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Rows upon rows of s, containing cell upon cell of new recruits and old, glowed diht My heart thundered to think how one

"Tiainst the broken radius in hed "Trying to recall what soht? You won’t, Operative Fox We prograet You’re brainwashed to suffer short-term amnesia whenever you complete a mission That way you cannot coht You cannot lie if you don’t re to squeeze the flashbacks froo to war compromised I had to stay clearheaded and be the ultie of Clara consu ent eyes--all gone

"Roan, don’t fight withwithher and Zel when she neededClara again I’d never fight the horrible urge to kill such innocence again all while falling hter, taking rippedsound of her wails danced on the wind I hated that I wasn’t there for her I hated I wasn’t h

Kill Sever Bleed Devour

Blinking, I forced the else existed but the e in

Balling my hands, I took a step out of the tree line Exposed in the cleared snowybut my mission I ceased to be Roan I ceased to be heartbroken by a little girl’s death I ceased to hatethere for the mother

For this mission, I was nameless

I was Karma I was Fate

I ran

The backdoor, fortified with iron that I helped n, barred my entry Scraps littered the snow from dinner and trails of blood drifted off into the distance where local wolves took recruits that hadn’t ical issue to avoidreached the by the door, I sth I’d never be able to crack the lock, but the hinges--they were old and weather-worn Wood splintered and groanedwind

By the time the door creaked open, my hands were bloody and I shook uncontrollably fro into the one place I’d always tried to break out of It was dark and late and no one was around Dancing around tripwires and avoiding alarms, I moved deeper into Hell

I infiltrated an operation so cocky and arrogant, they never thought to fear one of their own co their human weapons were subservient and loyal to the end

They had it wrong

No one wanted to be there

No one wanted to serve in purgatory

Kill Sever Bleed Devour

My first stop was the are of knives, blades, and other equipo The anvil was the same The stench of sweat and metal the same But there were new iteht The sen of peace

"I want you, Fox I want to touch you" Hazel’s voice rang inmuch for her to touch me, to not have to deal with the shit insidebastards had to die It wasmyself forever My last hope for a cure My last chance at happiness with a wo and protect

I stood over a pile of weapons, ta my rapid heartbeat I wanted to inflict pain After all, I was a fucking Ghost

I collected crescent moon blades, a silenced pistol, and a hammer I used so often to beatcalmed, my muscles bunched in preparation, and I slunk like the deotten corridors No spike of emotion No residual humanity I e hour waswith the dark I didn’t knoho’d created the society of Ghosts, or who bought our services Some missions had been politicians, other movie starlets There was no rhyme to e killed--if they had uns for hire and it was tiround

The first nificant I wasn’t in his realm of minions He was handsoel But he was a ruthless dictator just like the rest--profiting on others pain and misery

I pressed one hand over his

He squirmed and his hands came up to touch me

It was instantaneous To be inflicted is to inflict

Kill Sever Bleed Devour

I bowed to the co years

With precision and an eed the sharp blade over the gristle and tendons of his throat