For You

ERADICATE. NO SURVIVORS (ZANYA)

The market was bustling with life, the scent of fresh bread and spices mingling with the crisp morning air. Vendors shouted over one another, offering the best deals, while customers weaved through the narrow aisles, bargaining and laughing. But none of that mattered to me.

My focus was sharp, eyes constantly scanning for threats even as I grabbed a basket and started my grocery shopping. My fingers twitched at my side, itching to reach for my hidden dagger every time someone brushed too close. The effects of last night’s mission still clung to me like a shadow, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.

Then I felt it.

A presence.

It was faint but distinct—a gaze that burned into my skin, following my every move. My heart clenched, and my grip on the basket tightened. Someone was tailing me. Again.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my muscles to relax. No sudden movements. Act natural. Whoever it was, they were skilled—no obvious footsteps, no heavy breathing, nothing that could give them away completely.

“Angel.”

The deep, velvety voice made my blood freeze.

I turned sharply, eyes locking onto a man leaning casually against a fruit stall. The 'not-like-others' guy.

He was dressed in all black—dark jeans, a fitted turtleneck, and a long coat that barely concealed the power coiled beneath his frame. His gaze was piercing, unreadable, and yet there was something else there. Something possessive.

“You’ve been following me.” It wasn’t a question.

A slow smirk spread across his lips, and damn it, my stomach twisted in a way I hated. “You noticed?”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my shopping. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“The name's Dante and I want to take you out.”

That made me pause. I looked at him again, eyebrows raised. “What?”

“A date, Angel.” He took a step closer, invading my space. “Drive-in cinema. Tonight.”

I should say no. I should walk away. I should disappear before he got too close. But before I could shut him down, my phone vibrated.

A message.

From him.

New mission. The Ricci family. Eradicate. No survivors.

Ice filled my veins.

Of course, it wasn’t just one target this time. An entire family.

I forced my face to remain neutral, slipping my phone back into my pocket. “Fine,” I said, keeping my voice light. “A drive-in sounds nice.”

Dante’s smirk deepened, as if he’d won something. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I gave him a tight nod before walking off, my steps quickening. I needed to prepare.

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7:45 PM – The Drive-In

The screen flickered to life, casting a dim glow inside Dante’s sleek black car. I could feel his gaze on me more than I could focus on the movie.

“You’re distracted,” he murmured.

I forced a smile. “I’m just tired.”

Lies.

My phone vibrated again.

Meet Elliot. Take the pill. Finish the job.

I clenched my jaw. It was time.

“I need to use the restroom,” I lied smoothly, already unbuckling my seatbelt.

Dante didn’t stop me, but I could tell he was watching closely. I stepped out of the car, making my way toward the back exit of the drive-in. A familiar figure waited in the shadows.

Elliot.

He smirked, holding out the pill between his fingers. “You know the drill, sweetheart.”

I hated him.

I took the pill without hesitation, swallowing it dry.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The world sharpened, my emotions dulling into nothingness. I was ready.

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The Ricci Residence – Outskirts of the City

The estate was heavily guarded, but that didn’t matter. I was The Void. I was a shadow, slipping past security cameras, evading guards with deadly precision.

A knife to the throat. Silent.

A snap of the neck. Painless.

Gunfire erupted, but I was faster. Bullets grazed past me as I twisted and flipped, using the darkness to my advantage. Blood painted the walls, staining the floors with crimson.

The Ricci family never saw it coming.

I moved through the house methodically, clearing each room without remorse. My blade sliced through the last target—a woman gasping for air, eyes wide with terror. I barely felt anything as she crumpled to the floor.

Mission complete.

But as I stepped over the bodies, a familiar sensation crept over me.

I was being watched.

I spun around, scanning the area. No movement. No sound. But I knew better.

Someone had been following me.

Taking a sharp turn, I slipped through a hidden exit and sprinted through the back roads, choosing a path only a fool would take. No one could follow me here.

By the time I reached home, I was covered in blood.

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ZANYA'S APARTMENT

I locked the door behind me, my breath coming out in shallow gasps.

The horrors of what I had done clung to me, suffocating me. My clothes were soaked in crimson, my hands stained with death.

I rushed to the bathroom, tearing off my clothes as I stepped under the hot stream of water. The pressure burned my skin, but I scrubbed harder, as if I could erase the sins from my body.

Tears slipped down my face, but I ignored them.

I’ll never be normal.