In the highest office of the highest skyscraper of a major and affluent city, sat a very special man. He was the Guild Leader of Silver Fox and was undeniably the most powerful person in the city; for all intents and purposes, he was its mayor. His richly decorated office – with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the sprawling city, a bubbling artificial waterfall in the corner, and a wide oak table in the center – proudly showcased his vast wealth. The man himself, comfortably seated in his supple leather chair, oozed with opulence. His form-fitting suit was personally crafted by the best tailors in the city, his sleek blonde hair styled by the most expensive salon, and his teeth gleamed white. But past the money-drenched appearance was muscle packed with devastating power. His explosive physical prowess had dominated the city and paved the path for his small-time gang to grow into the successful Guild that it now was.
Currently, he sat with papers strewn across the rich brown of his desk, head in hand as he pondered the future of his Guild.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the tall, double oak doors of his office.
“Come in,” he called out, not bothering to look up. The soft whirring of a motor sounded in the silence as the doors slowly opened up, revealing a young woman dressed in a simple pencil skirt and blouse. In her hands was a steaming cup. “I brought you some coffee, Guild Leader.”
The man finally looked up at that. “Oh, you’re a godsend, Kelsey,” the man said gratefully, rubbing his eyes.
Kelsey swiftly brought the cup to him, standing with her head dipped in respect. The Guild Leader took the cup and took a deep sip of the swirling golden brown liquid, sighing in satisfaction.
The man put the cup down, and slowly, a strange light entered his eyes. Kelsey held her position, unmoving with the perfect mask of respectful obedience.
Neither spoke for a long moment, content in their silence. The Guild Leader’s face gradually seemed to change, the weight of years of worry melting away, replaced by a comfortable calm.
Finally, the man broke the odd silence that had descended upon the room.
“Why?” he asked simply.
Kelsey had no trouble understanding the man’s question, despite its vagueness.
“It had to be done. Your decision was not going to be made in time, so I decided to make it myself,” she said matter-of-factly.
The man nodded, content with her answer. “You better be right, then,” he said, giving a small chuckle.
Kelsey remained motionless, but a flicker of sadness passed over her face.
With a resigned sigh, the man stood up and walked over to the window behind him, surveying the bustling city under him. A desolate, but oddly companionable silence settled over the two.
The silence seemed to stretch into eternity for Kelsey, but when it broke, it felt all too soon.
“Take care of them for me, k?”
A single tear slipped down Kelsey’s face as she nodded, her throat suddenly too tight for words.
The man finally turned his head back, taking one last glance at Kelsey’s emotion-choked face, and gave her a small smile.
Kelsey dipped her head lower, unable to watch as the forgiving light in the man’s eyes dimmed until it finally flickered out.
With a thud, the man fell to the floor, eyes rolling back into his head. The deadly liquid within him had finally reached his brain and was currently wreaking havoc. Any normal human would have lost consciousness within seconds of ingesting the poison mixed with the coffee and would have long passed away in the time that had elapsed for the man. It was only his incredibly refined Flux and body that had slowed the effects, but even his strength was not enough to protect his life.
Having personally witnessed his inhuman resilience and power, Kelsey knew better than to leave it there. Reaching into her blouse pocket, her nimble fingers retrieved a small glass flask, filled with a clear, viscous liquid. She made her way over to the man’s motionless body. Uncapping the flask, Kelsey gently tilted the man’s face up, carefully pouring the vial’s contents down his throat. Making sure not to lose a single drop, she waited until the entirety of the liquid had been emptied into the man’s mouth.
Content that she had done all she could to snuff every last flicker of life from the man’s body, Kelsey respectfully laid her two fingers upon his eyes, tenderly pulling his eyelids closed.
Tightening her grip on the grief that flared up in her heart, Kelsey steeled herself moved on to the next part of her plan. After all, there was still much to be done.
In the highest office of the highest skyscraper of a major and affluent city, sat a very special man. He was the Guild Leader of Silver Fox and was undeniably the most powerful person in the city; for all intents and purposes, he was its mayor. His richly decorated office – with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the sprawling city, a bubbling artificial waterfall in the corner, and a wide oak table in the center – proudly showcased his vast wealth. The man himself, comfortably seated in his supple leather chair, oozed with opulence. His form-fitting suit was personally crafted by the best tailors in the city, his sleek blonde hair styled by the most expensive salon, and his teeth gleamed white. But past the money-drenched appearance was muscle packed with devastating power. His explosive physical prowess had dominated the city and paved the path for his small-time gang to grow into the successful Guild that it now was.
Currently, he sat with papers strewn across the rich brown of his desk, head in hand as he pondered the future of his Guild.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the tall, double oak doors of his office.
“Come in,” he called out, not bothering to look up. The soft whirring of a motor sounded in the silence as the doors slowly opened up, revealing a young woman dressed in a simple pencil skirt and blouse. In her hands was a steaming cup. “I brought you some coffee, Guild Leader.”
The man finally looked up at that. “Oh, you’re a godsend, Kelsey,” the man said gratefully, rubbing his eyes.
Kelsey swiftly brought the cup to him, standing with her head dipped in respect. The Guild Leader took the cup and took a deep sip of the swirling golden brown liquid, sighing in satisfaction.
The man put the cup down, and slowly, a strange light entered his eyes. Kelsey held her position, unmoving with the perfect mask of respectful obedience.
Neither spoke for a long moment, content in their silence. The Guild Leader’s face gradually seemed to change, the weight of years of worry melting away, replaced by a comfortable calm.
Finally, the man broke the odd silence that had descended upon the room.
“Why?” he asked simply.
Kelsey had no trouble understanding the man’s question, despite its vagueness.
“It had to be done. Your decision was not going to be made in time, so I decided to make it myself,” she said matter-of-factly.
The man nodded, content with her answer. “You better be right, then,” he said, giving a small chuckle.
Kelsey remained motionless, but a flicker of sadness passed over her face.
With a resigned sigh, the man stood up and walked over to the window behind him, surveying the bustling city under him. A desolate, but oddly companionable silence settled over the two.
The silence seemed to stretch into eternity for Kelsey, but when it broke, it felt all too soon.
“Take care of them for me, k?”
A single tear slipped down Kelsey’s face as she nodded, her throat suddenly too tight for words.
The man finally turned his head back, taking one last glance at Kelsey’s emotion-choked face, and gave her a small smile.
Kelsey dipped her head lower, unable to watch as the forgiving light in the man’s eyes dimmed until it finally flickered out.
With a thud, the man fell to the floor, eyes rolling back into his head. The deadly liquid within him had finally reached his brain and was currently wreaking havoc. Any normal human would have lost consciousness within seconds of ingesting the poison mixed with the coffee and would have long passed away in the time that had elapsed for the man. It was only his incredibly refined Flux and body that had slowed the effects, but even his strength was not enough to protect his life.
Having personally witnessed his inhuman resilience and power, Kelsey knew better than to leave it there. Reaching into her blouse pocket, her nimble fingers retrieved a small glass flask, filled with a clear, viscous liquid. She made her way over to the man’s motionless body. Uncapping the flask, Kelsey gently tilted the man’s face up, carefully pouring the vial’s contents down his throat. Making sure not to lose a single drop, she waited until the entirety of the liquid had been emptied into the man’s mouth.
Content that she had done all she could to snuff every last flicker of life from the man’s body, Kelsey respectfully laid her two fingers upon his eyes, tenderly pulling his eyelids closed.
Tightening her grip on the grief that flared up in her heart, Kelsey steeled herself moved on to the next part of her plan. After all, there was still much to be done.
