(Death Night — Past Life)
The night she ran was the night the world turned red.
Cold air burned her lungs as she stumbled through the iron gates, the hem of her wedding dress soaked in mud and blood. The towering walls of the mansion loomed behind her like a prison she had barely escaped.
Don't look back.
Don't stop.
Don't let them catch you.
Her heart pounded louder than the gunshots echoing in the distance.
They're coming.
She knew he would never let her go. A man like him did not believe in freedom only possession. She had seen the cruelty in his eyes, the silent threats in every command, the way people trembled at the mere sound of his name.
The mafia king.
Her husband.
Her cage.
A shout cut through the darkness.
"Stop her!"
Footsteps thundered behind her. Shadows moved along the walls. Panic clawed up her throat as headlights sliced through the night, blinding her.
His men.
Of course he sent them.
Tears blurred her vision as she ran faster, her shoes slipping on the gravel road. She didn't see the black car until it screeched to a halt in front of her, blocking her path.
Doors slammed.
Figures emerged.
Guns raised.
Her breath hitched.
"So this is how it ends…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
A deafening crack split the air.
Pain exploded through her chest. The force sent her collapsing to the ground, the sky spinning above her in a blur of black and silver.
Warmth spread beneath her back.
Blood.
Her fingers trembled as she pressed her palm against the wound, but it was useless.
The strength drained from her body, slipping away like sand between her fingers.
Through her fading vision, she saw a familiar silhouette rushing toward her tall, imposing, terrifying even in the chaos.
Him.
Even now… he came to witness the end.
Her lips parted, a weak, bitter smile forming.
"I… knew…" she whispered, voice barely a breath. "You'd… never let me go…"
Darkness crept into the edges of her sight.
The last thing she felt was the cold night air on her skin…
and the crushing certainty that the monster she married had been the one to destroy her.
Then everything went silent.