Leon kicked the brown door with full force. A deafening bang echoed through the room as the hinges shrieked in protest. The door slammed open, crashing into the wall—and for a moment, time stood still.
His eyes widened in shock—frozen in place.
A young man, about his age, stood near the bed, shirtless.
And on that bed...
Sofia.
Lying there, wearing nothing but a bra. Her body half-raised.
Leon's world shattered in an instant.
This wasn't a hallucination.
This wasn't a misunderstanding.
It was Sofia.
His chest tightened. Breath caught in his throat. Something inside him cracked—not with rage, but with heartbreak.
Slowly, his eyes shifted back to the man.
That face. That hair. That presence—far too familiar.
And when the name left his lips, his voice wasn't that of a man anymore—it was the scream of a soul betrayed.
"You... Lucas!!!"
"Surprise," Lucas replied casually, then threw a small object at him—a spider-shaped device made of black metal.
Leon caught it instinctively and gripped it without thinking. A warning flared in his instincts at the last second—but it was already too late.
Boom!
The spider exploded in a blast that made almost no sound—but it was terrifying. Black flames burst out, filling the room with heat and fury. Leon's body was thrown backward, slamming hard into the wall behind him.
A wave of unbearable pain exploded in his back. The wooden wall cracked and splintered, sharp fragments cutting into his skin. Warm blood trickled down his sides.
His hands were torn open—blood dripping from his shredded fingers. Smoke rose from his jacket, the fabric scorched and curling at the edges. He coughed harshly, each breath burning like fire.
It hurt.
It really hurt.
But before he could even recover—
Fast footsteps thundered against the floor.
Lucas charged toward him. A dagger in his hand glinted under the dim light, flashing like a silver fang.
Stab!
"Arghh!"
The dagger sank deep into Leon's chest. Blood sprayed out, soaking his ruined shirt.
But Lucas didn't stop. Again and again, he stabbed Leon's body, tearing through flesh and even breaking into the ribs.
Each stab sounded like raw meat being carved by a dull knife.
Then, the dagger went for Leon's neck—but Leon, using the last bit of strength in his trembling body, managed to block it. Their hands clashed, their breath mixing in heat and blood.
Suddenly, something beneath Leon's clothes began to glow faintly. A soft light pulsed from his chest, growing brighter with each second.
Lucas's eyes widened. He instantly pulled back the dagger and grabbed the necklace around Leon's neck—a glowing golden pendant.
"NOOOO!" Leon roared, his voice hoarse and filled with fury.
The pendant burst into brilliant golden light, warm and blinding. The temperature in the room spiked, like invisible flames had filled the space.
Lucas quickly jumped back, shielding his eyes with one arm. His skin stung from the heat as he waited for the light to fade.
When he finally opened his eyes, his vision was blurry—black dots dancing across his sight. But after a few seconds, it cleared.
And Leon… was gone.
Only the pendant remained—now resting in Lucas's palm. It was still warm, gently pulsing like a living heartbeat. The stone was gray-black, faintly glowing.
This was the reason Leon vanished.
An ancient relic, capable of teleporting someone far away.
But beyond that… hidden inside this pendant was a secret. A secret so absurd, even common sense would reject it.
Lucas grinned, his breathing ragged with exhaustion and excitement.
"This is mine now," he muttered, his voice low like a devil's whisper. Then, louder, filled with satisfaction: "And more importantly, I'm alive!"
Without wasting time, he quickly stored the pendant in his spatial ring to keep it safe.
Not long after, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway. A middle-aged man, in his mid-thirties, appeared before him.
"Young master, are you alright?" he asked with worry in his voice. His eyes scanned the room—bloody floors, cracked walls, burn marks everywhere. His face turned grim with regret. "Forgive me, young master. I failed to protect you."
The man immediately dropped to one knee.
Lucas let out a long sigh. This man was one of the bodyguards assigned to protect him tonight.
"I'm fine," Lucas replied. Then, a thought struck him. "Where's Garran?" he asked sharply.
"I don't know, young master," the man answered.
Lucas frowned, clearly unhappy. Garran was a bodyguard sent by his father—and yet, in this near-death situation, he was nowhere to be found.
His mind began drifting toward the original damned plot involving Leon.
"Fine. Stand up. Guard the door and wait for my signal," Lucas ordered.
"Yes, young master." The man immediately stood and took position at the doorway, eyes sharp and alert.
He had made a grave mistake letting a stranger nearly kill Lucas. But he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
As Lucas closed the door behind him, he turned around—and froze.
Sofia was awake, and staring at him with pure hatred.
"Lucas, I know it's you. What did you do to me?!" she screamed, crossing her arms over her chest to cover her exposed body.
Lucas blinked, surprised. This wasn't supposed to happen. According to the plot, Sofia should have been unconscious until morning. But now…
He sighed and took a step forward, wearing a dominating expression.
"I didn't do anything to you," he said calmly.
"Bullshit!" Sofia snapped. "Then why am I topless?! And you—" Her voice broke as her eyes filled with tears that almost fell.
"I'm telling the truth. I haven't done anything to you—well, I did beat the hell out of Leon," Lucas said with a grin.
"You what?" Sofia's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did he see me? And you..." Her tears spilled over, but her face quickly twisted with anger.
Without warning, she jumped up and dashed for the door.
Lucas moved to stop her—but she punched him hard in the face, sending him flying backward into the wall. A bruise immediately formed on his cheek.
"Stop her!" he shouted.
The bodyguard at the door instantly opened it and saw Sofia rushing at him.
"Restrain her!" Lucas yelled again.
They stood face to face—and Sofia shook her head, a pleading gesture not to do it.
The bodyguard hesitated.
"Do it!!" Lucas barked.
Left with no choice, the man moved swiftly, slipping behind Sofia and locking his arm around her neck.
Sofia struggled, but she couldn't breathe. It only took a few seconds before she passed out, her body going limp.
The bodyguard gently let her down, staring at her unconscious form with a conflicted look. He knew this wasn't right. And this wasn't the first time he'd seen Lucas act this way.
But still… he followed orders.
Lucas stood back up, his breath still shaky as he looked down at Sofia. Then he glanced at the bodyguard.
"Good job. Now take her to the car. Make sure she doesn't escape," he ordered.
"Yes, young master." The man obeyed and began carrying out his task.
Lucas stood there for a moment. Then his gaze turned to the corner of the room—
Where a young boy, maybe around 13 years old, was huddled—unconscious.
Alex Valemont. He'd been kidnapped too, just for witnessing all this. In the original story, he and Sofia were saved by Leon.
But now?
Everything had changed.
An idea suddenly formed in Lucas's mind.
A sly grin appeared on his face.
"That… could work," he whispered to himself.