"Assassin, are you ready for a new order?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, then I hereby give you your new assignment. You will join a group of men who are to set out tomorrow morning to scout a suddenly discovered tunnel. We have reason to believe that this tunnel may lead to other new artifacts. Your task will be to get the other men out of the way, bring the artifacts up to you, and deliver them to us. Do you understand your mission and are you ready?"

"Yes sir. I understand everything."

"Very well. Then get on your way now. My assistant has already prepared everything for you so you can be on your way immediately."

"Thank you sir."

"Oh, and assassin?"

"Yes sir?"

"No survivors!"

"Of course not sir. I'll be on my way now then."

"Good, I'll see you back here in a few days then." The Assassin nodded and left the office.

The 24 year old assassin Wang Yibo, described as one of the best in his field, walked up to his principal's assistant and was given a backpack with his usual necessities. His weapons, clothes and false papers, a night vision device and other important and useful things.

For 6 years now he has been working for the man, named "Sigma", whose real name is known to only two people. Sigma himself and Wang Yibo, Sigma's nephew. But although the two are related and even live together in the same house, they treat each other like strangers. Client and executor, nothing more.

For Yibo, who had been trained as an assassin by his father and mother since he was four years old, it is better that he not form any emotional bonds. After all, these could hinder him in his work. As an assassin, he must be cold and unattached. Because, after all, that's how he learned it from his parents.

Neither Yibo, nor his big brother have ever known a normal family life. They were never asked if they wanted to become assassins. They only exist because their parents needed them as replacements, a new generation of assassins, to carry on the bloodline of the strong Wang assassins.

As soon as they were 4 years old, they began their hard and very strict training to become assassins. It was a hard life for the two of them. While other children of their age made friends, went to school together and played, they learned to fight and handle weapons. This was especially hard for Yibo's big brother. Because he would have liked to be just a normal boy, with a normal family and normal friends.

To prevent Yibo from becoming as soft-hearted as his big brother, his parents were especially hard on him. The only joy his parents allowed him were small white rabbits that he raised. They were his friends. He talked to them when he felt lonely or discouraged.

Then, when Yibo was 14 years old, his parents sent him to a training camp where he was trained for four years to become a perfect assassin. During those four years, he had no contact with his family. This was supposed to help cut the emotional bond between them. But Yibo had never really established an emotional connection with his family. Therefore, it was not difficult for him not to have any contact with them.

No sooner was he 18 years old and fully trained than he was put into Sigma's service. Yibo's uncle, who himself was once an excellent assassin. But since he fell from a roof during a fight and has been paraplegic ever since, he has acted only as a client and mouthpiece for the great unknowns of the assassin squad.

After Yibo took his backpack, he went outside to his motorcycle and immediately set off for the job location. He would have to drive all night. But that doesn't bother him. He loves those moments when he can ride his motorcycle through the streets undisturbed. In these moments, Yibo feels free.

When Yibo reached the order location at around 5 o'clock in the morning, he found himself in front of a military barricade. They had widely fenced off the area around the entrance to the tunnel. Two soldiers guarded the only access road. Yibo showed them the false documents and the soldiers let him pass without any problem and without further questions.

Since he still had an hour, Yibo could look around at his ease. Because it could be that beside him, still further Assassins are there. And he would have to get rid of them as soon as possible. He cannot allow other assassins to enter the tunnel and become a danger to him.

When he found no more assassins, he changed his clothes. He looked at the two hidden blades that his parents had given him for his birthday when he was four years old. He couldn't put them on then because he was still too small. But now they fit so perfectly, as if they had been made especially for him.

A soldier who seemed to be making his rounds spotted Yibo behind one of the tents. "Hey, what are you doing?" He shouted, walking towards Yibo with quick and large steps.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting dressed!" Replied Yibo calmly.

"Oh yeah, and why are you doing it out here?"

"Simple. Because I just got here and I don't have a tent to change in."

"Well, well. So you just got here. And why didn't you arrive yesterday with everyone else?"

"Because I'm not one of the others." Yibo replied, still calm. Yibo knew that the soldier could become a problem. Therefore, he had to get rid of him. Yibo took a step forward, grabbed the soldier by the wrist, pulled him to him and slit his throat. It all happened so fast that the dying soldier could only look stunned while he tried to push off the wound on his throat with his hands.

But the soldier had no chance. The blood ran out from between his fingers and down. Gasping, the soldier went down. When he stopped moving, Yibo dragged his body to the river next to the camp. He watched as the soldier's body was carried away by the water. "I'm not sorry asshole. You shouldn't have bugged me just now." Yibo muttered as the body finally disappeared altogether.

"Heartless as ever." Said someone who suddenly appeared next to Yibo.

"Oh yeah, and you've been too soft-hearted again. Or why did you let him live, brother?" Replied Yibo, looking deep into his brother's eyes.

"Why are you here Yibo?"

"I have an official order. And you?"

"An official order? Well, I'm here on behalf of a private person. But now that you're here, I'd better get out of here. After all, I don't want to be killed by my own little brother."

"Then go!"

"Yibo?"

"What?"

"I hope you'll realize someday that feelings can't be locked up forever."

"What are you talking about?"

"About how everyone needs friends at some point. And love will still hit you, too."

"Love? Friends? Don't forget who we are brother!"

"I won't forget that. But believe me, someday love will hit you too and then all your repressed feelings will be released."

"Oh you must mean like you did when you met that guy and left the Assassin squad for him and now only work privately."

"What choice did I have? They wanted me to leave or kill him because he found out what we are!"

"You should have killed him big brother!"

"Oh yeah, we love each other and so I can't kill him. Do you understand?"

"Because of him you lost all your privileges! And besides, we can't truly love anyway."

"You mean because of those ancient stories about our family curse? Yibo, do you realize that I've been with my boyfriend for two years and nothing happened to me? That curse doesn't exist! It never did! Those are just stories. That's all! And who even believes in curses these days? It's nothing more than superstition."

"Just because the curse hasn't hit you yet doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"You're not telling me you really believe all that nonsense about vampires and mages, are you?"

"What if I do? What business is it of yours? You wanted to leave. So get lost."

"You're right, I'm leaving. But let me tell you something else. It doesn't matter how much you resist letting feelings in. They're going to hit you eventually. And when they do, it will be me laughing and saying I told you so. So long, little brother."

"Yeah, yeah. Get the hell out of here!" Replied Yibo angrily. Yibo had always hated it when his brother tried to talk him into anything. For him, feelings and love were superfluous. They served no other purpose than to make man a pawn. Love is the greatest manipulator for him in this. That's how he learned it and also internalized it.

Still, there were days when even Yibo wondered if it was really so wrong to have someone in your life? Someone to be loved by and to love. After all, his parents had also found each other and are happily married. Whereby it was probably just luck that they were both assassins, of all things.

It was not that he suddenly wished to find someone. Rather, it was because he was interested in how it might feel to have someone like that by his side. But of course he would never admit that!