MELISA

I woke up in an unfamiliar place. The room was elegant, too elegant. Spacious, with a massive bed draped in velvet covers, high ceilings, and luxurious chandeliers. Everything looked like it came straight from a magazine. But something was off. The windows were sealed shut. The door was locked. My chest tightened. I called out for help, my voice echoing against the pristine walls. No answer. I ran to the windows, tried the handles, nothing. I tugged at the door, slammed my fists against it, screamed until my throat burned.

Raped. Robbed. And now kidnapped? What kind of cruel life is this? What did I do to deserve this? My knees buckled as panic took over. My mind screamed for answers, for escape. Then. I heard the click of the lock. The door opened. I stepped back, trying to defend myself, no matter what. Even if I was just a tiny woman, standing in the middle of all this with barely any chance to escape? Where the fuck did this even come from?! A man walked in, dressed in a formal black suit, holding what looked like a gown. He stood stiffly, like a butler from a twisted fairytale. "Who are you? Where am I?" I demanded, backing up.

"Good evening, Madam," he said calmly. "These are your clothes. Master Sebastian is expecting you for dinner tonight."

"What? No - who are you? Where am I? Please, let me go! I don't have any money, I don't have anything of value!" I am pleading with him right now for help to escape, but his gaze was a bit cold, unbothered and lifeless. Who are these people? Why am I even here! "You misunderstand, Madam," he replied, emotionless. "You're here for a reason. There is no ransom. You're safe now."

"Safe? You call this safe? You kidnapped me from my home!" I bolted. He didn't try to stop me.

I ran through the long, unfamiliar hallways, heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. I found an exit leading into a massive garden - no, a maze. Hedges towering above me. Twisting paths. Endless turns. I didn't care. I'm so tired. My body feels heavy, worn down to the bone. My mind... it's a blur - clouded, slow, drowning in noise I can't silence. I want to sleep. God, I need to sleep. But I can't. No matter how I close my eyes, the stillness won't come. Just the weight... the ache? and the thoughts I can't escape. I kept running, breath ragged, legs burning. I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I had to get out. But it felt like he was everywhere. Every turn I took, every dead end I hit, he was there. Watching. Waiting. Like the maze was built for this, for me. For him.

Then. I saw him. At the end of the path. Standing there. Calm. Composed. Terrifyingly serene.

It's him. The one who took me. Did he kill my grandmother? The thought struck me like lightning. If he did. I swear, I'll kill him with my bare hands. But... How did he find me? How does he know? I've changed numbers. I've moved. I've kept to myself.

And still... he's here. Somehow, always here. What does he really want from me? Why me? It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense. My heart races just thinking about it. That shadow behind the kindness. That lingering stare. The way I feel like I'm being watched even when I'm alone. Who is he... really? I spun around, trying to run again, but no matter where I turned, he was there. The maze was his. And I was trapped.

"Leave me alone! Please - what do you want from me?! Don't hurt me again. Please, just let me go!" He stepped closer. His voice followed me - deep, husky, and cold... but disturbingly calm. Almost gentle.

"I want you, Melisa. I want you. Don't run from me. Come back." I kept running and running until I saw the exit. The gate was close and big. I can't climb it. I shouted for help but no one heard me. He grabbed me by one arm and got far away from the gate. I try to reach out but I can't do it anymore. He is so strong. I am in tears squirming and this time he didn't put me in his lavish room instead of the murky dark basement where she dropped me inside with one cushion bed and bedsheet with pillows, a chair and a light that was capable of lighting up the basement.

"Let me go! Who are you?! Why are you doing this to me, you freak! You sick moron!" I screamed, fury and fear mixing in my throat. He didn't flinch. But his voice dropped, colder than ice. "Careful with your words, little girl... or I'll cut that pretty tongue of yours right out." I glared at him through the tears. "If you want to kill me, then do it! Just kill me already! My life is worthless anyway - I'm nothing. I don't belong in this world anymore."

"Shut up!" he snapped, eyes flashing with rage. "Shut your mouth, Melisa! Don't you ever say that again." He took a step closer, trembling with fury, his voice cracking like thunder.

"I'm the only one who gets to decide your purpose in this world. I own you. You're already mine. You just don't understand it yet."

"No one owns me!" I spat back, trembling. "Stop being delusional! I hate you!" That did it. He stood frozen for a moment - something shifted in his face. Rage, pain, madness. Then suddenly, he grabbed my cheeks roughly, forcing me to face him, his eyes burning with an unhinged madness that chilled me to the bone.

"No one tells me what to do, Melisa. Not even you. This is my world now. My darkness. You're inside my domain, and I hold every piece of your fate in my hands. I can either protect you... or destroy you. The choice is yours. Obey, and I'll give you everything. Disobey, and I promise, you'll beg me for mercy... and maybe even for more."

"You're insane," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You make me sick." He tilted his head slightly, something wicked curling in the corner of his lips. "Insane? No, sweetheart. You haven't even seen anything crazy yet." Then, he lifted his other hand. An axe. My breath caught in my throat. He held it so casually, so effortlessly. Like it was nothing. Like it was just part of him. And yet... the way he gripped it, the way the light glinted off the blade. I knew what it could do. What he could do. He reached out and slowly stroked my hair with his free hand. Tender. Obsessive. Possessive. His fingers trembled slightly as if he was overwhelmed just by touching me. Then, he leaned in closer... and sniffed me. A long, desperate inhale, like I was air, like I was salvation. "My Melisa," he whispered, his deep, husky voice reverberating through my chest. "You don't even realize how much I need you." He is holding me like his precious one. It seems he knows me for so long knowing my style or the way I think, is this the person who invaded my house? "Why did you do this to me?" As he trunks around and never speaks as if he didnt hear me. It's really annoying and I don't want to go to this place. And for the first time. I was sure. This man wouldn't stop. Not until I broke. Or until he did.