The digital clock on the bedside table displayed 5:30 in a cold blue light.
Beep—
Beep—
Before the third ring could shatter the silence of the room again, a hand crept out from under the blanket and, with a precise movement, touched the off button. The room plunged back into silence; a heavy silence reserved for those who wake before the world does.
Elmira remained motionless for a few seconds. Then, she sat halfway up and stretched her body. The faint pop of her back echoed in the morning quiet. She took a deep breath and pushed the blanket aside.
Her sleepwear—an oversized shirt featuring cartoon designs of cat paws and heads—stood in stark contrast to her toned muscles and the firm contours of her body. A physique forged by years of military discipline and rigorous training was now draped in the softest fabric imaginable.
As she swung her legs off the bed, a black fluffy shadow appeared at her feet like a tiny ghost.
"Good morning, Kuro-chan."
The slightly chubby black cat, with a look that was a mix of drowsiness and entitlement, rubbed himself against Elmira's shin.
"Meoooow."
Elmira leaned down. Her fingers, accustomed to gripping cold weapons, sank into the cat's soft fur with a motherly gentleness. She picked Kuro-chan up and pressed her face against his warm fur. A smile settled on her lips; a genuine smile that no one but the walls of this room ever witnessed.
"When I have you, who needs the all the drama of romance when I have you? Hmm?"
Kuro-chan purred loudly, as if in agreement.
Elmira set him down on the floor and made the bed with a swift motion.
"Wait until I wash my face, then it's time for your royal breakfast, Your Highness."
The bathroom mirror reflected a woman whose traces of sleep had vanished from her face all too quickly. Cold water hit her face, and transparent drops slid down her cheeks.
She looked at her own reflection. Thirty-one years old... There were faint lines by her eyes, signs of intense focus, not aging. Height and weight? Meaningless numbers. What mattered was reaction speed and the power of her strikes.
She picked up her toothbrush. As always, her mind flashed back to the past.
Diploma, intensive courses, hellish internships.
Recalling this long path was part of her morning routine. A reminder of why she was here.
She had started at twenty. A place where the first mistake could be the last.
In the kitchen, the sound of dry food pellets hitting the ceramic bowl rang out.
"Here you go, Kuro-chan."
The cat immediately began to eat. Elmira smiled and headed to the wardrobe. The pink pajamas were replaced by sportswear.
The treadmill turned on. The monotonous hum of the motor and the thud of feet found a rhythm.
Breathe ...Inhale... exhale...
With every step, her mind slipped back—twenty-two years ago.
She was nine.
A crowded street... the screech of car brakes... a rough hand suddenly grabbing her collar.
The cold metal barrel against her temple. Hot breaths and the stench of the hostage-taker's fear.
The smell of cold sweat and gunpowder.
Everyone was screaming, but suddenly, a shadow dropped in like lightning.
It wasn't the police, nor was it a civilian. It was a man in a black suit. He moved like a deadly dancer.
A spin, the sound of a wrist bone shattering, and release.
The man knelt before her. His hands were firm and warm; a complete contrast to the coldness of the gun.
His voice had no tremor, instilling only a sense of reassurance:
"Are you all right, Little Princess?... You're safe now."
Boom!
The punching bag swung under the heavy impact of her left hook.
It was right there. In the middle of that street, she decided.
To no longer be a victim. To never wait for a hero to arrive.
She wanted to be the hands that brought safety. That impenetrable wall people could hide behind.
A cold shower. Steam from the tub. Silence.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt fresh. The memory of that man was still the fuel for her engine to keep going.
In the kitchen, the sound of the juicer broke the silence of the house. A green liquid—celery, bitter and biting—was poured into a mug with a cat design. Beside it, toast, bacon, and lettuce. Everything precise, orderly, and without a speck of wasted time.
She sat on the balcony. The city below her was still gray and sleepy. She took a sip. The bitterness of the celery stung her tongue, but she was used to it. Like the bitterness of loneliness that sometimes crept in, but was her own choice.
The silence was broken by the ringing of her phone.
Erika.
A faint smile unconsciously formed on Elmira's face.
"Hello, Erika. You're up early."
Erika's energetic voice came from the other end of the line:
"Good morning! Just wanted to make sure you didn't forget."
"How could I forget Danny's birthday? Twelve o'clock, at the usual cafe for lunch."
"Perfect. See you."
The call ended. Elmira stared at the phone screen for a few moments. Her cousin Erika and Erika's son, Danny, who was turning three today, were the only family she had left.
An hour later, the woman standing in front of the mirror was no longer the girl in the cat pajamas. A well-tailored black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a tie painstakingly knotted.
She pinned her ID card to her chest: Elmira Walker – Senior Bodyguard (Grade 1).
She bent down and stroked Kuro-chan's head for the last time.
"Guard the house. I'll be back tonight to play with you a lot."
The sound of the door closing.
***
The black car with tinted windows moved through the morning traffic. The call was on speaker.
"Hello, Boss."
"What's the status, Elmira?"
"According to schedule. I'm going to pick up the subject. He needs to be at the amphitheater by 9 for the press conference."
"Did you read his file?"
"Yes. Andy, Pop Idol, twenty years old. History of creating a lot of scandals."
"Exactly. Be careful, his head is full of hot air. I don't want him causing trouble."
"Don't worry, Boss. My specialty is handling spoiled brats."
The call ended. Elmira adjusted her glasses. She just wanted this job to end quickly so she could make it to her meeting with Erika on time.
A luxurious building in the uptown district. Elmira entered. The sound of the elevator signaled her ascent.
Elmira took out her phone. Using the selfie camera, she took a quick look at her hair and the knot of her tie. Everything was in order.
From behind the door, the sound of an argument between Andy and his manager, Mr. Smith, could be heard. She waited a moment for their dispute to end.
"You won't let up until you cause a scandal, will you?!"
"Tch… A little fun never hurt anyone."
"A little?! You had dates with eleven girls last week! Five of them stayed over!"
Andy replied with boredom:
"Okay, okay… it won't happen again."
Elmira knocked. Mr. Smith, with a face dripping with stress, opened the door.
"I'm not wearing this ridiculous outfit!"
"Andy, please… we don't have time."
Elmira entered with firm steps. Andy, a young boy with dyed, messy hair, was lounging on the sofa.
Smith breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Elmira.
"Ms. Walker, this is Andy. Andy, this is your Senior Bodyguard."
Andy cast an appraising look at Elmira. He smirked and said:
"Oh... what a pretty bodyguard. Are you free after the conference? We could grab lunch."
Elmira, without a single change in her expression, replied coldly and dryly:
"My duty is to ensure your safety, not to fill your leisure time. We are already late. Please move."
Elmira's firm tone caused Andy's smile to freeze. Smith quickly intervened:
"Yes, yes, let's go."
***
It was chaos in front of the amphitheater. The sound of fans screaming was deafening.
Elmira stepped out. Her gaze swept over the crowd like a radar. Hands, bags, sudden movements.
Andy stepped out, and the wave of screams peaked.
"Andyyyyy! I love you!"
Elmira moved behind him at a standard distance. Her body was in a state of full alert.
The press conference went according to routine. Repetitive questions, rehearsed answers, and Andy's artificial smiles. Elmira stood at the corner of the stage like a statue, but her eyes were scanning the entire hall.
End of the conference. Exit through the back door.
Everything seemed safe. The car was waiting.
Suddenly, from the crowd gathered across the street, a man in a dark hoodie broke away and ran.
The glint of a blade flashed in the sunlight.
"I'll kill you, Andy! You ruined my life!"
The distance was short. The security forces were lagging behind.
Elmira didn't think; her body executed commands recorded in her muscle memory.
She placed her hand on Andy's shoulder and shoved him back with controlled force. She stepped in front of him, putting herself between Andy and the attacker.
The man shouted: "Move aside! I have no business with you!"
Time seemed to slow around Elmira. Her eyes locked onto the man's movements:
Attacker lunging. Knife in right hand, overhead strike. Classic amateur mistake. Angle of impact: almost vertical. Instead of retreating, I must take a step inside his guard.
One move.
She grabbed the attacker's wrist and twisted it past its limit.
Snap!
A dry crack echoed as the joint popped out.
The man's scream mixed with the clatter of the knife hitting the asphalt.
It was over in less than three seconds.
With a Judo move, Elmira slammed the attacker onto the ground and pressed her knee into his lower back.
"Situation Code Red! Call the police!"
The attacker struggled under her hand:
"Let me go! He stole my fiancé! That bastard is a devil!"
Security forces finally arrived and took custody of the man.
Elmira stood up, dusted off her suit, and went to Andy, whose face had turned as white as chalk.
"Are you injured, Mr. Andy?"
Andy stammered:
"N... No... You... You're amazing."
Smith arrived, panting:
"My God... Ms. Walker, thank you. You saved his life."
Elmira just nodded.
"It was my duty. Get in."
***
The cafe smelled of coffee and fresh pastries. A safe sanctuary after the morning's chaos.
Erika waved upon seeing Elmira.
"Over here!"
Elmira sat opposite her and took a deep breath.
"I'm not late, am I?"
"No, right on time. But your face screams that you had a serious brawl."
Elmira shrugged.
"Just a lunatic with a knife. Nothing that couldn't be handled."
Erika frowned and took Elmira's hand.
"Elmira... I'm serious. Don't you want to quit this job? Every time Mom sees the news, she nearly dies of worry."
"I like this job, Erika. It makes me feel useful. Tell Auntie not to worry, I won't get hurt."
"But how long do you want to stick to your job and be single? Don't you want a boyfriend or something?"
Elmira said with a smile:
"I'm not single right now, I have Kuro-chan."
"Be a little serious, Elmira!"
Elmira's smile turned into a small chuckle as she said:
"I am very serious. Haven't found anyone better than him yet!"
Erika laughed.
"Fine, I surrender. By the way, make sure you come tonight. Danny has been asking since morning when Aunt Elmira is coming. Don't forget the cake."
Elmira gave a warm smile.
"I promise. I'll get the best cake in the city. I'll be there at 8."
***
Elmira entered the Agency building. Eyes unconsciously turned toward her. Greetings, nods, silent respect. Report writing. Praise from the Boss. Everything was routine.
Elmira went to the training hall to instruct the trainees and vent her remaining energy.
She put on her white Judo gi. She tied her black belt tight.
The trainees whispered upon seeing her.
"Senpai Walker is here..."
Elmira stood firm.
"If you've warmed up, start the routine. Then, sparring in pairs."
Her voice was decisive.
The whispering stopped.
Elmira began to warm up, ignoring them. David, a colleague from the support division, entered. A young man with a smile that always seemed a bit too friendly.
"Good work, Senpai! Heard you crushed it today."
Elmira, while punching the bag, said:
"It was work that needed to be done. What are you doing here, David?"
"Came to train a bit... and I had a request."
"A request?"
"Could we have a sparring match? I want to test my techniques against the Agency's best bodyguard."
Elmira stopped and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Alright. Take your stance."
The fight began. David was fast, but not fast enough.
Elmira read his movements like an open book. Left punch, block. Right kick, dodge.
In an instant counterattack, Elmira swept David's leg and threw him to the ground. Her fist stopped mere millimeters from David's face.
"You're dead."
David was panting. He gave a nervous laugh.
"Like always... you're peerless, Senpai. You really are on another level."
Elmira reached out a hand and pulled David up.
"Your focus is good, but your legs are weak. Work on them more."
David, while dusting off his clothes, put on a pitiful face.
"By the way, Senpai... I have a favor to ask. The Boss gave me a last-minute mission. Transferring a prisoner from temporary detention to the central prison."
Elmira picked up her towel.
"So? Where is the escort team?"
"That's the problem. All the guys are on missions. It's just me left. I can't do it alone; according to protocol, we need two people. The prisoner is a high-value target, formerly a member of that terrorist group, 'Black Scorpion'."
Elmira's hand froze on the towel. Black Scorpion. The very group that had taken her hostage in her childhood. Their name was enough to make the blood boil in her veins.
"The police are short on manpower; they asked us for urgent help. The route is short; it'll take 45 minutes tops. Please, Senpai... if I don't do this mission, my promotion is gone."
Elmira glanced at the clock. It was 5 PM. It might take long, and she might miss buying the cake, ruining the plan for the birthday party. But the name of that group... it was like a pebble in her shoe, small but irritating.
"Only 45 minutes?"
"I promise! We'll be back before sunset."
Elmira sighed. She couldn't be indifferent to that group's name, and David's pleading look did the rest.
"Fine. But if we're one minute late, I'll skin you. I have to go buy a cake."
***
The city sky was turning orange. The Agency's escort car moved behind the police armored van.
The chosen route passed through the outskirts and an old industrial district to avoid traffic.
Elmira was driving, and David was fiddling with the radio beside her.
"Who is this guy, exactly?"
David said without looking at her:
"A burnt asset. But he has a lot of intel. That's why they want to move him quietly."
A heavy silence settled over the car. Elmira had a strange feeling. A sensation like an itch on the back of her neck that always visited her before danger.
"David, why is the police van turning toward the abandoned warehouse road? This isn't on the route."
"Maybe because of the highway traffic... I'll radio and ask."
David picked up the radio, but his finger didn't press the send button. His hand was trembling.
Elmira opened her mouth to ask something, but the words dried up in her throat.
Suddenly, the world turned white.
There was no sound, no pain; just a blinding light that erupted from beneath the police van and scorched Elmira's retinas.
A hundredth of a second later, the sound arrived.
B—BOOM!
A sound beyond hearing; a wave of pressure that shattered their windshield before the shrapnel even hit.
Elmira felt a massive force, like the fist of a giant, slam into the chest of the car. The steering wheel was ripped from her hands.
"Hold on tight!"
Her scream was lost in the screech of metal and the crushing of the chassis.
The heavy escort car was tossed into the air like a matchbox.
Sky and earth swapped places.
One spin... two spins...
The sound of the car roof slamming into the asphalt, the sound of the steel frame crushing, and the sound of David's scream being choked off.
Elmira's shoulder slammed against the car door. The sound of her collarbone shattering was lost in the crash of twisting metal. Pain shot through her arm like a lightning bolt, paralyzing her arm.
And then, silence.
Or rather, it wasn't silence; a continuous, deafening whistle echoed in her ears. Like the sound of a TV test tone, but a thousand times louder.
***
"Sen... ...mira?"
The voices were muffled and echoed, as if heard underwater.
Elmira blinked. Her eyelashes were stuck together. Something warm and viscous flowed from her forehead and into her eye. Blood.
The world was still upside down. The seatbelt pressed against her chest like a hangman's noose, making breathing torturous.
The sharp smell of gasoline, burnt rubber, and roasted flesh filled her nose. The smell of death filled the air.
She tried to move, but her body wouldn't obey. It was as if her body belonged to someone else.
"David, are you alive...?"
She couldn't hear her own voice, only felt the vibration of her vocal cords.
David was hanging beside her. His face was bloody, and he was making groans that could barely be heard.
Elmira grit her teeth. The pain had sobered her up.
With a trembling hand, she found the buckle of the belt.
Click.
She fell. Her neck hit the upside-down roof of the car with a bad thud. She let out a groan of pain, but this pain was good. It meant she was still alive!
With difficulty, she crawled out through the shattered window. Shards of glass cut her palms and knees, but the adrenaline didn't allow her to feel the sting.
She stood up, stumbling. The ground swayed beneath her feet.
The police van a few meters ahead had turned into a pile of burning scrap metal. The heat of the fire dried the skin on her face.
"The police..."
She went toward the van. Her vision was blurry. Two police officers had been thrown out. Motionless, like broken dolls.
But inside the van... it was empty.
No body, no one calling for help.
The confusion from the concussion gave way to instinct.
Her gaze swept the ground. Drops of blood. Fresh and bright.
The trail of blood led away from the van and straight into the dark, terrifying maw of the abandoned warehouse.
Elmira reached for her waist. Her gun was still there. The coldness of the metal gave her calm.
She turned back and looked at their car. David was limping out.
"David! He escaped..."
Elmira coughed, tasting dust and smoke in her mouth.
"The prisoner is alive. He went into the warehouse."
David nodded, his face unreadable in the shadow and blood. He cocked his gun.
"I... I've got your back, Senpai."
But there was something in David's voice... maybe the tremor of fear, or maybe something else that Elmira, in that moment, with her dizzy head and battered body, couldn't identify.
Perhaps if she hadn't suffered a concussion, she would have realized that David was too calm.
They entered the warehouse. The interior was vast, dark, and eerie. The smell of damp, rusted metal, and dust filled the space. The weak light of sunset shone through the broken windows of the ceiling, creating dusty columns of light. A deadly silence reigned, only the sound of water dripping could be heard from somewhere far away.
Elmira moved forward with silent steps.
"You go from above, David. I'll check the ground floor."
David climbed the rusted ladder without a word.
Elmira followed the trail of blood until she reached the end of the hall. A limping shadow was trying to exit through the back door.
"Halt! Move and I shoot!"
The man turned around. His face was familiar; the same prisoner. He raised his hands.
Elmira breathed a sigh of relief.
"On your knees!"
Right at that moment...
Bang!
The sound of the gunshot echoed like thunder in the warehouse.
Elmira waited for the prisoner to fall, but he remained standing, smirking.
She felt a hot, sudden sting in her lower back. As if someone had thrust a red-hot skewer into her body.
She felt dizzy. She looked down. A large stain of blood was spreading across her abdomen.
"What...?"
Her legs went weak. She fell to her knees. She put her hand on her stomach; warm, viscous, and red.
She turned her head with difficulty and looked up.
David was standing on the metal walkway above. The barrel of his gun was still smoking.
The prisoner laughed and limped out.
David slowly came down the stairs. The sound of his footsteps on the metal was like a death knell.
Elmira collapsed onto the ground. Her vision was blurring. Cold was spreading through her body at an unbelievable speed, as if her blood had turned to ice.
"Why... David...?"
David stood over her. He no longer had that goofy, perpetual smile. His gaze was cold and soulless, but a trace of fear could be seen deep in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Senpai. I'm really sorry. But the amount they offered... you know, with a civil servant's salary, it would take a hundred years to reach that."
He was silent for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and then said quietly:
"Don't get me wrong, Senpai... this isn't personal."
He kicked Elmira's gun into a corner with the tip of his foot. David leaned toward Elmira's half-dead body, as if searching for the right words to soothe his conscience, but changed his mind and stood up straight.
"Sometimes... there is no choice."
His shadow fell over Elmira's face like the Angel of Death. With a hand that trembled slightly, he raised his gun and aimed right at Elmira's head.
"Goodbye, Senpai."
Elmira moved her lips to say something, but blood welled up in her mouth and blocked her throat.
In that last second, the pain vanished. There were only images flashing by at the speed of light: the candles on Danny's birthday cake... Erika's warm smile... and Kuro-chan's yellow, waiting eyes behind the door.
I promised...
Bang!
Then, darkness.
A few seconds later, in the heavy silence of the warehouse, the ringtone of a mobile phone rang out.
Elmira's phone, which had slipped out of her pocket during the fall, vibrated on the ground. The light of the screen reflected in the pool of blood that had formed around Elmira's body.
On the screen, the name "Erika" flashed on and off.
The ringing sound echoed in the empty space of the warehouse, but there was no longer anyone to answer.