Cynthia stared at the masked man in disbelief, her heart pounding violently in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears as though her body itself was warning her of imminent danger.“Accept the person you will give me?” she repeated slowly, her voice shaking—not with fear alone, but with raw, burning anger. “That will never happen.”The words rang sharply in the dim room, cutting through the silence like glass.“I am already engaged,” Cynthia continued, lifting her chin even as her hands trembled. Her eyes blazed with defiance. “I’ve told you that already. You can threaten me, trap me, or intimidate me, but I will never accept anyone you choose for me.”For a long moment, no one spoke.The air felt thick, suffocating, as if the walls themselves were listening. The single bulb above flickered faintly, casting distorted shadows across the room.Robert Adams stood completely still, his masked face revealing nothing. Behind the dark covering and altered voice, his gaze was sharp.He had

Before stepping out to face whatever awaited him next, Antonio felt an irresistible pull toward the small table by his bedside.On it lay the necklace his late mother had given him.It was simple in appearance—an aged chain with a small, dark pendant carved with strange symbols—but Antonio knew better than to judge it by its looks, so he reached for it.The moment his fingers brushed the pendant, it blinked—once, twice—like a heartbeat made of light. He froze. The room seemed to grow still.“What…?” Antonio muttered.The blinking grew brighter, pulsing with a low hum that vibrated through his fingertips. His chest tightened, but instead of fear, a strange calm settled over him. It was as though the necklace recognized him, welcomed him.Slowly, deliberately, Antonio slipped the chain around his neck.The instant the pendant touched his skin, a surge of energy rushed through his body. His vision blurred, the walls of his room dissolving into waves of light. Antonio staggered back,

As soon as Antonio’s eyes fell fully on Cynthia, his breath caught in his chest.For a split second, the world seemed to narrow until there was nothing but her. The room, the men, the danger—all of it faded behind the sight of her broken state. She was slumped against the chair, her body trembling uncontrollably and her breaths shallow and uneven, each inhale sounding like it took all the strength she had left. Her head lolled slightly to one side, strands of her hair clinging to her damp cheeks.Her clothes were torn in places, the fabric hanging unevenly from her shoulders and arms. Dark marks marred her skin—bruises blooming in angry shades, shallow cuts that caught the dim light, signs of rough handling that told a clear story without words. Antonio’s vision blurred from a red haze of rage that surged through him so fiercely it made his pulse roar in his ears.Two men stood close to her. One of them held a cloth, wiping her face and arms with rough, impatient movements, as t

Just then, Antonio moved.He did not hesitate or pause to measure the odds stacked against him. His body reacted before his mind could interfere.He charged forward, boots striking the floor with force, ignoring the shouts that erupted behind him as the men realized too late that he was no longer reacting blindly.One man swung an arm at him, a heavy, reckless blow meant to stop him in his tracks. Antonio slipped past it with a sharp turn of his shoulders and caught the man’s hand mid-motion. The instant his fingers brushed the center of the palm, Antonio felt a strange resistance.It was subtle but unmistakable, like pressing against a thin layer of glass hidden beneath skin. It did not belong to flesh or bone. It vibrated faintly, alive with something unnatural.Without hesitation, Antonio pressed harder.The man screamed—from pure shock.The sound ripped through the room, raw and disbelieving, as if something vital had been torn away in a single breath. Whatever invisible forc