Zavian's eyes burned with a deep crimson glow-- like ferocious predator ready to strike.
Leaning casually against his car. He stood there utterly composed...yet commanding. Like asking.
Waiting...for his next prey. But innocent Sheyaan had no idea what kind of game Zavian was about to play with her.
Sheyaan was walking quickly along the deserted road, all alone. Her heart felt heavy as she murmured to herself sadly,
"It's so dark here... how will I..reach home?"
She was still lost in her thoughts when suddenly, a terrifying growling sound reached her ears.
The moment she heard it, Sheyaan froze in fear. Slowly, she turned back, clutching her purse tightly with both hands until her fingers turned pale.
But when she looked behind, there was no one there. Only silence and darkness surrounded her.
A small sense of relief returned to her as she placed her hand on her chest and took a light breath.
But that relief lasted only a few moments. As soon as she took a step forward, the same terrifying growling sound echoed
again... and this time, it was much closer. Trembling in fear, as Sheyaan turned back once more, her eyes widened in shock...
Before her eyes was a scene of death. A heart-wrenching scream escaped her throat, tearing through the silence of the deserted road—
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh...!!"
Sheyaan was trembling uncontrollably. In front of her stood a large, terrifying jackal, ready to attack her at any moment and tear her apart.
Her scream reached Zavian, who was standing far away. But this time... there was no mercy in his heart.
Instead of running to save her, he stood there and slowly began to laugh. A sinister smile formed on his lips as he muttered:
"Looks like... the game has begun."
Standing there, seeing death so close, Sheyaan was shaking badly.
She didn't even have the strength to run. Out of fear, she slowly started stepping backward, but the beast moved toward her just as quickly.
Step by step, She moved back--and with each step, her breathing grew heavier...more uneven...as if fear it self was tightening around her chest.
The jackal was slowly getting closer to Sheyaan. It felt as if her mind had stopped working;
she couldn't understand how to escape this deadly trap.
She closed her eyes and, in desperation, called out to Zavian in her heart:
"Zay... Zayan... where are you? Please... save me...!!"
Zavian heard her desperate voice, yet he stood there like a stone statue.
A faint, mysterious smile still lingered on his lips, though hidden behind it was a slight sting.
Crying, Sheyaan looked at the chain tied around her hand—the one Zavian had given her.
That chain, which once brought her comfort, now seemed to mock her helplessness. Gently touching it, she pleaded:
"Ple... please save me... I'm really scared... where are you? And... sorry, I didn't listen to you... please save me..."
Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes. Standing far away, Zavian heard every call and every heartbeat of hers, yet he didn't say a word.
Still, his fists clenched tightly, as if he was holding something back within himself.
Sheyaan was completely broken inside because, in this moment of danger, there was no one to help her.
She slowly stepped backward in fear, but suddenly her steps stopped. At that very moment, the jackal let out a loud, terrifying growl.
That sound shattered whatever little courage she had left. Trembling badly, she turned and ran without thinking, screaming:
"Aaaaaahhh... No...!!"
Crying, she ran with all her strength along the dark road, but the beast was right behind her...
Sheyaan ran down the deserted road--stumbling one moment struggling to steady herself the next.
Her steps were uneven, her breath shaky.. but She didn't dare to stop.
Her breaths were heavy, and a burning sensation filled her chest, yet the terrifying jackal refused to stop chasing her.
The beast was right behind her, growling fiercely, as if it could pounce on her at any moment.
As she kept running, her head began to spin. Darkness started to cloud her mind, and she weakly held her head.
But then, through her blurring vision, she saw something ahead...
Zavian was standing there. With his arms crossed, leaning against his car, he stood calmly—as if he had been waiting for her all along.
Through her fading sight, Sheyaan looked at him... her body began to lose balance. She was just about to fall when, from her trembling lips, only one thing came out...
"Sav... save me... please..."
This final plea from Sheyaan's lips dissolved into the air. She was about to collapse to the ground when Zavian could no longer bear to see her like that.
Moving as fast as lightning, he rushed forward and caught her in his arms before she could hit the barren ground.
Her head rested in one of his hands, while with the other he firmly held her waist.
Without showing any fear, Zavian gathered her into his strong arms and cast a deep, cold glance at the dangerous jackal.
That single glance was enough. The jackal, which had been ready to hunt Sheyaan, immediately lowered itself in fear before Zavian.
The very next moment, it turned into a cloud of black smoke and disappeared forever.
Zavian gently lifted the unconscious Sheyaan and placed her in the passenger seat of the car.
He fastened her seatbelt to keep her safe, then sat in the driver's seat and drove swiftly along the deserted road.
After some time, when they reached the mansion, Zavian noticed that Sheyaan was still unconscious.
He glanced toward the mansion gate and grew slightly serious. He thought to himself...
"If I... take Sheyaan inside in this condition, everyone... will start questioning me."
Zavian sat in the car outside the mansion for a while, lost in thought. Then suddenly, an idea came to his mind.
He didn't want Sheyaan to become the target of questions.
He stepped out of the car and gently lifted her into his arms.
The very next moment, his powers awakened, and he flew into the air carrying her.
Like a shadow, he moved toward the upper floor of the mansion and landed directly on Sheyaan's balcony.
Entering through the balcony, he went into her room and carefully laid her down on the bed with great care and calmness.
Zavian sat beside the bed and leaned forward, brushing the strands of her messy hair away from her face.
Her face was still pale from fear and exhaustion. In a cold yet soft and pained voice, he murmured:
"Sheyaan... please forgive me. I never intended to hurt you... I only scared you so that you...would think a hundred times before going out alone."
There was a strange regret in Zavian's voice—one that only that room and the silent night could hear.
Zavian looked at Sheyaan's innocent face and murmured softly,
"I don't want anything...to happen to you while I'm here... you have many enemies, that's why...I had to do all this."
In a whisper, he continued,
"You still don't know I really am... "But the day you do--"
a faint chilling smile touched his lips,
"You won't ever dare to go against me again."
As he finished speaking, Zavian raised his hand near Sheyaan's face.
A faint red glow emerged from his hand, bringing her back to consciousness. Sheyaan slowly opened her eyes.
As soon as she found herself safe in her room, she was instantly shocked.
She saw Zavian sitting in front of her. At first, she felt relieved that she had escaped that dangerous beast, but the very next moment, she remembered Zavian's cruel side.
Her relief turned into anger. She shouted, pulled off the chain from her hand, and threw it at him with all her strength.
"Take your...useless chain! thi...this... is of no use to me!"
Her voice trembled with anger.
Zavian didn't react. He remained seated in silence-- his gaze fixed on her, deep and unreadable as if...he was trying to see through her anger--and find the pain hidden beneath it.