narrowed. "By who?"
"The Black Crescent," Thein said with a small nod.
Relshane smiled faintly. "Still the finest squad we've produced."
"They are legends now," Thein said. "Five assassins. One demon horde. One city saved. That is the legacy I want this generation to aim for."
He turned fully to face her.
"I want most of this set trained hard enough to qualify for Crescent consideration. No hesitations. No delays. Push them until they either break or shine."
Relshane tilted her head. "There might be one issue with that."
Thein blinked. "Which is?"
"A new guild has been surfacing. You've heard of it in whispers, I'm sure."
"Which one?"
"Otheral Force." Thein's eyes sharpened.
Relshane continued, "It started as a rumor. Now it's a growing power. They're recruiting from older campuses. Not just fresh graduates but top-tier assassins with years of experience."
Thein turned and walked a slow circle around the chamber. "Their base?"
"Unknown. But they've pulled in multiple ex-students from Telford Assassin Campus."
"Telford?"
Relshane nodded. "Third best in the history of the assassin campus rankings. Known for precision, adaptability, and high lethality rates."
Thein folded his arms. "And what's Otheral's goal?"
"To outclass the Black Crescent," Relshane said. "They're building something bigger. Maybe even global. And they're not limiting themselves to demon suppression. Word is they want authority. Political infiltration. Shadow control."
Thein's lips thinned. "A shadow government made of assassins."
"It's possible," she said. "And if they succeed, the Crescent's time might end." Thein looked out again, this time into the night sky.
"Then we need to act. Castle Loon must produce assassins worthy of any arena. Be it the Tournament… or the underground."
Relshane nodded once.
"I've already arranged tomorrow's tests. By noon, we'll have three clear lists: tactical minds, weapon specialists, and awakening potentials."
"And the outliers?"
"We'll deal with them separately. Those that don't show promise may be reassigned to support units or internal tasks." Thein exhaled slowly.
"We're building assassins for war, Relshane. This world is changing. Demons aren't the only threat now."
"No." she agreed. "Sometimes… assassins are worse."
They both stood quietly for a moment. Then Thein placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I trust your judgment. Don't go easy on them."
"I won't," she said. "None of us will."
Below, in the dark silence of the castle, fifty recruits slept, unaware that the next morning would begin a trial far more dangerous than survival.
It would be the beginning of who they were meant to become. Assassins who will slay and betray. A new generation of killers.