Chapter 1:- The Mysterious Man

"Do you truly believe I would simply let you go? Never. You will pay for the torment you've put me through, even if it means draining the life from your body. I will keep crushing you until you run out of breath," the man stated with a menacing expression on his face.

She couldn't help but tremble at his words; they were enough to make anyone's bladder feel weak.

The man was tall and imposing, with a rugged build and a deep scar that ran across his cheeks. That scar! How could she ever forget it? As she gazed into his eyes, she saw danger lurking in them. His eyes were like daggers aimed at her.

Her complexion turned pallid as she stared at the man. Why did he have to be so terrifying?

"What does he want from me?" she wondered.

She instinctively stepped backwards, fearful of what harm this man could inflict upon her.

After a tense silence, she mustered up the courage to speak, attempting to mask her fear. "What do you want from me?"

The man laughed wickedly at her and sneered, "Well, well, well, you've got some nerve, little girl."

He started to approach her, causing her to grab the nearest object without even considering what it was.

"Don't. Don't come any closer, or you'll regret it," she warned, realizing she was clutching a knife.

The man's laughter only grew louder, which only intensified Damilola's fear.

"Little girl, you really think you can do that? You wouldn't want to stain your hands with blood, would you? Just give me the knife. I'm quite certain you don't want to become a murderer," he said, closing in on her and reaching out to take the knife from her.

Damilola surprised both herself and the man by laughing. "Do I look like a child to you? Do I seem easily manipulated? Even a child wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over a weapon to you, let alone me," she said, pushing her fear aside as best as she could.

"Don't come any closer. Don't underestimate me. I won't hesitate to defend myself," she said, trying to exude confidence.

Upon noticing her newfound confidence, the man lunged for the knife in her hand. In the struggle, he cut her skin, and blood began to flow from her arm. The sight of her own blood only heightened her fear. If he was capable of hurting her like this, he was certainly capable of killing her. His face contorted with anger, causing her to step back instinctively. Although she knew there was no hope of escaping him, she couldn't help but cling to a sliver of hope for a miracle. Just looking at him, she knew he was up to no good. What could she possibly do? She was trapped with a tiger in a cage, with no options but to wait to be devoured or hope for an unlikely rescue.

The man closed in on her with a look of fury and rage on his face. He exuded a chilling and sinister aura as he drew nearer, causing the temperature in the room to rise dramatically. She broke into a profuse sweat, feeling like he wouldn't be satisfied unless he inflicted harm upon her.

"Oh, God! Where are you?" she silently pleaded.

Noticing the fear evident in her eyes, the man's satisfaction was palpable, and he let out a sinister laugh as he moved closer towards her. Despite her attempts to create distance by taking a step back, she stumbled and collided with an unyielding object, causing her to lose her balance. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact of the fall. To her surprise, she landed on something soft, realising she had been pushed into her room and was now lying on her bed.

The man approached her bed, climbing on top of her and began to touch her body with deliberate slowness, his lips leaving kisses on every inch of her skin as if relishing every moment.

When he reached her neck, he suddenly pulled back, catching her off guard. She wondered why he had stopped. Perhaps he had changed his mind and was going to let her go. But her hopes were quickly shattered as he changed his approach to tormenting her.

He placed his hands around her throat and began to squeeze, cutting off her air supply. His grip tightened, making her cough violently, desperately gasping for breath. She struggled to break free, but his hold only grew tighter with each attempt. He strangled her with a ferocity that left her feeling like her last breath was imminent.

Damilola, fading in and out of consciousness, tried to scream, but her voice was reduced to a feeble, inaudible whisper as the man's grip on her throat continued to crush her.