Valeria Torres and the Blade of Life

Chapter 1: The Bodyguard

"Okay kiddo. Let's go over it one more time."

Sixteen-year-old Valeria Torres groaned as she looked over at her foster parents – Frank and Jada Pipino – two master thieves who welcomed her into their home. They currently stood in the foyer of the Pipino townhouse, with all three dressed in civilian attire. Valeria exhaled impatiently as she swung her book bag over her shoulder. "Once again," she grumbled, "I'm not sure who's more nervous: me, or you guys."

While Valeria found her new parents' overprotectiveness a little burdensome at times, she secretly loved every second of it. Having been a girl that no one cared about for so long, the notion that she was part of a family again brought newfound meaning to her life, and she would  savor every annoying moment.

"This is important girl," Jada scolded, her face contorting to its trademark frown. "We just want you to be safe. Prove you're ready and then you can go."

Valeria studied the woman across from her with a cautious smile. She wore one of her trademark flower print dresses, with sleek hair pulled back into a bun. She pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose, her dark eyes focused on Valeria with both intensity and concern. While most people would look at Jada Pipino – also known as Janelle Malone – as a polite, prim and proper eighth grade teacher, Valeria knew there was more to her than what met the eye.

Jada was the Sovereign ruler of a worldwide criminal network that conducted illegal activity and balanced the scales of financial opportunity. Valeria felt a mixture of emotions every time the two of them locked eyes. Jada had manipulated her since their first meeting, and the wound from that betrayal was still fresh, dehisced, and raw. But wounds were nothing new for Valeria; she knew how to mask the scars. "Alright," Valeria said, her lips pursing into a fake smile. "I go in the car with Viktor every morning from now on. He'll drop me off in front of the school, and I'm not allowed to leave school grounds without him. He'll take me home after school, and I do whatever he says, no matter what."

Frank patted her shoulder gently. "This is for your own safety, kiddo. Jada and I have enough on our plate, so we can't carpool anymore. But don't worry, Viktor is one of the few Assassins I have any respect for, and he will make sure to keep you safe. Even still, I hope you remember what I taught you about getting into cars?"

Valeria looked over at her new father figure with a smile. Despite only knowing him a few months, their relationship didn't feel new, forced, or untenable. Of course, it helped that he was kind, easy to handle, and fun to be around. But most importantly, Frank didn't want to manipulate her like a pawn on a chessboard. He saw her as a human being; a second chance at fatherhood. She had learned that Frank and Jada lost their teenage daughter to leukemia, and while Frank told Valeria she would never replace Bianca, here he was, acting like an overprotective father. "Always sit up front," she said with a smile, "Where I can see the driver's hands."

"That's right, kiddo," Frank replied, his lips pulling back into a smug grin.

With her hand extended, Valeria added, "I also remember you saying I should be armed before getting into a stranger's car."

"You're still not ready for a weapon yet," Frank said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Besides, I'm pretty sure if they found a knife or firearm on you in the school – you'd get expelled."

"So what?" Valeria protested, hands defiantly on her hips, "I'd rather be expelled – that's better than being murdered by a Shadow Knight."

Valeria shuddered upon remembering the shadowy figure she and Jada encountered within the Midas Vault – a secret cavern within the Rogue Faction – a few months ago. After surviving that encounter, Jada had explained that a Shadow Knight was essentially a lone wolf; an evil figure who corralled the powers of shadow and darkness to pursue their own malicious agenda. While all three of them still had no idea who the Shadow Knight was, or what their main objective was, Valeria learned that Shadow Knights traditionally fed of chaos, death, and destruction. Hence the need for extra security, she thought to herself.