One sunny morning in Seoul, Alia reached the National University campus with her daughter. After all the turmoil of the past, she finally managed to get her daughter enrolled in her chosen subject. Feeling a rare sense of relief, she saw her daughter off at the campus gates and decided to take a quiet walk through the streets of Seoul.
As Alia walked past a massive glass skyscraper, her phone suddenly vibrated. It was an unknown number.
Alia: (Answering the call) "Hello?"
An eerie, mechanically distorted voice drifted from the other end.
The Caller: "Congratulations, Ma'am. You successfully enrolled your daughter into Seoul's top university today. But tell me... will this happiness last?"
Alia froze in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat. She scanned her surroundings, but couldn't spot anyone suspicious among the crowd.
Alia: "Who is this? What do you want?"
The Caller: "Look at the building right in front of you. Come to the rooftop. I am waiting for you here. If you don't show up, your daughter's first day at university might just be her last. Just come to the rooftop, Ma'am."
The line went dead. Alia stood like a statue for a moment. She realized that whether it was Viktor or Anashia someone was pulling her back into their web. But the voice had been unrecognizable.
Drawing on her CIA training, she took a deep breath and discreetly checked her bag to ensure her compact revolver was ready. She walked into the lobby and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.
Who was waiting on that roof? Was it Viktor in his new, sophisticated disguise with his glasses? Or was it the crimson-eyed Anashia? Or perhaps a new enemy who had been lurking in the shadows all along?
The Seoul sky was a brilliant blue, but a terrifying mystery was clouding Alia's vision. When she reached the rooftop door, her heart was pounding like a drum. She pushed the heavy door open with a sudden force... As the rooftop door creaked open, Alia didn't step out into the open. Her CIA instincts took over, and she stayed low, peering through a narrow gap.
What she saw made the blood in her veins turn to ice.
Standing near the edge of the roof was a man. From the back, he looked incredibly handsome, wearing a sharp, tailored suit that fit him perfectly. He was wearing glasses, the sunlight reflecting off the lenses, giving him an air of cold, intellectual detachment. But the scene was gruesome—his face and white shirt were splattered with fresh, crimson blood.
At his feet lay a man, gasping for his last breath. With a terrifyingly steady hand, the handsome stranger leaned down and slit the man's throat with a surgical precision. The silence of the rooftop was broken only by the horrific sound of the act.
Alia's heart hammered against her ribs. She recognized that silhouette, that cold aura it was Viktor. But he looked so different, so refined yet so much more lethal.
In her shock, Alia's foot slipped on a loose piece of gravel.
Crunch.
The sound was small, but in the deathly quiet of the rooftop, it sounded like a gunshot.
Alia instantly ducked behind a large ventilation duct, pressing her back against the cold metal, her breath hitching in her throat. She gripped her bag, her knuckles turning white.
On the other side, the man in the glasses stopped. He didn't rush. He slowly pulled out a silk handkerchief and began wiping the blood off his cheek, his eyes turning toward the direction of the sound.
Viktor: (In a calm, melodic, yet terrifying voice) "I know you're there, Alia. You always did have a habit of showing up exactly when the floor gets messy. Why hide? Come out and see the new me."
Alia stayed frozen, praying the shadows would swallow her whole. The "beast" hadn't just put on glasses; he had become a monster that enjoyed the hunt. When Alia realized Viktor had spotted her, she didn't wait a second longer. She spun around and bolted for the exit, her heart racing in her chest. But Viktor's speed was inhuman. Within seconds, he caught up, grabbing her from behind and dragging her into a deserted storage room attached to the rooftop.
He slammed her against the cold concrete, pinning her to the wall. Alia was trapped, every escape route cut off. In the struggle, the top button of her shirt had popped open, revealing the delicate ribbon of her inner wear.
Viktor adjusted his glasses with one hand, a demonic smirk playing on his lips. The blood of his victim was still drying on his white shirt. He pressed his body weight against her, making it impossible for her to move. He slowly loosened his tie, as if settling in for a long-awaited feast.
Viktor: (Whispering inches from her throat, his voice a dark melody) "You've run a long way, Alia. Has Seoul made you brave? Or just foolish?"
Instead of using his hands, Viktor leaned in closer, his shadow engulfing her. With agonizing slowness, intended to shatter her resolve, he used his teeth to catch the edge of her ribbon. He pulled it slowly, unraveling it with his teeth while his hot breath fanned against her skin.
Viktor: "Did you think these glasses made me a gentleman? I'm hungrier than I've ever been. Your CIA lover won't save you he doesn't even realize how close I am to you right now."
Alia pressed her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trembling. This new, sophisticated version of Viktor was far more terrifying than the one she had left behind. As the ribbon fell away, Viktor nipped at the skin of her neck, a silent, deadly promise that her nightmare was far from over. Inside that deserted storage room, the air grew thick and heavy. As Viktor united with Alia, every movement he made was controlled yet overwhelmingly dominant. This new version of Viktor, with his glasses and refined look, wasn't just volatile—he was cold and calculating.
As Alia tried to cry out in pain or protest, Viktor swiftly and forcefully clamped his hand over her mouth. The metallic, salty taste of the blood on his palm smeared against her lips.
Viktor: (Staring directly into her eyes, his gaze icy behind his glasses) "Shhh, Alia. Not a single sound. I want you to feel this—I am reclaiming you on top of this Seoul skyscraper, and no one is coming to save you."
With his hand muffling her mouth, her screams turned into stifled moans. The weight of his body and the iron grip of his hand reminded Alia that she had never truly been free. Pressing her face harder, Viktor whispered into her ear:
Viktor: "Does your Anashia know who you're with right now? He's probably waiting for you in a coffee shop downstairs, while I am here, tearing through your soul."
In the dim light of the room, Viktor's glasses caught a stray glint of light. Tears streamed down Alia's face, soaking into Viktor's palm. But Viktor was in no mood for mercy. He pressed harder, asserting his absolute possession. Above the bustling streets of Seoul, in a silent storage room, Alia was dragged back into the very darkness she had spent thirteen years trying to escape.Alia could take no more. Between the mental trauma and the physical strain, her body gave out, and she fainted in Viktor's arms. Viktor stared at her pale, unconscious face for a moment, adjusted his glasses, and then lifted her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her.
He brought her down to the underground parking lot, where his black Bugatti—the most expensive car in the city—was waiting. He opened the rear door and laid her gently onto the plush leather seats. A triumphant smirk played on his lips as he looked at her.
He drove away from the noise of Seoul, heading toward a secluded mountain base. There stood a massive, modern billion-dollar mansion. The surroundings were completely silent, filled only with the rustle of pine trees and absolute privacy.
Viktor carried Alia inside the luxurious estate. From the grand hall to the master suite, everything screamed opulence. He laid her on a massive king-sized bed in a room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, making it feel as if the entire city of Seoul lay beneath their feet.
Viktor: (Brushing the hair away from her forehead) "Welcome, Alia. Welcome to your new golden cage. Don't even dream of escaping from here."
He drew the automated black-out curtains, plunging the room into darkness. Outside, the neon lights of Seoul flickered, but inside this billionaire's fortress, Alia was now Viktor's secret captive.