The Orphanage-Hospital
It was a place where innocence met tragedy—an orphanage, but also a hospital for children battling cancer. The halls smelled of antiseptic and faint traces of flowers placed by the nurses to soften the reality of sickness. Some children played in the garden, their laughter an illusion of normalcy. Others sat by the windows, too weak to move, staring at a world that had already turned its back on them.
Dametri Raizaki stood amidst them, an observer draped in an old-money aesthetic—camel shirt, crisp white pants—hiding the truth of who he really was. His presence felt out of place, yet oddly fitting.
"Raizaki-san!" A small boy rushed toward him, clinging to his waist. Dametri let out a soft breath and patted the child's head, his expression unreadable.
"You're here again," the boy said, looking up with curious eyes.
"Of course,"Dametri replied, kneeling to the child's level. His fingers reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of candies. "Here. But before you take them, I have a question."
The boy tilted his head.
"Will you share these with your friends, or will you keep them for yourself?"
The boy hesitated. "Sharing is good, right?"
Dametri's lips curled slightly, but his eyes remained cold. "Perhaps. But what if they start expecting you to give them something every time? What if one day, you have nothing left to give?"
The child fell silent, gripping the candies tightly.
"Think about it," Dametri murmured. "The world isn't kind, and kindness can be a weapon."
The boy clenched his jaw, then, as if making a difficult decision, turned and walked away without sharing the candies.
Dametri watched him go, a strange flicker in his icy-blue eyes. Good. You're learning.
He exhaled, glancing at the sky. People are selfish by nature. And when they desire something they can't have, they become dangerous.
Yuzuha's Apartment
Yuzuha paced back and forth, her hands shaking as she gripped her phone. Three days. Three days since Kenzo Ishido had vanished.
Something felt wrong.
Kenzo wasn't the type to disappear without a trace. And the last time they spoke, his words had been unsettling. "Everything is connected, Yuzuha. But no one sees the pattern."
A sudden vibration in her hand snapped her back. A message.
"I am watching you."
Her heart pounded.
What the fuck?
Her fingers flew over the screen.
"Who the hell are you? Stop messing with me!"
A reply came instantly.
"I am something worse than your nightmares."
Rage replaced her fear. "Listen, asshole. I don't have time for your bullshit. My friend is missing, and I—"
Another message cut her off.
"Now, I'll show you something you'll never forget."
A link appeared.
The screen flashed to life, revealing a dimly lit, blood-splattered room. A man lay on the floor, his body twisted, unrecognizable—except for the unmistakable tattoo on his collarbone.
Kenzo.
Her stomach turned.
His face was frozen in agony, eyes wide, mouth slightly open as if he had died mid-scream.
Then the video began.
Her breath hitched as Kenzo's voice—raw, broken—echoed through the speakers. He screamed. Again
and again, his body convulsing as something sliced into him. Blood pooled beneath him, and a figure stood in the shadows, watching.
Yuzuha's phone slipped from her grip, crashing onto the floor. Her body shook violently, her mind rejecting the reality before her.
"No… No… NO!"
Her scream shattered the silence.
The Shadow Watches
A dark room. A single screen illuminating a man seated in an expensive leather chair. He watched Yuzuha crumble, eyes fixed on the trembling woman
a slow smirk curving his lips.
"Perfect,"Dametri murmured, fingers tracing the rim of a whiskey glass. "Fear looks beautiful on her."
A figure in the corner shifted. "What should we do next?"
Dametri's expression didn't change. "Release Kenzo's body in the middle of the street. Somewhere crowded. I want people to see."
A pause. Then a nod. "Understood."The figure left.
Dametri leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Yuzuha through the screen. She was shaking, sobbing, losing herself to fear.
He laughed softly.
"You hate me now, don't you?" he whispered. "But soon, you'll think about me all the time."
He licked his lips, voice dropping to a whisper.
"I'm fucking obsessed with you, Yuzuha."
Outside, the Russian winter howled against the glass, the snow swirling like ghosts in the dark.