Life or death?

“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?

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