This story follows Karina Yu, a Korean intelligence investigator missioned to capture a psychopathic assassin notably known as Winter.
Wyatt "Winter" Kim works for a large criminal organization known as Black Mamba. Assassins are called Naevis, who...
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The steady beeping sound roused Karina from her unconscious state.
As she opened her eyes, the unflattering sight of a plain, tile ceiling greeted her. It didn't take long for her to realize she was in a hospital, surrounded by the sterile environment and the unmistakable aroma of antiseptic. Despite the heaviness in her eyelids, she fought against drowsiness to assess her surroundings. Clad in a less-than-fashionable peach-colored pajama, she couldn't ignore the throbbing pain coursing through her body, particularly in her lower right rib as she strained her neck to look around.
A nagging thought crossed her mind—where was Irene?
Beside her, an EKG machine beeped rhythmically, while an IV drip snaked its way into her arm. The bed rails provided a warped reflection of her face, adorned with small bandages on her chin, nose bridge, and just above her eyebrow.
Annoyance and relief flooded her thoughts. Annoyance at suffering her first defeat at the hands of some elusive ninja named Winter. Relief that, despite everything, she was still alive. Her last memory was the chilling sensation of his blade pressed against her neck, but clearly, she had managed to escape his deadly grasp. She wasn't certain if it was a man but that was her initial guess.
As the memory of that icy touch flooded her mind, a gasp escaped her lips. Slowly, she raised her arm to touch her neck, finding it bandaged as well.
Why did that naevis spare her life? Not that she's complaining, but this guy has quite the reputation for finishing off everyone in the room.
Suddenly, a whirlwind of activity engulfed the room. Irene finally made her entrance, a doctor attempted to converse with Karina and then discussed her condition with a nurse. However, her eyelids felt like lead, and her mind was lost in a fog.
Everything appeared hazy, and she heard a strange white noise reverberating through her ears, like buzzing bees inside her brain. There was something... something important she had been telling Irene earlier. What was it? It was on the tip of her tongue. Was she apologizing for almost getting herself killed? Or was she imparting crucial information from the stolen Kosmo file, courtesy of Black Mamba? She needed to remember, to piece it all together.
"Karina?" A voice boomed above her, cutting through some of the white noise.
She mustered all her strength, attempting to raise a finger to her lips, but her feeble hand betrayed her. "Ssshhhh," she weakly whispered. "It's too noisy in here..."
"What? The doctor and nurses are gone. Are you alright?" The voice returned, softer and possibly tinged with affection, though it could just be the buzzing bees in her brain playing tricks on her. "Do you want ice chips?"
She finally managed to prop her eyes open, greeted by Ning Ning's presence. She wore the sweetest smile, delicately touching her face. "Oh, my heavens Karina. I'm so relieved you're okay!"
