Why can’t I take a single step without bumping into you?”
The tension in the air was suffocating.
Directly across from me, Ethan 'Ghost' stood motionless, his rifle lifted but his fingers unwilling to pull the trigger.
The sunset bathed everything in gold and crimson, setting his red hair ablaze, like fire waiting to consume.
"It’s you who keeps following me like a shadow," he shot back, his voice rough, edged with exhaustion.
His words sent a strange shiver through me. Wasn’t it the other way around?
How the hell was I following him? We’ve been fighting since high school. His one stupid prank cost me my position as a sniper. I’m following orders, not him.
The dying sun cast our battlefield in long, twisted shadows. We had both shed blood for this mission, and pulled hundreds of triggers. But in this moment, neither of us had fired.
Why?
A click sounded out of the silence.
Safety releases. Not ours.
Ethan’s eyes flickered past me, his body tensing. I didn’t need to turn around-I already knew. The target. The man he was protecting. The man I was here to kill.
And he had just ordered his men to kill us both.
I ducked when the first shot flew by my ear, planting itself in the old metal at my back.
SHIT!!!
Rolling out of the way, I saw Ethan take cover behind a pillar of concrete, his rifle going into position.
"Your side just turned on you, Ghost," I snarled, clutching my own gun tightly.
"So did yours," he returned, voice neutral.
Does this man live in the Iceland or is he a whole a*s Iceberg? How the heck is he so cold?
Fair enough. Both of us, disposable. Barely pawns in a game we never owned.
The next bullet arrived too soon. I dodged away from it, flipping my knife into position as a guard leapt towards me. I bent beneath his arc, stabbing up, blood splashed out and I moved to the next guard.
Ethan’s rifle spat fire behind me, and another body hit the ground.
We weren’t on the same side. But for now? We had a common enemy.
Vivian killed the scientist, and we got our drug back. But even then, Ghost and I stood against each other, rifles raised, finger on the trigger.
The outcome was the same. I hate him, he’s the reason I lost my bet from my father, FATHER? NO HE DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE A FATHER. I didn’t win the bet of becoming a sniper and wasn’t able to save my brother. I hate him to the point where I would stab him instead of just shooting him and ending all this in an instant.
My fingers trembled as I received the order to shoot him dead.
Of course, I should shoot him. He deserves to be shot but why am I hesitating?
He’s the reason I’m a sharpshooter, not a sniper. I fucking hate him to the core. But then-why am I hesitating?
“Luna! Shoot him right now, or I’ll do it myself.” Vivian’s voice crackled through my earpiece.
I still hesitated.
But I pulled the trigger.
He didn’t even try to dodge. The bullet grazed past his forearm, leaving only a scratch.
Was he ….
GUILTY?
GUILTY?
Chapter 2
One year later...
My phone buzzed violently, jolting me awake. Half-asleep and annoyed, I was ready to smash the damn thing-but duty comes first.
Groaning, I switched on the lights and----- crawled halfway out of my blanket to grab the call.
Major Nathan.
Oh, great. What the hell did I do this time to piss him off that he called me at this ungodly hour
“LUNA!!"
I winced, holding the phone away from my ear. He sounded like he’d just seen a ghost-one that looked exactly like me.
I rubbed my face, voice still husky with sleep. “Yes, Major?” “Get to the head office. Now. It’s urgent!”
I let out a sigh. Whatever this was, it better be worth dragging me out of bed.
Still half-asleep, I wore my pants with one hand while trying to comb my hair with the other. Tugged on my SOU wind shutter over my sports bra, grabbed my gun, bike keys and helmet, and headed out.
One hour of cold wind and reckless speeding later, I pulled up at the head office.
I suddenly felt the air drop as I saw Major Nathan, arms crossed and face unreadable.
Standing beside him, equally serious, was Sergeant Robert.
And just like that, I was wide awake.
My blood ran cold the moment I spotted Sergeant Robert.
Great. Just great.
Of all people, it had to be him.
It wasn’t just his presence, it was everything about him. The way he always shouted instead of talking like a normal person. The way his thick accent made even basic words sound like a war declaration. And the worst part? The saliva.
Every time he yelled, tiny droplets would leap from his mouth like they, too, were trying to escape.
Oh God Hell No!!!! I guess I didn't do something so bad for Sergeant Robert to come and call me in the freaking middle of the night.
I braced myself for whatever this was.
One Hour Later…
Okay, so now I’m a high school student in Blutopia, even though I’m twenty-five.
WOW! GREAT START.
An undercover high school student who has to gather intelligence and stop a terrorist attack planned by someone named Robin Brady. Find out his plan, uncover his spies, stay undercover, and most importantly get it done before someone from the Alpha-9 Special Forces Unit beats me to it.
Well that's the only good part about this mission, I love competition but I'm not sure if Ghost will be the one from Alpha-9 to come for this mission.
Also I'm going to be living in a dorm. With three other girls.
I plopped my butt down in the chair and sighed deeply.
"Why am I the one doing this?"
"You're the only one who looks so young, so beautiful, so capable, the only one who-"
Ahhh!! Here we go again. Sergeant Robert started buttering me up, thick accent and all.
"Sergeant Robert, you don’t need to butter me up. I’ll take the mission."
I sighed, already over this conversation, and turned to leave—until Major Nathan handed me an identity card.
“What the hell??”
An identity card? They already signed me up for the school?!
"About… your gun… You won’t—"
"OHH YES, I will be allowed to take my gun, my knife, and all my other secret weapons!"
But why was I even having to argue about this?
Major Nathan, or should I say Irritated Major Nathan—gave me that look.
"What if I can’t reach you in time, and they attack early? What if I have no weapons?"
I argued back. This time, he had no response. Instead, he just threw his hands up in defeat.
Which meant I was taking my weapons. “COOL”
They had no choice but to listen to me. I was their ace sharpshooter, the best they had for missions like this.
I turned to leave, my hand just reaching the doorknob when Major Nathan’s voice rang out.
"You'll join the school starting tomorrow morning. That means go back and pack everything."
I turned back, ready to throw a fit.
"Can I just say I hate you?"
I smirked, then walked out.
Truth was, Major Nathan was the father I never had. His care, his trust in me even when I made choices based on my guts rather than orders. He knows about my past, my father and has been trying to change the whole country’s law just so that I can be a sniper.
I say that I hate him but I actually love him.
He gave me the kind of fatherly love I never received from my own biological father says a lot about him.
The bell rang and I stepped into the classroom with my homeroom teacher-Ms. Evie, she banged her hands at the table grabbing everyone’s attention. The boys were in plain white shirts, black tie and trousers, meanwhile the girls… well-the girls were all in different uniforms. White shirts, instead of a black tie there’s a small black bow, black miniskirts and some girls were in track suits while some were in trousers. I think that’s good, everyone is comfortable.
“Children this is Luna, your new classmate.” All eyes shifted towards me as she introduced me as an ace in shooting and swimming. What? I’m not an ace in swimming, no-why the f*ck did she say that? What did Sergeant Robert wrote in my student profile?
“Luna, introduce yourself please.”
“Hey everyone, I’m Luna” What do I say after this? I can’t brag about my past achievements. Major Nathan should have given me a whole essay for my introduction. “I.. I’m interested in shooting, swimming, athletics and… that’s all”
Everyone clapped and Ms. Evie told me to take a seat. My eyes scanned throughout the whole class until I found a vacant seat by the last window which means I’ll get a window seat all alone.
Ms. Evie started taking attendance and here I am trying not to dose off at the very start of the class, I didn’t even get to meet my roommates as I was already late. “There’s one child still missing, I’ll do the roll call again okay”
“No need for that, I’m here ma’am.” A deep, emotionless voice rumbled through the room and I instantly knew who’s voice it was-Ethan.
ETHAN…
ETHAN…
My blood boiled as I saw him. Well I think I already knew that Ethan would be the one coming for such an important mission, it’s not surprising at all. We both are the backbone of our respective units.
He gave his introduction and his interested fields were the same as mine, shooting, swimming, athletics. And… out of three vacant seats he sat next to me.
Why??
I don’t know!
Are we going to argue the whole time now?
I guess so.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Ethan” He held his hand up for a handshake with an eyebrow raise.
Uuughhh! We shook hands and I gave a fake smile, “NICE to meet you I’m Luna”
“Okay children your roll call is done now start with the self-study and then go for your free period.”
I should be studying my course, but instead, I’m studying everyone’s behavior.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the free period, students began leaving their seat, some stretching their arms, some yawing. This takes me to the old days when Ethan and I used to fight every time to see who the better one is.
I stood up, when my eyes landed on Ethan. He was slipping past a group of boys who were trying to talk to him. They called his name, but he acted like he didn’t hear them. He’s still cold to everyone, I hope no one will be suspicious of his behavior.
“Luna, right?”
I turned to see a girl with auburn hair smiling at me.
“I’m Rose, we’ll both be living in the same room. Since you’re new, want a quick school tour?”
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Sure.”
As we stepped into the hallway, the chatter of students filled the air. Rose gestured towards different sections of the building as we walked.
“That’s the library, the best way to escape classes if you’re lucky,” she joked. Next we passed by the cafeteria down the hallway. “If you ever need a quiet place, the rooftop is a hidden gem. There is a small walk-in closet for emergency escape in case of an attack, but don’t go near it. It contains few safety chemicals, a rope, a pistol, a few parachutes and some flares.”
“Why would a high school have a pistol? Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked, why the hell does this school keeps a pistol? What if someone takes it and start an open shooting?
Her smile vanished, as if she’d just heard something terrible.
“Due to multiple school shootings, students with gun licenses aren’t allowed to bring their own pistols to school. They have to use school-issued pistols for practice that are locked up in the office. So whenever there’s an open shooting, authorized students can access the pistols to stop the attacker.”
“But… you know. These aren’t ordinary shooters. I discovered that one of them had a small sunflower tattoo on his forearm. After some research, I found out that he belonged to a terrorist group named ‘TANGLED SUN’.
“Okay... Don’t worry. The army will take care of it and now that I’m here, you’re safe.” I hugged her tightly, feeling like I’d just gained a little sister.
“Does this school have any… restricted areas?” I asked casually.
Amused, Rose raised an eyebrow.
“Restricted? Not exactly. But some places give off weird vibes. Like the basement-it’s been locked for ages, and no one knows why.”
So now in the evening self-study session I’ll check out the rooftop and maybe some other places as well.
Chapter 3
I’ve seen all the blind spots to escape the camera, I’ve already checked the rooftop, and so far, there’s nothing unusual. But I haven’t checked the basement yet. Rose is back in our dorm but Ivy and Lola are not here, they’re enjoying some family trip and I remember begging my father to take us on a family trip, but he never even looked at us with affection.
The first argument between Ethan and me broke out when we both were checking out the rooftop for anything suspicious. I was the first to reach the rooftop, but before I could check the walk-in- closet he pulled me and spun me around to the wall side.
“Are you crazy? There might be some traps inside that, do you even know what that is? Dummy”
“First, I was the one who came here to check this out. Second, this is a walk-in closet for emergency escape. Third, I’m smart enough not to open any random doors like that. Maybe you forgot but let me remind you-you always lost to me in every match we had.”
His smirk disappeared as he walked off towards the rooftop railing. I followed behind. Whenever we argued, I never missed the chance to remind him how he always lost our combat fights. Watching his reaction was always worth it.
The rooftop breeze carries a different kind of feeling-calm, almost soothing.
“This school and ‘Ray’ our old school, are the top military training school in the country. But this school… it’s different.” (Wait, is this guy actually talking to me? Ohh-looks like he is. Cool)
“Different? Looks like I wasn’t the only one who got a strange feeling about this place” I turned to face him, but as expected, his cold demeanor made it feel like I was talking to a wall.
He turned back and started walking towards the door, leaving me alone on the rooftop.
“Don’t forget-you have to gather intelligence before me,” he called over his shoulder, waving a hand dismissively in the air.
Oh, hell no. I totally got lost.
I sat at my desk, casually flipping through my notebook, my pen moving just to keep up appearances. Every so often, I glanced at Rose ensuring she was busy in her studies.
With a quiet sigh, I stretched, then pulled out my calculator, tapping buttons like I was solving an equation. My fingers quickly entered the secret code, and the screen flickered.
{“School restricted licensed shooters from carrying pistols. Emergency escape stocked with supplies-pistol, flares, parachutes, safety chemicals. Long abandoned locked basement. Frequent open shootings. Dead shooter had a sunflower tattoo-linked to TANGLED SUN. Suspect student involvement.”}
I hit enter. The message vanished, leaving nothing but a regular math problem on the screen. Just another student studying-at least, that’s what it looked like.
Twenty Hours Later…
Twenty hours in, and I was already exhausted.
Rose plopped down beside me, staring like she had something to say.
“What?” I asked.
“When you were paired with Yuri Lucas in Math, did you notice how he looked at you?”
“Looked at me?” (WTH was she saying! We were arguing most of the time)
“Yeah! First, he teased and argued with you, then he had love in his eyes.”
I frowned. That guy was a kid to me.
She sighed dreamily, hand over her heart.
“It’s definitely love at first sight.”
“Love at first sight? Huh? MY FOOT!!”
She frowned at my response. “Yuri is a handsome hunk, good in Math, athletics, and singing. He’s a good catch Luna”
“I’m not here to catch people like Pokémon you dumba*s, go sleep now!!”
She pouted and went back to bed while I pulled out my calculator.
Day 2 was nothing but arguments with Yuri and Ethan.
I punched in the secret code, and the screen changed.
{“Suspect teacher involvement. Terrorists disguised as staff and students. Secret notes found in the library. A holiday tomorrow, we’ll meet at my private apartment.”}
Okay, so this school has a few teachers involved with the terrorist group and maybe Robin Brady is also among the students. Our sports meet is also very near and the boys in our class are just getting on my nerves. They bully everyone like they own the school. Fu*king spoiled brats. But most of the best athletes are in our section. SECTION F-FU*KING F.
“Major Nathan! Did you erase all my public records?” I asked with frustration while locking the door of my apartment. It feels like I’m again in high-school bunking classes, sneaking out and all that fun.
“Of course. The moment you become a sharpshooter or a sniper, all your public information is wiped off
. ‘Standard Protocol’”
“COOL”
I body slammed onto my couch-so comfortable.
“Where are the notes?”
Oh, right! The notes-here. I found this in the library behind a book called ‘A Father Is Not A Dad’. There was a hidden sliding space behind it. The library is closed today, so I need to put this back in its place later.
{April 12
One less rat to worry about. He thought he could expose us-now he’s just a message.
April 13
Graves and you three, open fire. Kill as many as you can.
-R.B}
Also I found one more note behind a book called ‘HELP’. This one is written by a student who’s probably dead by now.
I handed him the note. It had droplets of blood.
They think I don’t know, but I saw everything.
{April 12
Mr. Graves met three men near the abandoned lab. They said-“April 13. Open shooting. No one leaves.”
A fake lockdown drill.
I tried to warn someone. Too late.
I’ll be gone by the time you read this. They’ll throw my body in the hall after shooting.}
“We can’t send forces yet,” Major Nathan said grimly. “If we move too soon, Brady will het suspicious. We need a plan.” He nodded, still lost in thought.
“Have you checked the principal? Is he clean?” I asked hoping some reassurance.
“Yeah, he is.” Major confirmed.
“Okay, hear me out. We inform the principal, and I’ll be ready. According to the notes, there are four men planning the attack. There are ten buildings in the school, but they’ll likely target the high classes. I’ll take down as many as I can.”
Major sighed. “I found out Robin Brady went to this school. He was bullied for his religion. A lot happened to him.”
"Does anyone from Alpha-9 know about this?" he asked.
"I’m not sure, but Ghost might have found something. He wouldn’t just sit back. If I try to stop them, their backup could lock us in. You need to be ready."
"Yeah, that’s possible. Be careful. You’ll be fighting alone-capture Brady first, then take down the others."
I nodded. "Hand me my special specs." I smirked.
Major passed them to me. "They have the school's blueprint, Brady’s profile, and IDs of a few disguised terrorists."
April 13
Letters placed. The principal knows but can’t act.
The boys are discussing Ethan and my events for the sports meet.
I’m armed-four pistols strapped to my thighs under my skirt, syringes with knockout chemicals, two knives in my sleeves, two in my socks, and a bracelet with 500 coated needles.
Black flare signals forces to enter. Red warns them to stay out.
I’m ready.
"I guess we'll have to work together today," Ethan says.
"I’d rather have my soul snap out of my body than work with you," I snap.
"I found notes near the basement. It’s not just an open shooting. The bomb timer is set for today. Brady has the remote."
"I’ll handle it alone. You—your face—everything about you disgusts me."
His smirk fades.
"I did it to save my family," he murmurs. "They were terminally ill. If I didn’t get the sniper position, they’d be dead."
He knew I needed that spot to save my brother, yet he still—was it a prank?
No. It was survival.
"But I lost my only family, Ethan." My voice fades with each word.
"I knew the bet with your father. Your brother is in the special research headquarters. He's getting the treatment you fought for."
For a moment, I forgot to breathe. I’d hated Ethan for years, and now he tells me my brother is alive? Before I could speak, he whispered, “We have to survive this. You still want to meet your brother, right?”
I nodded. I still hated him for lying.
"Luna! Will you be my girlfriend?" Yuri suddenly blurted in front of the whole class.
Ethan and I choked on our own saliva.
"I can't," I snapped.
"Why? I can’t get you out of my head!"
"Then get a new head," I deadpanned.
Before he could argue, gunshots echoed in the hallway.
Ethan and I locked the doors, barricading one with benches. Screams filled the room.
"Calm down! Hide behind the benches!" I ordered.
We checked the windows and climbed to the rooftop. Ethan handed me an earpiece before we split up.
I moved down carefully, spotting Mr. Deck with a gun. Quick spray to his eyes, a hand over his mouth, and a clean 360° twist-down. I grabbed his gun and moved forward.
Clearing five terrorists, I reached the hallway. Ethan was helping the students.
I tapped my specs, bringing up Brady’s image. “Locate him,” I commanded.
His position appeared-Section E.
I marched forward, stepping over bodies. I had to make sure there were no sensor bombs at the entrance.
Chapter 4
The hallway was empty, survivors crawling to safety. Ethan and I helped over 20 injured students.
I found a girl, her face covered in blood. “Rose? Its fine, it’s fine,” I whispered, wiping her face. She broke into sobs, and I hugged her.
Suddenly, a knife slid into my left forearm-blood spilled. Before I could react, another blade pressed under my chin.
“HEY, SOLDIER!!” the bastard shouted.
Ethan spun, his gun raised.
"Killing me won’t affect him. We work for different units, shithead." I tried to distract him but I guess that won’t be working.
"Shut up, little girl."
"Fine, I’ll come with you. Let the girl go. Deal?"
He hesitated, then agreed. Ethan looked ready to rip him apart. Rose crawled her way to a nearby class.
For the first time, fear gripped me. My brother was alive-I wanted to see him. I couldn’t die.
I signaled Ethan to lower his gun while my hand moved. In a swift motion, I yanked the knife away, stabbed him with a syringe, and rolled out of the way.
BAM! x6
Ethan emptied six rounds into him.
"You crazy, right? I told you to work together, but your pride is worth more than these lives?" He shouted.
A wave of guilt hit me hard. He was right. I nodded.
"We’ll work together, then."
A click shattered the silence.
Three shooters. We looked for cover but there was none.
Rolling and dodging bodies, I spotted Mrs. Ella Flair-the fucking dean-holding a rifle.
My bracelet flicked. Five needles shot at her. She still managed to hold the gun. I kicked her wrist and sent her over the railing.
I lunged for the rifle, but Ethan tackled me. We crashed to the floor.
"Get off, you pig-ass!" I snapped. Then I spotted blood, it splattered.
Ethan had taken a bullet for me.
"Why? We’re nothing, Ghost. Why the fuck did you do it? You fucking crazy? Don’t forget I still hate you" Tears blurred my vision.
I pulled the trigger. Three men dropped dead.
A gasp.
Ethan...
Tears finally fell. Ethan’s hand covered in blood tried to cup my face, but then wiped on his clothes before cupping my face.
"You… still have to meet your… brother, right?"
I nodded, choking on sobs.
"Don’t think taking a bullet for me will get you forgiven. I still hate you. I fucking hate you."
He laughed through ragged breaths.
"Hate me for life, I’ll gladly accept it. But you can’t be weak now-everyone’s life is on you. Even mine."
"Then I’d rather have you dead. One burden less."
His smirk widened. “Then I guess I’ll die with a smile.” What…
"The bullet is in my right forearm, but I work with my left. Help me take off my shirt and tie it around the wound."
"Take mine. I’ve got a bandage over my bulletproof armor."
We made our way to the stairs-Ethan going down to defuse the bomb, me heading to capture Brady.
Stepping into Section E, I barely had time to react before Brady lunged. His fist crashed into my ribs, knocking the air out of me. I hit back, slamming my knee into his stomach, but the bastard barely flinched.
"You really think you can stop this, little girl?" he sneered, dodging my punch and slicing a knife across my forearm.
Shit!! That hurts.
I hissed, blood dripping down my arm. "Fuck off, Brady."
We exchanged blows-his kicks brutal, my fists relentless. I caught his calf with my knife, but he retaliated with a punch to my jaw that sent me stumbling. Fuck Fuck Fuckkkkkk
"You’re too fucking late," he laughed, wiping blood from his mouth. "The bomb’s set. In a few minutes, this school will be nothing but ashes. Every single person-dead. Including your precious Ghost."
My mind spun. My whole fucking life flashed before me-my brother, the fights, the betrayal, the hatred. These annoying kids, my so-called classmates, my goddamn school.
Brady smirked. "You can’t stop it. It’s fucking impossible."
"Fuck impossible, you half bald man" I spat, driving my knee into his chest and twisting his arm until he let out a strangled yell. One final punch to his temple-hard enough to crack bone—and he was out cold.
Ethan’s voice crackled through my earpiece. "Luna, we’ve got a sensor bomb. Forces have to enter from the roof. Five minutes left."
I fired my black flare and fired upwards so that they’ll know from where to enter. Tying Brady up before sprinting down the stairs. My mind raced. Even if these dumbasses are annoying, they’re part of this fucking school. They’re my classmates. My friends.
Bursting into the bomb room, I saw Ethan, drenched in sweat, fingers working fast. "Three minutes," he growled.
I grabbed a tool and knelt beside him. "We’re not dying today, dumbass."
Seconds ticked down. My hands shook. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
10 seconds.
One final snip.
Silence.
I exhaled, collapsing beside Ethan.
He smirked. "Told you we’d make a good team."
He gently kissed my forehead and then we sprinted upwards. But what was that kiss for?
Chapter 5
Traitors.
Olivia threw a punch, but Ethan ducked, countering with a brutal kick to her ribs. Aaron swung at him, but Ethan caught his wrist, twisting it until a sickening crack echoed through the air.
Meanwhile, three terrorists rushed at me.
"Fucking finally," I muttered, cracking my knuckles.
The first idiot charged, and I side-stepped, driving my knee into his gut before slamming my elbow into his temple.
The second one pulled out a knife. Cute. I dodged his sloppy swings, grabbed his wrist, and flipped him over my shoulder, stabbing my own knife straight into his thigh.
The third guy hesitated. Mistake. I launched forward, punching him square in the nose. Blood splattered as he stumbled back, but I didn’t give him a chance to recover. A quick spin-kick to the jaw, and he was out.
Gunshots rang out. The principal stood at the far end, holding a gun, four terrorists lying motionless at his feet.
“COOL”
Even with all this, it was too fucking late for so many.
89 students were dead.
28 injured.
We got our wounds treated in silence, the weight of everything pressing down on us.
As Ethan and I stepped outside, he glanced at me with a smirk. "We’ll compete in the sports meet."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, we’re still part of Section F, right? But you’ll still fucking lose to me."
"We’ll see about that," he chuckled.
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