Falling for Her Shadows

CHAPTER 17

NYLAH’S apartment was quiet at night except for the hush of the aircon, the faint him of the fridge, and the soft breathing of a sleeping child. Nakaupo si Nylah sa gilid ng kama habang ang likuran niya ay nakaharap sa salamin.

She stared at her tattoo between her shoulder blades—the Black Lotus, a tattoo with sharp petals. Para sa iba isa lamang itong tatoo. But to her, it was a mark of oath and responsibility.

Sinulyapan niya ang anak na mahimbing na natutulog sa kama. The child’s face was peaceful, untouched by the chaos of the world. She remembered why she had pulled herself away from the rooftop of war. It was because of her son. Dahil kay Evron kaya pinili niyang maging ordinaryo—open a coffee shop and make warm milk in the morning. She never wanted Evron to grow up in mud and blood. She never wanted him exposed to that world so young.

Pero ang bakas ng dati niyang buhay ay hindi tuluyang nawala. Her responsibilities returned to her mind, meeting in the safehouse, and her subordinates waiting on her orders. Although Black Lotus operated in a gray area, legal and illegal, one thing was clear to the Black Lotus Organization—they may be a mercenary group and could kill people, but they never harmed innocents.

Noong tinuturuan siya ng kaniyang ama, kauna-unahan nitong itinuro sa kaniya na kahit anumang mangyari, huwag siyang manakit o mandamay ng inosenteng tao. She can kill anyone, but only to those people who deserved it.

Pero habang pinagmamasdan niya ang tattoo sa kaniyang likod, biglang pumasok si Ashriel sa kaniyang isipan. Isinuot niya ang pantulog saka minasahe ang kaniyang sentido.

“Not again…” she muttered.

Over the past few days, she noticed she’s been absent-minded — thinking, worrying, and doing things without realizing it whenever Ashriel crossed her mind. Napapabilis siya sa pag-inom ng kape, at minsan, napapatingin na lamang siya sa pinto na parang may hinihintay.

Mula ng blind date nila ni Ashriel, tinotoo nga ni Ashriel ang sinabi nito. He would pursue her and he did. Katulad ng dati, laging pumupunta si Ashriel sa coffee shop tuwing hapon at nanatili ito doon hanggang sa magsara sila. And he would escort her and Evron home.

She was tired of herself.

She needed focus, so she would not think of Ashriel every time.

She needed to push away anything that would hinder work—especially since lives depended on it.

Pinulot niya ang cellphone saka tinawagan si Kael.

“Chief?” Kael’s deep voice came over the line, bearing a slight accent, though Kael was really a French guy, so when he spoke English, there was an accent on it. Nasa France na ngayon si Kael — sa mismong Headquarter nila — at ginagawa ang mga trabahong dapat ay sa kaniya.

“Kael,” wika ni Nylah. She was getting straight to the point. “Anything? Mission?” She wanted to clear her head with a new task so her mind wouldn’t drift.

Natahmik ang kabilang linya ng ilang sandali. Alam ni Nylah na nagulat si Kael sa biglaan niyang pagtatanong ng bagong misyon rito.

“Chief, didn’t you tell me—”

“I need to clear my head,” Nylah spoke in a cold voice.

Kael paused, hearing the Chief’s cold voice. “Yes, Chief.”

Rinig ni Nylah ang pagtunog ng mga papel sa kabilang linya.

“We got a contract. A serial killer and the client want him dead or alive before sunrise the next day. And they want the body sent back to their country. Justice for the people he killed.”

“Where is he now?” tanong ni Nylah sa seryosong boses.

“In the country, Chief. Currently in a hotel, north district. Low profile. We can hit him with a stand-off sniper and a sweep. Intel will be sent.”

Tumayo si Nylah. “Long-distance kill?” she asked, her tone cool even though no one stood before her.

“Yes, Chief. Clients want no body left on the ground—clean and anonymous,” sagot ni Kael. “And the clients wanted the country where the serial killer died will remain anonymous.”

“Well, send a team to arrange for that,” sabi ni Nylah. She rubbed her neck. “And for the rest, leave it to me. I’ll take the rooftop vantage. Send me full details—room number, routes, exit points, shift changes. And Kael?”

“Yes, Chief?”

“Make sure no one traces the link back to any of our assets.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Nylah ended the call.

Naglakad siya patungo sa bintana ng kwarto at tumingin sa labas. Sa tulong ng mga lamp post, nakikita niya ang mangilan-ilan na taong dumadaan, pati na rin ang mga sasakyan.

She took a deep breath and looked at Evron. For a second, silence returned to the house, but now with a new plan in her mind. There was a mission that would push her to prove what she was capable of and how far she would go to protect the quiet life she’d built for Evron.

Pero ngayon, may isang Ashriel Rios ang dumating. Hindi niya masasabi kung naayon ba sa panahon ang pagdating nito o hindi.

Nylah massaged her temple.

Bakit ba puro Ashriel na lang ang laman ng kaniyang isipan?

No, she needs to clear her mind.

Lumabas siya ng kwarto. She stepped into the narrow hallway of her apartment, closed the door carefully, and checked the lock three times. Tahimik ang buong apartment building maliban na lamang sa ingay ng TV na nanggagaling sa kabilang flat.

She turned to the small panel behind the bookshelf.

The wall slid open slowly — and the space inside changed at once. Malamlam ang ilaw sa loob. Amoy langis at leather din sa loob. This was a room only Black Lotus knew; here lay the complicated layers of normal life fell away.

Her gaze settled on the attache case on the table. Inside lay her sniper rifle — meticulously packed, cleaned, and polished.

Kapagkuwan napatingin siya sa katana na nakalagay sa rack. She remembered the first time she held it: she was just fifteen by that time, but she could already feel the weight of history and the threat it carried. Para sa ibang tao, isa lamang itong dekorasyon. Pero para sa kaniya, it was a reminder of responsibility.

Umupo siya sa upuan sa nasa likod ng mesa kung saan nakalagay ang nakabukas na attache case. She smiled slightly, not from joy but from resolve. Who would guess? This apartment building — the stairs, the neighbors who said “Good morning” in the hallway, and greeted with a polite nod to each other — belonged to her.

Nakakatawa mang isipin pero effective. She rented out a few units to make it look legitimate: tenants who paid on time and left the hallways ordinary. Normalcy as camouflage. The façade of an ordinary life — a coffee shop owner, a single mom in a modest apartment. Perfect cover.

At ilan sa mga miyembro ng Black Lotus ay nakatira sa apartment na ito, kasama na doon si Rita at Dex.

She walked to the small window and looked out at the street. It was an ordinary world where no one would ever know what lay behind the door of her apartment unit.

Pumasok sa isipan ni Nylah ang ngiti ng kaniyang anak.

She closed her eyes.

Minsan hindi siya nagreklamo. Pinili niya ang ganitong buhay kasama ang anak niya. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t tired. Every mission she carried, the weight returned. Sometimes, late at night, she wondered: how long? How long would she protect this normal life?

Alam ni Nylah na darating ang araw iiwan niya ang lugar na ‘to. Marami siyang kalaban lalo na ang mga taong malapit sa mga taong pinatay niya. This was one of the reasons why she left France. Marami na ang nagtatangka ng buhay niya doon at kapag hindi siya umalis, madadamay ang anak niya.

She can protect Evron, considering her vast connections and her networks, but how long?

Bumalik siya sa lamesa. Nylah began inspecting the rifle — bolt, chamber, safety — every part familiar under her fingers.

Pero habang nagtatrabaho siya, pumasok sa isipan niya ang mukha ni Ashriel.

Nylah blew a loud breath. “Did he already enter my system?” she asked, staring at the wall.

Kapagkuwan napatingin siya sa cellphone niya nang mag-ring ito.

It was Ashriel.

Hindi tuloy alam ni Nylah kung sasagutin ba niya ang tawag nito o hindi.

Napabuntong hininga na lamang si Nylah saka isinara ang attaché case bago niya sinagot ang tawag ni Ashriel.

“What do you need, Mr. Rios?” she asked directly.

A sigh from Ashriel greeted Nylah. “You sounded like you didn’t want to want to speak to me at all.”

Napairap na lamang si Nylah sa hangin. “Napatawag ka?”

“I want to hear your voice.”

“It’s already late at night,” sabi ni Nylah. “Gising ka pa.”

“Gising ka rin naman.” Ashriel pointed out.

Napailing na lamang si Nylah. “Now, you heard my voice. Let's—”

“Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“Nylah, I…” Napabuga ng hangin si Ashriel. “Nothing. Have a good night's sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, Mr. Rios.”

After the call ended, Nylah stared at her phone. Gumuhit ang ngiti sa kaniyang labi. “Ashriel Rios…” she muttered. “Nakapasok ka na nga sa sistema ko.”