[CONTENTID1]Chapter 2: Raven’s feather[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

His attire blends with the darkness, yet Hayi could see the outline of his structure. He has a muscular physique, towering over the girl. His eyes are cold and guarded, dark like a raven’s feather. Hayi finds herself captivated by the assassin’s eyes and stares into them, ignoring the chills that run down her spine. A murderous glint flickers in his eyes, and Hayi feels her heart hammering against her chest. Her eyes trail down to his right hand, which holds his sword. The faint moonlight shimmers over the metal blade, causing Hayi’s chest to tighten.

“Who are you? Are you a witch?” The assassin asks, demanding an answer right away. He takes a step closer to her, his sword dangling by his side. With the distance between them growing smaller, Hayi realizes how drenched his uniform is. Tiny droplets of water drip silently from his uniform, yet he’s not shivering from the cold breeze that passes by.
 

“I’m not one,” Hayi responds coolly. She meets the assassin’s eyes, which bores into her. A lump grows in the back of , and Hayi desperately tries to push it back down. It doesn’t disappear when she swallows her saliva, making it difficult to breathe.
 

“You witnessed a murder scene,” he says accusingly. His eyebrows furrow, his forehead creases as he stares at her. Hayi glimpses at his right hand again and observes how tensed his muscles are. The sword is no longer dangling by his side. The assassin clenches it in one hand, slowly raising it.
 

“I did,” Hayi confirms his suspicious. Her breathing is shaky, but the girl manages to keep a calm composure in front of the dangerous man. This man… He’s the type to take advantage of his prey’s vulnerability.
 

“Your life will be taken by my sword!” The assassin hisses, his voice breaking the heavy, dark silence between the two. His eyes narrow, treacherously set on the girl, as he grips his sword tightly. The blade reflects Hayi’s image tauntingly as if it is daring the young girl to defend her life.
 

Unconsciously, Hayi grips the pocket watch tightly and immerses in her thoughts. He tried to kill her earlier but failed. What makes him think he can kill her again? Hayi knows that the mystical light is connected to the pocket watch. It protected her – defended her from the blade which almost pierced her skin.
 

“Are you going to make it rain again?” Hayi speaks up, her eyes fixate on the man. She grips the sleeves of her school uniform, drenched from the rain and now clings onto her figure like second skin. Even though Hayi wants to provoke the man, her conscious mind refrains her from acting out. One mistake can cause a fatal consequence, and Hayi desires to not see the end of it.
 

“Rain?” Suddenly, the assassin stiffens; his fingers are tingling around the handle of the sword. He takes a step back and freezes when his scandals are soaked in a puddle. His eyes shakenly fixate on the liquid pool of red, which trails back to the murdered man.
 

Upon witnessing the scene, Hayi doesn’t dismiss the sudden change of attitude from the man. Despite his cold, intimidating presence, something flashes in the dark like raven’s feather orbs. If Hayi suspects correctly, she struck a nerve with the word “rain.” The man’s sword lowers, hanging by his side loosely. He is immersed with his thoughts and barely pays attention to the young girl. Although Hayi could not see his lower face, which is covered by a silky bandana, she can envision his jaw flexing and his nostrils flaring.
 

“Everyone retreat!” Hayi’s ears perk up, and she immediately becomes attentive to the vociferous outbursts. A torch flickers in the distant, alarming the young girl that there is an assemblage of assassins in the vicinity. Her eyes flash towards the man in front of her, and she couldn’t help but scrutinize his body movement.
 

“Everyone, we need to evacuate as soon as possible!” Another announcement roars in the night.
 

“Are you going to kill me?” Hayi quietly asks as she cowers against the wall.
 

“Live… I will let you escape.” Hayi’s eyes widen, slightly opens as she stares at the assassin. Is this man lost? Did he forget his occupation?
 

“You are an assassin, are you not?” She asks in a cynical and sardonic manner. Upon her response, Hayi defiantly narrows her eyes at the man, expecting him to wield his sword. However, he stands there with an unreadable expression on his face and seems to be staring at the young girl’s feature intently.
 

“I’m called many things,” he simply answers as he turns his back to her.
 

“Why are you letting me escape?” Lethargically, she lifts herself up and limps away from the wall. Hayi rubs her left arm, noting the garish purple splotches on her skin. She unconsciously presses it and winces when a painful shock jolts through her arm.
 

“I’m on the brink of insanity…” The assassin replies as he turns his head, looking over his shoulder. Although his tone is laced with sarcasm, Hayi has this premonition that the man is telling the truth. His eyes… They reveal the vulnerable state of his mind.
 

“Escape and never cross my path again. If we meet again,” his voice drops dangerously low, “your blood will stain my blade.”
 

Hayi nods her head vigorously, comprehending that his threat is not to be taken lightly. Whatever she will do, she will make sure to avoid the man – even if those raven orbs are captivating and alluring, she will make sure to never see it again.
 

Immediately, Hayi walks away from the man, ignoring the tremble in her leg that threatens to cut off her circulation. Her clothes are still drenched from the rain, and her body shivers from the freezing temperature. She bites the inside of while limping on one foot.
 

It seems to be that everything was always against her favor. Her father died, her mother is always absorbed with her occupation, her friends abandoned her after Jennie commanded them to do so, and her days at school were always horrendous… Hayi always pray at night that her life would turn 180 degrees. Now what? Hayi isn’t lacking common sense… She knows that she’s stuck in a foreign world. It’s surreal, and it hasn’t dawn on Hayi yet. There is still a part of her that wishes: “it’s just a nightmare.”
 

Suddenly, an arm coils around her frame, and Hayi’s eyes widen at the sudden contact. She collides into a person’s chest, and the scent of blood violates her nose – how repulsive… Before she could snap at the person, a cloth drapes over her body, engulfing her