Timeless Assassin

(2 days later, The Skyshard Mansion)

From the very moment Su Pei revealed that the Cult might have deliberately tried to harm Luke, something inside Leo shifted beyond repair.

Gone was the patience he had forced himself to maintain with the Elders and their endless games, and gone was the faint trace of gratitude he once felt toward Mu Fan, for no matter how much she had helped him in the past, she was nothing more than a corpse in his mind now.

For forty-eight hours without pause, he sat and plotted, shaping the perfect revenge in his head, which began with capturing Mu Fan.

She was the first one on his list because she was the thread that could unravel the entire scheme.

Through her, he wished to discover exactly what had been done, who all had been involved, and how deep the betrayal ran.

As only after the complete truth was laid bare, did Leo intend to take the second step in his plan, which was to kill the Twelfth Elder.

There was no doubt in his mind that the Twelfth Elder was involved in this scheme, and so, his punishment was inevitable.

However, killing him outright could lead to unforeseen troubles, which was why Leo wanted to do it more subtly.

Leo knew that for him to kill the Twelfth Elder and not raise any flags, he needed to replace him with another individual first….. and hence he came up with a genius plan.

He sent a summon to Chaosbringer on Planet Terra Nova, and instructed him to pack his bags and leave for Vorthas immediately, for he had a role in Leo's vision that could not be delayed.

Once Chaosbringer arrived, Leo intended to teach him [Shapeshift], breaking the Cult's iron rule against passing its forbidden techniques to outsiders.

And with that skill, Leo planned to replace Chaosbringer as the new Twelfth Elder within the Council, and have his own spy be planted within their ranks.

With an inside man, Leo knew he could influence many wrongdoings that currently went on within that Council, however, more importantly, he could then kidnap the real Twelfth Elder and make him pay for his crimes!

If it turned out that the Twelfth Elder had purposefully put his brother in a coma, then Leo intended to show him no mercy and grant him the most horrible of deaths.

But even if his involvement in this plan was minimal, Leo planned to kill him nonetheless.

—---------------

(Meanwhile On Planet Terra Nova)

*Drip*

*Drip*

Chaosbringer began to cry when he finally saw the latest letter from Leo, as after so many long, punishing years, his Lord Boss had called for him to once again stand at his side.

His long, polished nails trembled as he read the lines written on the paper with an almost reverent care, as if it were some holy decree that had descended from the heavens themselves.

His painted lips curled into a smile even as tears blurred his vision, as the words written in Leo's precise, sharp handwriting cut straight into his heart.

It was not a letter filled with sentiment.

There were no flowery lines of affection, no poetic assurances of how dearly he was missed.

It was short, direct, and unapologetic, just like the Boss he remembered.

[ Come to Vorthas immediately. Bring two of your most trusted men. You will find me at the Skyshard Mansion. ]

That was it. No explanation, no extra words, not even a hint of why this sudden summons had come?

But that was exactly what made it so precious to Chaosbringer.

If Lord Boss had written to him at all, then something important, something dangerous, was about to unfold, and just thinking about it made his skin tingle with excitement.

"Oh… my Lord Boss…" he whispered, pressing the letter to his cheek for a long moment, as if hoping some trace of Leo's warmth could seep through the parchment and into his skin.

His heart pounded, the thrill of finally being needed again surging through his veins like a drug, and he wasted no time in moving.

"Cervantez!" he called out sharply, his voice echoing through the hall with a smooth yet commanding flair. "Drop whatever you are doing right this moment and get in here, my dear!"

There was a shuffle of boots on the stone floor before the door swung open to reveal Cervantez, Earth's number one warrior, if the Skyshard family was taken out of the equation.

Once, long ago, he had been an enemy of Chaosbringer and the Uprising, but now he was Chaosbringer's most dependable fighter, his right hand in any conflict that called for brute force and precision in equal measure.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?" Cervantez asked, his brow furrowed.

"Oh, something happened, something big!" Chaosbringer replied, the corners of his mouth lifting in a slow, almost wicked smile. "The Lord Boss has summoned us by his side. We are going to the Cult!"

Without waiting for Cervantez to respond, Chaosbringer turned toward the corridor again, his long nails tapping against the doorframe like a drumroll. "Gimli! Sweetheart, put down whatever knives you're sharpening and come to me."

Light, quick footsteps followed, and then the door creaked open to reveal Gimli, a teenage girl with short, messy hair and eyes far too sharp for her age.

She was dressed in practical leathers, a belt bristling with tools and weapons, and though she rarely smiled, her presence was enough to make Chaosbringer's own grin grow wider.

"What is it?" she asked, tone flat but eyes curious.

"My precious little shadow," Chaosbringer said warmly, walking toward her and tilting her chin up with a painted fingertip. "We're going on a trip. Not just any trip, mind you… but to Vorthas, to meet the Lord himself."

Her brows twitched. "Lord Boss?"

"Yes, my clever girl…. Lord Boss has called for me and two of my best men to come to Vorthas, so I'm taking you and that swordsman pretending not to eavesdrop." Chaosbringer said, as Cervantez snorted.

"I don't pretend. I listen openly."

Chaosbringer laughed softly, the sound rich and full of anticipation. "Then listen closely, because this is important. We leave within the hour. Pack lightly, bring only what you cannot live without, and sharpen your minds as much as your blades. If the Lord Boss has sent for us after all this time, then we are about to step into something big… something dangerous… something... beautiful."