The sky was cloudless, there were no stars but the moon was brighter, pale but brighter compared to the past nights. The night was still, even the wind didn't whisper anymore, it was like the place was devoid of any living things.
A shadow passed with loud footsteps that echoed through the dark but nobody cared or rather no one dared. The shadow continued on its journey to a place unknown, where people don't have the courage to cross. The shadow was known and feared. Feared for being merciless and ruthless but still praised for being a hero.
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Life has not been good to Aliyah Walker since she was a child, having to live alone and fend for herself so that she could survive. She struggled and fought to continue on living. It was not easy but she managed to grow up and be who she was now.
She was a beautiful girl with bright shaded blue eyes that shined when she smiled, that wavy long black hair that bounces whenever she walked and her fair complexion that glistened under the sun. But beyond all these amazing features, she hid her broken heart.
When she decided to return to Matrix City, she became an enforcer, a hero of the law at a young age of twenty. Her personality and reputation earned her the name 'Red' and she never disappoints. To her, being an enforcer was her way of alleviating the pain she hid behind her strong persona.
"Lovely, it's another kill for you again tonight Red," smirked a guy with spiky hair to the young woman who just entered the station.
"Yes, so get off my back and do your job." The young woman sneered and then completely ignored the man.
"Oh cold, I'm freezing now." The guy teased as he hugged himself in an act of being cold.
Aliyah just rolled her eyes and paid him no more attention. She was used to the guy's treatment and jabs that it doesn't even affect her anymore. She became numb to most things and developed a nonchalant attitude to any given situation.
Seeing that Aliyah did not react the way he wanted, he shrugged and adopted the right posture for an enforcer. "By the way, General Aryster will be here within an hour so be ready." The guy gave up in provoking Aliyah and he strutted away after he informed her of the general's arrival.
It was not new that some of the big shots from the main headquarters would come and visit branches of enforcers in each city of the country. Once in a while, an inspection would happen to assess the performance of each branch and its personnel.
At exactly 2 pm in the afternoon, General Leroy Aryster arrived at their station. The general was a tall man of about 6'10 and was full of muscles, though he was at the age of 40's he was still fit and radiated authority. He was sporting gray piercing eyes and a serious-looking face. The meeting room was silent as they waited for the general's entrance.
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Murmurs were going on around the room. Some say that enforcers will reap benefits when a general was to give an Enforcer Station a good review. It was a big deal for every station to remain at their best and be alert at all times in case a surprise inspection was to happen.
It was Aliyah's first time to see an inspection and to catch a glimpse of a real-life general, not the ones like those wannabes in their station. It was only a year when she became an enforcer and to see a general so soon was considered good luck. She hoped that this would be her good luck.
After waiting, the door finally opened, and there entered the general himself. The whispers died and they all stood up and gave the general a salute which he curtly returned. After the general's speech on how the flow of command should work and how an Enforcer Station should work, he praised the enforcers for their good performance for the past months.
After more talks and a short open forum that got Aliyah bored, she decided to tune them out. She was not interested in politics, all she cared about was doing her job right. She expected too much but was disappointed because the other enforcers were plainly faking their smiles just to get to the general's good side.
"What a bunch of hypocrites," she murmured to herself before averting her gaze and focusing on nothing in particular.
"Before we end this meeting, I would like to first acknowledge one of you here today for doing their job well. Please, let's give Enforcer Aliyah Walker a round of applause." The general's voice echoed through the room together with the sound of applause.
Aliyah was stunned, she didn't expect that she would be suddenly commended. She stood up and looked around her. She could already feel the glare and sneers they were giving her.
She went up to the general and gave the man a salute. "Thank you, sir!" She then shook the general's hand and received a simple plaque that distinguished her as a worthy enforcer.
"Keep up the good work everyone, this meeting is adjourned." General Aryster waved his hand before he left the room first followed by the other enforcers.
"You did well, Enforcer, keep it up." The chief from their station gave her a big smile. He was proud to have a subordinate who was praised by a general. They will surely reap benefits after this meeting.
After all the staring and whispering, Aliyah was more than happy to go home but as she exited the building, she felt eyes looking at her. She looked at the direction of the eyes and all she saw was a black car. The car must probably be one of the general's entourages. Though the car was tinted and she couldn't see who was inside, she was sure that someone was looking at her right at that moment. She shrugged and went on her way not bothering to know who it was.
It was not her business but if the person causes a problem for her, she would not think twice in retaliating. It was her principle to avoid any conflicts as much as possible but if a person acts against her first, she would do everything in her power to defend herself and to inflict as much damage as she could to the other party.
She continued down the main road and made a turn to a dimly lit alley until she arrived at a pretty old building. She didn't hesitate to enter the building and went up to the fourth floor through the rickety stairs. The old apartment building once had an elevator but due to the passing of time and lack of maintenance, the elevator finally broke down.
Reaching the room with the number 18 plastered on it, Aliyah brought out her key and opened the room. The room was decent, with sparse furniture but Aliyah doesn't really care since no one ever came to visit her. After changing into comfortable clothes, she cooked a simple dinner of sautéed vegetables and fried eggs. She liked her peace and she would only find it when she was alone.
She was used to eating alone since she grew up without someone guiding her. She learned to fight with her own efforts. She learned to live alone and she became used to it. The first year after her only family disappeared was very difficult. There were days that she wasn't able to eat because she lacked money and no one at that time would pity a grimy, unkempt ten-year-old girl.
Most people avoided her while some will look at her with disgust but she endured. She even resorted to stealing bread and fruits from stalls in the market in order to feed her growling stomach. She was caught and beaten many times but as she grew up, she became fast and smart.
At the age of 15, she decided to look for the only family she had but after all her efforts yielded no results. She became broken-hearted and devastated and eventually angry. Remembering all that happened to her, Aliyah decided that it's time to rest and forget what happened in the past.