The sun had set over Phoenix city. Merchants were closing their shops and most people were already asleep. The night shift of the city guards was keeping an eye on the gate and on the academy itself. The priests at the local church had gathered for their evening sermons. The adventurer guild’s doors were open as always, and the academy did not rest either, as many students and teachers studied late into the night.

However, there were also those like Branson the swordsman, who valued their sleep and were quietly making their way back to their dorms. The burly teen was all smiles, since for once he wasn’t returning alone. Two of his classmates had requested his company, and they were both gorgeous.

A blonde held onto his left arm. “Looks like it’s going to rain. This city’s so creepy at night.”

A red-head held onto his right. “We couldn’t have trained so late if it wasn’t for you.”

“You are so strong.”

“Can you teach us the breathing technique?”

“Can you?”

“Please?”

Unfortunately, the two did not get a response. Branson’s smile suddenly faded as his entire weight fell onto the girls. They were taken by surprise and could not hold him up, so the boy fell face first onto the old, cobblestone road.

There was a deep gash where the spine met his neck, with blood pouring out of it. The blonde tried to scream, but something covered her mouth. Her friend reached out to her, but something pierced her heart.

Both girls fell to Branson’s left and right. Both had their vitals pierced by a knife, and both of them died just a few moments later.

“Take'm or leave’m?” An unknown whisper traveled through the street.

“Leave’m. We can’t chalk this up to coincidence anymore, not after what we did to Vistacia.”

As rain began pouring over the city, the whispers traveled somewhere else.

Within three or four hours after nightfall, a group of eight math majors were killed just a couple of streets away from their dormitories. A father and his young child were murdered while returning from their store. The academy’s history teacher was brutally sliced up a hundred feet away from the academy’s building, and countless more were dropping in other parts of the city.

It was around that time when three students passed through the academy’s gates. Finn was taking his archery class and Annie was pulling an all-nighter with Reina, so after Tommy, Michael and Natalie had concluded their training, they were now quietly returning to their dorm.

It was close to midnight. The clouds had parted, and now a red, full moon was high up in the sky. The teens were exhausted and not in the mood for talking. They had to reserve their energy for tomorrow’s classes.

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The moon covered the shops and buildings in an eerie, red light, while an unusual smell permeated the street.

“It's blood,” Michael murmured, drawing the other two’s attention. All three teens took a big whiff and came to the same conclusion.

“Over there.” Natalie ran to a three-story apartment building made out of bricks and wood. A man in his forties lay collapsed near the entrance with a three year old girl in his arms.

Both of them were covered in blood. Both of them had a cut running across their throats.

“What the fuck?” Michael clenched his fists.

“We must notify the guards,” said Tommy.

“Wait.” Natalie took another whiff. “Isn’t the smell a bit too thick for just two people? It’s coming from other directions too. It’s as if…”

Out of nowhere, something sharp pierced through Natalie’s heart. The girl pulled out her sword and stabbed towards her back. An orange crystal broke, an assassin appeared in the middle of her sword, and both he and Natalie collapsed on the sidewalk.

“No!”

Tommy pulled out his blade and took a high stance, while Michael kneeled near Natalie and took off his gloves.

“No, no, no.” He put the gloves on the girl’s hands and smacked them together with trembling arms. Fortunately, the gloves started glowing, and in lack of a conscious decision from their new owner, both abilities activated at once.

“Michael, prepare for combat. We need to reach the dorms and notify the guards.”

“I don’t give a shit about…”

Suddenly, something pierced through Michael’s clothes and skin, but before it could go any further, Tommy dropped his longsword like a bolt of lightning. Blood sprayed Michael’s back, as the assassin behind him was cut in half.

At the same time, Natalie regained consciousness. She saw Michael crying over her and whispered “Fight.”

A bestial roar came out of Michael’s mouth as he rose to his feet. He felt a cut on his neck, so he ducked, spun and kicked towards his right.

A moment later, an assassin appeared, groveling on the ground with his legs broken. Michael tried to grab him, but the killer immediately swallowed a pill and lost consciousness while frothing at the mouth. At the same time, Tommy released a slash, and another assassin collapsed in two halves.

After that, the street became deathly quiet. Natalie slowly got up as thunder struck a nearby building. She was breathing heavily and clutching her heart.

“Can you fight?” asked Tommy.

“Worry about yourself.” She gave Michael his gloves back and pointed at the cobblestones, which after the recent downpour, were now covered in mud. There were countless footmarks on the muddy stones, many of which were pointed straight at them. “We shouldn’t fight in the open. Run.”

The three teens bolted towards the dormitories. Since it was one of the academy’s facilities, it had guards, and most likely, the means to call for back-up.

Yet, as soon as they started moving, the sounds of splashes were heard from behind. The number of footmarks multiplied by a hundred, and mud could be seen rising to their sides. Eventually, the splashes appeared in front of them and the teens were forced to stop.

They took on a defensive formation at the same time as a tiny cloud let go of its water. Raindrops fell on the teens’ bodies. Raindrops fell on the unknown assailants, revealing them for a split second before the magic kicked in.

There were no less than 30 of them, surrounding the teens from all four directions. Natalie even caught sight of a dozen or so masked men watching them from on top of the nearby buildings.

“Breathe,” said Tommy. “Show no weakness.”

They could not see or sense their opponents until the very second they were about to get cut. Even so, Natalie forced a smile.

“Want to bet on who kills more?”

“Deal,” Michael frowned. “I will definitely win.”