As the last notes of the song faded, Alia felt a familiar warmth. Two powerful arms wrapped around her from behind. Viktor had arrived unnoticed, his scent of strong tobacco and expensive perfume filling her senses.
Alia: (Slightly startled but calm) "When did you come? I didn't even hear you."
Viktor remained silent, tightening his grip over her black net dress. Alia felt as though he had heard every single word of her song.
Alia: (With a soft smile) "I heard you... your voice is uniquely sweet. To be honest, it's so deep and enchanting, it's enough to ruin someone."
Hearing this, Viktor let out a diabolical yet satisfied laugh against her neck. He was about to whisper something into her ear, but suddenly Alia...
Alia jerked away from Viktor's embrace and spun around. A mischievous spark lit up her eyes. After one sharp look into his piercing blue eyes, she began to run deep into the snowy forest.
Alia: (Looking back while running) "Can you catch me? If you catch me today, only then will I believe how real your 'religion' and 'devotion' truly are!"
Viktor stood still for a second. His predatory 'psycho' persona awakened once again. He adjusted his jacket collar and broke into a ruthless laugh.
Viktor: "Where are you running, my Queen? You know that once Viktor sets his sights on someone, he tracks them down even from hell!"Viktor's deep and heavy voice began to echo, piercing through the silence of the forest. There was a certain impatience and frenzy in his tone.
Viktor: (Shouting loudly) "Alia! Alia! Stop this hide-and-seek. You know I don't like to lose!"
As Viktor searched every corner behind the trees, an old Russian man suddenly stood before him. He wore a heavy fur jacket and held an old hunting rifle. The man hesitated for a moment, seeing that familiar 'psycho' glint in Viktor's eyes.
Russian Man: (In Russian) "Кого вы ищете, молодой человек? Вы выглядите очень взволнованным." (Who are you looking for, young man? You look very agitated.)
Viktor stood still for a moment. His blue eyes seemed to burn like fire. Without any introduction, he replied in flawless Russian.
Viktor: (In Russian) "Я ищу свою жизнь, старик. Вы видели здесь женщину в черном? Она... она не похожа на других." (I am looking for my life, old man. Have you seen a woman in black here? She... she is not like the others.)
Seeing the strength in Viktor's voice and his manner of speaking, the Russian man realized that this person was not just anyone, but likely a powerful mafia figure or someone influential. The man smiled slightly and pointed toward a narrow path deep in the woods.
Russian Man: "Там... она побежала в сторону замерзшего озера. Но будьте осторожны, лес в это время года опасен." (Over there... she ran toward the frozen lake. But be careful, the forest is dangerous at this time of year.)
Before the man could even finish his sentence, Viktor tossed a precious gold coin toward him and sprinted in that direction with the speed of a storm. Alia was listening to everything from behind the trees. She realized that when Viktor spoke in his mother tongue, Russianrather than just English or Bengali he sounded even more terrifying and attractive.Viktor was walking straight toward the lake with the speed of an arrow, but the old man's curious question made him stop for a split second. Viktor turned his head and looked at the man with his terrifyingly cold blue eyes. Even in the freezing Russian winter, his gaze was enough to turn the man's blood to ice.
The old man adjusted the rifle on his shoulder and asked again in Russian.
Russian Man: "I understand everything, young man. But what is your name? And what do you do that makes you roar like a tiger in the middle of these woods?"
A cruel smirk played on Viktor's lips. He replied in a low, gravelly voice that echoed through the pine trees.
Viktor: "My name is Viktor. And what do I do? I am the man who writes the laws in Moscow's darkest nights, and digs the graves for those who break them by daylight."
He paused for a moment, then added:
Viktor: "I am a businessman, but I don't just deal in money I deal in human destiny. And that girl? She isn't just my life; she is my only worship. For her, I could burn this entire forest down."
With those words, Viktor didn't wait. The old man stood frozen like a stone. He realized this youth wasn't just a mobster; he was a 'beast' who wouldn't hesitate to destroy the world for his love.
Hiding behind the trees, Alia shuddered involuntarily hearing Viktor's arrogant and terrifying self-introduction. She felt that this version of Viktor is what scares her every time, yet traps her in a strange obsession. A flash of terror and profound respect appeared in the old man's curious eyes. As Viktor introduced himself, the name 'Viktor' the terror of the Moscow underworld likely surged through the man's memory like lightning.
The old man set his rifle aside. His hands were trembling. He realized who he was standing before the undeclared Emperor of Moscow, at whose signal the city grinds to a halt. He stepped forward slowly.
Showing a deep, old-world Russian respect, the man bowed and, incredibly, kissed Viktor's hand. This wasn't just respect; it was an ancient gesture of loyalty and a plea for mercy toward a Mafia Lord.
Russian Man: (With a trembling voice) "Forgive me, Mafia Lord Viktor. I did not realize whose path I had crossed. This forest is yours, this city is yours... and that woman you seek, she is your destiny."
Viktor didn't pull his hand away, but the same coldness remained in his eyes. He took this submission naturally, as if it were his birthright.
Viktor: "Stand up. Today is not a day for blood on my hands; today is a day for my worship. Go, attend to your business."
Hiding behind the trees, Alia was stunned by this sight. She knew Viktor was powerful, but seeing a complete stranger bow and kiss his hand as 'Lord' was beyond her imagination. She felt as though she wasn't just living with a man, but with a living volcano.
Viktor left the man behind and resumed his walk toward the lake. There was a different kind of grace in his stride now he knew that even if Alia wanted to escape, there was no path away from him. Just as Alia was watching Viktor's terrifyingly royal persona from behind the trees, every hair on her body stood on end. Viktor was still a bit far away, but suddenly, an eerie, sinister sound drifted from right behind her.
Before Alia could move an inch, she felt a pair of ice-cold hands grab her throat from behind. The grip was so tight that she couldn't breathe. She tried to scream, but no sound would escape her throat.
(The sound from behind: "Hah... Hah...")
Someone was breathing heavily against her neck, and with that breath came the pungent stench of decaying blood. The person's throat seemed choked; the words were coming out as a raspy, gutteral groan.
Unknown Voice: (Whispering right into her ear) "Breathe... take a breath, my Queen... because this might be your last..."
Alia began to struggle in agony. Darkness started to cloud her vision. Her black net dress was on the verge of tearing. She realized that in this forest, it wasn't just the old hunter or Viktor someone else had been lying in wait, someone even Viktor hadn't noticed.
Viktor was standing facing the lake. Suddenly, his 'psycho' sixth sense kicked in. He froze for a second. Amidst the silence of the woods, he could feel Alia's muffled groan and the strange vibration in the air.
Viktor's jaw tightened. He spun around with lightning speed, his blue eyes burning with the urge to kill.
Viktor: (With a terrifying roar) "ALIA!!!" In the midst of Viktor's roar, Alia struggled to free herself. But when she managed to turn her head slightly to look at her attacker, her astonishment knew no bounds. She had expected a hideous monster, but the man standing before her was quite the opposite.
Alia saw that the hands gripping her throat were well-formed and clean. The man was around 28 years old. His complexion was as fair as the snow, and his face carried a sharp elegance. This handsome and well-built man had a strange blend of melancholy and madness in his eyes. Wearing an expensive fur coat, he looked like a mysterious prince in this forest setting.
Alia stared at the man's eyes in shock. She couldn't believe someone so beautiful could grip her throat so ruthlessly. A poisonous smirk played on the man's lips.
The Handsome Stranger: (In a low, resonant voice) "Are you surprised? Is beauty only Viktor's property? Alia... watching you from afar and touching you with these hands are two very different things."
He loosened his grip slightly but did not let go. His fingers brushed against the soft skin of Alia's neck in a strange rhythm. Alia realized this man was also a 'psycho' like Viktor, but of a completely different kind.
At that exact moment, Viktor arrived like a storm. His blue eyes were no longer just blue; they had turned into a burning volcano. When he saw a strikingly handsome man holding his Alia like that, his jealousy and rage reached a breaking point.
Viktor: (Gritting his teeth) "Get your hands off her! Do you have any idea whose hell you've just stepped into?" This new Mafia Lord is Alexandar. Born in Italy but raised with the legacy of his Russian father, he is known in the underworld as 'The Russian.' He is a lethal mix of Italian charm and Russian ruthlessness. At 28, his elegance is as sharp as a blade.
Alexandar leaned close to Alia's ear, his breath warm against her skin. He gave Viktor a calm yet devastating smile.
Alexandar: "Viktor, your hell has grown outdated. I'm not some common enemy who flees at your name. I've come to steal your 'religion.' The tales of Alia's beauty in Moscow's winds were just the beginning. Up close, she is a living addiction."
Alexandar tilted Alia's chin up with his fingers. Alia felt a strange confusion she knew Viktor's terrifying love, but the depth of this new Lord's eyes was disorienting.
Viktor: (Drawing his gun) "Alexandar, you're making a mistake. Alia is my religion, and for my religion, I can burn the whole world to ashes. Let her go, or your royal blood will stain this snow today."
Alexandar remained unfazed. He whispered to Alia, "Did you hear that, my Queen? He wants blood. But I want to seat you on my throne. Why not leave this animalistic Lord for my world of dark glamour?" Viktor's eyes, which were burning with the urge to kill, changed in an instant. A crooked smile appeared on his face, eventually breaking into a loud laugh. Both Alia and Alexandar were taken aback by this sudden shift.
Viktor: "My friend! You're still the same as ever! You really played a good trick on me. For a moment, I thought some new enemy had dared to touch my heart!"
Viktor lowered his gun and stepped forward with open arms. He placed a hand on Alexandar's shoulder.
Alexandar: (With a soft smile) "Viktor... how many days, how many years has it been since we last met? You've become even more of a psycho than before. I couldn't help but touch your 'religion' just checking how possessive you still are."
Viktor: "Alia, don't be afraid. He's my childhood friend, Alexandar. Our fathers used to rule Moscow together. But he's been settled in Europe for years. Friend, I never imagined you'd suddenly show up in these snowy woods!"
Alexandar: "I didn't just come here to wander, Viktor. After all these years, there must be a celebration. And your 'Queen' the whispers about her are all over the European underworld. Now I see why she has driven you mad."