The sound of thundering footsteps floods Joohyun’s senses as she flees her attackers, sprinting and slipping from one alleyway to the next in a desperate attempt to escape.

The air is burning in her lungs, heart hammering in her chest as the Assassin turns into yet another dark corner— only to come face to face with an enraged, burly man, armed with a pistol at ready.

“She’s here!” He shouts, and it’s enough to jolt Joohyun back into motion, diving into cover behind a building corner just as a bullet whizzes past.

. . .

This hadn’t been the plan.

The plan was to slip into the building, grab the required documents and leave quietly without rousing any suspicion, and yet here she is, soon to be swarmed by undoubtedly dozens of gun-for-hires, armed to the teeth, and more than willing to drag her corpse back to the Templars for an extra paycheck.

She fumbles for her coat pocket, patting it to double check that the pieces of paper are still with her— thankfully, there’s the telltale sound of crinkling paper in her pocket.

A deep breath in, and out; then, she’s taking off again, the asphalt rushing past beneath her feet as the sounds of angry shouts follow her. Turning into yet another alleyway, Joohyun spots one of the men almost immediately in the faint moonlight, who charges towards her with zero hesitation.

This time, she’s prepared.

With a neat flick of her wrist, her hidden blade slides into place with a soft click, and she meets her opponent with equal, yet quiet ferocity. Evading his initial jab with his dagger, Joohyun slips past, easily bringing her wrist to his neck, where the blade sinks into soft flesh.

There’s a wet, gurgling noise as Joohyun steps away, the blade retracting into its sheath, and the man crumples to his feet, landing face-first onto the muddy ground with a dull thud.

And maybe Joohyun really should’ve planned out her escape route first, because as she looks up, the Assassin finds herself surrounded by at least a dozen men blocking off her path of escape, barely three meters away.

“.” She mutters, her gaze darting about frantically for another escape route, swallowing.

Then, she sees it— up onto the rooftops of the single-stories houses that sprawl across the neighbourhood.

Except that climbing would mean turning her back to her assailants, which would most certainly spell a death sentence.

Suddenly, there’s a loud thud and a sickening crack as a figure drops down from seemingly nowhere, twin blades buried deep into the backs of two of the men.

It takes barely a second for chaos to erupt; almost immediately, the figure is swarmed by her attackers, and Joohyun leaps in, drawing her sword, slashing and hacking her way to her temporary saviour.

It’s only then that she spots the hauntingly familiar, just above-the-shoulder length of black hair and striking, red Templar insignia woven into the back of a coat.

“Seungwan?!” She shouts over the fray, and the figure turns, flashing her a grin before returning her attention to her opponent.

“What’re you doing here?” Joohyun grits through her teeth as her sword clangs noisily against one of the men’s own, and with a grunt, she shoves him. As he loses his footing, Joohyun’s rushing in, stabbing her sword firmly into his abdomen before pulling out, with Seungwan by her side.

“Helping you. What does it look like?” There’s more sounds of clashing steel as they fend off the others, and Joohyun winces at the chaos.

Eventually, Seungwan fends off the last of the men with a quick dodge and slices easily into him, and he falls with a final, resounding thud.

It’s only then that Joohyun relaxes, gasping for breath, sweat dripping down her chin as she tries to catch her breath.

“You… You saved me.”

There’s a soft ‘schwing’ as Seungwan sheathes her blades.

“No need to be so dramatic, I was merely helping you out.”

Joohyun swallows, wincing at the sharp sting of pain along her arm. Looking down, she belatedly realizes there’s a long, deep gash running across it, slowly oozing and dripping blood.

Seungwan’s gaze flickers to her wound.

“Here.”

She bends, ripping off a strip of material from one of the dead men’s shirts before making her way to the Assassin, wrapping it firmly her wound. Joohyun lets out a soft hiss under her breath, and Seungwan offers an apologetic smile.

“We should get out of here.” Joohyun says, and Seungwan nods in agreement.

“Come with me, I know a shortcut.” Seungwan hums, and with that, she hauls herself onto the roof with ease, turning back and offering a hand to Joohyun.

The Assassin slaps it away playfully, pulling herself onto the roof with a grimace as a sharp stab of pain flares in her arm. Then, they’re off, making their way carefully across the rooftops, until Seungwan drops down into a deserted stretch of road.

A quick glance around tells Joohyun that they’re in the quieter, residential area now, instead of the bustling city centre.

“Why are you here?” She finally speaks, and Seungwan turns to look at her, her gaze gentle.

“I figured you might run into trouble.”

Joohyun levels her with an unimpressed look.

“Seriously, why are you here? And how did you know I would be here?”

Seungwan looks away. “A little birdie told me you’d be taking this mission, and I got worried.”

Joohyun raises an eyebrow. “Who did?”

“That’s not important.”

“No, it is. I need to know if they’re loyal to you or the Templars.”

“They’re loyal to me, don’t worry. Their heart is firmly within your Creed, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Seungwan shoves her hands into her coat pockets.

“And you’re not worried that I’m stealing important Templar documents?” An amused smile quirks Joohyun’s lips, and Seungwan lets out a quiet chuckle.

“Not really. You know that my heart belongs more to you than them.”

“I know.” Joohyun smiles softly, and Seungwan removes a hand from her coat pocket to interlace their fingers together, pulling Joohyun closer.

“When can I see you again?” Joohyun asks quietly.

“That depends on you, my love. You’re far busier than I am, given that my father doesn’t quite trust me to do my missions well.”

“You’re an amazing swordsman, Seungwan, no matter what he says.” Joohyun squeezes her girlfriend’s hand reassuringly, and Seungwan smiles.

“I know.” She stops in their tracks, turning to face Joohyun fully. “Now, when are you going to be free?”

“I’ll try to make it on Friday, but I can’t be too sure.”

“Alright.” Seungwan hums in agreement, wrapping Joohyun in a hug as she buries her nose into the crook of her neck. The older woman wraps her arms around her girlfriend tightly, closing her eyes and leaning into Seungwan’s touch.

“This is where we part ways, right?” Joohyun voice is soft, tinged with sadness.

“I’m afraid so.”

Seungwan pulls away, but keeps her arms loosely around her girlfriend.

“Take care of that cut, okay? Don’t overexert yourself, and remember to eat your meals.”

“It’s just a small cut, Seungwan.” Joohyun snorts.

“I know, but still. Take care of yourself.”

“I will, and you should too. Stop skipping your meals and sleep more.”

“Yes ma’am.” Seungwan grins, and Joohyun rolls her eyes affectionately.

It always feels a little bittersweet, no matter how many times they’ve said goodbye.

With Seungwan as a Templar, it had been inevitable and necessary to hide their relationship in the shadows, for the fear of punishment from both of their organizations if they ever found out.

It hurts, to know that Seungwan can never outwardly and openly be hers, but having Seungwan with her despite their trials and tribulations, despite their clashing identities, and despite the war between the Creed and the Order, is perhaps enough.

Enough to believe that they can make it, in spite of everything.

“I love you.” Joohyun’s voice is soft, vulnerable. It’s a declaration that’s been made many times over, and yet it’s significance never quite dwindles. Perhaps it’s because of the perilous nature of their relationship, or the certainty that either of them simply may not live to see another day at any given point in time, but Joohyun means it each time, and Seungwan seems to know so.

“I love you too, Joohyun.”

A gentle hand cups Joohyun’s cheek, and Seungwan’s leaning in— then, their lips meet in a slow, soft kiss, underneath the moonlight and serenity of the night.