Chapter Title: Wanting To Disappear Completely
Notice..
This is a work of fiction. It should be noted that event and characters are not real so if some situation and statement feel real then it all purely coincidental .
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Malian State...
Black Dragon Headquarters
In the heart of Malian, far from prying eyes, the Black Dragon headquarters buzzed with silent urgency.
Damien stood in the war room, his eyes locked on the blueprint sprawled across the desk before him. It was the final product of months of meticulous planning, the blueprints of the institution that held Annalisa. His men had risked everything to obtain it.
And now... it was time. Annalisa had confirmed her escape window. Now there was no room for mistakes. No space for hesitation.
Damien's sharp gaze shifted from the blueprints to the man beside him.
"Are you ready?" he asked coolly.
The man responded with a single nod, then clapped his hands twice. Immediately, the heavy doors burst open.
Three men entered, each carefully carrying a crate as though one wrong step might trigger disaster. They set the crates down with precision, then stepped back and bowed, fists pressed to their chests.
"Your humble subordinates greet the Shadow and the Blade."
These weren't just titles, they were warnings.The Shadow was Damien, he earned his name for his silent, calculated brutality.
The Blade, Bryan was sharp, surgical, and merciless.
With a subtle wave of his hand, the Blade motioned the men to rise. He crossed the room and sank into a leather chair, with face unreadable.
"Proceed," he said.
One of the men, Samuel stepped forward.
"As requested, we've secured all the chemicals needed to produce nitroglycerin. The compounds are being arranged according to the bouquet schedule ordered by the institution. As we speak, our agents are planting the first batch in the garden."
The Blade's gaze narrowed. "And the decoy?"
Immediately he spoke a heavy silence enveloped the war room but it was for just a brief moment.
Samuel straightened, his voice firm, it was almost too firm. "She's in position."
There was no emotion, no tremor. But Bryan watched him closely, searching for a crack.
Because the decoy… was Samuel's wife.
Natasha, she had terminal cancer, and was at the late-stage. Once, she had been the trusted sword of Lady Laurel, the head of security at the Laurel estate. The night of the massacre, Natasha was the only survivor. Damien had found her barely breathing beneath the rubble when he returned to recover Annaliora's body.
She never forgave herself, for surviving. For failing. For losing Annalisa. The cancer fed off her guilt. And she worsened with every passing day.
But when she learned Annalisa was alive, but held captive, and planning to disappear completely Natasha came back to life for one last mission.
"I don't want to just escape," Annalisa had said. "I want Annalisa Laurel to disappear from the face of the earth. Completely. That's the most difficult part of the plan."
So, a secret meeting was called. Damien, The Blade, Natasha, and the squadron heads of the Black Dragon. It was there that Natasha made her final decision.
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Flashback – Black Dragon Vault Room
"I have a way," Natasha said, voice low but resolute. Her body may have been weak, but her spirit was steel.
The Blade looked up. "Speak, Nat."
Instantly all eyes locked on her. Damien stepped closer, a storm behind his eyes.
"If Annalisa needs to disappear… there's only one way." She paused, sucking in her breath as her heartbeat wildly.
"Then Annalisa Laurel… must die
"How?" one of the squadron leaders interjected sharply.
Natasha lifted her eyes slowly. "Simple. We stage her death during the annual celebration. Cause a massive explosion. That will be the decoy."
Another officer frowned. "We all know they'll search the explosion site, personally. They'll want confirmation of who died in the blast. And don't tell me you plan to use a mannequin. They'll know. It's too easy to identify as non-human."
Their voices echoed in the war room, layered with concern and urgency. But Natasha said nothing. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, a storm of conflict raging behind her silence. Seconds passed. Then minutes. The room waited.
Then… she looked up. Her eyes met Samuel's, and she smiled. Samuel blinked, confused. That smile, it wasn't comfort. It was resolve.
And then she said it. "I'll be the decoy. Not some mannequin. When the explosion hits… it'll be me."
The room fell still. No one moved, no one breathed. The silence that followed was louder than any scream. The silence broke. No it was shattered by the sound of Samuel's chair screeching back as he shot to his feet.
"No." His voice cracked through the room like a whip. All eyes turned to him, but his focus was locked solely on Natasha.
"Absolutely not. You've already given too much. You're sick, you can barely..."
"I'm dying, Samuel," Natasha interrupted softly. Her tone wasn't angry, it was gentle but final. "You and I both know it."
Samuel shook his head, furious tears burning in his eyes. "That doesn't mean you have to run into death. Not like this. There are other ways, there has to be..."
"There isn't."Her voice didn't rise, but it silenced him completely.
"Annalisa needs this to work. She needs to vanish without a trace. We all know that, that so called council won't stop hunting her unless they're convinced she's dead. And if I can make sure that happens, if I can still serve her one last time, then I will."
Samuel clenched his fists, his whole body trembling. "So you're just going to… burn for them?"
Natasha stepped forward, reached out, and took his hand. Strong and steady, like she wasn't walking toward death but purpose.
"I made a vow the day I was sworn into the Laurel guard. I promised to protect her. And now I finally have the chance to keep that promise on my terms."
A single tear rolled down Samuel's cheek.
"Don't ask me to watch you die."
She leaned in, pressing her forehead gently against his. "Then don't watch. Just help me make sure it matters."
To Be Continued