Chapter 6: The Assassin's Strike (Minister Garrick)
I. The Final Stand
The Sacrificial Magic had reached its critical peak. The familiar thrumming had transformed into a relentless, icy heat that coiled around Evan's lungs, threatening suffocation. The politician's mind was clear: Minister Garrick, the architect of the Northern chaos and the Sacrifice Strategy, had to die within the hour. This act would satisfy the Magic's bloody due and dismantle the trap set by the Queen.
Evan, cloaked and armed with a discreet dagger, moved through the capital's back alleys towards Garrick's modest, guarded residence. He relied entirely on the two things he possessed: the Stand of his disciplined body and the cold, political necessity of the act.
II. The Infiltration
Kaelen's initial lessons in footwork and balance paid off immediately. Evan moved not with the heavy footsteps of a warrior, but with the quiet, calculated precision of a predator. He navigated the shadows, scaling the low perimeter wall not with brute force, but with economical movement.
He observed the two guards at the rear entrance. Instead of a direct fight—which he knew he would lose—Evan used the simple Kaelen Maneuver: a swift feint to draw attention, followed by a precise, non-lethal strike to the back of the neck with the dagger's hilt. The move was quick and silent, a demonstration of trained skill over raw power.
He slipped inside Garrick's private study. Minister Garrick was alone, reviewing ledgers and correspondence—the physical proof of his treason.
III. The Sacrifice and The Release
Garrick looked up, startled, as Evan materialized from the shadows. The politician's composure was flawless, even as the Magic threatened to tear him apart.
> Evan: "Minister Garrick. Your network of sedition ends tonight. The Anti-Magic Riots were designed to bleed the Kingdom for your profit."
>
Garrick, startled but arrogant, reached for a hidden bell-pull.
> Garrick: "A threat? From the Third Prince? You are a fool, boy. I serve the stability of the Crown."
>
> Evan: "No. You serve chaos. And chaos will earn you the consequence of treason."
>
As Garrick's fingers touched the rope, Evan acted. He did not engage in a messy struggle. He focused the entire, contained pressure of the Sacrificial Magic into his right arm and thrust the dagger in a single, surgical movement.
The act of taking a life—a life justified by the safety of the Kingdom and the necessity of his own survival—was immediate and overwhelming. A wave of intense, dark energy left Evan's body, flowing through the dagger and into the Minister. The pain in his chest vanished, replaced by a profound, chilling stillness. The Ticking Clock was silenced for another week.
Evan felt no remorse, only the cold, stark realization that his survival was now inextricably linked to this darkness. The politician had committed murder, and the new world had accepted him.
IV. The Evidence and The Departure
Evan quickly secured the ledgers and documents proving Garrick's connection to Baron Teldar and the financing of the riots. He wiped the dagger clean and placed the documents strategically on Garrick's desk, ensuring the King's investigators would immediately understand the political nature of the assassination, not a personal vendetta.
He slipped out as silently as he had arrived. The mission was a success: Garrick was neutralized, the Sacrifice Strategy was crippled, and the Magic was quieted.
Within the hour, Evan was back in his chambers, changing out of his stained clothes. He knew the palace would soon erupt in shock and rumor. He had to be gone before the Queen and Theron could process the implication of Garrick's death.
Evan wrote a quick, coded message to Sergeant Valerius and placed the incriminating documents in a royal dispatch box sealed for the King. He then strapped his sword to his hip, ready for his diplomatic mission. The journey North was no longer a political trap; it was a desperate race to stabilize the chaos he had partially unleashed and to find the powerful ally he knew he would need.