Athena walked through the quiet pathways of the estate, the cold night air wrapping around her as she made her way back to the villa.
The gentle rustling of leaves filled the space between her footsteps, but sothing in the air felt wrong.
A shadow flickered in the periphery of her vision.
Her instincts scread at her, and before she could fully react, a deafening explosion erupted from the treetops.
The shockwave sent a burst of dust and debris into the air, causing her to shield her face as she staggered back.
Figures descended from the darkness, dozens of them. Their armor glead under the pale light of the hovering spacecraft above, their visors concealing their identities.
The insignia on their shoulders was unfamiliar, but Athena knew one thing for certain, these weren’t ordinary rcenaries.
Her shadow guards materialized from the darkness, their weapons drawn as they surrounded her in a protective formation.
"Lady Athena, get back!" one of them ordered.
But before they could react further, the first wave of assassins struck.
Blades flashed in the darkness, clashing against the shadow guards’ weapons. The sound of tal against tal echoed through the air, sparks flying as the battle erupted in full force.
Athena swiftly assessed the situation, her guards were skilled, but they were outnumbered. The enemy had coordinated their attack too well, cutting off any chance of retreat.
A figure lunged at her from behind, but she spun at the last second, her dagger flashing as she blocked the incoming strike.
The sheer force of the blow sent her skidding backward. Another attacker ca at her from the left, but she twisted her body, dodging just in ti as the blade barely missed her cheek.
A trap.
They were waiting for her.
Athena exhaled sharply, her grip tightening on her only weapons, a single dagger strapped to her thigh and the high-power chain coiled around her waist.
It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.
With a swift motion, she unhooked the chain and sent it flying. The tallic links extended like a whip, wrapping around the nearest attacker’s wrist.
With a sharp tug, the weapon tightened, slicing through flesh and bone with an unnatural ease.
A strangled scream followed as the enemy collapsed, his severed hand dropping uselessly to the ground.
There was no ti to process the kill. Another opponent ca at her, and Athena ducked, using the montum to loop the chain around his leg and yank hard.
The man crashed to the ground, and before he could react, she drove her dagger into his exposed throat.
Blood splattered against the dirt.
The scent of tal filled the air.
But they kept coming.
The enemy fought like a well-trained force, precise, calculated, and unrelenting.
Athena’s movents were fluid, each attack executed with deadly efficiency, but even she was beginning to feel the pressure.
Her guards were falling one by one.
A shadow lood above her, and before she could react, a force slamd into her back, sending her sprawling onto the ground.
She rolled just in ti to avoid the blade that would have impaled her, the tip embedding itself deep into the soil where she had just been.
A boot pressed down on her wrist, pinning her dagger to the ground.
She snarled, twisting her body and using her free hand to lash out with the chain, wrapping it around her attacker’s neck. With a vicious pull, she tightened it like a noose.
The man choked, his hands scrambling to free himself.
Athena didn’t hesitate. She rolled onto her knees and used his struggle to propel herself upward, driving her knee into his face.
His helt cracked from the impact, and he crumpled to the ground, motionless.
Breathless, she scanned the battlefield.
Her guards were barely holding on. The enemy was still advancing, but she noticed sothing strange, none of them aid to kill her.
They were subduing her, forcing her into a position where she would have no choice but to surrender.
Realization struck her like lightning.
They wanted her alive.
Athena clenched her jaw. That ant only one thing, soone important had ordered this attack.
The thought only fueled her rage.
Another assassin lunged at her, but she caught his wrist mid-strike and twisted, forcing the weapon from his grip before driving her dagger into his exposed ribs.
A pained grunt left his lips as he stumbled, and she shoved him aside just in ti to block another incoming attack with her chain.
A deafening roar filled the air.
From above, the spacecraft that had been hovering in silence suddenly released a pulse of energy.
The wave knocked everyone off their feet, the sheer force rattling the ground. Athena barely managed to stay upright, her heart hamring as she saw the ship opening its lower hatch.
Reinforcents.
She gritted her teeth.
She couldn’t let them take her.
Ignoring the burning ache in her limbs, she moved swiftly, grabbing a fallen enemy’s firearm.
With a precise aim, she fired at the descending troops before they could fully disembark. Two of them fell before they even touched the ground.
But she was running out of ti.
The leader of the attack, a tall man clad in black armor, stepped forward.
His presence sent a chill down Athena’s spine. His stance was relaxed, almost mocking, as he observed the battlefield.
Then, he spoke.
"Lady Athena, you are to co with us."
His voice was calm. Confident.
Athena wiped the sweat from her brow, raising the gun toward him. "And if I refuse?"
A smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
"You won’t refuse."
As if on cue, several more figures erged from the shadows, surrounding her completely.
So of them had weapons pressed against the throats of her remaining guards, forcing them to their knees.
Athena’s grip on the gun tightened.
Her mind raced.
She had two choices, fight to the death or find a way to escape.
The leader tilted his head, as if waiting for her answer.
Athena exhaled sharply. Then, slowly, she lowered the gun.
A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face.
"Smart choice," he murmured.
But Athena wasn’t done yet.
In one swift motion, she flicked her wrist, and the chain around her waist lashed out one last ti.
It struck a hidden pressure point on her optical brain communicator, sending out an ergency distress signal before the enemy could stop her.
Mors would co.
He would co for her.
She just had to hold on.
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