SHADOWS OF SURVIVAL

CHAPTER 3: SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS

The morning sunlight felt harsh against my skin, though I could barely notice it. My hands still shook from last night—the pier, the men, the flash drive, and the photograph of my father. My life had become a whirlwind of secrets, danger, and the stranger whose presence haunted every thought.

I couldn’t stay home. I couldn’t pretend this was normal. Every second felt like a countdown. Every shadow on the street seemed to move, every passerby seemed to watch me. I clutched the envelope with my father’s photo as if it were a lifeline.

A knock at my door froze me in place.

It wasn’t the usual polite knock from my neighbors. It was firm, deliberate.

I crept to the door and peered through the peephole. Nobody was there. Just an empty hallway. My stomach churned. I opened the door anyway—and found a small, black USB drive lying on the floor. No note. No explanation.

My heart pounded. Was this from him? Or someone else?

I picked it up and went straight to my laptop. My fingers trembled as I inserted the drive. A single video file appeared: “Abby_Choice.mp4.”

I clicked it.

The video was grainy, filmed in an office lined with shelves of files. A man’s voice, low and urgent, began:

“Abby, if you’re watching this, your life has been manipulated for years. Your father was part of something he should have never touched. And now, you’re in danger because of it.”

The screen switched to footage of my father, older, younger, and in meetings I had never known about. He was signing papers, meeting strangers, exchanging envelopes.

My hands flew to my mouth. “No… it can’t be true…” I whispered.

The man’s voice continued:

“You have a choice. You can continue your life as it is, blind to the danger, or you can confront it and uncover the truth. But be warned—once you take the first step, nothing will ever be the same.”

Then the screen went black.

I slumped in my chair, shaking. My father… my own father… could he have betrayed me without my knowing?

Before I could process it, my phone buzzed. A text from the stranger:

“Tonight. Midnight. Rooftop. Answers begin. Trust no one.”

I spent the rest of the day preparing. I had no idea what awaited me, but I knew I had to go. I packed essentials, my laptop, and the two mysterious USB drives. Every sound, every shadow, made my pulse quicken.

When night fell, I moved through the city streets like a shadow myself, avoiding cameras, staying in alleyways. My instincts screamed danger but I couldn’t stop.

The rooftop was abandoned, a relic from an old office building. The city sprawled below, lights flickering like distant stars. I felt exposed, vulnerable… and aware that someone—or something—was watching.

Then I saw him. The stranger. Leaning against the edge, his silhouette sharp and commanding.

“You came,” he said, voice low, almost a growl.

“I… I have to know,” I admitted, shaking.

He smiled faintly, dangerous and unreadable. “Good. Because tonight, you’ll understand why your life has never been ordinary.”

He stepped forward, placing a folder in my hands. “This contains everything about your father’s secret dealings, and why you’ve been watched your entire life. Read carefully. Every detail matters.”

My fingers trembled as I opened it. Inside were documents, photos, and notes that made my stomach twist. My father had been involved with a shadow organization—a group I had never heard of—responsible for tracking and controlling powerful individuals. And somehow… I was now a target.

I looked up at him, eyes wide. “Why… why me?”

He studied me carefully. “Because you’re his daughter. Because you have something they want. And because I can’t protect you forever.”

Before I could ask more, a loud crash echoed across the rooftop. A figure darted from the shadows—one of the men from the pier last night.

He lunged at me. I froze, but the stranger was faster. In a blur, he intercepted, striking with precision that left me both terrified and awestruck. The man went down, but not before throwing a small, sharp object that clattered near my feet.

“You have to move!” he barked. “Now!”

We ran across the rooftop, the city lights blurring around us. More figures emerged from the shadows. My heart thumped violently. Every step felt like a heartbeat away from disaster.

“Who are they?” I shouted, barely keeping up.

“People who want to see you destroyed,” he said, eyes scanning the horizon. “And they won’t stop.”

We reached the edge of the building. Below was a fire escape. Without hesitation, he leapt down first, and I followed, narrowly avoiding disaster.

When we reached the ground, I gasped, trembling. “Why… why are you helping me?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he handed me another envelope. “Open it later. Right

For a brief moment, we stopped in a quiet alley. The adrenaline was fading, leaving me shaking, my heart still racing. I looked at him, and for the first time, I saw vulnerability behind the dangerous facade.

“You can’t do this alone,” I whispered.

He didn’t answer immediately. Then, in a low voice: “I shouldn’t… but I can’t let them hurt you. Not yet. Not ever.”

My stomach twisted. Fear and something else something I didn’t want to admit swirled together. I was falling into danger… and maybe into him, too.

But before I could process it, my phone buzzed again. A new message:

“Stop trusting him. He is not what he seems.”

I froze, looking up at him. His expression darkened. “Do you trust me?” he asked, voice rough.

I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. But the thought of facing what was coming without him… I couldn’t bear it.

“I… I have to,” I admitted.

We moved through the streets, careful, shadows around us, until we reached a safe house he had prepared. Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Documents, maps, and computers lined the walls. It was clear he had been planning for this long before I even arrived.

I began to sift through the papers, and then I found something that made my blood run cold. A photograph of myself… sleeping. At home. From last week.

“Someone has been inside my apartment,” I whispered, voice shaking.

He nodded, grim. “They’ve been watching you your entire life. But now… they know you’re moving.”

Suddenly, a loud crash from the window made both of us spin. Before I could react, a masked figure lunged toward me.

I screamed.

The stranger moved in a blur, intercepting the attacker, but the mask slipped—and I saw a familiar face beneath it.

My heart stopped. My father.

Or… was it really him?

I froze, unable to move, as the stranger’s hand tightened on my arm. “Abby… whatever happens now… trust no one. Not even the people you love.”

And in that moment, I realized… my world was no longer mine. It belonged to shadows, secrets, and a man I didn’t fully understand—but couldn’t stop thinking about.

The stranger moved in a blur, intercepting the attacker, but the mask slipped and I saw a familiar face beneath it

My heart stopped . My father?

Was it really him?

I froze, I was unable to move and the strangers hand tightened on my arm, “Abby… whatever happens now trust nobody… not even the people you love “

And in that moment I realized… my world was no longer mine , it belonged to shadows, secrets and a man I did not fully understand but couldn’t stop thinking about him…