CHAPTER THREE – THE SHADOW OF THE VIPER
The House of Vipers never truly slept.
Even after the rookie-welcoming celebration ended, traces of the night still clung to the underground headquarters—the scent of smoke, spilled liquor, and danger. Music had stopped echoing hours ago, yet the walls still vibrated with the ghosts of it.
Bianca Romano—Bloody Rose—was awake long before dawn.
Her throat ached from the harsh words Ice Queen had spat at her. Her skin still felt the burn of Lorenzo's cold eyes on her when she had accidentally crossed his path during the party. He hadn't spoken to her except for the one sentence that made her blood run cold:
"Rookies who waste my time don't survive long."
No threat.
Only a fact.
That was what made him terrifying.
Bianca pulled her red-streaked hair into a messy braid, ignoring the soreness in her limbs. Training started in fifteen minutes. And if she walked in even a second late, Lorenzo would make an example out of her again—quietly, efficiently, mercilessly.
She feared him. Any sane person would.
But fear didn't break her.
Fear sharpened her.
She stepped out of her room and headed down the metal corridor. Voices drifted from the training hall—deep, powerful, commanding. Lorenzo's voice among them.
Her stomach tightened.
But she kept walking.
Standing her ground didn't mean fighting him. It meant not collapsing under his gaze. Not shrinking when he hated her presence.
He hated a lot.
But he seemed to hate her the most.
---
Inside the Training Hall
Zero was punching into a reinforced metal dummy so hard that sparks flew.
Enzo was disassembling a rifle with inhuman speed.
Scarlet was stretching, her movements sharp and deadly as a blade.
Echo sat at a high tech desk, screens lighting her face. "Bianca, you're early," she said with a warm smile.
Bianca tried to return it. Echo was one of the few who treated her like a person.
"Not early," a cold voice cut through.
Lorenzo.
He walked in like a storm given human shape. The Reaper. Black gloves. Black eyes. Black soul. His presence sucked the warmth out of the air.
Even Zero straightened.
Bianca froze, breath hitching.
Lorenzo's gaze slid to her, sharp enough to cut skin. "You're two minutes and forty seconds later than when I expected the rookies to arrive."
Bianca swallowed. "I—"
"Silence."
His voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.
He came closer, slow steps echoing across the hall. Ice Queen followed behind him, wearing a smirk and a silver dress that sparkled like crushed diamonds.
"Punishment," Ice Queen purred, leaning against Lorenzo's arm. "They all need one today, don't they?"
Lorenzo didn't even acknowledge her.
His attention remained locked on Bianca.
"Drop down. Fifty push-ups. If your shoulders shake, you start over."
Bianca obeyed instantly.
She didn't challenge him.
She didn't even look at him.
But she didn't crumble either.
She lowered herself to the floor and began the push-ups. Pain spread through her muscles, but she kept a steady pace. Zero watched her with mild interest. Scarlet nodded in approval. Enzo glanced, unimpressed but respectful.
Ice Queen sneered.
Lorenzo simply watched.
Expressionless.
Empty.
Cold like a winter that never ended.
Bianca reached forty-five. Her arms trembled. Sweat dripped down her cheek.
Lorenzo stepped closer. "If you collapse, you repeat all fifty."
Bianca forced her arms steady, pushing herself to fifty.
She did not collapse.
She did not break.
She rose slowly, breathing heavily but keeping her chin up.
Lorenzo stared at her for a long, sharp moment. "Again. This time for speed."
Ice Queen giggled, leaning into his shoulder. "You're too soft on her."
Bianca lowered herself again and began the next set.
---
The Training
By sunrise, Bianca's body felt like fire trapped under skin. Zero had sparred with her so roughly that her bones rattled. Scarlet had made her run laps until she couldn't feel her legs. Enzo had thrown knives past her head to train her focus.
But Lorenzo…
Lorenzo was different.
He didn't touch her.
He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't insult her.
He simply pushed her beyond what she thought was humanly possible—silent, merciless, perfect control.
When she finally collapsed on a bench after hours of drills, Zero tossed her a water bottle.
"You didn't die." He grinned. "That's impressive for a rookie."
Scarlet crossed her arms. "She has potential."
Enzo nodded once. "If she doesn't pass out first."
Echo rolled over on her chair. "She won't. She's stubborn."
Bianca managed a breathless smile. "Thanks."
Ice Queen appeared out of nowhere, heels clicking sharply. She bent down, voice dripping venom. "You don't belong here."
Bianca didn't reply.
Ice Queen scoffed. "Look at you. Pathetic. Do you think strength is enough to get close to Lorenzo?"
"I'm not trying to get close to him," Bianca whispered.
"That's the only correct thing you've ever said." Ice Queen smirked.
Before she could say more, Lorenzo walked past her. She lunged to follow him, like a shadow afraid to be left behind.
"Lorenzo! Wait!"
He stopped only because she stepped in front of him. "What?"
Ice Queen touched his jaw. "We're still on for tonight, right? The… usual?"
His expression didn't change. "If I have time."
Her smile faltered.
Bianca looked away.
She didn't care.
And she refused to care.
That monster could sleep with the entire city and it wouldn't matter to her.
All she needed was strength.
Strength to destroy her past.
Strength to kill the man who ruined her life.
She tightened her gloves and went back to training.
---
Later – The Reaper's Office
Lorenzo stood at the window, staring at the city beneath him. His jaw clenched. Something bothered him—and he hated when something bothered him.
Behind him, Zero entered.
"You're pushing the new girl too hard," Zero said.
Lorenzo didn't turn. "If she breaks, she's useless. If she survives…" He paused. "Then she's worth something."
"Is that why you keep your eye on her?"
Lorenzo's stare turned lethal.
Zero raised his hands. "I didn't say you liked her. We all know you don't feel anything."
Good.
He shouldn't feel.
He shouldn't care.
He shouldn't even notice her.
But something about Bianca irritated him.
Her persistence.
Her silence.
Her refusal to bow.
Lorenzo finally spoke. "She is a distraction."
Zero nodded slowly. "Yeah. But not to her."
And for a moment…
for just a flicker…
Lorenzo hated that Zero wasn't entirely wrong.
---
Bianca – Midnight
Bianca lay on her bed, bruised and exhausted, listening to the distant hum of the Vipers' headquarters.
She didn't think about Lorenzo.
She didn't want to.
She wanted strength.
Power.
Revenge.
Her father's face flashed in her mind—the man she would destroy.
Lorenzo wasn't her concern.
But part of her…
a very small, whispered part…
realized that to survive the Vipers…
she would have to survive him.