Athena held her breath, her body pressed firmly against the wall, waiting. The presence following her was deliberate, their steps cautious but confident.
They weren’t just another survivor or a scavenger. They were skilled. Trained. The mont the figure rounded the corner, Athena moved.
Like a shadow, she lunged forward, her sword slicing through the air with precision, aid to incapacitate, not kill.
But the man was fast, unnaturally fast. He twisted his body at the last second, dodging her strike with a fluidity that sent alarms ringing in her mind.
Before she could adjust her stance, he countered. A powerful kick slamd into her side, sending her stumbling backward.
She recovered quickly, flipping back into position, sword raised, eyes narrowing at her opponent.
The man was tall, lean but muscular, his movents controlled and lethal. His eyes locked onto hers, an intense gaze that sent an unsettling chill down her spine.
She recognized sothing in them, but she couldn’t place why.
He smirked. "You’ve gotten slow, Athena."
Her eyes widened, grip tightening on her sword. "Who are you?"
Instead of answering, he attacked.
Athena barely had ti to block his punch, her forearm absorbing the impact as she twisted to the side, attempting a sweeping kick to knock him off balance.
But he anticipated it, leaping over her leg and retaliating with a knee aid at her stomach. She grunted as the hit connected, but she didn’t falter.
Using the force of his attack, she twisted in midair, flipping over his head, landing behind him, and slashing her sword in a deadly arc. The blade t resistance, not flesh, but tal.
A dagger. He had blocked her attack with a single knife, holding it between his fingers with terrifying ease.
Before she could recover, his free hand shot out, gripping her wrist in an ironclad grip, twisting it just enough for pain to shoot up her arm, forcing her to release the sword.
It clattered against the pavent, and in that brief second, she was at a disadvantage.
Athena reacted instinctively, using her left hand to strike toward his face, but he ducked, his knee colliding with her stomach once more, knocking the breath out of her.
She staggered, but he didn’t give her a chance to regain her footing.
In one swift motion, he spun her around and slamd her back against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand.
Athena struggled, muscles flexing as she tried to break free, but his grip was unyielding, as if he had done this before, restrained her before.
She froze. Why did that thought feel so… real?
She looked up at him, chest rising and falling rapidly, her heart pounding against her ribs.
There was sothing about him, sothing that pulled at the empty spaces in her mind, the void where her mories should be.
He leaned in slightly, his smirk widening. "Woman, it’s ti to pay back what you owe ."
Athena’s breath hitched. She had been alone for as long as she could rember. She had no debts, no attachnts, no past, at least, none that she could recall.
And yet, this man was looking at her like he had known her for years.
"Who… are you?" she demanded, her voice laced with frustration.
His gaze darkened slightly, as if her question offended him. "So you really don’t rember."
Before she could ask what he ant, a sharp pain exploded at the back of her neck. Her vision blurred, and her body went slack.
The last thing she saw was the man’s face, his expression unreadable, before darkness swallowed her whole.
-
Athena woke up to the sensation of cold tal against her skin. Her wrists were bound, thick cuffs wrapped tightly around them, limiting her movent.
She blinked against the dim lighting, her senses gradually returning as she took in her surroundings.
A room. Concrete walls. A single steel door. A prison cell.
She gritted her teeth, her mind still reeling from the encounter. The man, who was he? How did he know her? What did she supposedly owe him?
The door creaked open. Her head snapped toward it, and her entire body tensed as the sa man stepped inside, his sharp gaze scanning her restrained form.
His presence filled the room, suffocating and dominant. He was dressed in tactical gear, a commander’s insignia stitched onto his shoulder.
Military.
Athena narrowed her eyes. "You really have the nerve to capture and not even tell your na?"
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "If I told you, would you even rember?"
She hated the way his words made sothing in her chest tighten. "I don’t owe you anything," she spat.
He chuckled, but there was no amusent in his eyes. "You owe more than you can imagine, Athena."
The way he said her na sent a shiver down her spine.
Athena inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. "If you’re expecting to play along with whatever delusions you have, you’re wasting your ti."
He pushed off the wall and approached her, his steps slow and deliberate.
"I don’t need you to play along," he murmured, stopping just inches away. "I just need you to rember."
His fingers brushed against her wrist, right where her pulse was hamring. The mont his skin t hers, sothing inside her cracked.
A flash of sothing, mories, feelings, surged through her, too quick to grasp, too intense to understand.
She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide as her vision blurred for a split second.
His gaze was unwavering, studying her reaction closely. "You felt that, didn’t you?"
Athena jerked her arm away, glaring. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if dealing with her was exhausting. "You will."
Athena clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain impassive. She would escape. She didn’t care who he was or what he claid she owed him.
She wasn’t the type to be held captive. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to let a stranger dictate her past.
Reviews
All reviews (0)