“My name is Vincent Putnam, a.k.a. ‘Seraph’. I am a knight in the C.A.S.T. society and have been for four years. I am writing this for the sole purpose that if I die tonight, the world will know why. I have uncovered treachery within the society and, if you are reading this, I probably failed to punish the Judas. Life means so much more to me now—more than ever before. Whoever you are reading this, don’t foolishly throw this away. Let the world know who we are. I cannot survive under the shroud of lies any longer. Perhaps I am the traitor.
“Before you can understand who and what I am, you must realize where I have belonged. C.A.S.T. was created in the late twenties in the U.S., though there was no real need for it then. It was kept secret and it still is today for that reason. Our role in the country is to get rid of the ‘unpopular’ people of the society. We assassinate the evil doers in your midst. Secretively, under the nose of the entire country, the society has silenced thousands of serial killers, rapists, drug lords, mafia families, gang leaders, spies, terrorists, and God knows who else in the name of harmony. Without us, the country would be overwhelmed and riddled with crime.
“I was born into the society and was intended to be an essential member to the House of Gabriel. My parents were great knights and my mother, Greta Putnam, was on the verge of becoming a champion. I was educated in Gabriel, which is located off the coast of Long Island, New York. When turning thirteen, I was to be trained by the house’s most esteemed combat trainer, Gaul Nintoku. Sadly, that didn’t happen. You see, by age twelve, I started hearing voices and seeing hallucinations sporadically. By age fourteen, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I was given three different types of antipsychotic medications, which all failed. In time, I was unstable and my life became a living nightmare. My family had no choice but to institute me within Gabriel. I was to be a prisoner in my own hell.
“However, by the grace of God, Gaul Nintoku interceded and took me in. He loved my parents, as he trained them since they were young. He could not see their son become a patient. He suffered with my symptoms and became my uncle, grandfather, and friend. He included me with his individual training classes. He was training an amazing student named Claude Clement. Claude allowed me to join him and learn the art of the Silent Slaying. In time, the vigorous training found a way to somehow subdue the evil within my head. The daunting symptoms of schizophrenia were depleting. I was gaining control over my illness. No medication could ever bring me to this point.
“At age sixteen, I was a trained assassin. My acute concentration in the secret arts was legendary by the standards of Gaul’s other students. He told me so. Using all of my focus to complete each new level of my free training, I had become a flawless fighting machine. I still believe that Claude is better than me, but I have control over my illness now. As long as Gaul was alive, I meant something. I proved my family otherwise. I proved my house otherwise...(End of Preview)