The softest bed and the silkiest sheets in the world would not let Reina catch any sleep that night. She turned all night, feeling like she would sink into the almost gooey bed after sleeping in one only slightly better than a rock for half her life.

Reina felt even more distressed by the alien comfort the suite provided. The air conditioner gently vibrating above her didn't offer the same relief as the wind blowing through her open window back home. The dead silence made her miss the sound of the wild birds and even the odd echo of the city's violence.

“This is bullshit,” Reina muttered, burying her head in a pillow and wanting to scream.

She eyed Tala sleeping beside her on the couch by the window, seemingly placid, with no regrets or horrors on her mind keeping her awake. For a brief moment, she envied that and wondered if she could have that same peace if she did what was asked of her.

By the time the morning came, she was still awake, torturing herself with unwelcome thoughts, until sheer exhaustion granted her a break and her body shut down for a few hours of sleep. The kind that gave little rest, but was better than nothing.

Dim Mak had already left when she descended from her room, leaving no word or message. Reina needed to clear her head and get some space, so she asked Tala to stay in the suite when she followed her, but instead of her usual reply of immediate agreement, she cleared her throat awkwardly.  

“Master, I know you didn’t ask for this, and I dare not counsel you on what to do…” Tala said, clearly wanting to do just that.

“By all means, share away,” Reina offered.

“The Yamata no Orochi took me from my home when I was very little, trained me, turned me into an assassin…I had no choice in becoming what I am.”

Reina felt a great swell of pity for the young ninja, though she knew Tala wanted none. “And if you did have a choice…would you still choose this life?”

“I do not know,” Tala answered honestly. “It is all I have ever known, and I had time to mentally prepare for what I was asked to do…but no, I do not think I would want to take a life ever again if I had the choice.”

Reina offered Tala her hand, which she took after a moment of hesitation, rising to her feet. “You do have that choice. I don’t want you to think of me as someone with power over you, that’s not what a master of the martial arts is. If I am going to wear that title with anyone, which still mortifies me a little if I'm honest… then it’ll be as a teacher and a friend.”

“But our code–”

“Is no longer yours, Nena. You’re free from it, and them.”

“Yes, I suppose I am…but I still would like to stay with you.”

Reina patted her on the head the way her dad would, not something she’d ever done for anyone, but it was all she could think of to reassure her at that moment. Tala seemed surprised but not displeased by the act, and smiled.

***

The rest of the hotel was bustling with guests from all around the world, and Reina felt like an outsider in this small corner of luxury and refinement. She was still wearing only her usual clothes and her beloved jacket, which made her feel out of place as she ignored the curious and not rude stares from the people she passed.

Talking to Tala helped, but she still felt a bit on edge. Whenever stress took over she would do one of three things, but the gym was too crowded for her liking, and she did not think she could find enough peace to meditate anywhere in the entire building. So that left her spoiling herself.

She found the beauty salon on the third floor, and she felt as though she entered a temple of some kind. The entire place was all gold and mirrors and chandeliers that probably were as expensive as they looked. Most chairs were taken by older ladies from abroad who eyed her like a stray dog who walked in from the street, which she would normally return with a glare, but today she felt especially out of place.

“I’m sorry, we only attend to guests of the hotel here,” said a handsome man with a very thin and stylish mustache. He was smiling, but very clearly a fake one.

“I am,” Reina replied, as defiantly as she could; offering her room card. 

The man looked at it as though she had stolen it and was considering calling security.

“Oh, do knock it off, you idiot.” 

A lady at the end of the salon had spoken, her voice a rare combination of harsh and soft at the same time. She was a young Chinese woman wearing what seemed like a sort of modified cheongsam dress of white and gold thread, but only the upper half, leaving her impressively muscular legs exposed, and covered only by dark thigh-high sleeves with gold touches that only accentuated how thick they were.

They caught Reina’s eyes immediately, not just for their size, but also the wear and tear only a fighter would have. In the same way that Reina sometimes felt self-conscious of how callused her hands could look after years of strengthening them, this woman had a similar impression on her legs. Even through the silky fabric, she could see they were dangerous.

“Don’t worry, you’re not the first to notice them,” the lady said, snapping Reina back to reality. “Everyone stares the first time, but I rarely give them the chance to do so again.”

She reclined her head back for a hearty chuckle, breaking Reina's focus on her legs and allowing her to notice she was getting a pedicure and her nails painted black while sipping out a champagne glass; her arms equally covered by the same elegant black sleeves, and a boa of white fur curled around her shoulders. It was the kind of gaudy thing Reina would expect to see from a fancy old lady showing off, but somehow she pulled it off.

"Now," she said imperiously, "I won't have any guests be denied any of our services, and the poor girl needs it, so...”

The lady snapped her fingers and the man bowed apologetically, his face terrified, immediately guiding Reina towards her. Up close, she looked even more intimidating with a gaze of steel; her black eyes seemed to be looking for something to attack at all times. However, she did smile when she looked Reina over.

“I like your jacket,” she offered courteously, though Reina could hear the sneer in the compliment.

“My…mother gave it to me,” Reina added, using the term with conflicted feelings, but surprised to find she still felt that way about Dim Mak.

“I suppose some get luckier with theirs.” 

She noticed Reina was just standing there awkwardly and motioned for her to sit in the chair next to her. Reina took off her shoes and undid her ponytail, and no sooner had she done that before two of the salon ladies appeared out of nowhere and gently placed her in the chair, washing her hair and working on her feet.

 Although Dim Mak sometimes scoffed at her for it, she considered her beauty regimen as important as her training. It was a ritual to maintain her appearance as well as helping her feel more like herself. That could be as vital as keeping up her strength, and even her master acknowledged the importance of rest for the mind and body.

“Oh, this is nice,” Reina sighed after she relaxed enough to enjoy the pampering.

“Only the best for those staying in my hotel.”

It took a few seconds for Reina to process what she had said fully. “Your hotel?”

“Oh, yes, pardon me, the name’s Kara, dear. I am the new owner here."

Reina was surprised, Kara herself only seemed a few years older than her. To think someone that young could own and run a whole business, especially one as big and luxurious as this, seemed alien to her.

Kara saw her expression out of the corner of her eye and grinned, "I know what you're thinking, but I assure you I manage quite well. And while the place did cost me a small fortune, it cost the previous owner a whole leg.”

She added a small laugh, a private joke that Reina couldn't help but feel she meant literally, but that could have just been her feeling deja vu from Dim Mak's similar humor. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

The women tending to them froze, and the air in the entire salon changed. They all glanced as discreetly as they could towards them, but Kara seemed unbothered, still grinning pleasantly with her eyes closed as if the woman painting her nails hadn't stopped.

“No, not my style, whatever else you hear about me, believe that.” Kara opened her eyes and looked down at the woman below her, an amused expression on her face. “I’m sure some say I can be a bit much, but I am nothing if not fair. So take a moment, catch your breath, relax...and make sure to get it right, or the next time you see my foot this close it’ll be a lot faster…and feel a lot harder.”

The poor manicurist gulped in terror and slowly proceeded to finish her work, trying to keep her hands from shaking. Reina felt for her and wanted to say something, but there was something truly intimidating about Kara that still felt oddly familiar.

You remind me a lot of her,” Reina said, finally.

“Your mother?”

“Yeah.”

“She must be extraordinary then.”

“That she is, but also a heartless bitch sometimes.”

“I’m done Miss Kara, please excuse me.” The manicurist barely uttered the words as she moved in a frenzied panic along with the ladies attending to Reina towards the door, leaving them alone. 

Kara remained passive, her eyes still lazily avoiding looking at Reina directly as if she wasn’t worth the energy. “You know, I didn’t catch your name.” 

“Reina.”

“Ah, pardon me, Your Majesty,” Kara said with a giggle. “Rodriguez, right? You’re staying at my top suite, right now, yes?”

“Not alone,” Reina replied pointedly.

“I see, so you’re her latest attempt at preserving her legacy.”

That could have meant a lot of things, but Reina knew instantly what she was referring to, and it chilled her that she knew Dim Mak so well. Her demeanor had changed, too. Kara’s face was no longer a poorly concealed mask of contempt, but barely holding back a great deal of anger.

“Has she made you do it already?” Kara said, through what felt like gritted teeth. A shiver ran down Reina’s spine as she felt her thoughts exposed; her fear brought out for her to examine.

“No,” Kara said slowly, her eyes narrowing with understanding. “She’s asked, but you haven’t killed yet, that much is obvious.”  

For the first time since she sat down, Kara turned to look directly at her, even pushing her body forward to be right on top of her, making Reina shrink under her hard stare. There was no mask left on the woman before her, just open contempt and a look that could inflict damage.

“I don’t know you, but I know the one who brought you here and I will deal with her. My advice is leave now and forget you ever knew her.”

The words were daggers, puncturing what was left of Reina’s courage and conviction. Kara stood now, and though she was only slightly taller than her, she felt like a towering presence with the same dangerous aura as her master. 

Finally, Kara turned away and headed towards the door, leaving Reina sweating and catching her breath which only now she realized she had stopped. She didnt even put on shoes of any kind, unbothered by the cold marble floor.

“Be warned, Reina,” Kara stopped to say without turning to look at her. “While you're in my hotel, I always have my eyes on you. You try anything…you deal with me.”