Chapter 8

It felt like Alex had been driving for hours—road after road, turn after turn. Outside the car, the world blurred into endless trees and gray skies. No other cars. No signs. Just isolation. The further they went, the narrower the roads became, until there wasn't even pavement—just dirt and roots.

The car rolled to a stop in front of a dense wall of trees. No road ahead anymore. Just forest.

Lily sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her hands clenched in her lap. Her heart thudded in her chest, a cold shiver crawling up her spine. Nothing looked familiar. Nothing felt right.

She swallowed and turned to Alex, voice barely above a whisper.

"W-Where are we? Why did you bring me here?"

Alex stared straight ahead for a moment, like he was weighing something. Then he looked at her, voice firm but calm.

"This is the safest place right now."

He unbuckled and opened the door.

"We might have to stay a while."

Lily blinked at him, anxious and confused.

"Safe? Safe from what?"

Alex stepped out, boots crunching on gravel. He turned to her, voice colder now.

"Come on. Follow me."

Something about the way he said it—it wasn't a request. It was a command. His presence felt heavy, almost suffocating. Lily hesitated, but the thought of being left alone here was worse. She got out.

Alex was already walking, heading toward a narrow trail hidden between two thick trees. The path was overgrown, barely visible, but he moved like he knew it well.

Branches snapped underfoot. The deeper they went, the darker it got. Sunlight barely filtered through the thick canopy. Everything smelled like moss, damp soil, and old bark.

Lily stumbled on a root, catching herself on a tree.

"How do you even know about this place?" she asked, breathless. "Feels like we're walking into nowhere."

Alex didn't look back.

"It's not nowhere. There's a cabin. Been in my family for years. No one knows about it."

She glanced behind them—the trees had already swallowed the path they came from.

"This feels... wrong."

Alex stopped.

"Wrong would be staying where we were."

He looked over his shoulder.

"Out there, people are watching. Tracking. Here, they can't reach us."

They walked in silence for a while, weaving through forest and over fallen logs. Finally, the trees started to thin, revealing a quiet clearing. At its center sat a small wooden cabin—old, worn, ivy creeping up the sides, chimney stained with smoke.

Lily exhaled shakily.

"This place looks abandoned…"

Alex didn't respond. He walked toward the door without a glance back. The clearing was dead silent—no birds, no breeze. Just footsteps.

Lily pulled out her phone, a flicker of hope in her chest.

Nothing. No signal. Not even one bar.

"No reception…" she muttered. "This can't be happening. I can't even text anyone."

Alex turned, jaw tight.

"This place is off the grid. On purpose."

She stared at him.

"Why would you need that? What are we hiding from, Alex?"

He looked away, voice dropping.

"My father's looking for me… again."

Lily stepped closer, cautious.

"Why? What did you do?"

Alex didn't answer. His eyes drifted, unfocused.

---

FLASHBACK

He was younger, standing at school, sweaty palms and a pounding heart.

"I like you, Lily."

Silence.

Then snickers behind her. She turned and laughed—not loud, but enough. One of her friends whispered something cruel. It hit like a blade.

She walked off. Like it meant nothing. Like he meant nothing.

That night, he went to his father.

"Make me a man. Teach me everything."

His father smiled.

"A man, huh? Let's start with pain. Respect comes from fear."

Alex learned quickly—how to fight, how to lead, how to break people. With each lesson, the world got darker. And eventually, he realized—he wasn't becoming a man. He was becoming a weapon.

One night, he walked away. Left it all behind. Started something new.

Black Lotus.

It was chaos. Brutal. Bloody. But he rose fast. Gained money. Power. Fear.

He became someone no one could ignore.

---

"Alex! Alex, are you okay?"

Lily's voice snapped him back. She was just a few feet away, eyes wide, concerned.

"You spaced out…" she said softly.

He didn't reply. Just looked at her—cold, unreadable.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her throat tightened. The way he was staring… it froze her.

Then Alex turned and walked up the cabin steps. The old wood creaked under his boots. He stopped at the door, hand resting on the knob.

Lily followed slowly, unsure. She paused on the porch.

"Alex…" she said again, quieter this time.

He turned, eyes meeting hers.

And for a second, the whole world held its breath.