The morning sun bathed the college campus in golden light. Students laughed, shared snacks, and hurried to classes, their voices carrying across the courtyard. Siya skipped along the pathway, humming a cheerful tune, her ponytail bouncing with every step. She waved at friends, giggling at a joke someone whispered. Bubbly, innocent, full of life—she was just another ordinary college girl.
Everything seemed perfectly normal—until the sudden crack of gunfire ripped through the air.
Siya froze, instinctively lowering her head. "Ah… shoot," she muttered, her bright eyes widening in surprise.
Panic erupted around her. Students screamed, running in every direction, chairs toppled, and glass shattered across the courtyard. Siya's heart raced, but she moved quickly, ducking behind a low wall for cover.
And then she noticed them.
Three men and two women moved with terrifying precision. Every shot they fired hit its mark. Every movement was sharp, controlled, merciless. Civilians were hurriedly dragged to safety, shielded behind overturned tables and pillars.
And then her gaze fell on him.
Tall, lean, moving like a shadow through the chaos. Cold. Ruthless. Merciless. His rifle cut through the air with deadly accuracy, and his eyes—sharp, calculating, almost icy—scanned the scene like nothing could faze him.
A small tattoo peeked from beneath his collar at the base of his neck. Siya's curiosity sparked—only she noticed it.
Instinct took over. A man lunged at a terrified student. Without thinking, Siya shoved the student to safety, her innocence replaced by a moment of pure, fearless reaction. She hadn't planned it—it just happened.
Then, almost as if reading her every move, the man moved faster than she could comprehend, raising his rifle just in time to deflect a bullet aimed straight at her. The shot missed by mere inches, striking the wall behind her and sending splinters flying. Siya's heart leapt into her throat as she realized how close she'd come.
The man glanced at her briefly. Recognition flickered in his eyes. Efficient. Calculated. Unflinching. He moved on, neutralizing another attacker with deadly precision.
The firefight ended as abruptly as it had begun. Silence fell over the campus, broken only by the distant echo of sirens. Students trembled, whispering in disbelief. The mysterious team had vanished, leaving only chaos and questions behind.
Siya crouched for a moment, catching her breath. Her heart still raced—not from fear, but from the thrill of survival. That man with the tattoo—who was he? Why did she feel her chest tighten at just the memory of him?
Because of the incident, everyone else had fled. The screams and sirens faded into the background. Slowly, Siya emerged from her hiding spot, brushing dust from her jeans and stepping cautiously toward the direction he had disappeared.
Her eyes scanned the courtyard. Broken benches, shattered glass, and scattered papers painted a chaotic scene, yet the man's presence seemed to linger in the air—unseen but unmistakable. She stepped closer, curiosity outweighing caution.
Suddenly, a faint metallic clink behind her drew her attention. She turned just in time to see another attacker aiming at her from a distant window. Without thinking, she froze—too late to move—but before the bullet could reach her, a shadow blurred across her line of sight.
The man had returned. With precise, fluid motion, he deflected the bullet using the barrel of his rifle, knocking it off course, the sound echoing like a gunshot in her ears. Siya's breath caught. His eyes briefly met hers—ice-cold, unreadable—but in that fraction of a second, she felt an unspoken message: stay alive. Trust no one else.
She felt a shiver run down her spine, half from fear, half from awe. Who was this person? How could someone move like that—like death itself had taken human form?
Even as he disappeared into the shadows again, his presence lingered. Siya realized that somehow, even though she didn't know his name, even though he hadn't spoken more than a word or two, she felt connected to him in a way that made her pulse quicken.
She shook her head slightly, smiling to herself. "Who are you… really?" she murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her curiosity was now a flame she couldn't extinguish.
The campus lay quiet now, almost eerily so, the chaos replaced by the soft dripping of rain from the shattered roof panels. Yet Siya could feel it—this encounter was far from over. That man, with the cold, merciless eyes and the mysterious tattoo, would cross her path again. And when he did… she had a feeling nothing would ever be ordinary again.
She took a deep breath, standing tall, brushing dust from her hoodie. Her bubbly, cheerful smile returned, but behind it, a spark of something else lingered—a sense of anticipation, thrill, and the tiniest hint of challenge she couldn't explain.
"Until next time…" she whispered softly, almost to herself, almost to him.
And in the shadows, unseen and untouchable, the man watched from a distance, disappearing once more—but leaving a mark on her mind that refused to fade.
Some things had changed today. The world felt different. Dangerous. Alive. And Siya knew, deep down, that this encounter was only the beginning.
A bullet missed her by inches. A stranger's gaze left her heart racing. And in a world she thought she knew, chaos had just introduced her to something she couldn't ignore…