After a long gaze at the moon, Sairos walked quietly and swiftly towards the meeting place. It was a towering location, making him feel like he was touching the sky. He arrived with difficulty, where a man stood, gazing at the moon with interest. He was dressed elegantly, his long hair swaying in the cool night breeze under the moonlight. Suddenly, another man appeared from the distance: "Did you complete the mission successfully?" he asked coldly. "Yes, sir Raktun," Sairos replied.
Raktun turned to Sairos, smiled, and said softly: "Hmm, it seems you've gone through something bloody and brutal."
He looked at the man standing before him under the moonlight, his dark crimson color starkly visible, and his eyes gleaming with blood. Raktun continued: "You've changed, and it's clear from your expression. Good, now I can say you're suitable for the Black Dagger Organization. As promised, I'll give you a special reward. There's a method to awaken your latent energy, but it's dangerous."
Odin looked surprised: "How? I didn't think such methods existed in these lands. Sairos, no matter the risk, you must try it." He was taken aback by Odin's reaction, which was the first time he'd seen him so amazed and shocked. Odin usually seemed unimpressed, as if he'd seen it all before, but now his reaction showed he hadn't expected this. Sairos pretended to be calm: "So, what is this method?"
Raktun replied coldly: "This method involves the venom of poisonous snakes. When mixed at a certain point, it becomes an antidote that forces the energy channels to awaken your power. But it's a dangerous and ancient method, so we haven't used it before."
"Hmm," Sairos thought, trying to understand, and stroked his chin: "What makes you think I can handle it? It's impossible; you're just tempting me. You've been calling it a special reward from the start."
Raktun smiled cunningly, as if expecting the question: "Actually, the method I'm talking about is an ancient book called the Art of Ten Thousand Poisons. It's very old, and as the name suggests, it requires poison to use. If you master this martial art, you'll be able to control the poison and open your energy channels. It requires a special build, which is why no one in the organization has used it. But you're different; you're quick to adapt, so there's a chance for you to master it."
Sairos looked at him in surprise, thinking: 'What does this guy see in me that's making him so confident?' He looked at Raktun with skepticism: "So, what's different about me?"
Raktun smiled and said: "Just a feeling, and your physical build is strong and large for your age."
Sairos raised an eyebrow: "That's it? Because of my build?"
Raktun kept smiling cunningly: "Yes, that's it."
After this pointless conversation, Sairos realized that Raktun's intentions were unclear, and he seemed to have hidden motives. But as Odin said, he had to face death to become stronger and sharpen his mind.
He walked slowly towards Raktun and handed him the box. Raktun looked at him coldly and said: "... Hmm, good. I hope you didn't leave any clues or suspicions about your identity."
"No worries, I completed the mission cleanly. There were no clues or suspicions left behind."
Raktun took the box and said coldly: "Hmm, good. Now you've passed the mission. As I said before, I'll recommend you to the organization, and if they accept you, I'll recommend you to the Black Scorpion Squad. But all this will happen later. You're 13 now, and you'll have to wait a year to start the Black Dagger Organization's tests. So, you've got a year to train. I'll tell you the method, and you have to train and try to survive."
As for Raktun, he had many tasks to attend to: "Come to me tomorrow, and I'll take you to the training place. It's late now; go to your friends, and I'll meet you tomorrow."
Odin looked at Sairos and said: "Don't you think it's time to tell him? I don't think he'll refuse."
Sairos looked at Raktun, then at the moon. Its crimson color shone under the moonlight, and he felt a deep sadness. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of blood, at least that's what it smelled like. He felt like he didn't belong here, and this feeling strengthened his determination.
Sairos looked at Raktun and said: "I have a request to make."
Raktun looked at him coldly and listened... ...
... ...
The next morning, a man walked coldly, dressed in black, tall and with deep eyes, until he reached a fat man with an angry expression. As soon as the fat man saw him, he felt extremely frightened and stuttered: "Ah, sir Raktun."
Raktun looked at him coldly and said: "I have bad news for you, Asars."
Asars looked at him, and as soon as he heard Raktun's words, his heart started racing, and he was scared. He hadn't heard anything about Sairos since last night, and even when he asked Ghassan, he said he hadn't seen Sairos. Asars understood what Raktun was implying, but he refused to accept it: "What happened to Sairos, sir Raktun?"
Raktun looked at him coldly, hearing his frightened and trembling voice, and said: "He died on the mission."
After those words, Raktun left Asars alone in his disappointment, grief, and worry about how to tell Lark and Lant.
... ...
A furious man sat at his luxurious desk, looking around his gold-decorated walls, garing at his guard with intense anger: "You fools, if you were useful, this wouldn't have happened. Damn you, you scum."
The soldier looked at him with extreme fear and said in a trembling voice: "Sir Osman, I'm sorry, but you were the one who asked us to spread out more around the party to show your power to the guests."
He was shaking and afraid of Osman's reaction. Osman looked at him with anger and threw a fist-sized statue at the guard's head, making it bleed: "You wretched, are you blaming me? Do you know what was stolen from me? Go and find the culprit, or I'll kill you and sell your family in the market, you wretched."
The guard looked at him with extreme fear and quickly left: "Yes, sir, at your command, sir."
After that, Osman started hitting his desk and shouting in anger.
... ...
In a bustling tavern filled with laughter, a young man dressed in black looked at the moon through the window next to his seat .
Then a man came along who was Rakton. "I did what you asked, boy, but because of this delay, you owe me. Because of you, I will be another day late to the place I want to go."
Sairos looked at him: "Thanks."