"In this life, all that remains is to rise. To avoid getting lost, we must climb the mountain. You can rest, but never give up. You must never stop, even if your fingers freeze and your soul trembles."
—Ascension, 1:12.
As the bells tolled two in the morning, Theon moved with his men through the desolate streets to kill a man and his son. All with a smile, of course.
They advanced quickly; their black cloaks made them hard to see. They didn't want to be discovered, avoiding lanterns and the few passersby they encountered. Though Theon wished no one had seen them, it was inevitable. But he trusted that even if those people testified, they wouldn't be able to identify any faces. And as long as they didn't know about the Whisperer in their ranks, the Institution wouldn't be a problem.
They moved with precision, having been waiting relatively close to the Kaust headquarters. Not close enough for the old fox to notice them, and not so far as to attract attention on the way. It wasn't long before they reached the establishment's door, where a guard pretended to work while dozing.
Theon made his way until the light revealed him. The man raised his club until Theon lifted the hood of his cloak, revealing a half-scorched face.
—Mr. Theon. —the guard said, nodding. Though he tried to hide it, Theon could feel his nervousness.
—Mr. Ten, it's good to see you tonight. —Theon replied with a mocking tone—. Still not used to the night shift, huh?
—I'm afraid not, sir. I'd like to sleep, but Mr. Kaust relies on me.
Theon's smile deepened, and his posture relaxed. He approached Ten calmly and spoke.
—I admire that. How about you take a break and let Gerch take your place? —He said casually. He wanted to place his hand on Ten's shoulder, but had a feeling the man wouldn't appreciate that closeness.
—Well... that would be complicated...
—How can it be? Your job was to wait for us, right? It's already done, just let Gerch handle it while I talk to the boss.
Ten knew Gerch, and it wasn't the first time he had relieved him. Theon had had secret meetings with Yar Kaust before, and this kind of help wasn't rare. But still, Ten had a strange feeling, debating whether to accept or not.
A few seconds passed, and Theon's group tensed. The success of the plan depended on whether they entered forcefully or not. Theon glanced at them and saw their eyes gleam darkly. It would only take one order for Ten to be killed right there. Theon didn't want to cause more commotion, but Ten's internal debate only made him more nervous.
—Mr. Ten, don't tell me you don't trust me. —he said reproachfully.
—Sir, that's not what I meant. —Ten panicked. The last thing he wanted was to anger the leader of a band of mercenaries.
—I know you want to do your job, and I admire that, but it's important to rest. All this gang business must be driving you crazy.
—Well, yes…
—I just thought a break would be good. Don't worry about Mr. Kaust, if anyone is in danger during a negotiation, it won't be him. And my men will be there to protect.
A few more seconds of silence passed, and Ten looked into Theon's golden eyes with doubt. Under his gaze, Theon maintained a calm expression. After a moment, Ten let out a sigh.
—Alright, Mr. Theon. I appreciate the help.
Theon didn't show his relief and smiled. Ten left after saying goodbye to the other four. As his silhouette faded into the darkness, Theon's eyes lost any trace of joy.
—Hergar, I want him dead before the sun rises.
One of his companions nodded and followed him, while Gerch stayed at the entrance as the others entered the building. Only three remained in the group, enough to kill a man without drawing attention.
There was no one else inside. Mr. Kaust knew how to keep secrets. Aside from his son and Mr. Ten—a loyal worker—few knew of his affiliation with Theon's criminal gang. Even Ten thought they were mercenaries, unaware of the truth. Still, he had to die. He had seen Theon's face and interacted with some members, he would be a very dangerous witness if left alive.
The group walked through the dark hallways and ascended to the third floor. The echo of their footsteps was the only sound left. Eventually, they arrived in front of Mr. Kaust's office.
There, he looked at the two men following him. The shorter one nodded while showing an ivory tablet. The other, a rather large man, simply nodded in silence. Theon said no more and entered without knocking.
The first thing he saw was five men. Two of them were seated on sofas, while the others surrounded them with stern expressions. There was only silence as everyone stared at Theon, who responded with a hollow smile.
—Good evening, I apologize for being late. —he said while scanning those present.
Yar Kaust looked at him without hiding his disdain. He had white streaks in his hair that indicated his age, along with a pronounced chin that gave him a rugged appearance. His son, Dals Kaust, shared similar features, but his gaze lacked his father's confidence, making him less threatening.
—What's there to apologize for? You've kept us waiting long enough. —Yar said.
Theon didn't dwell on it and sat next to Dals, who looked at him with doubt.
—Is something wrong?—Theon whispered.
—You... how can you... how can you be so calm?
Theon didn't respond. One of the reasons he approached the Kausts was to help them with the competition. Their business dealt with food sales, a saturated market in the city. Yar was skilled enough to make a name for himself, and gradually they expanded in the city. It reached a point where they had to compete with other companies, and Theon's gang made the work easier. Of the three competing companies, one closed because its owner ended up in jail for tax evasion, another left the city due to threats against his family, and the last gradually lost clients due to poor-quality products. All the work of Theon's gang.
Given this fact, he could understand Dals's surprise. After all, he was only aware of things superficially. To approach the Kausts, he first met Dals, who was taking on the role of leader. He made sure to show a pleasant personality, listened to his concerns, and offered solutions. Little by little, Theon earned Dals's trust. It wasn't until he met Yar Kaust that he offered to help in the underworld.
—Oh, Dals, it's quite naive of you not to expect something like this. —he said without losing his smile—. From the beginning, I told you I was a criminal, this kind of thing is normal for me.
Dals turned pale and looked away. His father nodded inwardly. He distrusted Theon, but it was good for his son to learn firsthand the kind of things he would have to do.
—With this, Kaust will dominate the market. Right now, we need to consolidate our position. —Yar said firmly—. It won't be long before small companies take advantage of the gap created. "A merchant must be as precise as an archer." —He turned to see a burly man with long hair—. Gaun, tell your men to keep an eye on the Maran and Laco, report any increase in their sales. If it's necessary, your people will handle the dirty work.
—Beforer that, you should giver mer what you promised. —Gaun spoke with a Garian accent—. I don't work for freer.
Theon looked at Gaun. The Garian was the leader of a rival criminal gang. The rival company had hired them to fight against his gang. They had had previous run-ins, but it was in this commercial battle that there were real casualties on both sides. Yar managed to hire them to side with him, driving the final nail into the coffin of their opponents. Theon wanted to use the meeting to kill Gaun in passing, but he had come with company. Besides, Gaun was a Whispering Pastor and was accompanied by another Whisperer. The fight would surely attract the Institution's attention.
—Don't be jealous, kid. I'll give you your reward. —Yar said with an unusual smile. He signaled to his son to deliver the reward.
Dals handed a bag to Theon and stood up to approach Gaun.
—Theon, with this we've closed our deal. Don't get mad for seeking Gaun's help. After all, he has two Whisperers while you only have one. I'll call you if I need your help.
«Well, I guess this is where the real work begins.» Theon thought as he looked at Yar. After a few seconds, his smile widened, and he looked at Gaun. The man returned the smile as he received his bag of coins.
—Try not to kill each other here, if possible. It will be a real problem later. —Tal said with a sigh. He had misinterpreted their looks. From the beginning, he had no idea of the truth.
—Don't worry, it won't ber ar problem. —Gaun said as he pulled out his gun. He aimed at Yar's head and fired.
A loud bang echoed through the room, followed by a tiny silence, broken by the body falling onto the carpet and the scream from Dals that followed.
—Ah....!
But the scream came to nothing. One of Gaun's men covered his mouth and slit his throat. Blood gushed like a fountain as he fell to the ground. He saw his father's corpse and Theon, who was watching him with the usual smile. Overwhelmed by betrayal and death, he tried to curse the demon before him.
—Gu.... hi....
But instead of words, only blood came out. Filled with rage, he shot a glare full of hate at Theon, who watched until any trace of life, and even hatred, disappeared from his face.
«For Kaloar, don't look at me like that. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself.» Theon thought, not avoiding his gaze. Although he felt a bit sorry for betraying Dals, it was necessary if he wanted to achieve his goals.
«Because of people like me, you don't give your trust to just anyone....» He continued staring at the corpse and shook his head.
He was quite proud of his ability to lie. He wasn't modest about it, and while he tried not to overestimate his skills, he was always pleased when it came to his deceit. He liked that side of himself. It was one of the few things he admired about himself.
That overestimation was a driving force for the development of his skills, as over time he improved his lies more and more. When he entered the world, he knew that it wasn't just enough to keep quiet; he also had to speak carefully. As he carefully laid out ideas, telling half-truths and lying shamelessly, he became a cynical manipulator.
Of course, he wasn't entirely dissatisfied; in the end, he had become a pragmatic person. Just as his father would have wanted, and just as he would want, since any skill that brought him closer to his revenge would be welcome.