Chapter 112 - Into the Unknown
The day of deployment had come.
In the Assab square, lit by the pale light of the setting sun, Prince Khisa stood at the front, flanked by Princess Azenet, Prince Tadesse, and Commander Tesfaye. Before them, a sea of disciplined bodies stood in perfect formation—the Shadows, cloaked and still, and the fifty chosen soldiers, handpicked for their loyalty and skill.
Khisa stepped forward.
"The mission you are about to embark on will test you in ways you’ve never faced before. You will stand by while atrocities unfold in front of you. You will not intervene. You will not react. You will endure."
His voice was steady, calm, but underlined with gravity.
"This mission will save thousands. We have taken every measure to ensure secrecy—but anything can go wrong. Steel your hearts, men. Let’s save as many as we can and build this kingdom together."
The Shadows and soldiers saluted in unison.
Under cover of night, they slipped into the darkness, each squad dispatched according to their orders. They were ghosts now, operating in silence across land and sea. All but one group had departed.
The Drift Squad—Musyoka, Akumu, and Tiriki—stood waiting, their bags ready, faces calm but tight. Their mission was the most unpredictable. They would live among monsters, sailing with merchants who trafficked in flesh, attending slave auctions, pretending to be buyers. It was a months-long operation fraught with danger, uncertainty, and loneliness.
Inside the command tent, Khisa stood over a map with Commander Tesfaye, the three Shadows at his side.
"Tomorrow the merchants arrive," Khisa began. "Tesfaye arranged for them to ’sell’ us slaves. You three will act as liaisons, posing as buyers. They don’t know the full plan. Each believes their deal is unique. That’s how we’ll keep the network secret."