Kylo

I find myself revealing sides of me to Clarice that would undoubtedly freak any person out at any time of the day, yet she inexplicably mumbled "I sure like you, mister."

Why on earth would I want her to like me? Even worse, why should I like her?

"Worship" is the right word I'd prefer to use instead. I want to worship this woman but I can't.

"What made you come here?" asks number seven after I appear to his lonesome forest house, hidden right on the shores of Braxton Lake. 

I came here right after dropping Clarice off at her parents' house. Of course, she had to feed her fish first so it's already been quite a long ride around the city for me.

Clarice and I agreed on a legend, concocting a story of an unpleasant car accident involving some truly unpleasant people, so her family wouldn't question her absence from the hospital.

Just like me, number seven hates the name given to him at the lab in the late fifties.

However, unlike me, he chose his own name—Red.

Red Cameron became his official name after he retired from being an active assassin.

Red sits on his old wooden rocking chair, stationed on the small dock that offers a full view of the lake. He lowers his bird-watching binoculars but keeps his gaze fixed on the water. This crazy bastard is apparently into watching birds now. 

It's a strange contrast to his previous profession—killing people.

"You still have a sharp hearing, Red," I reply casually, tucking my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

He brings the binoculars back to his eyes and remarks, "Well, what can I say, I may be old, but I still got it." Red then mutters to the magnification apparatus in his hands, "Damn piece of shit," before starting to clean the lenses with his sleeve.

As the sun slowly begins to scorch my black shirt, I watch him curse and mumble like an old grumpy man. It's a particularly sunny day at the end of August, with one of its benefits - fewer mosquitoes.

Rubbing my forehead, I grow impatient and utter, "Although, your memory is shittier than before. I was supposed to come today."

Immediately, he turns his gray-haired head over his shoulder and frowns, "Shit." Red jumps up from his wooden rocking chair, widening his arms as if somehow, it was my fault he had forgotten about our agreement. "What are you waiting for? Get your damn stick."

I can't believe I still have to come here every now and then for training. Red has been doing it my whole life, but lately, it's starting to feel pointless. The only good side is that he is the closest thing I've ever had to a father figure, so it's more like spending a day with an old friend than with my master.

Our training usually emphasizes being fast and silent, and today is no exception. As soon as I reach the worn-out facade of his little log house, I hear his stick whistle through the air behind me.

The unmistakable sound, even amidst the wildlife, makes me quickly step aside. Red strikes the wall and jostles his hand, causing the stick to fall from his grip into the unkempt tall grass that surrounds his property.

"Fuck," he groans, "I'm getting too old for this shit."

"Nah, they just built me better," I reply stoically, fully aware that even in his younger days, Red wouldn't stand a chance against me.

Irritated, he picks up the stick and demands, "Again!"

I oblige, letting him have the first move in our stick fight, treating it more like a warm-up. Suddenly, Red's focused face twists into a sly grin as he says over the sound of our wooden sticks clashing, "By the way, how is that little bird of yours doing?"

Hearing him mention Clarice momentarily shatters my composure, causing me to drop my weapon.

"Fucking hell, son. This is worse than I thought," he wiggles his wooden rod under my nose, unimpressed.

With a swift kick, I send the stick flying into the air, catching it skillfully as Red shoots me a deep, thoughtful look. "You know, you can't have her, right?"

"I know," I reply in annoyance.

"And you also know what you have to do when you're done playing with her, right?"

"I know," I sigh, rolling my eyes.

Red strikes me again, aggressively pushing my limits. "Then why the heck did you lose control when I mentioned her?"

His words sound like a threat, igniting a surge of rage within me. In one fluid motion, I flip behind him, firmly pressing my stick against his throat as I roar into his ear, "I won."

I release him and take a few steps away, turning my face toward the lake where the bright sun dances on its subtle waves. Red approaches me slowly, the long grass rustling under his feet, "I once fell in love with a woman I couldn't have."

Not with that story again.

I'm acutely aware that Clarice doesn't fit the criteria needed for me to claim her. The woman worthy of the master of assassination must be utterly obedient and loyal. Moreover, she cannot have a family.

Though her purpose is not to kill, that doesn't mean she can afford to be any less lethal than the assassin himself, especially with her skill to seduce every man in her way. 

A woman who is almost carved to perfection—no fear, no regrets, no mercy, no heart. And if needed, she has to be ready to even kill herself.

This is precisely why Red gave me the mansion. He's disappointed in women in general and didn't want to live in a house that constantly reminded him of what he could have had.

These rules are impossible to obey unless you're someone like number five. He decided to take in the little girl whose parents he assassinated and raise her himself. He molded her into what he deemed a perfect woman. As soon as she turned eighteen, he claimed her.

Red interrupts my deep thoughts with his raspy voice, "Your time is running out. I suggest you finish her sooner. It saves you a lot of trouble. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

"She killed the Huang dynasty leaders," I mutter, keeping my gaze fixed on the dancing waves reflecting the mixture of trees, sun, and the sky.

"That was your little birdie?" Red chuckles roughly and lights a cigarette right after. "You still can't have her. The board would never approve it."

I've always detested this senseless board—gray cardinals who control the world from behind the scenes. The people who hide their faces, play the role of judges, manipulate the chess pieces, and claim it's all fair.

"I'm not going to slaughter her either," I say audaciously. 

"What did you just say?" Red asks in a serious tone, the smoke from his cigarette wafting towards me, tempting me to light one myself. 

I slowly reach into my pockets and pull out my pack of cigarettes while I hear Red approaching, ending up right behind my back. 

"You can't hide her forever. The board will eventually find out if they don't already know." 

"Good."

Red chuckles, "Shit, man. You really love her that much?" He steps beside me, nodding, a slight pout on his mouth, his black eyes fixated on the lake as I do the same. 

"Who said I was in love?" I frown, searching for my lighter in my pockets. 

Red cringes, "Then why the hell do you even need her? It's certainly not for having a nice fuck every now or then."

"Somebody is trying to get rid of me," I mumble, the cigarette between my lips as I light it. 

"So you think by keeping her, you will piss them off and reveal the one who wants you erased?"

"It's worth a shot," I say while exhaling the smoke, the nicotine filling my lungs. 

I know damn well that this is not the only reason I keep Clarice by my side. I don't even know what the hell love is, but Clarice sure is something else.

Although, she still doesn't realize that leaving is not an option for her. Even if she tried to run, I would hunt her down like a predator. Clarice's destiny was sealed the moment she decided to follow me to the old cheesecake factory. It doesn't really matter when or how she dies. She wasn't supposed to run out alive from that factory in the first place.

Red shrugs and throws the cigarette butt on the ground, twisting his foot on it, and snorting his nose. After a small silence, he turns to me and narrows his eyes, "Does she know what you are?"

"Kind of." 

"And she still sticks around?" Red asks, mildly surprised. 

Drawing another lungful of smoke from the cigarette, I focus on the two swans landing on the lake in the distance and mutter, "You have no idea." 

Red instantly runs onto the dock and grabs his binoculars from the rocking chair, not wanting to miss the two majestic white birds that just landed on the water.

"Is this what you do every day?" I ask grimacing. Red waves his hand behind his back to make me shut up. I roll my eyes and grab my phone to check on Clarice by texting her. 

"Are you still where you're supposed to be?" 

It takes a few minutes, but I still consider it pretty fast when I get a reply from her "Yep". 

Me: "That is not a proper answer." 

Clarice: "Yes, I am where I am, gee. When are you picking me up?" 

Me: "That wasn't our deal." 

Clarice: "But I need that miracle drug of yours." 

Clarice: "And some help with my bandages." 

For fuck's sake.

Frustrated by tapping the screen to binge-message her, I opt for the easy way out and simply dial her number. She lets her phone ring for a while but answers just before the time, "Um, hi."

"You sound a lot more confident in your texts," I remark with a stiff expression.

"Yeaaah, it's the unknown number."

I laugh, causing Red to throw an angry glare over his shoulder. "Dolly, you kill people..."

After Red gestures with his hands again to make me tone down, I simply walk away from him, "...and you're afraid to answer my call?"

I can almost feel how Clarice rolls her eyes at me right now, but her voice carries a casual tone. "I wasn't... afraid." She takes a quick breath before changing the subject, "So? Are you coming?"

"I'm sure you can get home by yourself."

Clarice hums uncertainly and finally admits, "I kinda told my dad that you were coming."

"Why the fuck would you do that?" I tilt my head back and close my eyes, sighing heavily.

She instantly starts to defend her words, speaking fast and irritated, "Because you freaking told him that you will find me, and now he thinks he owes you."

Dealing with a family must be a real pain in the ass, and I can already feel the weight of it on my shoulders. While Red is still observing the birds like a maniac, I take a brief pause to ponder Clarice's words.

"Hello?" she asks, and I realize that I've been silent for way too long.

"Fine, I'll come," I reply flatly and hang up the phone.

Only to meet Red's mockery, "You know you're officially screwed when you start to do stuff for a woman."

"Shut up. Are we gonna train, or are you gonna stare at those stupid birds?" I mutter, looking at my phone.

He lowers the binoculars and turns to me as I slowly approach him, "Honestly? We both know you don't need to be trained for years now."

I just look at him and chew the inside of my cheek while Red continues his taunting monologue, "Besides, I heard your lady needs you."

Just as a deep crease is starting to form between my brows, he wipes the smirk off his face and replaces it with a far more serious expression, shaking his head, "I know you like that woman more than you should, and don't even try to deny it. You can't lie to me."

Without saying anything, I start to walk backward, proudly lifting my chin upward. If I can't lie, I won't tell him anything at all.

As I turn my back to make my way back to my car through the high grass, I hear Red mumble, "Just be careful, son. She might get you killed one day."

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//Author//Just as the description says - the whole world seems to be against them.//