Silence.
A reinforced prison cell.
Steel bars.
Stone walls.
Chains bolted into the floor.
The only sound—
A slow drip of water.
...
The assassin opened their eyes.
No expression.
No panic.
Only stillness.
The ropes remained.
The cuffs remained.
The chains remained.
For nearly a full minute—
Nothing moved.
Then—
A thumb bent the wrong way.
Crack.
The joint dislocated.
Without hesitation.
Without a single sound.
The hand became just small enough.
It slid through the iron cuff.
Skin tore.
Blood smeared across the metal.
The free hand reached over.
Grabbed the other thumb.
Crack.
The second joint came apart.
The remaining cuff slipped free.
The ropes came next.
The assassin's fingers worked methodically.
Every knot.
Every loop.
Every layer.
Undone.
Not hurried.
Not delayed.
Simply...
Efficient.
The ropes fell to the floor.
The assassin stood.
Slowly rotated both wrists.
Pop.
Pop.
The thumbs snapped back into place.
Perfectly aligned.
Footsteps echoed outside.