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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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCMk7WBWfo
She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness behind her — as if something, or someone, was following her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwt3enxTb5
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. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l8Hd26Vbj
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. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnHTOzVeDH
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOESXve6K2
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness like knives — a car was approaching.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ1MXKhX8Y
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsx9DrwpTRl
Everything that could save her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt7z93xtRY
Everything that could prove she wasn’t guilty.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZqCJmMa7y
Everything they would kill to hide.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqiUpzmDMe
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:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHCCWqrFNL
“Run! Save yourself! Go, now!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeZf9VWMJI
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. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7BzE03u0a
“Better to face the night than the people hunting me,” 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB0wRgi4Wq
she thought, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She would find a place to hide.... Somewhere no one would look.....19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwbnV5z53m
Somewhere she could breathe… at least for a little while.
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..........................................
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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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhStvIitcZ
He didn’t turn. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3llCCW3OJ
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. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrINkBjNC3
His other hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping slowly — rhythmically, like a man lost in deep calculation.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TtNecGcZH
His face remained hidden in shadow, but his silence spoke volumes. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqg5O1WdfU
Not a flinch. Not a word.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L7L6EMPI3
As if the chaos on screen… had nothing to do with him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSa49iv2Vvb
Suddenly, the phone on the sleek glass coffee table beside him began to ring.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81aPOAJtWk
He didn’t glance at the screen. With practiced ease, he tapped to answer and switched on the speaker.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQikc9LigpV
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi03k8FXmYQ
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnLwdRADW6
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSx0Pq3Lnc
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvhqABbjJx
He was tall — towering at 6’3" — with a naturally powerful build that hinted at both strength and discipline.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dpFJOlwzK
A man of beauty… and danger. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhJN2lq9DS
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvkisGKpXS
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 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CyS5ZrF8c
Suddenly, a groggy, annoyed voice came through the phone, thick with sleep and irritation. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeYsuYNw8Z
"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." 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFH2U28Rcc
The voice on the other end sounded like someone who had just been pulled from a deep sleep — disoriented, yet unmistakably familiar.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGXnXFAzjC
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMMGh8miCF
"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.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWOqWhzjeW
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwUNFOiq12
Max let out a dramatic sigh and replied, 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT79DJpFL0O
"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!"19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWkrBlrsd3
His voice was teasing, full of mock misery — but it was clear he was used to this. Grayson calling at odd hours? Typical. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMkRtVNPHP
"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?"19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWCfbohBHV
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZ7yFslgTW
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,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwn2DAU1iN
"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.?"19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvQSjtUaP6
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. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RVqTjzOfE
Max let out a sleepy grunt in response… and then fell silent.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCM2ZJFb66
Grayson didn’t wait for more. He ended the call without another word, slid the phone into his pocket, and stood up.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xplohbRII
With calm, measured steps, he walked out of the TV lounge and towards the staircase leading upward. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8lzr8Jzyt
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1an0PDDDi
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4IA6QcMQE
But it didn’t take a trained eye to know — these weren’t just for show.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeApcw3Ui1m
There were subtle signs: worn grips, faint scratches, a few cases left slightly ajar. These guns had history. They had been used.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUETNdLux7v
And the man standing in the middle of it all?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtJncqdzkJ
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTfiDIda2c
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN285quMJEr
This was his weapon of choice for tomorrow's hunt. The perfect balance of power, precision, and reliability.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicZ8FhVw3d
"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, running a finger along the barrel, "it’ll be this one."19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgiMU1PwAT
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY7dVjAh7J
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj0n7JkokB
They had been best friends since childhood, and everyone in the agency knew it well. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JBneTEORN
Their bond wasn’t just strong — it was legendary.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMHa3KtkCD
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZlxV3vpZ0
He walked into his bedroom — a space that reflected both discipline and comfort.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6chaAnj3JL
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrDmZu08TP
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkI7iAfYRH
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtShYz9sfT
On the bedside table to his left sat a framed photo of him and Max — a frozen memory of laughter and brotherhood.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY0ou97OPs
On the other side, another frame stood silently: a picture of his parents...........That was it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mhBwLPxxK
His people. His home. His heart. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDzc7TjaZb
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZFnzJUoQy
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.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiATTEtdy2z
And soon...19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L0x39Lv8L
Grayson was fast asleep.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoNsjKJK8b
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