Page 30 of Eternal
I’ve almost forgotten how it feels to hear my own name.
I entered the tattoo parlor a few hours later, the sterile smell of ink and needles hitting me instantly. I find the chair and settle in, glancing at my inked hands. Pain doesn’t bother me; this body is merely a container for my mind.
But I wanted new ones. I always do that. Every new mission, a new tattoo.
“Svoboda cherez smert,” I whisper, the words echoing in my chest. Freedom through death.
It’s the truth I cling to.
For me, death isn’t an end; it’s liberation. It’s a release from a life suffocated by torment, solitude, and rage.
God I’m depressing sometimes.
As the needle pierces my skin, I lean into the sting, imagining the quote stretching across my spine, winding around my neck. Eyes, too, just underneath, one clearer than the other.
Why was it so easy to do this? As if it was instinctive, as if I already knew what I wanted.
Fuck, she’s already in my head.
When the final stroke of ink settles, I lock eyes with my reflection, the ink still glistening against my skin. I’m ready to claim my next target.
A few moments later, I pull out my phone, the name Lev flickering on the screen, the traitor in the Bratva who’s been my informant since day one.
I hit the call button, pressing my back against the wall. It takes a moment before he answers.
“Damir?”
“I’m ready,” I say, quickly.
A silence hangs between us, heavy and charged. “Once you’re in, there’s no turning back.”
“I have everything I need.”
“Good. Tomorrow then. I’ll be waiting in front of the basement.”
“Count on it.”
As the call disconnects, my thoughts shift to our first meeting coming.
She’ll think she’s meeting someone new. Sweet Voron has no idea who’s about to step into her life.
I can almost feel her presence already, the way it will seep into my world and twist everything I thought I knew.
My last mission. Better be unforgettable.
How will she change me? How will I change her?
The only thing I’m certain of is, I can’t wait to find out.
9
DAMIR
“Do I Wanna Know” by Arctic Monkeys
Present
Lev is the typical traitor. Full of self-doubt and insecurity about his fabricated family.
