The assignment was short: kill Llryis and leave no clue behind. Short, but difficult. I was a spy, not a killer. However, hard times called for desperate measures, and this was one of them. The Council of Selia was closing in on us, sniffing out the lower-ranked spies within the circle. It was only a matter of time before one of them would succumb to the deadly whispers of Llyris and reveal our every secret. Killing another one of the Element would not be so easy this time. Everyone was on high alert following Lavinia’s shocking death. It was even more shocking when the hand that killed her was none other than one of the King’s most loyal Enforcer: Marie Lightbringer. No one suspected that it was I who was controlling the auburn-haired mage when she landed the fatal blow on her own friend. But there was also a matter of the heart. Though I had not intended to come here to find love, I fell for Llyris’ flirtatious charm. I was far from the only one. The striking wind wizard had his fair share of people clamoring for his attention — which he gladly gave. However, it was Marie who he spent the most time with. It was that jealously that made me decide that she would be the one to strike down Lavinia. It was ironic. The two were good friends as they both controlled one of the Elements. But when I Mimicked Lavina’s body-jumping magic and Jumped to Marie, I forced her to stab Lavina. With one of them dead and the other one locked in a dungeon, I thought that the Headquarters would be satisfied. As it turns out, however, they wanted Llyris dead too. Part of me wondered if this was some sort of cruel test. Did they find out that I was crushing on an enemy? It didn’t matter. I was still loyal to the cause. If they demanded Llyris to die, if that is what it took to secure the win, so be it. For too long, we were forced to bend our knees to the Council. For too long, we were forced to watch as they took away our loved ones and made the person sever all ties to the past — including their own family. It was time for the madness to end. Even if it meant the end of Llyris’ life. ⚝ The morning of Llyris’ death was snowy and cold. It was perfect. The cold excused why my hands trembled, and the snow would cover my tracks after I finished my job. Still, my heart ached, knowing what was soon to happen. At the very least, I knew that Llyris would not suffer for long. “Editha.” I jumped, looking up to see Llyris’ face inches from my own. His warm breath tickled my cheeks, and a fierce heat rose to my face. “You’re quiet. And you are so distracted that you didn’t answer any of my questions.” He stuck out his lower lip in a false pout. “I’m not boring you, am I?” “Yes! I mean… no.” I waved my hands wildly in front of me. “Just a lot on my mind.” Like how I am about to kill you, I added quietly to myself. “So… what were you saying?” Llyris’ blue eyes studied me for a few seconds. I glanced away, fearful that he might see the guilt written all over my face. A moment later, he resumed walking. “As I was saying, the Council…” he began. As he was talking, I allowed the hidden blade to drop to my hand. My heart was pounding. This was it. In a few more minutes, the white snow would be stained in red. My hands would be stained in red. Peeking at the blond-haired wizard again, I steadied my breath. He wasn’t looking at me. It was time. Lunging forward, I prepared to bring the sharp dagger down the back of his neck. But then, I heard his voice again. “—and I was wondering if you would like to—” My weak heart made me slow down, and I hesitated. What was he going to say? A pained gasp escaped my mouth, and my hand released the dagger. Stumbling back, I stared at the growing red stain on my shirt. Did he just…? Dragging my eyes upward, I see Llyris staring at me in disbelief, one of his throwing knives sticking out of my chest. Confusion and betrayal swamped his blue eyes. His eyes flicked back and forth from my dagger to my kneeled form as if he was trying to answer a confusing puzzle. Finally, he raised his hand. Blood — my blood — coated his trembling fingers. He looked me in the eyes. “You made me do this.” His breathing came out in ragged spurts. “Why?” I didn’t answer. I propped myself up with one arm, the other covering the wound in vain. Black spots swam across my vision. It wasn’t supposed to end this way. It should’ve been Llyris prone form stiffening in the snow, not me. Except that he didn’t grant me the mercy of a swift death. “Answer me, Editha!” The voice was furious, and the venom behind it made me flinch. With the anger, it was near impossible to resist answering him. “An order from the Headquarters.” Funny. All this time, I was worried that someone powerful might reveal the Headquarters’ secrets under Llryis’ Seeking powers. Given enough time, it allowed him to force a person to answer his questions truthfully. He cursed, but the sound barely reached my ears. I collapsed face-first into the snow — which wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be — having lost all my strength. It wasn’t fair, I thought. I was a spy, not a killer. The task was impossible right from the start. A single thought drifted in my mind: Please… let the madness end even if I will never see the day.