Though it had been a long time since Marius had last seen the man, he knew that he would never forget the face of Inspector Aelius. He could remember coming across the orphanage after he had heard of how someone had leaked that the shadow had come from there. He could remember the smell of smoke in the air. It was full of the scent of charring wood, melting fabric and food. There was something else mixed in with it. It smelled like burnt meat, but he knew that it had to be more than that.

  Marius had often been around death. It was his job to take lives, however he could at least tell himself that what he was doing was the right thing. When he saw Inspector Aelius standing in front of the raging fire that had consumed the entirety of the orphanage including the children inside he had almost given himself away.

  The officer had a look of pride on his face as though he was just about to catch his quarry. All of the lives that had been lost that day didn’t matter above the joy he knew he would feel once he had finally caught his prey.

  That was why Marius had crept down to the labyrinth. He had thought that all he had wanted was to bring the orphanage back and to make Inspector Aelius pay, but in his heart he knew that wouldn’t be possible. It was too complicated and besides there was no way the treasure would be strong enough to wish back the lives of so many people. Instead he became immortal. He would be the last part of his former home to remain. If only he could have gotten revenge on the inspector, but during the time when he couldn’t move much as he was rotting beneath the city, Inspector Aelius had died a natural death.

  Now he stared down his former enemy. It was the least he could do to keep the wraith away from Isaac. There was nothing the creature could do to him aside from torturing him. He laughed. “I’m afraid to say Inspector that I have already rotted. There is no dungeon that would be able to lock me away for long aside from this one we both find ourselves in.”

  The man tilted his head. “I did notice that you were all bones. I’m assuming that’s what you got from the treasure. Your wish was what? Immortality?”

  Marius kept silent. He didn’t know if answering the question would count against the rules of his wish, but he didn’t want to chance it. “Did it feel good when you did it?” he asked quietly instead.

  “What?”

  “I mean, did it feel good when you murdered all those innocents just to smoke me out. Only a monster would have done something so cruel.”

  “Oh that?” an impossibly wide grin crossed the inspectors face. “Of course it did. It allowed me to get rid of you, didn’t it? Their sacrifices were more than worth it.”

  Marius had to force himself from rushing at the wraith. That would have had the opposite effect from what he wanted. He had faced the wraith enough times to know that there were only two scenarios which would allow him to defeat the wraith. The first was to attack without knowing it was within reach which was not something he could do.

  Not now that the wraith was directly in front of him. The only other way was to strike out with nothing but determination with an attack the felt nothing but correct.

  “You were more a monster than I ever was Aelius.” He said quietly. “I only chose targets that could make the world a better place for everyone. You could call me a monster because of the crimes I’ve committed, however at least I never murdered the truly innocent. If only I had gotten to you in time. If anyone deserved my blade it would have been you. Luckily, here you are now, in front of me.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He lowered his dagger. There would have been a smile on his face had he lips to smile with.

  Inspector Aelius began to laugh. “There is nothing you can do to defeat me. I am nothing but a shadow of someone who drove you. I still drive you and I can’t die.”

  In one fluid movement as though he was dancing he spun and the dagger met the flesh of his neck. The wraiths head flew against the wall. His attack had been right. He had been sure. He flicked his wrist to try to get some of the ectoplasm blood off the metal as the lights went back on. The glow from the glowing blood faded immediately. As did the corpse the wraith left behind. There was no sign that it had been there. “Unfortunately only one of us is truly immortal. I am much more than a shadow.”

  He grabbed Isaac’s wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze. “The wraith is gone. We need to go before it comes back. We’re close.”

  She opened her eyes and gasped before quickly pulling her arm away from her. He could tell that she had some questions that she was holding back. Instead she asked, “how fast will it return?”

  “It depends. It won’t come after me, though I can force it to have eyes only for me. However it will come after you and you never proved yourself to it. It may return quickly to get in your way again. Maybe a few minutes?”

  “Great.” She scowled. “Well let’s go then.” She stood up. “I definitely don’t want to see that thing again.”

  ##

  Marius had come a long way since he was a mere orphan. He had been innocent, then lost that innocence, then made to do terrible things. His personal hero Sir Galen had tried to pull him out of that life and even managed it for a while. After he had met with him by chance in the street, he had gone over for tea. The knight had found a place for him to stay far from the gang. Everything was starting to look like it would turn out great.

  But as with all parts of his life it was ended in tragedy. He found Sir Galen dying in an alley. Though the man had begged him to keep living a clean and innocent life, that had all been stolen away from him. The people who had murdered his hero were from the gang that had taken him in originally and was now angry that he was gone. Those lives were the first lives he took intentionally.

  He became an assassin because he had been corrupted and he knew only those who had been corrupted in the way he had been would be able to do what was right to destroy the corruption in the city. He became a pretty skilled assassin even while only going after the targets he chose. Everything was looking up again, as long as he ignored the blood he was shedding. He could do that with a bit of rationalization.

  Then Inspector Aelius had burned the orphanage and he had gone in search of the treasure. The labyrinth had been easy for him. He was able to dodge all the traps and even the wraith with ease. The treasure was meant to be claimed by him after all.

  He remembered the treasure room clearly. It was small and round with only one entrance. In the middle sat a table. At first he saw only a blob on the table, but as he passed the threshold it took the shape of some of the orphans from the orphanage. Tears were in his eyes as he spoke to him. Soon he was changed again in a way he would never be able to recover from.

  As he lead Isaac to the door he hoped that he wasn’t leading her to her doom. He hoped that what was taken from her as payment wouldn’t be as extreme as him. He stopped just outside the door.

  “The treasure is in there. Take care Isaac.”

  She smiled at him. “Thank you for the help. Will you stay here to help me leave as well?”

  “I don’t have anywhere to be.” He said quietly. “I will help you get back to the city.”

  She nodded quietly as she passed over the threshold. He watched from outside as the blob of silvery material on the table transformed into the shape of a cat. Then he looked away. This was a moment that was for her alone. He knew for certain that she would be in some form that could use the gift she was given. The treasure wouldn’t kill her.

  That was what the labyrinth was for.