Olivea wandered further down the quiet street, unaware she had turned into the wrong hallway. The lamps flickered above her, casting long shadows on the pavement. She slowed her steps, frowning at her surroundings.
"Where am I? This doesn't look familiar at all. I was just at the park… Did I walk too far?" she whispered nervously to herself. Pulling out her phone, she quickly opened Google Maps, hoping to trace her way back.
But the loading wheel spun endlessly before the screen went blank.
"What? No internet? How is that even possible in a city this big?!" Olivea muttered in disbelief, frustration rising in her chest.
Before she could panic further, the sound of crunching gravel echoed behind her—footsteps, slow and deliberate. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart thumped wildly as she spun around.
The man in the black hoodie was there.
"You?!" she gasped, stumbling backward. Her lips trembled as fear coursed through her veins.
The hooded figure tilted his head, his glasses glinting under the dim light. His voice was low, unsettling, and tainted with amusement.
"Better watch out, miss… I've been waiting for this moment."
Olivea's breath hitched. "Wh-who are you?! What do you want from me?!" she shouted, her voice breaking, though she tried to sound brave.
The man advanced slowly, every step making Olivea's knees weaker. She turned, desperate to run, but slammed into a dead-end wall.
"No… no, no!" she whispered, panic filling her chest. "This can't be happening. I'm trapped."
The hooded man closed in and, without hesitation, grabbed her face harshly, forcing her to look up at him. His fingers dug into her skin.
"Ah—!" Olivea winced in pain.
He leaned down, his breath hot against her ear. "You don't remember me, do you?" he whispered, his tone dripping with bitterness.
Olivea struggled, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. "Don't… don't touch me!" she cried, her voice breaking into desperation.
With sudden violence, the man kicked her thigh hard with the tip of his heavy shoe.
"Ahhh!" Olivea screamed, collapsing to the ground, clutching her leg as tears streamed down her face. Blood stained her skin where his shoe had struck. Pain burned through her body, but terror burned even deeper.
"P-please… please, don't hurt me," Olivea begged, her sobs echoing off the walls. "I don't even know you. What do you want from me?"
The man's laughter sent shivers crawling down her spine. He crouched down, pulling her face up again, his voice colder now.
"Olivea… How could you do this to me?"
Her eyes widened in shock. "You… you know my name?" she stammered. Confusion and dread collided inside her chest. "Why?! I don't know you!"
Her body shook uncontrollably. The pain in her thigh was unbearable, forcing her to lie on the cold pavement. The man's hands began tugging at her clothes, and Olivea's scream pierced through the night.
And then—
A heavy fist slammed into the attacker's back.
The hooded man fell forward, startled by the sudden blow.
"Olivea!" Adrian's voice cut through the chaos like a lifeline. His expression was a mixture of fear and fury, his eyes burning with rage as he looked at her trembling form on the ground.
Adrian knelt beside her for a split second, his hands trembling as he tried to lift her up. "What happened?! God, Olivea… Are you okay? I'm taking you to the hospital right now—"
But before he could help her fully, a loud CRACK! echoed. The hooded man had grabbed a glass bottle from the trash and smashed it against Adrian's head.
Blood immediately trickled down his forehead, staining his face.
"Adrian!" Olivea cried, panic overtaking her pain.
But Adrian refused to fall. His jaw tightened as he wiped the blood from his eyes. He turned back to the attacker, his chest heaving with pure rage.
"You…" Adrian's voice was low, dangerous. "You made the worst mistake of your life."
Summoning every ounce of strength, Adrian punched the man square in the face, his fist colliding so hard that the attacker's glasses shattered, scattering across the pavement. The man stumbled backward, clutching his face, before fleeing into the shadows, unwilling to reveal his identity.
"Coward," Adrian spat, his breaths heavy.
He immediately rushed back to Olivea, who was lying on the ground, trembling. Adrian's shirt was soaked in his own blood, but he didn't care.
"Olivea, it's okay… You're safe now," he whispered, scooping her gently into his arms.
Olivea clung weakly to him, her vision blurred by tears. Her lips trembled as she noticed the blood streaming from Adrian's forehead. "A-Adrian… your head… you're bleeding," she choked out, her voice breaking.
Adrian shook his head, tightening his hold on her. "Don't worry about me. You're the one who needs help right now." His voice was firm, but his eyes softened with worry. "We're going to the hospital. Just hold on, Olivea. I won't let anything happen to you."
With that, Adrian carried her toward his car, his steps hurried yet steady, his heart racing with fear and fury. Olivea's tears soaked his shirt, her body shivering from shock and pain.
But in her heart, a thought echoed louder than the fear—
Adrian had come for her.