Assassin, until the first moment (🇬🇧)

Looking into your soul

Alec stared at the photos on the desk in front of him, his elbows resting on the table, his hands buried in his hair propping his head up. Alec latched onto his hair so tight it was almost painful, yet, he didn't care.

"These photos aren't just simply pieces of evidence, Magnus," Alec said in aversion, looking from one photo to the other, breathing in slowly through his nose to help quell growing nausea that was edging up his throat, for the second time today. He squeezed his eyes shut. It took all his focus not to vomit, needing to concentrate purely on his breathing, for a few moments, pushing the feelings aside before he was able to speak.

"If even just one of these photos fell into the wrong hands, I would be behind bars in an instant. There's no doubt that anyone would believe that I'm not the murderer."

Alec could hear the blood pulsing in his ears, he felt like he was close to having another panic attack. Normally, he wasn't someone who would lose his cool so easily, but these full moon murders were slowly approaching another level, he couldn't wrap his head around it.

Alec opened his eyes, lowering his hands and glanced at Magnus who was sitting on the other side of the desk in a black leather armchair.

"How is it, that, despite these photos...," Alec paused momentarily, drawing in a deep breath, "you didn't kill me? How can you believe that I'm innocent? I mean, seeing these photos, I... I am almost starting to doubt my innocence."

Magnus clasped his hands together in his lap, rubbing his fingers together. Alec didn't miss the nervous action. This is the first time that Magnus doesn't seem as self-confident as usual, showing Alec a glimpse behind the confident façade that the assassin usually adorns, it's the most Alec has seen so far.

Silence spread between them and the young Duke was beginning to think that Magnus wasn't going to answer, but then he spoke:

"I have an ability that enables me to look deep into a person's soul, I mean, literally. I know this sounds peculiar to you, but it enables me to see if someone is capable of doing such ghastly deeds or not, and your soul Alexander, is free of any dark shadows. It shines, pure and bright."

Alec snorted, not believing the assassin for a second. Magnus' explanation sounded more like an outlandish description in some fantasy novel than something that could really be true.

"You seriously expect me to believe you? That you have some supernatural ability that allows you to see into someone's soul? After which, you decide whether or not you will take this person's life?"

"I know it sounds odd, but I really do have this ability."

Alec became speechless as he realized that Magnus was serious. He really didn't know what to say in regards to his own scepticism, so instead, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair he turned his gaze back to the photos in front of him.

His own face stared back at him, with a jubilant smile on his face, but the most frightening and disconcerting thing about these photos was that this Alec, had his hands around the throats of these two young men, in an almost gentle manner; and these were not just any men. They were two of the victims that had been killed by the full moon murderer; they looked into the camera with glazed eyes and a haunting humourless smile.

Alec had no idea how these photos could even exist. He had never met even one of these young men in his life, he couldn't even remember their names at this moment.

Magnus had told him, that according to the Order's client, these pictures were taken shortly before the victims had been raped and killed. From the glazed look in the victims' eyes, Alec could tell that they'd been drugged. Alec wondered how the client had even managed to get these photos?