In your shadows || Sierra six

CHAPTER 13

We've been in Mexico for a week now. It hasn't been terrible, but it has been challenging to adapt to a new environment. Claire and I have spent our time baking and shopping, with Court trailing behind us. Our relationship has definitely improved over time. He's speaking more, and the tension that once seemed to cling to him has begun to fade.

My attraction to Court has only grown stronger with the lingering touches we share. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but I really hope he feels the same. As I prepare for my run, I catch a glimpse of him slipping on his shirt, revealing the intricate tattoos on his back. The designs are mesmerizing, drawing my gaze until I force myself to look away before he notices. I mumble a quick goodbye as I walk out the door.

As I run, I pass by a group of kids playing soccer on a nearby field. The sky is a clear, vivid blue, and the sun filters warmly through the trees. But just as I'm lost in the beauty of the day, a chill runs down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me. I scan my surroundings, trying to make eye contact with whoever might be there, but there's no one-at least, no one I can see. I shake off the unease and continue running, determined not to let my mind play tricks on me.

I find myself in an alley lined with murals, the walls alive with vibrant colors and bold Spanish phrases. The artwork is stunning, almost enough to distract me from the growing sense of unease. But just as I'm about to turn back home, a sharp pain stabs at my neck, making me wince. I spin around, and that's when I see her. Before I can even react, the pain in my neck intensifies, spreading like fire through my veins. My vision blurs, and the world around me tilts dangerously.

Panic surges through me, but it's quickly drowned out by a wave of darkness. My legs give out beneath me, and I collapse to the ground, the murals spinning out of focus as the alley fades into shadow. The last thing I see is her face, hovering above me, a mixture of concern and something else-something I can't quite place-before everything goes black.

I woke up on a chair, my body heavy and my mind foggy. As I blinked slowly, trying to grasp where I was, my surroundings began to come into focus. The room was dimly lit, the walls bare and cold, but it was the figure in front of me that captured my attention, sending a jolt of recognition through me.

Sonia.

The familiar face was one I could never forget, no matter how much I tried to bury the memories. The woman whose family I had taken away in cold blood now stood before me, her presence dredging up the darkest parts of my past. The memories hit me like a tidal wave, each one more painful than the last. I could see it all-the terror in her children's eyes, the desperation in her husband's voice as I carried out my orders without hesitation, without mercy. The pain of those memories was unbearable, clawing at my insides, threatening to tear me apart.

As I looked at Sonia, I noticed how different she seemed. The years had not been kind to her. She was older, more worn down by life, her once vibrant eyes now shadowed by dark circles. Strands of gray threaded through her hair, which was tied back in a loose, unkempt bun. She was dressed in a suit, the same one she had been wearing when she escaped the Black Widow program, a suit that now hung a little looser on her frame, a symbol of the time that had passed and the battles she had fought since.

But even with the changes, there was something unbroken in her, a fire that still burned behind her eyes. The rage, the grief-it was all there, simmering just beneath the surface. And as she stared at me, I could feel the weight of her pain, her loss, her hatred, all of it directed at me.

Before I could say anything, she took a step closer, the dim light bulb above me casting harsh shadows across her face. Her features were etched with lines of sorrow and anger, but as she moved closer, the intensity of her gaze forced me to look away, ashamed. She was like this because of me. Because of what I did to her.