Cassian’s breath came in steady, controlled bursts as he perched on the tree branch, his body tense yet poised for movement. Below him, the estate grounds stretched out, bathed in silvery moonlight. The alarm was still blaring, its sound grating against his ears, but strangely, the area remained devoid of guards.
He scanned the ground below and, finding it clear, dropped silently from the tree, his boots landing softly on the damp grass. His fingers tightened around the strap of his satchel, where the crown lay nestled, its faint magical hum a reminder of the perilous task he’d just undertaken.
His mind churned as he moved through the shadows, his thoughts sharp and focused. *The runes lit up two seconds too late. It wasn’t magical delay—it was mechanical. Deliberate. Why? Was I wrong?* His pace slowed as realization began to crystallize. *This... this is a trap.*
Just as the thought solidified, a voice rang out behind him, sharp and commanding.
“Hand over the crown, thief.”
Cassian froze mid-step, his head snapping around to locate the source. A man stepped into view, his uniform gleaming even in the dim light. It wasn’t just any uniform—it was the uniform of the chief guard.
The man stood tall and composed, his presence oozing authority. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of a sword strapped to his hip, but he hadn’t drawn it. Not yet. His eyes, sharp and calculating, were locked onto Cassian.
Cassian’s pulse quickened, but his face betrayed none of the turmoil churning within. His mind raced, assessing the situation. *Why is there no one else here? No patrols, no reinforcements. Just him? That doesn’t add up.*
The chief guard shifted slightly, and Cassian’s gaze flicked to his left hand. A glint of metal caught his attention—a bracelet, simple but oddly familiar. Recognition struck like a bolt of lightning.
*That bracelet... David has one exactly like it.*
Cassian’s thoughts unraveled in a rapid cascade. *David was flaunting that bracelet just a few days ago. Why does this chief guard have the same one? Unless... unless this is a setup. A trap. I was played.*
The pieces began falling into place, each more damning than the last. *David claimed to have an inside informant—this guy, clearly. But how did he know so much? The guard placements, the traps, the timing of the magical ward maintenance... And the window on the second floor? That was too perfect, too easy.*
Cassian’s jaw tightened. *This isn’t just a trap. I was baited into retrieving the crown only to be captured.*
The chief guard took a step forward, his hand tightening on his sword. “I won’t ask again,” he said, his voice calm but laced with authority. “Hand over the crown.”
Cassian met the man’s gaze, his expression unreadable. His mind, however, was spinning, calculating his options. *I can’t take him head-on. Not with his training and rank. But why hasn’t he called for reinforcements? Is he waiting for David?*
The alarm was still blaring in the distance, yet no guards came rushing in. The absence of chaos confirmed Cassian’s suspicions: this wasn’t an ordinary mission. It was personal.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he spoke, his voice calm and low. “You’ve gone through all this trouble for one thief. I must be worth a lot.”
The chief guard didn’t respond, but his grip on the sword hilt tightened.
*He’s waiting for me to panic, to slip up. Not happening.*
Cassian shifted his weight slightly, his eyes darting around the area, taking in every detail. The estate wall was a few meters away. Beyond it lay the forest—dense, dark, and perfect for losing pursuers. The gap was manageable if he timed his movements right.
*But first, I need to deal with him.*
The chief guard’s lips curved into a faint smile, as though he could read Cassian’s thoughts. “You won’t make it far, you know. The entire estate is locked down. Surrender, and I might be lenient.”
Cassian snorted, his smirk widening. “Lenient? Somehow, I doubt that.”
With a flick of his wrist, he reached into his satchel, pulling out a small vial. It was filled with a murky liquid that glimmered faintly under the moonlight. Before the chief guard could react, Cassian hurled it at the ground.
The vial shattered, releasing a thick, acrid smoke that spread rapidly, obscuring the area.
The chief guard cursed, his voice muffled by the cloud. “Coward!”
Cassian didn’t wait for the smoke to clear. He bolted, his movements swift and precise. He darted toward the wall, his grappling hook already in hand. In a single fluid motion, he flung the hook over the edge and began climbing.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Behind him, the sound of a sword being drawn sliced through the night.
“Run all you like, thief!” the chief guard shouted, his voice cutting through the din of the alarm. “You won’t escape!”
Cassian reached the top of the wall and swung himself over, landing with a soft thud on the other side. He didn’t stop to catch his breath. The forest loomed ahead, its dark embrace beckoning him.
As he disappeared into the trees, his mind churned with one thought: *David, you bastard. When this is over, you’re going to regret crossing me.*
The moonlight poured through the canopy of the forest, casting faint, silvery beams over the jagged terrain. Cassian pressed his back against the cool rock beneath the bridge, his breaths shallow and controlled, though his mind churned with curses.
*Well played, David. Well played,* he thought bitterly. His fingers clenched into fists, the rough bark of a nearby tree digging into his palm as he fought the urge to move. *I can’t even take a step without risking detection.*
The faint rustle of leaves and the occasional sound of footsteps echoed through the stillness of the forest. Cassian’s sharp ears picked up the telltale clinking of armor in the distance. They were close—too close. He swallowed hard, frustration bubbling up inside him.
*The whole forest is crawling with them. David’s lackeys, no doubt. That bastard must’ve coordinated with the head guard to trap me here. I’m cornered.*
His hand instinctively moved to his satchel, brushing against the outline of the crown within. He pulled it out, the metal glinting faintly under the fragmented moonlight. The weight of it in his hands felt heavier than before, almost suffocating.
Cassian muttered under his breath, “This damn crown… I should’ve trusted my instincts.”
His eyes roved over the intricate design of the artifact, the ornate craftsmanship unmistakable. But it wasn’t the crown itself that held his attention—it was the pearl embedded at its center.
*The pearl,* he thought grimly. *The rumors were true. This thing really is from an ancient dungeon, and not just any dungeon—the kind that never opens again.*
His mind drifted back to everything he’d read and overheard about the pearl. Legends spoke of it as a rare, mystical object, one that no magic wielder could resist. But the most troubling part? The dungeon it came from was said to have sealed itself the moment the pearl was removed, never to open again. That wasn’t normal, even by dungeon standards.
Cassian’s fingers grazed the smooth surface of the pearl as his thoughts spiraled. *If they catch me, they’ll get everything: me, the crown, the pearl. And knowing David and that head guard, they’ll probably claim I destroyed it or sell it off in the black market. Either way, they profit while I rot in some prison.*
His jaw tightened as a new resolve took hold. He pulled the pearl free from the crown, its faint glow illuminating his fingertips.
*If I’m going to get captured, I’m not letting them have the upper hand.*
Before he could second-guess himself, Cassian brought the pearl to his lips and swallowed it.
The moment it slid down his throat, a surge of heat erupted in his stomach. His eyes widened as a burning sensation coursed through him, spreading like wildfire.
“What the—?” he choked out, doubling over as pain seared through his body. His skin felt as if it were aflame, his vision swimming with flashes of light.
*What’s happening?* his mind screamed. *I heard there’s no danger in swallowing a pearl, so why—?*
The fire in his veins grew hotter, almost unbearable, until darkness consumed him entirely.
---
Cassian’s eyes fluttered open, but he wasn’t in the forest anymore. He was… somewhere else.
The ground beneath him was soft and cool, like a bed of clouds. All around him was a vast, ethereal expanse—an endless sea of shimmering mist and golden light. Trees with crystalline leaves swayed gently in a non-existent breeze, their beauty otherworldly.
Cassian’s body felt weightless, as though he were floating just above the ground. Yet, despite the serenity of the place, unease gnawed at the edges of his mind.
He glanced down at himself and froze. His hands were not his own. They were larger, calloused, and adorned with golden cuffs that hummed faintly with energy.
*Whose body is this?*
As he leaned back against one of the crystalline trees, fragments of memories that weren’t his own flooded his mind—flashes of battle, blood, and betrayal. A name lingered at the edges of his consciousness, just out of reach, but the emotions tied to it were overwhelming: grief, rage, and… duty.
Cassian clenched his fists, his breathing uneven. Before he could make sense of what he was experiencing, the scene began to fade, the mist and light dissolving into nothingness.
---
Cassian jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. The first thing he noticed was the dull ache in his stomach, a faint warmth still lingering where the pearl had settled. The second was the sunlight filtering through the trees.
*Morning already?* he thought groggily, his mind struggling to piece together what had just happened.
He sat up slowly, his muscles stiff and sore. His gaze darted around the forest, scanning for any signs of movement. The guards could still be nearby, though the forest felt eerily quiet.
Cassian touched his stomach absently, his thoughts racing. *What was that place? Was it real, or just some hallucination? And why did it feel so… familiar?*
He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. Whatever had just happened, he’d deal with it later. Right now, survival was his priority.
Standing cautiously, Cassian brushed the dirt from his clothes and adjusted his satchel. His mind was still a whirlwind of questions, but one thing was certain: this job had just become far more complicated than he’d ever anticipated.
He muttered under his breath, “Let’s see what fresh hell awaits me now.”
With that, he began to move, carefully picking his way through the forest, every sense on high alert.