[ENG] Beyond The Shadow

Chapter 3 - The Beginning of the Nightmare

After the threatening words from the man with the gun, Olivia felt her body freeze with pure fear. She knew her life was in danger and that these men would show no mercy.

As the man turned to his companions, they began talking to each other, their voices low and conspiratorial. Olivia couldn't catch everything they said, but what she did hear was enough to make her blood run cold with fear.

"What do we do with her?" one of the men asked, his voice icy.

"The boss wants us to show her who we are," another replied. "He's got plans for her... but not before she learns what it means to mess with us."

The men laughed, a sound that echoed through the empty hallways of the building. Olivia could hardly believe what she was hearing. She had become a pawn in a game she didn't understand, a game being played by Noah Kim, the ruthless leader of the mafia.

The door behind the men opened again, and another man, someone Olivia hadn't seen before, entered. He was taller and broader than the others, with a calmness that was more terrifying than the others' brutality. His eyes scanned the room, briefly resting on Olivia, and he nodded slowly.

"Levi is on his way," he said in a voice as cold as ice. "He wants to talk to you."

The air seemed to turn icy cold at his words. Levi Lee, her uncle, was the one who had thrown her into this nightmare. The man who had once been family was now her greatest enemy. And he was coming for her.

The men in the room immediately shifted their posture. They stood up and prepared themselves. Olivia felt a fresh wave of fear course through her. What would Levi want from her? Would he confront her with his hatred? Or would he torture her further to make his point?

The door creaked open again, this time more slowly, and Olivia heard the familiar footsteps of Levi Lee. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the man slowly approach her.

"Olivia," he finally said, his voice low and almost calm. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

She tried to say something, to find her voice, but the words stayed trapped in her throat. Levi knelt in front of her, his face at her level, and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Your mother," he began, staring at her coldly, "took everything from me. And now, she'll know what that feels like. You're my weapon, Olivia. And I'll make sure she feels every second of your suffering."

He stood up, his eyes never leaving hers, and gave a short nod to the men behind him.

"Take her to the basement," he ordered coldly. "We won't bring her back up until she's ready to do as I say."

The men grabbed Olivia roughly and dragged her to her feet. She had no strength left to fight, her body paralyzed by fear and pain. As they led her downstairs, deeper into the building, Olivia heard the door to the basement creak open, the sound echoing in the emptiness.

The darkness of the basement was suffocating, and the cold cut through her thin clothes. She could already feel despair settling in. This wasn't a place where she would survive, not without a miracle.

When the men threw her into the basement, they locked the door behind them, and Olivia fell hard to the ground. The pain in her legs was unbearable, and there was a large wound on her elbow, covered in blood. Realizing her blood was spilling onto the ground, she tried to stop it by pressing hard on the wound with her clothes. But the blood kept seeping through, and she began to feel weaker...

Olivia's vision started to blur from exhaustion and blood loss. The basement was eerily quiet, save for her own ragged breathing. She could feel her heart pounding wildly, each beat screaming for survival, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Her thoughts circled back to Levi's words: "You're my weapon."