Hint of Darkness and Light

Verena's POV

"You can bring out your trash Venie. You know you can trust me." My eyes narrowed at Linda. She doesn't prefer to indulge herself in my work especially now that it's kinda sloppy.

"What do you want?" I focused on my victim's background profile. After my 15th birthday I escaped from the orphanage not knowing what would happen with my life.

Familiar emotions came running back that made a void in my throat. I shake my head to get back to work and avoid the miserable moments of my life.

"You know that all your life I've been caring for you right Venie." She forced a smile.

"Even though I didn't make it right." Linda is my guardian for 6 years after the nuns in the orphanage, she's the reason why I work in a big organization that penetrates the government.

Is it legal? No.

Does it pay big time? Yes.

Linda and I kill to survive, we don't have a choice, I didn't have a choice back then at a young age.

And that made out a habit of mine.

If my parents didn't just dump me out of an abandoned building. I may be a different person in this world. A girl managing a big company with a politician boyfriend who arranged marriage with me, a girl who had her education at Harvard and had a Porsche at the age of 17, if I'm wealthy in that life daydream though.

"I'm thankful for you Linda, you fed me well enough back then, you helped me to escape my hell hole-you know that." I argued. Her eyes glistened with tears. It might be cringey but I have never experienced this kind of situation with her. Spitting out those words perhaps.

"You don't have to do this though, I'm a hypocrite. I shouldn't sacrifice your life for my gain." I can sense the depths of her frustration and sadness. Funny, how her duality can make the insides of me laugh. She's not like this. Not this emotional, maybe she's pregnant huh?

"Just think that this is for us, I'm strong, I'm one of the top performing spies from the organization, I can handle this Lin." I sighed. But deep inside, my heart swells from the ache and pain from work. I just don't deserve this life. I hated it, it made me vomit, it scarred my whole soul. It created a strong woman who is afraid to lose strength but fragile of burdened emotions.

The victim is the don's wife, some know her for her daring attitude not caring for the people. She's a monster, more monstrous than us. She specialized in human trafficking and drugs and she uses her husband's power to hide her. Fucking rat. I gathered the papers above the center table and faced Lin, with courage to do this alone. Once I'm in the event ripping through security is so darn hard. I shouldn't fail this.

"Just be careful, I love you Venie, be safe." Lin leaned and hugged me tightly. I'll always treasure her for being the kind guardian I ever had. She suffers from breast cancer for a year. She didn't told me at first but I eventually found out when I sneaked up on her. She's in her mid 50's and needed aid. She won't let me sell the bar because of the thought of guilt. This is the only way.

This is Venie. You'll be dead at the end of the day or be promoted as the chief. A billion dollars for my life. The salvation or the downfall.

I gathered my stuff before standing up. I scan the bar, everyone is busy with their own world. Some are dipping and sucking but I don't care most of the time. This is my haven, the safe place I've created. From the money I accumulated from my work I let Lin to manage and look out for the club. Above the bar is a normal stereotype of a bar. But downstairs in the basement is my self training ground.

I walked past the crowd. I can smell cigarettes, alcohol and body odors...it made me nauseous. Can they even shower before going out and having fun, seriously people.

When I got out from the bar I ran fast to the parking lot and prepared myself for my "mission".

Sounds cliche but my life is a total mess, just think about it. I'm an orphan who found a kind co-existent and later on worked for an organization in the hopes of finding my ancestors then failed.

I made sure to strap two knives in my thighs incase of hand-to-hand combat.

I drove two hours maximum from the bar to the Maximos event. It's a fashion showcase led by Donna the Don's wife. Funny how they assembled this and made it look like an ordinary fashion show but the truth is that this is an actual girl bidding event. Innocent way to sell girls.

I wear my earphone to communicate with Luca, my underwing, this evening he will guide me throughout the night.

When I arrived at what was supposed to be my ground the cold wind brushed my skin making me shudder.

My heart pounded so bad, I can feel whispers that something bad will happen besides the fact that we'll be killing someone.

I'll be using my sniper rifle but first I measured the location from the roof deck to the stage in the event where Donna will be sitting. It is an enclosed building but at one point from the upper right it is open for delimination.

I stopped chewing my gum and looked at my scope. The party is getting started. I turn my earphones on to connect with Luca.

"Hey, any updates?" I asked while looking at my scope. The runway just started a while ago. The space is compact and guards are gawking seemingly. The security is tight so on point shooting is not a must.

"The order is when a girl in a blue dress comes out you shoot then voila mission complete." He said, hitting this man would be a pleasure. Anyone might wear a blue dress, maybe two or more.

He must be clear when giving directions, what an idiot.

I guess when anyone comes out wearing blue I should shoot right?

I fell silent as I scoped the field of view again.

The Donna is clapping her hands while the bidding starts for the girl in red.

But the thing is that I can see a familiar face just beneath the stage.

"What the hell is Jack doing in there Luca!?" My chest tightened. No one can see him get his gun out from his vest. This is bad. I need to get there.

"What? Your signal seems to be interrupted, the voice is unclear Venie, can you repeat?"

I hissed when Jack fired openly at the Donna.

I quickly got up and ran down the exit of the abandoned building. The rising pressure got me. I can hear loud bangs and open gun firing.

When I arrived at the hall my mind haywired. Everyone is still at the event. From my perspective ten people are dead. Blood splashed all over the floor. Models are frightened, I can see the single soul shaking rapidly from the incident.

Guards are down.

Jack must have been with his dumb people.

Someone tugged me at the waist. A hard thing pressed in my small back. A gun.

My heartbeat paced.

"What's your organization?"

I forcefully kicked him at his foot that led me to lose my balance.

"Uh oh, stop fighting girl. We'll get your plan trashing okay?" He laughed that out.

"Go to hell!" I muttered before kicking him at the crotch, my back facing him. After getting out of his grasp I shoot him in his knees making sure he won't ever fight back again.

I came back to the hall meticulously avoiding guards to see if the donna was still alive. And look at this bitch, she is.

I applied my red lipstick that was initially hidden in my brassiere, then I went at the backstage. I gritted my teeth when the situation slapped me in the face.

Some of the women are drugged and others are being injected.

They must be the one who doesn't like this crap and kept their heads up and tried resisting.

"Sorry I'm late, I met with the clients earlier." I announced. I bit my lower lip hoping this tactic would work.

"Girl you're just on time, after Sara you would go first." The bulk guys said, but I know he's not a manly man but a girly pop instead.

He handed me a short unholy gown that would reveal my entire boobs.

I consoled myself thinking that this might be my way to complete the task after nearly parading my nakedness in the vast of the crowd.

He then gave me a masquerade mask to hide my upper face.

The joy I'm feeling is backing up my embarrassment. This would literally be my only hope.

I went to the changing area and started to change. The slit would be an easy key for me to pull my gun from my thigh.

After changing I got out of the stinky area then a man pushed me out of the backstage to the front stage facing numerous hungry eyes to feed.

I fixed my posture and directly looked at Donna she's all smiles and she had this aura that she might be sweet and lovely.

I walked slowly and everyone clapped their hands.

"She is a newly virgin model from the east. You can start bidding now." The announcer said, laughing a bit with curtness.

I stood there for a few minutes before a man in a suit stood up.

I inhaled my heart wrenching for the situations of the girls who happen to be sold first.

I open the slit of the gown. The crowd wooed and before anyone could know my next move I pulled my gun out and shot Donna, making sure to kill her in a minute.

I ran faster than expected, but mischief happened. I was shot in my lower back and the pang of pain excruciate.

I continued running as if Satan was chasing me. I stumbled on a calloused table in the hallway. Because of the impact I suddenly dropped the gun. I gritted my teeth when I realized that they are getting closer and closer so that doesn't give me time to get the gun.

Karma says it all.

When I reach the back exit I can hear voices trying to find me in the darkness in the back of the building. I gulped my saliva. My throat seems to dry all of a sudden.

I tried to manage my blood loss to make sure I'll come out of here before I lose my consciousness. My legs are shaking from the pain and numbness of my whole body.

I saw the exit sign but before finally getting out a swish of a sharp object penetrated my body.

My blood burned.

"You think you can get away from death?" Someone muttered, jerking his knife again in my belly.

I forced myself to reach for my knife. I know he is clueless because he is unable to see in the dark.

I managed to reach my gun instead of my knife. I shoot his head.

"Neither do you."

They must know where I am now that they've heard the gun fire.

Before the others can find me. I escaped the lucid place.

I kept running and running even the tree branches cut my skin. My sandals are getting heavier and heavier as more mud sticks to them.

My earpiece is missing, no one can help, minutes from dying.

I finally stopped when I reached a large field away from the forest. If centaurs are real they would find my body and feed me to the wolves.

So stupid Verena.

I am losing air from the running plus the wounds, maybe luck is on my side that it kept me from dying.

I lay down on the ground to rest momentarily. It'll take moments before I die.

Verena's POV

The moonlight greeted my hazelnut eyes. Both gleaming from the ecstasy of pure joy. I managed to pull off my dumbest move but at least I survived.

Am I surviving? Or am I dying? I can't feel the pain from the numbness of my whole body but I'm holding the only evidence of my body feeling erratic from my left belly being jotted by a knife multiple times and getting shot God knows how many times. My eyes stung, barely holding the tears to run down.

If I die now I would console my dead heart that I got a billion dollars transferred to my account.

I'm in a field lying against the wet grass from the dew of the rain. Is it really the dew or I'm just lying in my own blood helplessly.

I can't mutter words that I need to shout for help. All I can hear is the silence of the world and the party of crickets.

My toes scrunched when I heard multiple footsteps of an unknown creature. I guess they found me looking so powerless as ever. I fought myself from closing my eyes.

They are getting closer and closer. I accepted my fate long ago before starting the job so dying would be an easy task now.

I jerked when a massive brown dog sniffed my head then came a howling sound. I can imagine it is a wolf or fox, I don't know. I'm legally dumb in terms of these.

"I can hear her heartbeat, she's dying, Rox." Someone muttered in a low but husky voice that seemed tired.

I opened my mouth only to mutter, "Who the hell are you?" Someone huffed at my remark that sounded like a whisper of a tree from a windy season.

"Are we going to save her?" A girly voice replied.

What's with them? Walking their dogs in the middle of the night in an unknown place.

"She seems like a bad person."

"Leave me alone, dogs." I tried to sound so egotistical maniac but only to voice out groggy relentless sounds. I wanna stand up and show the world I'm no longer a weakling. And I'll never be a weakling. But it won't hurt if some people will see me like this right. I'm just a girl-like everyone would see, powerless.

"Ungrateful rat." Another man voiced out.

He slapped me across the face that left me shocked. My system enraged, I managed to put myself on one knee but before I could push myself to stand up and fight back.

"Por'tum ilocost". Someone whispered behind my ear. The shiver run throughout my whole body then my vision became blurry until the darkness consumed me.

I had this feeling that I'm halfway dead. I can't open my eyes but my senses are on point. I can hear multiple bickering. Huffing sounds and someone shouting.

I opened my eyes to only see ray of light and multiple silhouettes but my stupid eyes closed again. I want to pinch my eyes open to have the evidence that I'm not yet dead.

Luckily I can hear what mock up words they've been spitting out. I know that this isn't a hospital or else I'm tied out in the bed's railing for the reason I'm an actual criminal or some sort.

Because if I'm dead I'll never see rays of light again, I can foresee oceans of fire and darkness. I would go to hell, literally.

"She had a gun Tess, what would you expect us to believe? That she's a ballet dancer who happens to have a real gun and was shot because of a play?" My inner self wanted to punch whoever said that, but yeah he got a point, saving a stranger that was shot was a bad idea, definitely that she possesses a gun and a knife buckled in her thigh.

My breathing patterns shake, I want to swallow the lump on my throat that has been growing. I'll never understand how bad I was in my past life to deserve this kind of treatment from people. Oh right, I deserved it.

I was thrown by my own parents and had to live with just me by my side.

I've lived in an orphanage with a lot of different kids. A lot of girls who, at the time, were older and bigger than me. For as long as I can remember, I tried to avoid being around other kids, adults-anyone really-because they enjoyed taking out their frustrations on the scrawny kid that I was. Inevitably, those situations didn't end well for the other party. They hurt me. And I would hurt them back. Tenfold. I might have been smaller and younger, but I had a lot of prior experience in defending myself.

That's how I see the world. Justice and fairness nothing less nothing more.

"We should consult this to him."

"Are you nuts!?" A strong girly voice contradicted.

Hmmm, this is more fun than true crime podcasts.

"He would kill us Damien! If he finds out we brought this girl that might bring harm to the pack, he will twist our limbs and feel regret for our whole lifetime."

"Can you stop bickering Rox? You literally pushed us to bring her." I can feel him rolling his eyes.

"She's pitiful."

Now I have beef with this girl.

"I summoned him before this got out of hand." The voice is new and I think he's one of the smartest among them. Almost.

"If we were killed later I hope your guilt will hunt you Lucas." The girl replied. I think she is Rox, and I think they're a gang or whatsoever dumb fraternity.

"He will literally ban us in the pack."

"Shut up Mr. Overdramatic."

I felt the swish of unknown chill in the air. I can hear my heart booming all over the place. My blood is boiling from unknown spasms coming from my veins.

Sandalwood and earthy smell filled my nose.

My subconscious keeps me awake and pushes me to open my eyes.

"The hell is going on here?" The voice boomed all over the place. I want to smirk yet my face can't perform it.

That was a very husky and sexy voice.

Celibacy is a crime this age, Venie.

Verena's POV

"The hell is going on here." The voice despite being icy cold I can somehow remember that I've heard it before but I can't pinpoint where I've heard it. Well that was odd.

"Oh, we're just having a meeting Damon." The restraint in his voice only proves that he is afraid. Interesting.

I think this is the frat leader or some sort. But what would I do if he ordered them to kill me? What if he is a big-time? Oh dear Heavens please help me. I promised that I will never kill again.

"Does not look like a meeting to me Luke. What's the matter?" He demanded.

Once they found out I'm a spy they would literally kill me in seconds or even just hours later after I open my eyes. And if they will know that I work for a big organization they would blackmail and use me for their gain

I can't feel any pain and bruises that I have acquired. They must have injected me with something to numb my body. That's sweet. I appreciated the effort.

A body came closer to me.

"Wake up bitch and explain yourself or you'll lead us to our grave." She whispered. Okay, na uh Roxy girl, I shouldn't be in this place if you only left me behind.

"Call the doctor immediately." He said the coldness in his aura chickens me out. Even his presence can regulate the uncertainty of unauthorized movements from my body as if I'm not in my vegetative state.

They're going to check me just so they can stop fighting around and being annoying until the end of the day.

Even though I'm not capable of telling them I'm very thankful for saving me so I could live another day I wish I could return the favor perhaps in a not usual way though. I'm really embarrassed to show my sweet side or should I call it the cringey side.

Maybe I can do one job for them before leaving.

A new presence greeted me. I can't open my eyes but I can sense that the presence is coming to me.

"That was so reckless of you kids, I'm very disappointed in you." A new voice said firmly with accusation.

"Sorry dad, we just thought that we're doing something good. " Rox snickered.

"Something good my ass." From the distinction of the voice I think this man is Damien, and according to my judgment he and Rox are not friends, more like rivals and quite not enemies.

I want to rip my ears just not to hear their bitter quarrel. Someone separate them in this instance.

"Stop fighting around or I'll behead you two." The authority from the fraternity leader wants me to bow down to him.

I went still when a hand touched my hand and reached for my upper clothing. The doctor checked my belly wound and even turned me to my side to check the gun wound in my back.

I can't feel the pain anymore, that's actually impressive. I guess I've been here for a week or they use some sort of questionable medicine dosage.

"She's okay, the only thing to do is to wait for her to finally wake up from the coma." The doctor announced.

My soul is definitely awake. I don't know if this is just normal for a person who is in a comatose state.

"When will that be?" The frat leader asked.

I see, he's so excited to kill me fully conscious.

"Maybe tomorrow Damon." What? I won't be able to open my eyes right this day or it's just an intellectual guess coming from an actual doctor.

But I just can't open my eyes or even move my lips neither my whole body but I'm fully all on ears. This is exhausting.

"I want a definite answer Drake." Oh the nerve of this frat leader really. Rox referred to the doctor as a dad so this man is literally ages than him because I'm assuming that Rox or Luke are the same age as the frat leader.

How rude of him seriously who raised this man.

"Tomorrow for sure." The doctor replied while injecting me something.

My heart drummed from my chest when the disturbing presence was coming to me. I wanted to run but suddenly it stopped from its track then made its distance again.

"I want to talk to her right now."

I would also love to wake myself to surely explain some lies to them.

"Her body can't handle the exhaustion Damon, we need to wait." The finality in the doctor's voice made the devil growl.

"The hell I care, we need to make sure she won't make any idle choices when she's here. Maybe she's staging her coma state?" The demon has a name and it's Damon.

"If anything will go west this is on you Damon or I'll face your father's wrath."

Drake the doctor injected me two times as per Damon's request.

The drug circulated throughout my blood so that I could feel the burning sensations in my veins.

I opened my eyes as rays of sunshine greeted me from the open window above my head. The room feels old. The vintage furniture and the brown theme of the room reminds me of my room in the orphanage.

I thought I'm in a dungeon a while ago.

An aged man is beside my bed. He has pretty green eyes and long pristine hair.

While two identical human beings are behind him except that the girl has long blonde hair which from my presumptions must be Rox while her brother has jet black hair, this is Luke I guess.

Another man sits across from me he has piercing eyes that somehow define his manly facial features.

One caught my attention.

My gaze lifts to his face, and I'm struck by his features. They're dark, sharp, and, most importantly, blank. It's like I'm staring into a nonexistent entity that's only projecting itself onto the physical world.

At first glance, he looked like a gentleman, like he belonged in a CEO's boardroom, looking down at the world through floor-to-ceiling glass. Though, if one stared longer than they should, everything about him-the way he leaned against the door, arms crossed; the way shadows fought in his eyes; how black ink decorated his fingers-opposed

He leaned back on the door waiting for me to speak with his blank expression.

The doctor tilted his head, "How are you feeling?"

I only blink not knowing what to answer, the pain was rushing back that it made me nauseous.

The frat leader caught my gaze, his brows creased.

The urge to look away was so strong it ached my whole body.

I gulped my saliva, "G-good, I'm good." While still holding my gaze to the man against the door.

A single wrong answer could lead me to my deathbed.

"Tell us what happened to you, if your answer is enough to be believable you can stay here if otherwise you'll be with the rogues in the dungeons." The thickness and danger coating his words is enough to send me to his dungeons let alone what the heck is a rogue.