The days passed quietly, and summer break finally arrived. Lila spent most of her time at home, training silently in the shadows of her room whenever everyone else slept. But tonight wasn't just any night. It was the night of the mission.
She sat on her bed, staring at the clock as the second hand ticked louder than usual. Midnight. Time to move.
Lila slipped into her black trousers and matching top, the fabric tight enough to move freely. She pulled on her black leather jacket and tied her hair back before sliding her cap low over her eyes. Her fingers moved with precision as she strapped a knife to her thigh, adjusted the gun holster on her hip, and checked her sniper before tucking it into a black bag. Every motion was smooth, practiced. It felt like muscle memory returning to life.
Before leaving, she stood for a moment at the door, glancing toward the dark hallway that led to her family's rooms. Her mother was asleep on the couch, her brother in his room, and Ethan probably scrolling through his phone until he passed out. They had no idea who she really was, what kind of life she lived when the world was quiet. For their sake, it was better that way.
Silently, Lila slipped out through her window and landed softly on the ground, vanishing into the night.
The air was cool when she arrived at the location Nathaniel had sent her earlier. The abandoned docks stretched endlessly, shadows moving where floodlights didn't reach. Trucks were parked in uneven lines, and men in dark clothes moved back and forth, loading crates into two old ships. Even from where she stood, she could hear muffled cries coming from one of the cargo holds.
She pressed her earpiece. "Boss, I'm here."
Nathaniel's calm voice came through, deep and steady. "Good. They're transporting both weapons and people tonight. Don't let a single one escape."
"Copy that, boss," she murmured.
She crouched behind a container, eyes narrowing as she studied the scene. There were too many armed men for a direct approach. A reckless move could get the hostages killed. She needed to think.
Her mind switched immediately to infiltration. She pulled out a small disguise kit from her bag, rubbed dirt across her face, and quickly changed into an oversized shirt she had brought along. A simple transformation — from predator to prey. She let her shoulders droop and her eyes fill with feigned fear, the perfect image of a lost, trembling girl.
When she stepped into the open, one of the guards spotted her immediately.
"Hey! What are you doing here, kid?" he barked, pointing his rifle at her.
Lila stumbled forward, eyes wide. "P-please," she whispered, her voice small, "I lost my way. I just want to go home."
The guard exchanged glances with another, then chuckled. "Well, looks like we just found ourselves another product," he said, grabbing her by the arm. She whimpered on purpose, just enough to make it believable.
They dragged her toward the warehouse, straight to the gang leader — a bald man with a scar cutting across his cheek. His gold chain glimmered under the light as he looked her over with an amused grin.
"Didn't think we'd get a bonus tonight," he said, leaning forward. "You're quite the lucky find, little one."
Lila forced herself to tremble, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, I'll pay you. I have money. Just let me go."
The men burst into laughter. "You'll pay us?" the leader mocked. "Sweetheart, your payment is your body. That's worth more than any money you have."
They didn't notice her eyes subtly scanning the room, counting exits, memorizing guard positions, and noting where the captives were held. Every word out of her mouth bought her time.
Soon, the orders were given. They started moving the captives out toward the ships. The leader shouted instructions, dividing them into two groups. Lila, pretending to cry, was shoved toward the smaller ship. The ropes around her wrists looked tight, but she had already loosened them enough to slip out in seconds.
When they finally set sail toward the open water, the moonlight glimmered on the waves. Lila's head was bowed, her body still, but her mind was calculating every angle.
The moment the guards turned their backs, she acted.
Her wrists twisted, the ropes fell away, and in one swift motion, she pulled out her silenced sniper. The soundless shots cut through the night like whispers. One. Two. Three. Each man dropped without a noise. The ones at the front didn't even notice until it was too late.
When the gun's chamber clicked empty, she switched to her twin blades. The next guard lunged at her, but she ducked, twisted his arm, and drove the blade into his chest. She turned, blocking another's strike, kicked him backward, and fired her last bullet through his head before he hit the ground.
Blood soaked the ship's deck, but her expression didn't change. She had done this before — too many times. Killing wasn't something she enjoyed, but she was efficient at it.
When she was done, she looked across the water. The second ship wasn't far. She tied a rope to the railing, tested its grip, and swung across. Her boots landed silently on the next deck.
This time, they were ready. A guard saw her midair and shouted, "Intruder!" before she even touched down. Bullets tore through the night. Lila rolled, pulled out a small smoke bomb, and threw it forward. The thick smoke covered everything in seconds. Gunfire turned wild and blind, and she moved through it like a shadow, striking one after another.
Three went down fast. The last two put up a fight. One caught her by the arm and slammed her against the wall. Pain shot through her shoulder, but she twisted free, slammed her elbow into his jaw, and stabbed him through the throat. The last one tried to run — she shot him before he took two steps.
Silence returned to the ship, broken only by the crashing waves and the quiet sobs of freed captives. Lila lowered her gun and pressed her earpiece again.
"Boss, it's done."
Nathaniel's voice came almost instantly. "Good work. Now get out of there. The police are already moving in."
"Copy that." She started to turn, then paused. Her eyes softened as she looked at the terrified faces of the rescued people huddled together. Most were too scared to even move.
She crouched down, her voice calm. "You're safe now. The police will be here soon. Tell them the traffickers shot each other over money, understand?"
A few nodded, still shaking. Lila gave a faint smile and turned to leave.
But just as she reached for her rope, she felt it — that sharp, burning sting that spread from her back to her chest. The impact was sudden, stealing the breath from her lungs. Her fingers froze on the railing, and she slowly looked down.
Blood. Warm, thick blood dripping from her chest.
Her body stiffened. Behind her, one of the men she thought dead had raised a gun with trembling hands. His voice was weak, broken. "You... ruined everything."
Lila barely heard him. The pain was too sharp, too real. Her mind blurred. She lifted her gun one last time, aimed without looking, and fired. The man dropped instantly.
Her knees buckled. She could feel the air growing colder. "Was this... how it ends?" she whispered, a faint bitter smile forming on her lips. "How ironic."
Her body swayed, her strength fading fast. She stumbled toward the edge of the ship, her vision flickering. The sea below glistened like black glass, endless and cold. She thought of Nathaniel's voice, calm and commanding, of Sophia's innocent smile, and of her mother's worried face earlier that week.
"Tell him... I finished it," she muttered faintly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Then, with a final exhale, she fell.
The cold water hit her like a wall. The pain in her chest pulsed once more before everything went numb. Her body sank slowly, her hair floating like dark ribbons around her. She tried to fight it, tried to swim, but her limbs wouldn't obey. Her consciousness slipped away with each heartbeat.
The last thing she felt was the water closing over her, swallowing her whole as her world turned dark.