Journey to Become the Zenith

Seeds of a New Era

A gentle smile crossed Videl’s lips. She rested her crossed arms against her side and silently observed the emotional reunion.

”I’m glad...”

”Looks like they’re completely fine.”

Aria responded gently.

A spark of warmth glittered within her emerald eyes. ”They’re back together with their family.” Victor observed the three sisters silently. As he confirmed that there wasn’t even a sliver of the curse within either of them, his attention returned to the assassin before him.

Without further disturbing Clara’s reunion, he beckoned at the doorway with a subtle gesture.

”Come on.”

Without a word of hesitation, the assassin obediently lowered his head and followed Victor outside. It was noticeably colder now with the twilight setting, and the faint sounds of construction workers repairing damaged buildings in the distance made for an unusual background noise.

Victor halted a few steps away from the house. The assassin bowed his head and stood awaiting his command. ”Right, then,” Victor finally said, looking directly at him.

”Tell me.””Who hired you?”

The assassin inhaled a deep breath. ”It was... a member of the Elmhart Family.” Victor’s eyes narrowed to minute golden cracks.

The Elmhart Family... he had learned about them only this morning.

And yet... another clue was leading right to their door.

”A coincidence?

Or perhaps,” Victor mused, his golden gaze fixated on the assassin.

”Perhaps Videl’s astounding good luck was starting to rub off onto those around her. Either way,” he folded his arms with a gentle smile, ”it made for a rather amusing circumstance. Why would they hire you to place a curse on Clara’s family?”

The assassin shook his head bitter and dejected.

”I don’t know why, no. I was only given a job to do.” Victor was silent for a while, then continued.

”Did you kill Clara’s father?”

The assassin answered immediately.

”No. I did not. I’m no good in direct combat; it was someone else who handled that.”

Victor peered intently at his face.

”And who was that?”

The assassin shook his head slowly again.

”Honestly, I don’t know.

They didn’t tell me who, I only knew my part.” Victor scanned him, taking note of the assassin’s heartbeat, his breathing, and his bodily stance. Everything pointed towards him telling the truth. He proceeded to another query.

”Tell me, then.

Who within the Elmhart Family hired you?Was it the family head?Someone of status?Someone?”

The assassin managed a rueful smile. ”I don’t know that either.

I was contacted by a man from their estate who brought me the instructions along with the payment.

I never actually met with my employer.” Victor’s features remained placid. ”My assignment,” the assassin continued, ”was to place a curse upon every living member of the Kirche Family in Fantom City.” Victor listened patiently.

”But... the mother interfered somehow.

Somehow...I don’t understand how. She somehow absorbed all the curse energy spread throughout her family and forced all of it onto herself.” Victor’s expression grew contemplative.

Sometimes, the determination of a mother surpassed any sensible judgement. ”Because of that,” the assassin sighed. ”I couldn’t place the curse upon the rest, so I waited.

Years.

Waiting for an opportunity to present itself eventually. I couldn’t directly eliminate the mother; Clara had become too strong, too well-connected. I had no choice but to wait until the mother naturally passed.” There was a silence for a few moments, and then Victor finally asked.

”Were you compensated enough for all you endured?”

The assassin chuckled bitterly. ”They gave me an enormous advance and promised double that when i completed the job. I could have retired a wealthy man had i fulfilled the mission,” he lowered his head, ”with all that money.”

Victor nodded once. ”I see. And i hope... you’ve enjoyed the funds you received for this task fullest.”

The assassin closed his eyes gently.

He understood the implied threat. Victor looked at him again with an indifferent expression. ”Well then,” he asked. ”Is there anything else you wish to add on ypur last moment?”

The assassin said nothing, as he had already revealed everything he knew.

While a tremor of fear remained within him, he strangely wasn’t controlled by it anymore. He accepted his fate. If it was his destiny to fall, then at least let it be to someone truly extraordinary; perhaps to a man who would barely be a minor detail in Victor’s future legacy.

Raising his head, he softly shook his head in denial.

”No.”

The moment his lips had uttered the words, Victor made his move.

No grandiose gestures or powerful aura accompanied the act.

Victor’s right hand simply swept forward in a movement so fast that not even he could properly see it himself.

An extremely clean cut, and no sensation of pain was felt by the assassin as his head separated from his body and tumbled towards the ground before they could make impact.

His demise had been instantaneous, and Victor casually opened up a pocket of black spatial energy as the assassin’s body vanished without a trace. Silence descended once again.

Victor turned his gaze towards the distant lights of Fantom City.

”The Elmhart Family...” he murmured to himself. ”Hmm... I was planning to investigate further before taking action on this matter.” Golden lights glinted in his eyes as he looked toward the distant metropolis.

”However... they appear to be far more dangerous than I anticipated.” His thoughts connected all the information in a rapid series of events. If a curse was placed years ago, then it wasn’t a sudden decision; it was a premeditated act.

Planned... patient... meticulous.

Perhaps the Elmhart Family had been planning for much more. Victor smiled thinly. ”Given all this information,” he concluded, folding his arms once more. ”waiting for further news seems to be a pointless endeavor. I think it’s time for a personal visit.”

------.

While Victor calmly plotted his next moves, a late bloomer to the proceedings named Isabella stirred from the long sleep that had carried her through the day’s events.