|•| scarred roses |•| slow updates |•|

| two: leaving, but not running away |

◇ pov: akito ◇

When I woke up, my whole body hurt. The bruises and cuts I'd amassed last night from yet another failed mission's punishment didn't hurt as much as the shame I had in myself.

My target, a millionaire's daughter, by the name of Haruka, had called the guard that was protecting her just in time. I managed to escape.

Was it good I managed to get away? I would rather die then fail my father. I already didn't have anything in my life. Assination was the only thing I had.

I sighed as I got up. Some blood had stained my sheets overnight, and I sighed. I'd deal with it later. It was time for my father to humiliate me more in front of everyone that worked here.

My father was the head of this assasination agency. We usually did paid jobs, but sometimes we just enjoyed creating a little chaos and doing what we liked. Out of all the assasins there, my sister was the most famous.

Ena was everything I wasn't. She'd never failed a mission, and right now I'd failed majority of mine. Everyone compared me to her. It sucked, to say the least. It was so hard, constantly being looked at as inferior, by everyone around me.

I put on some baggy clothes that covered up my bruises and cuts fine enough, but they still stung. I walked out of my pathetic bedroom (which was about the size of an attic) to the meeting hall. My father would want me there. He said he did.

In all honesty, I was terrified of what he'd do to me. But I didn't have any rebellious spirit in me any more. I was like a deflated balloon, in a way. Drifting around with no purpose at all.

I reached the hall, and opened the door. My father and Ena were waiting for me. "You're late." Ena said, giving me a sharp glare. I bowed my head. "I'm really sorry for being late." I murmured. I didn't want him to kill me.

My father looked down at me, and just grunted. "Sit next to Ena." I did as he said, but I felt a boiling hate well up in my stomach.

My father began with addressing us. "Ena, your performance has been elite over the last year. Akito... you dissapoint me." I looked down, those words stabbing me in the heart.

"However, you two have another assignment each. I see you both fit for these. If either of you fail, you will bring great dishonour to our agency and yourselves." I'd raised my head by now, and he was looking directly at me. My expression stayed neutral. "What's our mission, Father?" Ena asked. My father looked at Ena.

"Your mission is to assassinate one of the two respective direct royal family I tell you to. Ena, you have Princess Shiho Hinomori of Lumiria. Akito, you have Prince Tsukasa Tenma." I sighed as he said those words. I never really liked the prince as he was too impulsive and reckless. His sister would have been a better fit for first in line to the throne.

Ena nodded. "I accept. Thank you, for thinking I was worthy of this, Father." I nodded as well. "I accept too." I didn't say anything after that. "Ena, you are dismissed. We begin as soon as possible. Akito, you stay here."

That wasn't going to go well. He knows that I was going to disappoint him in some way when I went to kill the Prince. As Ena walked out, I felt myself practically inwardly scream. My father directed his cold eyes on me.

"Your performance recently has been atrocious, but I'm giving this task to you because I want to give you one last chance. I'm being merciful towards you. You had better live up to my standards for you." I nodded at my father, bowing my head deeply.

"I understand, Father. I will not fail you. Not again." I said. I felt like I wasn't going to complete the task, however. "To do this task, your best option is disguising yourself in plain sight. Get to the Prince's weakness somehow. You are dismissed."