Inside a dark corridor in a secret building the main office of an organization of

assassins can be found. The building is located in a quiet and almost deserted area
making it perfect for an organization that wishes to remain unnoticed.

The corridor is filled with mystery and tension. Each step on the cold concrete
echoing through the silent surroundings. The walls are a dull gray and the only
light comes from the lights hanging from the ceiling.

Sa dulo ng pasilyo ay ang isang malaking pinto na yari sa bakal. Ito ang daan
papunta sa pangunahing tanggapan ng organisasyon. Sa loob nito ay ang mga
pinakamahuhusay na assassin ay nagtitipon at nagpaplano para sa kanilang mga
misyon.

Ngunit hindi doon papatungo ang leader ng Nightfall maidens. Si Phantom Empress–
ang pinakamalakas at delikadong babaeng assassin sa Organization.

Pagkatapos ng huling misyon niya ay pinatawag agad siya ni Chronos. Ang big boss at
ang taong namumuno ng Organization para sa kaniyang susunod na misyon.

Lahat ng mga taong nakasalubong niya ay napapaatras bigla lalo na at kitang-kita pa

rin ang resulta ng madugong laban sa kaniyang damit. Her top was almost covered in
blood and she didn't even plan to wipe it.

Hindi naman sa tamad siya, maliligo na sana siya kanina kung hindi lang sana siya
tinawag ng isa sa mga membro ng kaniyang pangunahing team.

She knocked on the door three times before she came in. There, she saw the big boss
smoking on his favorite swivel chair.

“I guess you complete your mission again, Empress.” He said and turned his back to
look at her.

"Yes, Chronos. The mission was a success." Phantom Empress responded, her voice
steady and calm despite the bloodstains on her clothes.

Chronos exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes studying her. "I see. You never fail to
impress me.”

She gave a small nod with her expressionless face. "What's the next mission?"

He stubbed out his cigarette and leaned back in his chair. "You have to stop him,
Empress. I don't care if you will kill that bāstard, as long as he won't do any
necessary movement to collaborate with the Aether Vortex. And I believe you can do
that without the help of the rest of your team. You're strong enough to handle this
mission.”

Hindi siya umimik. Wala rin siyang iniisip ng kung ano at gusto niya nalang na
tapusin ang misyon niya. Chronos think that she's strong and she know that he trust
her that much to handle this big mission. She have to– because it's her job.

“Hey, Empress.”

She stopped walking towards her room when she saw Cyber– one of the nightfall
maidens members who’s good at hacking and a technician of the Organization.

Hindi siya umimik at tiningnan niya lang ang paglalakad nito papalapit sa kaniya
hanggang sa maglampasan silang dalawa.
“I'm expecting that you will complete the mission, Empress. Of course, I will
accompany you,” Cyber clapped her hand and her eyes twinkle in amusement. “Alam mo
bang pangarap kong makasama ka sa misyon? At ito na nga! It's finally happening!”
she shouted excitedly.

Cyber leaned in closer with her voice dropping to a whisper. "But Empress, have you
ever wondered why Chronos is always giving you the toughest missions? Doesn't it
seem... odd?"

Phantom Empress paused and her eyes narrowing slightly. She had never questioned
Chronos' orders before, but Cyber's words stirred a seed of doubt in her mind.
Could there be more to these missions than she initially thought?

Her suspicions were confirmed when she felt the dagger sink into her thigh. She
lifted her gaze to the pair of shoes approaching her as she struggled to move due
to the gunshot wounds scattered across her body.

She wouldn't have ended up in this situation if she hadn't taken a drink earlier.
She trusted her to assist her on the mission and it turns out--she's the traitor.
She's working with the enemy's organization and at the same time, she's working for
the Chronos Organization.

Her eyes hardened at the woman, but all she got in return was a smile. The woman
knelt in front of her and roughly lifted her chin.

The coldness in her eyes was a stark contrast to the warm smile on her face. The
woman's betrayal was evident, her loyalty to the enemy's organization clear as day.
The pain from the dagger in her thigh and the gunshot wounds was nothing compared
to the sting of betrayal. But despite the pain and betrayal, she remained defiant,
her gaze unwavering. The woman may have betrayed her, but she wasn't going to give
her the satisfaction of seeing her break.

Hindi niya makita ng lubusan ang mukha ng babae dahil sa malakas na buhos ng ulan
at madilim na paligid ngunit kitang-kita niya naman sa gilid nito sa may kalayuan
ang lalaking pakay niya. He’s smiling wickedly looking at them with his people.

Nahilo siya bigla nang sinuntok siya ng kaharap at sapol iyon sa kaniyang ilong
kung kaya’t agad dumugo ito ngunit tinangay naman agad ito ng buhos ng ulan. Pilit
niyang kinukuha ang kamay ng kaharap pero dahil sa panghihina at dahil sa gamot na
kaniyang ininom, hindi na siya makagalaw kahit na kaunti.

“If you kill her, you will be finally a member of my Organization. I can also put
you to the highest position of the Organization plus you can freely do whatever you
want.”

“No need to tell me that, President. After all, this woman has been my target in
the first place.” She smiled at her but the Empress was still expressionless.

“I like this expression of yours, Empress. It makes me want you more.” She said
boldly. The Empress bites her lower lip when she feels the knives cutting through
her skin. It hurts and for the first time, she can feel the pain. Not physically
but even though she's not close to the other members, she can still remember their
bond as a team.

"Lahat... Lahat ito ay isang kasinungalingan, hindi ba?" Phantom Empress managed to
murmur, her gaze never leaving Cyber's face.

Cyber just laughed."Oh, Empress. You're so naive. This is the real world. Trust is
a luxury we can't afford."
She clenched her jaw with the pain from her wounds intensifying. "You... You
betrayed us. You betrayed the organization." Nahihirapan niyang sambit at napaubo
pa siya ng dugo dahil sa sugat niya sa sikmura. She can feel it, she will lost
consciousness anytime now.

"Betrayal is a matter of perspective, Empress," Cyber countered. "In my eyes, I'm

just doing what's necessary."

Phantom Empress could only glare at her former teammate, her heart filled with a
mixture of pain and betrayal. This was a harsh lesson she had to learn - in their
world, trust was a dangerous weapon. And she had just been stabbed by it.

Hindi niya agad nahulaan ang susunod na ginawa ni Cyber. Hinila siya nito sa buhok
na parang laruan lang at wala siyang magawa kung hindi ay magpatangay. Manhid na
siya dahil sa mga sugat niya at kahit ilang beses na siyang natatamaan ng kung ano-
ano, hindi niya na iyon alintana.

She didn't expect that Cyber who is the weakest member in the nightfall maidens can
make her like this. She’s only good at hacking computers, searching information and
everytime they do physical training, ito ang unang susuko.

Hindi niya akalain na matatalo lamang siya ng ganoon kadali. She smiled but that
smiled make her pride even more hurt. Maybe this is the last day of her life. Hindi
naman siya nagsisisi sa mga ginawa niya noon at dahil alam niyang ginagawa niya
lang ang nararapat. Kung walang pakialam ang gobyerno sa isang tulad niya noon,
pwes siya ang hahanap ng hustisya.

And now that she has fulfilled her mission, death will be her only option. A woman
like her shouldn't live happily in this cruel world because ever since she saw how
her parents were killed in front of her, she didn't know how to be happy. Hindi
niya na alam ang salitang iyon.

Tinulak siya ni Cyber kaya ay bumangga ang likod niya sa matinis na bato. Wala pa
rin siyang expression at kahit naliligo na siya ng dugo, wala na siyang pakialam sa
ngayon.

“Any last word, my Empress before you go to hell?”

Nakatitig siya kay Cyber at ngumiti siya ng nakakaloko. “Fuck you, Cyber. Huwag mo
lang akong buhayin dahil ako mismo ang papatay sayo.”

Cyber just rolled her eyes and took her gun on the side of her ankle and pointed it
out on her forehead. “Don't worry, wala akong planong buhayin ka. You will be dead
in my hand just like how you killed my beloved father.”

She stared at Cyber with her cold eyes. Despite the pain coursing through her body,
she managed a smirk. "Your father? I've killed many, but I don't recall anyone
significant enough to be your father. Are you sure he didn't die of
disappointment?"

Cyber's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her composure. "You're lying. You
know exactly who he was."

She chuckled sarcastically. "Oh, Cyber, if I had known he was your father, I would
have made his death even more painful."

"Stai zitto!" ( Shut up!) Cyber's voice echoed, her grip on the gun tightening.
Bahagyang nangunot ang noo ni Empress. Cyber is talking in Italian. Her first
language.

“Why.. are you an Italian?” She still managed to speak even though the atmosphere
was almost dangerous for her. She has no mission within Italy because most of her
mission is just around Asia. If his father is an Italian, has she killed an
Italiano?

"Sei sorpresa che uno dei tuoi membri ti conosca così bene?" (Are you surprised
that one of your members knows you well?) Cyber retorted in Italian. "You killed my
father, Empress.”

Empress' eyes widened slightly. She remembered now. A lawyer, Italian. He was the
first person she had killed. He had been protecting a murderer, the murderer of her
parents. She felt no remorse then, she was only sixteen.

"Un avvocato... " ( Ahh.. lawyer ) she whispered. "Your father was a lawyer."

Cyber's eyes widened for a moment but she just smirked. "Yes, the first person you
killed.”

Empress stared at her. She had killed many people but this was different. This was
personal. "He was protecting a murderer, Cyber. He was protecting the man who
killed my parents."

Cyber's look softened. "Empress," she started, speaking softly, "Isn't it strange?
How our past actions can tie us together."

She paused, keeping her eyes on Empress. "You killed my father, but I don't hate
you. Somehow, you've become something I can't stop thinking about, a constant
reminder of how messed up our world is."

Empress looked confused. "What are you saying, Cyber?"

Cyber laughed. "Isn't it strange, Empress? In a different life, in a different

world, we could have been on the same side, maybe even friends."

She then lifted her gun, her eyes becoming cold again. "But this isn't that world.
This is real life. And in real life, actions have consequences.”

And with a loud bang, she pulled the trigger and said a word one last time before
she lost consciousness.

"Arrivederci Empress, fino a quando ci incontreremo di nuovo.”