Char is a spy and assassin, trying to keep his corrupt life from seeping into Ophelia. Complications arise many times, such as kidnapping, murders, and unexpected plot twists. Char has to make the choice of turning Ophelia into a spy, or letting her go for good.
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Excerpt:
"My parents are dead."
Her head jerks back slightly, then she starts to play with the hem of her dress. The mental debate going on in her head is almost visible, as it would be with most people. Ask about it, even though it's personal? What should I say? What Ophelia says and does will be a determining factor in how I see her. How she handles things like this.
"How did they die?"
So her curiosity outweighed her empathy. I'd say the same about myself. "I'm not supposed to tell." But I wouldn't mind anymore, it doesn't matter. Most topics have become desensitized to me, nothing is off limits now. Once pain becomes your constant, it doesn't hurt anymore.
"You can tell me, don't build barriers. You can tell me anything, if you want to."
Her eyes are so focused and intense that my flesh crawls. If you knew, you'd never talk to me ever again, because all this spy secrecy would unravel. I'm sure it sucks to have your parents gone all the time, but at least they aren't gone forever like mine. You don't know how it feels, they raised me to be a cold heartless person, and they'll never be forgiven for it.
But at the same time, longing pulls at me. To feel my mom's hands massage my scalp, my head in her lap, and know those hands are stained with blood to protect me. To cook dinner with my dad and watch him saw meat with a butcher knife, and know that he cuts flesh with other knives. They were fucked up in the worst ways, but they were never against me. Though they had their flaws, it was always for me.
Dead people are hard to hold grudges against.
How I wish to be an average kid again, not knowing his purpose.
The door opens and closes thirty times in five minutes, the table clutters endlessly.
What's happening? Why am I being held by two officers in the corner of a counseling clinic? Is this an interrogation ground now? Shadows race past me, like mirages in a desert, faces flicker into view only to vanish the next second. The officers speak, but I can't hear them. My senses are failing me. Something inside me is taking control, and I might faint. If I wake up in a hospital, will this still be a nightmare, or something scripted?
The city woke to devastation. The news spread like wildfire-Dr. Nadia, a champion for human rights, had been murdered in this very clinic. Yesterday, she voiced her fear for her life; no one listened. Now, she's gone. The press churned out articles minute by minute, TV channels broadcast live updates, and the internet roared with outrage. Police teams haven't slept. Top agents were deployed. That's how I met Inspectors Carla and Javed-while being held as both the prime suspect and the sole witness to this chaos.
Dr. Nadia wasn't just a leader; she was a symbol of hope. She fought tirelessly for the oppressed, for justice, for rights the government ignored. Yet, she seemed to know her time was near. A week ago, she hinted at it but continued her fight. Yesterday, she paid the price-her life. Now, the city mourns her loss, consumed by guilt for ignoring her cries for help.
The last time I saw Nadia, she was here, in this clinic. She didn't want to live. She seemed tired, desperate for respite. How does someone so adept at convincing others to hold on end up wanting to let go?
Her death feels like a betrayal. She trusted us, and we failed her. I failed her. Now, it's on me to prove this was no accident-a cold-blooded murder. Or was it?