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While the world slept in peaceful silence beneath the silver glow of the full moon, a girl limped down a tree-shrouded road, her breath shallow, her eyes wide with fear.
The night was still, almost too still — as if the darkness itself held its breath.
Barefoot and trembling, she stumbled forward, her long shadow chasing her in the moonlight. Her heart pounded like a drumbeat in her ears, drowning out the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8Kd6DaEtF
She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness behind her — as if something, or someone, was following her.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8l5SHWZ3T
The road was empty, but her terror made it feel crowded — with memories, with danger, with whispers that only she could hear. The echo of police sirens still rang in her ears — distant, yet sharp enough to stab through the silence of the night. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSdZmKwkJW
She kept running, her steps uneven, her breaths short and panicked. She didn’t know where she was… or where she was going. All she knew was that she had to keep moving. Terror had taken full control of her body. Her legs were trembling, her throat was dry, and despite the biting cold of the winter night, sweat trickled down her forehead and spine. Her clothes clung to her skin — damp, heavy, and cold. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EPo1dKDsp
Her mind was a blur, flashing only one desperate thought: “Don’t stop. Don’t let them catch you.” But the darkness stretched endlessly ahead, and every shadow seemed like a threat waiting to pounce.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3EmM1s6dh
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness like knives — a car was approaching.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIW0dCuIg7o
Her breath hitched. Without a second thought, she darted off the road and threw herself behind a cluster of trees, the cold earth biting into her knees as she crouched low. She didn’t dare move. She pressed herself tightly against the bark, clutching her bag to her chest as if it were her only lifeline — because it was.............. Inside that worn, dirt-stained bag was everything.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLljGErlp8h
Everything that could save her.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRyaYk2Njk
Everything that could prove she wasn’t guilty.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpdYkVJnb9
Everything they would kill to hide.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3geoz04PB
Her pulse thudded in her ears louder than the car engine now rolling past. She didn’t blink. She didn’t breathe. The night was still again, but her world was anything but. Clutching the bag tightly in her hands, she shut her eyes — trying to block out the world, but her mind betrayed her. Images from just hours ago came crashing back like a tidal wave. She could still hear it. Her grandfather’s voice — broken, desperate, screaming in her ear:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdjFkRjUg7
“Run! Save yourself! Go, now!”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9YWkRfhTJ
The memory tore through her like a blade. His cries echoed in her head, louder than the wind, sharper than the cold. Her chest rose and fell with shaky breaths, her nails digging into the fabric of the bag like it was the only thing keeping her anchored to this moment. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She couldn’t afford to break now. She was alive. But at what cost? Instead of returning to the road, she rose slowly from behind the trees and turned toward the forest. The shadows between the trees felt safer than the headlights of any car. She knew it was dangerous. The woods were cold, wild, and full of unknowns. But something about the road — exposed, open, vulnerable — felt far more terrifying. At least in the forest, she could disappear. Each step into the underbrush was like stepping deeper into another world — a world of rustling leaves, whispering branches, and hidden things that watched from the dark. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQGIg0VrRl
“Better to face the night than the people hunting me,” 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVX8NZgSsCs
she thought, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She would find a place to hide.... Somewhere no one would look.....28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH2xgnuhad
Somewhere she could breathe… at least for a little while.
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..........................................
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It was a lavish TV lounge — quiet, dimly lit, soaked in the golden glow of the fireplace. Through the tall glass window, one could see a man sitting with his back to the world, facing the flickering flames.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30phgL2ML8
He didn’t turn. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLTjs9dxiK
Not even as the television behind him blared breaking news, filled with urgency and chaos. His posture was calm. Too calm. A half-burnt cigar rested between his fingers, its smoke curling lazily into the air like it had nowhere to be. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrYOFtlp8V
His other hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping slowly — rhythmically, like a man lost in deep calculation.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoHVhyk6ot
His face remained hidden in shadow, but his silence spoke volumes. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnchJzOrs0
Not a flinch. Not a word.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtkMiy2vN9
As if the chaos on screen… had nothing to do with him.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkGdaXncSM
Suddenly, the phone on the sleek glass coffee table beside him began to ring.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRdydp4zbq
He didn’t glance at the screen. With practiced ease, he tapped to answer and switched on the speaker.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYvFTpMQqT
His voice broke the silence — deep, commanding, and laced with restrained fury. "I’ve seen the news. What happened… is deeply unfortunate. Find the girl. Fast. She’s the only one who can tell us how one of our most loyal, long-standing agents ended up dead." He didn’t wait for a reply.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsBuGjdTMr
Before the voice on the other end could respond, he ended the call with a swift tap —then stood up, the dying cigar dropping into the ashtray like a period at the end of a sentence.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd62D5iY7T
He moved toward the window, standing still as the night outside stared back at him. His hands slid into the pockets of his tailored trousers, his broad shoulders rising and falling with a quiet breath.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKHodOW4B2
Then, for the first time — his face came into view. Jet-black hair swept neatly back from his forehead, revealing intense, dark eyes lost in thought. His features were sharp and striking — a perfectly carved jawline, a high-bridged nose, and skin fair and smooth, almost glowing under the soft light.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZtOo24v5w
He was tall — towering at 6’3" — with a naturally powerful build that hinted at both strength and discipline.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDglHehLDY6
A man of beauty… and danger. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeYaIG90a4
But in this moment, he wasn't thinking about power or appearance. He stared through the glass into the dark beyond, his mind caught in a web of questions… and perhaps something deeper.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik2hDjYZ9I
He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with a hint of frustration. Without another thought, he grabbed his phone, scrolling through the contacts. His finger paused at the very first name in the list, and with a steady hand, he tapped it. The phone rang. He sat back, eyes fixed ahead, waiting for the other side to pick up 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbH9Rly0g0S
Suddenly, a groggy, annoyed voice came through the phone, thick with sleep and irritation. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBJFNM4RVK
"Grayson, seriously? It’s not necessary for you to be awake at this hour. Normal people are asleep right now, not running around at 2 AM." 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPngaESl5g
The voice on the other end sounded like someone who had just been pulled from a deep sleep — disoriented, yet unmistakably familiar.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip4zZmOEzA
Grayson knew this tone all too well. Max Bennett, always half-awake but never without a quick comment. Grayson’s lips curled into a smirk. Grayson let out a light chuckle, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzaItmoPdG
"When did you become the ‘good guy’?" “And come on, you're my friend. You know that aside from you, I don’t talk to anyone with this much... carelessness.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIocB56sKqm
The sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable — a mix of teasing and a hint of deeper meaning. It was a strange comfort, this banter with Max, even in the middle of chaos.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVVMc7W0n5
Max let out a dramatic sigh and replied, 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2R0d0j9Md
"This is what I get for being your one and only best friend, huh? First, you wake me up in the middle of the night… and now this. People say a wife makes your life miserable, but here my best friend is trying his best to fill that role himself!"28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab9eLg2YLh
His voice was teasing, full of mock misery — but it was clear he was used to this. Grayson calling at odd hours? Typical. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCK356A1aSA
"Get to the point, buddy," Max mumbled, half-asleep, "I didn’t lose my beauty sleep just to have a midnight romance with you. So if you’re done with the sweet talk, can we please talk business now?"28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7VlZbekui
His tone was dry, playful, and filled with that lazy annoyance only a true friend could get away with. He shifted under his blanket, clearly still clinging to the last bits of sleep.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKL46PUb0Hg
Grayson gave a small shake of his head — the kind that said “There’s no saving this guy” — and replied in a cool, effortless tone,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LXflwr5LS
"Let’s go hunting tomorrow. It’s been a while since the two brothers went on a proper chase together. So… what do you say? 7 a.m.?"28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCEG7MaqCw
As he spoke, he walked back to the single-seater sofa in front of the fireplace — the same place he had been sitting a while ago — and sank into it again, his voice steady, eyes glowing with something deeper. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVaPD2Qir5
Max let out a sleepy grunt in response… and then fell silent.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsuIKMsRhJ
Grayson didn’t wait for more. He ended the call without another word, slid the phone into his pocket, and stood up.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTEPsnZtbF
With calm, measured steps, he walked out of the TV lounge and towards the staircase leading upward. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJ4FojWBHT
The house was warm and peaceful — a stark contrast to the cold night outside — thanks to the soft hum of the central heating. Upstairs, he walked down the hallway and stepped into the room directly across from his own.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLpEUabvEO
It was a space unlike any other in the house — lined with weapons that gleamed under soft ceiling lights. Expensive rifles, handguns, and rare collector pieces hung neatly on the walls, each displayed with care.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoa8Q5rMyC
But it didn’t take a trained eye to know — these weren’t just for show.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJeCQipiJG
There were subtle signs: worn grips, faint scratches, a few cases left slightly ajar. These guns had history. They had been used.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBL0FFqW31
And the man standing in the middle of it all?28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaehGvPcPdr
He knew exactly how to use every single one of them. Grayson’s eyes scanned the array of weapons before him, a brief moment of admiration for the precision and power they represented.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2b5UOjFRD
His gaze landed on a particular rifle — the Sako 90S Adventure. He reached out and carefully lifted it, inspecting the sleek metal and well-crafted design.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVzBn9NEft
This was his weapon of choice for tomorrow's hunt. The perfect balance of power, precision, and reliability.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPV7MoKBiEK
"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, running a finger along the barrel, "it’ll be this one."28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQbcFudt4E
The feeling of the gun in his hands was familiar, like an old friend ready for action. Grayson could already picture Max’s sulky face after losing — and just the thought of it made him smirk.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNYOf7Re8V
There was a special kind of satisfaction in beating Max, especially when it came to hunting. And teasing him afterward? That was the real prize.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGJd4eEC0q
They had been best friends since childhood, and everyone in the agency knew it well. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoPxXvdk3r
Their bond wasn’t just strong — it was legendary.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9tVve1SgQ
No matter how serious things got, there was always room for a little mischief between the two. And tomorrow, Grayson planned to enjoy every second of it. With a soft smile still playing on his lips, Grayson set the rifle back in its place and quietly closed the door to the weapon room.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhkbZbAI4h
He walked into his bedroom — a space that reflected both discipline and comfort.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2KdsXvZxx
On either side of the entrance, shelves lined the walls, filled with books of all kinds. A couch sat nearby, perfect for late-night reading or quiet thinking.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfAuCUD2P3
He stepped in, shut the door behind him, and made his way to the bookshelf. Picking up a book that had been left on the table, he carefully slid it back into its place. Then, with a quiet sigh, he moved to the bed and lay down.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmemQDBj1CK
The room was softly lit by wall lamps placed strategically around, casting a warm golden hue. Hanging above the bed was a grand, elegant chandelier that added a touch of timeless beauty.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpBt3NPo0d
On the bedside table to his left sat a framed photo of him and Max — a frozen memory of laughter and brotherhood.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvttGpLIXC
On the other side, another frame stood silently: a picture of his parents...........That was it.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNXVrJKeH9
His people. His home. His heart. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuA3K3dQWN
He pulled the blanket over himself, letting the warmth settle in around him. With his eyes closed, the weight of the day slowly melted away.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWREOxFq95W
The quiet hum of the heater, the soft glow of the lamps, and the comfort of familiar memories all wrapped around him like a lullaby.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz5vfIxHO9
And soon...28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUFtDnwsYd
Grayson was fast asleep.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg4RKrNTSb
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