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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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrNwHI5GQL
She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness behind her — as if something, or someone, was following her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jwbJoheV4
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. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaykmFqHzD
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. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJRX9lfcAc
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFUkRnwSNU
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness like knives — a car was approaching.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJQeGaDcKo
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTV4wURBfk4
Everything that could save her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY37DuW7lAr
Everything that could prove she wasn’t guilty.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVWDuYPI3p
Everything they would kill to hide.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6zvI4cxTT
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:23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2ztZqK9gK
“Run! Save yourself! Go, now!”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwru50OZhR1
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. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvi21yRcEZ
“Better to face the night than the people hunting me,” 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYeR9m1kYA
she thought, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She would find a place to hide.... Somewhere no one would look.....23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhCQ6PGjT4
Somewhere she could breathe… at least for a little while.
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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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa3swfgWrM
He didn’t turn. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gvfRmaxGH
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. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T0pXwIkO3
His other hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping slowly — rhythmically, like a man lost in deep calculation.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbKMj6Zow1
His face remained hidden in shadow, but his silence spoke volumes. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxKIy4nkeN
Not a flinch. Not a word.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hhVkWVutH
As if the chaos on screen… had nothing to do with him.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VUejzbLDB
Suddenly, the phone on the sleek glass coffee table beside him began to ring.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0nQoptliF
He didn’t glance at the screen. With practiced ease, he tapped to answer and switched on the speaker.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmgk15UfGo
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMgD2VYnwE
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDECqgNKCg
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5jgm6EE4A
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOq4aorVaK
He was tall — towering at 6’3" — with a naturally powerful build that hinted at both strength and discipline.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MMGkJvNQ0
A man of beauty… and danger. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx0ui7d6CB
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4ilqVqwjf
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 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNJTgO5CiG
Suddenly, a groggy, annoyed voice came through the phone, thick with sleep and irritation. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrmbZYXWJa
"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." 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ldb0LzVbr
The voice on the other end sounded like someone who had just been pulled from a deep sleep — disoriented, yet unmistakably familiar.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsU8ZLgjSV
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDOHMxsXsu
"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.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCTuweus4R
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLlvdUiRyj
Max let out a dramatic sigh and replied, 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZz47l4j1bu
"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!"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwovAtCnJF8
His voice was teasing, full of mock misery — but it was clear he was used to this. Grayson calling at odd hours? Typical. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJUup28EUG
"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?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIlXy9wIAO
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2KTJTPp5A
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,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PkgPkBi5Z
"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.?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡth4hfLw4rl
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. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCpV2vI2eu
Max let out a sleepy grunt in response… and then fell silent.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClZPe1T4FR
Grayson didn’t wait for more. He ended the call without another word, slid the phone into his pocket, and stood up.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCm0Wu99s7
With calm, measured steps, he walked out of the TV lounge and towards the staircase leading upward. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj45XjRtJF7
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhi6hcD83I
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTA445eGkg
But it didn’t take a trained eye to know — these weren’t just for show.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYWKEnmv2u
There were subtle signs: worn grips, faint scratches, a few cases left slightly ajar. These guns had history. They had been used.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJeVuEiu65
And the man standing in the middle of it all?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjRe4jBVEn
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyRu9sNRwW
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtE6OvzcBuM
This was his weapon of choice for tomorrow's hunt. The perfect balance of power, precision, and reliability.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHw9ZroIFt
"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, running a finger along the barrel, "it’ll be this one."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaU7C6DRDp
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj53m6ihKC
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGF6UOjc3L
They had been best friends since childhood, and everyone in the agency knew it well. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwlQVCIjzM
Their bond wasn’t just strong — it was legendary.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa7DQJw5JE
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hFhvmquxH
He walked into his bedroom — a space that reflected both discipline and comfort.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHu5PBpM0o
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0oKFtRrdJ
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcG8o31xyhT
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTjxyu9QIf
On the bedside table to his left sat a framed photo of him and Max — a frozen memory of laughter and brotherhood.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGcN8noCEJ
On the other side, another frame stood silently: a picture of his parents...........That was it.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRgfccyffP
His people. His home. His heart. 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHVatKbyg5
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1IX8MtTM5
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YIsWbF5HW
And soon...23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKCaBZ6BcN
Grayson was fast asleep.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNsSBOdCpo
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