Lussaria; Her Final Blade

chapter six

Rosa hung from the iron fence, her body perfectly still, blending into the darkness of the late-night streets. She wore a tight, black jumpsuit, sleek and designed to keep her movements silent as she studied the room across from her. The building loomed above her, its windows dark, save for one on the second floor where dim light spilled out into the night. That was her target.

Her breath steady, Rosa moved carefully, slipping her legs over the fence and landing softly on the grass below. The mansion was large, opulent, and heavily guarded. She had already spent the better part of an hour observing the patrols, timing their movements until she could finally make her approach. The guards were predictable, and their brief gaps in attention gave her just enough time to sneak toward the house.

Creeping along the side of the building, she found the drainpipe she had scouted earlier. She gripped it tightly and began to climb, her muscles tense but controlled, her eyes focused on the target window. The adrenaline pumped through her veins, but she kept her breathing slow and steady.

Halfway up, her mind flickered back to the conversation with her uncle.

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“It’s time, Rosa,” her uncle had said that night, his voice colder than usual as they sat in the car, parked in the shadows just outside her apartment. He looked at her, his eyes betraying none of the emotion she had hoped to find.

“You can’t run from this anymore,” he said. “You know the cost if you do. It’s time to act. You’ve been preparing for this your whole life, even when you didn’t realize it.”

Rosa had stared at him, the weight of the decision heavy on her chest. She didn’t want this. She had spent years building a life free from the violence that had shaped her childhood, but now it was dragging her back, no matter how hard she fought it.

She had nodded, the words burning into her mind as she accepted the mission she never wanted.

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Now, as she reached the window, Rosa felt the cold breeze against her face, snapping her back to the present. She peeked inside, spotting her target—a man, lying in bed, his chest rising and falling in the slow rhythm of sleep. The dim light made his features difficult to see clearly, but she didn’t need to see his face to do what needed to be done.

Her breath hitched as she slid the window open with practiced ease, slipping into the room without a sound. The man lay motionless beneath the covers, unaware of the danger looming over him. Rosa moved closer, her hand wrapping around the handle of the knife strapped to her leg.

Her uncle’s voice echoed in her head once more. "You're ready"

She raised the blade, her pulse quickening as the man continued to sleep, completely oblivious to the threat she posed.

But just as she was about to strike, his eyes snapped open.

Dark emerald eyes.

Rosa froze, her breath catching in her throat as their gazes locked. Something about those eyes made her hesitate, a flicker of recognition stirring deep within her. But before she could process it, the man moved.

In a flash, he grabbed her wrist, twisting it with a strength and speed that took her off guard. The knife clattered to the floor as he leaped out of bed, his movements precise, calculated.

He was faster than she anticipated, stronger too. Rosa barely had time to react as he countered her every move. She threw a punch, but he dodged it easily, grabbing her arm and using her own momentum to send her crashing into the wall. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs, but she recovered quickly, ducking as he aimed a strike at her ribs. She swung her leg in an arc, aiming for his torso, but he blocked it effortlessly.