Talon sat still, her body barely moving, but her thoughts raced like arrows in flight.
I have a mission to undertake, she told herself. Vengeance. Justice. Blood for blood. And yet… here I am·my heart cracking open for this guy. A brewer. A scientist. Not a warrior. Not someone with a blade or a vendetta. Just… Janzo.
She glanced at him.
Janzo, awkward as always, braced himself and slowly sat beside her on the edge of the bed. He didn't speak at first. Just fiddled with the edge of the sheet like it might hold the answers he was looking for.
"So," Talon said, her tone a little lighter. "Tell me about yourself."
Janzo blinked, surprised. "Me?"
"Yes. You. Not your potions. Not your theories. You."
He smiled shyly, then began. "Well… I was adopted when I was a boy. Not many people know that. I wasn't exactly the easiest child to raise either. But Elinor·my mother·she took me in. Taught me to be useful. I helped her start the brewing business. The science behind fermentation, chemical balance, timing·it's always fascinated me."
His hands moved as he talked, explaining things like concoctions and controlled explosions with an energy that made Talon smirk.
"And one time," he added with a chuckle, "I accidentally created a batch so strong, the town drunk passed out before the second gulp. Woke up thinking he'd time-traveled."
Talon let out a short, real laugh. The kind that slipped out before she could stop it.
Janzo paused. His smile faltered into something quieter. Something sincere.
"You're a nice person," Talon said softly, watching him.
He blinked, flustered. "Yeah, well… they all tell me that."
She shook her head gently. "Not what they say. What I say."
Before he could respond, Talon leaned in.
Her fingers brushed his cheek..gentle, unsure...and then she kissed him.
It started tender, slow. A question wrapped in silence. But when Janzo responded, it deepened....warrior and scientist meeting in a moment neither expected, neither planned. The kind that stole the air from the room.
Their hands found each other. Their lips moved with quiet urgency. No promises. No futures. Just this moment...where vengeance paused, and two broken people found something else in the firelight.
Eventually, breathless, they stopped.
They didn't speak.
They just looked into each other's eyes·searching, wondering.
Janzo was the first to break the stillness. "I, um… I need to get something done," he said, voice soft, nervous.
He leaned in, gave her one last light kiss on the lips·sweet and unsure·then stood.
Talon watched him walk away, her lips still tingling, her mission still heavy in her chest… but her heart? Stirring in ways she didn't understand.
Janzo had been gone for some time. The room felt cold now·quiet, almost too quiet. Talon sat on the edge of the bed, replaying their kiss over and over in her mind. "I have a mission," she whispered to herself, "yet here I am… letting my guard down·for him."
A sudden knock jolted her.
She turned.
The door creaked open·slow and deliberate.
It wasn't Janzo.
It was Garrett.
His face was unreadable, but the fire in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
"There she is," he said darkly. Then louder·"Take her. To my base. Now."
Guards rushed in, iron grips latching onto her arms. She didn't even have time to resist. The chains snapped on.
No. Not now. Not like this.
As Talon was dragged out of the room, another group of soldiers cornered Janzo just outside his lab. He looked up, clearly caught off guard.
Garrett stepped forward.
"So you lied to me," he said sharply. "You told me she left. That you hadn't seen her since."
Janzo blinked. "I didn't lie·she must've come through the broken window. I had no idea she was here…"
His voice was smooth·but Talon could hear the hesitation.
Garrett studied him.
Then gave a simple nod. "Alright. Take her to the prison. If she escaped once, she'll do it again."
Talon stared at Janzo as they dragged her past him. Her heart screamed. Say something. Do something.
Talon didn't cry. But her heart clenched.
Betrayed·again.
She was dragged away in cuffs, dirt on her face, her wrists red from the tight binds. She didn't even fight back this time. Not because she couldn't·but because she was done fighting for people who didn't fight for her.
Janzo watched her go with that odd, lopsided grin.
"Miss…" he called out. Talon turned around slowly.
"Rot in your cell," he laughed, waving her off before disappearing back into his lab like nothing had happened.
Her chest ached. The sting of betrayal was deep, sharp like a blade between the ribs.
So that was it. A night of warmth turned to ash.
Or so it seemed.
Back in his lab, Janzo shut the doors, pulled off his coat, and leaned against the wall. The smile faded.
He muttered to himself, "Forgive me…"
Then he turned to a hidden compartment beneath the floorboards. Inside, strange glowing vials and a sealed parchment with Talon's name scribbled on it. He picked it up, stared at it, and whispered, "I'm not letting them break you… not like this."
He opened a drawer·maps, keys, escape tunnels·scattered with notes and hand-drawn routes.
The brewer wasn't just making ale anymore.
He was making plans.
....