It must've been past midnight when she stirred.
Her throat was dry.
The kind of dryness that made swallowing hurt.
She blinked into the dark, the faint outline of Milo curled near her feet. For a second, she thought about ignoring it and going back to sleep — but habit won.
She got up, bare feet padding softly across the wooden floor.
No sound. No movement. Just the whisper of her own breath.
The kitchen light flickered as she turned it on.
She filled a glass, lifted it to her lips—
and froze.
In the faint reflection on the window glass, she saw it.
A shadow. Tall. Still. Wrong. So wrong
A figure was standing at the far end of her living room, half-hidden in the dark — watching her.
Her chest tightened. The glass slipped slightly in her grip, clinking against the sink.
She turned slowly — but the space was empty.
Did I imagine that?
No. No, I saw something.
Then — a sound. A whisper of air.
An arrow hissed past her and buried itself into the cabinet beside her head.
She gasped, dropped the glass
Another arrow sliced through the air, shattering the mug on the counter.
She ducked behind it, heart pounding, every sound too loud.
Milo hissed from under the table.
Greece's breath came in ragged bursts.
She looked around frantically, searching for anything — a knife, a weapon, something.
Before she could reach for one, the front door burst open.
A gunshot thundered through the room.
The figure by the window jerked violently, a flash of blood spraying against the wall. Then it fell —
lifeless.
She froze, trembling, eyes wide.
Smoke hung in the air. The smell of gunpowder filled her lungs.
Greece stared at the body on her floor — at the arrow still lodged in the cabinet — and then at the man who'd just stepped out of the darkness. calm and dangerous.
He had on a simple pair of dark slacks and tight t-shirt that seemed to hug every inch of his huge frame, hair tousled almost as tho he just got out of bed, but simplicity in which he seemed to dress didn't align with the way he carried himself or the aura he seemed to ooze.
I could tell Instantly that he was dangerous, even more so than the guy whom he just shot dead, how did I know, I couldn't really tell neither could I place it but I could feel it buried deep in my bones, that this was not someone I'd want to fuck with.
Gun still raised.
"Don't move," he said, voice low and even.
Greece's breath hitched.
"Who—who are you?"
He lowered the gun slowly, his expression unreadable under the dim light.
"The one keeping you alive," he said simply.
She stared at him — disbelief, fear, anger — everything clashing in her eyes.
"What are you talking about? Who was that? Why—"
"Questions later," he cut in. "We have to move."
"Move" Greece screeched
"The hell if you think I'm going anywhere with you"
"I don't even know you, you just waltzed into my home, shoot someone
dead and then tell me, we need to move and you actually expect me to"
she said while panting.
He looked at her, eyes cold and bored,almost as if he wished he could be
anywhere but here, doing whatever he's doing.
She thought, well she also
wasn't going anywhere without a decent explanation.
Who was he she couldn't help but think and better yet, who the fuck was
the dead guy also
He looked at her, eyes cold, the kind of look that could silence a room.
He looked around the room once, gun steady, eyes flat — then back at her.
"So you happen to have two options right now, one you can argue,
and in less than 5 mins the next group of assassins will be here to
finish you off" he said, voice low and rough,
"or you can stay alive.
Pick one".
Greece blinked, trembling.
"W–what? Who the actual fuck are—"
"Don't."
He cut her off, sharp, final. "Not now."
He glanced at the blood near her feet, then exhaled through his nose — impatient, tired, already done with this night.
Honestly he did look tired
"Can't believe the old man dragged me out for this," he muttered, mostly to himself. "Middle of the damn night, and for what? A half-dressed girl who doesn't even know what's coming for her."
Thought as much, he definitely was dragged from his bed, didn't mean she was ready to comply
Her chest tightened.
"What are you talking about?"
He ignored her, checked the hallway once more, then said dryly,
"Frankly, I could go back right now and tell him you were already dead. Before I got here, it would've been easier."
She froze. "What—"
He looked at her then, really looked — eyes cold, unreadable.
"If you want to live," he said flatly, "you follow me. You talk later."
Silence.
Her throat burned, heart hammering. She wanted to scream, to demand an explanation — but his tone left no space for argument.
He turned and started for the door, tossing a glance over his shoulder.
"Five seconds, And while you're at it take a few clothes" he said
She hesitated for half a heartbeat, her breath still uneven. Then, instinct — panic — survival.
She turned sharply, snatched her small leather bag from the chair, and shoved inside whatever her hands could reach: her phone, wallet, a few crumpled bills, keys, and the thin silver locket she always wore but had taken off before bed.
The cat hissed from under the table, eyes reflecting the dim light.
She whispered, "Calm" while scooping him into her arms"
When she looked up, he was already at the door, one gloved hand resting on the handle, waiting — but barely.
"Four seconds," he said without turning.
Once she reached the door she heard the man say
"You can't take that"
"What"
"I can't leave Milo" I argue back
"He's my only family"
He sighed and said something under his breath while pinching the bridge of his nose, definitely something colourful I guess and opened the door finally
Silence.
Outside, somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed.
She glanced at the body on her floor, at the arrows buried in her cabinets — and then back at him.
Greece swallowed hard, adjusted the bag across her shoulder, and hurried after him — out into the cold night, barefoot on the porch, heart pounding like thunder.
She didn't know his name yet.
She didn't know why
this was happening, but something in her gut told her she didn't really have much of a choice.