I forced myself to look up at him.
"Skylar... tell me they're lying."
He finally turned his head toward me. His face was unreadable, his voice steady. "I did what I had to do."
My chest tightened. "What you had to do?" My voice cracked, trembling between rage and heartbreak. "You used me. Every word, every touch—was it all a mission to you?"
He didn't answer. That silence was louder than any confession.
Jack stepped forward, his presence looming over me. "You trusted him because he was ordinary, harmless... that was the point."
I shook my head, my hands curling into fists. "You could have killed me. It would've been kinder."
Skylar's eyes flickered, just for a moment—something between guilt and resolve—but it was gone as quickly as it came.
"Escort Agent Li to holding," Elder Sofia ordered.
Two guards stepped forward. I didn't fight them. I let them lift me, drag me toward the heavy doors. My gaze stayed locked on him until the last moment, memorising the face of the man who had destroyed me.
And just before the doors closed, he spoke—quiet enough that only I could hear.
"This is the only way you live."
In the strange world
I came across a waterfall — the first I had seen since arriving here. It felt like the only normal thing in this place. At first, I thought I had somehow wandered into a foreign country, but the longer I stayed, the more I realized this was far beyond anything I knew. No matter how strange a land could be, it wouldn't have winged lions roaming freely... unless it were some kind of government experiment. But no lab would let something like that wander a forest.
I walked toward the water, taking in its untouched beauty. It didn't look like any human had ever set foot here. Still, I hesitated. Could I trust it? Could I trust anything in this place? My thirst clawed at my throat — two whole days without proper water — and I knew dehydration would kill me faster than hunger.
I crouched at the water's edge, scooped a handful, and gave it a cautious sniff...
Before drinking it, I reminded myself—I was immune to most poisons. The organisation had made sure of that. I took another sip, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat, and collapsed back, my thirst quenched but my body heavy with exhaustion. The sky above was empty—no birds, no movement—yet somewhere, faint and distant, I heard a single chirp.
I didn't follow it.
I didn't dare.
Sleep clawed at me, my vision blurring at the edges. Then—snap. A twig breaking. Sharp. Close enough to cut through my haze. My eyes shot open, my body instinctively tensing. I turned toward the sound.
I wasn't defenceless. My daggers hung at my side, my katana resting against my knee—retrieved moments before I'd been dragged into this place.
Something moved.
For a heartbeat, I thought it was a person. But what emerged was far more dangerous—a panther. Not just any panther, but a pure white phantom of muscle and grace, its coat untouched by even a single speck of black. Its eyes locked on me, unblinking.
I froze. My pulse thundered in my ears.
Do not move. Do not give it a reason.
The beast studied me, then padded slowly to the water's edge. It drank, each ripple in the surface catching my every nerve. I shifted slightly—too slightly—and from the corner of its eye, it saw.
I was 5'4". It was easily 6', all power and precision. If it chose to, it could kill me before I even touched my blade.
It lowered itself onto the ground, its massive head angled directly toward me. And then—it just stared.
I thought it was waiting for me to speak first. My lips curved into a cautious smile.
"Hi... I'm Sarah," I said.
Its tail flicked once—then wagged. I could've sworn it smiled. That's when my composure shattered.
"Hi. I'm System 832," it said, voice calm and unnervingly human. "But you can call me Snow."
For an assassin, surprises are rare. But this... this was something else. My heart couldn't take it. The edges of my vision went black, and I fainted.