The darkness lasted for some time before the sound of the incessant buzzing made her groan.

She turned in her bed, until she heard a voice.

"Wake up, Sister!"

The air was nearly knocked out of her lungs as she felt someone land on top of her and on instinct she gripped their hand flipping them on the bed while twisting their arm behind their back.

"Ow!" The girl cried loudly.

Her eyes focused on the girl below after a couple of seconds.

"Mom! Mom! Big Sis is bullying me!" The younger girl who looked no older than 25 cried loudly making the older one slightly confused.

"Stop making a fuss so early in the morning, you two! You’re not kids anymore!" Their mother’s scolding drifted into the room.

"I-Ira?" She spoke, even her own voice made her confused.

"Get off me, Sis!" Ira cried and the older girl quickly scrambled off.

"I-I’m... sorry?"

Ira frowned, angry, "How rude! I was being good and waking you up so that you won’t be late for your office and this is what I get?!"

The older one was still confused unable to understand as there seemed to be something wrong here.

"Wait... What are you..."

The older one turned her head looking around the small bedroom filled with bookshelves that contained a lot of novels, non-fiction books, and mangas.

Her eyes then fell on the glass window of her room, the reflected her form. Her eyes widened a little as she saw her shoulder length wolf cut styled brown hair sitting messily atop her head, her deep black eyes staring back at her and her face was somewhat different.

She wasn’t sure if it was her.

[Dear Readers are informed that you are reading the right novel. This is The Kingmaker System, there are no mistakes.]

[We hope you have a good day.]

"What...?" The older girl’s head spun, she couldn’t understand, she couldn’t even remember anything.

"I don’t want your sorry! Bring me a pizza when you come home today!" Ira spoke crossing her arms at her chest.

"You two better get ready now. It’s 7 am already!" The third voice rang through the room.

"Yes, Mom!" Ira shouted.

"Remember, pizza." Ira spoke looking at her and then skipped out of the room.

"Samara, hurry up, breakfast is ready!"

The girl flinched, the name was familiar, it was her name. But then, why would that name feel so foreign?

Samara walked up to the door that was attached to her room and walked in finding the modern bathroom before her. Her body worked on her own as her brain seemed like it was up in the clouds.

She had a shower and then toweled herself off before standing face to face with the mirror that clearly reflected her.

Even after being covered in the long bath towel watching herself she felt as if it wasn’t her own body. The shoulders that had become broad, the long muscled arms, lean figure with the scars standing proudly on her skin, her long muscled legs, everything about her body was the result of the field work. Yet, that body looked unfamiliar.

She touched her face and stared at herself for a moment, her pitch black eyes that seemed to be carrying endless abyss stared back. She touched her chest for some reason she felt as if she was shot there. Or was she?

She was sure that she didn’t look like this. But then, why?

Samara shook her head and stepped out of her room. She found her ironed clothes outside, a red shirt with the black formal pants and her favourite biker boots. Slowly, she was starting to recall.

Her name was Samara, she was 30 this year and she had been a special intelligence officer who had been promoted only recently and her work was a secret from her family and everyone around her. For them, she was a simple government desk worker.

Samara walked out and sat down at the dining table where her father was already seated for the breakfast. Her mother was also there sipping her tea. Samara watched her parents.

"There’s quite some expenses this month." Her father mumbled.

"It’s fine, we don’t usually spend a lot." Her mother waved her hand.

"Besides, with Samara’s marriage talks going on we’ll need to make sure we have enough." Her father said and Samara couldn’t help but just stare not really paying attention to their words.

"Yes, yes, but it’s still hard to find a man who is good enough these days. You know even the family should be good." Her mother pointed out.

Samara barely nibbled at her breakfast watching them.

"Aren’t you going to be late? Why are you eating so slowly, Samara?" Her mother spoke looking at her.

Samara blinked watching her mother’s face, the woman looked in her late fifties and somehow, Samara felt as if she hadn’t seen this face in ages.

"What are you staring at me for, Samara?!" Her mother spoke making her blink.

"Mom, I’m off to work!" Her sister appeared dressed in a white shirt and pink pencil skirt.

Though she looked somewhat like Samara but Ira could be easily called the beautiful one with a shapely body and long light brown hair with chocolate brown eyes.

"Come on, sis, I’ll drop you at the station." She said swinging her scooty’s keys.

"Aren’t you going to have breakfast?" Her mother asked.

"No, I’m good." Ira said and Samara stood up.

Samara found it a little weird as if she was seeing everything around her for the first time.

"Sis, are you free this weekend?" Ira asked while they were riding.

"Hm..." Samara hummed as she looked around the other vehicles and the buildings.

"You see... I’m going for movies with my boyfriend and well... Mom and Dad will keep asking me questions so, can you please come along with me? I know you don’t like hanging out with others so, if you want we can leave you alone or you can just tag along, whatever you say!" Ira said.

Samara blinked and then looked at Ira.

"You have a boyfriend?"

Ira laughed, "Why are you acting so surprised, Sis? You’ve met him before."

Samara hummed again. Ah, maybe she had met him but forgot.

"Anyways, you will go, right?" Ira pleaded.

"... Sure. What movie though?"

Ira beamed, "Well, since you are coming so, we’ll see your favourite movie. Come to think of it, the last movie of your favourite horror movie series has also released. Let’s watch that."

Samara found herself chuckling, "A fearful, crybaby like you could handle horror?"

Ira’s face flushed, "O-Of course, I can!"

Samara laughed and Ira stopped her scooty before the railway station.

"I’ll text you the time and venue later." She said, "and don’t forget the pizza!"

Ira rode off while Samara stared at her for a moment and then she turned and walked in.

Her office was a little far from her family home, usually she would have gotten a house from the government close to her office but since she lived with her family, she was used to travelling through local transport instead of being stuck in traffic.

Before Samara knew it, she was settling in well. She still had the nagging feeling of the things being unfamiliar and something being wrong but she couldn’t think of why it was like that. Everything just seemed normal. It was just her normal life.

Samara entered the building of her office, it was an old building on the front with a watch guard yawning even though it was only 8 am now.

Samara walked inside and made her way towards the elevator. Since the building was old, so were the elevator’s front. She pushed open the door and then the iron bars and stepped in closing them before punching the buttons 463. Turned around as a small rectangular slit opened on the opposite side with a scanner.

Samara scanned her ID and the doors opened from the other side.

She walked out, entering her office. The usual hustle bustle met her and the familiar faces. The scent of coffee, smoke and ink was thick in the air with the air conditioning blasting freezing air.

"Morning, Chief!"

"Mornin’, Chief."

"Good morning, Chief."

The younger colleagues greeted her and she gave them all nods before she reached her subicle. Her computer sat there with a family picture with some files.

"Chief," a young agent named Laila leaned over to Samara’s cubicle.

"Boss if looking for you." She said and Samara nodded.

Laila lingered just for a bit before she walked away. Samara stood from her spot walking towards the glass cabin finding her 50 year old Boss Deva inside. Samara stood in front of his desk with her back straight, hands behind her and legs at a little distance.

"Morning, Boos."

He had a cup of his black coffee in his hand with a white board set.

"It’s a Good morning, Sam."

Samara gave him a full look, "I fail to understand what part of mornings is good, My Lord."

Both Samara and her boss stared at each other for a moment, before he sighed.

"Did you binge watch another show last night that it’s lingo is still attached to you?" He asked and Samara averted her eyes feeling a little embarrassed.

Though, she was confused as of why she spoke in that sense. Normally, she was quite casual with everyone even if it were her seniors.

"Anyways, I’ve called you here regarding yesterday’s mission."

Samara tilted her head a bit. It was weekend yesterday and she and her team had to be on a shootout at a rundown mill. Though her team wasn’t prepared, they had managed to take out all of the militants.

"You and your team did a great job." Her boss smiled.

"Give us a vacation as a reward." Samara spoke.

Her boss laughed, "I would love a vacation too, but these damn cockroaches are..."

He sighed, "Anyways, take a day or two off if you want and then focus on this,"

He placed a file in front of her, she picked it up.

"This is the information that the track team put together, the notorious Underworld Boss is on move. God knows what he’s plotting but, I’m sure it’s nothing good. Have a look at it and then plan on how you’re going to tackle this."

Samara nodded, "Okay."

She saluted once before she left his office and then returned to her own cubicle.

She placed the thin file down and leaned back in her chair. She needed a vacation but handing her a file of one of the most infamous men on earth it was as a huge weight on her.

Samara opened the file and her eyebrows furrowed.

There was not much information under the photograph, even the photo wasn’t clear. The man had long shoulder length blue hair and half his face which was visible in the picture, it was covered with a mask, there was even a smirk on his face as if he knew someone was taking his picture.

Samara wondered if the agent who took this picture is alive or not.

She read the name that had purged the Underworld not long ago, Dragon... For some reason... The name was too familiar. But then again, this man had appeared out of nowhere and taken the throne. Nobody knew how he looked, what his nationality was or where he got his power from. He just appeared one day and toppled the order as if it was a piece of cake for him.

He even had his own personal army and there was almost next to none information about him.

The information that was in the file was that he was spotted in their country and that they needed to either get him or kill him.

None of it was easy. This man had been a nightmare for the governments and secret agencies of several developed countries, having him here meant that there would be some foreign agents involved. Samara hated that.

For lunch, she accompanied her Boss Deva outside.

"I have my lunch box though," she told him as they drove towards the nearby restaurant.

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" Deva said.

"It’s not my fault that you’re divorced, besides, it’s my mother’s cooking." Samara said and her boss sighed.

"Sharp tongue on women is an attractive thing, Sam. But how will you get married with this attitude?"

"Whoever said, I’m getting married?" Samara spoke bluntly making her boss chuckle.

"I wonder how you will be once you fall in love," he said but then his expression turned a little sorrowful.

"It’ll be hard with the job and all."

Samara didn’t like thinking about this.

"Besides, why are you treating me lunch today?" Samara asked.

"There’s someone whom I want to introduce to you." He said and Samara cocked her brow.

"Since when are you a matchmaker?"

Deva sighed exasperatedly, "It’s an agent from Russia who came down to track Ocean, God!"

Samara sighed this time, before long they parked and Deva led the way with Samara trailing behind.

It was a fancy family restaurant and the scent of mouthwatering food was already wafting in the air. On instinct, Samara glanced around taking in her surroundings to see if there were some spies and surely enough, she found at least four suspicious people sitting at different tables. They tried to appear normal among the other tourists but they stood out like sore thumb.

"There he is," Deva spoke.

Samara turned her head and her heart skipped a beat.