This is a story that happened sometimes ago.

I attended a meeting between fellow colleagues who share the same goals and motivation.

Currently our little society is small however there are a few big shots here and there.

We are all here with the same goals.

The future of Elven society.

In the room, there are five elves in different seats. The seats are arranged so that everyone is equal. In this room, there are no leader.

The current treasurer of the nation, Luatha.

5 years ago his daughter married a traveling human merchant. He was opposed to it however he relented after his wife and daughter urging. His daughter was later found dead. Before that she was sold as slave to the lawless eastern land of the human kingdom. The matter was not an international incident due to being hushed up to keep good relation between the two powers. Afterwards, he grew distrustful of human, divorced his wife before dedicating his life to the cause.

He sat to the northwest side of the room, regarding the news of a diplomatic party arriving.

Opposite of him sat Muade, a merchant.

His family has been in the business for many generations. When trade relation with other nations was established, many ludicrous concession to attract foreign investment leads to him joining the anti foreigner faction of the merchants.

There is a knight with one arm, Mercy.

He participated in the human-elves war 300 years ago and lost his arm in battle. He still remembers the depravity human are capable of and join the society.

His loyalty however remains ambiguous.

Rydeasande, a wood elf/ high elf from a wealthy family. A familiar story, when a dwarvish illegal lumbering operation operated in his part of the world, he accepted his high elf lineage inheritance and joined the city to usher in new reforms to protect our forest. The dwarves participating in that operation was executed afterwards.

And then there is me, a ranger recruit.

...well I have to admit there is a tiny difference in power, however that is not important right now.

I may have been fine with this before but now that I think about it, it's really bad isn't it.

After gaining some perspective and knowing the history of another world, I can see that this is going to be very bad.

We are meeting in the darkness to discuss conspiracy in the name of hatred. Paint a Buddhist symbol backwards and we will resemble a certain chap in the 20th century who like art and his friends.

However, there is only an in and no out in this kind of society. I don't have the power to not leave in body bag.

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Furthermore, even if I leave, the fact remains that even without me, these people will cause trouble on their own, and in that case, they are troubles that I may not know about.

But it's serious now, I may have been fine with the state of this society from before but I really need to reform it now that our goals don't allign anymore before they cause anymore harms.

"If you excuse me." I stand up from my chair and start leaving the room

"Leaving so early Andarel?" Luatha regarded me with keen eyes as I left

"I have some business to attend to."

"Lately you have changed a lot. I have doubt in my mind that our great Andarel has started having second thoughts. What do you think?"

"I am only doing things for the good of the elven race"

"Very well, as long as you remember"

I left the room with a target in mind. Luatha. It had to be Luatha.

Every other members can have a change of mind, or they are not dangerous.

Luatha has a bit of everything, tempered by experience. Politically, he also holds the most power, capable of causing the most damage.

His hatred is also not a simple thing that can be changed. The man is too far gone for that now.

However, if it were possible, I did not wish harm for Luatha.

He used to be my colleagues. But now our paths are too different.

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In the middle of the night, in his own estate surrounded by guards, Luatha sleeps peacefully.

His room was locked due to paranoia. He has been paranoid ever since he knew exactly the details of what happened to his daughter after torturing the slaver, his son in law.

He is aware that there are human in the city and he can't sleep safely not knowing when they are going to get him. His hands are rigid as his nail bit through his flesh, leaving scars.

In the darkness, a dark figure appears wearing a hood.

Gently, that figure laid it's hand on the sleeping elf.

Gently it whispers

"Peace my friend. Peace. Sleep peacefully. Fall into eternal sleep peacefully with your daughter."

The figure move his hands so that the elf doesn't self harm anymore.

It is a mercy rejoining him with his daughter before he is even more far gone, however in his mind, Andarel only has regret.

"For the future of the Elven race friend."

In the morning, Luatha died peacefully in his sleep. The cause of death was unknown.

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"Andarel, hey Andarel." in the morning, Aradon roughly wakes me up.

"What's the matter? You have been talking in your sleep the whole night."