“Please, let me go!” I cried out, desperate, my voice trembling as they dragged me by my hair. I fought with every ounce of strength I had, but it was no use. Their grip was too strong, and every pull on my hair sent a sharp pain through my scalp.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the air—deep and unfamiliar. "Stop. let her go."

One of the men holding me hesitated. Another voice, this one cold and commanding, followed. “He said let her go.”

In an instant, a shot rang out. I flinched, my heart racing, as the man holding me by the hair crumpled to the ground. The other man turned and ran, fear overtaking him.

My body shook, and I sank to the ground, my knees giving out beneath me. “W-who are you?” I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

The man who had shot the other guy stepped forward. He was tall, with dark eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. "My name is Yuki, and this is Kai," he said, gesturing to the guy beside him. "We work for your dad."

"My dad?" My mind raced, confusion clouding my thoughts. "I don’t have a dad."

Yuki raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kai before turning back to me. "Your father is... well, let's say he's someone very powerful. And you're the girl we’ve been looking for. Thought we had the wrong person for a minute."

I frowned, struggling to make sense of what they were saying. "I’ll explain everything later. But please, come with us," Kai urged, his tone softening as he looked around nervously.

“Why should I trust you?” I demanded, my voice trembling but defiant.

Yuki smirked, his eyes flicking toward Kai before returning to me. “Well, we work for the most powerful mafia there is, so I’d suggest you come with us.” The grin on his face was unsettling, but something in his words made my stomach twist.

I swallowed hard. "Fine," I muttered, barely able to look them in the eyes. "I’ll go with you. Not like I have anywhere else to go."

Kai nodded, motioning for me to follow as he walked toward a sleek Rolls Royce parked by the side of the road.

I climbed into the backseat, the leather cool under my fingers. “This is a nice car,” I said, almost absentmindedly. But then my thoughts strayed—Why were they so… attractive? My mind immediately chastised me for thinking about that now, with everything going on.

I glanced out the window, the scenery blurring as we sped down the road. After what felt like an eternity, I couldn’t help but ask, “Where are we going? It’s been two hours.”

Kai glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “We’ll be there soon. Be patient,” he said, but something in his voice made me doubt him.

“How much longer?” I asked again, my impatience starting to show.

“Ten minutes, now shut up,” Yuki answered, his tone sharp. He wasn’t being kind, but somehow it didn’t bother me as much as it should have.

I sighed, staring out the window, my thoughts spiraling back to the chaos of the night. My father... the images of him being killed, tortured—it all haunted me. The blood. His screams. I still couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness.

Exhaustion overcame me, and before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.

I woke up, my head resting against something soft. I blinked, confused, and realized I was leaning on Yuki’s shoulder. His body was tense beneath me, but I didn’t pull away. He didn’t seem to mind either.

“Wake up, you damn girl,” Kai’s voice snapped through the silence, and I jolted upright.

Yuki, however, was more gentle. "Don’t be so mean. Let her sleep. I'll carry her inside."

I was too groggy to protest as Yuki scooped me up effortlessly, his arms strong and steady as he carried me into the house. I closed my eyes again, the warmth of his body radiating through me.

He laid me down in a bed, and for a moment, he just stood there, staring at me. "Why is she so pretty?" he muttered to himself, though I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hear it.

I didn’t have the energy to respond.

Yuki kissed my forehead softly before quietly leaving the room, and I was alone again.

Later, I woke up to find it dark outside. I could hear Yuki’s voice in the hallway, and his footsteps drew closer to my room.

"Hey, you need to eat something," he said gently, but I could tell he was trying not to sound too concerned.

"I'm not hungry. I want to go home," I said, my voice cold, the words escaping before I could stop them.

Yuki didn’t argue. “You can’t go home. I’m sorry. Please, just eat something. You must be hungry.”

“I said no,” I snapped, louder this time, my voice filled with frustration. "Leave me alone."

"Okay. I’ll leave you be. I’m sorry," he said, his tone softer now, almost apologetic.

I lay there in the silence after he left, my mind racing. But then, it happened.

I started to relive that night—the night my father was taken from me. The night he was killed.

The images blurred in my mind—his tortured body, the blood. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Screaming. "Help! Help my dad! Someone help him!"

I scratched at my arms and legs, frantic, the pain of my memories overwhelming me. I felt lost in the terror of it all.

Yuki and Kai rushed in, their voices blending in a blur as they tried to calm me down. Yuki’s voice cut through the haze. "Mai, can you hear me?"

No response.

Kai held my arms back, and Yuki wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. My body stopped shaking, but the tears kept flowing, and the sobs wracked through me.

"Shhh. It’s okay," Yuki whispered, but it didn’t feel okay. Nothing felt okay.

“Why are you so nice to her?” Kai asked, his voice curious but blunt.

Yuki’s response was quiet, barely a whisper. “I’m in love with her.”

I didn’t hear him, though. At least, that’s what I told myself.

The next morning, I woke up to find myself on the couch, still surrounded by the lingering warmth of Yuki’s presence. I glanced up and saw him still asleep, his chest rising and falling in the rhythm of a peaceful sleep.

“Yuki, why aren’t you sleeping in your room?” I asked, concerned, though I didn’t know why I felt that way.

He blinked at me, looking a little surprised. “You’ve been sleeping in my room,” he said with a sleepy grin.

I felt embarrassed. "You can sleep in your room," I insisted, though my voice was quiet. "It’s your room, not mine."

Yuki rubbed his eyes, still half asleep. “It’s fine. You can stay in my room. I’ll sleep on the couch if you want.”

I wasn’t sure what I wanted, honestly. All I knew was that things had changed. I sat there in silence, my thoughts running in circles, each one darker than the last. What had happened to me? What was my life now? All I knew was the haunting memory of my father’s last moments—the blood, the screams, the helplessness. It felt like a nightmare that wouldn’t end. I couldn’t understand why I was suddenly surrounded by all these people who seemed to know things I didn’t.

“Why did they take me?” I whispered, my voice cracking in the stillness.

I rubbed my eyes and blinked, trying to shake off the exhaustion, but I couldn’t. It was like a weight on my chest. I just wanted answers. But Yuki and Kai... they didn’t seem like the kind of people I could trust. And yet, something in me knew they were trying to protect me.

I ran my fingers through my hair, still tangled from the earlier events, and stared at the door. Yuki had left me alone, but his scent lingered in the room. His kindness, the way he handled me during my breakdown—it made me feel... safe. But there was something about him that made me uneasy too, like he was hiding something.

“Why does this have to be so complicated?” I whispered to myself.

A few hours passed before I heard a knock on my door. My heart jumped in my chest. I hadn’t expected anyone.

“Mai, you awake?” It was Kai’s voice. “We’re getting ready to leave. You’re coming with us.”

I pulled myself off the bed, rubbing my face. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for anything, really.

I opened the door, and Kai was standing there, arms crossed, looking at me like he was expecting something. I shifted awkwardly, trying to keep the hurt I was feeling from showing. “Where are we going?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Let’s go.”

I didn’t argue. I followed him down the hallway and into the main living area, where Yuki was already waiting by the door, looking impatient.

I couldn’t help but glance at him, feeling my heart skip a beat. His cold, distant demeanor was hard to ignore, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder—what was he thinking?

"Are you ready?" Yuki asked, not looking at me directly, but I could feel his eyes on me as if he were measuring me, figuring out what to say next.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure why. “Yeah.”

We got in the car, the ride feeling longer than it should have. The tension was thick between us, with Yuki and Kai barely exchanging words. I kept my eyes out the window, trying to make sense of everything—my father, the Black Ravens, Yuki, Kai, and now me.

I glanced down at my hands, the scars on my arms from when I’d lost control of my emotions. The pain was still there, but it felt distant now. I couldn’t focus on that, not with everything else swirling in my mind.

Suddenly, the silence was broken. “You still haven’t eaten anything, have you?” Yuki’s voice cut through my thoughts, his gaze shifting to me.

I didn’t answer right away. My stomach growled in protest, reminding me of the emptiness inside. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until now. But I still couldn’t bring myself to care.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound convincing.

Yuki raised an eyebrow. “You’re not fine, Mai. You need to eat.” His voice softened, almost coaxing, as if he was genuinely concerned.

I sighed. “Okay, fine. Just... don’t push me.”

Kai, who had been silently observing, rolled his eyes. “This girl…” He mumbled, but Yuki shot him a warning look.

The car pulled up outside a restaurant, its grandiose appearance almost too much for me to take in. I wasn’t used to this world—the world that Yuki and Kai inhabited. It felt like a different dimension, one I couldn’t really comprehend. The door swung open, and I followed them inside, my steps hesitant.

Before we could even make it to the table, two men approached us. They looked out of place—unfamiliar faces with an aura of authority. My pulse quickened.

“We’re looking for Mai Lee,” one of them said, his voice low and serious. "We have found the remains of your father. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

I froze, the air thickening around me. The words felt like a punch to my chest. My father... gone.

I felt Yuki’s hand at my back, but I couldn’t look at him. The world had just spun out of control, and I was barely holding on.

Without warning, Yuki pulled out his gun, aiming it at the two men. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice cold, threatening.

The men didn’t flinch. “That’s not important,” one of them said, his voice wavering slightly. “We need the girl.”

Suddenly, Kai’s voice broke through. “He said leave! Who the hell are you?” he growled, stepping forward.

A shot rang out. I gasped, my heart pounding. The man who had spoken fell to the ground, lifeless.

“Let’s go,” Kai said, as if nothing had happened.

I stood frozen, unable to speak, the words stuck in my throat. I glanced down at my hands—they were shaking, and I couldn’t seem to stop them.

Yuki, now looking almost bored, grabbed my arm gently. “Let’s go back to the car.”

As we drove back to the house, my mind was swirling, but my thoughts always returned to the same thing—my father. The Black Ravens, the people who killed him, were out there somewhere. And they had killed him for a reason.

But what was the reason? Why was I involved?

“Do you want to eat anything?” Yuki asked, his voice breaking through my thoughts again.

I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I last ate, or how empty I felt. “Yes, please,” I said softly, almost shyly.

Yuki glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “What do you want?”

“I don’t care,” I mumbled, looking down at my hands again.

Kai snorted from the front seat. “This girl…” He shook his head in exasperation.

Yuki, surprisingly, smacked Kai’s arm. “Be nice,” he muttered.

I didn’t respond, my thoughts drifting back to the nightmare of my father’s death, and the strange, complicated feelings I had for the two men sitting in front of me.

What did they want from me? Why did they save me?

I didn’t realize how much time had passed until we pulled into the driveway. The lights in the house were dim, and the air outside was cool, but it did nothing to calm my nerves. I was still reeling from everything that had happened.

When we stepped inside, the silence was deafening. Yuki and Kai didn’t speak as they moved around the house, preparing for whatever was coming next.

I was exhausted, but I couldn’t rest. Not yet.

As I stood there in the living room, Yuki’s words from earlier echoed in my mind. “I’m in love with her.”

Had I heard that right? Was he serious?

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts. I didn’t have time to focus on that.

But then... why did I keep thinking about him? Why did my heart race when I looked at him?

Chapter 2: Do I Love You…?

I woke up with a sharp headache, the kind that makes your entire body feel heavy. My eyes fluttered open, and I groaned softly, trying to make sense of where I was. Everything around me was unfamiliar—the room was quiet, too quiet. For a moment, I forgot where I was. And then it all came flooding back.

The crash.

The men.

Yuki.

Kai.

Everything.

I bolted upright, my heart racing in my chest. My hands trembled as I tried to sit up. I was in Yuki’s room, wasn’t I? Was I alone? My mind spun as I looked around the dim room. The memories from last night hit me like a wave—my father's death, the dream, the kidnapping attempt. The fear, the pain, the helplessness. It all seemed like a blur.

“Mai…” I heard Yuki’s voice, soft but urgent.

I turned, my heart skipping a beat as he stepped into the room, his eyes searching mine with that intensity I had come to recognize. There was something else in his eyes now—concern, maybe? Or was it something deeper?

I swallowed hard. "Yuki... what happened? The crash… the men…"

His expression darkened slightly, and he walked toward me. “You were unconscious after the crash. We couldn’t risk leaving you alone, so we brought you back here.”

“Who were they?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did they try to take me?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze flickering to the side. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer at all. But then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know who they were exactly. But they must be connected to the people who killed your father.”

The words hit me hard. I flinched, my chest tightening.

Yuki crouched down in front of me, his eyes searching mine like he was looking for something—answers, maybe. “Mai, you need to be careful. These people, they won’t stop coming for you. Not until they get what they want.”

I bit my lip, trying to keep myself together. "What do they want with me?"

Yuki didn’t respond at first. He just stared at me for a long moment before finally saying, “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

I nodded slowly, trying to focus. But my mind was still reeling. Why was I suddenly the target of these people? What did they want from me? And why was Yuki—why were they—trying so hard to protect me?

A heavy silence fell between us. The air felt thick, charged. I couldn’t quite read him. He was close—too close. I could feel his presence, his warmth, but I couldn’t make sense of the feelings it stirred in me.

Why did I feel drawn to him?

I had to shake my head to clear the thoughts. This was not the time for distractions, especially not when there were so many unanswered questions.

Suddenly, the door opened behind me, and Kai walked in. His eyes flickered from Yuki to me, a knowing look in his gaze. “She awake?”

Yuki stood up, nodding. “Yeah. She’s good.”

Kai gave me a glance, his expression unreadable. “You okay?” he asked, his tone softer than usual.

I hesitated before responding, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be. “I’m fine. I just… need to understand why all this is happening.”

Kai studied me for a moment before his eyes softened. “We all do,” he said quietly.

The hours seemed to stretch on forever as we all stayed in the house, the weight of everything bearing down on us. Yuki and Kai didn’t leave me alone, constantly watching over me. They acted like I was fragile, like I might break if they weren’t careful. But the truth was, I was already broken.

I didn’t know how to feel about them anymore. I had thought they were just doing their job, saving me from whoever these people were. But it wasn’t that simple, was it? There was something between us—something unspoken, and I wasn’t sure what it was.

Was it just protection? Or something else?

I couldn’t stop thinking about Yuki’s words last night. “I’m in love with her.” Had I imagined that? I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t know how to process it either.

Was he serious? Was he just protecting me because of my connection to my father?

I bit my lip, looking out the window, lost in my thoughts. I had always prided myself on being independent, on not needing anyone. But now, I had Yuki and Kai, and something about them made me feel safe in a way I couldn’t explain.

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. I didn’t have time for distractions. I had to focus on getting out of this mess. I needed answers. I needed to know why I was being targeted and why my father had to die.

That was more important than anything else.

The next day, I woke to the sound of voices downstairs. I got out of bed, pulling on my jacket, and made my way toward the voices. As I reached the living room, I saw Yuki and Kai, both looking serious as they discussed something in hushed tones. When they saw me, the conversation stopped.

“You should sit down,” Yuki said, his voice softer than before.

I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest. “What’s going on?”

Kai exchanged a look with Yuki, and then he spoke. “You need to get ready. We’re going out. We need to find out more about these people.”

I nodded, trying to keep my composure. “I’m ready.”

Yuki stepped forward, his eyes serious. “We’re going to protect you, Mai. No matter what.”

My heart skipped a beat. He didn’t just mean this as a promise to protect me. There was something in the way he said it. Something deeper.

Later, we all piled into the car, and the ride was once again filled with that same uncomfortable silence. But this time, it wasn’t just the unease of not knowing what was ahead—it was also the unspoken tension between Yuki and me. I couldn’t stop thinking about his words.

I’m in love with her.

I didn’t know if I could trust myself. I didn’t know if I could trust him.

But for some reason, I couldn’t help the way my heart reacted every time I looked at him.

We arrived at a dark, rundown building. Yuki’s hand was on his gun, and Kai moved like a shadow behind him. I stayed close, feeling both vulnerable and safe at the same time.

As we walked through the building, the sound of voices echoed around us. My heart pounded in my chest, and I knew we were about to face whatever danger lay ahead.

But there was something else—something that gnawed at me as I looked at Yuki.

I was afraid.

Afraid of what was to come.

And afraid of what I was starting to feel for him.

“Kai…what are we doing here?” I knew where we were, my father was killed here. Kai grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He pulled me closer to him and said. “We are here because we need you to remember what happened that night.” Yuki came up next to me. “It is going to be okay i promise” that's the last thing i remember.  I wake up to see me in what looks like an experiment room/hospital. I saw Kai in a white lab jacket. “K-Kai?” I stutter, I feel scared. “Mai, we need to talk,” he says. “What is all this?”  

“No time for questions, i need to tell you something important please don't freak out.” 

W-what is it?” I try to not show my nervousness. 

“You passed out but when you did no one could go near you, it was like touching fire, you're not a normal human. You have some sort of power and you don't know how to control it but Mai i can help you i also have a special power” 

I sit there and think about what he just said. I didn't understand everything he said. “Not normal?” I say out loud on accident. He moves closer and sits on theside of the bed and holds my hand.

In the next chapter Mai will learn more about her abilities and how she can control them, but there’s going to be a love war between Kai and Yuki, while Yuki is in love with Mai. Yuki and Kai’s friendship is gets jeopardized and they start to hate each other.

See what happens in the next chapter, not normal on May 2nd!