Luna

EXORDIUM

LUNA | EXORDIUM

IT’S already nine in the evening. The city lights could be visible from the room she rented yesterday in the Lakefront Hotel that Luna is standing now on.

Across the building, a fancy restaurant could be seen — where her target was in right now. From where she was standing, there was only two hundred meters away or so to her target. Well, her sniper gun has a maximum range shot of 800 meters with a telescope. That’s why she’s confident that her mission will end tonight.

Luna peeks through her sniper’s telescope, aiming at Mr. Jung, her target. He seems to be making his life easier because his place is not far from the window of the restaurant but still, she’s waiting for a clear shot. She can’t just shoot. Mr. Jung is surrounded by his bodyguards.

Her target, Mr. Jung, is one of the leaders of a huge syndicate in Asia, a politician. He owns the Neo Empire, a successful business. His position and business is just a cover-up for his illegal businesses such as prostitution, drug trafficking, extortion, arm smuggling and so on. Sinong mag-aakala na isa sa mga pinagkakatiwalaan ng mga tao ay isa palang kriminal?

Her eyes squinted a bit and adjusted the forefinger that will put the trigger when she got a clear shot on Mr. Jung. “Sniper’s ready.” She said through an earpiece as she set the sniper, making sure the bullet would dig into Mr. Jung’s head, that’ll cause him death.

Luna wants to kill him in different ways. She can but Hector wants a clean job. Kung wala lang siyang suot na earpiece ngayon at kung hindi niya kailangan i-report ang bawat galaw niya sa kanyang kasamahan, she might slit Mr. Jung’s throat. A shooter is Sebastian’s job, not hers. She hates being one.

She aimed the gun carefully at her target before she pulled the trigger and that ended Mr. Jung. From her scope, she had a glimpse how her target plunged in the floor and his own blood clothed the left side of his face before the bodyguards surrounded their lifeless leader. Veterans inside the restaurant started to panic and exited hysterically.

She moved quickly to conceal the sniper in an attaché case and tossed it in a trashed vent.

“I tossed my attaché case in a trashed vent at Lakefront Hotel, grab it. Mission accomplished.” She announced through the earpiece as she wore her coat before she left the rooftop, heading towards the CCTV room.

Her tracks were simply silent and full of caution. When she reached her destination, she opened the door carefully. There is a staffman sitting in front of computers. Silently, she went towards him and used her hand to hit the side of his neck, causing him to fall from his seat, unconscious.

“Sorry but I have to delete some footage.” She said mockingly to the unconscious guy lying on the floor. She sat on the swivel chair, in front of those computers and expertly deleted every footage she was in.

When she’s done, she left the CCTV room and entered the elevator again. Luna took off her earpiece now and shoved them in her coat’s pocket. When her fingertips touched her phone, she pulled it out. She clicked the on button and waited for it. As she checked out the time on her phone, she reached the first floor of the Lakefront Hotel.

The moment it opened, she saw a guy in a gray polo, standing in front of the elevator she’s ridin’ in. His hands were in his faded jean’s pocket and his head was slightly bowed, tapping the tiled floor with his right foot. He entered the elevator but that was when she had to exit. Luna seemed to be in slow motion when she walked past the guy.

A memory suddenly flashed on her mind as she heard the closing sound of the elevator. Nakakunot ang noo na hinarap niya ang nakasarado nang elevator.

“It’s him.” She uttered.

꧁꧂

LUNA got home to their house — to her room specifically — safe and sound. Killing Mr. Jung isn’t exhausting but staying at the hotel and waiting for a clear shot was.

She was about to turn on the light when she felt someone was watching her. She is not alone. Her ears became sensitive to any sound she could hear, her eyes were trying to seek prey. When she finally feels the presence behind her, adrenaline rushes through her veins. In one swift move, that person is now laying on his stomach. She straddles the back of his thighs as she captures his right arm and pin it to his back.

“Sino ka?” She asked..

She didn’t receive any answer from him, only a low groan. She squeezed his arm that made him press his body on the floor even more. “I asked you, answer me.”

“Geez, Luna! Is this how you welcome your guest? By breaking their bones?”

She frowned and paused for the moment she heard the familiar voice. “Sebastian?”

He let out a groan before he spoke, squirming underneath her. “Yes! Now, get off of me!”

“Oh, right.” She reacted as she remembered she was still hovering him. She releases his hands and stands up to turn the lights on.

Sebastian then stood up as well, massaging his arm that had been twisted a moment ago. They faced each other for a second before she walked towards her wardrobe, taking out a towel.

Hawak ang isang puting tuwalya, naglakad siya palapit sa kanyang kama at umupo sa gilid niyon, removing her black gloves and boots. “At anong ginagawa mo sa kwarto ko?” She asked, glancing over Sebastian who’s leaning against the wall near her bedside table.

Nagkibit-balikat na lang siya nang hindi siya sagutin nito. Tumayo ulit siya at tinalikuran ang lalaki para hubarin ang kulay krema niyang coat. Ngunit nang akmang niyang huhubarin ang nakapatong na croptop jacket vest sa kanyang black sport sleeveless top, napahinto siya nang maramdaman niya ang pagtitig ng lalaki sa kanya. But later on, she decided to take it off, exposing some tattoos on her arm and back. She trusts him he would not make such moves. Gusto na niya sanang palitan ang cargo pants niya ng pajama pero parang wala pang balak lumabas ng kanyang kwarto si Sebastian.

Nang wala pa ring sinasabi ang binata sa kanya, lumabas siya ng kanyang kwarto para iwan ito. She headed to the kitchen to grab some water to drink. Sebastian followed her after.

She opened the fridge, taking out the pitcher of water. Sebastian then leaned against the counter, his armed cross on his chest, glaring at her. Luna raised her left eyebrow, asking him what his problem was.

“At least apologize for breaking my bones.”

She could sense the annoyance in his voice, so she chuckled at him as she fill-up her tumbler with water before drinking it.

“Well?” Sebastian remarked when she finished her drink.

Pinatong niya ang baso sa counter saka nang-iinis na tiningnan niya ito. “Maybe, next time.”

Sebastian wailed in disappointment. He was looking in her direction in an angry way as he stomped his feet.

“Stop sulking, Baste. You are already a twenty-eight year old boy.” She said, raising her left brow, to pissed him more.

This is just how she expresses how much she misses him. They haven’t seen each other for about two weeks since they’ve both got busy with their own businesses.

Mas lalong naging matalim ang pagkakatingin nito sa kanya. “I’m not a boy anymore, Luna. And please, stop calling me Baste.”

She smirked and lightly scrunched her nose and said, “But you still act like one.”

He’s too fast. In just a blink of an eye, Sebastian pinned her against the fridge. She raised her left eyebrow, indicating she wasn’t afraid of what he could do.

“I’m a grown up man now.”

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head slightly.

“Well, I can prove to you that I am.” He warned her. “I can show you what I can do as a man now.”

Looking at Sebastian’s cold yet raging pair of glowing orbs, Luna doesn’t feel any threat. His eyes traveled from her eyes down to her small nose and focused on her lips. He’s so close that she could feel his hot and minty breath fanning her cheek.

“I just took her attaché case for a while, tapos ito ang madadatnan ko?” A man’s voice appeared from behind.

Napangiti nang bahagya si Luna nang mabilis na umayos ng tayo si Sebastian at hinarap ang bagong dating. “‘Pa.” anito. Lumapit ang binata dito at kinuha ang attaché case. Inutusan nito ang anak na lalaki na dalhin ang dala nito sa pribadong compartment.

Nang iwan sila ni Sebastian, nilapitan ni Luna ang kanyang ama-amahan at saka nagmano.

Hector Arienza. The biological father of Sebastian and the man who took good care of her after what happened to her seven years ago. Hector serves as their broker, providing her and Sebastian with contracts, while the latter one sets out as her partner. They are not criminals but not an ally of the government either.

Kahit na nasa singkwenta na ang edad nito, halatang malakas pa rin ito. He’s wearing his usual get up; a black coat and pants pairing with leather shoes and a brown fedora placed on his head. Kung hindi lang dahil sa namumuti na nitong buhok, aakalain mong nasa treinta pa lamang ito. Makikitaan lang ito ng wrinkles kapag ngumingiti.

Luna lived on the same roof with the dealer and assassin for seven years now. Within that number of years, she trained to become one, too.

“You did well, Luna.” He praised with a fatherly smile on his lips.

A small smile crept on her lips as he patted her head softly. She really loves it when Hector softly caresses her hair. It makes her heart calm and free. Kahit na hindi sila magkadugo, damang-dama ni Luna ang pag-aaruga nito sa kanya at ang pag-akto nito bilang isang ama.

“Have you eaten yet, ‘nak?” tanong nito sa kanya. Ginulo muna ni Hector ang kanyang buhok bago nagtungo sa likod ng counter para maghanda ng makakain.

Umiling siya bilang sagot. She could still feel his soft touch on her hair. But there are some gestures she misses the most…