Ava Morales crouched beside Elian in the pre-dawn mist, the _Liber Nocturna_'s weight a steady presence against her spine. Below, the Czech village of Kutná Hora slept, its medieval roofs dusted with frost. But Ava wasn't here for the scenery.
"The Order's tracker is inside," Elian whispered, nodding toward a stone tavern. "He's young, arrogant. Thinks he's untouchable."
Lucas checked his Glock, silver bullets loaded. "We take him quiet. No witnesses."
Catherine lingered behind, her eyes fixed on the tavern's door. "I'll watch the back."
Ava's fingers brushed the _Liber_'s cover. "What's the plan?"
Elian's smile was a thin line. "You write… he dies. Simple."
Ava's gut twisted. "You mean I kill him?"
"The Order doesn't hesitate," Elian said, his voice cold. "You must learn to do the same."
Ava's thoughts swirled as they moved, shadows converging on the tavern. She'd never killed anyone… but the _Liber_'s hunger was a living thing, urging her forward.
Inside, the tracker sat at a corner table, sipping coffee, his phone open to a map of Ava's location. Elian nodded. Lucas moved to flank him. Ava sat opposite the tracker, the _Liber_ hidden beneath her jacket.
"Hello, Ava," the tracker said, his smile smug. "We've been waiting."
Ava's heart pounded. She wrote: _"He tells the Order where we are."_
The tracker's phone buzzed, his expression faltering. "What… what did you—"
Ava's pen scratched faster: _"He can't call for backup."_
The tracker's phone shattered, glass flying. He lunged for a knife, but Lucas pinned him down. Elian dragged him into the shadows.
Catherine appeared, her gaze cold. "Do it, Ava."
The _Liber_'s pages turned, writing: _"Kill him. Pay the debt."_
Ava's vision blurred. She wrote: _"He dies… silently."_
The tracker's struggles ceased. His body slumped, a thin line of blood trickling from his ear. Ava felt the _Liber_'s satisfaction, its hunger momentarily sated.
Elian released the body, letting it fade into the shadows. "Good, Ava. You're learning."
Ava's breath came in sobs. "I killed him…"
Lucas's gaze was clinical. "You survived. That's what matters."
Catherine's voice was a whisper. "The Order won't stop. They'll send more."
Ava's fingers tightened around the _Liber_. "I know."
Elian's phone buzzed. He checked the screen, his expression dark. "Order's reinforcements are ten minutes out. We need to move."
Lucas dragged the body into the alley, concealing it. "Ava, write something. Make sure no one tracks us."
Ava's mind raced. She wrote: _"The streets forget us. The shadows hide our trail."_
The alley's cobblestones seemed to shift, erasing footprints. The air thickened, hiding their scent. The _Liber_'s pages settled, writing: _"Debt paid. Next hunt, bigger stakes."_
Ava's soul felt heavier. She was the _Liber_'s tool… or its master.
They fled Kutná Hora, the village vanishing in the dawn's gray light. Ava knew the Order would hunt her relentlessly… but she'd hunt them too.
The _Liber_'s whisper echoed in her mind: _"The game escalates. Blood begets blood."_
Ava's grip on the quill tightened. She'd play… to win.