The routine didn't change.
It never did.
Morning came with cold light and colder steel. We trained until our muscles screamed, until our hands bled just enough to remind us we were still alive. No one complained anymore. Even Theo, who used to talk endlessly, had learned when silence was better.
Afternoons were quieter.
We are exploring the city.
Sometimes together. Sometimes alone.
No one forced the conversation. No one asked questions they didn't want answers to.
And nights…
Nights were the same.
Swing.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until collapse.
Then wake up in bed as if nothing happened.
Like our bodies refused to let us die before we were useful again.
***
Two days passed like that.
On the third day, the mission came.
This time, the target was smaller.
A single-story gambling den with a basement.
From the outside, it looked almost abandoned.
But my eyes saw through it.
"Most of the activity is underground," I reported.
Spiro nodded.
"Guards?"
"Ten total. Two large ones."
A pause.
"…weak."
That word came easier now.
Too easy.
We didn't need complex planning.
No barrier room.
No layered defense.
Just enter.
Kill.
Take.
Burn.
We moved in at night.
No signal.
No hesitation.
The first guard died before he realized we were there.
The second tried to shout.
Didn't finish.
After that…
It blurred.
Movements.
Blades.
Blood.
Screams that didn't last long enough to matter.
I noticed something.
There was no hesitation anymore.
No stiffness.
No visible discomfort.
Margaretha moved cleanly.
Robert tanked blows like always.
Theo cut with precision.
Even Agni and Pritha, without using flames, fought without pause.
We cleared it quickly.
Efficient.
Controlled.
Six gold bags.
Less than before.
But no one complained.
"It's enough," Spiro said.
That was the end of it.
We left as the building burned behind us.
Like always.
***
That night, I didn't sleep.
I couldn't.
My body was tired.
My mind… wasn't quiet.
So I picked up my sword.
And went outside.
Cold air.
Empty field.
I started swinging.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Footsteps followed.
One by one, they came.
No words.
Just understanding.
We swung together.
Until our bodies gave out.
Collapsed onto the snow-covered ground.
The cold didn't matter anymore.
Nothing did.
***
When I woke up, I was in bed.
Warm.
Like always.
***
"Next attack in three days."
Spiro's voice was the same.
Flat.
Certain.
We didn't question it.
We returned to routine.
***
But the city was changing.
The market grew louder.
Voices sharper.
Rumors are spreading faster than before.
I heard them everywhere.
"The gambling dens are being wiped out."
"The guards can't do anything."
"No clues. No survivors talking."
"Black Rose is making a move."
"No, Old Guard is using this to weaken Apex Exchange."
"No, it's internal conflict…"
Speculation layered over speculation.
Fear settled beneath it all.
People avoided certain streets now.
Especially at night.
Even the slums felt… cautious.
We listened.
We said nothing.
Because we knew the truth.
We were the cause.
***
Three days passed.
The next mission came.
This time…
Different.
Not in the slums.
In the market district.
We observed from beneath a large tree in a nearby park.
The target was an inn.
Three floors.
Normal on the surface.
Dining area on the first floor.
Rooms above.
Nothing unusual.
But I looked deeper.
"The gambling area is underground," I said.
Spiro glanced at me.
"Explain."
"There are two basement levels," I continued. "The first basement has around twenty guards. The second basement has ten large guards. Stronger than usual."
I focused.
"There's an underground arena. And a gambling hall."
A pause.
"The boss is deeper. Near a mana-covered room."
Silence followed.
Longer than usual.
"It seems…" Spiro said slowly, "We have to take a loss in this raid."
Theo frowned. "What do you mean?"
Spiro didn't look away from the building.
"We don't go inside."
That made everyone shift slightly.
"We burn the building. Block escape if necessary. But we don't take the gold."
"…that's it?" Theo asked.
"It's the safest option," Spiro replied. "There's only one staircase access. Fire will trap them."
Pritha spoke next.
"…we already have enough gold, don't we?"
Margaretha nodded. "No need to take risks for more."
Agni crossed his arms.
"…at least this way, we don't have to kill them directly."
That sentence lingered.
No one denied it.
No one argued.
Because we all understood.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't hesitation.
It was something else.
Something we didn't want to name.
Spiro nodded once.
"Agreed. We proceed."
***
Night came.
The inn was alive.
People eating.
Talking.
Laughing.
Normal.
I scanned the basement.
"Minimal activity," I whispered. "Some gambling. Guards are in position."
Spiro gave a small nod.
Agni and Pritha stepped forward.
We adjusted the plan.
"Start from the top," Spiro ordered. "Give civilians time to escape."
Pritha raised her hand.
A flame gathered.
Then…
A fireball shot into the both far corner of the roof.
Impact.
Flames spread instantly.
Screams followed.
People rushed out.
Chaos built quickly.
Others from nearby buildings came running to help.
Water.
Buckets.
Shouting.
Too many people.
Too close.
Spiro's eyes narrowed.
"…this won't work."
More people were gathering.
Too many witnesses.
Too much attention.
"They'll realize," Theo muttered.
Spiro made the decision.
Fast.
"Pritha, second floor. Now."
"Agni, first floor. Burn it."
No hesitation.
Flames erupted again.
This time…
Closer.
Faster.
More violent.
The fire consumed the structure rapidly.
Wood cracked.
Beams fell.
The screams changed.
From panic…
To something worse.
Margaretha whispered, "This is… fast…"
I kept scanning.
"The guards…" I said slowly.
"They're not moving."
"What?" Theo asked.
"They're staying in the basement."
I focused harder.
"The boss… he's shouting. Ordering them."
"To stay?" Robert frowned.
"…I don't know, I can't read lips yet."
Fifteen minutes passed.
The entire building was engulfed.
The cold night turned hot.
The air is thick with smoke.
I kept watching.
Through the flames.
Through the collapse.
"The mana…" I said.
Everyone looked at me.
"It's fading."
"…what do you mean?" Margaretha asked.
"They're not escaping," I continued. "They're not moving."
A pause.
"…they're dying down there."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"From the fire?" Theo asked quietly.
"Or lack of air," I replied.
No one spoke after that.
We just watched.
Two hours.
Until the fire died.
Nothing remained but blackened wood and ash.
I scanned one last time.
"…no human mana left."
Only one thing remained.
"The barrier room is still intact."
No one moved.
No one celebrated.
We just sat there.
Watching what we did.
Eventually, we stood.
And left.
***
"The guards didn't escape," Theo said as we walked.
"They were waiting," Margaretha added.
"For what?" Robert asked.
Theo shook his head.
"I don't know."
A pause.
"…but I don't have a good feeling about this."
Spiro didn't stop walking.
"Then we prepare."
His voice was calm.
As always.
"Stay sharp. No overconfidence."
That was the end of it.
But something had changed.
This time…
Even without seeing their faces…
I knew.
None of us would sleep easily.