Prologue

"Ame! Go! Run!" 

She heard her father shouts at her in the middle of rapid gun fires around. But there was no way she could escape without being hit by the bullets flying from different directions. 

They have a peaceful morning while she joins her father's training with a high-profile trainee when gun fires erupted. 

Suddenly, enemies swarmed the forest surrounding the training ground. It's a remote location and only a few know its existence. Enemies found them.

Gunfires never cease as she was ducked to the ground, beside a pile of wood. 

"Father!" she tries to call him but he is busy protecting his most valuable trainee. 

Though the younger man is having a great deal of killing enemies they are still trapped and outnumbered. 

"Ame, hide!" desperation sounded in her father's voice after they found a sturdy hiding place adjacent to where she was hiding. They were caught off guard and even the other security was slaughtered in the open. The enemies came prepared. 

"Father..." fear consumes her but she has no time to cry. They are surrounded and it's a slim chance they will get out alive if they will not fight back. 

"Hide, Ame. Don't let them get you" pure desperation evident in her father's voice. While his eyes are somewhat pleading with her, which she cannot discern. 

She hasn't seen her father this desperate despite their tough life. They have been through a lot and he has been her sturdy ground who kept her strong. However, seeing him with such hopelessness frightened her. She could even see sadness reflecting in his eyes. Or she was just mistaken. 

"Ame...please, promise you will thrive. You will live" begging, he added. 

Staring at him, she started to get confused. He is talking nonsense like he is saying his goodbye. 

"Father, what are you talking about? We will live long, together. I can't be alone" trying to sound irritated, she glares at him. But he only gave him a sad smile. 

"Just promise me, no matter what happened, you will survive. You will live. You know what to do when the time comes" he sternly counters while demanding her. 

"Father!" aghast by what he was saying, she snap at him. 

"Promise me, Ame!" he angrily persisted, making her flabbergasted. She has no idea what her father was talking about but his desperation scares her. 

Inhaling deep, she concedes as she nodded.

"Promise, father. I will live" though confused and reluctant, she mumbles while staring straight into his father's intense gaze. 

"Hide" he commanded before peeking from his spot. 

"Shit! Run, Ame!" 

He suddenly shouted before pulling his trainee by the arms and darting away from their hiding place. 

By instinct, her reflexes kicked in as she swiftly move away from her spot opposite where her father and his trainee were going.

They just move far enough before an explosion happened, adding to the upheaval around them. A grenade was thrown, blowing up their hiding place. 

She jumps to the ground as the gun fires continue. She is now closer to their cottage and she will have a better chance if she could hide inside. Her father has made an underground bunk for her. 

While she crawls her way she looks back to find her father in open space straight at the line of fire of the enemies. 

Horrified, she tries to come back to help but she suddenly froze with her wide eyes. 

She could see him protecting his trainee who is also busy shooting and throwing his sharps when her father's body suddenly jerk upward as several bullets enters his body. He made himself a shield for the younger man who also fell to the ground after his whole weight brought him down. 

"Father!" terrified, she screamed.

Crawling fast, she made her way to their spot amid the gunfire. 

"Father" she whimpers seeing him bathe in his own blood atop his trainee who looks shocked. 

"Father..." while crying, they slowly lay him on his back.

"Ame..." his weak voice fills her ears amidst the noise around. 

"Master Vasili..." gulping, he tries to speak. 

"Eric...you should have not done that" though his voice is stern and he looks dangerously grim. Tears brim his eyes. Eric has been the head of his security and his trainer for several years now. He learns a lot from him. 

"I have...to...protect you... Master" he struggles to explain. 

"Eric..." hopelessness fills his voice as he ducks low beside Eric's head to hide his tears. 

He was too focused on killing enemies he could spot when he was toppled to the ground with Eric atop him. It all happens so fast that he has no time to grasp what happened.

They try to stay still as they mourn their demise. Their spot is a futile one and with any wrong move, a bullet might get into their heads. 

"Master Vasili...please protect...my daughter. She has...no one...but me..." he speaks whilst the blood gushes out from his mouth. 

Still, with his head lowered on the ground, Vasili tries to contain his sniffles but they still escaped.

"I will take care of your daughter, Eric. The entire Wright and Petrov will protect her. I owe you my life and I vow to claim vengeance for your death and for what happened here" unbothered by the tears in his eyes, he stares straight into Eric's eyes while he makes his promise. 

"You don't owe me anything...don't seek revenge for...my death. Knowing...my daughter.... will be...in good hands...is enough...for me...I will go...peacefully" with his bitter smile, he continues.

"Father..." she painfully whimpers while hugging him.

"You will...be safe...with Master Vasili...Ame. Honor him to protect you..." though lopsided, he gave her a reassuring smile. He is fading to darkness and with a bitter smile, he closes his eyes. 

"Father..." her anguish rocks her shoulder as she cries while snuggling on her father's bloody chest. 

Vasili becomes solemnly quiet, listening to her misery while tears stream down his face. He can't believe they lost Eric today. It's been too fast that his head was too muddled to think straight. 

He doesn't know how long they've been on the ground but the gun fires have slowed down compared to earlier. He spotted his other security covering their spot from approaching enemies. 

Inhaling deep, he gets ready again. This time, to bring Eric's daughter to safety. 

"We need to get out of here" she softly coaxes her. 

"Father..." shaking her head, she refuse to leave his side.

"The enemies are closing in. We have to move or we will have the same fate as Eric. I promised to keep you safe so whether you like it or not, I will get you out of here" seriously commanding, he insists. 

Holding her hand, he waited for the chance. 

For a while, they stayed still on their spot when they heard another round of rapid gunfire. Signifying a new force has arrived.

Heaving a sigh, Vasili slumped his back next to Eric's lifeless body.

With the rhythm of the gun fires, he recognized whose troops arrived. Petrov team.

"We are safe. You will be safe" he mutters while intensely staring at her uneven eye colors. 

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