Ethereal

Chapter 6: A Friend

She spun the knife between her fingers, humming along with the soft, low music playing from the living room. She worked under the flickering light, her dark golden eyes shining through the darkness.

She tilts her head, studying her artwork.

On the table was a new set of blades, much sharper from her old ones and longer. She ran a finger against the blade, biting her lip in pleasure, her cheeks slightly red as she admired her new weapons. Ones that will make killing more brutal and faster, ones that can save her more time to kill more people.

She touched the tip with her finger, sighing in contentment once she bled. The blade successfully pierced through her skin just like how she wanted it.

Her eyes darted to the picture frame on the kitchen counter, she put the blade away, carefully taking the framed drawing from the surface. She touched the glass and couldn't help but wonder...

What would her life be if she chose another path?

At a young age, she was forced to open her eyes, to see the real world. She was forced to do things she didn't want. She was taken from her home, no, she was given away by her own parents.

She was abandoned.

A man took her in and brought her to her new home but all she could see was a cage for monsters. She was raised inside that cage, she was taught how to fight, how to kill, how to use weapons, and how to turn off her emotions

Her teacher once said they'll only get in the way when doing missions. Her teacher taught her not to have long conversations with her targets to avoid developing sympathy for them because sympathy will only bring her failure.

She was fourteen when she performed her first mission, so young and fragile. She was the girl who stood outside a burning manor, holding a gun with a wide, satisfied smile on her lips.

When Dreykov saw her potential, he gave her special treatment. He placed her in a laboratory where special girls stay. They injected serums into her body, they tortured her, they made her drink deadly liquids, they took advantage of her. Until this day, she could still hear how her screams echoed through the metal room. She could still feel the pain in her body, the tight grips, the sharp needles, the disgusting desires those men had for her.

After years of spending almost all of her life in that laboratory, she was set free. She was given a mirror to look at her new self. Her hair color was changed, from having gray hair strands, she now had long light ash blonde hair. Instead of brown eyes, she had dark golden ones. She was tall, the thin, short child was gone and most of all, she could feel the overwhelming strength they gave her.

Every time she looks in the mirror, all she could see was a monster.

After being set free from the laboratory, Dreykov started giving her tasks. She executed every single one perfectly. He used to praise her every time she came back, he used to say she was the best assassin he had and the most beautiful one.

She felt disgusting.

But she didn't let her real feelings show. She made him proud. She climbed her way to the top of the other assassins, she stepped on each one, not caring whether they die or not. If they die, it will make her dream more easier to reach.

She dreamed of being the world's best assassin.

The one who will annihilate every disgusting man who should be locked behind bars walking freely out there.

But those dreams were shattered when a new girl came back. The one with blue hair. The favorite.

She despised her in every single way possible.