Chapter 30: For Elise

Elise leaned against the bar, her fingers drumming lightly on the polished wood surface. The soft hum of conversation filled the air, punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter. The bar was alive with the energy of satisfied customers, each lost in their own world of indulgence and pleasure. For Elise, this was the perfect backdrop to her thoughts.

As she mixed a vibrant cocktail, her mind drifted back to her days as an assassin. The adrenaline rush of a mission, the thrill of the chase, and the satisfaction of a job well done. But along with those highs came the lows: the constant danger, the betrayals, and the toll it took on her soul. She had traded that life for something more stable, more grounded. And as she poured the cocktail into a glass, she realized how much she appreciated this change.

A regular at the bar, a gruff-looking muscular man named Garroth, waved at her. "Hey, Elise! Got anything new for me tonight?"