Chapter 4 Magnolia Blooms.

St. Maria Convent was home to every assassin in the West. It stood with the facade of a church, its stained glasses hiding a darker purpose. It wasn't a mere disguise-no, the convent was built legally in the mid-90s under the guidance of Saint Francis Maria, a man who believed it was the duty of the righteous to eradicate evil by any means necessary. To him, assassination was not a sin but a divine calling, an act of faith in fulfilling what he was convinced was God's will.

Ever since then, every generation of assassin born under the roofs of this Convent was only destined to fulfilling this will. From birth, we have vowed to this destiny. I, as a man of my words, believed that it was my responsibility to keep in mind the sacrifices of our ancestors and carry on their legacy.

Many of our brothers and sisters had tried to run away from their vows, only resulting in death. "One can never run away from their destiny," I strongly believed this, "if you must go astray, then you shall be doomed to eternal misery. "

Our home, built ages ago, now lies hidden deep within the forest, where the thick branches and leaves form a protective barrier, shielding us from the corrupted world beyond. At the age of 13, we are sent here to purify ourselves, trained to maintain purity in the world by eradicating evil. Once the convent receives a request for an assassin, the doors to the dark world swing open. The letter always details the reason for the assassination, and if the convent deems it just, an assassin is dispatched to fulfill their divine mission.

Indeed, that is how I was released. What bothered me was - how did the Convent find it appropriate when this woman approached them? When I met her the first time, I only sensed desperation - it was not a desperation yearning for death. Why did she want to die then? Why would she appoint an Assassin of all beings to do this? I am a trained assassin and I was confident that death is something she feared. Furiously, I stormed out of the restaurant. I wasn't here to play games but to only fulfill my duty. If she has not committed evil, I'm not obliged to kill her - specially when I have not signed any contract.

"Shade!" I heard a voice from behind, "Please! Wait!" I didn't wait. I continued to walk faster, my hands balled up inside the pockets of my jacket. "Shade!" she called again, running towards me this time. Before I could walk any faster, she grabbed my left arm, catching for breath. "What are you doing?" I moved away, "I told you-"

"You need to understand," she looked at me with hope, her hazel eyes changing colors like autumn leaves - sometimes brown, sometimes orange and yellow. At that moment, the sky began to snow, delicate flakes landing softly on her cherry cola hair. Her olive skin trembled in the cold, and I could feel the chill as if it were my own. "I need you, please," she looked desperate again. I didn't know why her desperation irked me, "Rose, its best if you hire someone in the mafia. I'm not committed to killing you if you haven't done anything wrong-"

"Then I will commit a crime!" she cut me, "I just need you to give me a painless death! Is that too much to ask for? You're trained for this."

"I'm not trained for this nonsense," I was surprised by her words, "We don't kill without reason. We are not murderers. It's better you understand this as soon as you can."

"You do have a reason," she replied, "Isn't that why the Convent released you?"

What she said was true. The Convent wouldn't have chosen me, an assassin, if there wasn't a reason. The difference is, the Convent knew that reason, and I didn't. Perhaps, it was my task to uncover that reason - and then to assassinate her. Before I could think any further, I noticed her trembling. Kindly, I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Let's sit somewhere and talk," I suggested gently. She pursed her soft red lips and blew out a breath of cold air, and that's when I noticed a small mole on the left side of her face, just above her chin.

"Thank you," she said softly, and we walked down the street together, side by side.