We know what we are,
but know not what we maybe.

A L I N A

Betrayal. How does it feel to get betrayed by your own family, whom you've known for years, by your lover with whom you wove dreams, by your own sister who can throw you down into a conflagration?

Hell burns and destroys. This world is crooked, always ready to consume you. This world is selfish, and no one truly cares about your tears. This world is nasty. Even humans exhibit characteristics of ghosts, craving an innocent soul like ours. They play with us as if we are their puppets..

A pawn in their game, this world is nothing more than a gamble of life.

My heart is burning in this fire, yet not even a bit of pain can I feel. It's rather peaceful. Is this truly what I have longed for all these years? To die???

✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾

(5 years later)

A T H A L I A

"Alia."

"Athalia," a deep voice snapped me out of my daydreaming. Athalia Rosalien Nova-this is who I am.

I looked down at the building I've been keeping an eye on. Lavishly beautiful, an example of luxury.

"Are you alright, Athalia?" I heard Lewis Hanniel through my earpiece.

"Yes, Sir," I replied.

How far, a scared and stupid Alina turned into an assassin spy. She used to be afraid of blood, and now she kills.

Alina died in conflagration, and Athalia was born from her ashes.

I couldn't have survived the destruction, and neither did I want to. But Lewis Hanniel, God knows what ran through his intellectual mind.

He saved a stranger girl, recreated her, and turned her into something she never thought she could be.

At that moment, I knew I was a loser, but not that I could become what I am now.

"I want my boy alive, Athalia. My fate is with you," said a frustrated father. Cade Hanniel, I can't believe a person like him got stuck with Italian mafias.

Who knows what the world can turn into.

"Can't he save himself? He is your son after all." Lewis let out a deep sigh. "Bad sense of humor you've got. Now focus on what's ahead," he said, and I jumped off the helicopter.

Closed my eyes. Let out a breath. And landed straight on the roof.

"Is it really important to do that superhero pose?" said one of my partners. "It's fun, pal." I loaded bullets in the gun; I knew I would not be in need of this, but still, safety first. I can knock half of the guards without any equipment, and guess what? I'm not even half of their size.

"Jumping from that much height is not fun," he murmured.

"Is she really going to kill him, Lewis?" I couldn't believe this. At midnight, he woke me up and said, "I need your help in some time." Most of the time when I asked why, he shut me up with his deadpan expression.

Turns out Cade's girlfriend is supposed to kill him. Tonight. And the best part is he is not aware of this.

Lewis never talked about his son to me. He blames himself for Cade being away from him. But somewhere he was still angry with his son. I don't even know who Cade actually is. Just a few things our old maid used to talk about him.

He is a genius.
He is a billionaire. Of course, he is.
He loves to play the guitar.
And the whole girls drool over him thing she used to repeat.

"First corridor clear. For the second corridor, I can turn off the lights for 15 seconds. There are 6 guards you have to cross without any disturbance," Vivene informed from the control room.

"All this cliché for just a boy," the pal in front of me said. "Not just a boy, he's our prince charming after all," Vivene started the countdown.

15 seconds. Knock down 6 guards. Get inside the building. Find prince charming. Leave without any disturbance.

"Now."

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇ ❇ ❇ ❇ ❇

Few seconds, and they all were lying on the floor, asleep. No, I didn't kill them, just a little electric shock wave. Being short can't stop me from being strong.

I'm at the West wing of the building while the guy with me is at the East. I hear the click of someone's heels growing louder. Better to hide.

A young lady with blonde hair and green eyes, in a nightgown, was talking with someone on the phone.

"Hey Vivenne, there's a blond chick in front of me." I recall her; she is his girlfriend. "She seems nice and beautiful. I don't think she can plan something like killing."

"Sometimes the most beautiful things are the most monstrous," said Lewis from the other line. "Great words." I roll back my eyes.

I follow her, and whoosh magic! She disappeared. "Dammit!! She disappeared," I informed. "No worries. I shut down the CCTV cameras. Found Cade, not that chick," said Vivene. But the thing that amuses me is where are the guards.

"Hey, Vivene, tell me where our prince charming is so we can leave early. I have other works to do."

I reached the kitchen, rooms, bathrooms, and garage. No one, not even a fly.

"I think they are killing your son somewhere else. I'm leaving. I have my K-drama episodes pending to watch," I said, confirming, and Vivene snaps.

"Oh, fuck," she said. "They are in the bedroom." "What, making love?" Sometimes I doubt my jokes; they always come out at serious times.

"They don't have cameras in the bedroom, that's why I can't figure it out." I felt someone pulling my arm. Liliath and the dude beside him, whose name I still don't know.

I signaled them to walk upstairs. The mission "prince charming" can't get more cringe, right? And for Jesus's sake.

We were late.