It was a cold, suffocating darkness—a place so black, even her own hands vanished before her eyes. The damp air clung to her skin. Her wrists and ankles were shackled, the iron biting into her flesh. She had struggled so much that blood now streaked her wrists. Every sound echoed in the silence—the faint rattle of chains, the rapid rhythm of her terrified breaths.
Suddenly, she felt it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntDwNhZmqQ
A man's hand wrapped around her neck.
“W-Who… who are you?! Stay away from me! P-Please…!”8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKw97bdHvh2
Her voice broke into a sob as she fought against the invisible threat. She thrashed, tears flooding her eyes, panic rising like fire in her chest.
But the hand tightened. Her screams were swallowed by the darkness.
Then—she jolted awake.
Lena sat up in bed, gasping, soaked in sweat despite the chill in the room. Her breathing was ragged. Her chest heaved.
That nightmare again. The same one that haunted her relentlessly.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzsR1OzJep
Her trembling fingers flew to her mouth to stop the sobs from escaping. But it was too late—the tears were already falling.
Her entire body shook. She curled her knees to her chest, trying to calm herself, but the memory wouldn’t let go. That night… that attempted assault… it had carved itself into her very soul.
Since then, she had never felt safe again. Not even in daylight.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wnWAoq2Bk
Every dark corner looked like a trap. Every stranger felt like a threat.
Her grandfather had been the only one who knew the truth. He had been her anchor—the only person who could pull her out of this darkness when the dreams came.
But now he was gone.
And without him, Lena felt terrifyingly alone. Vulnerable.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnIuZlpi1w
Like a lost soul walking through a world that never stopped hunting her.
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8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxMqIhdR8h
It was an under-construction building, a skeletal structure standing incomplete against the night. At this hour, the place was cloaked in deep silence—until the heavy thuds of boots against concrete stairs shattered that stillness.
A man, clad in shadows, was ascending steadily.
From the top floor, the city's nightlife glittered beautifully in the distance, but the sky above was void—starless. It loomed dark and heavy, as if burdened by the weight of sins committed beneath it.
The man reached the uppermost floor, moving toward a room constructed to one side. He pushed the door open. Light spilled out instantly, piercing through the surrounding darkness.
He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Before him stood several men clad in black, armed and alert.
Without wasting a second, the man’s commanding voice filled the room:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbggBP5WnI3
“Has Damien West been here yet?”
One of the armed men responded immediately, “No, sir. We were informed he’s on his way. He should arrive soon.”
The man nodded slowly, taking in the situation, then walked over to the leather sofa and sat down, his presence authoritative and composed.
“I hope you’re all ready,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Because I won’t tolerate a single mistake.”
“Yes, sir. We’re fully prepared. Every man here is an expert—nothing will go wrong,” the same operative assured him.
The man on the sofa eyed the rest of the group and then gestured casually toward them.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv5AuHP2rg
“Are they all mute or what?”
The operative gave a slight nod in response.
The man chuckled, clearly impressed, scanning the silent, stoic faces before him.
“Good. Even if one of them gets caught, they won’t say a word. And more importantly, none of them have seen Damien West.”8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46NZBFzoZt
He paused, smirked, then added,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVeSxRD5Z6
“Well… not since his grandfather caught a glimpse of him during his final dying breaths.”
With that, he pulled out his phone and placed it on the table in front of him, then leaned back, visibly relaxed.
“Send them out. The meeting will be only between the two of you. They work under your command anyway—so you’ll be the one to face Damien West.”
The man standing nodded again, then gestured to the rest of the team. Without a sound, they exited through a back door, vanishing into the shadows from which they came.
..................................................
Greyson was walking out of his office, heading toward the bedroom, when he heard faint sobs coming from the room adjacent to his own—the one where Lena was resting. He paused, his brows knitting in concern. Maybe she was in pain, he thought.
Without wasting a second, he opened the door.
What he saw made him freeze in place.
Lena wasn’t crying from pain. She was curled up on the bed, her wounded legs forgotten, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she looked around the room with terrified, haunted eyes. She was trembling, lost in fear.
Greyson’s chest tightened. He quickly stepped into the room and sat beside her on the edge of the bed.
“Hey… hey, what happened? Are you alright?” he asked softly, reaching out to check her temperature.
But the moment his hand approached her forehead, Lena flinched and jerked back, her voice breaking as she cried out,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfSqN2g99f
“D-Don’t touch me! Stay away from me! Don’t come near!”
Greyson’s hand froze mid-air.
He immediately stood up and raised both his hands in surrender.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5IVPgby24
“Okay… okay. I’m not going to hurt you. Just breathe, alright? You’re safe here. Please, sit back, your legs are injured.”
Hearing his calm voice, Lena slowly moved to one side of the bed and sat up, her teary eyes still fixed on him. She didn’t speak—just looked at him, broken and afraid.
Greyson stood there quietly, unsure of what had triggered her panic, but the sight of her in that state hit him harder than he expected.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcFee02eJy
He didn’t know what demons she was fighting… but for the first time in a long while, he wished he could chase them away for someone else.
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