Chapter 1: A Life in Darkness 🌑
"London, England."
It was 11:00 p.m. on a cold December night.
The city never truly slept.
Cold air drifted through the streets as the lights of London reflected on the wet roads after a light rain .
Cars passed by one after another, but high above the city, on the rooftop of a modern apartment building, a man stood completely still, watching the streets below .
His eyes moved across every street below with calm precision.
No fear.
No panic.
No emotion.
Only silence.
That man was Ethan Walker .
Twenty-nine years old.
An elite Sniper.
A man who had spent years living in the Shadows.
People who met him saw only a quiet, disciplined professional.
They never knew that behind his calm face was a heart carrying memories he had never escaped.
Some wounds healed ...
Others stayed with you forever.
Ethan believed he had buried his past long ago.
He was wrong.
Tonight ...
The past was about to find him .
Ethan took one last look at the city before turning around.
He quickly walked toward the rooftop door and stepped inside the apartment.
The apartment was silent.
Black, white, and grey dominated every corner of the room.
The living room was spotless, with a dark grey sofa facing a large television.
A floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the lights of London, while soft white lights reflected from the polished floor.
Everything was perfectly organised.
Nothing was out of place.
Ethan preferred silence. He believed that a clean and organised home helped him keep his mind focused.
He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water before making a cup of black coffee.
As he picked up the cup, his phone suddenly vibrated.
The screen displayed only two words:
Unknown Number.
Ethan looked at the screen for a moment before answering the call.
"Walker," he said in a calm voice.
"Your next mission has been assigned," a deep voice replied.
Ethan remained silent.
"The files have already been sent to your secure laptop. Be ready. Your flight leaves
at 6:00 a.m."
"Understood," Ethan answered.
The call ended.
Ethan placed his phone on the table and walked toward his bedroom.
His bedroom reflected the same discipline as the rest of the apartment.
Black, white, and grey filled the room.
A king-size bed stood against the wall, with a large framed portrait hanging above the headboard.
The wardrobe was neatly arranged, and every item was exactly where it belonged.
Ethan placed his coffee on the bedside table and opened his laptop.
The mission file appeared on the screen.
He read every detail carefully without showing a single emotion.
Once he finished reading, he quickly opened his wardrobe and packed only the equipment he needed for the mission.
For Ethan Walker, every mission was a matter of life and death. There was no room for mistakes.
Ethan closed the laptop and checked his watch.
"12:17 a.m."
He had less than six hours before his flight.
Without wasting a single minute, he walked toward the bathroom and took a quick shower.
Twenty minutes later, Ethan stepped out of the bathroom with a dark towel wrapped around his waist.
Water droplets slid from his damp hair onto his shoulder as he walked toward the wardrobe.
A large black dagger tattoo covered Ethan's entire right arm, stretching from his upper arm down toward his wrist.
Dark, smoke-like Shadows twisted around the blade, making the tattoo look almost alive.
To anyone else, it looked like an ordinary tattoo.
But it wasn't.
The dagger symbolized every mission he had survived... Every file he had handled... And every piece of himself he had lost.
The black shadows winding around the blade represented a past that refused to let him go.
Whenever Ethan looked at it, he was reminded of one promise...
"Once you enter the shadows, they never truly let you leave."
He changed into a plain black T-shirt and dark charcoal trousers.
Comfortable, simple, and practical-just the way he liked it.
His right arm remained uncovered, revealing the dark dagger tattoo that stretched from his upper arm toward his wrist.
The reflection staring back at him wasn't just a man.
It was a soldier who had learned to survive in the Shadows.
He stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds.
His expression never changed.
His dark eyes were cold.
His face showed no fear.
Only determination.
He picked up his travel bag and carefully checked everything one last time.
Passport.
Wallet.
Phone.
Laptop.
Mission equipment.
Everything was ready.
Ethan switched off the bedroom light and looked once more through the large window.
Rain still covered the streets of London.
Ethan placed his bag beside the bed and slowly lay down.
He closed his eyes.
But sleep refused to come.
He turned to one side... then the other.
Something felt different.
He had completed countless missions before, yet tonight an unfamiliar feeling lingered in his mind.
He couldn't explain why.
After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.
Outside, the rain continued to fall against the window.
Ethan let out a slow breath before getting out of bed.
Sleep would have to wait.
Ethan walked to the sofa beside the large window and sat down quietly.
A small black table stood next to him. On it lay a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter.
He picked up the cigarette, lit it with the lighter, and took a slow drag.
He wasn't smoking because he enjoyed it. It was simply an old habit he had never managed to leave behind.
A thin stream of smoke escaped his lips as he exhaled into the silent room.
His eyes remained fixed on the rain-soaked streets of London, lost in his own thoughts.
For the first time in years, something didn't feel right.
He couldn't explain why.
It was just another mission...
Or so he believed.
He had no idea...
He didn't know it yet...
This mission was the beginning of everything.
What was waiting for Ethan on his next mission?
