New York never asked where you came from.
It didn’t care what you lost.
It only demanded that you survive.
And Nyra Ashen… had been surviving for far too long.
—
She wasn’t born in this city of cold lights and endless noise.
She was born far away, in Seoul, South Korea—a place once filled with warmth, laughter, and something she barely remembered now…
Peace.
There was a time when her life had been simple.
Her mother’s soft voice echoing through their home.
Her father’s quiet strength, always present like a shield.
And her little sister’s laughter—pure, bright, untouched by the world.
Nyra used to believe that happiness stayed forever.
She was wrong.
—
It ended the year she turned sixteen.
A car accident.
That’s all it took.
One moment… her mother existed.
The next—
She didn’t.
No warnings. No goodbyes. Just silence.
And with that silence, everything in their family began to break.
—
Her father changed.
The strong army officer who once stood unshaken became someone Nyra barely recognized. He stopped speaking the same way. Stopped smiling. Stopped living.
Grief turned him into a shadow of himself.
And Nyra… had no choice but to grow up.
For her sister.
For what little remained of their family.
—
Four years later—
She lost him too.
Not to war.
Not to illness.
But to something far more invisible… and far more cruel.
He couldn’t fight it anymore.
And just like that—
Nyra became everything.
A daughter with no parents.
A sister who had to become a guardian.
A girl forced into a world she was never meant to handle alone.
—
New York was supposed to be a new beginning.
Instead—
It became another test.
She moved there with her younger sister, staying at her uncle’s house. A place that was meant to feel like family.
But it never did.
Her uncle Daniel, her aunt Sera, and their daughter Emma made sure of that.
They never said it directly—
But Nyra understood.
She wasn’t welcome.
She was tolerated.
And only because she had nowhere else to go.
—
So she made a decision.
One that cost her everything.
She sent her younger sister away to Italy.
To study.
To dream.
To live the life Nyra knew she could never have.
“I’ll handle everything here,” she had told her, forcing a smile. “You just focus on becoming what you want to be.”
Her sister didn’t know the truth.
Didn’t know how many jobs Nyra would have to take.
Didn’t know how many nights she would go without rest.
Didn’t know how much she would sacrifice.
And Nyra made sure it stayed that way.
—
Because her sister deserved a future.
Even if Nyra had to lose herself to give it to her.
—
Now—
She lived in a house that didn’t feel like home.
Worked jobs that barely paid enough.
And handed over money she earned… just to keep peace under a roof that never truly accepted her.
Still—
She endured.
Quietly.
Relentlessly.
—
But today—
Something was different.
Standing outside a tall glass building in the heart of New York, Nyra tightened her grip on her bag. Her reflection stared back at her from the polished surface—tired eyes, but determined.
This job mattered.
More than anything.
A real company.
A real opportunity.
A way out.
Maybe… the first step toward something better.
She took a deep breath.
And stepped inside.The building looked perfect from the outside.
Tall. Clean. Powerful.
Like it promised opportunity.
Like it promised a future.
Nyra Ashen believed it… even if just for a moment.
—
Inside—
Everything felt colder.
The reception area was silent, polished, almost intimidating. People walked past her without looking, too busy, too important.
Nyra clutched her file tightly as she was guided toward the manager’s office.
This is it, she told herself. Don’t mess this up.
She knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
The voice was sharp. Impatient.
She stepped inside.
—
The man behind the desk didn’t look up immediately. He flipped through some papers, then finally raised his eyes toward her.
Slowly.
Judging.
Measuring.
Nyra felt uncomfortable instantly.
“Name?” he asked flatly.
“N-Nyra… Nyra Ashen, sir.”
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Ashen?” he repeated, almost amused. “That’s a big name for someone applying for this level of job.”
Nyra lowered her gaze slightly. “It’s just a name, sir.”
A smirk formed on his lips.
“Hmm. Sit.”
She obeyed.
He scanned her resume lazily, clearly not interested in her qualifications.
“You’ve done part-time jobs?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“A lot of them.”
“I had to.”
He chuckled.
“Of course you did.”
The way he said it made her chest tighten.
Then—
His tone changed.
“So… you want this job?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You need money?”
Her fingers tightened around her bag.
“…Yes.”
Silence.
Then he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk, his eyes locking onto hers in a way that made her skin crawl.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I can make things very easy for you.”
Nyra didn’t like the way that sounded.
“I don’t understand, sir.”
His smile widened.
“Oh, I think you do.”
Her heartbeat quickened.
“You’re a smart girl,” he continued. “Hardworking… desperate… and alone.”
Nyra froze.
“I can give you this job immediately,” he said casually, “a good salary too. No struggle. No stress.”
A pause.
Then—
“All I ask,” he added, his voice dropping slightly, “is one night.”
Nyra’s world stopped.
For a second, she couldn’t even breathe.
“I—what…?” her voice came out barely above a whisper.
He leaned back again, as if this was a normal offer.
“Don’t act innocent,” he said, irritation creeping in. “Girls like you come here all the time. You want money, I want… cooperation. Simple deal.”
Nyra stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor.
“I’m not like that,” she said, her voice shaking.
He scoffed.
“Not like that?” he mocked. “Then why are you here? You think qualifications matter? Wake up.”
Tears burned her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry in front of him.
“I just wanted a job,” she whispered.
“And I just gave you one,” he snapped. “Don’t pretend you have options.”
That broke something inside her.
Without another word, she turned and walked out.
Fast.
Before he could say anything else.
Before she completely shattered.
—
The city outside felt louder than before.
Too loud.
Too heavy.
Nyra kept walking.
No direction.
No destination.
Just away.
Her vision blurred as tears finally slipped down her cheeks.
She wiped them quickly, but they didn’t stop.
Is this what life is now?
Is this what I have to do… just to survive?
She kept walking until the noise of the city faded slightly—
Until she reached the lake.
—
Evening had settled in.
The sky was painted in fading shades of orange and grey, reflecting softly over the still water.
Nyra sat down near the edge, pulling her knees close to herself.
For the first time that day—
She let herself break.
Her thoughts dragged her back.
Seoul.
Her mother’s smile.
Her father’s voice.
Her sister’s laughter.
And then—
Loss.
Silence.
Responsibility.
Pain.
Everything hit her at once.
“I’m so tired…” she whispered to no one.
Her phone suddenly rang.
The sound startled her.
She quickly wiped her tears and looked at the screen.
Riya calling.
Her heart softened instantly.
She answered.
“Hello?”
“Sis!” Riya’s cheerful voice came through, bright and warm. “You picked up! I was waiting!”
Nyra forced a smile, even though her voice was still fragile. “Hmm… I was just a little busy.”
“How are you? Did you eat? Are you taking care of yourself?”
Nyra let out a small breath.
“I’m fine. You tell me, how’s Italy?”
“It’s beautiful!” Riya said excitedly. “Classes are good, people are nice… I wish you were here.”
Nyra’s eyes filled again, but she blinked them away.
“Study well,” she said softly. “That’s all that matters.”
There was a small pause on the other side.
Then Riya’s voice changed slightly.
“Sis… I needed to tell you something.”
Nyra’s chest tightened.
“What happened?”
“My college sent a notice,” Riya said hesitantly. “I need to pay the next semester fees… and some other expenses too.”
Nyra went silent.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“It’s a little urgent,” Riya added quietly. “I’m sorry… I know you’re already doing so much…”
Nyra closed her eyes.
For a moment—
The world felt like it was crushing her.
But when she spoke—
Her voice was steady.
“It’s okay,” she said gently. “Don’t worry about anything.”
“Are you sure?” Riya asked.
“Yes,” Nyra replied. “I’ll send it soon.”
A lie.
But a necessary one.
“Thank you, sis… I’ll study hard, I promise.”
“I know you will.”
They talked a little longer—small things, normal things.
Things that almost made life feel okay again.
Then—
“Take care, sis.”
“You too.”
The call ended.
—
Silence returned.
Nyra stared at her phone for a long time.
Then slowly—
She looked up at the sky.
Dark now.
Empty.
“Why…?” her voice broke.
“Why did you leave me alone…?”
Tears streamed down freely as she whispered,
“Please… just come back… both of you… I can’t do this anymore…”
Her shoulders shook as she cried harder, the weight of everything finally spilling out.
The cold air wrapped around her.
But it didn’t comfort her.
Nothing did.
—
And somewhere—
Not too far away—
A black car stood still in the shadows.
Watching.
Waiting.
Because fate had already begun moving.
And Nyra Ashen…
Had no idea—
She was about to step into a world far darker than anything she had faced before.
" TO BE CONTINUED "
____________________________________________________________
Author's note
Hey.....guys .....🖤🖤🖤
Thank you for reading Chapter 2. I hope you liked it!
What do you think about Nyra Ashen so far? And how are you finding the story?
Please share your thoughts in the comments, it really means a lot to me 💬
See you in the next chapter!!!!👋👋👋👋
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