The night felt heavier than usual.
No one had fully recovered from what happened. "Who were they?" Ethan asked again.
"This wasn't random…" Ryan said quietly.
Aria kept looking at Lila.
"You knew… didn't you?" she asked softly.
Lila said nothing.
Her eyes were distant—
Her mind somewhere else.
Later That Night – Elsewhere
An abandoned warehouse. The two men stood there, injured but alive.
"Target almost secured," one of them muttered.
"Next time, no mistakes," the other replied.
Suddenly—
A shadow moved.
"There won't be a next time."
A cold voice echoed.
Lila stepped out of the darkness.
The men froze.
"How did you—"
Before he could finish—
Lila moved.
Fast.
Precise.
A sharp strike—
One of them dropped instantly.
The other attacked—
Lila turned her body smoothly—
Dodging with ease—
Then countered.
Her movements were controlled.
Disciplined.
Like someone who had trained for years.
Within seconds—
Both men were on the ground.
Silence.
One of them struggled to speak.
"Who… are you…?"
Lila stepped closer.
Her voice was cold.
"The one you're looking for…"
She paused.
"…That's me."
Flashback
A dark room.
A younger Lila stood still.
A voice echoed—
"If you stay weak, you won't survive."
"Learn to be strong."
Fists.
Training.
Pain.
Endless repetition.
Present
Lila opened her eyes. Both men lay unconscious.
She turned away.
"This is only the beginning…"
She whispered.