CALL

Wannia's POV:

"So, how was history class? Did Mr. Smith finally explained why the French Revolution happened?" Kai's voice crackled through the phone, a familiar warmth radiating from the screen.

I stifled a laugh. "Ugh, same old Mr. Smith. Blah blah blah, King Louis, blah blah blah, guillotines." "You wouldn't believe the homework he assigned. I'm drowning in dates and names!"

"Don't worry, you'll survive," I said, my voice light, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of unease that had settled in my stomach. "You're a history whiz, remember?"

Kai grumbled, but his voice softened. "Yeah, but next month, things get really serious. We turn sixteen."

"Sixteen? That's it? We're practically adults!" I teased, trying to sound carefree, but my heart was already starting to race.

"Yeah, well, apparently, it's a big deal for us," Kai said, his voice a little strained.

I didn't understand what he meant. "What do you mean? Why is sixteen so important?"

Kai hesitated, his tone changing. "Grandpa… Grandpa called yesterday. He wants us to… to come back. He said it's time."

I frowned. "Come back? Come back where? And what do you mean, 'it's time'?"

Kai let out a long sigh. "I... I don't know, Wannia. He just said it's time for us to come back. But he didn't say where."

"Back to... back to the mansion?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion. "But we haven't been back there since we were kids."

"Yeah," Kai said, his voice a little strained. "He didn't say much more. Just that it's time for us to come back."

A sense of unease settled over me. Something about Kai's tone, his hesitation, made me nervous.

"What's wrong, Kai?" I asked, my voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, his voice a bit forced. "It's just... it's just that I'm starting to feel a bit... restless. Like something's coming."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, to reassure him that everything was alright, but the unsettling feeling inside me wouldn't go away. "Well, maybe it's just because it's almost our birthday," I said, trying to sound upbeat. "Maybe it's just that we're growing up."

"Maybe," Kai said, his voice a little distant. "But I have a bad feeling about this."

I wanted to brush it off, to pretend that everything was fine, but something about our conversation, about Kai's nervousness, made me feel uneasy.

"Well, whatever it is, we'll face it together," I said, trying to sound brave. "Like always."

"Yeah," Kai said, his voice is softer now. "Like always."

And with that, we hung up, the silence after the call amplifying the growing unease within me.

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KAI'S POV:

“This isn't life, Kai. It's a shield, a protection. But the time has come for you to step into your legacy,” Grandpa’s voice boomed through the phone, the deep baritone echoing through my room.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart sank. I knew it was coming.

“But Grandpa, I'm happy here,” I protested, my voice barely whispering. “I have friends, a life.”

“This isn't life, Kai. It's a shield, a protection,” he repeated, his voice unwavering. “But the time has come for you to step into your legacy.”

My breath caught in my throat. It was time. Time to return to the Crimson Claw, to take my place in the organization, to become what my family had always been: assassins.

The weight of that legacy pressed down on me. I knew that leaving my life here, in this small town, meant leaving behind the only semblance of normalcy I had ever known. But there was a part of me that knew it was inevitable. The Crimson Claw called to me, its darkness whispering promises of power, danger, and a destiny I couldn’t escape.

When Wannia called later that day, her voice cheerful and oblivious to the storm clouds gathering on the horizon, I tried to sound carefree. But the knot in my stomach tightened.

"What's wrong, Kai?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "It's just... it's just that I'm starting to feel a bit... restless. Like something's coming."

"Well, maybe it's just because it's almost our birthday," she said, trying to sound upbeat. "Maybe it's just that we're growing up."

"Maybe," I said, my voice a little distant. "But I have a bad feeling about this."

Wannia, bless her heart, was completely clueless. She had no idea what awaited us back in that shadowy world, the life we were about to be thrust into. And in that moment, I envied her innocence. I wished I could forget the darkness, the whispered threats, the constant danger that loomed over our lives.

"Well, whatever it is, we'll face it together," Wannia said, trying to sound brave. "Like always."

"Yeah," I said with my softer voice, "Like always."

The call ended, and I sank deeper into the plush armchair, my gaze drawn to the framed photo on the mantelpiece. It was a picture of Wannia and me as kids, both of us beaming, our faces flushed with the joy of a childhood summer day. We were so innocent then, unaware of the fate that awaited us. The memory stung.

...----------------...

Wannia's POV (continued):

"Well, whatever it is, we'll face it together," I said, trying to sound brave. "Like always."

"Yeah," Kai said, his voice is softer now. "Like always."

And with that, we hung up, the silence after the call amplifying the growing unease within me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, something was about to change.

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