Irkhan had kept his eyes closed the whole time. His right hand was still held by Luna, while his left gently stroked her head. Simple, but for some reason, Irkhan liked it. And it didn’t seem like Luna minded either. He was waiting for death to come, yet strangely, he didn’t feel afraid. Was Irkhan not angry about Victor’s betrayal—his own brother? Of course he was. But did he want revenge? At first, yes. But after hearing Victor’s reasons, that desire faded.

  Irkhan had completed countless missions for many clients—each with their own twisted reasons for wanting someone dead or destroyed. Once, he was hired to kill a client's own sibling. The reason? That sibling had gained their parents’ favor, and the family business that was supposed to be inherited by the client had been passed on to the sibling instead. Consumed by jealousy, the client had hired a professional killer to eliminate them. Irkhan did the job. The sibling, moments before dying a gruesome death, had asked if their own brother had ordered the hit. Irkhan said nothing. He just let them die.

  He understood the root of it: jealousy. It blinded people, made them desperate. And now he realized Victor was no different. He was jealous of Irkhan, constantly compared to him by Mr. Vasel. Maybe Victor chose the wrong path, but the real fault lay with Mr. Vasel—their adoptive father. Everything began with him. That was why Irkhan chose not to retaliate against Victor. He’d let karma do its work.

  Karma, huh? Maybe this was it. Maybe this was his punishment—for killing those who didn’t deserve it. Turns out karma *was* real, and Irkhan was living proof.

  The roar of helicopter blades broke the silence. Irkhan opened his eyes and glanced toward the cave entrance. It was sealed, but he could hear them. Multiple helicopters, likely circling the island. Victor and Natasya must be up there now, waiting to witness the explosion.

  Luna, who had been resting on Irkhan’s lap, suddenly sat up. Irkhan watched her from the side, curious what she was going to do.

  “Luna, why did you choose to die here?” Irkhan asked quietly.

  Luna turned to face him. There was something different about her—ever since that headache she had earlier. Or maybe Irkhan was just imagining things. He chuckled inwardly.

  “Because of you,” Luna replied calmly, though her eyes carried deep sadness.

  That answer hit Irkhan harder than he expected. They had always been enemies. They’d even tried to kill each other more than once. Yet now, Luna was crying—tears streaming down her face.

  “Luna, why are you crying? Are you hurt?” Irkhan asked, a bit panicked. It was rare to see Luna cry. He would've ignored it in the past, but now… it hurt him to see her like this.

  Without hesitation, Irkhan pulled her into a hug. Luna clung to him tightly, her sobs growing louder. Whatever she was thinking, Irkhan didn’t ask. He just held her, gently patting her back. Slowly, her tears began to subside.

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  “Are you okay, Luna?” Irkhan asked.

  She only nodded in response.

  Irkhan smiled. She seemed embarrassed now, holding him even tighter than before.

  “I’m sorry. Because of me, you’re dying like this too,” Irkhan said softly. He felt guilty for making her cry.

  Luna pulled away slightly, her tear-streaked face gazing into his. Irkhan reached up and wiped her cheeks. She closed her eyes and let him.

  “It’s not your fault. I made my own decision about how I wanted to die,” she said calmly.

  “Really? Then why did you choose to die with me?” Irkhan asked, still puzzled.

  “Hm... Irkhan, you’ll find out later. I’m curious to see your reaction when you do,” Luna said, her words only adding to his confusion.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  Luna didn’t answer. Instead, she did something that stunned Irkhan—she draped her arms around his neck. They had done this before, during missions. But this time, it felt… different. Just like when she held his hand.

  “Irkhan, do you feel it too? That something’s different?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I do. But I don’t know why. It’s not the first time we’ve done this,” Irkhan admitted.

  “Exactly. And I’m happy you noticed. It means you’re feeling the same thing I am.” Her answer didn’t clear things up—it only deepened the mystery. Irkhan felt like they weren’t even talking about the same thing.

  Then, Luna hugged him again. Irkhan stiffened—he could feel her warm breath on his neck.

  “Luna… what are you doing?” he asked, utterly confused.

  “Irkhan, from now on, just be quiet and don’t ask me anything. Understand?” she whispered in his ear.

  “…I understand,” Irkhan replied. Something didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her. Her voice made it sound like an order he *had* to obey.

  “Good decision, Irkhan,” Luna whispered, stroking his hair.

  Irkhan stayed quiet, letting Luna touch his face and body without resistance.

  ---

  **Meanwhile, on the ship…**

  The assassin Victor had assigned to double-check the ship's security approached the deck, where Victor sat alongside Natasya.

  “Salutations, Mr. Victor and Miss Natasya,” he greeted with a bow.

  Victor and Natasya glanced at him and nodded without a word.

  “I’ve finished sweeping the ship, sir. Irkhan is confirmed to still be on the island. All other operatives are accounted for. Only Agent Irkhan remains on the island,” the assassin reported.

  Victor smiled. It was time.

  “Excellent. Order the ship to move away from the island. We’re about to blow it up,” Victor commanded.

  “Yes, sir.” The assassin rushed off to carry out the order. Victor stared at the island, soon to be wiped off the map.

  “This isn’t fun,” Natasya suddenly muttered.

  Victor turned to her, took her hand, and asked, “What part isn’t fun, sweetheart?”

  “If we stay on this ship, we’ll miss the full view. I want to see the explosion clearly. Let’s take the helicopter—it’ll be a better vantage point,” she suggested, eyes sparkling.

  Victor chuckled at her excitement and agreed. They boarded the helicopter shortly after, lifting off to watch the show from above. From there, they could see the entire island. Victor gave the signal to drop the pre-installed explosives. A series of smaller blasts followed as the devices hit the ground. Victor and Natasya watched in satisfaction. Then Victor prepared to press the detonator for the main explosion.

  ---

  Back on the island, Irkhan and Luna heard the initial blasts. Luna was now sitting on Irkhan’s lap, and the two stared at each other. Oddly, there was no fear in their eyes.

  “It’s starting,” Luna said.

  She placed her hand on Irkhan’s chest, feeling the contours of his body—he had maintained it well. Irkhan didn’t stop her.

  “Remember this, Irkhan: No one else is allowed to touch you. You belong to me. Always. Got it?” she said firmly.

  Irkhan nodded. “I understand. I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

  They embraced tightly.

  “Irkhan… my family name is Alternia. Remember that,” Luna whispered.

  Irkhan didn’t respond. He just hugged her tighter. Luna didn’t seem to mind. They just held each other, savoring this final moment.

  Victor pressed the detonator.

  A deafening explosion erupted. Even with their headphones on, Victor and Natasya could still hear the blast. The helicopter backed away, careful not to get caught in the shockwave. Victor stared down at the island, now engulfed in fire and smoke.

  Finally, his revenge was complete. Irkhan was dead, buried along with the island. No one could stop Victor now from taking control of the Organization.

  *“Father, I’ve sent your favorite son to you. So listen closely to the pain your beloved child will tell you—about being killed by his own brother.”*

  ---