ANG HULING ALAALA NI ZEYNA

---

“Confirming target.”

“Visual lock. Si Zeyna ‘yan.”

“Execute in 3… 2…”

BANG!

---

Blood.

The first thing Zeyna tasted was metal sa dila niya. Dugo.

Mabilis. Malamig. Sobrang dami.

Pero kahit anong sakit, kahit anong tama, hindi siya bumagsak.

Hindi siya gano’n.

---

Zeyna Valez, a.k.a. Blackbird, The Phantom, La Diabla —

At kahit anong tawag sa kanya, isa lang ang totoo:

Wala siyang kabog.

---

Ten minutes earlier...

“Area’s clear. Isang tango on the third floor. Target’s package is near the vault.”

Her voice was low, kalmado, habang kausap ang teammate sa comms.

“Copy that. Zeyna, you have 6 minutes before backup arrives.”

“Too long,” sagot niya, habang nilalagyan ng silencer ang baril.

Tahimik siyang gumalaw sa loob ng lumang steel factory sa Bulgaria — isang haunted building na tinawag ng locals na "Kutsalata".

Pero hindi siya naniniwala sa multo.

She was the ghost.

Wala siyang armor. Wala siyang takot. May hawak lang siyang silencer at punit-punit na mission file.

Ang mission?

Retrieve classified drive. Eliminate target. No witnesses.

Standard. Easy. Boring.

---

Pero hindi siya pinadala dito dahil madali.

Pinadala siya dito dahil delikado.

At siya lang ang may enough skill para gawin ‘to nang mag-isa.

---

Nakarating siya sa vault. Nasa kamay na niya ang target USB.

Done.

Dapat paalis na siya. Pero something felt… off.

Sobrang tahimik. Walang static sa comms. Walang echo ng steps. Walang birds sa labas.

Too quiet.

Then...

Click.

Sound ng boots behind her.

She turned fast — but not fast enough.

BANG!

One bullet to the gut.

Two to the shoulder.

One missed.

"Zeyna—!" boses ng comms, pero putol.

Static. Silence.

She fell to one knee.

Hindi siya makapagsalita. Hindi siya makahinga.

Pero hindi pa siya tapos.

She rolled sideways, took cover behind a pillar.

Then looked around.

Wala. Ghosts.

Mga anino lang. Lahat nakasuot ng elite black gear — same as her team.

“Who the hell are you?” bulong niya, nanginginig.

Then her heart dropped.

Kilala niya ang baril.

Ang stance.

Ang pattern.

It was her own squad.

---

“Zeyna Valez. Elite agent. Too dangerous to keep alive,” someone whispered sa dark.

“Ito ang utos. We’re sorry.”

Hindi siya makagalaw. Pero ngumiti pa rin siya.

“P—pathetic,” she choked. “You need five of you to take me down?”

Tinanggal niya ang bloodstained gloves.

Sa loob nito, hawak pa rin niya ang mini detonator.

“Guess what…” she smiled. “I still win.”

Click.

BOOM.

---

Ang buong gusali sumabog.

Lahat ng kalaban? Wala na.

Zeyna? Wala na ring natirang katawan.

But just before the flames reached her,

she looked up to the dark sky and whispered…

“Kung may next life… sana mas peaceful.”

Then darkness.

---

 But the universe had other plans.

---

 Somewhere... far away

Isang soft na kutson. Isang hangin na mabango. Isang boses ng yaya.

“Celestina, gising na. Your father is waiting.”

Napadilat ang mga mata ni Zeyna.

Pero hindi siya si Zeyna ngayon.

Golden hair. Maputi. Walang peklat. Malambot ang kamay.

“...Ano ‘to?” she whispered. “Saan ako?”

Pagtingin niya sa salamin, hindi siya makapaniwala.

And as she stared at the face of Celestina Alfero,

the most useless mafia daughter in the empire…

Zeyna Valez smirked.

> “Mukhang ako na ang multong babangon mula sa kamatayan.”

---

END OF PROLOGUE

 Chapter 1: “The Shame of the Alfero Mafia” — Coming Next!

---

Author's note [Mga Beh, ready ka na ba kayo sa Chapter 1? Doon natin simulan ang adjustment arc ni Zeyna sa bagong katawan — weak body, cruel servants, pero killer mindset..]

You can check or read this on Wattpad with 5 chapters...

Chapter 1: Shame of the Alfero Mafia

Pain. Hindi 'yung physical ha - mas malala. 'Yung tipo ng sakit na hindi mo alam kung buhay ka pa.

That kind of pain.

Pero iba 'to ngayon. Kasi, for the first time sa buong buhay niya, Zeyna Valez felt... small.

Light.

Soft.

Weak.

Hindi sanay si Zeyna sa ganito. She wasn't supposed to feel warm bedsheets or soft silk pillows. She was supposed to be in the middle of a mission. Or a gunfight. Or in hell.

But instead-

"Celestina... Celestina Alfero... hija, wake up."

Boses ng matanda. Malambing, pero may halong kaba.

Dahan-dahang dumilat si Zeyna. Tumingin sa paligid. She was in a massive room - Victorian-style furniture, chandeliers, paintings, roses in gold vases. Amoy imported perfume at mamahaling sabon.

"This isn't..." bulong niya.

Hindi 'to safehouse. Hindi HQ.

Definitely not heaven either - kasi hindi siya welcome doon.

She sat up - or tried to. Nanginig ang katawan niya. Para siyang sanggol na walang lakas. Her arms were too thin. Her stomach was hollow. Her chest was tight.

What the hell happened to me?

Napatingin siya sa salamin sa kabilang dulo ng kwarto. She squinted, then gasped.

Blonde hair. Pale skin. Doll face. Baby pink nightgown.

"Who. The. F-"

But before she could finish, the door opened.

Isang servant ang pumasok. Straight posture, maid uniform, walang emotion sa mukha.

"Don Valerio requests your presence for breakfast. Don't keep him waiting."

Don Valerio?

Zeyna didn't move..

Kaya lumapit ang yaya at marahang nagsalita. "Celestina... hija, you collapsed for three days. The doctors said you had a mental breakdown."

Three days?

That explains the weakness. Pero hindi pa rin niya gets ang pangalan.

Then her eyes snapped wide.

Celestina Alfero.

The name clicked like a trigger in her mind.

The youngest daughter of the infamous Alfero Mafia Clan.

Weak. Shy. Spoiled. Coward. Laging umiiyak. Laging gwardyado.

A liability sa buong pamilya.

The mafia princess everyone ignored... or mocked.

"Are you serious?" she whispered.

So now, Zeyna Valez - elite assassin, queen of fire and fury - was trapped inside the most useless girl in the entire mafia empire?

Katahimikan.

Until she laughed.

Isang mahinang, parang baliw na tawa.

"Oh, this is rich."

Thirty minutes later...

Nakaharap si Zeyna sa malaking salaming bilog habang inaayusan ng dalawang katulong. They powdered her face, brushed her hair, and buttoned up her lace dress.

It was like preparing a doll.

Pero sa loob ng isip niya, alerto pa rin siya. Every movement, every window, exit point, blind spot - ini-scan niya. Old habits.

"Celestina, stop fidgeting."

Napalingon siya sa mataray na babae na taga-ayos ng ribbon niya.

"I'm not fidgeting. I'm memorizing all your weaknesses," bulong ni Zeyna, deadpan ang tono.

Napangiwi ang babae. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing." Smile.

Pagbaba niya sa grand staircase, lahat ng mata - nakatingin sa kanya.

Not with admiration.

But with disappointment.

She heard whispers.

"Naku, ayan na naman 'yung inutil."

"Mukhang tulala pa rin. Tsk."

"Anak pa naman ng Don, walang silbi."

Zeyna kept walking.

Sa loob ng grand dining hall, naroon ang isang matandang lalaking nakasuot ng dark suit - hawak ang newspaper, may hawak na espresso.

He looked powerful. Cold. Calculated.

This must be Don Valerio Alfero.

"So," he said without looking at her, "you're alive."

Zeyna sat down across him, expressionless. "Apparently."

"You embarrassed me in front of the Italian council last week. Again. Do you even remember what happened?"

She didn't. Well, Celestina didn't.

But Zeyna smirked. "Of course I do."

"Then why did you cry in the middle of the meeting and beg to go home to your 'stuffed bunny'?"

OH. MY. GOD.

Seriously, Celestina?

She kept her cool. "Trauma. You wouldn't understand."

His eyes narrowed. "You're a disgrace."

Zeyna's fork paused in the air. She looked him in the eye.

"Not for long."

After breakfast, Zeyna wandered outside the manor - into the Alfero gardens. Sa likod ng property ay parang maze ng rose bushes, statues, and fountains. Lahat may CCTV. Lahat may guard.

But her mind wasn't on escape.

She was thinking about the body she now had.

Weak muscles. Poor stamina. Mabagal ang reflex.

Kung aatakihin siya ngayon, she'd barely last 10 seconds.

But she'd rebuild. Slowly.

"Kung ang mundo ng mafia ang gusto niyong laruin..."

"Then I'll be your queen."

That night, humarap siya sa salamin ng kwarto. Nakasando lang siya at shorts - and she studied every inch of the body she now owned.

"Celestina," she muttered, "you may have been soft. But I'm not."

She closed her eyes.

And began training in silence.

Shadowboxing. Basic stretches. Painful squats. Weak push-ups.

She collapsed after the tenth.

But she smiled.

"Every day, I'll get stronger."

"Every bruise is a reminder - Zeyna Valez lives."

And somewhere deep inside the empire...

a storm was brewing.

They thought the useless mafia daughter was back.

They had no idea...

The deadliest woman alive just returned in disguise.

END OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter 2: The Servant Who Tried to Poison Me - Coming next!

Author's note!!!(Let’s gooo! Chapter 2 is here — with a sprinkle of comedy para light but deadly si Zeyna. She’s starting to adjust sa bagong buhay niya as Celestina, pero siyempre, hindi mawawala ang palaban niyang ugali, kahit mahina pa ang katawan niya.)

You can check Wattpad! my story is in there...

Chapter 2: The Servant Who Tried to Poison Me

Morning pa lang, sunod-sunod na ang problema.

Una, sobrang sikip ng corset na pinasuot sa kanya.

Pangalawa, ang almusal? Mushroom soup. Gasp.

At pangatlo?

Well, may nagtatangkang lasunin siya.

But let’s rewind a bit, shall we?

“Ugh… bakit parang sinakal ako ng kuryente?”

Zeyna groaned habang naglalakad pababa ng hagdan, hawak ang gilid ng tiyan.

Yung corset kasi? Literal na torture device. If medieval times had Wi-Fi, this was their version of slow death.

Pagdating niya sa dining room, naroon na agad ang food.

Silver tray, fancy bowl, may steam pa.

A maid stood beside her quietly. Nakayuko. Mabait ang aura. Suspicious.

“Soup, Señorita Celestina,” sabi ng maid, sabay abot ng kutsara.

Zeyna blinked. “Bakit parang... sobra kayong excited?”

Pero gutom na siya eh. So she sniffed it.

Then froze.

Wait. Is that… bitter almond?

Her eyes narrowed.

Cyanide.

Classic.

Instead of panicking, she smiled. “Maraming salamat.”

The maid looked nervous. “You’re welcome, Señorita…”

SLUUURRRPPP.

Zeyna exaggeratedly sipped the soup.

The maid's eyes went wide. “W-wait, you shouldn’t—!”

CRASH!

Zeyna “accidentally” dropped the bowl on the floor.

“Oops,” she said, totally deadpan.

“Bakit parang nahulog ang kamandag?”

Her voice was cold now.

“I-I—I'm sorry—!”

Zeyna stood. Kahit nangangatog pa rin ang tuhod niya, lumapit siya slowly sa maid.

“Tell me, sweetheart…” she said in a sweet tone, “sino ang nag-utos sa’yo?”

The maid shook her head. “W-wala po! N-nagkamali lang po ako!”

Zeyna leaned closer.

Then whispered:

“Sa susunod, siguraduhin mong mamatay ako. Kasi pag nabuhay ako, I don’t forgive.”

That night, the maid mysteriously quit.

Some say lumayas.

Others say… hindi na siya nakalabas sa estate.

But Zeyna? She just smiled at dinner and requested fried chicken.

Later that day...

Zeyna found herself sa backyard, watching some of the house guards doing basic combat drills.

She sighed, frustrated.

"Kung dati, ako nagtuturo ng ganyan. Ngayon, ni jumping jack, hinihingal ako."

May guard na nag-spin ng baton, pero nahulog.

“Yikes,” bulong niya. “Level zero.”

Biglang napansin siyang isa sa mga guards.

“Señorita Celestina? Gusto n’yong sumubok?”

She smiled.

“Oh no, baka magkasugat ako.”

Pero sa loob ng utak niya:

Challenge accepted, loser.

10 minutes later…

Zeyna stood in the center of the training mat.

She held a wooden practice sword.

Then faced a smug house guard na halatang walang tiwala sa kanya.

“Kahit limang segundo, hindi tatagal ‘yan,” may narinig siyang bulong.

She smiled sweetly.

Then—

SWISH!

In one move, she dodged his strike, twisted her hips, and slammed the fake sword into his shin.

“ARGH—!”

The man collapsed.

Silence...

All the guards stared at her like they just saw a unicorn punch a dragon.

Zeyna just winked.

“Five seconds, huh?”

That night, habang nakahiga siya sa kama, basang-basa ng pawis at pagod sa “secret training,” nagbibilang siya ng progress.

✓ Nakaligtas sa lason.

✓ Napuruhan ang isang guard kahit weak body.

✓ Corset: still evil.

✓ Friends: zero.

✓ Deadly aura: slowly returning.

Not bad.

The next morning, may dumating na sulat.

Gold-trimmed. Mafia seal.

From The Empire Summit — a gathering of all mafia leaders and heirs.

Mandatory appearance required.

Zeyna froze.

"Empire Summit? Akala ko next month pa ‘to?"

Pagbukas niya ng sulat:

“Due to unforeseen threats, summit moved to next week. All heirs must attend.”

Heirs… including Celestina Alfero.

Zeyna narrowed her eyes.

"Guess I’ll need a dress. And a new strategy."

Kasi doon niya unang makikita ang iba pang mafia heirs.

And somewhere out there...

The empire’s coldest king was already watching the chessboard.

END OF CHAPTER 2

Chapter 3: The Girl Who Can’t Even Dance (But Can Kill with a Fork) — Coming next!

Gusto mo na bang isunod ko ang Chapter 3 agad mga beh?

I got you sa comedy + badass blend always