THE GHOST ASSASSIN ☠️

In the baron's abode, the next morning, Lilith and Phoenix stood before their lord, who paced back and forth, his face red with impatience.

"Where is he?" Baron growled, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I was assured the Shadow would return by dawn!"

Just then, the doors burst open, and the Shadow strode in, Xanthe's limp form slung over his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her face pale.

"Ah, excellent timing," Baron said, his anger momentarily forgotten.

But as he approached Xanthe, his face darkened. "What is the meaning of this? I specifically ordered you to bring me the Assassin, not some...some..."

"Xanthe," Shadow finished for him, his voice low and even. "I took her because I knew the Assassin would come for her. And now, we can use her as bait to capture him."

Baron's face turned purple with rage. "You fool! You were supposed to bring me the Assassin, not some helpless girl!"

The Shadow shrugged, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Patience, my lord. The Assassin will come for her. And when he does, we will be ready."

Lilith and Phoenix exchanged a uneasy glance, sensing the tension in the air. They couldn't deny the baron's anger was justified.

"You had better be right," Baron spat, his eyes narrowing. "I want the Assassin's head on a platter. And if you fail me again..."

Shadow smiled, his eyes glinting with confidence. "I won't fail, my lord. The Assassin will come for Xanthe. And when he does, we will be ready."

Baron's anger seemed to simmer, his eyes fixed on Xanthe's unconscious form. "See that you don't. I want her kept alive, for now. We can use her as leverage to lure the Assassin into our trap."

Shadow nodded, his expression unreadable. "As you wish, my lord."

Lilith stepped forward, her voice cautious. "My lord, perhaps we should consider the risks of using Xanthe as bait. If the Assassin is as skilled as we've heard..."

Baron's glare cut her off. "I will not be questioned, Lilith. Shadow's plan will work, and we will finally have our revenge."

Phoenix spoke up, his voice hesitant. "But, my lord, what if the Assassin is not alone? What if he has allies?"

Shadow's smile grew wider. "Ah, he has but that's the beauty of it. We'll be ready for them. And with Xanthe as bait, they'll walk right into our trap."

Xanthe stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She gazed up at Shadow, confusion and fear etched on her face.

"Where...where am I?" she whispered.

Shadow's grip on her tightened. "You're exactly where you need to be," he whispered back, his voice dripping with malice.

Xanthe's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings, and the faces of her captors. She knew she was in grave danger, and that her only hope lay in the Assassin coming for her. But would he arrive in time?

In the safehouse,Kael's eyes fluttered open, his gaze meeting Ava's concerned face. He was lying on a narrow bed, his body aching all over.

"Easy, Kael," Ava said, her hand on his chest. "You took a beating. You need to rest."

Kael tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his head, making him gasp. Elara rushed to his side, her hands gentle as she eased him back onto the pillow.

"You can't go after her now, Kael," Elara said, her voice firm but compassionate. "You're in no shape to fight."

Kael's eyes burned with determination. "I have to get Xanthe. I have to save her."

Lena burst into the room, her face set in a focused expression. "I've got the tracker online. I'm trying to pinpoint their location."

Kael's gaze locked onto hers, hope surging through him. "Can you find her?"

Lena nodded, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "I'll do everything I can. But Kael, you have to promise me you'll wait until we have a plan. We can't just rush in there without knowing what we're up against."

Kael's jaw clenched, but he knew Lena was right. He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.

Finally, Lena's face lit up with a triumphant smile. "I've got it. They're in a castle on the outskirts of the next town."

Kael's heart raced, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew he had to be smart, had to come up with a plan to rescue Xanthe without getting himself killed.

In the Baron's abode, Lilith's eyes narrowed as she gazed at Xanthe, her voice dripping with venom. "You're a fool, Xanthe. You really thought you could betray me and get away with it?"

Xanthe's eyes flashed with defiance, despite her bound and gagged state. Lilith's gaze lingered on the restraints, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

"I took you in, taught you everything I knew. And this is how you repay me? By siding with the Assassin?"

Xanthe's eyes dropped, her face pale. Lilith's words cut deep, but she knew she had made the right choice.

"You're just like all the others," Lilith spat. "Weak and disloyal. I should have known better than to trust you."

Xanthe's gaze rose, her eyes burning with anger. She knew Lilith was trying to provoke her, but she refused to give in.

"You're the one who's weak, Lilith," Xanthe said, her voice muffled by the gag. "You're so consumed by your own ambition, you'll stop at nothing to get what you want."

Lilith's face twisted in rage, her hand flashing out to strike Xanthe. But she stopped herself, her eyes glinting with calculation.

"No, I won't hurt you yet. You're still useful to me. But soon, you'll pay for your betrayal."

Xanthe's heart pounded in her chest, but she knew she had to keep Lilith talking. She had to stall for time, give Kael and the others a chance to rescue her.

"Why, Lilith?" Xanthe asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you doing this?"

Lilith's smile grew wider, her eyes glinting with madness. "Because I'm the only one who truly understands what needs to be done. And I'll stop at nothing to achieve my goals."

In the safehouse, Kael studied the blueprints of the windmill, his eyes scanning the layout for any weaknesses. "Alright, we need to get in undetected. Lena, can you find us a way in?"

Lena nodded, her fingers flying across her keyboard. "I'm working on it. But I think I found a possible entry point. There's a ventilation shaft on the east side that looks like it hasn't been used in a while."

Ava leaned in, her eyes fixed on the screen. "That's our best bet. Elara, can you hack into the security cameras and disable them?"

Elara nodded, her eyes already fixed on her own screen. "I'm on it. But we need to be quick. We don't know how much time we have before they move Xanthe."

Kael's jaw clenched, his mind racing with the possibilities. "We need to be smart about this. We can't just barge in there without a plan."

Lena looked up from her screen, her eyes meeting Kael's. "I think I can get us a layout of the inside. But we need to be careful. We don't know what kind of security they have inside."

Ava nodded, her voice firm. "We'll be careful. We have to get Xanthe out of there."

The team nodded, their faces set with determination. They knew the risks, but they also knew they had to try.

As they continued to plan, the tension in the room grew. They knew they were taking a risk, but they also knew they had to act fast. Xanthe's life depended on it.

In the Baron's abode, Lilith stood in the grand hall of the castle, her eyes scanning the room as she addressed the gathered guards and trainee Assassins.

"The Assassin will come for Xanthe," she said, her voice cold and calculating. "We know he will try to rescue her. But we will be ready."

Phoenix stood beside her, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"We have set a trap for him," he said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "And when he falls into it, we will be waiting."

The guards and trainees nodded, their faces set with determination. They knew the importance of this mission.

Lilith's gaze swept the room, her eyes lingering on each face.

"Remember, he is a skilled Assassin. He will not go down without a fight. But we have the upper hand. We know the layout of the castle, and we have the element of surprise."

Phoenix stepped forward, his voice taking on a note of urgency.

"Take your positions. The Assassin could arrive at any moment. And when he does, we will be ready."

The guards and trainees nodded, moving to take up their positions. Lilith and Phoenix watched them go, their eyes meeting in a moment of understanding.

They knew Kael would come. And they were ready for him.

In the safehouse, Kael stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his ninja suit. The black fabric hugged his body, allowing for maximum mobility. He strapped on his katana, the familiar weight of the sword comforting.

"Time to get moving," he said to himself, but then his expression fell. "But how am I supposed to get there? No Jax to take me in his car..."

He sighed, feeling a pang of frustration. "I miss Ryker and Jax. They always had my back."

Just then, Ava appeared behind him, a sly grin spreading across her face. "I think I can help with that."

She led him outside, where a sleek, dark motorbike waited. The bike was unlike any Kael had ever seen - its body was a matte black, and it seemed to absorb the light around it.

"What is this?" Kael asked, his eyes widening.

Ava smiled. "This is a Ninja 9000. It's been modified for stealth and speed. You'll be able to get to the windmill undetected."

Kael's eyes ran over the bike, taking in its features. It had a built-in computer system, GPS, and even a small compartment for his katana.

"This is incredible," Kael breathed. "But how did you...?"

Ava shrugged. "I have my ways. Now, let's get moving. We've got a rescue mission to complete."

Kael nodded, feeling a surge of excitement. He swung his leg over the bike and settled into the seat, feeling the powerful engine rumble beneath him.

"Let's do this," he said, starting the bike and feeling it roar to life.

Ava grinned, stepping back. "Be careful, Kael. And don't forget to use the bike's stealth mode."

Kael nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over him. He was ready to rescue Xanthe, no matter what it took.