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Chapter 16 - Chapter 16:Valisar[5]

It was past midnight. The fortress slept under a blanket of clouds, the moon hiding behind them like a secret. Magnus Caldryn stood by the window of his small room, eyes fixed on the stars above Valisar. They looked calm, bright, and distant — a cruel contrast to the blood and shadow he was about to walk into.

"What beautiful stars," he murmured.

Behind him, the door creaked softly. Rhea Varyn stepped inside, dressed in black leather that hugged her lean frame. Her twin daggers hung at her hips, glinting faintly in the light.

"Are we ready, Prince?" she asked quietly.

Magnus turned, slipping his twin shadow sabers across his back. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go."

They packed their gear fast — smoke sacks, hooks, throwing knives, and maps. When they were ready, Magnus looked at her seriously.

"Listen, Rhea. The tunnels under the fortress are like a maze. Don't get lost. Hardard's men are guarding every turn, but they'll never expect us from above."

Rhea smirked. "I'm not a child, Prince. I've done missions like this before."

Magnus gave a small grin. "Good. Then let's make it quick."

They climbed to the roof and vanished into the night.

Magnus moved with his Phantom Lotus Steps, each stride silent as a shadow. Rhea followed close behind, her movement light and graceful, like wind slipping between leaves. They crossed the rooftops of Valisar and reached the mouth of an old stone tunnel hidden behind the city walls.

Two guards stood at the entrance, half-asleep and bored. One rubbed his eyes.

"I'm tired, man. That Caldryn bastard's got everyone jumpy."

"Yeah," said the other, yawning. "If I ever see him, I'll butcher him myself."

A whisper of air passed between them, and then both were dead before they could blink. One head rolled to the ground; the other slumped against the wall, eyes frozen wide. Their torches burned quietly beside the corpses.

Magnus wiped his blade clean and whispered, "You talk too much."

Rhea crouched, searching the bodies. "Let's see if they're carrying anything useful."

She found an envelope sealed with dark red wax — Lyra's seal. She handed it to Magnus. He tore it open and read the brief message inside:

"No trespassers.

If you see a boy with crimson eyes, raven hair, and a strong build, kill him.

The boss will give a reward."

Magnus's eyes burned red in the dim light. "That bitch," he growled, crushing the paper in his fist.

Rhea's expression didn't change. "All the more reason to finish fast."

They entered the tunnel.

The air inside was thick and cold. Old water dripped from the ceiling, echoing softly down the long passage. Moss covered the stone walls, and strange symbols had been scratched into them over the years. Their footsteps made no sound Magnus because of his technique, Rhea because she was trained to disappear.

Torches flickered ahead, marking where the first guards stood. Two men, armed with spears, chatted lazily, unaware of what moved just beyond the light. Magnus motioned to Rhea — three fingers up, one curl, then a nod. She understood.

She crept forward, silent as smoke. With one flick of her wrist, a small sleeping sack rolled between the guards' feet. A soft hiss — then a cloud of silver mist burst open. The guards coughed once, twice… and fell face-first to the floor.

Magnus caught one before he hit the ground and gently laid him aside. "Nice throw."

Rhea smirked. "Told you. Not my first time."

They moved deeper, finding more corridors twisting like a serpent through the fortress foundations. Occasionally, footsteps echoed above them — soldiers changing shifts, completely unaware that death moved below.

When they reached a staircase leading to the first floor, Magnus halted. "This is where the fun begins."

He peeked through the cracks in the floor above. Six men were sitting around a table, laughing and drinking cheap ale. Their weapons rested against the wall; their helmets were off. It was the perfect moment.

Magnus nodded to Rhea. Together, they pulled three more smoke sacks from their belts.

"Count to five," Magnus whispered.

They climbed the stairs halfway and tossed the sacks under the table. A muffled hiss filled the air, then a wave of soft grey smoke rolled out. The men coughed and cursed — one tried to shout for help, but his words slurred mid-breath. Within seconds, they collapsed, eyes rolling back, their mugs spilling onto the floor.

Rhea exhaled slowly. "And they said men can hold their liquor."

Magnus grinned. "Guess not this brand."

They stepped over the unconscious guards, checking for keys, papers, or alarms. There was none. The fortress was poorly guarded because it was too confident in its strength.

Moving through the hallway, they found another pair of guards near the main hall — these were awake and alert. Rhea crept behind one and clamped her hand over his mouth. A quick twist — a faint crack, and he dropped. The second spun, blade half-drawn, but Magnus was faster. His saber flashed once; the man's throat opened like silk, and he fell without sound.

Rhea wiped her blade on a curtain. "That's all of them?"

Magnus nodded. "For this floor, yes. Let's make sure they remember this night."

They started planting the remaining sleeping sacks around the rooms — under tables, inside fire pits, near doorways. By the time morning came, anyone entering the fortress would collapse before they could shout.

When everything was in place, Magnus drew out a small piece of paper from his coat. He took a quill from the captain's desk and dipped it in ink. Rhea watched, curious.

"What are you doing?"

Magnus smirked and wrote in bold letters across the paper:

"Magnus was here :)"

Then he drew a big, mocking smiley face beside it.

Rhea raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Call it... provocation," Magnus said, grinning. "Let hardard know who's playing his game."

He pinned the note to the table with a dagger right through the middle of the smile. They slipped out through the same tunnel they came in, the moonlight guiding them back to the quiet streets of Valisar. Dawn was still a few hours away. The fortress behind them slept — calm, unaware that its peace was about to shatter.

By the time they reached the Silver Mare Tavern, the air was growing lighter. The streets were empty except for the early drunks and the stray cats chasing shadows. They entered through the back door, brushing dust off their clothes.

Rhea ordered two mugs of ale and dropped into a seat near the window. Magnus leaned against the wall, eyes half-closed.

"Well," she said, taking a drink. "That went smoother than I expected."

Magnus nodded. "Too smooth. They'll wake soon."

"Then what?"

He smirked. "Then hell breaks loose."

Rhea raised her mug in a silent toast. "To chaos."

"To Lyra's confusion," Magnus replied, clinking his mug against hers.

When morning came, chaos did break loose.

The first rays of sunlight hit the fortress, and everything fell apart. Guards stumbled out of their rooms, coughing and gasping from the sleeping smoke. Some lay unconscious on the floor, drooling like children. Others ran around shouting, tripping over their half-dressed comrades.

The captain woke up last, eyes swollen, head pounding, staring at the note stabbed into the table. He read it once, twice, and his face turned white with rage.

"Magnus was here :)"

The smiley face mocked him like a ghost.

He roared, smashing the table with his fist. "Find them! Find that crimson-eyed bastard!"

But by then, Magnus and Rhea were long gone. They sat in the tavern, calm as dawn, listening to the distant alarm bells echoing across the city.

Rhea smiled behind her cup. "I think they found your note."

Magnus looked out the window, eyes glinting crimson in the morning light. "Good," he whispered. "Let them know I'm still alive."

The bells kept ringing sharp, panicked, endless. The fortress burned with confusion, men shouting orders, others fainting from leftover fumes.

And in a quiet corner of Valisar, in the Silver Mare Tavern, two figures drank their morning ale in peace, the ghost of a smile still on Magnus's lips.

Continued in chapter 17…..

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