Kenzo woke up in an unfamiliar place. His eyes flickered open, only to be met with a blinding, sterile light above. His head throbbed, and as he tried to move, his body screamed in pain. His hands were bound to a cold, metallic surface. His surroundings? A room that made no sense—screens flashing, wires floating in mid-air, and strange, surgical equipment scattered around. The faint scent of medicine hung in the air, thick and suffocating. His chest tightened with panic as the realization hit him like a cold wave—this wasn't a hospital. This wasn't any normal operating room.
He tried to move again, but his limbs refused to obey, heavy with a strange, numbing drug. His gaze shifted. Floating before him were various bottles of fluid, their eerie glow pulsating in the dim light, like something out of a nightmare. His breath hitched in his throat. His heartbeat accelerated as his mind tried to make sense of the situation. What is happening?
And then... the door opened.
A group of masked figures in white entered, their faces hidden. They moved with precision, setting up equipment with unnerving calmness. The clinking of metal tools echoed through the room, the sound scraping against Kenzo's sanity. His chest constricted with dread. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but his voice was weak, trembling.
"What... What are you doing?!" Kenzo's voice was hoarse, desperate. "What... have you done to me?"
But the figures didn't answer. They kept working, like his words meant nothing.
Then, a man entered. His presence alone sent a chill down Kenzo's spine. Dark, flowing coat trailing behind him, his steps were deliberate, calculated. When he stopped in front of Kenzo, the air felt colder, like death itself had arrived.
Kenzo's eyes widened in fear.
"Welcome, Kenzo. Welcome," the man spoke, his voice cold as ice, a deep mockery in his tone. Kenzo's heart pounded harder, and for the first time, he understood true terror.
The man's mask was removed, revealing a chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes, his features sculpted like a predator's. His muscular frame exuded strength, but it was the faded red scar running down his cheek that made him terrifying. A cruel smile played on his lips as he looked down at Kenzo.
"You look like a little mouse caught in a cat's grip," the man said, his voice dripping with condescension.
Kenzo's breath faltered. This man... he's the one behind this. His mind raced. Dark Shadow...
"Yes," the man's smile widened, "I am Dametri Raizaki."
Kenzo's heart sank as his name was spoken. His mind went wild. What does he want with me?
"Money? Wealth?" Kenzo gasped, struggling against his restraints. "I can give you anything, just let me go!"
Dametri chuckled, a dark, hollow laugh that sent a shiver down Kenzo's spine. "Oh, Kenzo, I have more money than you can imagine. I could buy the whole city. The whole country. But you? You're not worth my money. Not for that. No, I will spend all of it on someone else."
Kenzo's confusion grew, his panic mounting. "Yuzuha?" he whispered, unable to comprehend. "What does she have to do with this?"
Dametri's smile didn't falter. "Yuzuha... she's special. You don't understand. Her father wasn't just some rich businessman, Kenzo. He was deep in the underground world. He was a criminal, an assassin. Her family? They run the shadows."
Kenzo's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face. "No... that can't be true..."
Dametri stepped closer, his voice low and dark. "Oh, but it is. And I know her more than she knows herself. People have dark sides, Kenzo. Deep down, even the purest have darkness lurking. If you push them to their limit, it comes out."
Kenzo's chest tightened. His mind screamed to stop, to understand what was happening. This can't be real. This is a nightmare.
Dametri's voice was cold, his smile malicious. "And I will bring it out of her."
"No! Please, don't hurt her! She just wants to live peacefully!" Kenzo's voice cracked as he pleaded, panic rising in his throat.
Dametri's smile widened as he raised an eyebrow, amused. "Pity, Kenzo. It's pathetic, really. You think you can protect her? You think you can save her? You see her as some... fragile thing to be kept safe. But I'm not here for her innocence. I want her. Her body. Her soul."
Kenzo's body shuddered, his heart thundering in his chest. "No... No, you won't touch her!" he cried out, but the words felt hollow.
Dametri stepped back, his voice dark and smooth. "Oh, Kenzo... You are weak. You think your intentions matter? You think your feelings for her will save her? No. You are nothing. And I will show you that. I will teach you what it means to be powerless."
Kenzo's mind reeled, his body trembling. He couldn't breathe. His vision blurred with terror.
Dametri's smile faded into something colder, more dangerous. "You think your life matters to me? You think you have something to hold over me? No. You're just a tool to me. A pawn in a game you can't even comprehend."
Suddenly, the lights flickered. The shadows around the room seemed to stretch, grow, and engulf everything. Kenzo's heart raced, but he could barely process it.
The air around him grew thick, suffocating. This is real. This is happening.
Dametri's eyes gleamed with cold amusement. "Oh, Kenzo, you think you understand fear? You think you know pain? Wait until you experience what I have in store for you. What I will do to you."
Kenzo's mind snapped. I can't let him do this to me. I can't let him hurt Yuzuha. His hands clenched, fighting against his restraints, but it was no use. He was powerless. Dametri's cold voice echoed through the room.
"You're going to regret ever crossing me."
Kenzo's body froze as realization struck. This is it. I'm going to die here.
Dametri turned, nodding to his assistants, and the dim light of the room flickered again. The suffocating silence was broken only by the faintest sound of Kenzo's desperate breathing.
Dametri paused at the door and turned back to Kenzo one last time, his face a mask of indifference. "You'll never see Yuzuha again. She's mine now. But you? You'll be the one to remember what true fear feels like."
As the door slammed shut, Kenzo was left in the suffocating darkness, his body trembling, and his mind spiraling into the abyss.