Chapter 17 – When Shadows Tear
The cabin wall cracked when the arrow struck.
The third dagger missed Murad's chest by mere inches—
embedding itself in the wood instead.
Cafer emerged from the darkness like a ghost.
On his back: the legendary bow of Tomyris.
In his eyes: a misty storm of fury.
"I'm here, my Sultan!"
Sultan Murad exhaled deeply.
The wolfblood still roared in his veins.
But now… he was no longer alone.
Sabbah narrowed his eyes.
The tide of battle had shifted.
But he did not retreat.
He smiled.
"One more shadow... what difference does it make?"
The Sultan kept his bloody blade poised.
He glanced at Cafer as he drew near.
"Are you ready?"
Cafer nocked another arrow and grinned.
"I never left the stage."
Sabbah spread his hands wide.
Shadows once again slithered from his form,
and this time, even the floor beneath them darkened.
The air changed.
The Sultan raised his sword forward.
"This time, Sabbah...
you won't escape.
This time, not just your daggers—but your bloodline will face judgment."
And the three of them—
Like light dancing in darkness,
like steel gleaming with fury,
like ancient shadows colliding with fate—
clashed once more.
As the shadows hissed, Sabbah's blade grazed the Sultan's shoulder—
but in return, Fatih's sword tore through the darkness,
shaking the floor beneath them.
Splinters flew from the wooden walls,
and the candle's flame burst, then trembled.
Then, Sabbah flung four more daggers—
one at the Sultan, two at Cafer,
and one directly at the candlelight.
"Those who hate the dark—should not see with eyes!" he hissed.
But Cafer, swifter than a whisper, drew and released.
"No. This time, you will stay in the shadows."
Tomyris's bow hummed as if it spoke.
The arrow struck—perfectly—
embedding into Sabbah's right leg.
The twisted silhouette staggered.
For the first time, pain escaped his lips.
The Sultan's eyes lit up—
like a wolf tasting its prey's blood for the first time.
He raised his blade again.
"Now… tell me your master's name."
Despite the arrow in his leg, Sabbah's breathing was steady.
His face still wore that maddening, mocking grin.
The Sultan's sword was raised—
but Sabbah narrowed his eyes and whispered:
"I will take that blade from your corpse, Murad."
Then he stepped back.
His form merged with the shadows around him—
as if the darkness itself devoured him.
And in an instant—he was gone.
Cafer leapt forward.
"Stop!"
He launched another arrow into the vanishing shade—
But it was in vain.
The arrow struck nothing but mist and smoke.
Sabbah had vanished.
The Sultan steadied his breath and turned.
The room reeked of ash and splintered wood.
Scattered documents, an overturned table…
"Kasım?"
He rushed to a corner where Kasım crouched, trembling in fear.
"Are you alright?"
Just then—
a sound.
A low hum.
Then a cracking noise.
And suddenly—
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the entire cabin.
Walls split, the ship shuddered—
Before Murad could even squint,
a shockwave hurled his body into the air.
The blast ripped through the wood,
opening a yawning hole to the sea.
Ice-cold water swallowed the night.
The ship buckled.
Murad, half-conscious, fell into the depths.
Silence.
Cold.
Darkness.
And emptiness.
His final thought:
"This… was just the beginning of a war."
And then, the light in his mind flickered out.