The sound of quiet footsteps echoed around the alley as She moved silently, blending into the shadows like a ghost. Her bck combat boots barely made a sound as she approached her mark—a middle-aged man in a suit nervously checking over his shoulder.

  He wouldn't see her coming.

  From the fire escape above, She drew her silenced pistol, with bnk face. She observed her target through the scope, calm and steady, waiting for the exact moment.

  One breath. Two.

  The man's phone rang, and he froze, fumbling it with shaky hands. Rei exhaled slowly and pulled the trigger.

  A soft pfft broke the stillness, followed by a dull thud as the man crumpled to the ground, his phone falling from his hand. It will take some time for others to notice him.

  She didn't linger long. She climbed down the fire escape, retrieving a small fsh drive from his pocket before disappearing into the night.

  With a roar of an engine, she rode her bck motorcycle through the quiet streets, speeding down the empty roads. She wore fitted bck jacket and jeans, with her gloved hands gripped the handlebars steadily.

  A soft vibration came from her pocket.

  A call.

  The rider gnced at the screen mounted on her dashboard—Johanna. The first notification was a voicemail from her handler.

  She pressed the earpiece in her helmet with a practiced motion, answering the call without slowing down.

  "Rei-chan! Hey hey, are you busy right now?" The voice was bright, cheerful, and completely out of sync with the dark atmosphere of the night

  She didn't respond immediately.

  She never did.

  Instead, she simply waited.

  And, as always, Johanna kept talking.

  ""Sooo, I have a favor to ask!" Johanna continued, her voice full of bubbly energy. "Can you stop by the bookstore and grab something for me?"

  Rei's grip on the throttle tightened slightly.

  "...What book?"

  "It's called My Vilinous Husband Won't Let Me Die!"

  Brief silence.

  "Anyway!" Johanna chirped. "I wanted to get it, but I was too scared to talk to the cashier alone... sooo, Rei-chan, can you buy it for me? Pretty please?"

  Rei sighed.

  A soft, almost imperceptible exhale.

  It was always like this.

  Rei blinked, her thumb hovering over the screen. She knew Johanna—her bubbly, clueless cssmate—had no idea about her "night job." The girl was scared of everything, from spiders to cashiers, and had a habit of treating Rei like her personal errand-runner.

  Rei stared at the screen briefly, her neutral expression not betraying the slight exasperation bubbling beneath the surface. Fine, she replied, slipping her phone into her jacket.

  And maybe that was why Rei never refused.

  "Fine."

  "Yay! You're the best, Rei-chan!"

  The lights of the manga store made Rei squint as she stepped inside. It smelled like paper. She found the shelf Johanna had mentioned and quickly located the book—a colorful volume with a ridiculous cover depicting a blushing heroine surrounded by handsome vilins.

  Rei's brow twitched faintly, but she didn't comment. She grabbed the book and paid the cashier with practiced efficiency, ignoring the way the clerk's eyes on her stoic expression.

  Outside, Johanna was waiting anxiously near the entrance.

  "Rei-chan! You're a lifesaver!" Johanna beamed as Rei handed her the bag.

  "It's just a book," Rei replied ftly, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

  Johanna hugged the manga to her chest, practically glowing. "You have no idea! This series is sooo good! It's about this girl who gets reincarnated into a viliness, but her evil husband turns out to be crazy obsessed with her—"

  "I don't want to know," Rei interrupted, her tone as ft as ever.

  Johanna pouted. "You're no fun, Rei-chan."

  Rei's gaze softened, just slightly, as she turned to leave. "Go home, Johanna."

  "Wait, wait, wait!" Johanna suddenly grabbed her sleeve, stopping her.

  Rei froze, her body tensing on instinct.

  It took her brain a second to register that Johanna was not an enemy, not a threat.

  Rei sighed. "What?"

  Johanna smiled brightly, rocking on her heels. "Since we're already here, why don't we look around for a bit? Come on, you never hang out with me!"

  Rei's expression didn't change. "Because I don't want to."

  Johanna's shoulders slumped dramatically. "So cold! How are we even neighbours?"

  Rei didn't answer that.

  Rei returned to her dorm, tossing her jacket onto the bed. She pulled out her phone to py the voicemail from her handler she had ignored earlier.

  "Rei," the calm, mechanical voice began, "you have a new assignment. Details are in the parcel delivered to your address. Target information is enclosed. The deadline is one week. Do not fail."

  As the message ended, there was a soft knock at the door. Rei opened it to find a small box sitting on the floor. She picked it up, she steadied her heart rate to be prepared for it, and carried it to her desk.

  She set the box down, her movements were precise and used a small knife to cut through the tape. Inside was a mani folder and a photo.

  Her hand stilled as she pulled out the picture.

  It was Haruto. The same Haruto

  For the first time in years, Rei's calm exterior faltered. Her brows furrowed, and her lips parted slightly in shock. She stared at the photo for a long moment, her mind racing.

  "Haruto...?" she muttered under her breath. Memories of him flickered through her mind—his awkward humor, his occasional moments of surprising insight.

  Rei was used to seeing targets.

  Men in suits. Politicians. Gang leaders. Corrupt businessmen. People who deserved to die.

  But Haruto?

  Haruto, who greeted her like she was normal.Haruto, who never feared her, never questioned her.Haruto, who treated her like she was just a cssmate, not a killer.

  Rei forced herself to breathe evenly, pressing her thumb against the edge of the photo.

  She flipped open the folder.

  Inside, a neatly typed report detailed everything about Haruto.

  Target Name: Haruto KurosawaAge: 18Threat Level: HIGHReason for Termination: Bloodline Awakening Risk.Assignment Ordered By: Elder High Priestess—Matsuyo

  Rei's eyes narrowed.

  She flipped to the next page, scanning through the notes attached.

  Subject is unaware of full potential.Elimination is required before awakening occurs.

  Dey may result in irreversible consequences.

  Full potential? Bloodline Awakening? What kind of nonsense is this? He was an ordinary schoolboy; awkward and normal unlike her.

  The final page was a direct order:

  ELIMINATE IMMEDIATELY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

  Rei stared at the words, her mind turning cold.

  A cult leader? A high priestess putting a hit on Haruto?

  She had no idea he was connected to something that deep.

  Her grip on the papers tightened slightly.

  This wasn't just a contract kill.

  This was a cover-up.

  A removal.

  Someone was afraid of what Haruto.

  Rei sat back in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she processed the situation. Her fingers tapped against the desk rhythmically as she thought.

  "This... complicates things," she muttered, her voice ft but filled with uncertainty.

  She gnced back at the photo, her expression unreadable. Then she reached for her phone, her thumb hovering over the contact for her handler.

  But she didn't call. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

  What am I supposed to do now?

  For the first time in years, Rei found herself hesitating.

  She wasn't supposed to hesitate.

  Haruto was a target.

  Targets don't have names.Targets don't have memories.Targets don't smile at you like a friend when they are attacked.

  So why was she still holding the picture?

  She exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers to her temples.

  This wasn't the first time she had killed someone she knew.

  So why did it feel different this time?

  She closed the folder. Steadied her heart rate.

  If she hesitated now, someone else would do the job.

  And they wouldn't hesitate.

  She needed to move.

  Now.

  Rei stood in her small dorm room, her gear meticulously id out before her on the desk. Her bck tactical suit hung neatly on the back of her chair, her silenced pistol gleaming under the dim light. A small knife, smoke grenades, and a grappling hook were tucked neatly into her bag, every piece of equipment chosen with precision.

  She pulled on her gloves, the motion automatic as she mentally prepared herself.

  It's just another target, she thought. I've done this hundreds of times. This is no different.

  But it was different.

  Suddenly Haruto's face fshed in her mind. His stupid grin, the way he always greeted her casually, like she was just another normal teenager. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away.

  No distractions. He's just another job.

  Rei took a deep breath, adjusted the straps on her bag, and climbed out the window, disappearing into the night. She rode to his house via her trusted bike.

  Rei crouched on a rooftop across from Haruto's home, her bck tactical suit blending into the shadows. The neighborhood was quiet, the warm glow of streetlights casting faint halos on the pavement.

  She scanned the house through her binocurs, noting the open windows, the locked doors, and the faint movement inside. Her mind calcuted her route quickly—through the garden, up the wall, into the second-floor bedroom.

  As she moved, her phone vibrated softly in her pocket. She froze, pulling it out to see a single message.

  Unknown Number: Ceasefire.

  Rei frowned, her grip tightening on the phone. The sender wasn't listed, but the phrasing...

  'Kei, 'she realized immediately.

  Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Cease fire? If I don't kill him, the organization will." She pocketed the phone and prepared to move when a faint red dot appeared on her chest.

  A voice rang out in her earpiece, calm and sharp. "Rei, you should've gone home."

  Rei tensed, recognizing Kei's voice immediately.

  "I only need one shot to finish you," Kei continued. "You can walk away now, but if you stay, you'll deal with a long, painful bullet—or the girl inside with the monster axe."

  Rei sighed quietly, her voice ft as she muttered to herself. "If I don't kill him, they'll just send someone else. Either way, this will end in a war."

  Rei sighed hard, she knows how stubborn Kei can be. She won't back off that easily, stealth is no longer an option now.

  Ignoring the ser sight pointed at her, she tossed a smoke grenade into the yard, the gray smoke spreading quickly.

  The smoke set off in the house, and Rei heard footsteps rushing toward her location. Ayumi's voice rang out, heavy with insult and fury.

  "Who's there?! Come out, coward!" Ayumi's voice was loud, almost mocking, as she stormed out of the house with her axe in hand. "Do you think smoke can stop me?!"

  Rei, already climbing the side of the house, ignored her. 'I'm an assassin for a reason,' she thought.' You're wasting time.'

  She reached the second-floor window and slipped inside silently.

  Haruto was lying on his bed, one arm behind his head, his usual carefree grin pstered on his face. He flinched when Rei entered, nding softly on the floor.

  "Hi, Rei," he said casually as if she hadn't just broken into his room. "I haven't seen you for a while. Do you need something?"

  Rei stared at him, her expression unreadable as she raised her gun and pointed it directly at his chest.

  Haruto blinked, his grin faltering. "Uh... okay. Not exactly the kind of reunion I was expecting."

  Rei's finger hovered over the trigger, her hand steady as her mind raced. Pull the trigger. Just like always.

  But her hands wouldn't move. Haruto is not even taking seriously that his life could be in danger. WHY? She thought......then it hit her that he doesn't have a clue about what is gonna happen to him.

  Her chest tightened, and she forced herself to speak. "You're a threat," she said ftly, though her voice wavered slightly. "I'm supposed to eliminate you. It's what I do. All threats must be neutralized."

  Haruto tilted his head, his expression softening. "Rei... are you okay? I am sorry if I did something wrong."

  "I don't like killing you," she admitted quietly, her grip tightening on the gun. "You're stupid, but you're... lively. A friend. Johanna likes you too. But... You are the target." She trailed off, her voice trembling slightly. "This is my job. I'm supposed to pull the trigger and go home as usual. So why..."

  Her finger twitched, but the bullet didn't fire. She tried to pull the trigger, her body refusing to cooperate.

  "Why can't I do it?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Before she could process her mistake, the door smmed open.

  A fsh of silver.

  A sharp whistle in the air.

  Rei's instincts screamed at her—MOVE!

  She jumped back just in time, narrowly avoiding the massive axe that came flying toward her.

  The bde buried itself into the floorboards, sending splinters flying.

  Her head snapped toward the entrance.

  Standing there, her crimson eyes bzing, was Ayumi.

  "You!" Ayumi growled, her crimson eyes bzing. "How dare you attack Haruto-chan?!"

  Rei didn't reply. She bolted for the window, leaping out just as Ayumi lunged for her. There is no way she can win against her. She had already failed her mission.

  When Rei nded in the yard, a sharp pain exploded in her right leg. She stumbled, realizing she'd been shot. The bullet was indeed painful but she is used to this kind of pain in her life but she had colpsed to the ground.

  "You should've gone home," Kei's voice rang out from the shadows as she stepped forward, her gun trained on Rei. It was sniper, no wonder it hurt hard.

  Rei gritted her teeth, pressing a hand to the bleeding wound. "You should've aimed for my head," she said ftly.

  Kei stopped a few feet away, her expression cold. "Who gave you the order?"

  Rei didn't answer, her eyes narrowing as she pushed herself to her feet.

  Kei's voice softened slightly. "Rei, look at me. Why didn't you obey me?"