From the entrance, 20 steps through a narrow corridor that leads into a large circular room. The floor is caved in, revealing an underground level with no visibility. Three other passages lead into the big room, two ending in a caved-in ceiling that blocks further access and one leading into another room. The last room contains an elevator shaft with a drop of around 30 meters, according to the sound of stones I throw down there. The room with no visibility I checked out earlier also has access to the elevator shaft, which connects the two rooms.

I tried to remember everything I could about the layout of the ruin as I painstakingly mapped everything in my head.

They could gain access through the caved-in ceiling, but they would need to search the area first.

People were coming for my life. I tried escaping through the Blacksteel Forest, but they were more persistent than I thought. Going further than this would only put me in more danger from other, more vicious creatures than humans. Making my last stand here gives me the best chance.

I continued mapping the building. I placed weapons in my retreat path, ensuring there was always one around me.

As I retraced my plan for the fourth time, I heard the rumbling of an engine in the distance. I immediately dropped to the ground, walking silently to the first cover position at the end of the entrance hallway.

"Search the area!"

I heard shouting outside, no doubting their identity now. I focused on my hearing, noticing a single engine stopping near the building. The people coming after me were a group of mercenaries, most likely riding a 6-wheeler, 12-seat vehicle like the one I brought here.

Being a mercenary is, though. Your job is to protect the cargo against nightmarish creatures lurking in the forest. When you finally leave the woods, you find yourself under attack from your kind, looking for a quick profit. I wouldn't be in this situation if I paid more attention to the people around me.

"She's in there, sir! We've found her vehicle not far from here."

"Commander Nuk, come out with your hands in the air! We will not harm you if you don't resist!" Shouted one of the mercenaries.

Yeah right. They were my subordinates, my enemies now, looking to kill me to finalize their taking over my company. I'll take you all to hell with me.

A head peaked through the opened door for just a moment. I waited with my finger on the trigger. I wouldn't waste a bullet unless I were sure it was a hit. The prick tried baiting my shoot a few more times, peeking with his hand, part of his head, then his entire head. He looked into my room but couldn't notice my gun aimed at him from behind a block of rubble. I had already checked the visibility from that point. The light from outside acted as a screen for seeing inside too far.

"Looks clear." He said, waiting for the order to barge in. The order came immediately, leading to him and two other mercenaries pushing forward in formation toward my position.

"Check the floor for explosive traps."

"Yes, sir."

No need to check. I didn't bring any, but you have no way of knowing that. Thinking back, I should've raided the armory on my way out and stockpiled a lot more firepower. I thought I wouldn't need anything too heavy in the forest, but I was wrong. Blowing myself and everyone else to high haven might've been a great way to go out. Ah, well, no point thinking about it now.

The squad was well past the halfway point I had marked with a stick. I took a deep breath and opened fire, saying goodbye to three people I had known since they were little kids.

I fired several rounds quickly, blowing away the three mercenaries without them even reacting. The caliber of this rifle is designed to pierce monsters much tougher than a human. Immediately after I recovered from the loud ringing in my ears, I grabbed the gun and moved to the next position. A moment later, a rain of bullets hit my previous position.

They have a machine gun.

The second position was another block of rubble, sitting in the middle of the room, obstructing the view of the large hole leading into the dark room below. I waited for the heavy steps to stop just outside the room. They threw several flash grenades that immediately went off. Still, I was safely behind my cover, with a pair of DIY noise-canceling stuffing in my ears, mostly moss.

As soon as they peeked inside, I dropped each one with several bullets to the body. No point going for the head if a few body shots did the trick.

The people outside must've also been impatient to die since I heard heavy footsteps running down all three corridors leading outside. They've surrounded the place and are boxing me in. They don't want me to escape. No need to worry, though. I won't run. I continued shooting at whoever was brave and stupid enough to peak the corner, taking another two down. The score was now 7 to 0, though they only needed to score once to win.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I noticed a pair strolling with no worry through the myriad of steps. He was close, almost at the corner. I could risk and try to take him out now, but I decided against it. Playing it safe seemed best in this kind of situation.

As I rehearsed earlier, I secured the rope around my waist and prepared to push myself off the ledge. I left my rifle on the ground and pushed myself off as three people barged into the room from the adjacent corridors. They opened fire too late but saw me go down the hole. I immediately cut the rope and landed in the designated spot, grabbing the rifle I had prepared and aimed up. The room was pitch black, but the light coming from outside allowed me to see the people standing at the edge of the hole. As I predicted, the people seeing me fall immediately followed and peeked down with their weapons. They couldn't see a thing, but I saw them. When their eyes recognized the familiar sight of darkness, one was already dead, with two bullets exploding inside him. The other would surely notice the flash of my weapon, so I immediately rolled away to another position I had prepared and took another shot. Two dead, two more to go. The others managed to take cover, but the damage was done. Three people were in the main corridor, including the big guy with the machine gun, and two more survivors from the adjacent corridors. These were most likely all of them.

The thought of victory made me briefly lose focus, and I didn't notice them throwing more flash grenades at me until it was too late. I averted my eyes too late, catching a glimpse of the bright flash. My right eye was out of commission for a while, but I immediately refocused on the fight. Another unfortunate soul tried to peek my hole and got a bullet inside his brain for his trouble. The truth is, I was aiming for his torso, but luckily, I missed it. I decided to cover my affected eye with a rag. I quickly tore from my shirt to keep it closed for now.

"Don't bother anymore! I want her dead!" I heard a voice shouting, the voice of my former Lieutenant, Ahri.

"Why don't you come down here yourself, Ahri! Don't order these people to their deaths so casually!"

I shouted back, no doubt digging my own grave even further. At that moment, I heard the clicking sound of an armed grenade. I threw the rifle to the ground and sprinted to the elevator shaft. I grabbed the rope and pulled myself up as fast as I could. I barely avoided the explosion, my leg being the only one catching stray shrapnel. The muscle was shredded real bad, but I could still shoot prone.

I quickly pulled myself up and climbed into the last room, where I had stored another rifle. I was going to ambush them from the corridor while they were figuring out if I died in that explosion, then double back into the room and make my stand against whoever was left. Or that was the plan.

A giant hand lifted me like a toy when I reached out to grab the ledge. It was Gram, the machine gunner from earlier and one of Ahri's top goons. I never liked the man, a hulking creature similar to your average Wilder monster, in body and mind.

"Gotcha."

"Good dog, now bring me to your master."

He scowled at me, forcing both arms behind my back, bending them in dangerous ways. A few moments later, Ahri showed up, carefully inspecting his surroundings, waiting for a trap to spring out of nowhere. I felt good knowing he feared me so much.

"I wished you wouldn't have made things so difficult for me, Ellie."

"It's Commander Ellie for you."

"Not anymore. I seized all the assets of the Red Hand and captured most of the people loyal to you. Coming back with your head will give me the legitimacy I need."

"This plan of yours has one big flaw, though."

"And what might that be?"

I brought my face closer to Ahri's as I revealed an almost sinister smile. Then, I heard a bunch of metal pins fall to the ground. Earlier, I gathered all the metal scraps I could find lying on the ground. I tested each of them, making sure they sounded similar to the pins of explosive grenades when they fell on the floor. Just now, the two heard what they thought was at least a dozen pins falling on the ground. They knew I was cornered and was capable of anything. They must've realized that I would blow myself up to have the last laugh, and I would've if I had the explosive to do so.

Gram dropped me instantly, running at his boss and grabbing him before falling to the ground. As soon as I landed, I lounged with one leg from where I landed to where I stored my weapon. I grabbed the rifle and turned on my back, immediately shooting a few rounds into Gram, who was still lying on the ground. Was it over? The bullets were powerful enough to pass through an average human, but that thing was not average. I also had to make sure Ahri was dead before I dealt with the other mercenaries standing guard outside. I limped a few paces, holding my rifle pointed at the unmoving body of the giant.

At that moment, I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. I raised my rifle to meet whoever was about to barge in, taking my eyes from the pile of Gram for just a second. That was apparently enough for Ahri to peek from under the hulking mass and shoot me. I fell to the ground without a sound. I couldn't hear anything. I felt no pain either. I lost control over my body, unable to lift a finger. After coming so far, I died from something like this…

I noticed Ahri in my peripheral vision, barely holding himself straight, carefully checking me out from afar. Come closer, coward; how can you see anything in this dim light?

He eventually closed in, kicking me to see if I still lived. The bullet must've hit my head because I could see no apparent hole anywhere. My right side, my good side, must've looked horrible now. Ahri wasn't done with me yet. He grabbed my lifeless body by the neck and said something I couldn't hear. After his little speech, he walked me a few steps and threw me into the elevator shaft. The last thing I saw was the outside light fading into the distance as I fell. Luckily, I was beyond feeling any pain as I crashed at the bottom of the pit.

I closed my last remaining eye while waiting for my body to finally shut down. Human bodies are surprisingly resilient. Memories suddenly overran my mind. From the most insignificant daily occurrences to my most precious memories, I seemed to remember everything now. This is sad. I wish I didn't die at the bottom of a dark pit. I wish I ate that old lady's cooking more often. I wish… I.

"You've lived quite a life, young lady."