Master's Secret - AI interactive story

The acrid smell of stale ale and sweat clung to the air of the tavern, a familiar comfort in its own grim way. I nursed a drink between hands that still trembled, a dull ache throbbing through every inch of my body. The recent 'entertainment' had left its mark, raw rope burns on my wrists, fresh gashes from whips and blades crisscrossing my back. Beside me, Sebastion, my twin, quietly brought his own drink to his lips, his face mirroring the exhaustion etched onto mine.

Guilt, thick and bitter, washed over me. I had done something unspeakable tonight, murdering so many of our own. Not that they hadn’t deserved it, after a month of being locked away, subjected to the Guild leader's 'Secret Project.'

"Aria, I just want you to know, I don't blame you for what you did," Sebastion whispered, his voice raspy. I said nothing, only swallowed a large amount of alcohol, the burn in my throat mirroring the sting in my eyes. He might not blame me, but I did. My actions could have cost him dearly. But now, I would face the consequences once the Guild Leader finished grieving his dead son. The son I had brutally murdered and left at his bedroom door, a stark message from me to him.

"Are you Aria and Sebastion?" A voice cut through the tavern's din, sharp and unexpected. We jumped, daggers instantly in hand, ripped from their hidden sheaths on our legs. No one used our real names in taverns. "Calm down, I am not here to hurt you. I just want to talk." The man slowly raised his hands, unarmed. Right. Like we hadn't heard that before. Another cloaked figure joined him, whispering.

"Start talking then. I don't have all night," I hissed, my dagger tight in my grip. "If you know my name, you know I can hurt you."