Since the appearance of the "Central Adjudicator," Rin had come to view the academy as a massive cage, and himself and Ye Xue as birds within it. He cautiously observed everything around him, trying to find an opportunity to escape, while also secretly deducing the mysterious organization's objectives. He knew that time was running out.
Another training day had ended, and Rin was meditating alone in his dorm. Suddenly, a soft gasp from the bathroom interrupted his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
Rin's eyes snapped open. He quickly moved to the bathroom door, hearing the sound of water and Ye Xue's suppressed breathing from within.
"Ye Xue? What's wrong?" Rin asked tentatively, a hint of imperceptible worry in his voice.
The sound of water in the bathroom ceased abruptly. After a moment of silence, Ye Xue's voice came through, tinged with an unbelievable confusion and tremor—a vulnerability Rin had never heard from her before, belonging to an ordinary person.
"Rin… could… could you come here for a moment?"
Her voice was soft, but it made Rin's heart clench. He had never heard Ye Xue sound so unsettled; her tone carried a hint of pleading, which to him was almost surreal.
Without a second thought, Rin pushed the door open.
The bathroom was filled with mist, blurring his vision. Ye Xue stood with her back to him, her smooth shoulders and back faintly visible through the steaming vapor. Her body trembled slightly, one hand tightly clutching her right shoulder, while the other pointed towards the area beneath her left shoulder blade.
Rin's gaze followed the direction of her finger. When he saw what was on Ye Xue's shoulder blade, his body stiffened abruptly, and his pupils constricted sharply.
Beneath Ye Xue's fair, smooth left shoulder blade, an eerie yet familiar 紋印 (tattoo/mark) was slowly emerging. It was a dark red totem formed by complex lines, like some ancient symbol, or a stylized, abstract bird with wings poised for flight. The edges of the mark subtly glowed with an ominous, blood-red light, as if slowly seeping from the depths of her skin.
Rin's heart pounded violently, his mind reeling!
This mark… he knew it too well!
It was the symbol branded onto the bodies of only the top assassins, those designated as "Ultimate Executors," within the assassin organization he belonged to in his past life! It was a symbol of power, and also a bond of loyalty. He had personally seen a few "Ultimate Executors" bearing this mark, and each sighting was accompanied by endless slaughter and bloodshed.
And this mark was now appearing on Ye Xue's shoulder blade!
Rin's breathing became rapid and heavy. He knew that in the entire organization, the number of true "Ultimate Executors" was scarce, and their status was extraordinary. They were the organization's sharpest blades and its deepest secrets.
But he knew even more clearly that before the "Blade of Demise" was executed, the only one in the organization who was given the title of "Ultimate Executor," and who was also his partner, was none other than Ye Xue!
—She was, and always had been, the organization's highest-ranking "Supreme Executor"!
All the clues clicked into place at this moment! The "Blade of Demise" was executed, and Ye Xue was forcibly re-molded, simply because she tried to interfere with his "execution"? What lay behind this was far more complex than he had imagined! Why did the organization execute him? And why did they go to such lengths to re-mold Ye Xue, the "Supreme Executor"? Did her "Ultimate Executor" status hold deeper value and meaning for them?
Rin's face turned ashen. He stared intently at the curse-like mark on Ye Xue's shoulder blade, a chilling mix of fear and anger coiling in his heart.
"What… what is this?" Ye Xue's voice was tearful. Her hand instinctively tried to touch the mark but stopped midway, trembling with fear. Her body shivered slightly, and her clear eyes were now filled with unprecedented confusion and unease.
She didn't recognize this mark at all!
Rin knew this was because her memories had been erased. She was merely a "tool" stripped of her past, an existence with powerful instincts but no self-knowledge.
"I… I've never had this… When did it…?" Ye Xue's voice trailed off. She looked at Rin, her eyes holding a helpless plea. "Am I really… an ordinary person?"
These words struck Rin's heart like a hammer. She was beginning to doubt her identity, everything about her existence. She sensed the power and secrets within her body that did not belong to an "ordinary person."
Rin took a deep breath. He knew that at this moment, he had to make a choice. He couldn't let her face all this alone anymore; he couldn't let her remain in the dark.
He took a step forward, reached out, and gently placed his hand over the emerging, eerie mark on Ye Xue's shoulder blade. The touch was cold, yet carried an inexplicable familiarity.
"You are not an ordinary person," Rin's voice was low and firm. He looked directly into Ye Xue's confused eyes. "But you are also not the 'weapon' they want you to be."
He knew that the appearance of this mark meant that the "re-molding" program within Ye Xue was accelerating its breakdown, and her "Ultimate Executor" powers and memories were attempting to break through their seals. This also meant that danger was rapidly approaching.
A flicker of resolve crossed Rin's eyes. He had to help her reclaim everything before she completely broke down. And he, too, had to uncover all the hidden secrets of this organization.
In the bathroom, mist permeated the air, and the mark's blood-red glow subtly shimmered within it. Ye Xue's destiny, and the future of both of them, were, at this moment, completely altered by this uncanny mark.