The first enforcer lunged, his blade cutting through the air like a viper. Phantom twisted, sidestepping the attack, and drove his dagger into the man’s ribs. A strangled gasp escaped the enforcer’s lips as blood sprayed across the wooden floor.

  The others rushed in.

  Phantom moved like a shadow, weaving between slashes and thrusts. His blade found flesh with practiced precision—an artery severed, a wrist broken, a throat sliced. The tavern became a blood-soaked battleground.

  Raven stood frozen, her dagger still at her side. Phantom didn’t have time to process her betrayal—only the bodies falling around him.

  One of the enforcers—a brute twice Phantom’s size—swung a heavy axe. Phantom ducked, rolling beneath the arc, and slashed upward. The brute howled as steel cut across his chest. He staggered, but not before grabbing Phantom’s cloak and yanking him back. The force sent Phantom crashing into a table, splinters digging into his skin.

  The remaining enforcers circled, their weapons glinting in the dim candlelight.

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  Phantom exhaled slowly.

  Then, he vanished.

  A flick of his wrist sent a throwing knife into the nearest enforcer’s eye. The man screamed, clutching his face as Phantom surged forward, kicking him into the others. The confusion gave Phantom the opening he needed. He vaulted over the bar, grabbing a discarded sword from one of the fallen.

  Steel clashed. Sparks flew. Phantom parried a desperate attack, then spun, severing another man’s head from his shoulders. Blood sprayed in an arc, painting the walls in crimson.

  Only two remained.

  One hesitated, fear in his eyes. Phantom didn’t. He buried his blade in the man’s gut, twisting it before pulling free. The last enforcer turned to flee, but Phantom flung another dagger, embedding it deep into his spine. The man crumpled, unmoving.

  Silence.

  Phantom turned to Raven. She hadn’t moved. Her hands trembled.

  “This is what you sold me to?” Phantom’s voice was cold, empty.

  Raven opened her mouth, but no words came. She took a step back, toward the door.

  Phantom sheathed his blade and wiped the blood from his face. “Run, Raven.”

  She hesitated for only a moment before vanishing into the night.

  Phantom stood amidst the bodies, the scent of death thick in the air. The Red Jackal would know of this massacre soon enough.

  And when he did, he would come for Phantom himself.

  Good.

  The hunt was far from over.