Steps in the Shadows

Dawn slowly broke, coloring the sky with a golden red glow. However, among the ruins and corpses that still steamed in the cold air, there was no beauty in the scene.

Aruna stood amidst the bodies of her enemies, the ice that had formed around her starting to melt, leaving a pool of frozen blood. Her gaze was blank, but her grip remained tight on the hilt of her ice sword.

Raka watched Aruna silently. He had seen many people burn with anger, but this was different. Aruna did not rage. She killed with a frightening calm.

"How do you feel?" Raka asked finally.

Aruna turned, her blue gaze cold. "They deserved it."

Raka sighed. "I'm not asking that. I'm asking, how do you feel?"

Aruna did not answer. She just exhaled slowly, then turned away. "We should leave before more come."

She avoided the question.

Nadia, who was examining the bodies, whistled softly. "They brought quite a good supply. Ammunition, food… and look at this."

He picked up a tattered map he found in the pocket of one of the corpses.

Raka took it and unfolded it. There was a large red mark in the northern area.

"Their group has a base here," he muttered.

Aruna immediately approached. Her eyes were fixed on the mark, her jaw clenched.

"…That's their place."

Nadia glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"The place where they took over my fort."

Silence enveloped them.

Bayu, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "So… if we go there, we'll face more of them?"

Aruna nodded. "And I'll kill everyone there."

Vina bit her lip. "This isn't just revenge, is it?"

Aruna fell silent.

Raka folded the map back up and put it in his pocket. "If we're going to do this, we need a plan. There's no point in storming their base if we're just going to die stupidly."

Aruna stared at him, then nodded. "I know."

But there was not a hint of doubt in her voice.

Two Days Later – Northern Border

A thick fog covered the vast dead forest before them. The air here was colder than anywhere else, as if welcoming Aruna back to her own hell.

Raka peered through binoculars. "I see some patrols. They have surveillance drones too."

Nadia snickered. "Incredible. They're not just ordinary bandits, this is like a military operation."

Aruna crouched next to him, her eyes sharp. "That's how they were able to take over our fort."

Bayu adjusted his rifle's position. "So, how do we get in?"

Aruna took a breath. She had been thinking about this for the past two days.

"There are three ways," she said. "First, we sneak in in the middle of the night, but the risk of being caught is still high because of the drones and the tower guards."

"Second option, we create chaos on one side so they focus there, while some of us sneak in from the other side."

Raka narrowed his eyes. "And the third option?"

Aruna stared at the fort. Cold, silent, and full of death.

"We attack them directly."

Nadia snorted. "You're kidding, right?"

Aruna didn't smile. "No."

Silence enveloped them.

Vina finally said, "We can't attack without a solid plan. We have to know their numbers, their defenses…"

Aruna turned to Raka. "Then, we'll send a scout first."

Raka thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll go."

Aruna shook her head. "I'll go."

"You?!" Nadia looked incredulous.

Aruna stared at the fort with an unreadable gaze. "I know that place better than anyone. I can get in without being seen."

Raka stared at her for a long time before finally sighing. "Okay. But don't be reckless."

Aruna didn't answer.

Because for her, this wasn't just a reconnaissance mission. This was the first step to eliminating them all.

And no one could stop her.

Night fell, enveloping the enemy fortress in thick darkness. The fog hanging in the air made the atmosphere even more eerie, but for Aruna, this was the perfect terrain.

She had lived in the darkness for too long. Now, she was part of it.

From a gap in the dead trees, Aruna observed the enemy's movements. Three patrols walked in a repeating pattern, surveillance drones circled every 45 seconds, and there were two guard towers with snipers.

This defense system was strong, but not without its gaps.

Aruna adjusted her face mask, then took a slow breath. She began to move.

Silent. Fast. Deadly.

Her steps were almost silent as she slipped from shadow to shadow, following the enemy's movement patterns. When the drones turned the other way, she shot forward.

A guard stood not far away, smoking a cigarette while leaning against a metal wall. He exhaled, exhaling white smoke into the cold air.

It was his last breath.

SHHK!

Aruna moved like a ghost. In an instant, an ice knife slid across the guard's throat, piercing it without a sound.

The man staggered, his eyes wide. He tried to speak, but only blood poured out. His body shook, then fell without a sound.

Aruna caught him before he hit the ground, dragging him into the shadows.

One down.

He continued.

Every step was deliberate, every movement efficient. He wasn't just a survivor—he was a predator in the dark.

After a few minutes, he managed to sneak up near the main gate. From here, he could see the entire fort.

The main building stood in the center, with two smaller buildings beside it. There were several armored vehicles, a communications tower, and a power generator in the back.

Aruna pressed a small button on her wrist, activating one-way communication.

"I'm inside. This fort is bigger than we thought. There are at least 50 people here, maybe more."

Raka's voice came through her small earphones. "Understood. Any weak spots?"

Aruna looked around, then smiled thinly. "There are."

At Raka's Camp

Raka, Nadia, Bayu, and Vina gathered around a map spread out on a wooden table. They listened to Aruna's report seriously.

"There are three points we can exploit," Aruna continued over the communication. "First, the power generator in the back. If we blow it up, the power in the fort will go out."

Bayu nodded. "Darkness makes it easier for us."

"Second," Aruna continued, "the communication tower. If we destroy it, they can't call for help."

Vina grinned. "I can handle that."

"Third," Aruna's voice deepened slightly, "their leader. If we can kill him first, the rest of his troops will be in disarray."

There was a moment of silence.

Raka folded his arms. "So we have three targets. The generator, the communication tower, and their leader."

Nadia nodded. "If we can execute him quickly, they won't have time to respond."

Raka thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. We start tomorrow night. Aruna, can you stay in until then?"

Aruna's voice was flat. "I'm not going anywhere."

Aruna turned off her communication and looked up at the sky. The moon shone dimly behind the fog.

She pulled her cloak closer, then hid behind one of the small buildings.

She only needed to survive one night here.

But suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached.

Aruna held her breath.

Two guards stopped not far from where she was hiding.

"…Did you hear? Someone's missing from the patrol."

"Yes. The boss told us to check the surroundings."

Aruna reached for her knife slowly. If they found her, this mission would fail before it even started.

One of the men stepped closer. Aruna tensed her muscles.

Just as the man was about to see her, suddenly there was another voice from the other direction.

"Oi! Don't waste time! Get back to your posts!"

The two men looked at each other, then sighed. "Damn. Alright."

They left.

Aruna waited until the sound of their footsteps faded away, then sighed softly.

That was close.

She slipped into the shadows again. Tomorrow night, they will all die.