Arrows of Betrayal (Patreon)

The mission was clear, retrieve the stolen drive, eliminate the target, and vanish. Lena Cross had executed countless jobs before, her body honed into a weapon, her mind sharper than the steel she carried. Yet, even the deadliest assassin was still human. And humans bleed.

She hadn’t heard the arrows. Silent. Precise. A hunter’s weapon, not a soldier’s. The first bolt struck her chest, slicing through flesh and bone. The second followed, embedding itself beside the first. The impact stole her breath, her fingers twitching as she stumbled.

Lena’s body arched, pain igniting in her core like wildfire. Her legs wobbled, strength fading as crimson seeped into the fabric of her white top. She clutched at the wounds, feeling the warmth of her own life trickling through her fingertips.

Her eyes darted across the room, searching for her attacker. But the betrayal was clear, this was an ambush. A setup. She had walked into a death trap.

Her knees buckled, and the room spun. She collapsed onto the cold floor, her back arching as agony wracked her frame. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her vision dimming, shadows creeping at the edges of her consciousness.

She wanted to fight. To rise. To escape. But the arrows were buried too deep, her body too weak. With one last, shuddering breath, her body slackened. Her fingers curled. Her eyes, once fierce, dulled into a lifeless stare.

The predator had become the prey.