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"Everyone stay low and move to the hall," my father orders, as we all cautiously make our way out of the office. I catch a glimpse of movement outside the window, and my heart skips a beat. Climbing up a distant tree is a figure dressed in dark clothing, almost blending into the shadows.
"Wait...who's that?" I mutter under my breath, trying to get a better look at the mysterious figure. It's too far away to see clearly, but I can't shake the feeling that it might be the Ghost.
The elusive vigilante who has been haunting our enemies and protecting us from afar. But before I can focus on the figure any longer or mention it to anyone, Marco's urgent voice breaks through my thoughts.
"Dario! We have to get to safety!" He yells, pulling me away from the window. The priority now is securing the compound and ensuring no one else gets hurt. The Ghost, if it is indeed them, will have to wait.
"Right," I say, taking one last glance at the figure in the tree before turning my attention back to Marco. Whoever that sniper was, hasn’t shot again. And I wonder if it’s because the Ghost is watching over us.
If the Ghost is out there, fighting off the sniper, then it means we have an ally we can't afford to ignore. They're our unsung sentinel, and I have a feeling that without them, this situation could have been much worse.
"Marco," I say urgently, "start the lockdown procedures. We need to make sure everyone's safe."
"Understood, Dario," he replies, already making his way towards the door.
As I look back at the distant tree, I can't help but feel indebted to the Ghost. Their presence has undeniably given us a fighting chance against our enemies.
However, I don't voice my thoughts, knowing that discussing the Ghost would only lead to more questions and complicate the situation even further.
"Someone must be pulling the strings behind all these attacks," I think aloud, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"Whoever they are, they've made a grave mistake," I vow quietly, clenching my fists. "Pagheranno per aver portato questa violenza alla nostra porta." – They'll pay for bringing this violence to our doorstep.
Chapter 15
The Veil Thins
Jasmine
I tap my foot nervously as I wait in Dario's apartment, not knowing what to do with myself. When I returned from my meeting with Elena, I thought I would grab my stuff and head back home.
However, Dario was in such a rush when he bade me goodbye, and insisted I stay here for my safety until his return, that I thought it best to just nod along instead of start an argument that would take up his precious time.
And so, instead of insisting I should leave, I stayed.
But the longer I stay, the larger my current predicament seems to get. Everything in the room has a touch of Dario in it and sometimes, for a fleeting second, I find myself wondering when he’d be back.
A few hours in, I even think I miss him. Each thought of him is a constant reminder of how my position within the agency has been compromised. Every decision I've made up until this point feels like it's teetering on the edge of disaster, but there's no turning back now.
I can’t just sit around and drown in my thoughts. My mind is already suffocating me. Perhaps, what I need is some fresh air.
But I realize I can’t leave the building, for I don’t have a passkey to get back inside and I don’t want Dario to return and find me missing. After everything he’s done to secure my safety, it would be ungrateful, evil, to break a promise to him regarding the same.
So a quick internet search shows me that the building has a rooftop garden.
I follow the numbers of the elevator impatiently, curiosity piqued by the promise of a space untouched by Dario to quieten my thoughts of him. Suddenly, I’m standing in a rooftop garden.
It’s absolutely beautiful. A small marble fountain gurgles water in a soothing, calming tone and the water reflects the moonlight above. Flowers of all colors and sizes grow on the grass, and in pots all around.
Little gnomes hold electric candles, illuminating my path. Cute benches and chairs are hidden away amongst small trees and bonsai and the whole place smells absolutely divine.
The serenity of the space is almost overwhelming, a stark contrast to the chaos on the streets alone and I feel like I’m the only person in the world. The city below buzzes with life, but up here, it's as if time has slowed down just for me.
"Wow," I breathe, taking in the beauty of it all. "This place is incredible."
“Isn’t it?” A voice startles me. I gasp and look around myself, wondering where it came from.
I look to my left, then right. I hear him laugh and turn around to find myself staring at Dario, sitting on a wrought iron bench, camouflaged by the greenery.
