A new beginning or the end?

The Last Letter

Tricia flexed her sore wrists, her mind spinning with everything Lana had revealed. Her real mother. A stolen past. A hidden war she had unknowingly been a part of.

She wasn't ready to trust Lana. But she was done trusting Daniel.

As he put the knife away, she took a slow step back, her gaze flicking toward the only door in the dimly lit room. If she ran now, could she make it out?

Lana seemed to sense her thoughts. "You can try to run, Tricia," she said calmly. "But they will always find you."

Tricia clenched her fists. "And who exactly are 'they'?"

Lana's expression hardened. "The same people who killed Maya. The same ones who took you from me. And the same ones who will come for you the moment you leave this room."

A cold shiver crawled down Tricia's spine.

Lana wasn't just talking about Carter. There was someone bigger behind all of this. Someone who had been pulling the strings from the shadows.

Tricia needed time to think. She needed space to breathe.

But there was none.

Lana reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, sealed envelope. "Before Maya died, she wrote you one final letter," she said, placing it on the table between them. "She knew this day would come."

Tricia stared at the envelope as if it might burn her.

Maya's last words.

With shaking fingers, she picked it up and tore it open.

The letter was written in Maya's familiar, neat handwriting.

" Tricia,

If you're reading this, then I didn't make it. And that means you've found the truth.

I wish I could be there to help you through it. To remind you that no matter what they say, you are stronger than them. Stronger than this.

But I need you to understand something. The truth isn't enough. It never was.

If you want to survive, you need to make a choice.

Stay and fight. Or run and disappear forever.

No matter what you decide, I believe in you.

Do not let them decide for you."

—Maya

Tricia's breath hitched.

Maya knew. She had always known.

This wasn't just about uncovering secrets. It was about who controlled them.

Slowly, Tricia folded the letter and tucked it into her jacket.

She looked up at Lana, her expression unreadable. "I need a pen and paper."

Lana raised an eyebrow but gestured toward the desk in the corner. "Help yourself."

Tricia walked over, picked up a blank sheet of paper, and sat down. Her hands trembled as she gripped the pen.

And then, she began to write.

Tricia's Last Letter

 "To whoever finds this,

By the time you read this, I will have made my choice.

I spent my entire life believing I was just an ordinary girl. That my past was exactly what I was told it was. But I was wrong.

Everything I knew was a lie. Every memory, every relationship, manipulated, twisted into something else.

I was never meant to be just Tricia. I was meant to be someone else. Someone powerful. Someone dangerous.

And now, I have to decide whether to embrace that or destroy it.

Maya once told me that the truth isn't enough. She was right.

If I stay, I will become part of something I don't fully understand. A war that started long before I was born.

If I run, I will never stop looking over my shoulder.

There is no right answer. No easy way out. But I won't let them choose for me.

This is my fate. And whatever happens next,

I accept it."

—Tricia

She put the pen down, her chest rising and falling with steady breaths.

Then, she folded the letter and placed it back on the desk.

Lana watched her carefully. "So?"

Tricia stood, meeting her mother's gaze.

"I'm done running," she said.

And with those words, she sealed her fate.

A Final Goodbye

Tricia's words hung in the air like an unspoken challenge.

"I'm done running."

Lana studied her, an almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Good," she murmured. "Then let's end this."

Tricia wasn't naïve. She knew there was no easy way out of this. No happy ending where she uncovered the truth, exposed the villains, and walked away unscathed.

This war had been set in motion long before she was born, and now, she was the weapon everyone wanted to control.

But Maya's words echoed in her mind,"Do not let them decide for you."

Tricia clenched her fists. For once, she would decide for herself.

Daniel shifted beside her, tension rolling off him in waves. "We need to move. Carter's men won't wait forever."

Lana's gaze didn't waver. "I have my own men. We'll strike first."

Something about her certainty unsettled Tricia. "And then what?" she asked. "You take control? Become the same monster you claim to be fighting against?"

Lana sighed. "I don't expect you to understand yet,"

"I understand perfectly," Tricia cut in. "You don't want justice. You want revenge."

Lana's jaw tightened. "I want balance. These people stole you from me, erased your identity, and turned you into a pawn. They will do the same to others if we don't stop them."

Tricia shook her head. "No. You're just playing the same game they are. And I won't be your excuse to keep it going."

For the first time, Lana's expression flickered, just for a second. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the vulnerability was gone.

"You sound like your father," she said quietly.

Tricia froze.

"My… father?"

Lana nodded. "He was the only thing that kept me from going too far. He wanted to walk away from all of this, take you somewhere safe. That's why they killed him."

Tricia's breath hitched. Killed.

Her entire life, she had believed her father died in an accident. Another lie.

A storm of emotions swirled inside her, rage, grief, confusion.

But she didn't have time to process it.

Because in that moment, the door burst open.

Gunfire erupted.

Daniel shoved Tricia to the ground as bullets tore through the air. 

Lana's men fired back. The room turning into a war zone. 

Tricia's inner-voice screamed "run", but she didn't. Not this time.

She scrambled to her feet, yanking a gun from one of Lana's fallen men. She had never been a killer, but survival didn't leave room for hesitation. 

A shadow moved toward her, Carter.

His gun already aimed at her head.

Tricia didn't think, she pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out, Carter staggered back, clutching his shoulder. Blood steeped through his suit, but he didn't go down.

He grinned. "You're finally learning."

Before she could react, another gunshot exploded from behind her.

Tricia spun around, Lana.

She stood motionless, gun raised, her face unreadable. 

Carter blinked, looked down at his chest. A dark stain spread across his chest. His smirk faded.

Then he collapsed. 

Silence filled the room. The gunfire had stopped.

Carter's men were either dead or retreating. 

Lana lowered her weapon.

Tricia's heart raced "You.... killed him."

Lana exhaled "Yeah. No loose ends."

But something wasn't right.

Daniel was gripping his side, blood steeping between his finger. He had been hit.

Tricia rushed to him, pressed a hand against the wound.

"Stay with me."

Daniel groaned but managed a weak smirk. "You know.... for someone who hated me am hour ago, you sure look worried."

She let out a choked laugh. "Shut up."

Lana watched them, her expression unreadable. 

"We need to leave before reinforcements come."

Tricia looked at her.

Lana had just saved her. But was it because she cared? Or because she needed her alive for what ever mission she had in mind?

And then she made her decision. 

She stood up, gun still in hand. "I'm not going with you."

Lana's eyes darkened. "Tricia..."

"No." She said firmly. "I've spent my whole life been used. By my parents, by Carter, by Daniel, by you.I won't be a part of this anymore."

Lana was silent for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"Very well, then." She said.

Then without warning, she lifted her gun.

Tricia barely had time to react. The shot rang out.

But it wasn't aimed at her.

It was aimed at Daniel.

Tricia screamed as he crumbled to the floor. Blood pooling beneath him.

She dropped to her knees, pressing against the wound. "Daniel, stay with me!"

His breaths were shallow. "T-Tricia..."

She looked up at Lana. Fury and heartbreak colliding in her chest. "Why?"

Lana's expression was cold. "Because he would've held you back."

Tricia was red.

She raised the gun, but Lana was already walking away.

"No," Tricia growled. "You don't get to walk away from this!"

Lana paused at the door. "You asked if I was a monster," she said softly. "Now you have your answer."

Then she was gone.

Tricia turned back to Daniel, her hands shaking. "Hold on, just... just hold on."

But deep down, she knew.

This was it.

His grip on her hand weakened.

"Guess, this is goodbye," He rasped.

Tears blurred her vision. "No, you don't get to say that."

He smiled, soft, sad. "You were always the strongest one."

And then.....

His hands went still.

Her world shattered.

She let out a sob, pressing her forehead against his. "I'm so.... sorry."

For trusting the wrong people.

For not seeing the truth sooner.

For not saving him.

She sat there, surrounded by death and broken promises. 

And in that moment, she knew this wasn't over.

Lana had walked away.

But Tricia wasn't done yet.

No.

This wasn't a goodbye.

It was just the beginning. 

The price of the truth

Tricia sat motionless, Daniel's blood still warm on her hands.

The chaos around her had settled into eerie silence. He was gone. Just like Maya. Just like everyone who tried to help her.

The truth has a cost. Blood.

Her vision blurred ad she stared at Daniel's lifeless face. He lied to her, betrayed her, but in the end, he still chose her.

And Lana had killed him for it.

A sharp pain tore through her chest. Not just grief, but rage.

Lana thought this was over. She thought she had won.

She was wrong.

Tricia clenched her fists, standing slowly. Every muscle in her body ached, but she ignored it. She had spent way too long being a pawn in someone else's game. Without knowing. 

Now, it was her turn to play.

The real cost

She had two choices. Run or fight.

But running never saved anyone. Not Maya, not Daniel.

If she wanted to survive, she had to end this. She had to end Lana.

She took a deep breath and searched Daniel's pockets. His phone was there, blood-smeared but intact. Good!

She dialled the one number she never thought she'd ever use.

A deep voice answered after two rings. "Didn't expect to here from you, Tricia. I hoped you'd call though."

"Carter's dead." She said, her voice cold. "Lana did it."

A pause, then: "I know."

Of course he did. No one in this world stayed ignorant for long.

"I want to make a deal." Tricia said.

The man on the other end chuckled. "You? Making deals? Thought you wanted out?"

She gripped the phone tighter. "I wanted out, but now I want her."

Silence stretched between them, then he muttered, "where are you?"

Tricia glanced around the wreckage of the hideout. 

"Somewhere between my past and my next mistake."

The man exhaled. "Meet me at the docks in two hours. And, Tricia?"

She braced herself. 

"Be sure you're ready for this. Once you're in, there's no going back." He added.

She knew that already. The truth had dragged her into hell, and there was only one way out.

"See you soon." She said, ending the call.

The final play

The docks were shrouded in darkness when she arrived. A black SUV was already waiting. 

The driver's side door opened and Jared Steele stepped out.

Carter's second-in-command. A man just as ruthless, but smarter. More patient. 

"You look like he'll." He observed.

Tricia shrugged. "I've had a rough week."

He leaned against the car. "So, you want Lana dead?"

She didn't hesitate. "Yes."

He studied her, the smirked. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You in or not?"

He chuckled. "I'm always in, but tell me Tricia, what do you gain from this?"

She met his gaze. "Closure."

He nodded. "Alright then, let's end this."

Ending Lana

Lana's hideout was a high-rise apartment in the city. She had security, but Jared had men. Enough to take them out.

Tricia moved like a ghost through the hallway, gun stead in her grip. No more hesitation. No more fear.

When she reached Lana's suite, the door was already open.

Lana sat inside. 2 glasses of wine on the table before her. Waiting.

"You were always stubborn." Lana said, without looking up.

Tricia stepped inside, keeping her gun raised. "You knew I'd come?"

Lana smiled. "Duh, this was always going to end with one of us dead."

Tricia tightened her index on the trigger. "Why did you kill Daniel?"

"I freed you," Lana corrected. "He was always going to hold you back."

A storm of fury boiled in Tricia's veins. "This wasn't for me, it never was. Everything you did, it wasn't about protecting me. It was for yourself. For power."

"You're right." Lana sighed, refilling her glass with wine. "I wanted you to take your rightful place. I wanted you to rule beside me."

Tricia swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm not like you. "

Lana stood up, moving closer. "But, you will be."

"Not today." Tricia pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the room.

Lana gasped, clutching her dress as blood bloomed across it.

She staggered back, sinking into the couch. "You.... really did it."

Tricia's hands trembled but she didn't lower the gum. "I'm not your pawn anymore."

Lana's lips twitched a faint smile. "Good."

And, she was gone.

The cost of freedom

Jared entered the room a moment later, taking in the scene. "Well, that's one way to handle it."

Tricia exhaled shakily. "It's finally over."

Jared tilted his head. "Is it?"

"Lana killed Carter, you killed Lana. But the people they work for are still out there."

A chill ran through her.

"You really think they'll just let you walk away?" Jared questioned.

Tricia stared at her mother's lifeless body. The war wasn't over.

It was just changing hands.

And now, she was the only one left who knew the truth. She thought. 

She closed her eyes. The truth had cost her everything. 

But, she wasn't done. At least, not yet.

She turned to Jared, "Then let's finish this."

Because one thing she had learned?

The truth hardly sets you free. It just gives you more enemies and battles.

The Unfinished Story

Tricia stood in the middle of Lana's suite, the scent of gunpowder and blood lingering in the air. Her heartbeat was steady now, too steady. She had thought killing Lana would bring her peace, but all she felt was a hollow emptiness.

Because Jared was right.

It wasn't over.

She glanced down at Lana's body, her once-powerful presence reduced to a silent corpse. The woman who had orchestrated so much of Tricia's pain was gone, but her influence? That would take more than a bullet to erase.

Jared walked over, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You're thinking too much," he remarked.

Tricia exhaled. "I just ended a war, Jared."

He gave her a knowing smirk. "No, you just created a power vacuum. And in this world, that's worse."

Tricia turned to face him fully. "Then we fill it before someone else does."

Jared studied her for a moment, then let out a low chuckle. "And here I thought you wanted out."

"I did," she admitted. "But now? Now I need to know who's really pulling the strings. Lana, Carter, they were just players. Someone else was controlling the game."

Jared nodded approvingly. "Good. Because I have something you need to see."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek black flash drive. "Found this in Carter's office before his men torched the place. Thought you might want to take a look."

Tricia took the drive, rolling it between her fingers. "What's on it?"

Jared smirked. "That's the fun part. I have no idea."

She arched a brow. "And you didn't check because…?"

"Because some secrets are better shared. Besides, if I looked and it turned out to be a death sentence, I'd rather not die alone."

Tricia snorted despite herself. "That's comforting."

Jared's expression turned serious. "Look, Tricia. You want to find out who's really behind all of this? Be careful. You might not like the answer."

Tricia clenched the flash drive in her palm. She had to know.

She had spent too long chasing shadows, running from truths that had been manipulated and twisted against her.

Not anymore.

The First Clue

They relocated to a safe house, one of Jared's. A small, unassuming apartment tucked away in a part of the city no one paid attention to.

Tricia sat at an old desk, staring at the laptop screen as the files from the flash drive loaded.

Jared leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Moment of truth."

The screen flickered, revealing a folder labeled: Project S.O.L.A.C.E.

Tricia's stomach clenched.

She clicked on the folder, and dozens of encrypted documents popped up. Some were marked with names she recognized, Lana, Carter, Maya. Others were unfamiliar.

But then she saw it.

Her name.

Her pulse spiked.

She clicked on the file. A document opened, filled with information about her, birth records, adoption papers, medical reports. But one section stood out.

Status: Active Asset

She went still.

"Tricia?" Jared asked, his voice careful.

She scrolled further down, her breath catching as she reached the final line of the document.

It wasn't just about her.

It was about someone else.

Subject #042: Lana Hathaway 

Status: Decommissioned

Her hands trembled.

Decommissioned. Not just killed, erased.

Lana had been part of something bigger, something she hadn't controlled.

Which meant…

Tricia's gaze dropped back to her own file. Active Asset.

"Jared," she whispered.

He pushed off the wall, moving closer. "What?"

She looked up, her eyes burning.

"I was never supposed to escape."

His expression hardened. "What are you saying?"

She swallowed hard. "This isn't just a cover-up. It's a project. And I'm still part of it."

The room felt suffocating.

She had killed Lana, thinking she had severed the last tie to her past.

But the real enemy?

They were still watching.

The Unfinished Story

Tricia closed the laptop, her mind racing. "We need to move."

Jared frowned. "Where?"

"Somewhere they can't find me."

He gave her a dry look. "Tricia, if what you're saying is true, they already know where you are."

She hesitated. He was right.

There was only one way forward now.

She met his gaze. "Then we make them come to us."

Jared grinned. "Now that's more like it."

Tricia exhaled slowly. She had started this journey searching for the truth.

Now, she was part of a much bigger lie.

The past was unfinished. The future was uncertain.

But one thing was clear,

This story wasn't over.

It was just beginning.