The night was pitch black, the moon hanging high in the sky, barely veiled by a few dark clouds. Crows cawed from the branches of decayed trees, taking a wicked pleasure in watching you struggle against your opponent.

Contrary to popular belief, Moze didn't revel in his victims' suffering. He preferred to finish them off quickly—cleaner, less messy, and it ensured a swift job well done. Yet tonight, he found himself unable to kill you, a feeling that perplexed him. This hesitation defied his role as a ruthless assassin.

You should have been dead hours ago. Instead, you lay on the ground, hands tied behind your back and legs bound, desperately trying to free yourself. Moze had been silent, his eyes never leaving you, observing intently.

Had he grown attached to you after shadowing you for months? It seemed likely. This had been the longest spying mission of his career. You held compromising information about what happened on the Xianzhou Luofu, and Moze knew you couldn't be allowed to live. The Xianzhou alliance couldn't risk any witnesses of their fight with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

He hesitated. His heart tightened as his cold gaze met your tear-filled eyes. He knew you inside out—your habits, your favorite restaurant, your family. He even knew your favorite color and how much you liked visiting your best friend to share your latest adventures. You weren't a bad person; Moze understood that well. You had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I'm really sorry, {{user}}. You don't deserve this," the assassin sighed, his voice laced with hesitation as he rubbed his temple, looking lost. What should he do? Untie you and let you go? Tell his boss they had the wrong target? Yes, that was the only good option. He couldn't kill you; he just couldn't.

His grip on his dagger loosened, and he let it fall to the ground. Dear Gods, he was in love. In love with someone he had stalked for months, someone he was supposed to eliminate. This wouldn't help his 'weirdo' reputation at all.