Ethan:
The moment I stepped away from that door, I didn't stop walking.
If I stopped—
I knew I'd go back.
And right now, I couldn't afford that.
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The anger was still there.
Burning under my skin.
Not just at her.
At everything.
At the situation.
At myself.
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I pushed open the door to the main room where everyone had gathered. The air inside was tense, heavy, filled with unspoken questions. The moment I entered, all eyes turned toward me.
Luca was the first to step forward.
"…Where is she?" he asked.
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I didn't hesitate.
"She's locked in another room."
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Silence hit instantly.
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Luca's expression hardened.
"You locked her?" he repeated, disbelief mixed with frustration. "Ethan, I know she made a mistake, but you can't just lock her up like that."
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I turned my head slowly toward him, my jaw tightening.
"Mistake?" I repeated coldly.
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My voice dropped.
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"It's her fucking mistake to come here in the first place."
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The room went quieter.
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I took a step forward.
"Do you even understand what she did?" I continued, my tone sharper now. "She shot that damn Viktor."
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That name alone carried weight.
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Luca didn't speak.
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I continued anyway.
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"She pulled the trigger on him," I said, my voice cutting through the room. "Do you know what that means?"
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My eyes locked onto his.
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"It means she's not just involved anymore."
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A pause.
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"She's a target now."
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The truth settled heavily.
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Luca looked away slightly, his jaw tightening, but he didn't argue again.
Because he knew.
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He knew I wasn't wrong.
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I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair before my gaze shifted.
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To Elena.
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"And you," I said, my tone colder now.
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She straightened slightly, already knowing what was coming.
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"You should've never brought her there."
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Elena raised her hands slightly, defensive but trying to stay calm.
"She wanted to come," she said quickly. "She insisted. I tried to stop her—"
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"You should have stopped her," I cut her off sharply.
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My voice rose.
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"I don't care if she begged you, argued with you, or forced you—what the hell were you thinking bringing her into a place like that?"
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Elena flinched slightly.
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"I swear, we practiced before coming," she added quickly. "She was good. She knew how to handle a gun—"
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"That's not the point!" I snapped.
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The room fell silent again.
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My hands clenched at my sides.
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"This isn't some training ground or a damn shooting range," I continued, my voice filled with frustration. "That was a battlefield. Real bullets. Real enemies. One wrong move and she'd be dead."
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Elena lowered her gaze slightly.
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"And now," I added, my tone dropping again but heavier, "because of that one decision…"
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I stepped closer.
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"She's in danger."
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My words hit harder now.
Slower.
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"Real danger."
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Elena didn't speak again.
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Because there was nothing to say.
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Luca stepped forward after a moment, his voice calmer but serious.
"…So what do we do now?"
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That question—
It lingered.
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I let out a short, bitter breath.
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"What do we do?" I repeated quietly.
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Then shook my head.
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"We can't do anything."
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The words felt wrong.
But they were true.
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"Not yet," I added.
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I turned away slightly, my eyes scanning nothing in particular, my thoughts running faster than I could control.
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"They've already seen her," I continued. "Viktor knows her face now. And Alejandro…"
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I paused.
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"He doesn't forget things like that."
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The room felt colder.
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"They're not just powerful," I said, my voice low. "They're careful. Calculating. And now she's part of this whether we like it or not."
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Luca cursed under his breath.
"…Damn it."
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"Yeah," I muttered.
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My jaw tightened again.
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"And the worst part?" I added, my voice dropping into something darker.
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"We don't know their next move."
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That uncertainty—
Was dangerous.
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"They could come after her," I continued. "They could use her to get to us. Or they could just…" I stopped for a second, my expression hardening.
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"…remove the problem."
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Silence.
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No one spoke.
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Because everyone understood what that meant.
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I ran my hand down my face, frustration building again.
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"This is messed up," I muttered.
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Luca looked at me.
"So we just wait?"
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I shook my head immediately.
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"No."
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My eyes sharpened again.
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"We prepare."
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A pause.
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"We lock everything down. Increase security. No one gets in or out without my approval."
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Kai nodded immediately.
"I'll handle it."
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"And find out where they went," I added. "I want eyes on Viktor and Alejandro. Every move. Every contact."
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Kai nodded again.
"Done."
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I exhaled slowly.
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But even as I gave orders—
My mind wasn't fully there.
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It kept going back.
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To her.
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Locked in that room.
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Crying.
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Alone.
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My jaw tightened again.
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"…Damn it," I muttered under my breath.
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Luca noticed.
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"You're doing this to protect her," he said quietly.
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I didn't answer.
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Because I wasn't sure anymore.
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Was I protecting her—
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Or pushing her away?
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Either way—
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One thing was clear.
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Things had changed.
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And there was no going back now.
The room didn't settle even after the orders were given.
It stayed tense.
Heavy.
Like something was still waiting to explode.
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Kai stepped aside, already on his phone, issuing instructions in a low, controlled voice. I could hear fragments—security rotations, surveillance teams, contacts being activated. Efficient. Fast. Exactly what we needed.
But it still didn't feel enough.
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I walked toward the table, placing both hands on it, leaning slightly forward as I stared at the scattered maps and files. My mind wasn't still—it was running through possibilities, risks, outcomes.
Every single one of them led back to the same point.
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Yuna.
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"…Damn it," I muttered again, quieter this time.
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Luca watched me carefully.
"You're overthinking," he said.
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I let out a short, humorless breath.
"Not enough," I replied.
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Because in this world—
Overthinking kept you alive.
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"She shot Viktor," I continued, my voice low but firm. "That's not something they'll ignore. Not him. Not Alejandro."
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Luca crossed his arms.
"They were more focused on getting out alive."
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"For now," I said sharply.
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I straightened, turning toward him.
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"But once he stabilizes… once they regroup…"
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A pause.
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"They'll come back smarter."
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Luca didn't argue.
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Because he knew it was true.
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Elena, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke again—her voice softer this time, less defensive.
"…She didn't hesitate," she said.
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I looked at her.
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"What?"
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Elena stepped a little closer.
"When she shot him," she continued. "She didn't freeze. She didn't panic. She just… did it."
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I didn't respond.
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"She wasn't scared in that moment," Elena added quietly.
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My jaw tightened slightly.
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"She should have been."
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That came out colder than I intended.
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But it was true.
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Fear kept people cautious.
Fear kept them alive.
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"And what then?" I continued. "Next time she steps in front of a bullet because she thinks she can 'handle it'?"
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Elena fell silent again.
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The room quieted once more.
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I turned away, pacing slowly now.
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"I won't let that happen," I said under my breath.
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It wasn't meant for them.
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But they heard it anyway.
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Luca sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"She's not going to stay locked in there forever."
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I stopped.
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"I know."
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"And when she comes out?" he asked.
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I didn't answer immediately.
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Because I didn't have one.
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Because the truth was—
I didn't know how to handle her.
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Not the way she was now.
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Not when she looked at me like that.
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Not when she refused to stay away.
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"She doesn't understand this world," I said finally.
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Luca looked at me.
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"She understands you," he replied.
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That—
Made me pause.
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For a second longer than I wanted.
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Then I looked away again.
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"That's the problem."
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Silence followed.
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Because none of us could deny it.
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Understanding me—
Meant stepping into something dangerous.
Something that didn't have a safe ending.
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I exhaled slowly, forcing my thoughts back into focus.
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"Double the guards near her room," I said firmly. "No one lets her out."
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Elena frowned slightly.
"She's not a prisoner."
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I looked at her.
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"Right now, she is."
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The words came out harsh.
But I didn't take them back.
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Because until I figured this out—
Until I knew what their next move was—
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I couldn't risk her walking free.
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Even if it meant she hated me for it.
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Even if it meant—
She never forgave me.
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Because that was better—
Than losing her completely.
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And as the room fell silent again, one thought stayed in my mind—
Clear.
Unavoidable.
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This wasn't just a fight anymore.
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It had become personal.
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And that made it far more dangerous.