“I already understand,” he said, not sure if he was talking to her or to himself. “The people you love can still be the ones who betray you.”

He put his hand on the mouse.

But Liam was tired of being the hero. He was tired of the gleaming white robes, the noble speeches, the endless moral certainty of the Assassins. In Rogue , the protagonist, Shay Cormac, started as one of them, saw their reckless idealism get innocent people killed, and made the terrifying choice to switch sides.

The download hit 100%. A chime, bright and sharp, cut the silence.