Red Shadows

A thief, a flame and a ghost.

Alice

As Alice ran through the courtyard, the wind stung her half-exposed face, the chill a stark contrast to the heat of adrenaline pumping through her veins. She needed to leave, but the entire compound was now aware of her presence and was actively hunting her down.

She couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Her life had become a perpetual cat-and-mouse chase, where with every breath she took, a new predator emerged. But what the cats didn't realize was that she was a poison—lethal to any that dared to try and devour her.

At the end of the courtyard, she rounded a corner and was met by a wall of guards—five of them, guns drawn and pointed directly at her. Alice came to a halt, her mind quickly assessing the situation. These guards weren't amateurs. Their stances were steady, their grips firm on the triggers, and their eyes filled with determination. They didn't know who or what they were dealing with, but they were ready to kill.

'Three males, two females,' she analyzed swiftly. 'Males range from 165 to 170 centimeters, approximately 90 kilograms each. Females around 160 and 157 centimeters, 55 and 58 kilograms. All have muscular builds, good grip on their pistols, legs steady on the ground. They're ready to fire.'

The moment Alice's hand moved towards her pistol, the first female guard fired, the bullet whizzing past Alice's head, missing her eye by mere centimeters. In a blink, Alice drew her own weapon and fired, disarming the shooter with a precise shot that sent her gun flying from her hand.

The remaining guards opened fire as Alice sprinted to her left, weaving into the maze-like hedges of the garden. Bullets tore through the air around her, one grazing her arm and leaving a stinging cut. But Alice didn't slow down. The pain was a distant sensation, muted by the adrenaline and the relentless training that had conditioned her to ignore such injuries.

Two of the guards were downed before they could react, their guns clattering to the ground as Alice's shots disarmed them with deadly accuracy. The last guard stood in her path, his gun aimed directly at her, but Alice was already moving, her instincts taking over. She fired, her bullet striking true as she continued her sprint.

More guards were pouring into the scene, and Alice quickly weighed her options. She could try to kill everyone on sight, but that would waste precious time. Her mission was clear—she needed to escape, and she had to do it now.

She darted towards the first layer of the compound when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end—a sixth sense honed from years of dangerous encounters. Without hesitating, Alice ducked just as a large arm swung through the air where her head had been.

A tall, imposing figure stepped out of the shadows, looming over her in the moonlight. His dark eyes locked onto hers, and he wasted no time, charging at her with the ferocity of a trained combatant. His fist flew towards her with alarming speed, but Alice was faster. She sidestepped the blow, grabbing his arm and twisting it to the side, exposing his midsection.

The man twisted with her, attempting to counter her move, but Alice anticipated his reaction. As he reached for her leg, she leapt into the air, twisting her body in a midair kick that targeted his temple. He blocked the kick with his arm, but the force made him release his grip on her leg.

Alice landed gracefully, just in time to avoid a follow-up punch. She moved with the fluidity of water, her body reacting on instinct, every muscle trained for this exact scenario. She was a blur of motion, dodging and countering, her strikes precise and relentless.

But she couldn't afford to be delayed. This fight was a distraction, and more guards were surely closing in. She needed to end this quickly.

With a sudden burst of speed, Alice feigned left, drawing her opponent's guard down. Then, in a swift, lethal motion, she drove her knife into his side, the blade slicing through muscle and sinew. The man grunted in pain, his eyes widening in shock as he staggered back.