《Prey of Numbers》


 Predator, Scene 1

    Vessa appeared on a side street somewhere in the Wishing Constellation, as the evening was lit by captured moon light. Shadows in the sky, hints of light that couldn¡¯t be tracked, as if constantly hidden at the corner of your eye. The hum of voices filled the air as numbers surrounded Vessa¡¯s mind in a cacophony.


    Male 25: 83%, Female 38: 92%, Female 17: 94%, Male 50: 97%, Male 36: 81%, Female 24: 62%, Male 21: 77%, Male 23: 79%, Male 25: 61%, Male 20: 73%, Female 16: 69%.


    She let the numbers flow in her mind as she looked for the right one. Vessa began walking up the side street towards a main thoroughfare. The file had said this was a town full of young Wishers, and ample criminal activity. Which explained why some of the numbers were lower than normal.


    The main street flickered from polished gold to gleaming ruby red. Vessa looked back to the street she came off. It was simple stone. The Wishers here weren¡¯t in their prime, or maybe they just liked this aesthetic. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Vessa looked back to the main road and took a right towards the shops and restaurants lit by floating orbs as the captured moon light wasn¡¯t enough on its own.


    Female 17: 90%, Male 36: 78%, Male 27: 84%, Female 41: 62%, Female 204: 81%, Male 76: 94%


    Vessa continued to scour through the numbers with no luck as of yet. She passed a brothel with women standing outside, barely clothed. Perhaps her target would be inside. Vessa walked passed the building as she reached for the numbers inside.


    Female 17: 64%, Male 305: 94%, Female 15: 53%, Male 260: 87% Male 396: 95% Female 13: 84% , Male 354: 92%, Female 16: 76%.


    None of the men were young enough as oppose to the women¡­girls. Vessa thought about killing the men, but knew it would be pointless. She looked away from the brothel and up to people floating on chairs as they ate food from their tables.


    Vessa continued walking down the street, filtering the numbers flowing into her mind. Three thirty-five-year-olds catching her attention. None of them felt like the piece of clothing in the file, but she tucked them into a corner of her mind just in case.


    Male 26: 84%, Female 24: 91%, Male 976: 68% Female 17: 73% , Male 3: 75%, Female 1: 90%, Male 35: 64%.


    Vessa slowed as she scanned through the tables passed the couple, old man and mother with children to the man sitting alone. The tables jerked into freefall before floating again, but only the kids noticed. The rest of the occupants were clearly used to the failing Wish.


    The man didn¡¯t match the description, nor did his number feel like the piece of clothing in the file. Such things could be circumvented, but his body language said calm and the papers and books covering the table didn¡¯t match the assignment¡¯s interests. Never the less she tucked him away with the other unlikely thirty-five-year-olds.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.She walked past store fronts offering small Wishes for clothes, tools and food. A boy knelt on the side of the path in front of a man in a cheap suit. Vessa looked at the shop to see shoes through the glass.


    Male 12: 73%


    Male 37: 81%


    ¡°I Wish your shoes were cleaned and polished.¡± The boy said, and the man looked down at his shoes before handing the boy a few anti magic tokens.


    Male 56: 81% Female 6: 82%, Male 17: 75%, Male 19: 83%, Male 25: 86%, Female 34: 79%


    ¡°Can I clean and polish your shoes, miss?¡± The boy asked Vessa, as one of the orbs floating in the air the color of cherry bumped into her.


    ¡°Miss?¡± The boy asked and Vessa shook her head. If he tried Wishing on her, it would give her nature away. She gazed at the crowd before her as she parsed through their numbers.


    Female 356: 85% , Female 14: 67%, Male 25: 54% Female 316: 73% Male 114: 74%, Male 124: 87%, Male 135: 81%, Male 133: 73%, Female 16: 68%, Female 15: 59%, Male 35: 24%


    There she had him. Vessa latched onto her assignment and let the other 35-year-old males slip from her hold.


    The boy let out a whistle that pierced through the chatter, and all eyes turned to Vessa.


    ¡°Shoes miss?¡± The boy asked, and Vessa looked down at him. She was terrible at reading children. He was clearly a look out. ¡°Number assassin! Number assassin!¡± He shouted before running away from her. Vessa watched the boy go; her target still held in her mental grip. Though she wasn¡¯t sure which of the running people he was.


    Never the less it didn¡¯t matter. Vessa lowered his number.


    Male 35: 1% ¨C 45%


    A man fell to his knees, the crowd parted from him like oil and water.


    He shook his head before stumbling to his feet and turning in her direction.


    ¡°I Wish you would die.¡± He said and a woman nearby fell to the ground, dead. That was the reason most ran, not from her, which would be pointless, but from the backlash.


    He shook his head again. She could feel him resisting her. The number flickering like the streets from gold to ruby red.


    Male 35: 1% ¨C 24%


    ¡°I Wish bricks would fall on your head.¡± He said and bricks did fall from the air, but above him, not her.


    He let out a shout and then jumped to the side. She felt his focus fail and her will snap fully into place. He stumbled back to his feet and looked at her. His eyes were panicked and his chest heaved in and out.


    Male 35: 0%


    ¡°There are numbers counting down in my mind.¡± He said as tears fell down his face and Vessa nodded.


    ¡°I Wish I would die.¡± He said, and he fell back to the ground, though this time he would not be getting back up.


    She pulled out her assignment book and was whisked away to her next assignment.

 Predator, Scene 2

    Vessa blinked, and she was in a changing room, with a fancy servant uniform hanging from the wall. Across from it was a chair with three casting scrolls and something beneath. A mirror hung on the wall between. Vessa looked behind her to see a door. It was locked when she twisted it. She glanced briefly at the numbers.


    Female 325: 97%, Female 241: 95%, Male 471: 96%, Male 12: 92%, Female 3: 98%


    And Vessa concluded it was safe, likely some family business that her people employed for this purpose. She quickly dressed in the all black servant¡¯s clothing that even faded her to herself in the mirror. Vessa put her hair up, using the picture underneath the scrolls as a reference.


    Her blond hair looked ghostly white and the rest of her was there and then not. Giving her a headache. Vessa looked away from the mirror and immediately felt better. Now for the scrolls.


    The first was to blend her even further into the background, as Vessa wasn¡¯t immune to Casters. The next was negation, so if she was spotted, she¡¯d have protection. Even if she wasn¡¯t seen it would block untargeted spells. The last had Maggie¡¯s handwriting saying not to use it until the proper time.


    Vessa looked at herself once more in the mirror and as her eyes unfocused from her for the fifth time, she figured she was good.


    Last, she picked up her assignment book, and the room disappeared as she was teleported away.


    Vessa blinked, and she was on the edge of what looked a large village with houses of stone and wood. Stars and a moon shining in the night sky said she was out of the Wishing Constellation.


    A man similarly dressed, except for a white bow tie, came up to her and Vessa¡¯s eyes fought to see him. Being a Caster, he had likely done all the fading himself instead of using scrolls.


    Male 302: 82%


    ¡°Look away from me and then glance from the corner of your eye.¡± He said in a whisper, and Vessa let out a sigh of relief as she followed his directions.


    ¡°Good, now papers.¡± He said and Vessa¡¯s hand went to her pocket where her assignment book was and pulled out papers. She didn¡¯t like to think of the Seers¡¯ reach, but at least this could be chalked up to good planning.


    ¡°Awww, the Menasi building, you must have wonderful connections. No, don¡¯t talk. I know you¡¯re new, so I¡¯ll go over it for you. I am Glatis and if your clothing didn¡¯t already clue you in, you are to be as invisible as you possibly can. The only places you should speak are the servant areas and even then, at a whisper.¡± Glatis said, paused, then looked her up and down. Vessa said nothing as she stood through his inspection.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!¡°They will tell you if they want noise during a raping or even if they wish of you to think of it as such. Lestma and Kelthane have tips for avoiding such interactions, but it is inevitable.¡± He said and then began walking away from the dirt road going through the main part of the village to a stone path, that had anti magic material lining both sides.


    If Vessa was here long enough for that to become an issue, she¡¯d have more dead than required. She had no intention of participating in their economic system. Vessa thought anti magic was a much better currency than experiences, harmful or otherwise, and surely there was a better way to keep their Constellations together than a wanton abandon into evil.


    ¡°Now walking in the buildings cannot be avoided, but when outside, you should remain on the stone path. The grass is imported from the Empire at regular intervals to keep magic at low intensity, and it is not cheap. Nod if you understand,¡± Glatis said and Vessa complied as they walked passed a pair of women. One dressed like Glatis with a white bow tie and the other one had clothing like Vessa¡¯s, though it was torn and she was softly crying.


    Female 405: 99%, female 23: 76%


    Glatis gestured at the crying woman.


    ¡°Saria is an excellent way to comport yourself if the unpleasant should happen.¡± Glatis said. The softly crying woman gave a deferential nod.


    ¡°Here we are, the Menasi building. Follow the rules and we should not meet again until you are released from service.¡± Glatis said and walked away as a woman in a white bow took Vessa into the building. The woman said nothing, and Vessa assumed they were not in one of the servant areas.


    She wondered if one of the people who would die tonight was responsible for Saria¡¯s crying. A smile found its way onto Vessa¡¯s lips at the thought as she was whisked away into the servants¡¯ hall.

 Predator, Scene 3

    Vessa walked into a ballroom of people eating and talking with an arm full of plates and one more scroll to use. She walked along the back of the room as she had been instructed. She surged her reach to find her targets.


    Female 2322: 54%, Female 5279: 32%, Male 7052: 97%, Male 3481: 22% Female 27: 97%,


    Her dishes began to glow a deep purple, which matched to a table near the middle. Perfect. Vessa veered into the crowd and dropped the scroll halfway to her destination. She would have a couple of moments before it started in which Vessa needed to find her targets.


    Male 1447: 9%, Male 2357: 17%, Male 3742: 2%, Male 1239: 42%, Male 4426: 31%, Male 2549: 3%, Female 16: 94%


    ¡°The price that you are asking for is outrageous.¡± One of the men at the table said as Vessa began placing the plates. Matching the purple plates to the same shade of the place mat.


    ¡°And yet if you don¡¯t move quickly, the Wishers will be down your neck.¡± Another man said and Vessa continued in her task even as her skin crawled with the feel of Seer eyes. Never the less, now that she had her targets, all there was to do was wait in the place designated for her in case her targets needed anything.


    Male 735: 24%


    Male 2647: 45%


    ¡°All I need is the boy¡¯s kidneys, yet you¡¯re charging me for the entire child. That¡¯s not how it¡¯s done and you know it.¡± The first target said as he cut into his unicorn flank.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have the child in my custody when the Wishers come knocking.¡± The second target said as he gestured to a carafe. Vessa moved from her spot and poured him the selected wine.


    ¡°Does Cepan the Great not think himself capable of handling emissaries from the upstarts of a Constellation?¡± The first target asked as the other people at the table began to eat. Many gesturing to different carafes. Vessa obliged them and wondered who would still be alive when this was over.


    Male 735: 2% , Male 2647: 45%, Female 211: 4%, Female 245: 67% Male 273: 34%,Male 284: 34%,


    ¡°I have no idea how I¡¯d match up and have no desire to find out.¡± The second target was interrupted by a fluting sound filling the air as Vessa continued to pour drinks for the table. Each of the targets¡¯ numbers were firmly in her grip.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°A message for the fine guests of the Menasi from yours truly, Elkethai, a humble Wisher.¡± Vessa took her cue and brought the numbers down.


    Male 735: 0%


    Male 2647: 1% - 45%


    The first target died instantly by his own magic. The second target rose from his seat to face where Vessa had dropped the scroll and began precisely moving his fingers, causing screams to fill the air and numbers to be snuffed out. Black smoke surrounded the second target for a moment before transferring to a woman next to Vessa. She immediately began screaming, and then collapsed onto the table, dead. Fire blasted over and around Vessa before taking hold of two other men at the table. It was put out with both surviving only for creepy laughter to fill the air. She heard a slight ringing, nothing painful, but they clutched at their ears as blood ran from their eyes. Until they both fell to the ground.


    A brief tightness took hold of her chest. Vessa pulled her number up from its decline. Grabbed a random number and dropped it to zero as she pulled the second target¡¯s number down again.


    Male 489: 0%


    Male 2647: 1% - 23%


    The second target jerked around, finding her eyes for but a moment before they slid away. She was told that servants were to remain no matter what, and so she stayed in her designated spot, along with all the other servants. Protected from the fight. Vessa wondered how much protection the spaces provided as she watched as the second target franticly turned around and around, his fingers moving, and screams sounding with each of his pauses. The final woman at the table began rocking back-and-forth, murmuring something, though whether it was a spell or her just losing it was unclear. Vessa pulled at the second target again and felt something give.


    Male 2647: 0%


    He stopped, froze, and stayed that way for several moments, then his fingers moved rigidly in the air. A thud and Vessa was teleported away to her next destination of the night.

 Predator, Scene 4

    Vessa blinked as she was surrounded by darkness; her nose assaulted by the smell of death and waste. Stunned by the smell, her eyes still used to a lit dining hall.


    Vessa fumbled for the bracelet on her wrist, fingers finding the correct ruin and Vessa could see again. Not that she wanted to. She almost considered going back to darkness, but that would too badly affect her assignment.


    There were rows of cages with people in them. Men, women, children they were all missing body parts. A child with both eyes taken out. A woman who had no arms or legs. A man who Vessa only knew to be a man through the numbers.


    She looked away. Breathed. She was a professional.


    Even so, she was relieved to exit the door and wind her way upwards, seeking one number.


    Female 12: 18%, Male 541: 13%, Male 17: 6%, Female 58: 24%, Female 18: 3%, Female 791: 14% Male 5: 2%


    Each floor was filled with cages, though their quality improved; the sounds of despair increased. As Vessa traveled upwards the halls were filled with screaming, crying, begging, and most disturbing of them all: laughing. She bore through it as she walked searching for the correct number, avoiding the guards that seemed deaf to it all.


    Female 362: 37%, Female 16: 31%, Male 9: 47%, Male 26: 53%, Male 3: 27%, Female 6: 17%,  Female: 0.7: 4%


    Still, Vessa preferred this to the rooms filled with quiet or the ones with singing or praying. Not that she could fully say why. The contrast was too stark. They were too happy for the condition they were in. And Samilla back at the homes, how she¡¯d smile despite everything. Maybe that was it. Vessa saw Samilla in each of their faces and couldn¡¯t bare it. The thought of Samilla in pain, alone, in the dark. Knowing it was only going to get worse.


    As Vessa walked away from those rooms she fought not to kill the guards as she imagined them dragging Samilla away to be mutilated. Vessa shook her body and made herself focus despite every inhale bringing the smell of rot.


    The rooms changed to cells then dorms and Vessa figured she was close to where her package was being held.


    Male 25: 47%, Male 0.5: 3%, Male 547: 1%, Male 16: 53%, Female 45: 27% , Male 3: 89%


    There Vessa latched onto the number.


    Male 3: 89%


    She began turning around in the hall until it felt right. Vessa walked up two more flights of stairs, turned right twice and walked down a long hallway. Where she reached a door with many locks.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no way there aren¡¯t people coming for you. It¡¯s okay. Shhh, shhhh.¡± A woman¡¯s voice said, and then she began singing a lullaby.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Female 978: 76%


    Vessa pressed her bracelet on the door and all the locks clicked open. The singing stopped as Vessa stepped into the dark room and the door clicked behind her.


    The woman rushed towards the wall opposite from the door and thudded into it.


    ¡°Where are you? You stupid bastards!¡± She said, tilting her right ear upwards. The child began rocking as his hands tore at the gag in his mouth. It tightened, and he stopped.


    The woman threw herself towards Vessa but missed hitting to other side of the door.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have him. You can¡¯t.¡± She said as she tilted her ear upwards again.


    Vessa should keep the gag on until she delivered him to his parents. Wisher children were mini balls of chaos.


    ¡°Please spare him. He¡¯s a Wisher boy, and you know they¡¯ll come for him. You have no soul, but surely you still want to live.¡± She said and then crawled back to the boy, holding him tight.


    Vessa felt numbers swarm into the building as she debated with herself. Pulled out her assignment book as the woman began singing, rocking the boy back and forth. Vessa flipped through the book to find the child¡¯s page.


    Find and obtain the package: kill all others that are in the buillding.


    In the building.


    ¡°Is there a teleporter somewhere in here?¡± Vessa asked, and the woman jerked still and became silent. Vessa waited for several moments.


    ¡°What?¡± The woman asked, her voice sounding lighter.


    ¡°Is there a teleporter in the building?¡± Vessa asked again as she felt numbers coming closer to them.


    Male 1003: 87%, Male 689: 91%, Male 1056: 73%, Male 731: 74%, Male 547: 95%, Male 890: 93%


    ¡°If I tell you, will you spare the boy?¡± The  woman asked, and Vessa shrugged.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up on the first floor.¡± The woman said and stood with the boy in her arms.


    ¡°Do you know how to operate it?¡± Vessa asked as she continued to track the numbers charging their way to her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And how to open the cages?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But we¡¯ll need a guard. I¡¯m Ensald by the way.¡±


    ¡°If I kill all the guards, can you get all the people out?¡± Vessa asked and silence fell in the room. As Vessa waited for a response, she felt more numbers enter her mind.


    Male 687: 53%, Male 928: 70%, Male 1032: 62%, Male 583: 92%, Male 697: 84% Male 732: 76%, Male 684: 83%


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman asked, finally breaking the silence.


    ¡°A Number Assassin.¡± Vessa said.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to lead with that!¡± The woman yelled.


    ¡°Can you?¡± Vessa asked, trying to speed up the interaction.


    ¡°Yes, Yes I can,¡± Ensald said and Vessa realized her second problem. Maybe she should put just them out their misery, grab the boy and go. It would be easier and be more faithful to the assignment.


    ¡°Can you see in the dark?


    ¡°No, but I can turn the lights on.¡±


    ¡°And where are those?¡±


    ¡°In the warden¡¯s room, which is two floors up and to the right.¡± Ensald said and Vessa sighed. She heard the pounding of feet; she should have just followed the assignment as written. Vessa took stock of the numbers coming in one last time.


    Male 517: 81%, Male 792: 95%, Male 643: 87%, Male 1223: 83%, Male 574: 91%


    ¡°Give me the boy and grab my arm.¡± Vessa said as she realized she was likely to kill the prisoners on accident if she just started pulling numbers. She could look for high ones, but as Ensald proved that wasn¡¯t foolproof. Plus, her intentions towards everyone else would lower their numbers. Which meant Vessa was going to have to do this the hard way.


    ¡°This is going to get messy.¡± Vessa said, pulling the numbers right outside as she waited for the door to open.


    Male 1003: 87% - 1%,


    Male 689: 92% - 1%


    Male 1056: 73% ¨C 1%


    Male 731: 74% ¨C 1%


    Male 547: 95% ¨C 1%,


    Male 890: 93% ¨C 1%


    She should have gone with what was written.

 Digging a Bigger Hole, Scene 1

    How large was this place? Vessa wondered as she ran down hallway after hallway, bringing down numbers as she chased after Ensald.


    Male 765: 1%


    Male 823: 1%


    Male 644: 1%


    Male 775: 1%


    Male 901: 1%


    She could feel the boy¡¯s number about to drop and pulled the attack to her. Vessa watched as her arm roiled with bubbles escaping and then popping. The spell was supposed to be killing her, but Vessa held her number at 100% and kept pulling the lethal spells to her. It was painful, but not more than she could handle. No, the real worry was that she was beginning to be out numbered. The enemy reinforcements just kept coming, and they were hard to pit against each other.


    Male 765: 0%


    Male 823: 0%


    Male 644: 0%


    Male 775: 0%


    Male 901: 0%


    With the hall cleared for the moment, Ensald took off down the hallway, but took a left instead of right. Vessa ran after Ensald and bumped into her.


    ¡°I thought you said two floors up and to the right.¡± Vessa said as the numbers just kept pouring in.


    ¡°Forget about the lights. We need reinforcements or we¡¯re going to die; nevermind about freeing everyone.¡± Ensald replied.


    ¡°Then why are you stopping?¡± Vessa asked.


    Male 758: 1% ¨C 89%


    Male 533: 1%


    Male 949: 1% ¨C 97%


    Male 457:1%


    Male 1043: 1% ¨C 98%


    ¡°Strategy.¡± Ensald said as she muttered under her breath, moving around in a circle. What was Ensald doing? Maybe it would have been better to just rescue the boy.


    Male 758: 1%


    Male 533: 0%


    Male 949: 1%


    Male 457: 0%


    Male 1043: 1% ¨C 78%


    ¡°Such as?¡± Vessa asked as she heard the pounding of feet. This was nuts.


    ¡°Do you really want me waisting time explaining spells?¡± Ensald asked as she stopped turning and froze in one direction.


    Male 785: 0%


    Male 949: 0%


    Male 1043: 1%


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to hurry up.¡± Vessa said, no need to fear Castillo¡¯s reaction if she was overrun here in the hallway.


    Ensald flexed her fingers in the air, muttered something, then took off running. Vessa looked down at the Wisher boy. Who looked back up at her, gag in his mouth, his eyes determined. They both could die. Vessa sighed. The Wisher boy leaned his head on her shoulder and Vessa took off after Ensald.


    Male 1043: 0%


    Vessa was pulled into a room, and the door shut. She stopped attacking and simply watched all the numbers swarm into the building, while others passed their door as if they had no clue where Vessa and Ensald had gone, despite being very close behind them.


    ¡°This is crazy. There is no way we can drag people down hall after hall while still fighting. We need to free those who we can and leave.¡± A man said. If Vessa went with this stranger¡¯s suggestion, she could save the best and kill the worst. This could salvage the assignment.


    ¡°Or we could get all the strong combatants off the first few floors. Abandon them and then put all sick and injured in one room on each floor, leaving a few Casters to guard, as we make our way down with those who can fight.¡± Ensald said and Vessa sighed.


    ¡°And with what time will we move all the feeble into one room?¡± The man asked, and Ensald paused, tapped her fingers on her forehand before pointing them at the man.


    ¡°The Mass processing room.¡±


    ¡°The Mass Processing Room. Are you even hearing yourself? If they get to the controls, then everyone in that room will die.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s the best chance I think we have.¡±


    ¡°This is crazy!¡± The man said as he walked away from her, shaking his head.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t even try, then we¡¯re no better than them. It will say nothing. The strong survives is what they¡¯ll say, but if we can get most of the feeble out, then that pushes back.¡± The man turned to look at Ensald


    The swarming numbers were clumping and getting closer. This needed to speed up.


    ¡°If we tier it, my abilities work better.¡± Vessa said, and both turned to her as if they¡¯d forgotten there was anyone else in the room.


    ¡°See, two against one. Come on Kelsi!¡± Ensald said and Kelsi threw his hands in the air.


    ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± He said and Vessa agreed, but she didn¡¯t see any other plan; except killing everyone but the boy and going on.


    ¡°Thank you. And you Number Assassin.¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch. You didn¡¯t mention that. And the boy, and the gag. I should have seen that sooner. If he dies¡­¡±


    ¡°Win, win,¡± Ensald said and Kelsi nodded. Win, win because either way the Casters that ran this place would be screwed, and if the kid died, Vessa would probably also be dead, so she¡¯d never have to face those consequences.


    They both nodded to each other. Kelsi grim and Ensald almost optimistic. They turned to Vessa, and Kelsi gestured to the room.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°You could stay here. They¡¯ll pass you by and you can keep at it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t pull attacks to me if I¡¯m not near you, and they can count.¡±


    ¡°Neither is a problem.¡± Ensald said, and Vessa shrugged. The two left the room, shutting the door behind them.


    Vessa grabbed hold of Ensald and Kelsi¡¯s numbers.


    Female 978: 76%, Male 1056: 83%


    She tucked them into a corner of her mind, so that she could keep track of those who joined and avoid killing them, then turned her attention to the new numbers entering her awareness. They were most definitely enemies. Vessa just had to ensure that they didn¡¯t mix into the morass of numbers humming in the back of her mind or into Ensald¡¯s group.


    Male: 1010: 1%


    Male 673: 1%


    Male 842: 1%


    Male 631: 1%


    Male 597: 1%


    Ensald and Kelsi had seven join them


    Female 347: 65%, Male 512: 83%, Male 68: 42%, Female 7023: 89%, Female 41: 90%, Male 632: 56%, Female 27: 72%.


    As the enemy Casters attacked each other, Vessa could feel them, each one dying without her having to exert effort. Which meant not all knew there was a Number Assassin, or that panic had overrode the knowledge. Either way, Vessa moved onto another group that was piled into one part of her mind. Vessa made sure Ensald¡¯s number wasn¡¯t there to ensure she was about to attack the right group.


    Male 593: 1%


    Male 1327: 1%


    Male 641: 1%


    Male 811: 1%


    Male 528: 1%


    Things would get tricky with the prison guards, but none of Ensald¡¯s group were dropping, so either they were handling it or they had yet to encounter the guards.


    Vessa could feel an enemy group approaching Ensald and jumped to their numbers. Hopefully, her current enemies would kill each other. Thinking her attacks were those of a hidden spy in the group. They¡¯d turn until there was only one left. Another group would come upon the wreckage and assume the survivor a traitor. It had worked at the prison rebellions she had put down and currently was working here. So hopefully it kept working. Either way, Vessa had to change her focus to the group about to attack Ensald¡¯s growing numbers.


    Male 724: 1% ¨C 97%


    Male 921: 1% ¨C 83%


    Male 739: 1% ¨C 67%


    Male 1056: 1% ¨C 92%


    Male 843: 1% ¨C 78%


    Vessa hit hard resistance, so some of them knew. Or all of them knew, and these ones had been trained to not panic or turn on each other when one died out of nowhere.


    Male 724: 1% ¨C 63%


    Male 921: 1% ¨C 41%


    Male 739: 1% ¨C 94%


    Male 1056: 1% ¨C 92%


    Male 843: 1% ¨C 62%


    Definitely training, but Vessa could feel them hitting up against Ensald¡¯s group. Somewhere in this forsaken place, they had ran into each other. Now, with Ensald¡¯s group casting spells, Vessa had other tools to kill the enemies. She pulled on the numbers again, while focusing on keeping the groups separate.


    Male 724: 0%


    Male 921: 0%


    Male 739: 0%


    Male 1056: 0%


    Male 843: 0%


    Vessa checked around Ensald¡¯s growing numbers for another set of enemies and found two closing in. To sandwich Ensald¡¯s people. Ten was a bit much, but Vessa could bring them as low as she could and hope that was enough. Hopefully Ensald¡¯s group would be able to hold their own.


    Male 582: 46%


    Male 740: 49%


    Male 847: 40%


    Male 823: 52%


    Male 743: 36%


    Male 1030: 58%


    Male 563: 32%


    Male 690: 47%


    Male 833: 51%


    Male 1043: 64%


    A quick check on Ensald¡¯s group showed they had yet to lose a person, though a handle full were getting close.


    Vessa moved her attention onto another enemy group and another and another, bringing them into the 50¡¯s and 40¡¯s range, with some staying higher while Vessa managed to bring some into the low twenties. It was too much to keep up with. Vessa could feel the humming morass of the number attacking Ensald¡¯s group as well, but she didn¡¯t have time to sort guard from prisoner.


    A knock on her door and Vessa grabbed the number before realizing it was Kelsi.


    ¡°Number Assassin, we¡¯re leaving this level. Are you coming with us?¡±


    If Vessa didn¡¯t, there would be a possibility the enemy would catch her unaware, and she¡¯d be too slow to react.


    Vessa checked on the Wisher boy, who was sleeping. She felt vaguely guilty about the gag cutting into his cheeks, but this was the last place she wanted the chaos of a Wisher child. His Wishes would likely hurt everyone involved. She adjusted her hold on him and opened the door to Kelsi. Who led her down the hall to a bigger group of people.


    Vessa took the total of Ensald¡¯s group to find 761 people. How many people were still here in the building? Guard and prisoner mixed as the humming morass of numbers ungrouped in her mind? 3820 and 55 Vessa had grouped as the enemy, with more pouring in. This had become a huge mess.

 Digging a Bigger Hole, Scene 2

    Spells lit the last room with cages in it, as Vessa cursed herself for the nth time. Freed Casters countered and sent spells of their own. As those unable to fight opened cages with keys taken from dead jailors. Vessa continued to pull numbers. She was committed at this point.


    Male 2215: 1%


    Female 205: 1%


    Male 104: 1%


    Male 3012: 1%


    Female 2150: 1%


    Though she didn¡¯t bother bringing them fully to death, as the Casters on her side of the fight easily finished them off.


    Vessa looked away from the front lines to people barely standing, body parts missing. Those who lacked legs or couldn¡¯t walk for a myriad of reasons were currently on the floor and would have to be carried. She took in all the numbers on her side to total 2745 people. Most of those couldn¡¯t fight and could barely walk. Though, Vessa had to admit that some of the scariest Casters were lacking a lot of their body and were floating in the air or laying on the sidelines.


    Female 257:1%


    Male 56: 1%


    Female 2705: 1%


    Male 2541: 1%


    Male 78: 1%


    Spells flew at Vessa as the enemy found her again. They had to know she was the reason they fared so poorly against their weakened captives. The crackle of bones whispered in Vessa¡¯s ears, as a multitude of mini balls of light came towards her and her body began to itch.


    Vessa held her number at 100% and waited.


    The spells were negated before they affected her beyond a mild injury that healed easily and the casters were dead before they could send more her way. She looked down at the boy sleeping in her arms and drooling on her shoulder. This was an absolute mess.


    Male 25: 1%


    Male 4650: 1%


    Female 1003: 1%


    Male 45: 1%


    Female 87: 1%


    Not to mention she was positive that they were killing all the Casters as the numbers reflected dregs or higher ups. Eventually, they have to call for reinforcements; she wondered why they hadn¡¯t already. Vessa could go for a while, but she couldn¡¯t take on all the Casting Constellations. Not to mention those on her side who were far from great shape; although they seemed more than willing to fight to the death. Given their previous conditions, Vessa could see why. Though she managed to keep most of the death on the enemy side.


    The fun part of all this was that the teleporter room was back up, and the building was likely to be flooded by reinforcement at anytime.


    Had she just took the boy and killed everyone in the building, she would have been gone by now. Now, she couldn¡¯t leave until everyone was either dead or outside. Which meant getting to the teleporter and then killing everyone in the area or finding a way to lock the doors.


    Female 3312: 1%


    Male 2053: 1%


    Male 507: 1%


    Female 23: 1%


    Male 628: 1%


    ¡°Is that everyone?¡± Ensald called and Vessa looked to see all the cages were open and the makeshift carts were filled.


    She checked the incoming numbers and blinked, checked again. There weren¡¯t any new numbers. Just the ones that had already entered the building. Vessa waited for several moments, but still no new numbers arrived. Where were the reinforcements?


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°Problem Number assassin?¡± Kelsi asked.


    ¡°There are no more enemy combatants coming towards us. You¡¯d think they would have a way to call for reinforcements.¡± Vessa said and Kelsi gave a darkly amused laugh.


    ¡°Turns out we¡¯re all ingredients. Except for you and the boy,¡± Kelsi said, and Vessa looked passed the front lines to the enemy combatants. Were they fighting just as hard? Would reinforcements kill them just as they would the prisoners?


    Female: 451: 1%


    Male 65: 1%


    Male 91: 1%


    Male 325: 1%


    Female 237: 1%


    ¡°Why?¡± Vessa asked and Kelsi shrugged, as if he were bored. Except, his eyes were haunted.


    ¡°Always a need for body parts, for one spell or another.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t always like this, once there was The Dark Arts. Now? Now, it¡¯s all dark.¡± He said, flipping his hands palm side up and staring at them. Vessa felt her stomach sink. Uh-oh.


    ¡°As in when this all over they¡¯re going to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Retrieve all the bodies, yes.¡± Kelsi gestured to everyone moving around them, to the front line and to the multitude of the dead. Vessa looked with him, as she tried to puzzle a way out of this conundrum. Trying not to think of a certain hallway when Castillo learned of this debacle.


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Kelsi asked.


    ¡°When they come in after all this and see not nearly enough prisoner bodies, they¡¯ll figure out what happened,¡± Vessa said.


    ¡°Ingredient bodies.¡± Vessa turned to look at him.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not officially prisoners. We¡¯re ingredients.¡± Kelsi said.


    ¡°What difference does it make?¡± Vessa asked. It certainly could not be the treatment.


    ¡°Prisoners are treated worse.¡± Kelsi said and Vessa blinked, glanced at the cages, and then back to him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to ask,¡± Kelsi said, and Vessa felt sick. She took in a breath and reminded herself she was a professional.


    ¡°As for the body problem, there is a solution.¡± Kelsi said, and Vessa turned her attention back to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Vessa asked


    ¡°Blow up the building, no bodies, no way to tally.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ensald asked and Vessa realized the fighting had to come to an end. Everyone that was still alive stared at them with silence except for moans of pain.


    ¡°She needs us to blow up the building.¡± Kelsi said, to murmurs of agreement.


    ¡°If you use the teleporter to do it, they can¡¯t use this place again.¡± An older woman in a makeshift cart said. Both her eyes were gone as well as her legs with only one arm remaining, and she wasn¡¯t considered a prisoner?


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t they just remake a new teleporter?¡± Kelsi asked, no hint of revulsion in his voice.


    ¡°No, the teleporter is just a manifest of the lay lines. Blow them up and they¡¯ll be too wild for Malenia, if it¡¯s done right.¡± The woman responded, and Kelsi nodded before glancing to Ensald.


    ¡°We set some sort of time delay. Get everyone through the teleporter and then make it destroy the building.¡± Ensald said to cheering, which caused the Wisher boy to wake and look at Vessa. She was sure there was no way this ended well, unless she killed them all, and left with the boy. There was still time for that.

 Digging a Bigger Hole, Scene 3

    They walked up the stairs, collecting each group from the Mass Processing room.


    ¡°What do those do?¡± Vessa asked Kelsi who stood with her.


    ¡°Take everyone from the floor and kill them in one room. The methods vary, but the best you can hope for is a shot to the head. They get progressively worse from there,¡± Kelsi said, and Vessa looked at him.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll remember, I said it was nuts, but Ensald was right. It was the only way.¡± Kelsi said and shuttered as he watched the halls. Vessa thought back to the moment Ensald and Kelsi had been arguing; now that she knew it seemed a horrible bet, one that at least payed off. Vessa looked back to Kelsi who was tense and looking all around.


    ¡°Are you expecting reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°Harvesters,¡± Kelsi said and Vessa pushed to the very edges of her awareness and found nothing but the even quieter hum of animals. She knew they were there, but unlike Castillo, she couldn¡¯t affect them.


    ¡°You might could consider taking the gag off.¡± A woman said and Vessa looked until she found an older woman frowning at Vessa and then looked meaningfully at the boy. Who was still sleeping.


    Female 83: 62%


    ¡°It would be unwise,¡± Vessa said as the last of the people walked out of the Mass Processing Room and everyone walked towards the stairs. They had to carry the makeshift carts up because there was no alternative. Ensald had at least insisted that most wait at the stairwell with only a small group going to each Mass Processing Room.


    ¡°Young man, talk some sense into her.¡± The older woman said to Kelsi, and he shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s not in control of his casting.¡± Kelsi said, and Vessa separated the older woman from the group in her mind, just in case. Kelsi knew the boy was a Wisher, if he was lying there was a reason.


    ¡°A pure verbal Caster? How did one of his bloodline end up here?¡±


    ¡°Bloodline is no protection.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a bribe or payment of some kind.¡± Two people called from the crowd.


    Male 421: 84%, Female 472 71%


    The woman nodded and walked off to join others that she seemed to know. Vessa separated them off, too.


    Female 73: 64%, Female 68: 51%


    Kelsi stayed close to Vessa as they walked up the stairs, left the majority in the stairwell and walked down the hall towards the next Mass Processing Room.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her?¡± Vessa asked and Kelsi looked among those who were walking with them. Another man, burly but with a dainty wand in his hand replied before Kelsi could.


    ¡°A lot of them are desperate, and he¡¯s a ticket to fixing that.¡± Vessa nodded as they continued walking until the head person stopped.


    Male 2093: 88%


    ¡°Let¡¯s turn back.¡± He said and Vessa searched around them with her mind, not finding any numbers other than their own. The Mass Processing Room had fulfilled its purpose, it seemed. Not that the Casters would get their bodies. Vessa looked back at the edges of her mind, but found nothing there as well.


    ¡°Sorry, I could have told you that.¡± Vessa said, gesturing to the Mass Processing Room


    ¡°No, we should come to all the floors.¡± Kelsi said


    ¡°Even with the Havesters?¡± Vessa asked and everyone in the group paused before the burly man with the dainty wand nodded.


    ¡°Detection spells don¡¯t work in here, so there¡¯d be questions. Questions that might lead to them knowing you¡¯re a Number Assassin.¡±


    ¡°The group could turn into a mob out of desperation. We don¡¯t want to have to kill them when people we cared about died trying to get them out.¡± Another said, and Vessa opened her mouth tp make a point.


    ¡°If they know you¡¯re a Number Assassin, then guessing the boy is easier,¡± Kelsi said and multiple people nodded.


    ¡°If it comes to it, I¡¯d like to kill some Harvesters.¡± Another man, slim with black hair and nails, said, and they all trudged off back to the stairs. Ensald was sad when they told her, but no one reacted all that much. They lived here for too long and knew death was not the worst outcome.


    They walked up twenty sets of stairs, finding five more empty Mass Processing Rooms before finally reaching the teleporter.


    ¡°Trying to change the location on the other side would send off alarms and bring the Harvesters and probably more coming much faster, but just using it won¡¯t do anything.¡± Ensald said when the question was brought up. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Vessa had yet to feel any new numbers at the edges of her reach but would be glad when people started going through the teleporter.


    The burly man held his wand out in front of him as he went into the portal, other volunteers following him. Vessa waited with the rest tensed for another fight. What would Vessa do if the other side was not an option?


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.They came back through one fewer. They gave grim nods and went back in with the first people. They still had 2375 people and Vessa didn¡¯t think everyone would get through before the Harvesters arrived. She took a breath in and looked at the boy who was still managing to sleep. She was screwed. The mission was completely fucked, but she couldn¡¯t help but smile, even knowing the consequences.


    She eventually felt new numbers when there were still 1643 people, but they stopped and didn¡¯t move until there were 412 people. Vessa looked at Kelsi and the old woman with no legs, no eyes and only one arm working together with three others, and didn¡¯t think she had to tell them, as they were working fast. Ensald met Vessa¡¯s eyes, and she left to tell those guarding the room.


    Vessa began pullling numbers.


    Male 5034: 1%, male 4730: 1%, male 5241: 1%, male 3783: 1%, male 5891: 1%


    She wondered how long she¡¯d be tortured when Castillo found out about this mess, as she could feel numbers leaving her awareness, no doubt to spread the word.


    Even after all the crowd was through, Kelsi¡¯s group kept working and Ensald¡¯s group kept fighting with Vessa helping. The building was swarmed again but apparently Ensald thought ahead and had booby-trapped the halls. Which helped tremendously. Vessa just brought them to 1% and let the traps do the rest. Those that got through the guard team handled.


    ¡°Done,¡± Kelsi called, and Ensald came in exhausted, but focused.


    ¡°Get the fighters out. I¡¯ll hold the line. You mad genius.¡± Kelsi said to Ensald and the last 27 people fled through the portal. Vessa stayed pulling numbers.


    ¡°You next,¡± Kelsi said and Vessa looked at him, and then to the Harvesters attacking one of the last six shields between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being a martyr, but I am the trigger, so once I step through, the building and the teleporter will be gone.¡± Vessa stepped into the teleporter and Kelsi came right after her.


    They waited in a small room for Harvesters to come chasing after them, and Kelsi shook his head as he stepped towards the teleporter, but nothing happened. Vessa opened her mouth to speak, but she was teleported away to a house clearly made by Wishers. Voices reached her ears and the boy¡¯s he perked up and struggled to get out of her arms. Vessa wondered what would happen to the escaped Casters now. She looked down the luxurious hallway and wondered what would happen to her.


    ¡°What is taking so long? Maybe those damn Casters have already killed my boy.¡±


    Vessa let the Wisher boy down and followed him towards where the voices were coming from.


    ¡°I am sure everything is fine, and they¡¯ll be here anytime now.¡± An official¡¯s voice said. Vessa found she didn¡¯t regret anything, though she stopped smiling. It would come off wrong.


    ¡°You keep saying that and.¡±


    ¡°And now it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Melaru?¡± The mother called and Vessa stayed at the doorframe looking at two parents. The mother looked up at her.


    ¡°Why does he still have a gag on? Why didn¡¯t you take this off immediately after rescuing him?¡± The mother asked and Vessa said nothing. As I didn¡¯t want him Wishing and the Casters did me the favor of taking care of that problem, didn¡¯t even sound good to her.


    ¡°Well! Answer me!¡± The mother yelled at Vessa clearly taking her frustration out on Vessa.


    ¡°Wisher children are chaotic and it seemed best to wait until we are out of harm¡¯s way,¡± Vessa replied, her voice a monotone.


    ¡°It¡¯s cut his mouth, and you thought it was best to leave it on. Aren¡¯t you trained to handle difficult situations? And what took so long? You were supposed to be here hours ago. The Seers¡­¡±


    ¡°Are not always perfect in their tellings. Let¡¯s get him healed up and let the asset deliver her report. Which we can brief you on afterwards.¡± The official interrupted and glanced at Vessa. She didn¡¯t answer to him, but it was unwise to provoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why she can¡¯t tell me now.¡± The mother said, rocking Melaru, who kept staring at Vessa. The official shooed Vessa with his hand, which annoyed her.


    ¡°They¡¯ll want to filter out the classified bits before passing it onto you.¡± Vessa said and the official looked as outraged as did the mother, though the mother was now looking at him. The father laughed as he pressed something to Melaru¡¯s cheeks and they were healed.


    ¡°Thank you Asset Vessa, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± The official said, and Vessa nodded and walked away, bringing out her assignment book. There weren¡¯t anymore assignments, except that there had been. Three more, she had checked the amount before she¡¯d left and kept track. Them being gone was not a good sign. Vessa stared at the blank pages for a moment longer then pressed her thumb to the first page and was teleported back to base.

 Enclosure, Scene 1

    She was surrounded by the gardens; the sweet smell of flowers and the wind rushing through the treetops. Children¡¯s voices and footsteps with soft murmurs, the ground soft beneath her shoes. She looked down. Her arms felt light with the Wisher boy gone. The sunlight and wind was a nice change from the dank and dirty dungeon. Vessa looked to the main path winding its way to the first of many buildings.


    The dungeon lay in the third building from the main. The hallway connecting them having two permeant lines where feet had been dragged towards it for millennia. Vessa had tried washing and polishing them away, but they always stayed. The voices escaping into the hall may change, but the lines leading into one of those rooms never did.


    Vessa found a bench near the river to sit on as she debated her choices.


    No one escaped for long. She¡¯d seen a dozen attempts in the last decade by the fully trained and each had been brought back; and spent time in a room, their voices the only thing to escape. On the other hand, it was unlikely she¡¯d be punished any other way for how massively she deviated from the assignement¡¯s intent, so she was less deterred than usual from running.


    Stalling wasn¡¯t helping, but she had the excuse of formatting her debrief before bothering Castillo in his office. Except she was sure he was waiting for her; the removed assignments indicated that much.


    Vessa took a deep breath of flowers, the river filling her nose, and rose to her feet. Running would make her time being tortured longer. She¡¯d just get it over with and then not deviate from an assignment again.


    She began walking up the main path to the first building where all the offices were. When she saw Kamino and Teldesh walking towards her. Once in the homes, in the time before the base when death had been turned inwards. When she¡¯d fought to not compulsively kill herself. They¡¯d been friends. Convincing each other to stay alive and not give into the thousands of possibilities of death.


    Now both merely nodded at her, and she them. Better to move on from that time where, if their minds were trying to kill them, the adults were never open to torture.


    Once they¡¯d come to the base, torture had been used regularly, as pain was an easy way to force their suicidal minds to switch to being homicidal. At least that was the official reason or one of them. Keeping them in line was the other.


    Vessa shook her head to keep from thinking about that time as she walked further up the main path. Samillia hadn¡¯t made it to the base. If she had ¡­ Vessa flinched at the idea of hearing Samillia scream. She¡¯d been kind and silly and was the other reason that Vessa, Kamino, Teldesh, Marlene and Capsa had drifted apart. Samillia had kept them together.


    Vessa reached the door and pulled it open.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Some groups that came to the base grew closer hearing each other scream as their minds were rewired, not her group. Two years in and they avoided each other. A brief thought to Ensald and Kelsi and how they¡¯d stayed close in the hell of that place. Vessa shook her head again. Hoped they were alright and focused. She didn¡¯t want to be thinking about Samillia or her old friend group if she was to be tortured. It would just make it worse.


    Amtheran at the front desk looked up from her work at Vessa with her usual emotionless face.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early,¡± Amtheran said as she trailed her index finger along a series of runes. Vessa forced a smiled as she leaned against the wall and waited for the runes to glow.


    ¡°Here, I thought I was back on time.¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone was sure you would not be back until another a year at best, what with the fifteen assignments.¡± Amtheran said as she began reading papers and marking on them.


    ¡°I am efficient.¡± Vessa said intentionally, not mentioning that it had been thirteen assignments because she¡¯d fucked her last one so badly Castillo wasn¡¯t willing to wait for her to complete the last two.


    ¡°Hmm yes, too efficient¡± Amtheran said, no doubt implying that Vessa should have taken time for herself with each assignment as many others did.


    ¡°How much did you win off me?¡± Vessa asked to change the topic before she could recieve a cryptic lecture or have Amtheran dig deeper to find out about the removed assignments.


    ¡°It would be improper to say.¡±


    ¡°Did Douwell lose at least?¡± Vessa asked, Douwell being the only person to stay friends after coming to the base. An annoying friend that would as soon backstab as help, but still.


    ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Amtheran said.


    ¡°Does she know?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmmmm, not yet,¡± Amtheran said with a slight curve in her lips.


    ¡°Not yet?¡±


    ¡°Castillo and I are the first to know about your return.¡±


    ¡°I walked up the garden path,¡± Vessa said and tried to recall all those she¡¯d seen, but gave up, as she hadn¡¯t really been paying attention after running into Kamino and Teldesh.


    ¡°Then maybe she knows by now.¡± Amtheran said with a full on smile and then looked down to the runes. That glowed a faint pink color.


    ¡°He¡¯s ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Pink Amtheran?¡± Vessa asked, and Amtheram blushed.


    ¡°Rune casters, what are they like?¡±


    Vessa laughed as she walked down the hall, bracing herself as she thought about how annoyed Douwell would be when she found out she¡¯d failed to predict Vessa. Vessa knocked and waited.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Castillo called and Vessa took the last painless breath she was likely to take for a while before she turned the handle and walked in. To be torn apart for how the last mission went. She found she didn¡¯t regret it. Vessa wondered if Samillia would smile at how the mission had turned out, probably, but that was likely the reason Samillia was dead.

 Enclosure, Scene 2

    Vessa entered Castillo¡¯s office. Her ears perked as her heart raced and her body tensed. The likelihood that she would exit this door of her own volition was not high. Castillo sat at his desk, reading over papers with several books scattered about. The door shut, and he still said nothing, as Vessa stood waiting for her fate to be sealed.


    The bright blue sky shone from his window that was slightly ajar and let a nice breeze in. An empty bird feeder hung right outside hanging from the window. Castillo continued to mark papers and flip books open as reference. Vessa said nothing. She stared outside and enjoyed the breeze as her heart continued to pound. He would speak when he was ready. Vessa would not break the silence.


    A bird flew to the bird feeder and picked at the seeds. Soon other birds joined and Vessa examined their bright colors of pink and red, brown and blue. One with pink spots went at a fully brown one and the brown one flew off.


    ¡°Do you think yourself clever?¡± Castillo asked, and Vessa jumped. Her eyes darted from the birds to him and then to the dark wood walls behind him. She shook her head. No words would escape her mouth.


    ¡°You must, given how you chose to fulfill the last assignment.¡± Castillo said as he shut the book in his hands with a loud thump. Vessa jolted. Her eyes stayed on him, but his face gave away nothing.


    ¡°Tell me, when did you decide that blowing up the building was a part of the plan?¡± Castillo asked, and Vessa couldn¡¯t decide what to say. Saying she hadn¡¯t decided that she had merely pointed out the problem of missing bodies. And then the rescued prisoners had come up with a plan; wasn¡¯t something she wanted to say. Lying, on the other hand was also a terrible option.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t rhetorical.¡± Castillo said, pushing his chair back and standing up. Vessa tensed even further, barely breathing.


    ¡°It was a solution to a problem.¡± Vessa said, and Castillo stared at her as he let the silence fall in the room. Birds chirped outside, their wings flapped and the bird feeder creaked back and forth.


    ¡°The Casters are furious. Reprisal for stealing one of our children they understand, but the substantial loss of inventory for not just the perpetrators but a myriad of uninvolved, they are less understanding of.¡± Castillo said and then walked around his dark brown desk, sturdy and old. He made his way to the window. Castillo¡¯s footsteps loud in her ears. Inventory. We¡¯re ingredients, not prisoners. That had been what Kelsi had said. Castillo reached out to touch a bird of red and brown. It hopped onto his hand and he pet it with a single finger.


    ¡°And yet you killed everyone in the building. Followed the directions and found a clever way to complete the assignment.¡± Castillo said as he continued to look at the bird. Vessa nodded, there were no words in her mind to form a reply. She was barely breathing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never liked Pantries. They are overwhelming with misery and death. Filled to the brim with thousands of people, some of them barely born.¡± Castillo said as he put the bird back and another one with pink swirls on a black body jumped onto his finger, chirping at him. Vessa stayed completely still. Where was he going with this?


    Castillo turned to her, the bird on his finger. It looked at her, curious. It chirped and took off flying towards her to land on her shoulder and began tweeting a song.


    ¡°Still, the events that took place were so clearly out of the scope of the mission that I can¡¯t fathom how you thought of it.¡± He said as he leaned against the windowsill, looking her up and down. Vessa stared back at him, as the bird sung to her with a joy, Vessa didn¡¯t believe she was capable of feeling. She strained to hear two pairs of footsteps walking towards the door. Vessa could almost hear the screaming making its way into the hall as she was dragged down it, towards a room within.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itCastillo pushed off the windowsill and walked towards her, holding out his hand to the still singing bird. It cheerfully jumped onto his pointer finger, singing all the while until it fell silent. Its body went limp, and it fell to the ground.


    ¡°Sometimes, Vessa, we must do difficult things. It is the nature of our curse.¡± He said and Vessa looked down at the dead body of the once singing bird. Tears fell down her face.


    ¡°There were so many numbers and some were infants. Infants with missing body parts. I couldn¡¯t.¡± Vessa¡¯s words choked out of her mouth. Castillo cupped her chin and lifted her gaze from the dead bird. He stepped towards her and the sound of his boot crunching the dead bird¡¯s body filled the room. She felt sick.


    ¡°I know.¡± Castillo said, and Vessa¡¯s body shook. A part of her wanted the pain to make her numb again.


    ¡°Let me walk to the Center.¡± Vessa asked as she stared at his black shirt, unable to meet his eyes.


    ¡°That will not be necessary.¡± Castillo said and walked away from her to his desk. Vessa kept her eyes on his back, not on the floor or out the window. The sounds of happy birds made her want to scream; even so, she felt relieved. The Learning Center was not her next destination.


    Castillo picked up a file and walked back to Vessa, holding it out to her. She took it from him. More assignments without a break in between was a preferred punishment to a visit to the Learning Center.


    ¡°In there are targets for the Umbaan. An essential planet that trades goods to the Casters is rebelling and they¡¯re having trouble suppressing the instigators. You will go and help them bring the planet back into order. The Casters have agreed that this will suffice as an apology.¡± Castillo said as Vessa flipped through the file. It had detailed maps of cities and terrain as well as long paragraphs describing the politics and the magic. She got to the target section and froze on the fifth page. The relief disappearing completely.


    Target:


    Female


    8 years


    Vessa didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t speak. The birds chirped outside the window. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Silence fell, and they both listened to the birds. The room was too small and Vessa¡¯s breathing too loud.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the Empire. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to assign another?¡±


    ¡°You must gain familiarity somehow, and this is your mess.¡± Castillo said, Vessa had nothing, no wasn¡¯t an option. She¡¯d just be dragged down the hall and not just punished, but broken until she conceded and was assigned a similar case. The last vestiges of her would be gone.


    She would be fine. She would complete the assignments and return with no need to visit the Center. It would be fine.


    ¡°When do I leave?¡± Vessa asked, her words barely loud enough for her own ears.


    ¡°Soon, there are still some things to be ironed out. Until then, wait in your room.¡± Castillo said, and Vessa nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Vessa said, pivoted and opened the door. She walked out, hearing it shut and with it the sound of birds singing. File in hand as she walked towards her room, taking a detour at the last moment.

 Enclosure, Scene 3

    Vessa kept walking until she could hear screams. A mix of voices belonging to boys and girls, men and women, young and old. She stayed right at the corner before the double doors, even still her heart beat faster. She could feel her breath in her throat, as if in the next moment someone would come along and drag her in, passed the double doors and to her own room.


    She had been twelve when she had her first room. Her abilities weren¡¯t shifting over. It was such a weird experience to be tortured when she had compulsively looked for her death in everything and in every moment. To lean into the harder strikes for the possible death. It had been an excruciatingly long stay where her mind had been reformed. At the end, she had been severely homicidal.


    Vessa looked down at the folder, her eyes glancing passed it to the worn part of the floor beneath her feet and back up. The double doors were a deep brown with a hint of red, as if blood was seeping through. The grey stone floor had scuff marks in the middle coming from each hall that lead to the Learning Center. The longest was the hall that lead to the students¡¯ dorms, where a countless number of children had been dragged against their will; their legs trailing behind so many times that it left permeant markings.


    She had been sixteen when she had her second room. Vessa had stopped killing as her homicidal nature settled. She had regained control and couldn¡¯t just kill. She had been back several times in the next three years. Until they finally shifted over to criminals and Vessa could get a vague sense of their crimes, all of them had been murderers. Jeseme was her first kill. He had raped and killed a ten-year-old girl. That kill had been easy as had the next and next; until Vessa wondered how many people looked at children in that way.


    The scuff marks didn¡¯t go away with cleaning and polishing. Vessa had tried every time it was her chore, as if making them disappear would be a victory.


    She flinched as the hall went quiet. She remembered when she had thought it was a good thing. Now she waited, filling with dread. Vessa could almost see Gethane leaning against the wall, letting her pant as the silence built until it crept into her skin, goosebumps all over. Until she waited, wondering when she¡¯d start screaming again. It lasted until she considered begging Gethane to start again. Vessa shook her head and touch the rough wall. Reminding herself which side of the doors she was on; shaking her entire body. Looking at the scuff marks, touching her wrists. She was alone on the right side of the doors.


    The first voice broke the silence, and Vessa let out a gasp. The first was a man¡¯s voice that filled the hall for two minutes before the second came, a girl¡¯s, then the third another man¡¯s, then the fourth a woman¡¯s. There was a twisted sense of relief one felt when they were finally screaming, for at least the guilt and anticipation were over. Vessa shook again, reminding herself she wasn¡¯t waiting for her turn.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.¡°I thought I¡¯d find you here.¡± Vessa jumped and seized hold of the numbers.


    Female 357: 96%.


    Vessa began to bring the number down before she recognized Maggie¡¯s green eyes.


    ¡°Maggie. This was not the smartest place to sneak up on me,¡± Vessa said as she looked Maggie over. Her iridescent form glimmered with a core of dark shadow. Vessa¡¯s hands would pass right through if she tried to hug Maggie.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the few that can drain me when I¡¯m merely a harmless shadow.¡± Maggie said with a grin that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Neither of them looked towards the reason her eyes were haunted, but then again, they didn¡¯t have to. The sounds filled the hall. Sight was not required.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you were ever merely anything, but why are you here?¡± Vessa asked Maggie, her one other true friend besides Douwell, and Maggie wouldn¡¯t stab Vessa in the back. They met as Maggie was a Caster working for the base. Vessa liked that Maggie wasn¡¯t like most Casters.


    ¡°So don¡¯t get mad, but I felt a tinge in your direction and so I peaked.¡± Maggie said and handed Vessa a scroll.


    ¡°It¡¯s a protection scroll against a spell aiming to hurt you rather than kill. Or well actually it¡¯s more broad like if there¡¯s a spell against your best interest it will probably also dissipate it, though I don¡¯t know how affective it will be near the Divide.¡±


    ¡°Maggie, I will be fine. I don¡¯t need this,¡± Vessa said and tried to hand the scroll back. Maggie held her hands up and refused to take it back. Maggie¡¯s black hair tinged green in her iridescent form fell over her face wherever she actually was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much experience there, and I won¡¯t be able to reach you.¡± Maggie said as she pushed her hair out of her face.


    ¡°Maggie.¡± Vessa began but was cut off by an especially loud scream, likely from one of the rooms closest to the door. One of the worst rooms to be in. So close to escaping, yet no chances ever came and some part of yourself always knew you wouldn¡¯t make it far. Sometimes they¡¯d even let someone escape, only to drag them back. Maggie cleared her throat, tears brimming in her eyes.


    ¡°Will you use it? Please use it. I am just worried for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine,¡± Vessa said


    ¡°Of course you are. Of course you will be, but this won¡¯t be detectable by anyone and why not give yourself extra protection in an unknown area,¡± Maggie asked and hugged Vessa, and then disappeared. Vessa sighed as she stared at where Maggie had been. She opened the scroll and placed her thumb in the clear spot for it. A prick, and her blood was on the paper and the scroll disappeared. Vessa didn¡¯t feel any different.


    She turned to go and saw a thirteen-year-old boy being dragged down the hall towards her. He would be dragged through the doors, and then to a room. Vessa pretended she was in the gardens and walked passed the boy and his two keepers. Pretended not to hear his cries to her.  Pretended all the way to her room.

 Enclosure, Scene 4

    Vessa saw her door and let out a breath, still holding the file to her side. She paused, the door was slightly ajar.


    She opened her mind to the numbers and Douwell¡¯s came rushing in. Vessa sighed and thought about turning away and going elsewhere, except Castillo had told her to wait in her room. The chorus of screaming, and the thirteen-year-old¡¯s begging, was too fresh to disobey.


    ¡°You may come in,¡± Douwell called.


    Vessa¡¯s fist tightened on the file. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Douwell. But if she turned and walked away Douwell would either mess with her room more or follow her, and the screaming echoed in Vessa¡¯s mind.


    She opened her door to Douwell laying on Vessa¡¯s bed with her shoes still on.


    ¡°Get your shoes off my bed¡± Vessa said


    ¡°Did my favorite well trained hound complete their assignments with their normal perfection?¡± Douwell asked as she sat up and put her shoes on the floor. Vessa looked around her room to see everything shifted a bit out of place.


    Vessa breathed slowly out and looked to Douwell who had elbows on her knees and hands cupping her slightly tilted face. A smirk on her lips and eyes mocking Vessa.


    ¡°Apparently better, considering you lost the betting pool.¡± Vessa said, almost smiled at all she was leaving out and went to fix her curtains. Vessa put the file down on the windowsill to straighten her books.


    ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll bet better next time with this,¡± Douwell said and Vessa turned from her books to see Douwell had nabbed her file.


    ¡°Give it back, Douwell.¡± Vessa said and walked towards Douwell. Douwell jumped up onto the bed with her dirty shoes and opened the file and began reading.


    ¡°OOO spicy¡­. and you normally don¡¯t care which must¡­..¡± Douwell went quiet and completely still. Vessa grabbed her file away from Douwell, who let it slip from her hands. Vessa began straightening the papers.


    ¡°Vessa¡­¡­¡± Douwell said and Vessa looked up to Douwell who was still on her bed. There was no longer a smirk on her face, and her eyes were unreadable.


    ¡°Vessa, let me do this¡± Douwell said.


    ¡°No. And get off my bed,¡± Vessa said and went to the shelves of knickknacks and straightened them. She heard a thud and then hands turned Vessa, so that she was facing Douwell.


    ¡°Would you stop and listen to me!¡± Douwell said and shook Vessa. Vessa pushed Douwell¡¯s hands away and stepped back.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.¡°I can do my own assignments Douwell.¡± Vessa said and Douwell laughed, but it was not the usual. It was more manic, as if Douwell was panicked.


    ¡°Not this time. Not this one. Let me do it. I¡¯ll sneak away and go with you and then sneak back in and you can claim you did it.¡± Douwell said, looking completely earnest.


    ¡°That would be lying,¡± Vessa said and Douwell pivoted away from Vessa and threw her hands up into the air.


    ¡°So the fuck what?¡± Douwell asked as her hands went to her head.


    ¡°I was given this assignment.¡± Vessa said, watching as Douwell¡¯s fingers dug into her scalp.


    ¡°Because the fuckers want their perfect hound to be completely under their control!¡± Douwell said and paced back and forth from wall to wall.


    Vessa just watched her for a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how I see it.¡± She said and Douwell turned back violently.


    ¡°No, because you¡¯re a blind idiot, but you can¡¯t just push forward this time!¡± Douwell said, her arms gesturing wildly. Vessa gritted her teeth and then asked.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because you cannot kill a child, Vessa!¡± Douwell said, almost screaming. Vessa said nothing for a moment before finally saying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll complete this assignment as I have done with every other.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, and when you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll run. We both know what happens next.¡± Douwell said and went to the windowsill, pressing her head against the glass. Vessa heard the screams of the Learning Center in her mind.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be me.¡± Vessa said, and Douwell turned to face Vessa when there was a knock at the door.


    Vessa went and opened it. To see a woman dressed in a transportation uniform, another Caster like Maggie who preferred the Wishing Constellation to the Casting Constellations.


    ¡°Castillo sent me to bring you to your destination.¡± She said, and Vessa nodded.


    ¡°Vessa won¡¯t you let me have your room?¡± Douwell asked in her flippant tones. Vessa turned back to look at her. Knickknacks and books with light shining through the window and Douwell standing in the middle of the room. All Vessa had to do was say yes, but what would Vessa do for each similar assignment?


    ¡°No, you have your own,¡± Vessa said as she walked out with the transit worker. Everything would be fine. Vessa was well trained.

 Stalling Tactics, Scene 1

    Vessa followed after the transit worker down the hall, taking a right instead of a left, and arriving at the Transportation Center instead of the Learning. Her fingers gripped the file as she tried not to think about who was in it. The Transportation center was just as noisy as the Learning, but instead of screaming, there was the loud murmur of a crowd. Portals on every wall but one. Train noises coming through each to add to the din, and on the blank wall stood other transit workers. Who would take you places the portals couldn¡¯t reach.


    Vessa hadn¡¯t needed to come here very often. Her assignment book teleported her where she needed to go, but multiple Number Assassins came or went through the portals. Castillo had told her as a child it was a matter of different tools for different people.


    The woman walked to an empty spot on the blank wall, a human portal taking its place. She held her hands out and Vessa paused. Something could have been left in her room. Douwell was likely still there, Douwell would complete the assignment and Vessa could claim she had; instead, she took one of the proffered hands, the file feeling heavy in the other, and the world changed into a blur. It felt like a blizzard of similar. Sights she¡¯d almost seen. Smells almost known and textures Vessa swore she knew, but couldn¡¯t place the name to.


    It was how most traveled. It was what held the Constellations together. Similar magics and all you had to do was trace the things that connected them. Not that Vessa had been taught. The Wishing Constellation used portals and trains instead. To keep the Casting Constellations from enveloping another Constellation.


    A bright blue sky that wasn¡¯t a collage of many versions appeared, and after a minute Vessa¡¯s dizziness dissipated. A star lit up the sky, proving this wasn¡¯t a planet in the Wishing Constellation.


    ¡°This is as far as I can take you.¡± The transit woman said and Vessa turned, stumbled, and finally faced the woman.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Vessa asked confused, she knew the assignment book couldn¡¯t teleport her anywhere near the Empire. It was too much of a Wisher design, but that¡¯s why most transit workers were Casters.


    The woman gave Vessa a weird look.


    ¡°Have you been to the Empire before?¡± The woman asked and Vessa shook her head. She learned about it in class as a child and was taught more once she moved to the base, but never been.


    ¡°How much do you know about the Divide?¡± The transit worker asked, her face scrunched in concern, as clouds in the sky blocked the star and the wind picked up.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°It hates Wishers,¡± Vessa said, though she wasn¡¯t sure how it hated anything.


    ¡°It does, but it also hates most Constellation magic, with only the magics near it sometimes being an exception.¡± The woman said as she tucked her hair away only for the wind to blow it back into her face.


    ¡°So how am I getting into the Empire?¡± Vessa asked, glad her hair was up and out of her way.


    ¡°I teleported you as close as I could. A connection will teleport you to another world and then you¡¯ll get into a spaceship that will fly you to your destination. Though they won¡¯t be an associate of ours but the Umbaan¡¯s, so be careful.¡± The transit worker said as she once again moved her hair out of her face.


    ¡°Why the third? Can¡¯t your connection teleport me all the way?¡± Vessa asked. The woman shook her head as she flicked her hand and muttered several words and the wind was gone.


    ¡°Normally, but this planet is too close to the Divide for teleporting.¡± The transit worker said, then paused, opened her mouth, and then paused again.


    ¡°Should I have brought your friend as well? The one in your room, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, I know the orders I was given, but if you¡¯ve never been here ¡­ Well, it¡¯s just that most times, in new locations, there¡¯s two of you and ¡­I just, the Empire is dangerous and different, and I can go get her. If you were trying to impress and¡­ I just wouldn¡¯t suggest it, not here. With the Umbaan and the IIA and several¡­ other¡­ groups.¡± The woman went completely red and bit her lip. How screwed was Vessa? Hopefully, the file gave her the needed information as this seemed off. Why send her here? Even if it was for punishment, surely there were other kids to kill.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not supposed to ask. It¡¯s just your questions. And ¡­¡± The transit worker gestured all around them and then coughed and looked away. Vessa just stared. She was so tempted to say yes, instead, Vessa held up her file.


    ¡°I have the briefing in here. I will be fine.¡± Vessa said and the transit worker nodded, still completely red.


    ¡°Of course. Wait here for the associate.¡± The woman said and handed Vessa a piece of paper and ran a couple of paces away before disappearing. Vessa stared at where the transit worker had been for several moments. Before looking around herself, to see she was in a garden with trees and flowers. Seeing a path, she walked on it to an archway, file in hand. She¡¯d find somewhere to sit before reading.

 Stalling Tactics, Scene 2

    Vessa walked through the archway into a courtyard with two running fountains. Water coming out of three bucks in battle with each other, their antlers interlocked. The fountain on the other side of the courtyard was a single doe sculpted to look delicate and majestic. Her head slightly tilted, facing the three bucks.


    Vessa walked to them instead of the doe, file in hand. She sat on the lip, encircling the bucks, and let her hand fall into the water as she stared down at the file. Vessa had to read it, but for a moment all she did was listen to the water falling and feel the breeze on her skin.


    Finally Vessa flipped open to diagrams of the capital city, Merath.


    It showed the city spiraling out from one singular point. Spires decreasing in precise measurement until it became suburbs that circled around the entire city with parks taking up the rest of the space.


    There were several pages laying out different spires entire make up. Businesses mixed with art galleries and apartments. Government buildings and prisons.


    She finally got through it all and found the rest of the cities had a page a piece with some splitting the paper three ways with other cities.


    Vessa got up, put the file down. It lay open on the politics. Her heart raced. She walked away to look at the doe. Found her hands tracing the statue. No antlers, no fawn. Vessa froze. Looked at the doe in the eyes carved out from the stone. What was it like to lose a fawn?


    Vessa walked back to the bucks locked in combat. Took up the file. The Umbaan with several leaders. A group of descendents from the Color and Light Constellations. Which explained why the Casters couldn¡¯t just crush the rebels. Casters often had light and color as side effects of their spells or as their special signifier, but they didn¡¯t really have control over it.


    They had tried taking over the Color and Light Constellations and lost worlds to them with no gains. Only the Dreamers were able to fight with them. But the Dreamers hadn¡¯t been the ones to send them running. It had been some internal problems.


    Vessa shook her head. She needed to focus. Where was this associate that was supposed to be taking her to her next stop?


    Vessa kept reading to see they were descendents of the Color Constellation. Painters and ones with specific colors rather than a command of all of them. Blue and purple, white and black with silver playing an unknown part. The text referred her to the magic portion of the file for more information.


    She flipped the page, and magic was in bold print. Vessa put the file down again. Walked away to the plain cream-colored arch. A garden lay beyond the arch with clumps of trees and flower walls.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Vessa looked back and wondered where all the people were. The courtyard looked well kept. Yet there was no noise of people. A brief glance into her mind showed there were no numbers nearby.


    It was just her and the file waiting for the associate to take them to the next destination.


    She looked away from the file and to the doe.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Vessa said aloud. Her fingers grasping the rough stone of the arch. She looked away, back out into the garden. Almost as if she was back at base. That thought wasn¡¯t helpful.


    The associate shouldn¡¯t find Vessa like this. It would get back to Castillo, yet Vessa stayed where she was. Right after magic, the target section would begin. Which page had the child been on?


    ¡°Douwell is laughing at me. Telling me she was right. Castillo is just waiting for me to fail. To break me further.¡± Vessa said to no one. Hopefully. She should not be talking out loud.


    Vessa pressed her face to the stone, it was rough against her skin, but cool. She should go sit down and read her file. She should be professional.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± Vessa said and leaned her entire body on the arch. This wasn¡¯t the homes where meltdowns were met with kindness. This was so far from the homes. Where she¡¯d been forced to talk about her compulsion to kill herself, and then listen to the others. Supporting them, confiding in them.


    ¡°I am so glad you¡¯re dead Samilla.¡± Vessa said as Samilla danced in a memory. Chasing the compulsions away by blurring the world away. Her laughing despite the sad horror in her eyes.


    ¡°I have to do this.¡± Vessa said out loud, hopefully to no one. She pushed herself off the arch and towards the bucks and the file.


    The magic section was a ramble of words, that Vessa slowly read through before she realized she didn¡¯t remember much of the politics and flipped back.


    The Painters¡¯ world has been settled before the Empire had invaded and the Umbaan had forced their magic to become secret. Some factions had adapted, while others still fought back.


    It said nothing about why this new rebellion has started.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Vessa? I am sorry I am late.¡± A woman said and Vessa stood up and closed the file.


    ¡°It is fine. Shall we go?¡± Vessa asked as she felt the doe looking at her, head slightly tilted.


    The world changed again. This time no blizzard of familiar just one moment in the courtyard, the next in darkness with stars and spaceships lighting up the night.


    The woman began walking and Vessa followed, passing large hangers to the smaller ones barely lit up enough to make them out.

 Stalling Tactics, Scene 3

    The associate left Vessa in front of a smaller hanger, telling her to wait, then walking in. Vessa stood outside, the cold making her shiver as she waited. The woman didn¡¯t come back out, but a man did. Vessa sat down as she waited.


    He came up to her and held out his hand. Vessa was pulled up onto her feet. The man looked her up and down. Vessa handed him the piece of paper as she realized she probably should have given it to the woman. He took it, nodded, handed it back, and walked off. Vessa followed him into the small hanger with one spaceship.


    The spaceship was cramped with boxes and smelt of leather and sweat, metal and mold. He gestured to the only other place to sit and Vessa walked passed the rows of strapped down boxes and sat down.


    She felt bone rattling vibrations as the pilot began pressing buttons and the whole thing lifted and then moved backwards until they were out of the bay and into the night sky.


    Vessa had heard about the magic that the Empire used as well as the similar magic of the Federation and the Republic. They all insisted on calling it tech formed from science. Vessa wasn¡¯t sure what the difference was, but she didn¡¯t want to give herself away.


    She blushed at the memory of thinking each was their own Constellation, but what was she supposed to think when they called themselves The Federation as if they weren¡¯t others out there. The one time she¡¯d asked someone from the Republic, they¡¯d burst out at her. Saying it wasn¡¯t predictable for there to be so many populated planets. At least they made more sense than everyone in the Constellations calling them The Empire or The Federation or The Republic. The only answer there had been it¡¯s their name.


    Vessa looked at the pilot flying the spaceship and wondered how he¡¯d react to the question. She smiled and then looked down at the file. She was at the target section and however long this trip would take was all she had to read.


    Vessa began reading through the first couple of targets. All were in the capital city with its copious amounts of diagrams. Vessa began flipping back and forth, marking where each target¡¯s location was at different times of the day. Another thing that her assignment book couldn¡¯t do for her here. Vessa would actually have to stalk them down.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.She got lost in the work until the page was staring up at her. The child of two leaders. Though they led a different movement than the rebellion Vessa was being sent to help quell. They were clearly close enough to still be a problem. The girl had health issues and had security detail as well as magical protections.


    Vessa¡¯s fingers gripped the file hard; until she made herself relax with the knowledge of the man next to her. The girl¡¯s schedule was layed out with some confusion and the hypothesis of body doubles. Vessa went cold. How many kids was she going to have to kill?


    Instead of marking down the locations on the maps, Vessa skipped over the child and kept reading. She went into even more detail on the map, taking her time to meticulously trace the routes; until she hit the last page and just stared. Vessa knew showing up unprepared would end badly. She knew it and still she closed the file and looked out into the blackness out beyond the glass. Occasionally other spaceships would pass by, sometimes the pilot had a brief conversation over the coms.


    It was weird to finally get practical experience of things she¡¯d only been taught about; then for a moment, it felt like something was pushing against her. Telling her to stop. Not to turn back; just to stop. She almost wanted to listen.


    ¡°Are we in the Divide?¡± Vessa asked, and the pilot coughed a laugh.


    ¡°The Divide? No. This is spotting land in the fog, and thinking you¡¯ve landed, hitting a rock just short of peaking out, then you praying to all heaven that you didn¡¯t damage the hull..¡± The pilot said as the feeling passed and Vessa felt like she fell forward. There was nothing to stop her now.


    ¡°I thought the Divide was just in one place.¡± Vessa said as her folder lay on her lap, beckoning her to read before she got to where she was going.


    ¡°If only. Think of the Divide as the mountain chain that blocks you from the main land. Out here is the ocean, getting ever more shallow with islands and reefs to fuck you over if you¡¯re not careful.¡± Vessa nodded as she stared at the file.


    ¡°Luckily, you¡¯ve got me.¡± The pilot said as he flipped some switches. Vessa continued to stare at the file. She wasn¡¯t going to kill more kids, just the one she had to. No matter what that meant.

 Stalling Tactics, Scene 4

    Hours passed as Vessa read through the entire file three times, almost. The politics were messy and the magic confusing, but Vessa was pretty sure she could make her way around the capital city, not any of the other ones, but none of the targets were outside of the capital.


    The ship landed and Vessa stayed seated as she stared down at the file on her lap. The pilot was clicking buttons, and the engine was settling down and still she stayed seated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know how much you magic types know, but you can get off now.¡± The man said and Vessa looked at the many boxes strapped down. He shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need your help for that.¡± He said it pleasantly enough, but Vessa felt her number be nudged and his own drop.


    Male 38: 76%


    Vessa nodded rose from her seat and watched as the ship¡¯s bottom opened up and turned into a ramp that lead into an empty warehouse, except for one man waiting at the bottom of the ramp with a smile that made Vessa¡¯s teeth grind.


    Never the less Vessa walked down to him as he was presumably her escort from the Umbaan. Brown hair and eyes dressed completely in black. Despite this Vessa felt if she squinted really hard, there would be orange somewhere on his person. She¡¯d have to double check, but she was almost positive orange was not one of the colors mention for these Painters.


    ¡°Vessa it¡¯s so nice to meet you. I¡¯m the Umbaan representative assigned to you and I¡¯m sure you would like to get settled in. We have a big day tomorrow with a meeting and me showing you around the city; but until then, I¡¯d love to answer any questions you might have.¡± He said cheerfully and gestured for her to walk with him towards an opening with what seemed a balcony.


    ¡°Eh!¡± The pilot called to them. The Umbaan rep turned around and his smile was brittle and numbers shifted. Vessa smelled some type of flower.


    ¡°Do not worry, your payment is on the table over there.¡± The Umbaan rep pointed to a table that had not been there a second ago and the pilot startled and then nodded. The rep turned to her and gestured to the opening.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± He asked, and Vessa nodded as she decided she didn¡¯t like him, not that it mattered. The Umbaan rep walked onto the balcony, the sky setting in blue and purple with silver spires surrounding them. Some were short and others towered above her, though all were silver and copies of each other. Ships were flying all around and parts of the spires would open. The ships would fly in with the silver doors closing behind them.


    The spires shone with their own glory as well reflecting the sunset so everything to seemed to be a mirage of blue and purple with bits of gleaming silver thrown in. And the people. The millions of people that were rushing about. Most so much younger than she was used to. She didn¡¯t think there was anyone older than seven hundred years with most much younger.


    All the numbers spiraled around Vessa and she wondered where all her targets were in the city. Her homicidal nature raised its head and hungered, salivating after them. She could just kill them all. No building dread over the child, no Umbaan rep and no haunting dreams of the Learning Center. Vessa could just let go and it would all be over.


    ¡°A bit over the top, if you ask me. I personally like more traditional sunsets.¡± The Umbaan rep said as he turned to Vessa with a smile that she was already tired of, but his voice helped Vessa pull herself away from her carnal nature.


    Vessa looked up to see other balconies on their spires. Mainly with working men moving cargo from the bays to spaceships that latched on the balconies. She looked down at the floor to see multiple rivets spaced further and further apart to accommodate different sized spaceships. A part of her, opposite from the carnal side wanted to run back in or make her way up and ask for a ride out and away from this planet.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°Shall we be going?¡± He asked and Vessa looked into the hanger and then back to him, and passed out into the air where there were no spaceships to carry to their destination.


    ¡°Are we jumping?¡± Vessa asked, even though she was sure they weren¡¯t. He laughed and shook his head.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± He said with another wide smile and gestured to the air passed the balcony.


    ¡°There¡¯s an invisible portal. Wouldn¡¯t want those to see it, that shouldn¡¯t. You have been informed of Umbaan laws, have you not?¡± He asked, and Vessa merely nodded before walking for it. Her number was stable, so it was deeply unlikely he was lying to get her to jump.


    ¡°Not a talker, I see.¡± He said, and they walked out passed the balcony, gone before she could look down.


    Polished grey marble walls surrounded her with people walking by in formal attire.


    ¡°Welcome to the Umbaan¡¯s home here on Esaul. This is the foray, so it is a bit less homey. Follow me and I will show you to where you¡¯ll be staying during your time here.¡± The Umbaan rep said and Vessa complied. He began chatting about various things which she listened to well enough to reply. Somewhere out there was a child whose days were numbered. Vessa¡¯s fingers grasped the file tighter. She was fine with that. It was what she was trained for, and Maggie and Douwell were wrong.


    Even if they weren¡¯t; there was always letting go. Vessa hated that option. She had no control and there was almost always collateral, but she knew some used it. Manell who wouldn¡¯t be able to complete his assignments otherwise, or Casem who just didn¡¯t want to remember.


    The talking stopped. Vessa realized she actually hadn¡¯t been paying that much attention, and while the walls were still made of marble, there were expensive brown carpets and the lighting had changed.


    ¡°I simply ask because if it is of your work here with us, then it will be outdated and I am here to correct any misinformation.¡± He said, his voice almost apologetic. Vessa shook her head, at least the conversation was easy to guess at.


    ¡°No, it is not your work here with us?¡± He said, his smile still on full display, but his eyes were harder.


    ¡°I do not need any help, as I am sure the meeting you mentioned will go over anything important.¡± Vessa replied and the Umbaan rep¡¯s eyes tightened further as his smile widened, so friendly Vessa checked her number, and grasped his, just in case.


    Male 544: 89%


    ¡°Of course. Shall we get you settled in a room? You look tired.¡± He said, gesturing down the hallway to the right, and Vessa nodded again. He gestured with an arm for her to go forward and lead Vessa to a door, opening it for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here tomorrow morning to get you bright and early, so be sure to get some sleep.¡± He said and Vessa nodded before walking in, the door shutting behind her. Her stomach grumbled, and she looked back at the door that she was sure had been locked.


    A quick glance around the room showed a desk and a door that led to a bathroom. There was no food, and she wondered if that was intentional. Vessa looked down at the file. What was going on? Why did he want her file?


    A yawn broke the silence, and she went to lay on the bed. Vessa had slept hungry before. She shut her eyes and filled her mind with numbers to keep it busy.

 Into the Depths, Scene 1

    Someone entered her room, and Vessa woke immediately, but stayed still.


    Male 102: 94%, Male 115: 97%


    She¡¯d never been a deep sleeper in the homes, but after her first trip to the Learning Center, she had woke to the slightest sound. It was more often Douwell trying to mess with her, but sometimes it was them testing her reflexes and while not all failures had led to the Center, some did.


    The person¡¯s footsteps lead to the desk and the sound of quiet rummaging ensued, then silence. Footsteps came over to her and she could hear and smell his breath. Quiet fast inhales and exhales of mint.


    A hand hovered over hers and the file in her grasp. A slight tug at the file and then steps back and pacing. The door opened again and soft whispering ensued.


    ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Tightly grasped.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°do I do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­.. ¡°


    ¡°yelled at,¡±


    ¡°¡­ come on.¡±


    Footsteps walking out and then the door shutting. Vessa did nothing, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so after waiting a couple moments, she got up and went to sit at the desk, skimming through the politics section.


    All the while, Vessa wondered why they¡¯d been after her file. To add more, or was there someone they no longer wanted dead? She hadn¡¯t been informed much about Umbaan politics and the little she had heard did not give a reason. The Umbaan were in bed with the Casters and were struggling to keep magic secret as the Empire expanded further and further out. Some planets weren¡¯t happy about it. Caster worlds had been forced to allow the Empire to conquer them in return for goods and services from the Umbaan.


    She felt like she was missing so much, but there was nothing to be done for it. Vessa flipped to the child¡¯s page. Just stared, feeling slightly sick. She began writing. If I don¡¯t they¡¯ll torture me over and over again. Then switched to sometimes we must do hard things, and it¡¯s the nature of our curse.


    Vessa pushed away from the table and looked out the window. It was too small for her to escape through. There was no escape. This was what she was. An assassin. It was her purpose. It was how she served her people, who fed and sheltered her. Who pointed her at righteous targets as to make her curse useful. Vessa could hear Douwell laughing. Saying that was just propaganda to keep her in line.


    Vessa punched a wall.


    ¡°What choice do I have?¡± She asked no one and then sat down.


    She just stared at the file until there was a knock at the door. She rose from the chair, stretched, and looked at the file on her desk and then at the door. Vessa pulled out her assignment book, put the file in between the pages and both went into her pocket, the book shrinking down to fit. It would be easier to keep track of the file this way, as others seemed to want it.


    A knock at the door again and Vessa went to open it to the smiling Umbaan rep standing on the other side. His eyes were sharp, but his smile inviting. Vessa grasped his number again.


    Male 544: 89%


    ¡°Good morning Vessa, how did you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Well enough.¡± She lied, and he nodded as his eyes scanned her room.


    ¡°I hope your room was satisfactory?¡± He asked, and she nodded again. His eyes tightened further and her stomach growled. He smiled as he gestured her out into the hall.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have time to stop and get something to eat after the meeting.¡± He said as he led her down hallway after hallway. He opened the door and Vessa looked in.


    There was a crescent table with ten people seated around it, as others stood directly behind chairs or at the back by the wall. They all stared at her. Vessa stepped back. Her heart racing. If she killed them all, then none could kill her. Vessa took a breath. The Umbaan rep guided Vessa through entrance and into the middle of the room with the table semi circling around her. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    All ten people seated had unreadable faces. Vessa almost reached for their numbers, but didn¡¯t at the last second. As she was worried, she¡¯d act on her nerves and have a room full of the dead. Vessa wasn¡¯t sure what the Wishers would have to do to make up for that or what Castillo would do to her. Actually, she was sure what Castillo would do and it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant.


    ¡°Welcome to Esaul?¡± A woman in the middle said, was her face worried?


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Vessa said.


    ¡°Who knew even assassins get stage freight?¡± An older man on the left said and Vessa turned to stare at him. Was that fear on his face? She couldn¡¯t tell. When she saw fear, it usually wasn¡¯t subtle.


    ¡°Heshan, be nice to our guest, as she is greatly helping us.¡± The woman in the middle said and Vessa turned back.


    ¡°I am sure the long ride has you not at your best. Hopefully, your accommodations will help.¡± The woman said, and Vessa nodded. Numbers pushing in at the edge of her mind as she tried to ignore them. It just occurred to Vessa she hadn¡¯t often talk to a group of people. Except when she was killing them, like when she¡¯d been sent to bring a prison back into order. Or at the Pantry, but then none of them had been like this and there had been people trying to kill them. Nothing like the threat of death to calm the nerves.


    ¡°Agnell, are we going to get into the meat of this meeting or you going to keep sweet talking?¡± Heshan said and Vessa realized the woman had been talking.


    ¡°I am sure she¡¯d love to bring our guest back to her rooms.¡± A different woman on the right of the table said and there were laughs. Vessa breathed out. Trying to reorient. She needed a task. That would help keep her focused, calm. Calm was good. Calm didn¡¯t kill a room full of people on accident. Calm did not grab the numbers humming in the mind and squash all of the noise.


    ¡°I would never make such an indiscretion, and I find being polite and welcoming the best policy, but very well. Vessa the reason we¡¯ve asked you here today was for some clarity. We understand that your help was arranged between your people and the Casters.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡± Vessa said proud her voice sounded steady. How many people were here in this room anyway? 27 people her mind helpfully provided as it tried to get her to end them all, and while she was at it, why not take out everyone else in reach?


    ¡°That is good. Unfortunately, though, I don¡¯t think either the Wishers or the Casters for as amazing as they are really understand what we need done.¡±


    ¡°The Umbaan rep said my information was outdated misinformation.¡± Vessa blurted and Agnell paused, a smile crookedly frozen on her face.


    ¡°Very helpful of Lamell.¡± A man next to Angell said and Vessa took another breath, as she failed to think of any task to keep her mind busy. Had the Umbaan rep told her his name? It sounded familiar.


    ¡°Ah yes, well, Lamell is right. It is outdated misinformation, and we would all like to look at your file to fix any issues if that would be alright?¡± Agnell finally said, and her smile went back to being friendly and open.


    ¡°The file will be passed around to all of us, correct?¡± A woman dressed in blue three seats down from Agnell asked.


    ¡°Of course, that is what I said.¡±


    ¡°One is never sure.¡± The woman in blue said.


    ¡°At any rate, Vessa would you mind bringing it out, so we all can look at it together?¡± Agnell said, turning to smile at the woman in blue. Vessa¡¯s hand went to her pocket, pulling out her assignment book and grabbing the file within before putting the book back in her pocket.


    ¡°Ahhhh, what a wonderful place to ensure its safety.¡± Agnell said, did her eyes flicker to Lamell for a second? Vessa handed her file to the woman in blue. Who gave Vessa a surprised smile, much more genuine than Lamell¡¯s or Agnell¡¯s.


    ¡°So Vessa what are your intentions here on Esaul?¡± A young woman next to Heshan asked and Vessa fully turned to look at them, unsure of how to answer that.


    ¡°To murder people, girl. What do you think assassins do? Your parents must have mastered the art of fellatio on the Casters for you to be here,¡± Heshan said as Vessa froze.


    ¡°Heshan! This meeting will keep its decorum.¡± Agnell said and Vessa gave up trying to find a task and committed to just staying above water and not killing everyone.


    ¡°Decorum? As we plan cowardly murder with an unknown tool of the Casters and Wishers? Any decorum, we had died a two hundred and fifty years ago.¡± Heshan said, shaking his head.


    ¡®¡®I heartily disagree and would ask you to keep your tongue in check, as in line with your obligations.¡± Agnell said as she passed Vessa¡¯s file to the left.


    ¡°I am sure there are a multitude of people who would ask you favors, that should simply fall under your obligations.¡± The woman in blue said, giving Vessa weird look of compassion and calculation. Though Vessa wasn¡¯t sure. Her eyes catching Heshan¡¯s as she fought a yawn.


    ¡°I will only murder those you tell me to.¡± Vessa said and then quickly gestured to the whole table, so no one would think she was just talking to Heshan. Vessa didn¡¯t realize people in the back had been writing until the entire room went quiet. She did not think she was doing very well.


    ¡°That is good to hear Vessa.¡± Agnell said and Heshan harrumphed.


    ¡°It is true that they¡¯ll torture you if you don¡¯t succeed?¡± The young woman right next to Heshan asked as she handed him the file, and Vessa remembered what she had written on the child¡¯s page over and over again. She hadn¡¯t realized they¡¯d want to see it. Castillo was going to have her tortured purely for how badly she¡¯d botched this meeting.


    ¡°I am sure everything will be alright.¡± Agness said, her eyes almost devouring Vessa. What had changed?


    ¡°It appears even assassins aren¡¯t keen on killing children. Never the less I see the need, and the Casters took our input and didn¡¯t add anyone. I think this meeting can be over.¡± Heshan said and Agnell opened her mouth and then shut it and nodded.


    ¡°Of course. Vessa, Lamell will take you around the city today and you can begin your work tomorrow.¡± Agnell said, and Heshan held out Vessa¡¯s file, his eyes unreadable.


    It went back in between the pages of her assignment book and then into her pocket. Lamell guided her out of the room and the day became a blur around the city. Until Vessa was back in her room. Her mind spinning and nothing really remembered from the day. Tomorrow she¡¯d get to work and then, soon after that, it would all be over.

 Into the Depths, Scene 2

    Vessa woke to the loud silence of her room and waited. Got a knock on her door and was up, dressed and eating as the Umbaan rep talked at her about which targets she was focusing on today. In the section of the city called the Ports. Not a very clever name. She munched on food as his voice droned.


    ¡°Called that because it¡¯s both the smallest of the three and receives most of the medical shipments¡­. You¡¯ll be in and out, delivering actual packages as your alibi. Though the coincidence will likely make you¡­.¡±


    She paid attention to the important bits and nodded through the rest until she had left him with his hard eyes and way too friendly of a smile, with a backpack full of packages and a device that would, apparently, buzz at her.


    Vesssa came out onto the streets with a crowd of people already walking. The first thing she noticed were the sidewalks and street level walls that were covered in blue and purple. Both by chalk and paint, with bits of silver glitter mixed in. Street artists making use of the color to draw or using it as a backdrop with black and white as their lines. It had been too dark yesterday to see, but now Vessa gawked.


    Did the city dump massive amounts of chalk and paint on the regular? Both materials looked new with no weathering and there weren¡¯t spills or trash to spoil it. It didn¡¯t escape Vessa that these were the colors of the painters, but that didn¡¯t explain how this much got onto the streets and walls.


    Vessa wondered at it as she walked along with the crowd, the spires towering over them all. The second thing Vessa noticed and tried not to were the little children. Pulling at their mothers¡¯ hands or ignoring their mothers¡¯ shouts as they ran on the sidewalk, only to be scolded when captured.


    Vessa tried to ignore them with the rest of the crowd, only she couldn¡¯t and kept thinking how they¡¯d react if their child died right in front of them. Finally, she arrived at The Ports. Where most split off into two directions, one towards the shipyards. Water crashing against the docks as huge cranes unloaded or loaded cargo. The others into the three spires lording over them; which Vessa was currently concerned with. Huge spaceships were flying above, being swallowed by the spires, or if too big, coming alongside.


    Her day would be going up and down the three, taking out life. Vessa took a big breath in of the salt water mist as she looked up at the spires. They weren¡¯t the biggest, but yesterday had shown even the smallest spires were larger than she had realized looking down at them as the star had set.


    Another breath as the wind blasted at her face. All the air and her chest felt like she didn¡¯t have any. The wind passed and Vessa turned to walk into the smallest of three, the Little Doc if she remebered correctly. When she noticed a man watching her. In line at the checkpoint that led into the shipping yard.


    Male 27: 76%


    He wasn¡¯t on her list for the day, so she turned and walked into the Little Doc and showed her pass that the Umbaan rep had given her.


    ¡°A messenger, and a new one at that. Are you ready for all the walking you¡¯ll do?¡± The security guard asked, his face jovial, as he handed her back the pass.


    Male 55: 96%


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told I¡¯ll be up and down the three.¡± Vessa said, and the man shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call them that. I know the outer planets do, but they¡¯re The Sisters and you¡¯ll make more friends if you switch over.¡± He said and Vessa nodded as she handed over her bag and walked through the detectors. She paused as the man held his hand out and waited until he gave her a thumbs up.


    ¡°Welcome to Esaul¡± He said handing the bag back and Vessa was in.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said as she walked to deliver her first package of the day. Vessa filled her attention with the numbers swarming at the edges of her consciousness.


    Male 75: 89%, Male 34: 98%, Female 56: 84%, Male 189: 65%, Female 22: 94%,


    Male 172: 24%


    There! She had him. Before she even walked into the machine that would lift her up. It was nothing like portals or other magics or even stairs, but she kept all the gawking inside as it moved up and up.


    Vessa waited until she had delivered all the packages for the Little Doc and was past the security guard before she pulled the target¡¯s number. He moved away from her far more than he should be able to, but she had never the less.


    Male 172: 1%


    Male 172: 0%


    Into the Mech, the middle of The Sisters, carried up seven floors with others around her. The machine was strange, almost wondrous. Out of the machine to deliver her packages. Down in the machine with her target¡¯s number tightly held in her grasp. Passed the security guard and out, then into The Mother, the largest of the Sisters. Before finally killing her target, who also moved more than expected, but Vessa killed her anyway.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Female 47: 1%


    Female 47: 0%


    Up The Mother in a machine all the way to the top where wind blasted through and everyone was in coats as they unloaded a huge spaceship. Her package taken. Vessa¡¯s grip on the target¡¯s number was already firmly established since the fifth floor. All the packages were delivered with new ones to bring. The Machine took forever to get down as the doors kept opening and closing. People came in to take all the space with brief cases or boxes or both. People went out banging their items up against her, barely muttering a word. Finally, out and into the Little Doc, a wave to the security guard before finally her third target of the day continued the trend of moving more than expected.


    Female 49: 1%


    Female 49: 0%


    All the way to the top, stopping to get and on and off. Her last package was an envelope and box of tools, from someone in The Mother to a huge burly man in the Little Doc¡¯s largest ship bay, as a group of men yelled expletives at each other over how to pack a freighter.


    Then the device buzzed at her. Multiple questions later, asked of a man who kept stopping to yell his own ideas about how to pack a freighter, and Vessa had the general idea of how the device worked.


    From there, she was into the Mech up five floors that made Vessa appreciate portals more, and out with another number in her grasp.


    Male 203: 1% ¨C 67%


    He moved far away from Vessa, which didn¡¯t matter as she had him tightly in her grip, but she did wish she was with him. She had no idea how all her targets were moving so far, so fast. Probably magic, but teleporting hadn¡¯t been mentioned.


    Male 203: 1%


    Not that Vessa had thought that file had been all that thorough, except for the maps of the capital.


    Male 203: 0%


    This time, as Vessa exited, her target dead; instead of going into one of The Sisters, the device lead her into the shipping yard to be yelled at.


    ¡°The Fuck am I supposed to do with this? Yeah, yeah, I know, just a messenger. Well messenge this.¡± The man said, gave a middle finger and walked off. Holding out the metal tool.


    ¡°Ask for something that will help and get back a toy that even my children couldn¡¯t make use of.¡± He said to the other men as he walked away. She had her target¡¯s number in her grasp as she followed suit.


    Male 217: 1%- 24%


    She stopped and turned at shouting; to see an explosion of color on a ship rocking in the waves and people running towards it. She was getting an idea of how chalk and paint ended up on the street.


    Male 217: 1%


    Male 217: 0%


    ¡°No need to worry, just some idiot failing to do anything with his brain matter.¡± A man told her and the device buzzed at her. She nodded to the man, hands black with grease, and was headed into the Mech and back out to the shipyard. Five times each with an explosion of blues and purples and sometimes silver, but never black and white. Vessa was sure that meant something, but had no idea what.


    On the last time, the same man with greasy hands shook his head at her as she headed to go deeper into the shipyard.


    ¡°Give that to me. I¡¯ll get it to who it goes to. Stay here, out where it¡¯s safe. Gang warfare is crazy today. Six dead already and the day¡¯s not over. And that¡¯s just here in the yard.¡±


    ¡°Heard there¡¯s a hand full in each of the princesses.¡± Another man said as he stopped by them, staring at Vessa; looking her up and down. Same as Glatis only her skin didn¡¯t crawl.


    ¡°You should be careful, young miss.¡± He said, and Vessa nodded. The device buzzed, and both waved her off.


    When the star finally began to set; matching the explosions with its blues and purples. Vessa had lost track of how many she had killed. Before walking back, she¡¯d seen the same man who¡¯d been waiting in line staring at her, though he was in a different set of clothes and was with a woman.


    Male 27: 76%


    Female 24: 84%


    The Umbaan rep was all smiles as her feet entered the Umbaan¡¯s building.


    ¡°You are truly talented.¡± He said and was all smiles, his eyes almost not hungry. He spoke all throughout dinner and Vessa¡¯s dreams were filled with him offering a place with them in the Umbaan. Perhaps there was more to that than just her mind using familiar voices, but it was infinitely better than children screaming or mothers breaking down and pleading for her to spare their baby girls.

 Into the Depths, Scene 3

    When Vessa woke there was the taste of oranges on her tongue, and the smell of smoke in her room. She sat up and stared at the door. It was still dark, and the desk called to her. She needed to read the information on the child. Vessa still didn¡¯t know the schedule or if there were body doubles, and there had been something on health issues. The file felt like it was burning her skin through the temporal pocket. She worked herself up to reading as the room lightened.


    She was still debating with herself when there was a knock at the door and the room was fully lit by starlight. The decision was made, but Vessa still had time to read it before the big speech when the child was to die.


    The Umbaan rep was there with his usual smile, though his eyes were almost soft; instead of the normal sharpness that gave his friendliness away as false.


    ¡°Good morning Vessa.¡± He said, and she almost smiled back at him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Vessa said, not sure where the almost trusting feeling was coming from.


    ¡°Is all going well?¡± He asked, as if he knew information. Were his lips curved with the knowing of something?


    ¡°I am completing all my assignments.¡± She said, and he nodded, his smile widening.


    Male 544: 89%


    Vessa checked, but her number was 98%. She brought it up to 100.


    ¡°That is good. If there¡¯s anything you need, let me know.¡± He said as he gestured for her to walk to the dining hall.


    ¡°I will.¡± Vessa said and then kept a frown from her face. What was happening? She wondered as she ate and he talked about the city and the assignments for the day. As he handed her the layout of the Imperial Spire. A copy was in her file, so it didn¡¯t take long for her to memorize.


    She¡¯d be working as a messenger for the next weeks, interchanging between the Imperial building and the Port until the speech. She¡¯d only be killing two people today, but she needed to be exact on when.


    Vessa finally left, having finished breakfast and needing to arrive at the Imperial Spire on time. She wondered if she hadn¡¯t been on a timetable if the Umbaan rep would have kept her all day.


    She kept wondering as she got onto a shuttle full of people and children. Being pushed in as Vessa stopped, staring at a little girl held in her father¡¯s arms. Vessa didn¡¯t think anyone noticed, but she crammed herself in as far away as possible and tried to look normal. Tried to focus on the shuttle¡¯s movement and compare it to the one other shuttle she¡¯d been on.


    By the time the Imperial Spire was called, Vessa was more than ready to leave. She got off onto a platform similar to the balcony that gave Vessa her first view of the city, though it lacked the rivets that allowed for different spaceships to dock. Vessa glanced out to see all Spires shining before heading in.


    She gave her new pass with the same ID as the Ports to the man in a dark brown and magenta uniform with a key pin on the right collar and shield on the left. He gave her pass back and Vessa walked past the detectors. Passed the double doors into halls with magenta, red, orange, and green stripes on the walls. Many of the people were in uniforms of a combination of the colors with dark brown as a base color that united them, that and the pins. Everyone had a key pin on the right collar, though she couldn¡¯t make out all the pins on the left.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.It was weird. She supposed the transit workers had uniforms, but other than that and maybe a few others, uniforms were rare. No one cared as long as the assignments were completed. Vessa knew she shouldn¡¯t be gawking, but couldn¡¯t help it.


    There was a huge tree and key on the wall behind the men and women at the welcoming desk, in dark green with a brown circle around it, and the rest of the colors took the remaining wall space.


    ¡°Newbies.¡± A man said as he passed her with a friend and Vessa realized she had stopped in the middle of the entrance. Her eyes felt assaulted by everything, but she did need to focus. Vessa walked up to the desk with a blush.


    The woman handed Vessa magenta clothes with brown outlining without Vessa saying a word.


    ¡°Dress in this and put your civilian clothes in the cubby number on your badge. You will dress back and hand these in before you will be permitted to leave. If you leave with them on you will be tracked down and brought back with a penalty to be added to your record. Sign these forms that say you understand all that I have told you.¡± The woman said and Vessa signed the papers. The woman took the papers back and pointed to a door with the outline of a woman.


    ¡°In there and come back when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Vessa was dressed in the magenta uniform with brown stitching on each collar: a key on the right and an envelope on the left.


    ¡°You did not come in with any electronics, but I have to tell you that if at any point you have anything that could be construed as tech; you will be interrogated by the Imperial Intelligence Agency and held in the building for two imperial months. Sign these saying you understand.¡± The woman said and Vessa signed again. Five more spiels and Vessa was off to deliver sealed envelopes and boxes.


    Vessa found her targets amidst all the numbers before two hours went by, but had to wait for the precise time indicated by the Umbaan rep to kill them. She kept looking at the many clocks around the building as Vessa was grateful for the lack of children and wondered about the Umbaan rep¡¯s strange behavior.


    She still had no clue as she changed and handed her clothes back to a different woman before signing another set of papers and walking out to be patted down by a guard. No doubt because of the two Vessa had killed, both of which had moved further than they should have been able to. However, there was nothing on her to show she had anything to do with their deaths. Except her assignment book, which showed blank pages when the guard opened it.


    Vessa was still confused as the Umbaan rep greeted her at the Umbaan building. He was the same as the morning, and Vessa continued to be more open than warranted. It troubled her all the way into her sleep.

 Into the Depths, Scene 4

    Vessa woke up from dreams that were blurry, but pleasant. With the taste of oranges and the smell of smoke in her room over and over again until she was used to it. All the while the days passed and the big day of the speech kept getting closer, and she wasn¡¯t reading the file in the mornings as the starlight filled the room. She lay there trying to make herself until the knock at her door.


    She got up and put it off until another day, opening the door and pushing thoughts of the girl away.


    The Umbaan Rep smiled, and Vessa guarded her tongue, but still remained too open with him, as they chatted in the mornings and evenings. Sometimes he would touch her shoulder in a friendly gesture and she didn¡¯t flinch. She didn¡¯t mind it, and she should. Vessa hated when most people touched her. Even with Maggie, she only tolerated it.


    Then she¡¯d leave trying to understand what was going on as she traveled to either the Ports or the Imperial Spire. Trying to ignore the children, failing and trying again until she arrived, thankful that neither location allowed kids.


    The times she was at The Ports were busy and hectic, with her gaining familiarity with the guard at the Little Doc and some of the foreman in the shipping yard. In and out of the Sisters or out into the shipping yard delivering packages and envelopes as she pulled numbers, and colors exploded out on the ships and her targets moved further away than should be possible. She¡¯d considered teleporting, but their travel wasn¡¯t far enough for it; leaving Vessa at a complete loss for what was happening. She had yet to see the Painters in action, as she was never up close.


    In stark contrast to The Ports, where all her completed assignments seemed to have no effect. The security at the Imperial Spire tightened with each day she was there. Military Police in brown and red with a badge as their left pin and the IIA in green and black with eyes as there¡¯s, swarmed the floors. They both took many people into custody, and both questioned her multiple times, but nothing came of it. Except, she learned there was tension between the military police and the IIA by passing them in the halls with weird stand offs. Also that the man and woman at The Ports watching her from a distance were IIA.


    They and a few others consistently followed her through the building. Two of which were the ones to question her. A brunette who played the mean guy, getting into her space and accusing her. Sometimes being right, though, Vessa never let on. A blond played the nice guy whose kindness only highlighted the false charm of the Umbaan rep. Not that it mattered. Vessa continued to open up to him.


    So much so that on the day of the huge speech where she would a murder a child. After she finally forced herself to read the file. After the knock, she felt relieved and grateful to hear.


    He pulled her aside and told her that if she failed to complete her assignment. She could stay within the Umbaan until her people¡¯s ire calmed. Vessa said nothing, only nodded, but felt calm, despite knowing that wasn¡¯t an option. She believed him and trusted him and she shouldn¡¯t.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.The calm didn¡¯t last very long into breakfast as thoughts of the girl she would kill wouldn¡¯t leave Vessa¡¯s mind, persistent as the numbers always humming. The Umbaan rep gave a reassuring smile and patted her hand four times. Vessa stared. The hum of the people in the cafeteria filled her ears as their numbers filled her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t do it. She had to.


    The file was ambiguous and had questions as to the accuracy. The girl¡¯s parents had gone through a lot of trouble to hide her.


    She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do. The girl being where she supposed to be or if the other possibilities turned out to be true.


    The Umbaan rep¡¯s voice stopped and Vessa knew it was time. Time to go. Time to see if she could do it.


    ¡°And remember Vessa if the worst should happen you have a place with us,¡± He said and Vessa nodded before she got up.


    Vessa almost got on the shuttle to go to the Imperial building, but at the last minute remembered and got onto a different shuttle and was taken to the suburbs.


    Her stomach roiling and her throat squeezing. The world was moving too fast and Vessa was struggling to breathe. The shuttle stopped, and she got off as she began to think of a child¡¯s nursery rhyme.


    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    Down within its depths


    In its depths


    In its depths


    The houses had silver roofs, same as the spires, with walls and doors of black or white, blue or purple. Some having all and others only having one or two.


    She was in the right neighborhood and now only had to find the right house with a package in hand, continuing with the disguise of a messenger.


    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    where it can¡¯t be heard


    can¡¯t be


    can¡¯t be


    The speech was starting even now. No doubt the man thought his daughter safe at home. She wasn¡¯t. Vessa would murder her and he would never see his little girl again.


    Her footsteps slowed and her heartbeat sped up as the house numbers got closer and closer to the right one.


    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    And thus all is well


    All is well


    All is well


    Vessa stood in front of the house. Silver roof and black siding with a white door. Blue and purple flowers all over the black, popping against the dark.


    All was quiet as the wind blew at her and she couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t breathe. Finally she forced herself to look within her mind to the cacophony always humming.


    She didn¡¯t have to act on the numbers to look at them.


    Male 45: 93%, Male 47: 95%, Female 62: 94%, Female 6: 92%


    Female 6: 92%


    Why was the number so high? Vessa pulled out the file and took the piece of clothing and compared the faint feeling of a number to the child¡¯s. They didn¡¯t feel the same.


    Fuck!

 Ones Nature, Scene 1

    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Vessa said as stared at the house, trying to process.


    The child inside was a body double. The file had mentioned that as a possibility. Had she read the file earlier, maybe she could have done something about it, now?


    Now Vessa was running out of time. The speech was happening, and the kid was supposed to die before it ended. She needed to find the child, the target. Vessa stared at the house. What was she going to do? She looked down at the package, walked up to door and left it there. Now what? Vessa looked down at the piece of clothing in her hand. There was an option. She hated it, but if she just let her carnal homicidal nature take over. She¡¯d find the kid and murder, kill the target in time to complete her assignment.


    Vessa looked back at the door as she walked away. Leaving a little girl pretending to be another. Maggie and Douwell were right. Vessa couldn¡¯t do this, but what choice did she have? If she didn¡¯t, someone else would. Either way, Vessa still needed to find the girl if she was going to protect her, or ¡­ make another decision.


    If Vessa let go letting her nature take over, she could find the girl and then protect her. Only that was extremely risky. Although maybe that would solve the problem. Just let go and then let her unconscious do the rest.


    If even her unconscious couldn¡¯t, then she¡¯d know. Running would be her only option, but if she could? What did that mean?


    Had she actually read the child¡¯s page before the day of she might have been prepared or at the very least had more time to reorient. Now? Vessa looked around herself a suburb of children all around. What had Castillo said? Sometime you had to hard things and it was the nature of their curse. Vessa felt tears run down her face.


    She reached deep into the numbers and let go. Vessa could already feel the hum that was her instincts salivating for the next kill. She looked down at the fabric in her fingers took a deep breath. Her power encased the entire city as she began to look for the girl. At first everyone from everywhere rushed into her awareness.


    Male 25, Female 78, Female 31, Male 14, Female 51, Male 40, Male 81, Female 10,  Male 5, Female 67, Female 39, Female 85, Female 21, Female 4, Female 93, Female 10,


    She could feel the entire city breathing, living, and somewhere within it was her prey. She looked down at the piece of clothing. She could feel it. It was only a question of where. Where had they hidden her target? Vessa dove further into her power.


    Female 6, Female 57, Female 28, Female 31, Female 95, Female 28, Female 4, Female 10, Female 9 Female 6.


    She breathed out. She¡¯d found her location. She was sure of it, though something pushed against her. Which only made her want to find those who would dare impede her way and crush them. Vessa looked down at the clothing forcing her instincts to focus.


    Female 2: on her father¡¯s shoulders, Female 6: running on grass, Female 4: running on grass,  Female 9: holding her mother¡¯s hand,  Female 3: in her father¡¯s arm, Female 1: strapped to her mother in cloth, Female 9: running on grass, Female 8: surrounded by six men who were bodyguards.


    Got you. She latched on to the prey, or rather she tried to, but something was blocking her. Her power roared at the barrier, but couldn¡¯t crush whatever was protecting her prey. She expanded finding what was stopping her.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Female 26 , Male 34, Male 30,  Male 29 and Female 27. They were all using magic to protect the child and more, but she only cared about the child. She¡¯d starting walking towards her prey as she latched on to the first: Female 26: 65% close to life


    The Female had protection of her own, and it wasn¡¯t anything sneeze at, but Vessa would leave no one alive who would stand between her and her prey.


    So Vessa encapsulated the 26 year old looking for weaknesses. 20% likely to die by heart attack, 45% likely for the incoming hard gust of wind to cause a the woman to stumble and the 26 year old to fall to her death. Vessa pushed with all her power to bring the number higher. It climbed, and the wind blew around Vessa, she was able to move onto the 34 year old male.


    Vessa continued to get closer to her assignment numbers spinning around her with the girl¡¯s at the center. She arrived off from her target as those who dared to stand between Vessa and her prey pulled her off center. Her power raged against the 29 year old male, the 34 and 30 year old males already dead.


    She could hear a male voice over several speaker, but barely heard a word; however, because of all that was going on internally.


    The 29 year old male died and Vessa stumbled to a halt and fought against her instincts to run into the crowd. To find her prey and end its life. Vessa wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d gotten here. As awareness of her surroundings and even her memory beyond the numbers was fading in and out.


    Vessa¡¯s power flooded through her as the last of those shielding the target died. She fought to stand still as her instincts latched on her prey, target, child. She couldn¡¯t bring herself out of her homicidal drive.


    Female 8: 46%


    Why was it so high?


    ¡°There are numbers in my head!¡± A little girl¡¯s voice screamed as Vessa focused on the girl. Finding all the weak points. There! A potential aneurysm being surrounded by magic. Vessa pushed on the aneurysm.


    ¡°My head, it hurts.¡± A little girl¡¯s voice said though it was barely audible to Vessa, as the crowd began to panic around her. People were moving and pushing against Vessa as huge swaths of numbers got further and further away.


    Vessa could feel resistance against her power, but she held to the aneurysm. Then whoever was protecting the girl gave out, the shield around the aneurysm failed and Vessa stumbled forward.


    female 8: 1%


    ¡°The numbers are counting down.¡± The crowd¡¯s panic swelled and Vessa was pushed to the ground as her power held onto the girl. Vessa could feel her win coming. The prey in her jaws. A baby bunny letting its last cries before the inevitable.


    Female 8: 0%


    Then everything was released, and just like that, her target was dead.


    Vessa was kneeling on the ground as screaming came into focus. She could hear voices all around her. For a moment, Vessa thought she was in the Learning Center only for the fresh air to reassure her.


    The crowd parted to a dead girl being held by a burly man, his eyes furious. Five others were around him. All of their body language said they were ready to kill. If only they could find who. Vessa almost raised her hand, but her sight of them and vice versa was blocked as more people fled from the area.


    What had she just done?

 Ones Nature, Scene 2

    Vessa rose from her knees to stand as she watched as the crowd continued to go nuts. People were screaming and the speaker¡¯s wife was pushing her way through the crowd to hold the target. When the woman got to the target, held in one of the bodyguards¡¯ arms. She pushed back the hair back and began kissing the target¡¯s forehead, as a mob of people fled around them. The bodyguards like a boulder in a river.


    The plaza emptied and the man who¡¯d been speaking with such strength melted off the platform and came over to the target, his daughter. He took the target, the girl from the bodyguards, and held her. His body began to shake with sobs.


    Vessa should be leaving. The assignment was completed, the target dead. All the worry over Vessa had been unnecessary. The target was dead. The mother was cupping her daughter¡¯s face and kissing the target, kissing the girl¡¯s forehead.


    Vessa fell to her knees, staring at the little girl as the mother began to braid the girl¡¯s hair.


    ¡°She wanted it braided, but I didn¡¯t have time.¡± The mother said.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± Vessa looked at the male fingers in front of her face and realized someone was talking to her. Vessa put hers in the proffered hand and was pulled to standing. An imperial guard was looking at her. The visor on his helmet pushed up, showing his weathered face.


    ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± He asked as another guard pointed to Vessa in her peripheral.


    ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± The guard asked, his voice kind. Vessa jerked away from him and looked at the girl. She was eight years old, with all of her years ahead of her.


    Vessa remembered when she was eight. She had still been at the homes. Vessa remembered when protecting Samilla and the other children had been her first priority.


    ¡°She was killed.¡±


    ¡°Did you see who did it?¡±


    The girl¡¯s hair now hung in many small braids, her mother braiding more. Her father¡¯s face had tears streaking down it and the bodyguards looked fierce as they stood around the family.


    ¡°It was magic.¡± Vessa said, magic that Vessa had once fought to keep from killing her or her friends. She remembered when the numbers had been about how likely different things were to kill her. How many times had she stayed up with the other children of the home? So that one of them that was really struggling wouldn¡¯t be alone in the night?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The guard looked away from her, talking to people with medical equipment. Vessa took off into the city. She heard shouts behind her, but she didn¡¯t care. She just kept running and running. Samilla eyes staring at Vessa in her memories, and she just kept running, trying to escape the look.


    She fell against an alley wall as her heart pounded. She had no idea where she was as she fought to breathe. Air seemed to know what she had done. As her lungs failed her, Vessa heard voices and looked up to see four guys: two with bloody knives and two with guns. They looked down the alley and spotted her.


    They approached, laugher filled the air. Was that her?


    Numbers Sharp and Clear came into her mind as the men came closer.


    Male 19:1%, Male 21:1%, Male 20: 1%, Male 15: 25%


    ¡°Give us your money and maybe a peek, and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± The twenty-year-old said as he pointed his gun at her.


    ¡°Or else.¡± The twenty-one-year-old brandished his knife at her. Maniacal laughter filled the air. Worried looks past across the four faces. Oh, how little they knew.


    She tore through them. Male 19: 100% likely to cut his carotid on accident; male 21:100% likely to stab his 20-year-old friend and be shot; male 20: 100% likely to shoot himself out of guilt.


    Male 15: 25%


    Vessa stopped. They looked at each other. The fifteen-year-old was staring at her, not moving, despite the gun in his hand. His eyes were wide. His face still more child than adult. He was less built than the rest, more lanky with pimples.


    Vessa panted, looked down at her shaking hands, looked up at the boy.


    Male 15: 25%


    It was possible Vessa killed him, or he killed himself, or someone killed him, or he died by accident. In that order; which frightened her. Just in the morning, she didn¡¯t think she could kill one. Now the next seemed easy.


    Vessa still couldn¡¯t seem to catch her breath. She stared at the boy as he began crying.


    ¡°She wanted me to braid it, but I didn¡¯t have time¡±


    Vessa looked for a way that the boy survived this day.


    She pointed to the trash. He dropped the gun, opened the lid, and got in. Going back and forth from the twenty-year-old male to the trash, Vessa wrote: help locked inside. The blood was smudged but still legible.


    Vessa stumbled away.


    Walked around the city that had flashing lights, spaceships in the sky, and the sound of hovercraft in the air. People were all around her. Running with and without weapons, smashing in glass, stealing from stores, and burning things. She just walked and watched. None of the many people approached her.


    She watched as the imperial military came off shuttles and marched. She watched as people knelt, others pointed weapons and were shot down, and still others ran. Military came from all sides with shields and weapons.


    Four uniformed people came to her. She stopped walking and just looked at them, studied the clean and pressed uniforms. So much brown and green with bits of the other colors. They surrounded her and she walked with them. Other people joined in their walk, military and nonmilitary. They got to a building swarming with people.


    Someone guided her to a bed. They rubbed alcohol on her inner elbow; the smell was sharp. Vessa began to cry, then her eyes grew heavy.

 Ones Nature, Scene 3

    Vessa woke and began taking in numbers


    Female 35: 99%, Female 12: 76%, Male 23: 80%, Male 17: 35%, Female 27: 94%, Female 63: 92%, Male 56: 95%.


    She breathed in and out as if she was still sleeping, but assessed what she was smelling. Antiseptic, artificial fragrances of the flower and fruit variety and a bitter smell that probably came from decay. The noises of beeps, wheels, running, and crying, as well as the numbers running in her head all told her she was in a hospital.


    Female 25: 58%, Male 76: 94%, Female 34: 96%, Female 23: 78%, Male 26: 21%, Female 26: 80% & Male .07: 45%


    Vessa caught her breath at the pregnant woman and her baby. She wondered if the fifteen year old she¡¯d put in the trash can had made it.


    Male 23: 92%, Male 17: 47%, Female 63: 99%, Male 56: 97%, Male 35: 25%, Male 21: 45%, Female 34: 80% & Female .04: 40%


    Vessa lay in the bed, not giving herself away as awake, trying to think. She fell asleep to a numbness instead of figuring anything out. When she woke again, she was not as disoriented, figuring out she was in a hospital within seconds.


    Male 12: 57%, Female 27: 95%, Male 16: 46%, Male 25: 37%, Male 67: 94%, Female 34: 93%


    She willfully went back to sleep and woke up again to voices.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to move the unresponsive to a more official place.¡±


    Female 34: 92%


    ¡°Wait until morning. We¡¯re still getting more in and those who are unstable are going to need extensive care, and no doubt Doctor Makayl will want to plan before they are moved.¡±


    Male 56: 84%


    ¡°The investing team wants to know when they can interrogate the agitators along with¡­ well, everyone. They¡¯ve been pressing me on it.¡±


    ¡°Who? I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of them coming now.¡±


    ¡°The Admiral wants to be up by¡­¡±


    Male 32: 91%


    ¡°The Admiral can want what he wants, but medical matters are not in his purview.¡±


    ¡°I understand that but the faster we can question.¡±


    ¡°I will alert you when patients are ready to be questioned.¡±


    ¡°The Admiral¡­.¡±


    ¡°If I were to get orders, I would do as you say, which the Admiral knows. He hasn¡¯t obtained them because he knows Doctor Makayl won¡¯t give them. Therefore, he has sent you to harass me into complying. I will not do so without said orders. Press me again, and I will document your interference as acting outside the chain of command. Do you understand?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yes Doctor, I¡¯ll just wait here then.¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯re not medical personnel, and will bother my patients, no, you will not.¡±


    Vessa needed to leave. She knew that. The voices had quieted to only medical topics between doctors and patients. Her vitals had been taken twice. Vessa still lay in the bed merely pretending to sleep.


    Female 35: 94%, Female 12: 76%, Male 23: 80%, Male 17: 35%, Female 27: 91%, Female 63: 98%, Male 56: 95%.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Doctor Esseram, I¡¯ve done blood, urine, and fecal tests. I¡¯ve checked every inch of skin and done physical assessments. Her heart rate and blood pressure are very low, but I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s causing it.¡±


    Older male hands touched Vessa, but she simply pretended she was still sleeping.


    ¡°Let me see the chart.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, mark her as one to talk about with Doctor Makayl. There¡¯s nothing we can do until we have more equipment.¡±


    If Vessa waited for that, she might be found. The Umbaan had to be looking already. That was good. She could return back to base having proven everyone wrong. Vessa opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. It was white and clean. Did she want that? What else was there?


    There are numbers in my head!


    Vessa sat up. Her heart racing as she rubbed her face with her hands. If she went back. She¡¯d, she¡¯d. Vessa couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Thank everything. Your vitals are rising. Do you have any medical conditions I should know about?¡± A nurse said and Vessa placed the voice to a mousy brown hair girl whose clothing was dirty.


    ¡°No.¡± Vessa said as she looked around for anything else to focus on. Where were they?


    ¡°A makeshift hospital in one the spires, as the military wants to keep you all separate from regular hospital patients.¡± The nurse answered the question Vessa had apparently asked out loud. Her mind felt fuzzy, but Vessa still needed to be careful. Did the nurse look embarrassed, or ashamed? Vessa couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Hold on let me go get Doctor Esseram.¡± The woman said and Vessa watched her go until she was out of sight, then got up and walked to the nearest bathroom. Hopefully, she¡¯d find a way out. She looked into the mirror and stared.


    The mirror showed her face. Her blond hair hung in messy clumps. Vessa brought her fingers up to the mirror. No blood on either set of hands. She moved them. It felt like someone else was moving the fingers. Not her. Who was she? She didn¡¯t know.


    Vessa breathed in and out, trying to find a calm within the storm inside. The father was holding the little girl; the mother braiding her hair as chaos erupted past their bodyguards. What had she done? Who was she? Who had she become?


    Vessa looked away from the mirror to see a window. She moved her wrist so that her bracelet would tell her if there were alarms, only there was no bracelet. Vessa looked down at her clothing, but it was a hospital gown. She had no pockets, so the file and the assignment book were gone.


    ¡°I want to go back.¡± A voice said and Vessa agreed.


    ¡°Back to when the numbers were about me and my multiple deaths. I never hated myself then.¡± Vessa nodded with what the voice was saying.


    ¡°We protected each other. We made sure we were all safe.¡±


    A sound of crying and Vessa looked back to the mirror to see tears coming down her eyes. Her body was shaking. She was sobbing. A thud and Vessa wasn¡¯t looking at the mirror anymore. Instead, the underneath of the sink.


    A knock on the door and Vessa looked between it and the window.


    She could pull the window open and escape. Her body would heal if the jump was too high. She could get herself together and return to the Umbaan and then to her people.


    Another knock.


    Vessa simply stared at the window. She felt sick, numb, faint. Everything was off. The world was moving in jagged motions. She staggered to standing on someone else¡¯s legs. Fingers turned the doorknob. Faces appeared. There was medical white all around. There was green and black. IIA. They¡¯d been following her.


    Why?


    A Familiar number came into focus.


    Male 544: 89%


    Vessa looked around as people were touching and moving her. Voices speaking until she found him. The Umbaan rep. His face was sympathetic. She wanted to scream.


    Strange hands moved her face away. Fingers at her eyes with lights shining into them, and someone was sobbing. Others were talking.


    She was on a bed.


    Still, there was medical white. Still the green and black of IIA. Fingers, her fingers grasped at a black sleeve. Vessa made a choice.


    ¡°I am a murderer. I assassinated the little girl. It was me,¡± Vessa said and with those words medical white disappeared, and all there was was black and green.

 How Did it Come to This?, Scene 1

    Vessa sat on a hill outside the homes. Samilla lay beside Vessa, her fingers digging past the grass and into the dirt. As Vessa wrote in a notebook. Her mind helpfully telling her how many ways she could kill herself. Vessa rubbed her left eye as she pushed away the idea of running the pencil through it.


    ¡°Ughhhhhh.¡± Samilla said and pushed herself up to standing. Vessa looked at her. She was closer to death than Vessa, but Samilla was smiling down at her, anyway. She shook her long blond hair and threw her arms out and began to spin over and over.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vessa asked as she gnawed on the end of the pencil. If Vessa got up and joined Samilla, she could spin until dizzy, then trip in a way to break her neck. Vessa felt the faint jolt that the idea had also occurred to Samilla.


    ¡°Getting out of my head before I scream.¡± Samilla said as she continued to spin. Her hair splayed out in the air, as some books painted starlight on worlds outside of the Wishing Constellation.


    Vessa shook her head and looked back at her notebook and her schoolwork, shoving hard on all the ways she could kill herself in this moment, so she could focus and get some of her work done. A hand stuck between Vessa and the notebook.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Samilla said with both hands held out towards her. Vessa took them and she was pulled up with barely a moment to reorient before Samilla spun them.


    The whole world blurred. Vessa breathed out her many deaths, spinning them away for the moment. As they spun faster and faster and faster until they came apart and Samilla started laughing. It was forced, with pain so clear in her voice, but somehow it was still so pure that Vessa joined her. Her body felt lighter and numbers hummed into a murmur instead of being sharp and clear.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Kamino asked, and Vessa opened her eyes. The world was still spinning, but she could make out Teldesh standing next to Kamino.


    ¡°Spinning the world away.¡± Samilla said as the world finally cleared to show the boys¡¯ puzzled faces, only getting more confused by the moment. Samilla reached a hand out and Kamino pulled her up as Teldesh pulled Vessa to her feet. Samilla reached out her freehand to Teldesh. Kamino took Vessa¡¯s hand to finish the circle. They, like her, were both used to Samilla¡¯s antics and were just waiting to see what this was. Samilla spun them.


    They made the world disappear and the numbers and their siren call of death faded into the blur of scenery and faces. Teldesh and Kaminos¡¯ hands were more real than the numbers that hummed in Vessa¡¯s mind trying to end her. When they fell apart again, the hill was filled with laughter. Soon Marlene and Capsa joined as well as many others not a part of their group. They spun and spun as the captured starlight turned to darkness. Moonlight coming from everywhere and nowhere.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I wonder what real moonlight looks like.¡± Vessa said as they lay on the grass staring up into the night sky.


    ¡°One more reason to ignore the voices and stay alive.¡± Capsa said.


    ¡°There¡¯s usually a circle in the day sky and it moves until it darkens and a moon takes over.¡± Teldesh said.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Samilla asked as she held one arm up in the air, randomly moving it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just do.¡± Teldesh said as he picked up stones and threw them.


    ¡°A past life maybe.¡± Marlene said.


    ¡°Do we have those?¡± Kamino asked, sitting up to throw stones in competition with Teldesh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but anything is possible,¡± Marlene said.


    ¡°I think there are also pricks of light that are other stars.¡± Teldesh said,as he threw a stone past Kamino¡¯s last attempt.


    ¡°How wondrous. To living long enough to go to the Constellations that have skies like that,¡± Samilla said as she rose to standing.


    ¡°One last spin before we head back.¡± She said, and they all rose, joining hands one last time, their laughter starting before they were even at risk of falling.


    It echoed as Vessa opened her eyes to a sterile white room. The numbers telling of others¡¯ deaths rather than her own. She stared up at the ceiling as she raised her hand into the air, moving it in a circle.


    Tears welled in her eyes as she gasped for breath. She was fine. Her number was at 100% but still she struggled.


    ¡°The moon changes into different shapes.¡± Vessa rasped out through sobs, tears spilled down her cheeks to pool in her ears. No one said anything. Because of course they didn¡¯t. Capsa was dead, as was Samilla. And the rest?


    Vessa closed her eyes shut, wishing she could go back to that moment. Where she had no idea how much worse things could get.


    ¡°I murdered a child, Samilla, and I felt happy as I did it. And her voice? She was scared, and in pain. I did that. Samilla. I did that. You wouldn¡¯t smile at me now. You would call me a monster.¡± Vessa said and then cried herself back to sleep. Her mind yearning to go back to that moment. Instead, all Vessa got was a repeat of the girl¡¯s screams. Her head hurt and there were numbers counting down as the crowd fled. Had she got to see her parents one last time? Or had it been of everyone fleeing?


    Maybe the girl¡¯s last sight was of Vessa. The torrent of the stampede parting so that the girl could see her. The dream changed to the girl running through the opened space to Vessa and begging her to make the counting stop, over and over, and over again.

 How Did it Come to This?, Scene 2

    Vessa woke up. She just laid on the bed, then she lifted her arm in the air, moving it around for what seemed forever before finally realizing she wasn¡¯t in a hospital gown anymore. A magenta sleeve covered her arm. Had they put her back in her messenger uniform? Why? What purpose did that serve?


    Vessa kept moving her arm in circles, but now her eyes focused on the sleeve and cuff.


    ¡°There¡¯s no brown,¡± Vessa said out loud and then with her other hand felt at the collar. Her thumb and pointer traced the stitching.


    ¡°A key on the right, same as the last uniform they gave me.¡± She said, her voice weird to her ears, as Vessa moved her fingers to the left. She felt at it for a while before sitting up and looking down as she pulled the fabric out. An eye in bold black stitching, Vessa felt at it again the eye was now obvious.


    ¡°I probably should have gotten that already,¡± Vessa said before pulling the shirt off to an undershirt in black with an eye and key in bold magenta print.


    Vessa looked over the long sleeve shirt as thoughts tried to pile into her mind, voices of the crowd, and the mother and the father, and the little girl.


    Vessa pulled at the over shirt and then rubbed it between her fingers. Sturdy material, but not scratchy, almost soft and smooth. A giant eye and key was stitched on the back with thick black thread.


    It calmed something within her.


    She was never put in separate clothing at the base before being dragged down the halls and into the Learning Center. None of the people at the Pantry were in uniforms, just raggedy old clothing. It didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t torture her, but it still made her feel that way. Which was dangerous, she supposed, but Vessa couldn¡¯t make herself care.


    Soon, too soon, Vessa had examined all of her clothing with an intensity she didn¡¯t think she looked at anything before. Still, Vessa had done that, and now? Now her mind wandered.


    Angry bodyguards searching the crowd as it stampeded away. The father standing on the stage, looking down at all of them.


    Vessa shook herself and looked around. The room was all white except for the bed, which was black with green and magenta bedding.


    She got up and paced. It only took three strides to get from one wall to the other. Vessa paced it for a while. The walls were smooth. The ceiling was smooth. The floor was the only thing with texture.


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    She paced some more, counting the steps and then her breaths before she turned around and around.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the door?¡± Vessa asked, only noticing now that the room didn¡¯t have one. All the walls were smooth. Nothing to indicate that there was a door on any of them.


    Vessa peaked at the numbers. They felt raw and rubbed her the wrong way, but they gave her the answer. The wall opposite from the bed.


    There are numbers in my head.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Vessa said as she practically pounced on the wall. Her hands felt all over, as numbers poured into her mind.


    My head, it hurts.


    ¡°I said shut up.¡± Vessa said as she pressed her head against the wall. She couldn¡¯t find the door, despite knowing the door was somewhere. Numbers moved past the wall she was pressed to at a regular frequency. The other two walls only had one number each. The last wall had no numbers at all.


    The numbers are counting down.


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡± Vessa said as she covered her ears. The words weren¡¯t being said aloud. They were in her head. There was no running away from them. Same as the numbers.


    Vessa leaned her head against the wall. Fingers in her ears. Same as when she was a child, back at the homes, trying to run away from the numbers in her head. Or hide or somehow make them stop. And like the numbers, Vessa couldn¡¯t get away from that moment.


    It played over and over in her head. The feeling of capturing her prey after killing its protectors and defeating every obstacle. The screaming crowd and angry guards holding the limp dead body of a little girl. The mother¡¯s scream, then she was braiding her dead daughter¡¯s hair. The father taking the body from the guards, and holding his daughter.


    ¡°Make it stop! Make it stop.¡± Vessa said with her voice, as she heard her younger voice saying it. Samilla¡¯s footsteps running down the hall to get an adult. Back when they helped. When they didn¡¯t send her to kill children.


    Vessa paused, panting hard. Her chest squeezed. She began rocking back and forth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill another. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t,¡± Vessa said as her voice ran ragged.


    The numbers swarmed all around her and this time. Vessa. The adult; threw herself at them. Devouring them as they took her attention. They made the voices stop. The world disappeared. Her feelings leaving as the only thing that mattered were the numbers.


    She got up and moved as they moved. Breathed as they breathed.


    Bumping and turning as need be. They were all contained. Same as her. Trapped within a certain area, past which there were no numbers. Just an empty nothingness. So much empty nothingness. That, as Vessa continued to push her mind, it just kept reaching, but continued to find no numbers, no nothing.


    Then, so many, many numbers. They were endless. Her mind burned with the stretch. How far had she come? The morass of numbers was just at her fingertips and as Vessa pushed to grasp them, she felt pain. The pain of expanding her reach when she was young. It had been so long since she¡¯d felt this feeling. She burned with the pain of stretching and her mind entered the endless numbers.


    Vessa let her mind be consumed. Now she could hide. Now the numbers helped.

 How Did it Come to This?, Scene 3

    Vessa woke to an orange sky, though whether it was in the middle of rising or setting was unclear. Her fingers touched something soft, and she picked it and brought it to her eyes. Orange petals. She sat up and saw a field of orange flowers surrounding her. Autumn trees encircled the field and seemed to be perpetually burning. A deep breath in gave a mix of floral, decaying leaves and smoke. She stood up and spun around.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± A familiar voice asked, but Vessa ignored him; even as she felt for him. He was faint, but that simply meant she had to push for it.


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    ¡°Oranges.¡± Vessa said as she turned to look at him and laughed.


    ¡°They¡¯re here somewhere.¡± He replied and frowned at her, but she kept laughing, her hands going to her knees.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡± He asked and Vessa looked him up and down. Same dark brown skin, eyes, and hair. His clothes were the only thing changed. Orange silk robes that flowed with flames licking at the edges. She kept laughing, her knees hitting the ground and stirring up all the scents, making her choke. Vessa got ahold of herself after she stopped coughing. Stood up and looked him dead in the eyes.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Vessa said and gripped the numbers firmly, as she had been taught to do with teleporters, the same technique that had helped her all these weeks. She shook her head. Her teachers had said whoever could hold their target to the farthest distance could eat that day. She had hated Mathen, but he taught them at night so each day would be a challenge for him. Where was he now? Was he still helping, or had they tortured that out of him?


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I kill you?¡± She asked, and he scoffed, but backed away a few steps and became slightly transparent. It didn¡¯t matter she still had him in her grip.


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    ¡°Because you can¡¯t, but I can see you¡¯re mad and in truth, so am I.¡± He said and Vessa said nothing, simply waiting for him to continue. He frowned again.


    ¡°You were not supposed to kill the child. From all our communications with both the Wisher ambassador and the leaders of the Number Assassins, you were supposed to fail. I doubted that at first, but when I talked with you.¡± He gestured all around them to the field and past as his eyes turned cloyingly concerned. Vessa couldn¡¯t think. Douwell had said as much. She had known, but hearing it was something else entirely.


    ¡°I believed them. So what happened, Vessa?¡± He asked, his hand out stretched Vessa stepped back and looked around. Faint memories, unreachable, but there enough to know they existed.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve been talking to me in my dreams?¡± Vessa asked as she picked a direction and walked away. Everything was different shades and hues of orange. The green stems, the blue of the sky and the brown of the trunks were there, but barely. Was she going to kill him? She laughed again. She was good at killing. Too good.


    ¡°Yes, it was the only place where I could be sure of privacy, so I could talk to you and  make an offer.¡± The Umbaan rep said and Vessa just stared at oranges hanging from branches. She had succeeded past what they thought she could do. She laughed again. Succeeded didn¡¯t seem the right word.


    ¡°To join you?¡± Vessa asked as she picked an orange. It made sense. There had been others who¡¯d made the same offer. Vessa had never taken them. She wasn¡¯t stupid. There was no escape.


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    She looked at the fruit in her hand. She breathed in. The orange was overpowering with floral taking second place, but the smell of smoke was all over this place, even with no fire in sight.


    ¡°Yes, we can offer you safety. You never have to fear being hurt again.¡± The Umbaan rep said, and she looked at him as juice slid between her fingers.


    ¡°Why no floral scents?¡± Vessa asked, and he became even more translucent.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I woke up with the taste of oranges and the smell of smoke, but nothing floral. Yet it¡¯s all over this place.¡± Vessa said and looked around.


    They were in an orange grove, no flowers or autumn leaves anywhere in sight, just an endless grove. Even the sky was hard to see, covered up by leaves; which in turn seemed faint in comparison to the multitude of oranges. Had she walked this far in?


    He said nothing, becoming so faint his features were gone and he was just an orange glowing light. Why was he still here?


    ¡°The Umbaan seeks many people who are escaping their previous life. At first, none believe escape is possible.¡± He said, not answering her question, and Vessa looked away, staring at the trunks, trying to see their color and texture. Was she going to kill him?


    ¡°No.¡± Vessa said as she searched for the color and texture of the trees as her eyes tried only to see the fruit hanging down. She had been taught how to escape dreams. She¡¯d been taught a lot of things. Vessa laughed again.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked and Vessa looked towards him, even as a glowing light he was becoming fainter.


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    ¡°If you¡¯d like to meet others, then I can bring you to them and, of course, it makes sense you would want to meet them before making your final decision.¡± He said, as everything glowed orange and he blended in so she could distinguish where he was. She ignored it and focused on the trunks and their lack of detail, how they blended as if they weren¡¯t even there.


    ¡°Were you one of these people running?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Dreamers are notoriously jealous of the Dreaming and believe all with even the slightest talent should answer to them.¡± Vessa said, holding back laughter. Her mind was breaking. This Dream he had concocted was making it worse.


    ¡°I am, which is how I know escape is possible. Even from the more powerful players.¡± He said as her eyes found browns and greens and just like that, she woke up to her white cell. The over bearing wait of regret warred with the orange and smoke to overwhelm her.


    Vessa pressed her face into her pillow and breathed in cleaning chemicals and linen. She pulled off her long sleeve shirt and stared at the key and eye in bold black stitching. It settled her eyes even as orange dots swam in her vision. She put it to her face and breathed in. Only seeing black and magenta.


    She laid there and held up her overshirt, the white of the ceiling peeking through. Her mind pounding with pain. As her ears heard voices that weren¡¯t there. When the headache subsided. She got up, put the overshirt back on and paced.


    She was going crazy.


    She plunged back into the numbers, past the emptiness, and then into the ocean of numbers. Immensity of rushing numbers washing away all thought.

 How Did it Come to This?, Scene 4

    Vessa spent as much time as she could in the ocean of numbers, but eventually her mind snapped back from it, through the emptiness and into the container full of numbers. Puny in comparison to the endlessness of the ocean, but they did fill the container.


    When she was back in her cell with two numbers on either side and others passing regularly by. Vessa tried pacing, but every step made her headache, so she was stuck lying in bed, feeling her mind pulse with pain.


    Vessa didn¡¯t care all that much because the pain kept her thoughts occupied. When they did stray it was to wonder where she was. Every place she remembered being, numbers flowed in and out of her reach. There was no fixed area. There was no emptiness beyond.


    When the pain went, her mind had more leeway. Vessa would get up to pace, looking at the blank wall where a door had to be; until finally the little girl¡¯s screams made their way through, then Vessa would lay down and start the cycle all over again.


    She was currently back from the endless ocean, her mind almost done hurting when there was a sound and Vessa looked up and to the right towards the blank wall. The door was sliding open.


    ¡°Huh, middle of the wall. I am sure I touched all of that part.¡± She said as two IIA agents walked in. A blond and a brunette she was sure she¡¯d seen before. Their uniforms were mostly black with only the barest amount of green at the collars and the cuffs.


    ¡°And have been staring at it trying to find the door.¡± The IIA agent with blond hair said as the brunette leaned against the blank wall. The door sliding shut. Vessa marked its location as she sat up. Her hand going to her head. The pulsing had not quite gone away. She pushed herself back, so that she was resting against a wall looking at the brunette.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Vessa asked. The brunette simply stared back at her, but the blond answered.


    ¡°The Imperial spire on Esaul.¡± He said and Vessa shook her head and then winced.


    ¡°No.¡± She said, and the brunette raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No?¡± He asked, his voice sharper than the blond¡¯s.


    ¡°No.¡± Vessa said again and reached for their numbers, as she should have done already.


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    The worsening of her headache explained why she hadn¡¯t automatically done so.


    ¡°On the S.S.V. Imperial. 7.6 desma out from Esaul.¡± The blond said and Vessa looked at him. She couldn¡¯t read shit. His face gave nothing away, but she believed him. The endless ocean, the emptiness, and the container. Planet, space, ship.


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Vessa said as the blonde walked towards her to stand at the corner of her bed, where her feet had been.


    ¡°Of what?¡± The brunette asked, and Vessa looked between them. She was the point of their triangle with enough room not to feel closed in. Vessa didn¡¯t know what to make of that.


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    ¡°Make sense of what?¡± The blonde asked, and she looked at him. She must have spaced out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Vessa said as the pulsing pain finally went away.


    ¡°You clearly have information to indicate you are not in the Imperial spire.¡± The brunette said.


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Vessa said and couldn¡¯t decide what to say. The Umbaan rep had not seemed to know she¡¯d outed herself voluntarily. Or if he did, he chalked it up to a mental break. Castillo might believe or be willing to believe she¡¯d been captured. After all, she had¡­ completed her assignment. All of that changed if she spoke.


    ¡°I just know. I was in the spire. I know how it looks.¡±


    ¡°As Salv Esherine, yes, but you were never in the cells.¡±


    ¡°Lucky guess, then.¡±


    ¡°No, not luck. You knew, and you won¡¯t say. My guess is that it¡¯s something to do with magic. You kill a kid. You¡¯re first. You thought you could handle it, but you couldn¡¯t, so you confess. But now there¡¯s time to think. Right?¡± The brunette said, taking a three steps forward.


    ¡°No.¡± Vessa said


    ¡°What part of it¡¯s false?¡± The blonde asked and Vessa looked away from the brunette. His eyes burning into her. The blonde seemed kind and open. Mind fuckery, she knew that, and it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I could handle it.¡± Vessa said as she looked for cameras. What she should have been looking for, instead of the door. She wasn¡¯t used to them. Scrying or other things like it would have been blocked, but here anyone could listen in.


    ¡°Everything else?¡± The blonde asked and Vessa shrugged, but nodded. Fuck. She rubbed her face. This was not going well. Little girl screams echoed, and she was being an open book.


    ¡°You killed the girl and the four boys in the alley with magic. Why?¡± The brunette asked, taking more steps until his shins hit the bed, and she was looking up at him.


    ¡°Three.¡± Vessa said as she hung onto her sanity by a thread. Her mind back in the alley.


    ¡°What?¡± The brunette barked at her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill the fifteen-year-old boy.¡± Vessa said, it had made no sense to write in blood: help locked in. Who wrote it and why? It could have been magic, but if he could do that, he could get out. Plus, it hadn¡¯t been locked. There wasn¡¯t a way to lock it.


    ¡°How did you know he was fifteen?¡± The blonde asked, taking a seat on the bed, his hand on her knee. Even in this moment, he was more sincere than the Umbaan rep had ever been in his fakery.


    ¡°The numbers in my head told me,¡± Vessa said and knew she shouldn¡¯t have. The blonde nodded. His hand went to her shoulder and squeezed.


    ¡°Get some rest. The Umbaan can¡¯t get to you in here. You¡¯re safe.¡± He said and then smiled at her before rising and the door sliding open.


    Vessa scanned the wall once it shut and while she knew generally where the door was, there was nothing. No lines or weak points. She was stuck.


    She lay down, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

 In the Offing, Scene 1

    Vessa woke up to smoke clogging her throat and stinging her eyes as she fought to draw breath. Orange juice stung at cuts in her mouth and all along her skin. The over powering floral scents adding to the assault as Vessa fought to see around her.


    She grabbed at her number, which was sinking, and held it at 100% as she coughed and stumbled. Finally, making it out of the smoke. She could see fire all around her in distorted orange; there was no yellow or red, not even a pretense. She was in the field of flowers all of which were orange their stems nonexistent. There was no green anywhere. The flowers, an army awaiting command to attack.


    Vessa looked up at an orange sky and wasn¡¯t surprised when she wasn¡¯t able to find blue or white. She turned around and around and there, coming out of the flames, was the Umbaan rep. Robes of orange and a glow around him encasing him in his color so completely it was hard to make him out.


    Vessa reached for him and got nothing but a faint echo with her mind hurting. Would she have been able to get ahold of him if she hadn¡¯t been straining to be in the ocean of numbers over and over again? Or was this the outcome either way?


    Vessa looked all around for any bit of non orange, but even she was in the shades and hues of the color. Her skin, her hair, her clothes.


    There was no grey from the smoke that had assaulted her. Not anything but orange. Vessa didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    She wanted to run, but in the moment of her thinking that, she stumbled to the ground, unable to move.


    ¡°I was trying to be lenient with you, but how can I be when you break the basic rules?¡± The Umbaan rep¡¯s voice was everywhere and nowhere, like the captured star and moon light of her home Constellation skies.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I am sorry. Please don¡¯t hurt me.¡± Vessa said, her mouth moving as her body was once again her own. For a moment, a hallway appeared around Vessa, her arms held as she was being dragged. Orange snapped back into place. The stinging citrus burning even more.


    ¡°There is no escape. Though you surprise me. Was your asking about the Dreamers more about you than me?¡± The Umbaan rep asked as Vessa tried to catch her breath. Numbers, there were no other numbers, only her own.


    She was back in the dream, horribly cloying with orange, but better than being dragged to the Learning Center. Vessa could still feel hands grabbing her arms as her feet and shins scrapped across the ground.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± He yelled as a flash of one shade of orange took the entire dream before settling back into the variations. Vessa sat on the ground, her breath not coming, somehow answering.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. What was your purpose in telling them?¡± He yelled and the whole world was yelling, as Vessa was desperately grasping. Except there was nothing to grasp at, but herself, her number echoing. She was screaming. Another flash of a hallway, of being dragged, knowing that screams reaching her ears were a demonstration of what her voice would be doing once she was in a room.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± The Umbaan rep yelled as orange flashed all around Vessa. How did one breathe? Was she breathing? Where were the numbers always present in her mind? She curled into a ball, screaming as the Umbaan rep was speaking.


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    ¡°I knew you were lying, though I did not know Number Assassins could access the dream.¡± He said and Vessa curled herself tighter, waiting for the pain that was sure to come.


    ¡°Answer me! Why did you tell them?¡± His voice boomed and Vessa¡¯s answer was drawn out of her. Her voice was both answering and screaming at the same time.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± A long silence as Vessa stopped screaming, her breath ragged, her heart pounding. The Umbaan rep spoke again and Vessa looked up to feature rather than blinding orange.


    ¡°You speak the truth. Very well, Vessa tell me how you didn¡¯t mean to. You have created quite the mess for me to clean up.¡± He said, his voice coming from one direction, instead of everywhere. Her body no longer stinging from orange juice, finding every cut. She gasped for breath. She wasn¡¯t there. She wasn¡¯t being dragged down the hall to the Learning Center. This was a dream.


    ¡°This is a dream, yes. But that is no small thing, and even if you were to wake, pulling the same trick as last time. You would find no escape. I have people on the ship. Yes, you¡¯re on a ship, in case you thought you were still on the planet.¡± The Umbaan rep said and Vessa paused in her panic. As she tried to adjust to his new demeanor, one question played in her mind. How did he not know she knew that already?


    It was a twig, as Vessa drowned in her terror, but she grabbed hold of it. Could there be a spell to detect speaking about magic? If true, that meant he hadn¡¯t heard any of her conversation. Not that how he figured out mattered.


    ¡°Who?¡± Vessa whispered as her fingers grasped at the flowers. They felt wrong. She breathed out again. If she couldn¡¯t escape through color, maybe she could through texture.


    ¡°A necromancer for one, among many others who can stand against you.¡± He said and Vessa nodded as she worked up the courage and energy to feel at the flowers and escape.


    ¡°I am sorry I came off a little strong. I did not wish for the same early departure as last time, and our rules are in place for a reason.¡± He said, and Vessa forced herself to sit up. The dream around them was still purely in variations of orange. His number was still unreachable.


    What was she supposed to say?


    ¡°If you¡¯re truly sorry, you¡¯ll let me leave and come back when you have your temper under control.¡± Her voice came out as a monotone, as if nothing that had happened had actually bothered her all that much. Several moments passed in silence, Vessa feeling at flowers between her fingers.


    ¡°Very well, next time you sleep we will both come back with a better attitude, and while I know you are shaken by the kid. I expect you to follow our laws. Allowing you to join us is no small thing. We risk the wrath of your people. In this risk, we expect you to act accordingly, by being a model to all those within the Umbaan and those outside of it. They rely on us to show them how to act.¡± He said as Vessa nodded.


    ¡°Very good.¡± He said and moments later, Vessa woke up. Her head pounding, orange stinging her mouth and the smell of smoke filling her nose.

 In the Offing, Scene 2

    Vessa dove into the ocean of numbers as a way to reassure herself. When her mind snapped back, she just lay on the bed, trying to catch her bearings. The world wouldn¡¯t stop moving. Orange still pervaded her mouth and smoke her nose. Her headache caused by the Umbaan rep worsened.


    She just laid still, waiting for the pain to subside.


    She couldn¡¯t get any ideas on what the next steps forward should be. Vessa didn¡¯t even know if there were steps forward. Ones that led to her not being so tortured that her personality changed completely.


    She stared up at the ceiling. The Umbaan was no better than her people. The taste of oranges, smell of smoke and pounding headache proved as much. Even if they were better, they weren¡¯t very likely to be able to hide her.


    The Empire? Vessa didn¡¯t know how much they knew, but it probably wasn¡¯t much. Which meant what? Going back. Telling Castillo she was captured, but she¡¯d escaped. That the Umbaan was trying to bribe her away, and then what? Even if he bought that, she was still screwed.


    Now that she¡¯d killed one kid, they¡¯d have her kill them on the regular.


    Vessa threw herself into the ocean of numbers again. A planet full of numbers. The planet that she¡¯d killed a child on. Its numbers slammed into her as a rebuke, and Vessa pulled away before her mind snapped back. Staying in the emptiness of space, trying not to think. There didn¡¯t seem to be any good options before her.


    She could run. Run where? Past the Divide? If it didn¡¯t kill her¡­. then it likely wouldn¡¯t kill any other number assassin which still left her at square one.


    Vessa took a deep breath. Then another and another. Tears came to her eyes, and she was sobbing. She couldn¡¯t work herself up to being okay about going back. She couldn¡¯t find an excuse in her mind that would allow her to kill an endless amount of children.


    The only thing she could think of was running away and then refusing to kill any children when they caught her, hoping they tortured her so badly she no longer cared.


    The sobs got harder at that point. She hugged herself and wished for another option. One didn¡¯t have excruciating pain and the killing of children.


    When the crying stopped, Vessa lay there wondering what had become of her. She didn¡¯t cry like this. She was the emotionless, well-trained assassin. Who completed a mission even if the target was begging for their life.


    This had all started at the Pantry, where she had deviated from the assignment, but the numbers had been so terrible. She couldn¡¯t see herself making another decision. Now with the knowledge of how the Pantry worked, Vessa couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of regret. The idea of having not done anything but rescuing the child was too horrible.


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    Vessa paused at the thought, feeling beyond fragile as the Wisher boy¡¯s face came to mind. His trust in her was so complete he fell asleep as fighting raged around him. Vessa lifted her hands and looked at them. There wasn¡¯t any blood. There usually wasn¡¯t. Vessa stared at her arms. She didn¡¯t know how to hold both children.


    The boy she¡¯d saved and the girl she¡¯d killed.


    Vessa shook her head against the pillow, her headache complaining as she pushed both of them away.


    How was she getting out? What she going to do?


    Vessa sat up, feeling faint and rested her back on the wall her bed was up against as she stared across at the blank wall with no door. Right at the middle. Where she knew the door was, even though she couldn¡¯t find any signs of it.


    If she was going with the escape plan, how would she even do it?


    Kill everyone? That wouldn¡¯t open the door. Wait until she was out of this room and then kill her guard? Assuming she wasn¡¯t restrained, which wasn¡¯t very likely. That left a lot of people to kill and her as the likely subject.


    Except, they already knew she could kill people without touching, so even killing everyone while in the cell wouldn¡¯t work.


    Vessa looked at her wrist where her bracelet had been. Without it she was trapped.


    She could give the Umbaan rep what he wanted, but they would likely keep her in similar conditions.


    Vessa closed her eyes as the feeling of helplessness settled in. She was fucked. There was no path to take. No actions that fixed the mess she created for herself. Nothing she could do but wait on others to make decisions and hope that gave her an opening.


    She breathed in and out. Her mind resting in the emptiness of space in between the numbers of the ship and those of the planet, as the taste of oranges and the smell of smoke faded. Her headache refusing to budge.


    All she could do was wait.


    Vessa laughed, opening her eyes.


    She had never thought that she could be this helpless, especially not by those who couldn¡¯t even use magic, but here she was. Vessa was like Ensald, only instead of protecting a child even in the horrible conditions of the Pantry. Vessa was alone after killing one.


    She closed her eyes again, tears rolling down her face. There was an escape. Change the numbers from being outward to inward and end it all.


    She banged her head against the wall worsening her headache.


    Her eyes stinging from the amount of tears she¡¯d cried. Vessa grasped her arms and breathed in and out, trying to make the emptiness of space her entire being. When she couldn¡¯t do that, she started the child¡¯s rhyme again.


    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    Down within its depths


    In its depths


    In its depths

 In the Offing, Scene 3

    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    where it can¡¯t be heard


    can¡¯t be


    can¡¯t be


    Vessa could end it all. Couldn¡¯t be made to murder more if she wasn¡¯t alive to torture. No one could stop her. Except everything in her was screaming no. Was it self preservation? Or the years of resisting the opposite side of her curse. Or this side of the curse. The one benefit to being homicidal rather than suicidal becoming another detraction.


    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    And thus all is well


    All is well


    All is well


    Vessa¡¯s head began to pound, and she felt herself being dragged back, but she gripped hard to the stillness of space. Where she could finally be alone. Her power was having none of it and her mind¡¯s reach snapped back to the ship.


    Vessa¡¯s headache wasn¡¯t as bad as when she spent all the time she could in the planet¡¯s ocean of numbers. It still wasn¡¯t great. Vessa stared at the wall where the door should be. She stared until it opened. Another agent, a lot more green in his uniform than the last two, came in with a tray.


    He stood over her as she ate and drank. Everything tasted of nothing. She kept looking at his hand on the handle of his gun. If he started hearing numbers, he¡¯d probably shoot her. Vessa would have to slow down the process for him to shoot her enough to overcome her healing.


    Her mind kept rebelling at the idea, intent on keeping her alive. It turned out it was really hard to contemplate suicide when her mind was geared for homicide. She tried switching back, something she had been able to do, but not now.


    Vessa finished, and the agent took the tray and the cup and left. It turned out even this far away the base still had her fully under their control.


    Vessa laid down, pressing her hands to her head. Though in comparison, the headache hurt a lot less than when she snapped back from the planet, and it was fading even now. She fell asleep to the child¡¯s rhyme, afraid of what the next meeting with the Umbaan rep would bring.


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    The star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    Down within its depths


    In its depths


    In its depths


    Vessa jerked awake. Her eyes popped open, trying to find oranges and evade the cloying smoke, but no endless field of orange flowers greeted her. She was in her cell. Vessa reached out to the numbers to see if she could find the Umbaan rep¡¯s number. What was he playing at?


    Female 24: 64%, Male 71: 50%, Male 17: 69%, Female 44: 53%, Female 15: 68%, Male 27: 51%, Male 28: 63%


    No Umbaan rep, but the numbers were lower than they should be. What was happening? She grabbed a number to dissect and find the cause.


    Male 27: 54%


    46% close to death: 40% unknown , 25% friendly fire, 20% the ship hitting something in space, 15% heart attack.


    Vessa pushed against the unknown and got nothing. The first time in her life. She pushed again, harder, but all she got was an endless nothing. Again and the nothingness felt like¡­


    It was as if there was death breathing onto the numbers, but past that¡­ nothing. Her power was hitting up against a wall. She could dive deeper, push harder to find the answer, but¡­.Did she care? No, not really. Her number had yet to drop, but given so many dropping, it was inevitable. A way out. Vessa started humming again.


    The Star is in the wishing well


    The wishing well


    Where it can¡¯t be heard


    Can¡¯t be


    Can¡¯t be


    Vessa¡¯s number began dropping. The nothingness surrounding her breathing death as if someone was heavily breathing at her ear. Vessa shivered. She could almost hear rattling. She grabbed her number and brought it to 100% before Vessa remembered she wanted to die. She let go. Her fingers gripped the bed as she felt like she was falling.


    100%, 90%, 80%, 70%


    Vessa was shaking, her breathing coming fast, her heart beating in her ears, and thudding against her chest. It was all she could do to not reflexively fight to lift her number.


    60%, 50%, 40%


    She was going to die; she was going to die. She should do something about it. Something, anything. Vessa held the image of the little girl in her mind. It was better this way.


    30%, 20%, 10%


    Vessa felt like she was going to vomit. Her nature was rebelling, but she was almost there. What she couldn¡¯t do for herself, someone else was managing. All Vessa had to do was hold on.


    9%, 8%,7%


    If she didn¡¯t move. Escape, she¡¯d suffocate. Slowly, as her healing tried to fix the problem. At the knowledge, Vessa stopped fighting her nature. She couldn¡¯t escape, so there was nothing she could do.


    There was a long pause before Vessa heard a wushing sound, and her lungs began to hurt. Her heart pulsing. She was gasping for air. Her nature warring against something new. A command she couldn¡¯t hear.


    She was clawing at her throat when she heard felt a pop. And she could breathe again. She was gulping down air.


    I wish you would never teleport except with aids given to you and that you wouldn¡¯t know that it was your power, instead of the tools.


    Vessa could hear the voice. Knew she had been a child in that moment. Confused and panicked. Relieved and terrified. Were her father¡¯s hands gripping her shoulders? Was her mother crying, begging them not to. Apologizing over and over again?


    Then the memory faded, and all she cared about was breathing.

 Death, Dust & New Beginnings, Scene 1

    Vessa breathed in and out, in and out. The air ragged in her throat. Her mind spinning. Though whether it was because she had been deprived of air or because of the fading memory was debatable.


    She grabbed for the details of the memory as her chest heaved in air. Both memory and air felt elusive. Had it been her mother or her father holding her? Vessa couldn¡¯t remember. And what she could, she didn¡¯t want to. She had felt loved and protected.


    That felt as jagged as the air coming in.


    Vessa was an orphan or abandoned as a baby. She did not have parents. She had been at the Homes all her life.


    In the memory She had been standing, her head hitting someone¡¯s stomach.


    They had lied. But of course they had.


    Except it had been the people at the Homes that had lied.


    A place and people Vessa had held for when she needed to remember a happier time. Now that was crumbling.


    As Vessa continued to gulp down air, tears ran down her face. She had almost died. She had wanted to. Now? Now she wanted to all the more. An aching hole that felt like it was taring her apart. And nowhere to go. Why would she want to live? Except it didn¡¯t seem she had a choice. But then again, what was new about that?


    Vessa rubbed her face and took breaths in that finally didn¡¯t feel like water pouring through a burst dam. Life was misery and there wasn¡¯t a way out, so she needed a plan. And really, nothing was new. How many times had Douwell told her they were lying? Vessa had always known she was right. Maybe not at the Homes, but definitely after. Except that it hadn¡¯t mattered, and complying allowed her more freedom.


    Now? She had to find peace with going back. That was the only option. Bury everything else and be¡­. be what? Okay with killing kids? Killing one had sent her down this rabbit hole. Get Douwell or others to do it for her? Or allow her carnal nature to take over to such an extent she wouldn¡¯t remember? Something.


    She had parents. What else were they lying about?


    Vessa opened her eyes to get away from her mind and its questions; expecting to see the white ceiling of her cell. Instead, a canopy of branches and leaves greeted her. She jumped up to standing and then fell against a metal wall.


    Her vision cleared to green glowing ground that clearly indicated she was not in a forest, except the rich brown dirt on either side of the floor.


    Vessa looked up from the ground to the ceiling and walls. A forest with amazing detail, but still obviously a painting.


    Where was she?


    A hallway going down both sides hitting turns. Walls and a ceiling that had black branches and green leaves.


    Black and green, IIA colors. She was still on the spaceship.


    Female 24: 42%, Male 37: 29%, Male 21: 36%, Male 38: 20%


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    And something was happening. What should she do? The only thing she could do. Wait for everyone to die and the Umbaan to retrieve her, then wait for her people to come and take her back.


    Vessa looked around the hallway, no doors, no nothing. So just wait in the hall or walk around until something happened? Vessa picked a direction as she trailed her hand along the wall. Her mind spiraling on her limited options. She could try to force the Umbaan to kill her.


    Once they took her she could keep killing until they had no choice. Not defending herself. Except Vessa had done that, minus the ample killing, and her instincts had taken over. Teleporting her away.


    Another lie, or rather a secret they had kept from her. Vessa could teleport, though why was still a mystery.


    A thought, a dangerous thought, occurred to her.


    Vessa could teleport so maybe she could escape.


    Except given that a Wisher had gone through the trouble; it was clear they knew of her ability to teleport. Or at least the possibility of it, and it wasn¡¯t likely she was the only one. So they probably had counters leaving her at square one.


    Though if she could teleport back to base and skip the Umbaan step of the plan, that might win her goodwill. Both sides could pretend that the Umbaan and or the Casters hadn¡¯t been trying to steal her away.


    It was sad that was her best option.


    Vessa kept walking down the hall, her footsteps loud on the metal ground, as she kicked up the rich brown dirt. She couldn¡¯t imagine it was supposed to be on the ground, but didn¡¯t have any ideas as to why it hadn¡¯t been swept up.


    Unless it was like the chalk and paint from Esaul. What magic caused there to be copious amounts of dirt?


    Vessa froze when she heard a random noise, but nothing happened, so she went back to walking.


    She wondered what she would do if she ran into people.


    She could kill them, help whatever was dropping and disappearing numbers. Vessa shook her head. When she got back to base, she would be assigned more to kill. No need to add to her kill count.


    She turned the corner and paused. There was a group of people standing over others who looked to be injured.


    Male 26: 2%, Male 21: 14%, Male 33: 0%, Male 27: 18%, Male 38: 0%


    Yep, dead or dying.


    She should call out to those kneeling besides the fallen and tell them that they were too late to do anything. Instead, she took a step backwards.


    Her step was loud, too loud.


    And the people all looked at her. Vessa reached for their numbers just in case, and got nothing.


    She reached again and then again. Nothing each time.


    Footsteps and Vessa¡¯s attention was dragged back from the numbers.


    The people were halfway to her, and their faces looked wrong.


    She reached twice more before she realized she should run.

 Death, Dust & New Beginnings, Scene 2

    Vessa ran, her heart beating in her ears as the thud of boots chased after her. They didn¡¯t breathe, and no matter how many times she reached for their numbers, she still got nothing. And they were gaining. Vessa had never had to run for long periods of time. She was the one who pursued, and she didn¡¯t need to chase to do that. She just grabbed the number, and it didn¡¯t matter how far they got, unless they teleported too far away.


    Teleport. She could teleport. Except she didn¡¯t know how. Vessa expanded her reach in her mind, but got nothing but normal numbers that weren¡¯t doing great. All of them were in the high forties or low thirties.


    Why was this happening?


    Was this the Umbaan rep deciding after the dream that she needed to be killed? Vessa kept intending to let herself die, but her feet didn¡¯t stop as her chest once again hurt and she was gasping in air. And still the steady thud of boots was behind her.


    Vessa screamed as a hand grabbed her shoulder, and she fell backwards. Her head hitting the ground as her number dropped. She could let it and see if she teleported again. A bite on her leg that made her nauseous had her kicking as she tried to get free. All plans of willingly letting them kill her gone.


    More bites to her shoulders, hips and thighs. And Vessa was instinctively pulling her number up to 100, her mind spinning. She couldn¡¯t get free and she couldn¡¯t escape.


    Vessa screamed again, only for one undead to bite her face. She was going to throw up.


    She was going to die. Except she didn¡¯t, and the biting stopped. The hoard looking down at her waiting for something to happen though what she didn¡¯t know.


    She breathed in and out, highly nauseous, as they walked away. What just happened? Why were they leaving?


    If she got up, would they attack her again? Vessa didn¡¯t know and the smart thing would be to lie and wait until they left, but she couldn¡¯t, so she slowly stood up. Afraid that at any moment, they would turn around and charge after her.


    She stood still for several moments just watching them walk away, her body pulsing with pain, but now that it wasn¡¯t actively happening, it wasn¡¯t that bad, especially compared to being tortured. The worst part was she was still nauseous and when they fully disappeared, she threw up and then dry heaved for what seemed an eternity.


    When her body finally stopped puking. Vessa assessed her injuries. There were teeth marks all over her clothing, blood staining the magenta.


    The bite marks themselves were still there, but she could feel them tingle and she watched them shrink through the bigger holes in her clothing. When they went, would another hoard of undead attack her? Was there something about the bites that made them think she was one of them?


    Vessa looked around herself, no longer surrounded by a painted forest. Instead, most of the walls were white with two lines in the middle, one green and the other black.


    So she was still in the IIA¡¯s part of the ship.


    What now?


    With no better idea, Vessa started walking again, halting at every noise and checking her bites to make sure they were still there. They were, but they were getting smaller every time she checked.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    At corners Vessa slowly crept around, ready to run at any sight of undead. Until she came around one corner and saw people. Instead of running, she froze. They didn¡¯t turn to look at her.


    Vessa reached out and got nothing. According to her mind, they weren¡¯t there. So they were undead. Vessa looked past them to a wall. A dead end except numbers approached it and the crowd got excited. Meaning it was another hidden door.


    The numbers weren¡¯t getting farther away, which meant they couldn¡¯t hear the crowd of undead waiting to kill them, eat them. She could try to warn them, but if they opened the door, Vessa could get through, as she still had bite marks.


    Except if the rest of the ship had undead wandering around, then whenever the bite marks healed, she would probably get attacked again. Not something she wanted to experience. Which left her where?


    There were only four people on the other side of the door and Vessa looked over the crowd. Trying to get the total amount of people from her mind and getting nothing. She quickly counted ten, but Vessa wasn¡¯t sure she hadn¡¯t double counted one or missed a few. Either way, too many for four to face.


    She took a step forward and the crowd turn to look at her. Vessa realized she was just guessing that they wouldn¡¯t attack her. After a long moment where Vessa held her breath, the crowd looked back to the door. It was opening.


    She had taken too long to think.


    ¡°Run. They¡¯re undead.¡± Vessa yelled before she knew she was speaking.


    ¡°Shit!¡± A man said as green light began hitting the undead, causing them to fall back and filling the hall with a sickly sweet smell.


    ¡°Cancel the opening, cancel the opening.¡± Another man said.


    ¡°I am, I am.¡± Another said the green light kept coming as the doors slowly shut until they were fully closed, with Vessa still trapped on the same side.


    The undead banged on the doors, trying to get through to no avail, and the numbers got further and further away.


    What now?


    Her bite marks were almost gone, so she couldn¡¯t stay where she was, but she was bound to hit another hoard of undead with fully healed skin, and that would happen over and over again. And as the four people had acted immediately on her words that had to mean that the undead were all over the ship. A quick intake of the entire ship confirmed that.


    So what did she do?


    Find a bigger group of alive people and see if she could help them defeat the threat. Was that even possible? None of the undead waiting at the doors looked injured anymore. Never the less, it still seemed her best option. As Vessa walked away, she reached out around her immediate area, looking for numbers. There, she found a group.


    Male 35: 44%, Male 32: 67%, Male 22: 53%, Male 27: 36%, Female 27: 64%, Female 24: 34%, Male 21: 43%, Male 46: 12%, Male 19% 56%


    A quick look at her healed skin and Vessa began running as she latched onto the numbers. Hopefully, she would find them before another group of undead found her.

 Death, Dust & New Beginnings, Scene 3

    As Vessa ran down the hall, her heartbeat pounded in her ears. If she survived this, she would dedicate time to running. Her current capabilities were pathetic as, for the fifth time, Vessa had to stop and rest against a wall as she kept track of the group in her head.


    Seven more had joined but three had died and Vessa was worried she wouldn¡¯t get to them in time, though what Vessa was going to do when she got there she didn¡¯t know. She had been lifting her number throughout this whole thing. Could she do that for them?


    It had never been mentioned at the Homes or the Base, but then why would the Base say anything on it when they were training her to be an assassin? And the Homes? Why hadn¡¯t they? It didn¡¯t matter right now, and Vessa needed to focus. Unless she wanted to be stuck on a ship full of undead routinely getting attacked until the Umbaan came.


    Assuming it was them and not someone else. That sparked a memory of the Umbaan rep saying there was no escape even after the dream, so definitely them.


    Vessa wanted to face palm, but she didn¡¯t dare impede her vision.


    She had asked who, and he had said a necromancer among others. Well, at least she knew it was them and not another group that wanted possession of her.


    Finally getting her breath back, Vessa started running again, and moments later she had a chance to test if she could lift another¡¯s number as a 35 male began to drop heading for 0%.


    She grabbed hold of the number and lifted as she would lift her own number. It worked. It felt different and clunky, but still his number was rising.


    Male 35: 100%


    All the other numbers began to drop, and she grabbed them, holding them still. The dropping stopped and Vessa¡¯s breathing got harder. Her head pounding as it hadn¡¯t before.


    Vessa had to stop, collapsing to the ground as she gasped for breath. The numbers in her grasp slowly rising despite something pushing against them.


    Holding others¡¯ numbers was almost intuitive, unlike teleporting, but the energy it took from Vessa was way more intense.


    The ground felt like it was moving, and her head spun. All she could focus on was breathing. If a hoard of undead found her, there was nothing she could do.


    Vessa wondered if she¡¯d be able to hold the numbers while being bitten by undead. Probably given the similar training she had for holding on to a target while in pain.


    Eventually the something trying to bring down the group of numbers stopped and Vessa could focus on more than breathing. She let go of the numbers and immediately felt better. Vessa got up and walked towards the group, now 20 in number, though whether Vessa had lifted the new ones or just the original, she didn¡¯t know.


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    As Vessa walked, her number rose back to 100%. Slowly she could hear the thud of boots and Vessa froze, goosebumps rising as she realized what that meant.


    Only in what direction were they coming from? Vessa turned and looked behind her to see familiar faces rounding a corner. They had no numbers, and she realized they were from the dead end door. Why had they stopped waiting?


    It didn¡¯t matter. Vessa was running again, the memory of being eaten coming back in horrible clarity and propelling her into an all-out sprint.


    Just like the last time the undead were gaining on her. Vessa kept running towards the group of numbers. Only realizing at that moment she probably looked like one of the undead.


    Her clothing was torn, and it had bite marks traced out by her dried blood. There was nothing to be done for it and whatever that green light had been, it seemed a way better way to go than endlessly being eaten until the necromancer got bored.


    Once again, a hand on her shoulder and Vessa reached out, trying to find their numbers. Her mind screaming not again as she fell towards the ground. The first bite and she was trying everything to get free. The numbers spun around one number as Vessa tried kicking again, to no avail.


    Then most of the undead left her and the two remaining got shot repeatedly by a green light which burnt holes through them.


    Vessa laid on the ground for several moments, catching her breath and reacquainting herself with the pain of bite marks.


    At least they wouldn¡¯t attack her again for a while. The group¡¯s numbers began to drop and Vessa grabbed them, slowly lifting them and giving up on the idea of getting back up until after the fighting was done.


    Fingers felt at her neck as Vessa focused on breathing.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡± A familiar voice asked.


    Male 35: 100%


    ¡°No, and she isn¡¯t turning.¡± Vessa let go of the numbers again and opened her eyes to a group of mostly men staring down at her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Someone said and Vessa¡¯s number tried to drop with her instinctively catching it, and green light hit to either side of her.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Another set of green light hit around her body as she held her number at 100. Why didn¡¯t it take the same energy to hold her own number up?


    ¡°Hold fire.¡± The same familiar voice said.


    Male 35: 80%


    ¡°Inmate Vessa?¡±


    ¡°That would be me, and you¡¯re the one I saved from dying,¡± Vessa said and the brunette agent offered her a hand up, which she took. Vessa was back to standing and looked around the group finding the blond agent, his back turned to them, gun pointed down the hallway.


    She looked back at the group and met the brunette agent¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Prove it.¡± He said.

 Death, Dust & New Beginnings, Scene 4

    ¡°How?¡± Vessa asked, looking herself over to see her overshirt was mostly shredded. She took it off. The black undershirt hid the bite marks better, though her bare arms had obvious wounds.


    ¡°It was your claim.¡± The brunette agent said, as others kept their guns pointed at her, unwilling to look away, many staring at her arms. She didn¡¯t blame them after two times of being the undead¡¯s meal. She¡¯d be weary of herself too.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t prove it?¡± She asked the brunette agent. He didn¡¯t look tense like the others, more angry if she was reading him right.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re the necromancer and kill you to end this attack.¡± He said, and Vessa nodded as she spoke. It made sense, though he¡¯d been there when she talked about her abilities. Probably why all this was happening.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill most necromancers that way,¡± but then again, what did she know? Considering Vessa hadn¡¯t known, she couldn¡¯t feel this type of necromancer or their creations.


    ¡°So you are the necromancer.¡± A younger man said, blood smeared on his face, his breathing fast. The entire group was tense and except for the blond agent and one other keeping watch on the halls, they were all looking at her.


    Vessa shrugged the fastest way for her to prove she wasn¡¯t an undead or a necromancer was to do as the brunette agent had asked. The Umbaan was already trying to kill her and the undead proved magic. Plus, she was just too tired and the bite marks itched now that she wasn¡¯t running or creeping down halls.


    Vessa grabbed a random number and lowered it.


    Male 27 80% ¨C 0.5%


    ¡°There are numbers in my head.¡± A man said as he turned his gun on himself, his hand shaking. Vessa flinched as she brought his number up to 100%. A little girl and a crowd screaming in her memory.


    The man dropped the gun and looked down at it, breathing hard.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± He said, looking from the gun to Vessa repeatedly, until he finally took a deep breath in and squatted to pick it up.


    ¡°What does that prove?¡± The brunette asked as Vessa pushed away the little girl¡¯s cries, and answered, her voice emotionless.


    ¡°If I wanted you dead, you would be, and if I wanted you dead, that¡¯s how you would die.¡± All the guns were still pointed at her, but now the agents were also keeping an eye on their guns, but they didn¡¯t run. Their hard eyes said they were ready to fight her if need be impressive.


    ¡°All you¡¯ve proved is that you can kill in multiple ways.¡± The brunette said and Vessa let out an exasperated sigh. What else could she do to prove she wasn¡¯t the necromancer?


    ¡°Enough, we don¡¯t have time for this.¡± The blond agent said as he pulled one man¡¯s shoulder and pointed down the hall, then looked at her.


    ¡°Considering on how we found you, I am guessing you can¡¯t kill the enemy in the same way.¡± The blond said, his gun pointed at the ground as he gestured for everyone else to do the same with his free hand.


    ¡°No.¡± Vessa admitted and shivered at the sensation of being bitten. The bite marks on her arms only a little bit smaller.


    ¡°Then we both saved each other. Now we have to figure out the next steps. Can you find the necromancer?¡± The blond agent asked, and Vessa shook her head.


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    ¡°No, and I can¡¯t kill him either.¡± Vessa said and then thought of something, but discarded it as not worth it.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re thinking of something.¡± The brunette said and Vessa shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any ideas.¡± The blond agent said, and Vessa was surprised he admitted that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sense the necromancer, so if I could find a person without a number, they¡¯d likely be the necromancer.¡± Vessa said, pretty sure she was right unless there were more people she couldn¡¯t sense, which was possible.


    ¡°What does that entail?¡± The blond agent asked.


    ¡°Meeting everyone on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Any other brilliant ideas?¡± The brunette asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I drop everyone to near dying and the necromancer is the person not talking about numbers in their head.¡± Vessa said and flinched again. As the circle of agents around her tensed, but their guns remained pointed at the floor.


    ¡°Another idea.¡± The blond agent said, and the brunette shook his head as he spoke.


    ¡°We should consolidate with the military part of the ship and not waste time goose hunting.¡±


    ¡°Not without a plan.¡± The blonde agent said as he studied Vessa¡¯s arms, the bite marks noticeably smaller.


    ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± The brunette agent turn and asked Vessa.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± She asked, holding back a yawn and wishing her bites would heal already.


    ¡°Something to convince me you aren¡¯t another part of this attack.¡± The brunette said.


    ¡°There is nothing you could do even if I was.¡± She said, and the group shifted, but still their guns remained pointed at the floor.


    ¡°I could give orders to blow up the ship, keep you and the necromancer from returning to your superiors.¡± He said, and she was sure he wasn¡¯t bluffing, and the group wasn¡¯t reacting as if they already knew it to be a possibility.


    Vessa didn¡¯t know if she could teleport again or if she¡¯d be fast enough, even if she could figure out how she¡¯d done it the first time.


    ¡°You would sacrifice your life to achieve that?¡± Vessa finally asked.


    ¡°Yes, I would.¡± The brunette said and again she didn¡¯t doubt him, though his fierceness threw her off. Vessa thought of Samilla and the others at the homes before looking around the group again.


    ¡°The necromancer tried to kill me by taking all the air out of my cell. Plus, the Umbaan isn¡¯t happy with me. Trust me, don¡¯t trust me. Like I said, I can¡¯t really help you unless you want to track the necromancer down person by person.¡± Vessa said, tired, a part of her hoping they¡¯d let her help. It would be a fuck you to the Umbaan and her people. And what was there to lose? They were already going to torture her.


    The brunette nodded and blond spoke.


    ¡°We had few get bitten, but they didn¡¯t turn and the bite marks healed. Can you do that again as we travel through the ship?¡± He asked and it was last thing she wanted to do as she was already tired, but she didn¡¯t have any better ideas.


    ¡°Yes, but you are going to have to carry me.¡± Vessa said.


    ¡°Alright, we get to the Admiral and then go from there.¡± The blond agent said as he approached her, the brunette agent barking commands, as the blond agent put his shoulder to Vessa¡¯s stomach and then they were moving down the hall faster than she managed at a sprint.

 An Unseen Attack, Scene 1

    Vessa¡¯s eyes were locked on the brunette agent¡¯s back, the blond agent behind her, all three of them in the middle as the group ran down hallway after hallway. Those ahead checking the intersections and staying until the entire group passed.


    But Vessa barely paid attention to what the rest of the group were doing, as her main focus was not falling behind. She¡¯d be damned if she had to be carried. Even so, her body hurt, her breath ran ragged. Vessa swore she was running faster than when the undead were chasing after her.


    They passed a door that thudded with people banging on them, except no numbers were on the other side of the door. How many undead were there? Instinctively, Vessa reached out to learn, but her mind came back with nothing. Door after door, they ran past. No numbers behind any and the brunette agent kept running.


    They didn¡¯t stop until suddenly they did and Vessa nearly ran into the brunette with the blond, grabbing Vessa shoulder. She looked past the brunette agent to green laser light shooting at undead. These were worse for wear than any she¡¯d seen so far.


    The undead were all down before Vessa had to do anything with the numbers. Then they were clearing through the unmoving bodies before running again. She almost wished the fight had lasted longer.


    It didn¡¯t take long to hear the thud of boots. Vessa tried to convince herself it was the group, but the sound was new, and she could hear moaning and heavy breathing. And she was the only one making that much noise.


    There were only twenty-four people in the group besides her. What happened when they hit another hoard of undead? She guessed that was how many had died, getting trapped in between two groups. And where she would come in. Keeping them alive long enough to take out both groups.


    But that would just keep happening with a larger and larger group behind them until Vessa found the necromancer. Or she died from running, which Vessa felt might happen at any moment.


    They stopped again and Vessa was again caught by the blond agent before she could slam into the brunette and throw off his aim. The blond and those behind turned to face the rear. Vessa in the middle, everyone¡¯s back to her.


    She was catching her breath while looking between the two groups, their numbers lightly in her grip as Vessa waited. Dreading the exhaustion that would come with holding others at 100%. She was already straining not to fall behind.


    Green light was now lighting up both sides of the hall and the undead were getting closer and closer. Finally, the front group turned to help the rear. As the undead reached her group, Vessa fell to the floor. Her mind consumed with keeping them all alive.


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    If she was panting before now, every breath took focus. There had to be a better way. Her number began dropping, but the surrounding noise said the fight wasn¡¯t over. Vessa felt something switch, one door closing as another opened.


    And it was easy to hold the group at 100%.


    Vessa wondered what would happen if she got shot by green lasers while being bitten by the undead. She didn¡¯t know and her number felt far away and almost unreachable. Perhaps because of how the undead affected her ability to see. The battle ended before Vessa could test the idea out, and she felt almost sad at the missed opportunity.


    As she ran, Vessa wondered what would happen if she stopped and grabbed for the blond agent¡¯s gun. Would he shoot her immediately? Maybe she should do that. Vessa shook her head as she powered through the pain in her sides and legs as to not be left behind. Although if she stopped running, maybe the undead would kill her this time.


    What was happening? Why would she want to do that? Either she¡¯d died or she¡¯d be bitten again and again until the undead moved on. Neither were good options, but then why did they now feel like they were?


    The blond agent caught her again as the group had stopped, already shooting at the undead coming towards them. The blond turning to watch behind them, waiting for the other group to arrive. How many times had they done this that it was so automatic? How many had died by getting caught between two hoards?


    Vessa wondered and watched as she fought not to do anything stupid like run past either group to test which would kill her first, the undead or the lasers. This time the front group couldn¡¯t hold back the hoard and Vessa had to hold them at 100%. She watched an undead bite an agent only for the bite mark to heal when it was thrown off. The bitten agent switched from gun to baton, as had the others, with some choosing knives.


    Vessa sat down as she looked at the group of agents facing the rear. Their hoard of dead hadn¡¯t reached them yet, and the agents were still using guns. Vessa spotted the knives secured by straps. She could take one in the chaos and slit her throat.


    It was that thought that made Vessa realize what the closing and opening doors in her mind had been. She was back on the other side of her curse. The other hoard of undead finally reached them. Guns were put away and knives and batons were brought out. Curiously enough Vessa suicidal mind wasn¡¯t tempted by the guns.


    Running to hug an undead or attack an agent and so many other ideas, but very few suggested taking a gun. Vessa closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall she had her back to and wondered if she would survive this fight. Her lack of practice resisting the suicidal side of her curse making itself known.