Isla remained standing where she was, the gun still in her hand. Her breathing was slightly labored, not because of fatigue, but because of the tension that was slowly seeping into her body. The gazes of the people around her were still piercing, some were also full of judgment toward her while others were just cold and indifferent.
"You are far from worthy, but at least you are not a coward," Matteo said before turning to leave.
Isla stared at his back with her jaw hardened. She knew his words were not a compliment, but they were not an insult either. It was just reality. She still had to learn, still had to become better, faster, and more deadly.
Slowly, one by one, people began to disperse. No one approached her and no one engaged her in conversation. They kept their distance as if she was a disease to be avoided. Isla had expected this. After killing for the first time, after dirtying her hands with blood, they would no longer see her as a 'new kid' they could ignore. But that didn't mean they accepted her easily.
As she was leaving the training room, someone suddenly nudged her hard, and Isla turned her head. A woman stood before her with a sharp, hateful gaze. Her black hair was in pigtails, her eyes dark and piercing like daggers ready to plunge into the heart of her opponent. Isla didn't recognize that face.
"You think you're good enough just to kill one person?" The woman's voice finally came with a high pitch. "Jessica is better than you at everything. You're just lucky."
Isla did not respond immediately. She stared at the woman unflinchingly, assessing whether she was dealing with just another angry person or someone who would be a real threat to her life.
"I don't care what you think," Isla replied, trying not to be provoked.
"Of course you don't. Killers shouldn't have hearts, right?" The woman smirked at Isla.
"If you want revenge on me, go for it," Isla said finally, her voice remaining controlled. "But make sure you're ready to die too and catch up with Jessica."
The woman's eyes widened in anger. Her jaw clenched and she wanted to lunge at Isla.
"You're an asshole!" she said, shaking with rage. "Jessica shouldn't have died. If it wasn't for your luck, she would be standing here right now, not you!"
Isla remained silent, letting the words slide by without making an impression on her heart. This wasn't the first time someone had wanted to make her feel guilty. But she knew one thing in this world only the strongest survive.
"I just did what I had to do," Isla said, her tone almost too lazy to respond to this. "If she was good enough, it should have been me who died, not her. But things are different, aren't they?"
The woman's slap flew towards Isla quickly, but Isla was expecting it. She tilted her head slightly, letting the slap pass without touching her skin.
"You coward, you can't even take a slap from me!"
Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Only the two of them were left. Isla didn't want to respond too much.
"I swear, Isla. I will make sure you feel what Jessica feels," the woman said.
"Go ahead and try," Isla said casually. "But make sure you're better than her. Because if you're not, you'll end up just like her."
The woman was about to explode, but someone pulled her arm from behind one of their colleagues. Probably intending to prevent her from making a bigger scene with Isla. Angrily, she finally turned and left, but Isla knew it wasn't over yet.
She had just made more enemies in a place already full of people who wanted to see her fail. But strangely, instead of being scared, Isla felt challenged.
***
The night was drawing in and the air was becoming more and more skin-piercing. Isla kept walking with a vigilant attitude, but could not completely shake off the fatigue that crept over her body after a long day. She knew someone was following her, but she did not slow down. She let her opponent think that she was off guard.
Suddenly, a thin knife shot towards her. She jumped to the side, but the knife kept hitting her skin, leaving a shallow cut on her shoulder. Isla stared at the wound on her shoulder with a flat expression.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Selena. And this is my first warning to you," Selena said, her voice colder. "You may be able to kill Jessica, but I'm different."
Isla touched her shoulder and felt the warm blood seeping into her skin. The wound was shallow, but that wasn't what she was focused on - it was the way Selena attacked so quickly.
Selena was not only angry that Isla had killed Jessica but also felt the loss of someone who was like a sister. Jessica and Selena had been through a lot together, training, fighting, and protecting each other in a world full of danger. To Selena, Isla was not just an enemy, but a usurper-someone who took away the person who mattered most in her life.
"If this is your first warning, you'd better be more serious next time," Isla said as she turned around.
Selena didn't give Isla a chance to get away. With lightning speed, she darted forward, swinging another knife towards Isla's neck.
Isla immediately ducked, letting the knife just sweep through empty air. She spun to the side, preparing for the next attack. Just as she expected, Selena had already delivered a hard kick to her stomach. Isla raised her arm, deflecting the kick by slightly shifting backward to lessen the impact.
"I'm going to make your life a living hell, Isla." Selena's eyes were filled with hatred.
Selena's words caught Isla off guard for a split second. At that moment, Selena saw an opening. Without hesitation, she slid forward, her knife aimed right at Isla's thigh. Isla tried to retreat, but Selena's movements were too fast.
Heat spread across her thigh as Selena's knife pierced her skin. The wound was deep and in an instant blood began to flow, soaking Isla's pants. She clucked her tongue, stifling the pain that radiated throughout her body. Her breathing was a little labored, but she wasn't about to show her weakness in front of Selena.
"Now you know how it feels," Selena said, taking a step back with a triumphant smile.
"Do you consider this revenge?" Isla kept her voice steady despite the pain eating away at her body.
"This is just the beginning," Selena replied, her eyes piercing Isla. "I want you to feel the pain before I finally finish you off."
Isla remained standing where she was, her eyes not leaving the direction of Selena's departure. The wound on her thigh still throbbed, but more than that, she knew one thing- this wasn't over with Selena.