The cold wind whipped through Vesna's dark hair as she stood at the edge of the roof, high above the bustling streets. Her midnight blue dress fluttered around her. Her gaze, the color of a brewing storm, was fixed at a distance.
The city below was alive with neon lights and the hum of a thousand conversations. Cars honked, people shouted, and the occasional siren wailed.
Ten years. Ten years since she left City S, a city that reeked of pain and betrayal. Ten years since she vanished like a phantom, leaving the Xiao family to their comfortable delusions.
The scared little girl that once resided in this body was gone. The ruthless woman who once commanded the underworld was dead. In their place, now stood a woman stood a woman who was a phoenix reborn from the ashes.
The city lights below twinkled like a million distant promises. Ten years abroad had been a calculated move. She had used the Xiao family's largesse to rebuild herself, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
And now, she was back. Two lives intertwined within her, each demanding justice in its own right.
The hunt had started.
Her eyes slightly narrowed, her mind replaying the phone call that had set everything in motion.
"Vesna are you up here?" Vesna's trance was broken by the soft, trembling voice, laced with fake sweetness.
She didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she let the silence hang in the air for a moment. Irene Zhang shifted nervously on her feet, the wind whipping at her hair.
"Vesna, honey, where are you? " she called again, her voice laced with a forced sweetness. She edged close to the railing, sneaking a peak below, and visibly shivered. "Mom...Mommy came to see you."
Taking a shaky breath, Irene stepped away from the railing, her designer heels clicking nervously on the rough concrete. A hand was placed on her chest, her heart thumping in fear.
Irene tilted her head, finally catching the silhouette standing at the very edge of the roof, against the city's glittering backdrop. A strangled gasp escaped her lips and she stumbled back a few paces.
"Ves...Vesna?" Irene stammered, her voice cracking with terror.
Finally, Vesna turned, the wind whipping her dark hair around her face like a veil. Irene gasped for the second time. The person standing in front of her was beautiful. No, she was ethereal. Gone was the wide-eyed, frightened girl Irene remembered. In her place stood someone with an aura of untouchable grace.
She was tall, with long flowing black hair that danced in the wind. Her brows are perfectly arched, framing dark gray eyes. Her lips were full and red, contrasting with her pale skin.
Was this really the person she gave birth to?
"It's been a while, Mother," Vesna said, devoid of any warmth.
"Vesna," Irene's voice cracked. She paused, swallowing hard as she forced a smile on her face "Look at you. You've… you've grown up into such a beautiful lady."
Vesna listened to that woman's forced pleasantries, her face an unreadable mask.
This was the first time she was meeting this woman herself. Irene wore a bright yellow dress with heavy makeup on her face and fake gold jewelry around her neck. Yet all of this failed to conceal the toll that drugs had taken on her body.
"Vesna, come down here. Let mommy take a closer look at you" Irene urged.
Vesna remained motionless, her eyes fixed on Irene with an intensity that made the older woman shift uncomfortably.
"Cut the chase and get to the point, Irene. What was so important that you could not tell me on the phone?" Vesna's voice cut through the night, sharp and cold.
Irene flinched at the directness of the question. Her painted smile faltered for a moment before she forced it back into place. Her gaze flickered around as if she was searching for something, then her smile suddenly widened, now more confident, more sinister.
Vesna quirked an eyebrow. She had long ago noticed the presence of three more people.
"Vesna," Irene drawled, her voice dripping with honeyed venom.
Three men walked out of the shadows. The first, a towering hulk of a man, had a shaved head and a thick beard that obscured most of his face. Beside him stood a shorter man, his head shaved clean and a single gold tooth glinting in the moonlight. The third was a hulking brute with a mane of green hair and tattoos snaked across his arms.
"Mommy got in trouble recently and needs your help. You will help mommy, right?" With each word, Irene retreated a few steps.
Vesna's lips curved into a humorless smile, the memory of a naive girl manipulated by that same voice flashing before her eyes. It was a re-run of a ten-year-old play, except this time, the ending wouldn't be the same.
"You weren't wrong," the hulking man rumbled, his gaze lingering on Vesna with a predatory glint. He tossed a hefty bag towards Irene, the thud echoing on the rooftop. "She's a looker, that's for sure."
Irene lunged for the bag in desperation, her hands trembling slightly as she fumbled to open it. She took out a wad of cash secured by a rubber band. Relief and excitement flooded her features as she sniffed the bills.
With a final, lingering glance at her daughter, she chirped, "Lovely meeting you after such a long time. Remember, Mommy loves you."
Vesna watched the woman's retreating figure with cold indifference and turned her attention to the three men.
"Seems your old lady cashed out on you pretty quick," the bald man chuckled.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. We aren't like your mother. We'll take good care of you." The short man with the gold tooth chimed in with a high-pitched cackle.
Vesna tilted her head, looking unamused.
"A little advice," she began, "I would run if I were you."
"Run?" The green-haired guy questioned, his voice dripping with amusement. "But we just arrived at the par-"
Before he could complete the sentence, a shadow ran past him. His eyes widened in shock, a strangled gurgle escaping his lips.
A few steps away from him, Vesna stood, her dark hair flowing in the wind like a storm cloud. In her hand, a small dagger glinted in the moonlight, blood dripping off it.
A thin red line appeared on his neck, a crimson trickle beginning to flow. He staggered back, clutching at his throat. His eyes, wide with shock and disbelief, locked onto hers for a fleeting moment before he collapsed to the ground, his life slipping away in a crimson pool.
First Blood.
The remaining two thugs, their faces etched with terror, shared a panicked look. The bald man was the first to snap out of his trance. With a growl, he charged at Vesna, his massive fists swinging wildly. She dodged his blows with ease, her movements swift and graceful. The man's momentum carried him past her, and before he could recover, Vesna spun on her heel, her dagger slicing through his neck.
Double kill.
The last man stared at his fallen comrades, his eyes wide with terror. He tried to run, but before he could even take a few steps, the dagger found its mark on his back. He let out a choked cry, stumbling forward and collapsing onto the rooftop. Vesna went to him and grabbed his hair, pulling his head up. Her other hand pulled out the dragger and slashed it across his neck.
Triple kill.