After punching the dickhead, Eira wasn't satisfied. One punch wasn't enough—she wanted to beat him until he was in the hospital.
A pity doing that would ruin her cover.
Breathing in and out, Eira forced herself to calm down, gradually reducing the scowl on her face to something more neutral. She was nearing the classroom, and the last thing she wanted was to walk in with such an expression. The curious and pitiful looks she was already getting were enough; she didn't need questioning ones added to the mix.
Calm down, Eira. Remember, the finest revenge is one you savor, Eira reminded herself, forcing her clenched fists to relax. She took another deep breath, shaking off the last vestiges of her anger.
As she approached the classroom door, she rolled her shoulders, loosening the tension that had built up. The hallways were quiet, but she could feel the gazes on her, whispers trailing behind her steps.
Her hand rested on the door handle for a moment, and she forced one last calming breath. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. She had a plan—one that didn't involve letting her enemies know just how dangerous she could be.
Pushing the door open, she stepped into the classroom, her face a carefully constructed mask of calm. The whispers quieted, and she could feel the weight of curious stares landing on her. But Eira ignored them, moving swiftly to her seat without meeting anyone's eyes. She grabbed her bag and brought out her phone.
At least her phone was one of the latest Apple models. It was given to Ephyra by her father on her seventeenth birthday, last year.
She unlocked it and checked the bank app.
Let's see if the money in it will be enough to order a ride from here to Ephyra's home.
From Ephyra's memories, she never got any money from the Allens. It was only during festive periods her stepmother gave her money. And that money had long been spent on either food or clothes. Her nanny would always sneakily give her food and buy clothes for her. Ephyra started declining when Elma got reprimanded, and her salary was cut off for that month.
Sigh, she'd have to look for a way to make money while making sure that she got first place this semester.
Eira smiled wryly. The life of an ostracized teenager was hard. Just like her previous life.
Account balance: $500.00
What?
Who sent her money?
At that moment, a text message from her nanny came in.
{How are you doing in school? Hope everything is going well. I just sent you some money; I forgot to give you the cab fare for when you're coming back! Silly me. Remember that the hospital bill was cleared by Sir Liam, and there was some money left over. I added a bit more to it, just in case you need anything. Take care, my dear, and let me know if you need more. Love, Elma.}
Eira stared at the screen for a moment, a mix of emotions bubbling inside her. Gratitude, frustration, and a strange warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time. Elma, despite the harsh treatment from the Allens, always tried to look out for Ephyra.
"Thank you, Elma," she muttered under her breath, her fingers typing a quick response, assuring her nanny that everything was fine at school. Eira's lips tugged into a small, genuine smile as she hit send, but it quickly faded as her mind returned to her plan.
Money was always useful, but $500 wouldn't last long. If she was going to survive—and thrive—she needed more. She had a list of things to take care of, and revenge required resources.
She leaned back in her chair, her mind racing through possible ways to secure more cash. She couldn't rely on Elma, and she certainly wasn't going to beg the Allens. That would be beneath her.
Then an idea struck.
In her past life as an assassin, some of her colleagues and friends liked to take side jobs. And, in order not to get caught by their superiors in the organization, there was a website where different requests—ranging from assassination, hacking services, and information trading to answering academic questions—could be found. The anonymity of the site was its biggest selling point, attracting all kinds of people, from skilled professionals to ordinary folks looking for something discreetly handled.
The more dangerous the task, the higher the payout.
Eira's fingers hovered over her phone screen as the memory flooded back. She had never used that website herself in her past life, preferring to keep her work direct and clean, but this wasn't her old life. She didn't have her resources, her network, or her name. But she still had her skills and her memory.
Not to forget, she had the AI.
Eira smiled as she tapped into her phone's browser, searching through layers of encryption, proxies, and firewalls to ensure her identity was protected. This wasn't her first time on the dark web. Though she hadn't used it much, she'd created an account out of curiosity and knew how to cover her tracks. After a few moments, the familiar yet eerie homepage loaded, its black background and minimalistic design greeting her.
Welcome to The Black Exchange.
It was still as she remembered.
She navigated through the categories, her fingers dancing over the screen. Requests for assassinations, discreet surveillance, and high-level hacking services lined the pages. But that wasn't what she needed right now. She wasn't ready to get her hands dirty just yet—not when she was still playing the long game.
[Master, you can take the requests for high-level hacking services, and I will help you with it.]
[I also want to, okay? But not yet. Let's start small. I'm sure the high-level users on this website know each other, and suddenly seeing a newbie offering expert services would raise suspicions. Besides, I want to gauge the waters first.]
She scrolled further until she found the smaller, less dangerous jobs—information gathering, academic assistance, and minor hacking gigs. Perfect. It wasn't the fastest way to earn cash, but it was steady, and more importantly, it wouldn't draw unwanted attention.
"Let's start here," she muttered to herself, clicking on a few requests.
- Request: Access to encrypted financial records.
Payout: $1,500.
- Request: Find details on a missing person.
Payout: $1,000.
- Request: Research academic papers for a PhD student.
Payout: $500.
Eira's eyes settled on the third and first ones. The latter was simple, straightforward, and something that wouldn't require her to dig too deep into anything dangerous, while the former was a little bit complex but tempting. But, with the AI's help, she could finish it quickly and get the money she needed.
She opened the first request, read the details, and accepted the job.
[Master, do you need my help?]
[Yes, but not yet.]
Sliding lower into her seat, Eira glanced around the classroom, confirming that no one had their eyes on her. Most of the students had already turned back to their work, no longer interested in her arrival. It gave her the cover she needed. Her fingers flew across the screen as she initiated the job.
[Master, I'm ready whenever you are.]
[Almost there,] she thought back, her lips tugging into a smile.
As the AI began running through the encryption protocols, Eira leaned back, her mind wandering. The money was a start, but it wasn't the endgame. No, this was about much more than just surviving. She had debts to settle, grudges to even out, and a name to make for herself in this new world.
As the AI cracked the encryption, Eira's phone buzzed softly. The task was complete.
"Well, that was fast," she whispered. The payout was already transferred to her account, and a soft ping confirmed the updated balance.
$2,000.
Better, but still not enough.
"All right," she muttered, closing out of the dark web and returning her phone to her bag.
"Hey!" she heard a chirpy voice beside her, and she turned her head to see the Dellinger siblings standing in front of her desk.
Malia was smiling at her, while Orla had a blank expression on her face.
"We went to the recovery room but couldn't find you. Luckily, we came back to the class and didn't look for you around like headless chickens. Hehe!"
"Thanks to me," Orla muttered behind her sister.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks to you."
Eira looked between the sisters and couldn't help but wonder what they wanted from her.
Sure, they'd been extremely helpful, but she didn't think they would seek her out.
"Uhm, hi. What can I do for you?"
"Well," Malia took a seat on the empty chair beside her, "we saw what happened in the locker room and also read the post. I feel so bad for you. What your stepsister and fiancé did to you wasn't fair, so if you need a shoulder to cry on, a friend to talk to, or anything else, we're here, okay?"
Eira hesitated before nodding with a smile. "Thank you. That's so kind of you."
"Don't mention it. Oh, by the way, my name is Malia, and my grumpy sister here is Orla. I hope we can be friends, Ephyra."
"R-really?"
"Yes, really!"
Eira smiled widely, "Friends then."
Malia's bright smile widened. "Great! Let's exchange numbers!"
The three of them exchanged numbers with Malia beaming, Orla staying expressionless, and Ephyra smiling.
Immediately after they finished exchanging numbers, the teacher came in.
Malia frowned and turned to Ephyra, "See you after school then?"
Eira smiled as she nodded, "Sure."
With that, the Dellinger siblings left her desk, and the smile on her lips disappeared.
…
As soon as it was time to go home, Eira didn't wait a second more, she grabbed her bag, left the class through the back door, and hurried out of the school. Luckily, the Dellingers didn't see her nor did anyone else.
Eira walked for a while from the school gates before seeing a cab.
"Forest Hills Gardens?" she asked the cab driver as she opened the door and slipped into the backseat. The driver nodded, glancing at her through the rearview mirror before pulling away from the curb.
Eira leaned back in her seat, her mind spinning as the city passed by in a blur outside the window. She needed to keep a low profile, and avoiding the Dellingers after school was just the first step. Malia seemed genuinely kind, but Eira couldn't afford to get too close to anyone.
As the cab weaved through the streets, she checked her phone again, eyeing the updated balance in her account. $2,000 was a good start, but her list of expenses kept growing. Transportation, meals, and clothes were just the beginning. She would need somewhere to live once she turned eighteen in a month and a half.
[Master, a car has been following us from your school, and they seem to be carrying weapons.]
[What? Are you sure?]
[Yes master.]
Fuck!
[What are you going to do?]
[We can't out race them, can we?]
[No, the car they are using is faster and stronger than the one you're riding in.]
Eira closed her eyes and sighed.
[Then we face them, how many are they?]
[Four.]
[And how strong is my body now?]
[75% Master, stronger than an average adult male, but not at full capacity yet.]
Eira gritted her teeth. She wasn't at full strength, but she had no choice. If they were armed and following her this closely, they weren't here to just scare her. She needed to act before they got the upper hand.
[Alright. Here's the plan. Tell the driver to stop somewhere secluded. I'll handle the rest.]
Without hesitation, the AI sent a subtle command to the cab's GPS, rerouting it to a quieter part of town, away from the usual city traffic. The driver, unaware of the situation, followed the instructions.
As they approached an isolated alley, the cab slowed down. She glanced back briefly, spotting the black SUV tailing them.
[Master, they're preparing to close in.]
[Good. Let them.]
The cab stopped, and Eira quickly slid out, her movements graceful and controlled. She didn't want to involve the driver, so she waved him off, sending him on his way with a fabricated excuse about needing some privacy.
As the cab disappeared into the distance, the black SUV screeched to a halt a few meters behind her. Four men, covered in tattoos, dressed in dark clothes, and armed, stepped out. They looked at her with cold, calculated expressions, not realizing the trap they had just walked into.
Eira tilted her head, a wicked smile on her lips as she watched the four men.
"I can't believe I'm saying this again but may I know who sent you?"
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
The men exchanged glances before one of them smirked, stepping forward with a gun drawn. "You're going to die soon, little girl, so does it really matter who sent us?" he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Eira didn't flinch, her gaze cold and unwavering. She had faced men like this before, though the circumstances had been different. In her past life, they would have been dead already, their arrogance a fatal mistake. Now, without her full strength and weapon, she had to be more cautious, but that didn't mean she was weak.
[Master, two are carrying firearms. The others have knives.]
[Good to know.]
Her eyes flickered toward the men holding guns, calculating the distance between them and herself. She was fast, but not faster than a bullet. She needed to disarm them first.
With a casual shrug, Eira spoke. "Too bad for you. I died once and have no plans to fucking die again." Her voice was calm, almost bored, but her muscles were tensing, ready to spring into action. "And as for who sent you, I guess I will have to make you talk."
The leader of the group laughed, the sound grating. "Brave words, girl. Let's see if you can back them up."
The man raised his gun, aiming it directly at her. Eira's heart pounded, but her face remained impassive. She had dealt with worse odds before.
Before the leader could pull the trigger, Eira moved.
She sprinted toward the leader, closing the distance between them in a flash. Before he could react, her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and twisting it with a sharp motion. The gun dropped from his hand as he let out a yelp of pain.
With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling to the ground, disarmed and disoriented. One down.
The other three men snapped into action, the two with knives rushing her while the second gunman raised his weapon. Eira didn't give him the chance to aim.
In a fluid motion, she scooped up the fallen gun, her fingers deftly wrapping around the trigger as she pointed it at the second gunman. A single shot rang out, and the man crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg. She didn't need to kill him—just incapacitate him.
The two knife-wielding men hesitated for a fraction of a second, but it was all Eira needed. She lunged at the nearest one, sidestepping his wild slash and driving her elbow into his gut. As he doubled over, she grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind his back before slamming him into the ground.
The final man, realizing he was outmatched, turned to run, but Eira was faster. She darted forward, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and yanking him to the ground. Two quick, precise punches to his temple knocked him out cold.
Breathing heavily, Eira stood over the unconscious and incapacitated men, her heart still racing from the adrenaline. It wasn't the cleanest fight she'd ever had, but it got the job done.
[Master, are you all right?]
[I'm fine.] She took a deep breath, her pulse slowing as the AI's calm voice filled her mind. [But we need to figure out who these guys were.]
Stepping over the bodies, Eira crouched beside the leader, who was groaning in pain on the ground. She grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up to face her. His eyes were wide with fear now, the arrogance from earlier completely gone.
"Now," Eira said, her voice icy. "You're going to tell me who sent you, or this will get a lot more painful."
The leader glared at her and sneered, "What makes you think I will tell you, fucking bitch?!" he spat. "You better kill me now because I'm not telling you shit!"
From little girl to bitch? Better, but still a grave mistake, Eira thought.
"Really now? You're not afraid of death, huh? Alright, let's see if you really aren't." With that, she held the gun to his head and stayed like that for some seconds before moving the gun down toward the middle of his legs.
"Tell me, how painful will it be if I shoot you here repeatedly?" She fired a shot, which hit the ground between his legs.
"The next one won't miss…"
The leader's bravado crumbled instantly. His eyes widened in panic as the barrel of the gun hovered over the most vulnerable part of his body. He swallowed hard, his sneer fading into something far more desperate.
"Wait, wait! Okay, okay!"
Eira's eyes narrowed, but she kept the gun steady, her voice as cold as ever. "Who sent you?"
The leader shifted, his breath coming in ragged gasps as fear overtook him. "It was… It was Marcellus. He—he paid us to follow you. Said you'd be an easy target."
Marcellus? Eira's mind raced. That name wasn't familiar, but she'd heard of him from people. He was a mediocre figure in the underworld, someone who dealt in illegal activities.
What the fuck would he want with her?
It was at this moment, when Eira wasn't aware of her surroundings, that a figure with an overbearing aura moved hurriedly toward her like a predator finally seeing its prey.
It was too late when Eira realized that someone was behind her. Before she could turn and aim the gun at whoever it was, a large hand grabbed her and spun her around.
Then, she found herself in the tight embrace of a very tall and muscular man.
The hell?!
|Thirty Minutes Earlier, Midtown Manhattan|
A sleek black Mercedes-Benz EQS sped through the bustling streets of Manhattan, cutting through the evening traffic like a blade. Inside, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the woman seated in the back, barking orders at his colleagues through the phone.
He shifted his gaze to the road and sighed. Jania only got this tense, demanding, and terrifying whenever the boss' illness acted up in her absence, and today was such a day.
"What's the situation now?!"
"All t-the Bloodhorn… gang members who came are almost d-dead… Only the leader and one other member are still alive while M-master Aelion has numerous cuts and wounds on his body, b-but he's still f-fighting with them." The voice of the person on the other end sounded like he wanted to cry.
"Alright, just make sure it doesn't get worse. We're almost there."
Jania hung up the phone with a sharp exhale. "Drive faster."
"Y-yes, Ms. Jania," the driver didn't need to be told twice.
Ten minutes later, they were in the underground building of the corporate headquarters of Aelion Tech.
Jania rushed into the dimly lit, expansive meeting room where a long table and chairs were. But at this time, it looked like a bloody carnage with the bodies of the Bloodhorn members sprawled across the room, lying in their pools of blood.
The person responsible for all this was standing in front of the long table, his eyes devoid of emotion as he stared at the corpses, his figure covered in blood, wounds still fresh on his body as he breathed heavily and dripped with sweat. His tailored suit was torn in several places, revealing deep gashes that oozed crimson, yet he stood tall, as if the pain barely registered.
Jania stopped short, her breath catching at the sight of him. Even in this state, there was something terrifyingly composed about him, as if the violence he'd just unleashed was nothing.
"Master Aelion," she said, her voice soft. "They are all dead. Everything is under control. You need to take your medication now."
Lyle didn't respond immediately, his dark violet eyes flickering toward her.
"Master Aelion… I know you must be feeling uncomfortable with the blood on your body. So why don't you shower, and I will get new clothes for you? Then, you can use your medication, and we'll leave."
A few seconds passed in silence as Jania and the others waited with bated breath.
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
They all chanted in their minds.
Lyle turned his neck as he took off his suit and shirt. "Prepare the bath."
They all sighed collectively.
Twenty minutes later, the same Mercedes-Benz drove through Manhattan and Queens Expressway, with two other cars flanking its front and back.
Jania, who sat in the passenger seat, glanced back at Lyle, who occupied the back seat and was currently 'sleeping.' If sleeping meant closing your eyes and not moving. She turned back to the front and leaned back.
However, five minutes into the drive, Lyle opened his eyes and sat up.
"Turn around and drive through the corner," he commanded, his voice low and firm but carrying an edge that made everyone in the car tense up.
"W-what?" the driver asked in surprise.
"Turn around and drive through the corner."
"Y-yes, sir," the driver stammered as he obeyed without hesitation, steering the car sharply onto a narrow side street.
Jania's brow furrowed as she turned back to look at him. "Master Aelion, is something wrong?"
Lyle's violet eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity. "She's here," he muttered, more to himself than to Jania.
"Who?" Jania asked.
Without answering, Lyle opened the door before the car had even fully stopped, stepping out onto the darkened street. He moved with the kind of purpose that sent chills through Jania's spine. She quickly scrambled out of the car as well, trying to keep up with him.
"Master Aelion, wait! What's happening?"
But Lyle didn't respond. His mind was focused entirely on the girl ahead. He could feel it. Her scent, her presence tugged at something deep within him, like a magnetic pull he couldn't ignore.
As he neared the alley, the sounds of a brief struggle reached his ears, followed by a sharp cry. Without missing a beat, Lyle strode forward.
Eira was just about to press the man for more information when she sensed something—no, someone—approaching. But it was too late. Before she could fully react, a powerful hand gripped her arm and spun her around, pulling her into a tight, vice-like embrace.
Eira tried to free herself from the iron grip of the man who had ambushed her, but it was no use. His strength was far beyond hers at the moment, and every attempt to break away felt like trying to bend steel with her bare hands.
"Let me go," she hissed through clenched teeth, but the man didn't respond. Instead, he tightened his hold as he breathed in her scent, pulling her closer. His breath brushing against her ear as he spoke one word—low and possessive.
"Mine."
~~
Please read the Author's Thoughts.
And… drumroll, please! Their first meeting!!
I would appreciate it if you could comment on your thoughts!
P/S: The real name of the man Marianna called to help her kill Ephyra is Rico and the name he's known as in the Underworld is Marcellus.
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