The first shot was clean.
It always was.
By the time the sound of the bullet hit the marble pillars below, the man was already falling, his body folding in on itself as if the world had quietly decided that he was no longer needed.
Elena Virev didn't flinch.
From the shattered balcony above, she watched the world around her descend into chaos—guards shouting, footsteps crashing, order giving way to something ephemeral, some fleeting thing.
It was always like this.
Chaos pretending to be order.
Another breath.
Another bullet.
Another life ending before it could understand the reason why.
"Target one confirmed. Virev, proceed."
The voice in her ear was calm, remote.
Untouched.
Unlike the world around her.
Elena's gaze shifted—not to the people, not to the guards, not even to the targets—only to the way they moved, the way they reacted.
Predictable.
Almost…
Rehearsed.
"…Virev."
"…I hear you."
"Then move. You're falling behind schedule."
Behind.
The word hung in the air.
Behind what?
For a moment, her eyes lifted upwards—beyond the broken ceiling, towards the gray sky and the forms that floated silently above the city.
They had always been there.
At least.. or so she had believed.
"…Understood."
The mission was over.
Of course it was.
By the time the final shot was fired in the hall, everything was still.
Not peaceful.
Just. finished.
A figure lay at the center of it all.
A figure barely breathing.
A figure with eyes that found Elena's.
Not with anger.
Not with fear.
But with a query.
"Why.?"
Elena did not respond.
Not because she did not know the answer.
But because the answer did not matter.
"…Does it matter?" she replied.
There was no response.
Then
A final shot.
And just as the world resumed its comfortable state of emptiness—
Something felt… different.
"…That's interesting but."
It was not Elena's voice.
Elena's hand tightened.
The air seemed to change.
"…I dont think i remember writing that or did i?."
For the first time—
Something in the world did not feel empty.
It felt… observed.