Hooded rogue archer crouches on a medieval rooftop observing armed… — AI art by @jacksonjack

Watching from the Shadows The storm Kaelen had watched from the cliffs finally broke, drizzling a cold, silent rain over the sprawling city. Crouched low on the steep, wet tiles of a rooftop, Kaelen pressed himself tightly against the worn brick of a soot-stained chimney. He was nearly invisible, his tattered dark blue cloak blending seamlessly with the shadows and the darkening night. From this high, hidden vantage point, his eyes were locked onto the heavily guarded courtyard below. Down on the cobblestones, several armed guards paced restlessly under the flickering warmth of torches. They stood like heavily armored sentries outside the massive, iron-studded door—the threshold to the lair of their boss, the ruthless warlord who had orchestrated the downfall of Kaelen’s order. Every whisper, every shift in their patrol, and every hand on a hilt was noted by the last assassin. His fingers brushed the grip of his bow, his mind calculating their movements, searching for the single blind spot that would allow him to slip past the gates and bring justice to the man behind the heavy doors. The hunt had officially begun.