Prologue: The Night That Changed Everything

The city never truly slept. Neon lights flickered against the inky sky, where the hum of distant traffic blended with the occasional shout of a drunken passerby. It wasn't exactly safe, but she was used to walking home alone. The streets were familiar, predictable.

Until tonight.

Until the sharp crack of gunshots shattered the air.

She froze.

For a moment, she told herself she had imagined it. Maybe it was a car backfiring, or fireworks, or-

BANG!

No. That was definitely a gunshot.

Her heart pounded as she instinctively stepped back, pressing herself against the cold brick wall of the alley she had just passed. A rational person would run. Call the police. Pretend the never heard anything.

But something made her stay.

Cautiously, she peeked around the corner.

That's when she saw him.

A boy, maybe her age or a little older, staggering against the alley wall, his white dress shirt soaked in blood. His dark hair clung to his forehead, and a deep gash ran along his cheek. He wasn't just hurt-he was dying.

She barely had time to process the sight before a man stepped out of the shadows, gun raised.

Her breath hitched.

This wasn't some random mugging. This was an execution.

Something inside her screamed to move - to do something.

Her eyes darted around, desperate. Her fingers curled around a discarded metal pipe leaning against a trash bin. She didn't think. She just acted.

With every ounce of strength she had, she swung the metal pipe.

The sound of impact was sickening. The ma. Barely had time to react before collapsing onto the pavement, the gun slipping from his grip.

Her hands shook as she exhaled sharply, chest heaving. 'What did I just do?'

The boy- still bleeding, still barely standing - lifted his head.

And for the first time, their eyes met.

Even in the dim alleyway, she could see the sharp contrast of his dark irises against his pale skin. His gaze, piercing and unreadable, bore into her like a blade.

Not with gratitude.

Not with relief.

But with something else.

Something that made her stomach twist.

She had saved his life. But instead of looking at her like a hero, he looked at her like she had just sealed her fate.

"Do you have any idea... What you've just done?" his voice was deep, rough from the pain but laced with authority.

Her lips parted, but the words didn't come.

Before she could think, before she could even step away, he moved.

Faster than she thought possible, his bloody hand grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm - possessive, almost - as if claiming her.

The distant sound of footsteps- more men approaching- made him curse under his breath.

"We need to leave. Now."

Panic surged through her veins. "W-What? I- No! I was just going home- "

His grip tightened.

"You don't get it, do you?" he murmured, voice low and dangerous. "You just changed your life."

She shook her head. " I was just helping- "

"You were just helping a Mafia boss."

The words hit her harder than bullet.

Her stomach dropped.

Mafia?

No. No way. That only happened in movies, in crime dramas. Not here. Not to her.

Ans yet- the blood on his shirt the gunfire, the way he carried himself despite his injuries... It all clicked into place like pieces of a nightmare puzzle.

The sound of footsteps grew louder. More men were coming. More killers.

She barely had time to react before he yanked her forward, pulling her into the darkness.

And in that moment, she realized.

She wasn't just a bystander anymore.

She was a target.

And this dangerous, bleeding, lethal boy was the only thing standing between her and death.

End of Prologue

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