In the heart of the city of Blue, Zayne sped through the rain-slicked streets toward the hospital, his mind a whirlwind of anxiety and urgency.
Meanwhile, in the shadow-laced alleys of Haliçis , Dylan and his crew tore through the night, tracking the faint signal pulsing from the enchanted ring Ember always wore. The glow on Dylan's device flared—a beacon guiding him straight to her. His jaw clenched, his voice low and burning with resolve.
"I swear, if anyone's touched her—" he growled.
Far from the city lights, in the desolate outskirts swallowed by silence, Ember stirred.
The bitter cold gnawed at her skin as consciousness clawed its way back. Every breath stung. Her limbs trembled, aching with exhaustion and disuse. A rough strip of cloth pressed over her eyes, soaked with dampness and dread. Beneath it, her forehead throbbed beneath a hastily wrapped bandage.
The air around her was heavy—thick with mildew, dust, and the suffocating weight of secrets left to rot.
A sharp clink echoed in the room as she shifted. Chains. Heavy, unyielding iron shackles tethered her wrist to the headboard of a rusting wrought-iron bed. The mattress beneath her was little more than torn fabric and wire springs.
Panic surged in Ember's chest. Her breath hitched.
Where am I? Who brought me here?
Her last memory flickered like a broken film—Leora's voice, the sudden pounding pain in her head, the unbearable pressure as she tried to force her way back to Dylan... back to him.
"Ah!" she cried out, her voice cracking as the pain stabbed through her skull again. She reached for her head instinctively, but the handcuff bit into her wrist, jerking her back.
"Ah!" The cry echoed off the cold stone walls. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the blindfold, but nothing dulled the agonizing pulse behind her eyes.
Her voice broke as she whimpered into the darkness, "I'm scared... Is anyone there? Please... help me."
No reply came. Just silence. Cold, cruel, deafening silence.
But far away, across the tangled web of cities and secret, Dylan told Emir that he wanted to drive, then Dylan's grip tightened around the steering wheel as her voice—her fear—echoed through his mind like a scream carved into his soul.
"Hold on, Ember," he muttered, his voice a promise and a threat, "I'm coming for you. And God help whoever thought they could take you from me."
Outside the decrepit room, a guard slumped in his chair, dozing off beneath the flickering hallway light. Ember's desperate cries sliced through the stillness, jarring one of them awake. He blinked, alert now, and moved toward the heavy door.
Inside, Ember sat trembling, her breath uneven, her blindfold soaked with tears. She flinched as the door creaked open, the echo of approaching footsteps sending a wave of terror through her chest.
She felt a presence—close, watching.
"Leora...? Are you there?" Her voice trembled, each word soaked in fear.
No answer.
"Leora... is that you? Please... please reply. I'm scared. What do you want from me? Please... I'm begging you... I hate the dark..."
Still, no voice came. Only the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps drawing nearer.
Then, the second guard—the one who had been asleep—burst into the room. His eyes narrowed as he saw the first guard stepping closer to Ember, a sick smile curling his lips as he stared at her fragile form bound to the bed.
"What the hell are you doing?" the second guard barked, grabbing the other by the arm and yanking him toward the hallway.
The first guard shrugged lazily, his grin not fading. "I was just checking... making sure she doesn't run off."
"She's awake," the second one muttered. "We were told to call Madam the moment she woke up."
But the first guard leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper, eyes glinting as he nodded toward the room. "Look at her," he murmured. "Isn't she... stunning? You think we'll ever find a girl like that in our lives again? Why don't we just—"
"Stop it." The second guard's voice was low, firm, threatening. "I know exactly what you're thinking. But we're not touching her. We're just here to watch. I'll call Madam. Now."
The first guard scoffed, rolling his eyes, pulling out his phone. "You're no fun... fine. You want to call her? Call her. But don't ruin my mood."
He turned back toward the room, eyes lingering too long on Ember's trembling figure.
Far across the city, Dylan start feeling unease. His heart raced. Something was wrong—he could feel it.
The door creaked open.
Ember lay curled on the thin mattress, her head pounding violently with every breath. The pain throbbed like a drumbeat in her skull, blurring her senses. She didn't hear the footsteps—didn't sense the danger—until it was far too close.
She flinched at the sudden sensation of fingers brushing against her leg.
"Who's there?!" she cried out, panic rising in her voice. She tried to pull her legs toward her, but the grip on her ankle yanked them back down, pinning her to the bed.
Ember's heart pounded in her chest. She struggled, her wrists scraping against the cold metal cuffs as she cried out again, "Help! Please, don't touch me!"
A cold voice answered, laced with amusement. "Why wouldn't I? You're so beautiful."
She felt his hand slide over her leg. Ember screamed again, "Please! Someone—help me!"
The man laughed low in his throat. He gripped her chin, tilting her face toward his voice. "Scream all you want. We're deep in the mountains. No one will hear you. Only me."
He leaned closer, his breath hot and foul. "I wanted to see your face… You were covered in blood before. But now..."
Rough fingers tugged the blindfold from her eyes. For a moment, all she could see was a blur. But then, as her vision adjusted, his figure came into focus—a man in black, his face obscured by cloth, eyes gleaming with something twisted.
"Ah... so beautiful," he murmured. "I thought it was just your legs... but your face..." He reached out to touch her cheek.
Ember jerked her head away, the cuffs biting deeper into her wrists. Pain seared through her, but she refused to stay still. She kicked her legs in resistance, her tears streaming freely now.
Just then, the second guard entered the room, his eyes narrowing at the sight before him.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing? If Madam finds out—"
"She won't," the first one interrupted, not even looking up. "She won't be here until morning. We have plenty of time. And... you can't tell me you're not tempted. Look at her. Isn't she—"
The second guard hesitated, glancing at Ember with something like guilt… or hunger.
"Yeah… she is," he said quietly.
"Then wait your turn," the first guard muttered. "Help me hold her. She keeps moving. So much fight in her..."
The second guard stepped forward and grabbed Ember's legs.
"No! Please! Don't—please, let me go!" Ember screamed, her voice raw, body trembling.
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Meanwhile, in the bustling heart of Blue City, Zayne rushed through the hospital corridors, the echo of his hurried footsteps bouncing off the sterile walls. His chest tightened as he reached Ember's room.
The moment he stepped inside, his heart dropped.
Ember lay on the hospital bed, her face pale, drenched in cold sweat. Her breathing was erratic—short, sharp gasps, as if something invisible was choking her from the inside. She twitched slightly, caught in a nightmare that refused to let her go.
Zayne didn't waste a second. He rushed to her side and gently placed the oxygen mask over her mouth. "Come on, Ember... breathe, please..." he whispered, voice trembling.
For a moment, he simply watched her chest rise and fall under the thin blanket. The monitor beeped in an irregular rhythm. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Her parents stood frozen by the doorway, faces drained of color. Zayne turned to them, doing his best to stay composed.
"Uncle, Aunty... I know a little about Ember's condition," he said softly. "I promise I'll call you both the moment she wakes up. But I don't think it'll be easy for you to see her like this. Please... let me handle this tonight."
He hated asking them to leave, but he couldn't bear the thought of them witnessing Ember suffer like this—helpless and broken.
There was hesitation in their eyes, but after a long, quiet moment, Ember's mother nodded. Her father let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright. We'll leave... but we'll come back first thing in the morning. If anything happens—anything at all—call us. Don't worry about money. Just treat her, Zayne. Please."
Zayne gave them a reassuring smile, even though his heart was cracking inside.
"Uncle, don't say that... Ember's not just a friend. She's family to me. I'll make sure she gets the care she needs. And when she walks out of here..." he looked back at Ember, a flicker of warmth in his eyes, "she'll be smiling again... like a star lighting up the sky."
He watched as her parents reluctantly left, the door closing softly behind them. Then, Zayne sat back down beside Ember, gently brushing a strand of damp hair from her forehead.
"You're not alone, Ember," he whispered. "Whatever's haunting you… we'll bring you back."
Unbeknownst to him, miles away, Dylan was already tearing through mountains and shadows, hellbent on reaching her before the nightmare could swallow her whole.
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Back in the shadowed city of Haliçis, the air inside the stone chamber thickened with dread.
The first guard sneered, circling Ember like a predator. "You're wasting that sweet voice screaming," he said with a cold grin. "Maybe we should shut you up."
He leaned in, his breath sour against her cheek. Ember jerked her head to the side, disgust swirling in her chest—but he grabbed her face roughly, trying to force her to look at him.
His lips came closer.
And in a burst of fury, Ember sank her teeth into his mouth.
"Aghh!" he cried out, staggering back as blood trickled from his split lip.
Enraged, he stormed toward her and ripped the blindfold from the floor, shoving it back over her mouth to gag her. Ember thrashed, her eyes blazing with tears, but she couldn't speak. The guard's eyes darkened with something monstrous.
Then he lunged, biting into her shoulder.
Pain exploded through Ember's body. Her scream was muffled by the cloth over her mouth, her body trembling in terror as hot blood trickled down her skin.
The man pulled back and looked at her with twisted admiration. "You look even prettier when you're crying," he whispered.
The second guard stepped forward, his hand sliding toward her gown. Ember fought with everything she had, but her wrists remained locked, bound to the bed. She saw them—two beasts, hungry and vile—closing in, arguing over her as if she were something they owned.
"I told you I go first," the first growled.
"You're not in charge," the second snapped back. "I'm just touching her."
The argument escalated into shouts. Ember's breath quickened. Her body shook. They were distracted—but not for long.
She couldn't run.
She couldn't scream.
But she could still fight.
As they turned toward her again, Ember made one desperate move—she threw her head back and smashed it into the iron headboard with all her strength.
Crack.
The pain was instant, white-hot, blinding. Blood streamed down her temple. Her vision blurred. The world tilted sideways.
And then… darkness.
She collapsed onto the mattress, unconscious.
For a moment, the room was silent. The guards stared in shock.
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Meanwhile, in the city of Blue…
Inside the hospital room, the monitors suddenly beeped faster—Ember's heart rate was spiking uncontrollably.
Zayne rushed to her bedside, panic flooding his face. What's happening now?!
But just as he reached for her, something invisible stopped him. He froze, stunned. There was… a barrier. An unseen wall between him and Ember. He pressed his hand against it, but it didn't yield—it was like solid air.
"Ember?" he whispered in confusion.
Then his eyes widened. Blood—thick and dark—began spilling from the corner of Ember's mouth.
He leaned in desperately, but still couldn't touch her. It wasn't her mouth—there was no wound there. So where was it coming from? Her lips trembled, her mouth forced open unnaturally as if something—was inside her, in another world.
Her breathing grew ragged. Her heart monitor screamed louder.
Zayne grabbed his phone and dialed Dylan immediately. He was the only one who might understand this.
"Hello," Dylan answered, placing the call on speaker as he speed down a road lit by moonlight.
"Dylan, you bastard—what the hell is happening to Ember again?! Did you do something to her?" Zayne's voice cracked with anger and fear.
Dylan didn't react to the insult—his chest tightened with dread. Something was wrong. Again.
"Tell me her condition," Dylan said calmly, but his fingers clenched the steering wheel with white-knuckled pressure.
Zayne didn't back down. "First, tell me where she is and what's going on in your city. I'm not negotiating."
Dylan let out a heavy breath, pain in his voice. "Ember was kidnapped. We're tracking her now. The injury to her head… it was from that night. Now please—tell me what's happening."
Zayne froze. Kidnapped?
He stared at Ember, her body convulsing slightly under the oxygen mask. "When I got back into the room, her heart rate had dropped, but then suddenly—it spiked again. And now I can't even touch her. There's some sort of invisible wall surrounding her. I… I don't know what to do."
Dylan's heart sank. His hands gripped the wheel tighter, pushing the car faster. Adrien leaned over and spoke quickly.
"Dr. Zayne, tell us everything you're seeing. Every detail."
Zayne nodded, speaking quickly. "There was blood at first—coming from her mouth. But her mouth isn't injured. Then it opened unnaturally, like someone forced something into it. And now…" He leaned closer to notice ember but there was something new, that scared him.
"…there's a bite mark on her shoulder. Fresh. And the blood—it's pouring from there."
A terrible silence followed.
Adrien broke it first. "She's being assaulted."
Dylan's foot slammed on the brakes for a moment, the car skidding, then he floored the accelerator. His face was blank—but his eyes burned with fire.
"I'm going to kill them."
"Can you treat her?" Adrien asked.
Zayne's voice cracked. "I can't even touch her. I feel useless. Completely helpless…"
"It's because she's awake here," Adrien said urgently. "Her spirit, her soul—it's here. In Haliçis. Please stay on the line. Watch her. And tell us the moment something changes."
"Okay," Zayne whispered.
Back in Haliçis, Dylan and the others followed the signal from Ember's ring. The tracker pulsed stronger as they approached a crumbling old mansion at the edge of the mountain woods.
The car skidded to a stop in the gravel. Dylan's hand was already on the door before the engine finished groaning.
"She's inside," Adrien said quietly.
Zayne's voice suddenly returned over the speaker. His tone was desperate.
"Oh my God."
"What?!" Dylan barked, already running toward the mansion's gate.
"Her head… it's bleeding again. There's so much blood now, it's—this isn't just a spike in vitals. She's dying, Dylan!"
Dylan didn't answer.
He was already gone—racing into the darkness with only one thought in his mind:
Ember. Hold on. I'm coming.
Meanwhile, inside the mansion…
The two guards stepped closer to Ember's limp body. Blood pooled beneath her head, seeping into the torn sheets. Her body remained motionless, her skin pale, lips parted but silent. Panic flickered across the guards' faces—they hadn't expected this. They had wanted control, but now they were gripped by fear.
The blood wouldn't stop.
Just as they turned to flee, the door creaked open—and there stood Lai, returning from her errand. Her eyes locked on Ember's blood-soaked figure, unconscious and bound to the headboard.
"What the hell did you do to her?!" Lai screamed, her voice trembling with rage and horror.
The guards didn't answer. Instead, they shoved her violently aside and ran toward the entrance. Lai's head cracked against the cold marble floor, and she collapsed, unconscious beside the door.
But fate had no intention of letting them escape.
At the main entrance, the two guards slammed headlong into Dylan, Emir, and Adrien. The moment Dylan saw the fear in their eyes, his blood turned cold.
Something was wrong.
Without a word, Dylan's fist collided with one of the guard's jaw, sending him crashing into the wall. Emir and Adrien quickly overpowered the other, tying them both with thick ropes ripped from nearby curtains.
"Stay here," Dylan ordered sharply. "If they move, break their legs."
He sprinted inside. His boots echoed down the corridor as dread consumed his every breath.
And then… he saw her.
Lai lay on the floor, motionless. But beyond her, in the center of the dimly lit room, Ember was sprawled across the bed—bleeding, broken, bound. Her wrists were bruised from the cuffs, her once-elegant dress torn at the shoulder and leg. Her head was turned slightly, her hair matted with blood.
Dylan's heart shattered at the sight.
"Ember!" he called out, his voice hoarse.
But she didn't respond.
He fell to his knees beside her, gently brushing a trembling hand over her cheek. Her skin was ice cold. The cloth was still stuffed in her mouth—he yanked it out with a quiet curse, then pressed his forehead to hers.
"I'm here, Ember. I've got you. You're safe now, I promise…"
Adrien rushed in with a medical kit in hand while Emir returned with a small key he'd found in Lai's pocket. Dylan didn't hesitate—he unlocked the handcuffs and pulled Ember into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest.
Her tears hadn't stopped.
Even in unconsciousness, her body trembled, her eyes pressed shut in pain.
Adrien opened the kit. "We can't take her to the hospital yet. She's lost too much blood, and we don't have time. I'll stitch her head here, but she won't be under anesthesia—it'll hurt."
Dylan's jaw clenched. "Then I'll hold her. She won't feel alone for even a second."
He wrapped his arms protectively around Ember, pressing her tightly to him while Adrien began stitching her wound. She didn't move, but her chest quivered, and fresh tears streamed silently from beneath her closed eyes.
Dylan kissed her forehead. "It's okay, baby… I've got you. Just hold on. Please hold on."
Once the head wound was cleaned and closed, Adrien gently shifted the torn fabric along Ember's shoulder. The moment the angry red bite mark came into view—swollen and deep, still oozing faint traces of blood—Dylan froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
Then, Adrien moved to her leg, revealing another brutal mark, darker, even more vicious.
Dylan's eyes locked onto it.
His entire body went still—too still.
And then, in a voice colder than steel, he growled, "They touched her."
His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, veins bulging under his skin. His jaw tightened, but his eyes flicked back to Ember's trembling, unconscious form. Her face—stained with tears, bruised, violated—pulled him back from the edge. He sank beside her again, brushing her hair back gently with trembling fingers.
In a voice that broke with emotion, he whispered, "I'm here, Ember. I'm not leaving you ever again. And the monsters who did this… they won't see another sunrise."
Adrein say ,"We need to get her to a hospital immediately. She'll need a full examination. There could be internal damage… or worse."
Dylan stood with Ember in his arms, her blood still warm on his shirt. His voice was like steel.
"Then we don't waste a second. Get the car."
He looked down at Ember, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "You're safe now. And I swear… whoever did this to you, I'll make them regret the day they were born."