The sun wept golden rays and the bugs sang songs of sorrow. Pearly drops of dew on the tall blades of grass sprinkled and splashed in the gentle breeze like tears shed for a lost friend.

They followed behind the wagon in a big crowd as it slowly made its way through the meadow, towards where the roses grow.

Julius and the other seniors led the way, guiding the horses in the correct direction. Though the horses know where to go perfectly well, they still do it as tradition dictates.

In the wagon is a crude coffin built from unpolished wooden planks, carrying within it a beloved member of the Rose family who no longer walks this mortal plane.

Thomas and several of Lilian’s closest friends sat in the wagon, carefully laying down flowers and carving intricate shapes into the soft wood.

They did not stop at the edge of the woods, nor the patch of crimson roses, instead heading a little further into the trees before coming to a stop.

There they dug a hole using shovels and sweat. Tradition dictates that no magic shall be used when digging a grave. Using your bare hands is see as a sign of respect, as it shows that one is willing to go through pain to return a loved one to the earth in peace.

Then they carefully carried the beautifully decorated coffin out of the wagon, adorned from top to bottom in rainbow flowers and graceful carvings.

Slowly it is lowered into the ground, the students of Rose standing around it silently one last time, paying their respects, before getting back to work replacing the soil which they had just excavated.

Bit by bit the beautiful flowers adorning the casket is covered by earth, and slowly the hole turned back to level ground.

To conclude the burial, Juno carefully placed a single rose seed in the softened soil, before watering it lightly with water dyed red with blood.

Whenever one of their family is returned to the ground, all the members must yield a drop of blood to the newly planted rose. This ensures that the magic and mana held within the body of their lost comrade is siphoned back into the ground with their blood, strengthening their connection with the magical roses and enhancing the power of the gemstones.

They were born of magic borrowed from those enchanted roses, and at their end, they shall return that borrowed favor.

It’s the lifecycle which all members of Rose follow, a sacred oath which they unknowingly swore by the first time they set foot inside the manor.

The younger and more inexperienced of the students shed some tears, but the older just stood solemnly. Lilian’s close friends, Raina, Kana, Bruno, and Thomas, stood together at one end of the casket. They weren’t crying, their eyes barely wet, but their pain could be felt in the air.

“Watch over me, Lily,” Kana whispered. “I know you will.”

Every year they lose several members, but very few to death. Some decide to leave and start a different life, while others, like Otto, decide to travel the world in search of wild wonders. There is no risk that those who leave will spill their secrets, because the perception-altering magic extends beyond just the physical roses, into the metaphysical, and even spoken words.

“May your body and soul, magic and mana, be returned to the ground in peace. Let it flow through the soil and rocks, the trees and grass, be collected by the gemstones, and once more, redden the roses which make us who we are,” said Julius. “Perhaps we can meet again, you as a rose, and we as your family.”

They repeated each sentence after Julius, word by word, perfectly in sync. In his lifetime, Julius has said the same words countless times.

Then they slowly made their way back to the manor, the atmosphere perhaps a little less gloomy than before. Thomas stayed for a moment longer, before Bruno gently persuaded him to move away.

“Let’s go, Thomas,” he whispered in as soft a voice as he could muster. “She’ll become a part of those gemstones, the magic that sustains us, so every year she’ll always pay us a visit.”

“It was my fault, Bruno.”

“It isn’t. I’m sure you in particular made her life more worthwhile than anyone else.”

“Thank you…”

“Go on, say your final goodbyes.”

Thomas rubbed his nose, he could feel the tears beginning to collect in his eyes. “Goodbye, Lily…”

“That’s it?”

“I know we have the prettiest roses, but of all the flowers I’ve ever laid eyes on, you’re by far the most beautiful…”

Bruno smiled. “That’s poetic.”

“Let’s go…”

“Let’s go.”

Though sad, the funerals always brought closure to the family. Even if a member can no longer be with them physically, their spirit and magic will still persist in any shape or form.

But probably as a crimson rose, redder than any other.

*****

“Julius, please, listen to me. This is something we should take more seriously,” said Thomas.

He stood in the middle of the senior’s office, surrounded by the six most powerful members of Rose.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Thomas, I understand your concern and your pain, but we are already taking measures,” Julius answered. “We are stepping up our background checks on both contract submitters and the targets, and at all subsequent contracts this year, we will have added security both at and around the venue.”

“That’s not…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Julius, I don’t think it’s as simple as that. This was a premeditated ambush. To be able to avoid detection by the most skilled assassin in the world is not just something a random person with a grudge can do.”

“Thomas, Thomas. I’ve seen things like this happen before,” Julius said, gesturing with his hands for Thomas to calm down. “We are already doing all we can do to prevent it. Any more and we risk missing a contract.”

“It’s not enough.”

“What are you suggesting then?” Asked Izzy.

“I…” Thomas paused for a moment. “I say, we skip a contract or two, get to the bottom of this, and eliminate the threat before it strikes again.”

“We’re not going to miss a contract,” Julius stated.

“Why?”

“The contracts are our livelihood, missing any means putting our existence at risk.”

“So does knowingly heading into a trap.”

“How would you know?”

“You’ve seen those contracts. You’ve seen how strange they are. I’ve never had a single year where all six are in Eidolon, and all six are of low-profile people, and all six are from anonymous clients. I think it’s damning evidence that this is all a setup.”

Julius thought for a moment. “No. We cannot miss a contract.”

“Do you really value those contracts over the lives of our family?”

“We’re assassins, Thomas. Assassins die in their line of duty. You know it and I know it. I'm terribly sorry for your loss, and I'm saddened too, but we can't tarnish our reputation because of it.”

"You..." Thomas could feel his blood boil, but he took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Julius, if you keep going blindly into these contracts, you might as well be murdering our family.”

“Enough!” Julius boomed, his voice echoing through the room. “I see… How about we make a compromise.”

“What compromise?”

“I’ll assign you as the leader of a special task group, you can pick out seven other members of your choice, three master apprentices and four apprentices. It will be your duty to track each of our targets to the bottom, know them better than their family does, return to Bluewater if you must to search for clues. Connect the dots, pinpoint the perpetrator, chase down his superiors, and make sure they never harm us again. But in the mean time, the contracts will go on. They must go on.”

“What if I fail?”

“Well…” Julius shrugged. “Then Lilian’s sacrifice was for nothing.”

“Deal.”

Then Thomas turned and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. Though the air smelled of gunpowder, he is too disciplined to be throwing tantrums.

Julius watched him go, then collapsed into his seat, catching his head with his hands.

“You must be hurt, Julius,” said Leo, walking over and patting him on the shoulder. “You don’t usually fall for persuasion so easily.”

Leo is the second oldest senior, though several years younger than Julius, he was, and still is, one of Julius’ closest friends.

“Of course I’m hurt, Leo. They took one of us. This family is my responsibility, and I was too careless,” muttered Julius. “I thought we’d have some fun with such an easy contract, but it came back to bite.”

“It’s not your fault,” Leo muttered gently. “You’re right, the contracts must go on. Giving in to the threat would mean bowing down to our enemies, whoever they may be.”

“I’ll have to write Otto a letter…”

Julius sighed, brought his head up and looked around at the room. He stood up, walked over to the bulletin board, and in one big handful, tore down the maps and documents of the first contract. Then he took the slip of paper denoting their second contract, and pinned it at the center of the now empty board.

“Alright… time for the next contract…”

*****

Thomas found the final three he had been looking for at last, below the lush trees of the garden. The sun was setting, the orange sky broken up by streaks of pale clouds.

They were just sitting there idly, not laughing, not even chatting.

The entire day the manor felt much more silent than usual. No classes ran, and even Julius’ speech at dinner felt a little lacking in energy. Maybe he should apologize to Julius for his outburst.

“Idris, Andrei, Saya!” Thomas called out as he approached the three apprentices. “Good evening.”

“Oh… hey Thomas…” Saya answered.

He could see that the three were downtrodden. Even the usually way-too-energetic Saya sounded tired.

“I need to discuss something with you three,” said Thomas as he sat down in front of them.

“Yes?”

“I talked with Julius. I’m now the leader of a special task group. I am to pick out seven other people, three master apprentices, four apprentices, who will be aiding me with finding the perpetrator of this attack.”

“You’re the leader of… what?” Asked Idris, a little confused.

“I think that there’s something coming for us,” Thomas explained. “I think many at Rose share that sentiment. I spoke to Julius, tried to convince him to halt the contracts and get to the bottom of this, but, understandably, he refused. As a compromise, he tasked me to investigate this incident, and catch the perpetrator before they strike again.”

“So we are…”

“I am asking you three to join me in this mission.”

“Ah…”

“That means you will not be taking part in the next contract, or maybe the one after that, or maybe all the ones for the rest of the year. We’ll be traveling the land in search of clues, possibly heading into danger, and hopefully avenge our fallen comrade.”

The three thought in silence.

“Who are the other four?” Andrei asked.

“Raina, Kana, Bruno, and Nina. They were Lily’s closest friends, and none hesitated when I gave them this proposal.”

They thought a moment longer.

“You’ll lend me a hand, won’t you?” Thomas asked. “If not for your sake, at least for mine.”

“Why us?”

“You’re the three apprentices I trust the most.”

The three exchanged glances, then nodded to each other.

“Sure,” Idris said with a slight smile.

Thomas smiled too, perhaps for the first time since that unforgettable night.

“Thank you.”