Chapter 14 –
POV: Lyra Vale
Why is it always me?
Why do I always find myself cornered—where I either fight like hell or die like prey? Why does the universe test only the ones who already crawled through fire to get here?
I was only supposed to use the restroom.
One business trip. One contract.And now?I'm trapped in a goddamn nightmare.
As I stepped out of the stall, the lights flickered. That's when I felt it—The shift in the air. The silence that screams.I wasn't alone.
My heels froze mid-step.Shadows moved.And then—
Clack.Clack.Footsteps.Multiple.
And out of the reflection in the mirror—I saw them.White masks.Baseball bats.One leaned casually against the sink, as if this was their home.
And behind them—The golden mask. Tall. Composed. Hands behind his back like a judge ready to sentence me.
"Well well well... look who walked into her own grave," he said.
"What the hell is this? A circus?" I spat, voice sharp, chin high. "I don't sign autographs for masked groupies."
He stepped forward slowly. "Still barking, even when surrounded.""Try stepping closer. I'll do more than bark."
One of them laughed. "She's got attitude."Another chimed, "We'll break that soon."
I started backing toward the door—But two men blocked it.
I didn't run. I didn't cry.I squared my shoulders.
"Don't mistake numbers for power," I said coolly. "Dogs also hunt in packs."
Golden Mask laughed. "Oh, I like this version of you. Arrogant. Bold. Perfect... for shattering."
He flicked his hand."Blindfold her."
Two men rushed me. I fought—my heel stabbing one in the foot. Another elbowed me in the ribs, and I screamed—but still swung.I was Lyra Vale. I don't fold.
But a third one came from behind and twisted my arm back. A black cloth tightened over my eyes.I kicked. Bit. Spat.And then—A crack on the back of my leg sent me collapsing.
They dragged me.
I didn't know where.I couldn't see.I heard doors open. Cold air. Distant voices.
Then—slam.I was thrown into a room.
Hands pushed me down into a chair. My wrists tied. My mouth taped. I was breathing through my nose—short, fast, panicked.
And then I felt him.Golden Mask. Again. Near. Too close.
"Unbind her eyes. I want to see her fear."
The cloth came off. The light above was dim. The walls were dirty. Industrial. A storeroom maybe.
"You've got some fire," he said. "Too bad no one's coming for you.""You're wrong," I managed through the tape.He ripped it off harshly.
"You think Voss will come? He's probably sipping espresso by now.""He's not my savior," I hissed. "But if he shows up—run."
A smirk behind the gold."Still arrogant. Just like when you were a bratty kid in school."
My blood ran cold.
"What...?""Don't recognize me? Figures. I recognize you. You were always the loud one. The easy target. The broken one with no one to call family."
It clicked.I remembered.The boy who pushed me down the stairs.The laughter when I bled.The silence when I cried.
"You," I whispered.My voice shook. Not with fear.With fury."You're the same bastard who made me bleed in school. You should've died instead of disappearing."
He slapped me.My head whipped sideways.
"That mouth…" he said. "Still running."
Another man stepped forward.CRACK.A bat against my stomach.
Pain.Burning.I couldn't breathe.
I fell to the ground.Knees scraped. Arms shaking. My body curled instinctively, but they didn't stop.One kicked my ribs.Another pulled my hair back.
I choked. "You think... this makes you strong?"No answer.Just a punch.
And then—
My mind broke open.I was ten again.I was bleeding on cold stairs.
Back then, no one came.Not teachers. Not relatives.Not even fate.
And now?
I thought it was the same.But this time—There was a bang.A gunshot.
A door slammed open.
"Where the f**k is Lyra Vale?"Kieller Voss.Alive. Furious. Dominant.
His voice was poison dipped in thunder.Men scattered. Golden Mask froze.
"Ah. The arrogant prince arrives," he said.
Kieller didn't speak.He aimed his gun straight at one man's head."Touch her again, and I'll blow your brains across this warehouse. Your mask won't save you from me."
One man stepped forward—Kieller punched him.Another—Kieller shot near his feet.
The room turned to chaos.Golden Mask hissed, "HIDE HER."
Two men dragged me again—blindfolded once more.I tried to scream but was too weak.
One of them whispered, "This is all your fault, b*tch."Then—SLAP.Hard.My ears rang.
They dropped me in another room. No light. Just the sound of heavy breathing. Mine. Theirs.Then—more fists.Another blow to my side.
I couldn't see.But I remembered.Everything.
I wasn't supposed to survive that childhood.But I did.I wasn't supposed to succeed.But I did.
And now?
I will survive this too.Even if I crawl out bathed in blood—They will remember the name Lyra Vale.
[To be continued]