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  Flashbacks from the past suddenly surfaced. Irkhan closed his eyes for a moment, then a burning determination began to rise within him — the resolve to finish his final mission and enjoy his retirement. One last mission, one final task — whatever it was, Irkhan would see it through perfectly.

  He quietly approached the hut, like a tiger stalking its prey. Step by step, Irkhan got closer. He moved slowly around the hut, scanning the area. It was silent — no sounds of activity inside. That silence put him on edge. He could feel someone was watching him. And he was right. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the open door like a flash of lightning, and a gunshot rang out across the island.

  “Damn... so you were waiting for me too, Luna,” Irkhan said as he dove for cover.

  “Irkhan, let’s end this once and for all. I’m sick of going up against you,” Agent Luna — Irkhan’s final target — revealed her intent to kill him.

  The two top assassins from rival organizations had shared the same bloody journey for fifty years. They’d crossed paths on countless missions and had almost killed each other more times than they could count. Now, it all came down to this moment. With their long history and deep understanding of each other’s tactics, their injuries were few, but serious enough to threaten their lives.

  “Haha… Luna, are you retired too now? Your aim’s not what it used to be,” Irkhan laughed between gunfire. Retirement wasn’t going to come easy.

  “You’re retiring? Are your bones that brittle now, old man?” Luna taunted.

  “Oh wow, you calling me old? Doesn’t that make you a wrinkly old granny too?” Irkhan shot back, sarcastic.

  For some reason, that last jab made Luna’s gunfire even more intense. Irkhan had to duck behind a rock to avoid getting riddled with bullets.

  ‘Crazy old woman. You started it, and now you can’t take the heat when I hit back?’

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  Irkhan couldn’t understand Luna sometimes. Were all women like this? Mad when you call them out? Not that he’d know — even at 65, Irkhan was still a virgin. Yeah, you read that right. A career full of killing left no room for romance. Having a girlfriend or a kid would’ve been a weakness. That’s why he stayed alone all these years. Ironically, the woman he talked to most was Luna. Because of all the missions they shared, she was the closest woman in his life — not romantically, but as a relentless rival trying to kill him.

  Even Mr. Vasel, his mentor, only had a kid at age 55. He never wanted to, having already raised Irkhan like his own. But the higher-ups in the organization pushed for it — they didn’t want someone without Vasel’s bloodline inheriting the empire. So, Victor was born.

  As Luna’s bullets finally stopped, Irkhan peeked around to check on her. No movement. She was probably reloading after that emotional outburst.

  “Luna... You’re the closest woman I’ve ever had in my life. All our fights, I’ve actually enjoyed them. But I’m sorry. I have to kill you now. Maybe in the next life, we’ll meet as friends instead of enemies.”

  He didn’t know why he said that. But it was the truth — Luna was the only real connection he had. Saying it out loud somehow eased the guilt of killing her.

  He reached for the three grenades he’d prepped. But his hand hesitated. After a full minute of silence, Irkhan pulled the pins and threw them toward Luna’s hiding spot. A massive explosion followed.

  Leaning back against the rock, Irkhan closed his eyes. Luna was gone. The woman closest to him, gone. But the mission was complete. After a few moments of reflection, he activated his earpiece.

  “Agent Irkhan reporting to HQ.”

  “Check… check… Agent Irkhan connected to HQ,” someone replied.

  “Final mission to eliminate Agent Luna has been completed successfully,” Irkhan reported.

  “Mission confirmation received. Agent Irkhan, your final mission is complete. Thank you for your 50 years of service.”

  With those words, Irkhan was officially retired. He could finally live out his days in peace in a remote village.

  He stepped out of hiding and looked at the wrecked hut. Slowly, he approached the blast zone, intending to find Luna’s body and give her a proper burial.

  **“Bang!!”**

  He froze. A sharp pain hit his chest — the bullet barely missed his heart. Irkhan dove behind cover, clutching the wound with a handkerchief.

  Who shot him? It couldn’t be Luna — the shot came from behind. Someone from Luna’s side? Questions swirled in his mind.

  Then he heard footsteps. His muscles tensed. An enemy?

  But when he saw who it was, he relaxed a little — it was Victor Arsenio, the 25-year-old son of Mr. Vasel. Technically Irkhan’s foster younger brother.

  “What happened, bro?” Victor asked.

  “I got shot… Are you okay? Why aren’t there any guards with you? You could’ve been the target.”

  “Don’t worry, bro. I didn’t see anyone else on my way here,” Victor replied. But strangely, his face showed no concern for Irkhan’s injury.

  “Really..? Maybe the shooter already ran after failing to finish me off,” Irkhan said, feeling slightly relieved.

  “The shooter didn’t run away, bro. He’s still here… walking toward the target he failed to kill,” Victor said coldly.

  Irkhan instantly turned to face him — but too late. A bullet slammed into his right shoulder. He stared in shock. **Victor… had shot him?**

  “Ahh… Victor, what are you doing?! Do you even know what you’ve just done?!”

  “OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FOR A LONG TIME!” Victor’s scream echoed across the island — a roar of long-buried rage unleashed at last.

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