The sky had turned grey as Hena walked alone on the worn sidewalk of her neighborhood. The sounds of school had faded behind her, replaced by the monotonous hum of the city at dusk. She had declined Bérénice's invitation, too drained to pretend she was up for a conversation. All she wanted was to get home, collapse on her bed, and forget the day.
She turned the corner of an alley she knew well, a shortcut leading directly to her building. Her steps were slow, dragging. The concrete beneath her feet was speckled with puddles left by a morning rain, and the air was beginning to cool.
It was there, in this dim corner, that everything changed.
Two men suddenly appeared from the other side, as if waiting for her. She didn't even have time to avoid them—one of them crashed into her, forcing her to take a step back.
— "Ehhhhhhhhhh! Can't you watch where you're going?" one of them growled in a rough voice.
Hena furrowed her brows, surprised by the sudden aggression. She tried to keep her composure.
— "You bumped into me," she muttered, her gaze hard.
— "And she dares lie!" the man snapped, then turned to his companion. "Wait a second… I swear I recognize this little bitch."
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him, observing his weathered face, his tense jaw, and the worry in his eyes. She recognized him almost immediately.
The bodyguard. The one who had accompanied the sinister-voiced man who had threatened her mother a few days ago.
— "You…"
— "Bingo," he said with a wicked grin. "See? I told you I'd seen her before. Hey, man, guess who this is."
His younger friend, with messy hair and a worn-out leather jacket, tilted his head toward Hena and leered at her.
— "She's cute," he said mockingly. "Who is she?"
— "Elene's daughter."
— "Elene Ferza?" the other one exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with malice. "No way?"
— "You see any other Elene around here? That's her. No wonder she's hot. The apple never falls far from the tree, huh?"
Hena took a step back, feeling the tension rising. She should have walked away, maybe run, but her legs seemed frozen in place by an icy fear.
— "How about you come have a drink with us?" the younger man proposed, a sick grin on his lips. "Just a little fun between adults. I'm sure you're just as 'open' as your mom, right?"
She clenched her fists.
— "No, thank you."
— "Come on, don't be shy. We just want to chat, have a little fun. Don't you want to release the stress from school? I'm sure you've inherited some family talents."
— "I said no."
— "The word 'no' often comes out of whores' mouths to excite guys," the other man sneered. "Stop playing saint. We all know bitches don't make cats. So you're probably a bitch too."
The words slapped her. A mixture of rage and panic bubbled inside her. She wanted to turn and run, but one of them blocked her path. The other stepped forward, reaching out to grab her arm.
— "Touch me and I'll scream," she said through clenched teeth. "You'll see if I'm a bitch."
— "And so what? Even if you scream, who's going to hear you in this empty alley? Huh? Stop acting tough."
— "Get out of my way."
— "We're just going to have a little fun," the older man insisted, advancing. "Promise, we'll be nice…"
He tried to grab her. She took a quick step back, and when his hand brushed her arm, she reacted with the instinct of a cornered animal. She bit into his palm with all her strength. He screamed.
— "You little slut! I'm going to kill you!"
He stepped back, his hand bloodied, but Hena wasn't done. With a precise kick, she aimed at his groin. He collapsed with a cry of pain.
— "You crazy bitch!" he yelled. "After I've had my fun with your whore body, I'm going to strangle you!"
He got back up, his eyes filled with hate, and raised his hand to slap her. She braced herself, closing her eyes, but the slap never came.
A hand appeared from nowhere, stopping the man's wrist dead in the air.
Daniel.
He stood there, silent and cold. His jaw was tight, his gaze sharper than a blade. He squeezed the man's wrist so hard it made him grimace.
— "Don't you know when a girl says no, it means no?" Daniel said calmly. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's men who try to force women."
— "Where the hell did you come from, kid? Mind your own business—it's none of your concern!"
— "I decide what's my concern. And the girl you're touching is my classmate. You really think I'm gonna let you touch her?"
Furious, the man lunged and threw a punch at Daniel. But Daniel blocked it with ease and countered with two quick, precise blows to his face. The man dropped to the ground, nose bleeding.
Daniel turned to the bodyguard who was still standing.
— "You want some too?"
The man hesitated, glanced at his groaning friend, then back at Daniel.
— "Damn, man… You really got dropped by a kid?"
He scoffed, clearly irritated, then looked Daniel in the eye.
— "Don't get cocky. I'll let you go this time."
Without another word, he grabbed his friend and disappeared into the shadows of the alley.
Daniel turned back toward Hena, who stood frozen, her hands trembling. He started to speak, but she looked away. At that moment, Bérénice appeared at the end of the alley. Seeing Hena shaken and Daniel nearby, she rushed over.
— "Hena! Are you okay? What happened?"
Hena, still shaken, took a few seconds to reply.
— "It's… nothing. Those guys tried to mess with me. Daniel stepped in."
Bérénice put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
— "Come on. I'll walk you home."
She gave Daniel a small nod of thanks. He didn't say a word.
The two girls slowly walked away, leaving Daniel alone in the alley.
He's stood there and thought to himself: Good thing I followed her. I even caught part of their conversation... So, her mother's a whore, huh?
With this information, I'll find a way to get closer to her.
A demonic smile of satisfaction curled on his lips.