The clouds had gathered in the northeastern sky. Beneath the shadow of the gray clouds, dusk looked sorrowful and lifeless. Daylight had faded away, and evening had drawn the dark curtain of night across the earth. The round moon, like a silver platter, disappeared behind layers of black clouds. The world was sinking into the pitch-black darkness of the new moon night. In the suffocating darkness, the giant trees of the dense forest looked like cursed demonic statues. Surrounded by the thick jungle, the garden mansion appeared no less than an abandoned royal palace. Suddenly, a freezing gust of wind swept across the mansion grounds, making the body shiver. At that very moment, all electricity lines of the mansion were cut off. An unknown infiltrator severed the CCTV connections one by one from every corner of the estate. In the heavy silence, an eerie gloom spread through the atmosphere. Within seconds, the entire mansion transformed into a terrifying graveyard-like place filled with hidden fear.
It was eleven at night. The only sound piercing through the silence was the heavy footsteps of armed guards patrolling carefully around the estate. Suddenly, their eyes lifted toward the sky—a helicopter was circling repeatedly above the mansion for an unusually long time. Worry lines appeared across the guards' foreheads. Instantly, everyone became alert. Messages were exchanged rapidly through their Bluetooth devices. Guards stationed across the mansion quickly took their positions and intensified security. Their eyes scanned every corner of the darkness, searching for even the slightest trace of danger.
One of the guards tried contacting Naso, but receiving no response, he immediately sent out a danger signal. The guards raised their guns with the precision of hunters aiming at prey, pointing the narrow barrels toward the helicopter. Safety locks were released, fingers rested on triggers. With restrained tension and thin patience, they waited. At the slightest sign of danger, flames would erupt and tear apart the silent night.
Abruptly, the helicopter began descending. The guards exchanged quick glances. Their suspicion blurred momentarily. Slowly, they lowered their weapons but remained cautious as they gathered together. Everyone assumed Richard had returned. Richard had been out of the country for three days, and sudden arrivals like this were nothing unusual for him. He often traveled by helicopter and occasionally staged bizarre situations like these to test the guards' alertness. Those tests determined who was worthy and who was not.
Those who passed were taken to Italy and given the opportunity to work directly under the Dragon Group. But for those who failed, a horrifying reward awaited—suffocating death. Richard Kainat was a heartless, brutal predator. His heart was as hard as stone, his mind psychotic and monstrous. Weakness, in his eyes, was something despicable. He only understood the language of power, cruelty, and dominance. In his world, there was room only for the strong, while the weak were destined for destruction.
All the guards stood with lowered heads. Their hearts pounded unknowingly in anxious anticipation. The helicopter descended even lower. Its monstrous blades sliced through the air with violent roaring sounds. The powerful wind made it nearly impossible for the guards to remain standing. Suddenly, without warning, a strange liquid substance rained down from the helicopter onto them. Within moments, it turned into vapor and spread through the air—invisible yet deadly like poisoned nerves. The guards tried to stay conscious, but as soon as the vapor entered their noses, they lost control over their bodies. One after another, they staggered before collapsing onto the ground unconscious.
Seated beside the cockpit was a man dressed in a spotless white panjabi, silently enjoying the scene. A cold, twisted smile appeared at the corner of his lips. There was no mercy in his eyes, only ruthless satisfaction. He gestured quietly toward the cockpit. The helicopter slowly descended beside the swimming pool, onto the wide empty area. The fierce wind from the blades caused the young plants nearby to sway violently.
The helicopter door opened, and the man in the white panjabi stepped out. His curly hair flew wildly in the wind like a declaration of rebellion. Two more men descended behind him, both wearing safety jackets and Night Owl masks that concealed their faces. Their appearances remained hidden, but their movements revealed a terrifying hardness.
The smiling man in the white panjabi walked quickly toward the mansion's main entrance, victory glimmering mysteriously across his lips. The masked guards followed him like shadows. Their bodies were strong but not overwhelmingly impressive. Their true horror did not lie in muscle but in the darkness buried within their hearts.
The front door was tightly locked from inside. The man merely tilted his head slightly toward his guards. There was no urgency or excitement in his expression. Receiving the signal, the two guards stepped forward while their "king" calmly stood behind them.
The guards slammed their powerful shoulders repeatedly against the door. Metallic roars echoed through the empty night. Finally, the latch broke open from inside. Though their builds were lean, their physical strength became undeniable in that moment.
The mysterious man in the white panjabi smiled once again—a cold, sharp smile filled with inhuman satisfaction—and stepped inside.
The loud crash jolted Reshma awake. Her nerves trembled sharply, her chest drying in fear. At the moment, only she, Nishi, and Elizabeth were inside the mansion. Naso had already gone to carry out one of Richard's assignments. Then who could have arrived at this hour? Richard?
No… Richard would never enter like this. He had been out of contact for three days. That sound—was it the sound of a door breaking? No one would enter Richard's kingdom like a thief.
She glanced toward the sleeping Nishi. The girl remained peacefully asleep, drowned in soft, tear-stained breaths. They slept together on mattresses spread across the kitchen floor. Earlier, Reshma had fed Elizabeth dinner and medicine before putting her to bed. Elizabeth now resembled a living corpse. Ever since Richard's inhuman torture days ago, she had gone completely silent. Though her body had recovered somewhat, her voice never returned. Reshma couldn't understand why Elizabeth had become so quiet, but deep inside she felt it clearly—something within Elizabeth had died forever.
Nishi slept deeply, untouched even by the noise. Gathering courage, Reshma rose quietly and peeked out from the dining area. The moment she looked ahead, terror shook her entire body.
Three men were approaching.
Though the darkness concealed their faces, Reshma immediately realized they were not Richard's men. Their height and build were entirely different. Only the man in front possessed a well-built body. Swallowing dryly, Reshma rushed back into the kitchen. Standing on top of the cabinet, she looked outside through a narrow gap. Under the sodium lights, she saw the guards lying unconscious on the ground.
Her body began trembling violently.
She looked toward the sleeping Nishi, who remained completely unaware of the nightmare unfolding around her.
Reshma exhaled three trembling breaths through pursed lips. Quietly approaching Nishi, she covered her entirely with a blanket and placed her pillow over the girl's ears so no sound would wake her. Then she rushed back toward the dining area.
The intruders had already entered the living area.
Cold sweat soaked Reshma's clothes against her body. Without making noise, she dragged several chairs in front of the sleeping Nishi, trying to hide the fact that someone was lying there.
Then Elizabeth came to her mind.
A painful twist struck Reshma's chest. No matter what happened, she had to save Elizabeth. Whoever these men were, they had not come with good intentions. Richard had spilled the blood of countless people. He had no shortage of enemies. Perhaps someone had taken advantage of his absence to attack.
As the three shadowy figures came closer, the lines between Reshma's brows deepened.
She stared carefully, trying to recognize them. The moment they approached nearer, her eyes widened in shock. Covering her mouth with both hands, she recognized the man in front immediately.
She had seen him countless times on television.
But why would such a respected man come to a gangster's mansion in the dead of night?
Then she noticed something horrifying—the three men ignored everything around them and headed directly toward the stairs.
Her sixth sense screamed instantly.
They had come for Elizabeth.
They already knew Richard and his bodyguards were absent tonight.
Unable to stay silent any longer, Reshma grabbed a kitchen knife and ran after them without caring for her own life.
"Stop!"
Her thunderous voice echoed through the mansion, yet none of them reacted. The man continued climbing the stairs calmly, while the other two increased their pace behind him.
Reshma's throat trembled, but she shouted again,
"What do you want? Why are you here?"
No one stopped.
She rushed after them, fury blazing in her eyes.
"We thought you were a good man. So this is your true face hidden behind the darkness?"
Suddenly, one of the guards attacked her. He grabbed her throat tightly with one hand. The knife slipped from her hand and clattered onto the stairs.
Reshma's eyes bulged.
Tears streamed down like monsoon rain.
She could barely breathe.
Still, using the last strength in her lungs, she screamed desperately toward the man heading for Elizabeth's room.
"F-for Allah's sake… please don't be so cruel!"
The grip on her throat tightened further.
The man holding her looked like a starving beast.
In a voice heavy as thunder, he growled,
"Do you have a death wish?"
Barely able to speak, Reshma answered immediately,
"If you want to reach my daughter, you'll have to kill me first."
A twisted smile spread across the man's face.
From inside his jacket, he pulled out a small steel karambit knife and plunged it straight into Reshma's stomach.
The blade tore through her flesh viciously.
Blood burst from her mouth.
Warm crimson drops splattered onto the face of the silent man standing nearby. He flinched slightly in discomfort. Though the brutal sight disturbed him internally, he forced himself to remain composed. It was obvious he was not truly made for such cruelty.
Reshma's nerves slowly began shutting down. Blood circulation weakened. Her vision blurred.
But more than her own pain, she suffered thinking about Elizabeth.
For the second time, the mysterious man finally spoke.
Calmly, indifferently, he said—
"Then die."
The hand around her throat loosened instantly.
Reshma's body tumbled violently down the stairs.
Nishi covered her mouth with both hands.
She had awakened earlier and witnessed the horrifying scene from hiding. Tears burst from her eyes, yet fear stopped her from moving forward. Helplessly, she stared at Reshma's broken body. Blood flowed from Reshma's cracked forehead, spreading across the floor like crimson artwork.
Even while dying, Reshma kept looking upward.
To every mother, her child is everything—even if that child belongs to someone else. Without thinking about her own life, Reshma fought until the very end, yet she still failed to save Elizabeth.
The mark of failure filled her eyes.
Slowly, her eyelids closed forever.
A loud sound woke Elizabeth abruptly from sleep. She had been taking sleeping pills for two days. Once again, life defeated her completely.
For quite some time, she had felt someone leaning over her in the darkness, staring stubbornly at her. Hot breaths brushed against her face.
Her throat dried up.
As she leaned toward the bedside table to grab water, a powerful hand suddenly came from behind and pressed a cloth tightly over her mouth.
Before she could understand anything, darkness swallowed her once again.
She never realized she had lost the only new family she had found after losing everything else. Just like Mom and Dad, Reshma had also left her forever.
The man in the white panjabi lifted Elizabeth's bow-shaped body into his arms. Victory curved across his lips as he walked toward the door.
The once luxurious atmosphere had turned into complete devastation. The living area was destroyed beyond recognition. Broken shards of glass rolled across pools of fresh blood. Naso stood silently with his head lowered, his face pale and tense. Rows of guards' corpses lay scattered across the floor like shiuli flowers spread upon dew-covered earth on a winter dawn. Within only a few minutes, a river of blood had flooded Richard's luxurious dark-themed mansion.
Reshma's body had been covered with a pure white cloth.
Nishi sat beside the corpse, trembling uncontrollably, her tear-filled eyes frozen in terror.
Richard's ocean-blue eyes burned like erupting volcanoes. A savage growl echoed from deep within him. Mountains of fury gathered behind his empty gaze, rising like a monstrous force ready to destroy everything around it. Beneath his unnaturally pale skin, a horrifying violence boiled like molten lava.
Richard's mind had completely surrendered to the monstrous demon inside him.
His sharp jaw tightened violently.
The flames in his serpent-like eyes spread through the room as he paced restlessly across the blood-soaked floor, unable to control the storm inside him.
Suddenly, he turned even more savage.
Without hesitation, he shot the remaining two guards directly in the head. Their skulls exploded instantly. Their hands and legs had already been tied, their knees broken as they were forced to kneel helplessly. Terror filled their faces moments before death swallowed them into the crimson flood beneath their bodies.
Freed at last from the endless mirage of sin, they disappeared forever.
Swallowing nervously, Naso stepped forward and bowed his head.
"Boss… chloroform was released from the helicopter. The guards couldn't even understand what was happening before—"
The moment Naso looked into Richard's blazing eyes, a hollow fear spread through his chest. He instinctively stepped backward.
The blue veins surrounding Richard's eyes stretched tightly in rage, glowing like streams of volcanic fire. His brutality rose like a starving beast. Grinding his teeth together, he roared,
"I want that motherfucker in my basement."
Burned by the fury in Richard's eyes, Naso silently nodded his head and stepped away without daring to say another word.
Richard's rage continued growing.
Blood rushed violently through his veins toward his head. His psychotic mind raced like a runaway train, dragging endless chains of fury behind it. Breathing heavily, he looked down once more at the crushed white paper beneath his foot.
Written on it were the words—
"If you're a gangster, then I'm the predator, taking my prey."
"Elokeshi…"
Hearing the deeply familiar drunken voice mixed with honey-like warmth, Elizabeth froze instantly.
She turned toward the doorway.
A dark figure stood there holding a tray of food.
The moment Elizabeth looked into those black-hole-like eyes, her own eyes sparkled brightly. A faint smile of peace appeared on her lips. Tears filled her eyes, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
Without hesitation, she ran forward and threw herself against the man's broad chest.
Then she broke down crying endlessly.