The city thrummed under a bruised sky, a gate’s blue rift pulsing faintly in the distance. I adjusted the holster beneath my jacket, the weight of my gun grounding me as I strode toward the target’s apartment. My phone buzzed—guild payment confirmed, two targets, one job. Clean, or so I thought. Ten years ago, the gates tore open, spilling monsters and awakening skills in humans. Hunters were born to fight them, but one took my mother in a blood-soaked dungeon. Now, I hunt them. I am a  S-rank assassin, called Stinger. No questions, just results.

The apartment door hung ajar, a splintered frame catching the dim streetlight. My gut twisted—sloppy work for a hunter’s hideout. I slipped inside, boots silent on the hardwood. The air reeked of copper. A woman, mid-twenties, lay crumpled on the floor, her dark hair matted with blood. Seven stab wounds riddled her back, each precise, brutal. Someone beat me to it. Then, a whimper, soft but sharp, cut through the silence.

I dropped to one knee, peering under the bed. A girl, maybe seven, stared back, her eyes wide with terror, clutching a tattered blanket. “A job’s a job,” I muttered, drawing my gun. Her gaze locked with mine, unyielding, like she saw through the killer to the man. My finger brushed the trigger. My hand trembled. I saw my mother’s face, her lifeless eyes staring up at me. The gun clattered to the floor. I sank to my knees, tears burning. “I can’t,” I whispered. “Not you. Not a kid.”

I holstered the weapon, my hands still shaking. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said softly. She flinched but didn’t run. Slowly, she extended a trembling pinky finger. “Promise?” Her voice was barely audible, raw with fear. My chest ached. I hooked my pinky around hers, the gesture awkward but heavy. “Promise,” I said, meaning it. She hesitated, then crawled out, clinging to my jacket as I stood.

We left the apartment, her small hand gripping mine. My Gold brand car waited outside, its sleek frame a hard-earned prize from years of blood money. I kept it under twenty miles an hour—she tensed at every turn, her fear palpable. “It’s okay,” I murmured, glancing at her. “You’re safe now.” She didn’t reply, just stared out the window, eyes distant.

At the city’s edge, I flashed my ID at a gated compound. The barrier slid open, revealing my mansion—my one indulgence, shielded by guild-issued wards. The girl’s eyes widened, reflecting the sprawling estate’s lights. “Big,” she whispered, her first word since the promise. I almost smiled. “Yeah. Big.”

Inside, Irene, my housekeeper and the only person who’d dare scold an assassin, froze at the sight of the girl. “She needs a bath,” I said, scratching my neck. Irene’s hand shot out, smacking my head. “Tactless idiot,” she hissed, her eyes soft on the girl. “You’ll scare her senseless.” The girl’s lip quivered, and I cursed myself. Kneeling, I ruffled her hair gently. “Sorry, kid. I’m new at this.”

Irene softened, guiding the girl toward the stairs. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you cleaned up.” The girl paused, glancing back at me. “Mister… what’s ice cream?” My heart cracked. “You poor thing,” I said, voice thick. “We’ll fix that.”

As Irene led her away, my phone buzzed—a guild message demanding an update. I stepped onto the balcony, the night air sharp. Whoever ordered that girl’s death was going to pay. But first, I had to keep my promise. I gave her some ice cream and then let Irene take her.

The young hunter’s face paled as I showed him Kai’s phone, the text glaring: Kill the noob tonight. He turned to his teammates, voice trembling. “You said you’d carry me, help me level up!” Their eyes darted, guilt betraying them. I stepped forward, my shadow lengthening across the cavern’s glowing pools. “It’s okay, kid,” I said, meeting his gaze. “You’re under the protection of Sleeping Coffin’s guild master.”

The traitors froze, their faces draining of color. “The guild master?” one stammered, his sword clattering to the stone. Whispers of my name—Stinger, the S-rank assassin who’d toppled warlords and shattered guilds—had spread far. I snapped my fingers, and the air rippled. Two ironback hell hounds emerged from my shadow, their black fur glinting with lava-like cracks, red eyes blazing. Loyal to those I trust, their molten stripes burn only enemies. I glanced at them, then at the traitors. “Finish them.”

The hounds lunged, teeth and claws tearing through the betrayers in seconds. Screams echoed, then faded. I collected their wallets and IDs—proof for the guild—and led the young hunter out of the Cavern of Eternal Lakes. His legs wobbled, but he kept pace, silent. At the guild outpost, I turned in the bounty, the clerk’s nod curt as he slid a stack of credits my way. I didn’t linger.

I returned to the cavern alone, drawn to a hidden island deep within its labyrinth of glowing lakes. This was where my mother died, betrayed by her party, her blood soaking the earth. I was ten, too weak to save her, but I escaped, swearing I’d bury her myself. No gravedigger would touch her. Childish, maybe, but it was all I had. I found the island’s secluded grove, her gravestone nestled among twisted roots. But someone was there—a young man, kneeling, placing flowers on the cracked stone.

I drew my revolver, voice low. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” He flinched, hands raised. “I’m sorry!” he stammered. “I was fighting a wyrm here last year. It slammed me into the grave, broke it. I felt awful, so I hauled a new stone all the way here. Every year, I come back, leave flowers, apologize.” His voice shook, earnest.

My grip on the gun softened. I holstered it, studying him—scarred hands, dirt-streaked clothes, no trace of deceit. “Give me your bank info,” I said. He hesitated, fear flickering, but complied. I transferred three million credits, his phone pinging with the notification. His jaw dropped. “Why? Shouldn’t you be furious?”

I looked at the gravestone, my mother’s name etched in clean lines. “You made a mistake, kid, but you fixed it. Most wouldn’t. You honored her, and that’s worth more than you know. She’d have forgiven you. So do I.” His eyes glistened, tears spilling. “Your mother… she must’ve been kind,” he said, then turned and left, footsteps fading into the cavern’s hum.

I walked deeper into the island’s woods, where a crumbling shack stood, half-claimed by vines. A faint smile tugged at my lips. “Still here,” I murmured. After her death, I’d lived here, a feral child hunting monsters, eating their flesh to survive. When her betrayers returned, I was ready. I killed them all, my first taste of vengeance. Years later, I learned revenge only weighs you down—except for scum like Kai’s party, who’d sell out their own. For them, there’s no forgiveness.

I knelt by the grave, brushing dirt from the stone. “I’ve got a kid now, Mom,” I whispered, thinking of Chloe. “Hope I’m doing this right.”