The abandoned building felt suffocating tonight.
Dust hung in the air. Silence pressed against the walls.
And in the middle of it—
Fear.
Adrian walked in without a word, his presence alone shifting the atmosphere. Felix followed, unusually quiet. Even he knew… this wasn’t business.
This was personal.
Two men lay on the floor, barely conscious, their bodies weak, breaths uneven.
Waiting.
“Wake them.”
The command was calm.
Too calm.
A guard forced one of them up, water splashing across his face. He choked, gasping as consciousness hit him like a blow. The second one stirred soon after.
And then—
They saw him.
Adrian Voss.
Terror broke through them instantly.
“No—no—please—” one of them stammered, trying to crawl back, his hands shaking. “We didn’t do anything—”
Adrian stepped forward.
One step.
And the air changed.
“You did.”
Two words.
Heavy. Final.
The second man shook his head violently. “We swear—we didn’t touch her—”
Adrian moved fast.
His hand shot out, gripping the man’s collar and dragging him forward, forcing him to face him.
“She was walking,” Adrian said quietly. “Evening. From the library… to the house.”
The man froze.
That hesitation—
That flicker of recognition—
Was enough.
Adrian’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning pale.
“And you followed.”
The man’s breathing turned erratic. “We—we were just joking—”
Something in Adrian snapped.
Not loud.
Not wild.
Just… gone.
The distance between them disappeared in a second.
A sharp, controlled strike landed—enough to send the man collapsing back onto the ground with a cry.
The second man flinched violently, scrambling back. “Please—we didn’t mean—”
“You scared her.”
Adrian’s voice cut through everything.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Another movement. Another hit—precise, measured, enough to break whatever confidence they had left.
Felix didn’t move.
He just watched.
Because Adrian wasn’t losing control—
He was using it.
—
''FLASHBACK ''
The street was dim.
Nyra walked quickly, her bag clutched tightly to her chest, her steps uneven.
It was late.
Too late.
She shouldn’t have stayed that long.
Then—
Footsteps.
Behind her.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Her heart skipped.
Don’t turn.
Don’t react.
Just walk.
“Hey… where are you rushing?”
Her breath hitched.
Laughter followed.
Low. Mocking.
“Relax, we’re just talking.”
Her fingers tightened around her bag.
Her pace quickened.
So did theirs.
“Look at her… already scared.”
Her chest tightened.
No.
Not again.
Not this feeling.
A shadow moved beside her—
Too close.
“Why are you ignoring us?”
Her breathing broke.
She turned slightly—
Just enough to see them.
And that was enough.
Her mind didn’t stay in the present.
It dragged her back—
To another place.
Another time.
A dark room.
A locked door.
Voices shouting.
Something breaking.
Hands grabbing her arm—too tight.
Her younger self struggling, crying—
“Stop… please… stop…”
Her pulse spiked violently.
The present blurred.
The past took over.
Her steps turned into a run.
Her lungs burned.
Her vision shook.
“No… no… not again…”
Her legs weakened.
She stumbled against a wall, gripping it as her body started shaking uncontrollably.
Her breaths came in broken gasps.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
Her chest felt like it was closing in.
A panic attack.
Raw.
Violent.
Unstoppable.
She slid down slightly, her nails digging into her arms as if trying to ground herself.
“I’m okay… I’m okay…”
But she wasn’t.
She wasn’t there anymore.
She was trapped—
In fear.
In memory.
In something she never escaped.
Alone.
—
" BACK TO PRESENT "
Adrian released the man, letting him drop like he meant nothing.
Because right now—
He didn’t.
“You didn’t touch her,” Adrian said slowly.
The men nodded desperately. “Yes—yes—we didn’t—”
Adrian stepped closer again.
“And you think that makes it better?”
Silence.
They didn’t understand.
They never would.
“You made her run.”
His voice lowered.
“You made her afraid.”
Each word landed heavier than the last.
“And you think you walk away from that?”
“No—please—we didn’t know—”
“You should have.”
The final line.
A verdict.
Adrian stepped back slightly, his hand lifting just enough.
A signal.
The guards moved instantly.
The men started begging again—louder, more broken, more desperate.
Adrian’s gaze didn’t waver.
“Stand them up.”
The guards moved immediately, dragging both men upright. Their legs barely held them.
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
“Chairs.”
One of the guards brought two old iron chairs from the corner—cold, rusted, heavy. They scraped loudly against the concrete floor, the sound echoing through the empty building.
“Sit them.”
The men shook their heads weakly. “No—please—”
They didn’t get a choice.
The guards forced them down into the chairs, gripping their shoulders, keeping them in place despite their resistance.
The metal creaked under their weight.
Adrian stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
Now they couldn’t run.
Couldn’t crawl away.
They were exactly where he wanted them.
Adrian did not look away as he gripped the man’s wrist.
Adrian didn’t look away as he gripped the man’s wrist.
The leather of his glove creaked softly against the prisoner’s damp skin, the sound unnaturally loud in the silence. With slow precision, he forced the man’s hand flat against the cold iron armrest of the chair.
Firm.
Unmoving.
Like there was no possibility of escape.
“Please—” the man choked, his voice breaking as his body jerked uselessly against the restraints. Panic had fully taken over now, raw and uncontrollable.
Adrian didn’t respond.
Not a word.
Not a flicker of emotion.
His face remained empty—completely detached, as if the fear in front of him meant nothing.
And somehow—
That was worse.
The blade appeared in his hand, matte-black, silent. He didn’t rush. He never rushed.
He lowered it slowly.
Deliberately.
The cold edge hovered just inches above the man’s hand.
The prisoner’s breathing shattered into uneven, desperate gasps. His entire body trembled, eyes locked on the blade like it was the only thing left in the world.
“Please… I’ll do anything… please…”
Adrian leaned closer.
Close enough that his shadow swallowed the man entirely.
“You already did,” he said quietly.
The words were soft.
But they landed like a sentence.
The man shook violently. “We didn’t touch her—we swear—”
Adrian’s grip tightened.
His gaze darkened, focus absolute.
“And you think that’s enough?”
Silence collapsed around them.
Heavy.
Crushing.
The blade didn’t move.
Not yet.
And that stillness—
That waiting—
Was its own kind of torment.
Because the man didn’t know when.
Didn’t know how.
Only that Adrian wasn’t going to stop.
Adrian straightened slightly, still holding his wrist in place, his control unshaken.
“You made her afraid,” he said, voice low, almost calm.
The man broke completely. “I’m sorry—I’m sorry—please—”
Adrian finally looked at him properly.
Not as a person.
But as a mistake.
And then—
A small movement of his hand.
A signal.
The guards stepped forward instantly.
Adrian released the wrist just enough to step back, but his gaze never left the man.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Certain.
Because for Adrian Voss—
Fear was not a request.
It was a consequence.
The men started begging again—louder, more broken, more desperate.
But Adrian turned away.
Because for him—
It was already over.
Felix exhaled slowly. “You found them fast.”
Adrian’s gaze didn’t shift. “I always do.”
Felix studied him. “She okay?”
A pause.
Small.
Barely there.
“She had a panic attack,” Adrian said.
And that was it.
But it was enough.
Felix’s expression changed slightly. “That bad…”
Adrian didn’t respond.
Because the image was still there.
Her shaking.
Her breath breaking.
Fear.
Real fear.
And that—
He didn’t forgive.
—
“Finish it,” Adrian ordered.
The guards nodded.
Felix followed him out.
—
Outside, the night air felt colder.
Adrian stood still for a second, his jaw tight.
“She’s not safe,” Felix said quietly.
Adrian looked ahead.
“She will be.”
There was no comfort in his voice.
Only certainty.
Because protection from someone like him—
Was never gentle.
" TO BE CONTINUED "
____________________________________________________________
Author's note...
Hey everyone 🙂 🙂
What do you think about the situation? Do you feel Adrian went too far… or was it justified after what happened to Nyra? 👀
And Nyra… what do you think she’s going through right now?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts, so don’t forget to leave a comment and share your opinions 💌
See you in the next chapter…
Bye bye 👋 👋 👋 👋
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