Countdown to Nothing

[Countdown: 4 days left.]

Tonight was my birthday.

Liam went all out and booked the whole clubhouse.

I was not really excited, and I was just there to show my face. I had to make sure Liam did not notice anything was off before I left.

When the evening came, Liam drove over to take me to the party.

"Good evening, Mrs. Smith!"

Everyone greeted me all at once, careful to show respect.

Liam smiled down at me and handed me a gift.

It was an obsidian ring.

He had found it on a dangerous mission in Lacoria last year.

He got down on one knee and kissed my hand with such sincerity.

"Sabrina, I've made up my mind to leave it all behind.

"After this last job, we'll live a simple, happy life together."

Liam's life as a mercenary was always risky.

Him quitting had been my one birthday wish since I came into this world. However, now that it was about to come true, I could not find any happiness in it—just irony.

I barely glanced at the ring and did not put it on.

I just gave him a small smile and said, "Okay."

I would be there for his last job, even if it meant the end of our time together.

At the loud party, Liam sang a heartfelt love song for me.

He looked at me like I was the only woman in the world.

When the song was over, someone knocked on the door.

Liam was closest, so he got up to answer it.

Under the soft light, I heard a flirty voice.

"Liam, I'll be in the bathroom waiting for you," she whispered.

"I've got on your favorite black stockings, and I've got another surprise for you too."

Liam was a master at making up excuses.

I did not bother calling him out and just let him go.

His team members played along, pretending to be his backup and covering for him.

They cranked up the music and giggled to each other. "The chief and that girl are gonna set the night on fire, aren't they?"

"Wendy's got moves, and man, our chief can keep up!"

I did not want to stick around for another minute.

I grabbed my purse and slipped out of the room without anyone noticing.

As I walked by the bathroom, I heard a woman's flirty voice.

"Liam, did you bring the ring?

"Come on, put it in..."

Liam muttered something rude. Then, there was a sound that made me want to gag.

Stumbling out the front door, an icy breeze snapped me back to reality. I touched my chest, feeling nothing but numbness.

I wandered the streets without thinking, ending up by the river.

My phone read 00:00.

"Happy Birthday, Sabrina Lynch."

I gazed at the moon, clasped my hands, and made a silent wish.

All I wanted for my birthday was to get out of here.

There were only three days left.

They said Liam came back at midnight.

He left Wendy, exhausted, hoping to catch me blowing out candles.

However, he had missed me.

He tore through the place, calling my name like he had lost his mind.

"Sabrina!"

I was at the bar's terrace by the river when I heard his scratchy voice behind me.

I turned and saw his red, tired eyes.

Sweat dripped down Liam's neck as he asked, shaky, "Why are you out here by yourself?

"Do you like the view? How about we come back here for your next birthday?"

I just watched him quietly, not saying a word.

He turned whiter and whiter. "Sabrina..."

Liam was scared.

The tough mercenary chief, whose hands were stained with the blood of many men, was actually scared.

He could not admit it, not even to himself.

I gave him my usual smile. "Okay."

That one word seemed to really make everything okay for him.

Liam wrapped me in a big hug. "Don't go away again, Sabrina. If you do, I'll really lose it."

I just nodded along.

I patted his back lightly, telling him it was time to let go.

"Don't you have a mission tomorrow? You should go get ready."

The mission was located in Sand City, situated beside Mystic City. It was a place so dangerous that people said no one would take the job.

However, Liam was willing to risk it for the big reward.

Back at my apartment, I was checking the cameras when I saw someone I did not expect.

It was Wendy.

Liam had taken her to Sand City.

They stuck together like glue, never apart.

"Liam, I'll be waiting for you to come back as a hero.

"When you're done, we can have some fun together."

It all seemed so silly to me.

Liam squinted, telling Wendy to hide, and got ready to fight.

"Nightingale."

I snapped back to attention, turned on the voice changer, and said. "I'm here. Everyone, be ready."

Time ticked away until a bright screen lit up in front of me.

[Countdown: Two days left.]

"Let's start the action!

"Mission reminder: Take down the runaway head in the sand city, codenamed 'the Ghost'."

I was on edge.

I knew one wrong move could mean big trouble.

So far, Liam and his team were doing well, deep behind enemy lines.

However, out of nowhere, I got this really bad feeling.

Zzzt—

A sharp electrical noise filled the room, and suddenly, it was pitch black.

"She's here.

"Liam still has no idea that the Nightingale is his fiancee."

Someone held me down so tightly that I could barely breathe.

A high-pitched laugh echoed in the darkness.

"Will he save his fiancee or his girlfriend? This is going to be interesting!"

My vision went black before a bright light flashed.

[Countdown: One day left.]

I was completely cut off from Liam and the others.

In the stormy, sandy ruins of Sand City, they were stuck.

"How did they find the Nightingale?"

I had kept my identity a secret, never letting anyone know. Not even Liam.

No one thought I would get caught.

When I woke up, my head was spinning.

Through the burlap sack, I heard a weak cry.

"Let me go! Please...

"If you touch me, Liam will make you pay!"

It was Wendy, who had stubbornly come along!

They had given me some kind of shot, and I could not speak.

However, Wendy was not gagged.

Just then, the door burst open.

"It's the Ghost!" Liam sounded hurt.

A strong hand gripped my shoulder, and the Ghost laughed cruelly. "At last, you're here. You've kept my dilemma waiting too long.

"Liam, who will you choose?

“Your sweetheart, or your teammate, the Nightingale?

The Ghost's men had us surrounded.

Through the cameras, I could see Liam's eyes were red with fury.

Wendy was crying hard, screaming for help.

The hand on my shoulder was crushing me, and the pain was unbearable. However, I could not scream.

Liam held his gun tight, frozen and unable to decide.

The Ghost made the choice for him.

Wendy lay on the ground, her clothes torn apart. Marks from Liam's kisses were littered on her skin.

"Stop!" Liam's voice thundered.

"I choose her!"

The Ghost grinned wickedly, commanding Liam to shoot me.

I saw him shaking.

"I brought her here. It's my duty to look after her."

It sounded like he was explaining, but also begging.

"Nightingale, you understand.

"This is my final mission. Once it's done, we're no longer teammates."

The Ghost pressed him, growing impatient.

With the pressure mounting, Liam's hand moved, and the trigger was pulled.

At that moment, the Ghost's laughter echoed wildly.

He ripped the sack from my head and seized my hair.

"Look at what you've chosen, Liam."

His eyes widened in shock, and he screamed in disbelief, "No!"

While screams filled the air, a clear electronic voice announced: [The countdown is over.]

[Exiting the world...]