REVENGE OF THE MOURNER

Answer Me! Who Sent You?

2:00 AM.

Leon stepped out the front door and onto the porch.

He wore the same black bulletproof cloak he used during his missions with The Nocturn.

From the inner pocket of that cloak, he pulled out a knife — its handle carved with the figure of an owl. This very blade had ended the lives of hundreds of enemies over the past five years.

And tonight, he intended to use it again — this time, on the man who had just fired an arrow at Rose.

“You picked the wrong man to mess with. Now you’ll never see another sunrise,” he muttered, his eyes fixed sharply on the street where he had last seen the black-motorbike rider.

A motorcyclist appeared and stopped in front of the gate, turning to face him. Leon walked down the porch toward him.

“You bring everything I asked for?” Leon asked.

“Yes, sir. It’s all in this duffel bag,” replied Dimitri, the one on the motorcycle.

Leon checked the contents of the bag and gave a brief nod.

“Where is the hitman now?”

“Still at his hideout, sir. Looks like he’s preparing something,” Dimitri replied.

Earlier, Dimitri had sent Leon a detailed report identifying the man who tried to kill Rose: a professional assassin named Alex.

The report also included Alex’s residence, past methods, and surveillance routines.

Leon had studied everything. Now, he was ready to hunt.

“Stay here. Watch over my wife and family.”

“Understood, sir.”

Dimitri got off the motorcycle, handed Leon a spare helmet, and removed his own.

Leon climbed onto the bike, strapped on the helmet, and started the engine.

“I’m counting on you.” His tone was stern as he looked at Dimitri.

“Yes, sir,” Dimitri replied with a nod.

Leon sped off.

On the bike’s dashboard, a digital map displayed a blinking red dot — the location of his target.

...

In Alex’s hideout — downtown...

From the outside, the two-story building looked like an ordinary shop lot. But beneath it, in the basement, was a special chamber where Alex kept his weapons and conducted surveillance.

He was in that very chamber now, seated at a high-end computer with an oversized monitor. His fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard.

“Who the hell is this guy? Why can’t I find any records on him in the past five years?” Alex muttered.

For the past hour and a half, he had been trying to breach the national data center to run a full background check on Leonidas Vale, his new target. And what had he found? Nothing.

All he managed to dig up was that five years and nine months ago Leon had been imprisoned for allegedly raping a housemaid at the Harrington estate.

But after that? Total blackout. No police logs. No court updates. No prison records.

It was as if Leon had vanished from the face of the earth — and only just resurfaced now.

And that was deeply unsettling. If Leon had been released from prison, there should have been official documents confirming it — especially since his sentence should’ve lasted much longer.

But there was nothing. Every trace of him in the past five years had been completely wiped.

‘I’ve taken out dozens of targets before — but none as shadowy as this one,’ Alex thought.

He couldn’t act recklessly when he knew so little. And considering how Leon had caught an arrow mid-air earlier, Alex knew this target wasn’t someone to take lightly.

Beep! Beep!

A light on his desk lit up.

Alex frowned and switched the display on the monitor.

Now showing: live feeds from several hidden cameras mounted around the shop lot.

On one feed, a man on a motorcycle was seen pulling up in front. He removed his helmet and stepped off calmly.

With no sign of panic, the man approached the shop’s front door. Within seconds, he successfully opened the front door on the first try.

“It’s him,” Alex muttered, pupils dilating.

Alex stood up, grabbed a handgun, and chambered a round.

He moved toward the lift that would take him up to the garage on the ground floor.

...

Leon moved with surgical precision. A quick scan of the premises revealed all the security cameras — which he expertly avoided. One of many tricks he’d mastered during his time with The Nocturn.

Another trick? Lock-picking.

Like a seasoned thief, he needed only two slender metal tools to unlock the door — and he did so without making a sound.

Once inside, Leon scanned the space. 

The lights were off, but that didn’t hinder him. His night-adapted vision worked almost like infrared. He found more security cameras.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his silenced pistol and took out each security camera with perfect accuracy.

Everything was going smoothly.

Still gripping his weapon, Leon methodically checked each room, more thoroughly this time.

That’s when he noticed — there had to be a hidden chamber. Everything above ground looked too clean, too ordinary. It didn’t fit the profile of a hitman’s hideout.

Then, he heard something — from outside.

His senses, honed to their sharpest edge, told him exactly what to do.

He holstered his weapon and pressed himself against the wall beside the door.

Soft, cautious footsteps drew nearer. Leon held his breath. Every muscle in his body braced for a sudden assault.

Then he saw the doorknob turn. Slowly, the door creaked open.

Leon didn’t draw his gun or knife just yet. He waited for the enemy to make the first move.

And the moment he saw a pistol-toting hand reach past the door—

Baam!

Leon slammed the door hard, knocking the gun loose.

Before the man could recover, Leon grabbed his wrist, yanked him forward, and kicked him square in the chest.

THUD!!

The man crashed backward — and Leon finally got a good look at him.

It was Alex, the assassin. Dressed in black jeans, a black leather jacket, and black gloves.

“I know it was you who fired that arrow at my sister,” Leon said coldly. “Now tell me, who sent you?”

Alex, eyes fixed on Leon, slowly stood up. Then, he smirked.

“I don’t owe you an answer,” he said — then pulled something from his jacket and hurled it at Leon.

Fwoosh!

Thick smoke flooded the room.

Alex quickly drew a compact pistol from his jacket and fired several shots in Leon’s direction.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Convinced he’d hit his target, Alex slipped on a gas mask to shield himself from the smoke.

Activating his infrared vision, he scanned the room.

There, Leon was slumped against the wall by the door, head bowed.

A crooked grin spread across Alex’s face as he crept forward, still pointing his weapon.

“So this is it? What a letdown. I thought I’d be facing someone tougher.

“I overestimated you, Leonidas Vale. With all your mystery, and the rumors about your military connections, I expected a real challenge.

“Sure, I’ll admit it—you found me impressively fast. Probably thanks to your army buddies. But you forgot one thing: I was ready.

“This is my turf. You came into my den, uninvited, alone, unprepared. That was a death sentence.

“You’re reckless and stupid, you know. You should’ve brought backup, not waltzed in here alone and unprepared.”

He sneered, disappointed yet relieved. This meant his success rate remained perfect — and Victor Kerstel would pay his promised bonus.

“Now then,” Alex said, crouching down and pressing the muzzle of his pistol against Leon’s forehead. “Consider this my farewell gift — one bullet through your skull.”

But just as he squeezed the trigger—

Leon’s eyes snapped open.

In a blur, blood sprayed from Alex’s right hand.

“AAARRRGH!!”

...