Fatalé (18+)

Chapter five

Ilaria

Nobody deserves a second chance.

Because it's useless.

You never learn from a mistake because one way or another, you will always do wrong. It's natural for a person to be driven to do something so wrong but to repeat it was never natural. It's a choice. Bad choices are made by people and it's the reason why I kill those people. To stop them from making those choices.

When I was on my way back to Paris yesterday, I was diverted. Maybe that was a bad choice, maybe that's a good enough reason to be killed. My route had been diverted to America, Seattle to be exact. Alfonso informed of the last minute change of plans, and that I should meet him in Seattle.

It was nice for the change, it was nice to come back to America, knowing that nobody familiar was here. At least not in Seattle. I had not seen America for a few months now and I was glad to be back. But I wasn't sure how long I'd be back for. Trips like this was always temporary for me because settling in one location was not safe. I knew this, it's something I drilled to my mind but having Alfonso always repeat the same shit to me made me want to rebel.

I walk back to base, this is where I trained for the last eight years. This is where I was taught how to fight. The base is where I spent eight years learning how to fight, use a gun, kickboxing, karate, you fucking name it. I spent the first few years of the eight years crying here every night because I wasn't ready for the permanent change I made to my life but as each day came by, I began to accept it. Now, when I return to base, it feels like nothing yet it was a safe place for me.

I walk through and witness a training session in the ring. Children as young as five years old were present here, training like it was their soul purpose to become a trained assassin, something they're not aware of yet. It left a bitter thought to my mind about Alfonso and Ricardo but I never questioned why they recruited children so young because I wasn't interested. Yes, it was absurd but if I did not have a chance to have a say, I would not bother.

Ricardo built this base for people like us to practice the fuck out to become an assassin. He recruited me eight years ago and Alfonso is my mentor.

Although I knew everything, Alfonso trained me more, enough to be better than what I was capable of before he found me. He advanced my abilities, set up higher challenges for me and pushed me to do more all in eight years. Because of him, I am dangerous.

I walk past the commotion and into the locker to get changed. These children were driven, it almost made me question what the trick is. Once I was changed, I walk to the gym of the base because that's where my day needs to start. I was sore, all probably from putting too much strain on myself. A workout would fix it. Peace is something I need everyday, even if it was for a second. I close my eyes and tie my hair up, but when I heard something somewhere in the gym, I knew that I wasn't the only one here.

I abandon my things on the bench and walk towards the sound that summoned my attention. It wasn't a problem to not have the gym to myself but usually, at the time, the gym is abandoned. Nobody is supposed to be here, it's the reason why I've chosen to use the gym at this specific time because I know I'd be alone.

I wander around the gym, reaching closer to the commotion. Once I reached, I saw someone. A boy, tall and sweaty, tired and irritated. Though it was obvious he spent his whole morning in the gym, it didn't seem like he's planning to leave anytime soon.

"Santos?" I call out. He stopped punching the bag and glanced over his sweaty and thick shoulder. His thick brows curls into a furrow, as if he didn't appreciate the fact that he had been interrupted. But when he saw me, his frown immediately disappeared and his pale skin flushed from exhaustion. "Ciao."