CHAPTER 5: Feminism

He took a step back, maintaining his position so the shadow didn't know whether he was spotted or not. Another sound. A quick, determined step. And there she was. A sharp look, and the golden mask she wore was reflected for a moment in the darkness.

"Well, who would have thought," Lukas said in a tone that sounded anything but surprised. "Who told you to fight me?"

The woman in the mask paused, as if considering how to react. Her movements were calculating, and the spark of determination in her eyes let Lukas know she wasn't here to give up.

"Lina," he said finally, studying her. "I thought you'd be more afraid of the reptiles."

Lina laughed softly, the mask over her face gleaming in the dim light. "I hate reptiles," she said calmly, but her voice carried a strange calm. "Funny enough, ever since I can remember, I've detested reptiles."

Lukas felt the change in the air before he truly understood it. It was a tiny moment, then ended in a powerful discharge. Without warning, he concentrated and summoned a reptilian monster from the darkness—a massive, menacing serpent, its shimmering scales gleaming like oil. The serpent's eyes were jet black, and its body snaked through the undergrowth as it charged toward Lina.

"This won't be enough," Lina murmured as she got into position. But the serpent had her faster than she could have wished. With a jerk, the monster bit, and pain shot through her body. Her eyes widened as she lost her arm, crushed in the reptile's clutches.

Still, she fought on. Her teeth dug into the ground as the rage grew within her. She knew the fight wasn't over. The snake crawled back, but it had seriously injured Lina.

"I detest reptiles," she repeated, the phrase now like a mantra, her voice laced with pain but also with unbridled determination. With a well-aimed blow, she sliced ​​the animal in two. The snake fell to the ground, motionless and defeated. But its eyes still blazed as it looked at Lukas in the darkness.

Lukas' expression remained relentless as he took another step toward her. But just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he lunged at her with all the force of his rage and determination. And then the final, fatal blow fell.

Lukas drove down the lonely road, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The monotonous roar of the engine echoed in the silence as the rain splattered against the windshield. The sky was gloomy, and the streetlights cast faint light on the asphalt, which glinted through the moisture. Everything around him seemed lifeless—a perfect backdrop for the deeds he committed in the name of his own dark greed.

He was alone, but not truly alone. In the pockets of his coat, he had tucked Lina's artifacts. To most people, they would be worthless, but to Lukas, they were a key—a key to something he didn't fully understand yet, but something he needed. Perhaps to tame his own demons, or to unleash even greater powers. He didn't know for sure, but there was still so much more he needed to acquire.

As he rounded the bend of a remote road, his gaze fell on a dilapidated building that loomed out of the darkness. An abandoned motel. It seemed the perfect place to linger for a while and enjoy the silence. Lukas's fingers pulled a yellow cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and inhaled deeply. The smoke rose into the air and swirled away on the wind.

He had a plan, but he knew the plan wouldn't depend solely on him. There was always someone lurking in the dark, always someone who thought they could stop Lukas. But these people continually underestimated him. They were all just pawns in a larger game, and he was the king.

The car's engine roared as he steered the car into the motel driveway and rolled slowly toward the parking lot. The rain hadn't let up, but Lukas wasn't bothered. It was only a matter of time before he began his next hunt.

Lukas got out of the car and closed the door behind him. The rain still pelted down relentlessly, but he pulled his coat tighter around himself and walked resolutely toward the dilapidated motel. It was the perfect place to hide, to rest, but also to find new victims.

The motel windows were overgrown with dirt and algae, the door hung crookedly on its hinges, as if it hadn't seen anyone in a long time.

let in. Lukas's footsteps echoed on the wet asphalt as he pushed open the creaking door and stepped into the darkness of the building. The musty smell of decaying wood and rust filled his nostrils. It was a smell he knew by now, one that didn't bother him—it had become part of this world, part of his own darkness.

Inside, it was quiet, the only sound being the dripping of water from a leaking pipe somewhere in the building. Lukas walked carefully down the winding corridors, his gaze sharp and alert. Every room, every detail could be significant. His eyes searched for something, for someone, who might be of use to him.

Then he heard a noise—a faint squeak coming from across the corridor. Lukas's senses sharpened, his grip tightened on the artifacts in his bag. Someone was here. Perhaps a wanderer, a seeker—perhaps it was just a coincidence. But Lukas knew he couldn't just stand by and watch. There were no coincidences in his world. He crept closer to the sound until he stood at the door of a small, worn room. He carefully opened it a crack. Behind it, he saw a figure—a woman sitting at a small table with her back to him. She didn't seem to have noticed him. Her pale face was bathed in the light of a flashlight she held, and her fingers nervously wiped the pages of a book.

Lukas's lips curled into a cold, grim smile. It was time.

Lukas took a quiet step closer, the floor barely creaking beneath his boots. The woman didn't notice, too engrossed in the book she held. Her attention was fixed on the pages, and that was exactly what Lukas needed. He could approach her without her having a chance to notice him.

He pulled the artifacts from his pocket, his fingers gliding over the cold surfaces, feeling the power within them. The atmosphere around him seemed to thicken, the air becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. The woman continued to turn the page, unsuspecting. Lukas let a moment of silence pass before suddenly approaching her.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was calm, almost friendly, but the crackle of danger in his words was hard to miss. The woman flinched and turned abruptly, the book in her hand swaying as she stared at him, eyes wide open.

"You... you're... what do you want?" Her voice trembled as she stood up. There was something about her—a strange mixture of fear and determination, as if she knew what awaited her but wasn't quite sure how to handle it yet.

Lukas took a step closer, his gaze cool and hard as steel. "I'm the one who decides whether you get another chance or not."

The woman swallowed. "I... I don't have anything you want."

"Oh, I think you have some of what I need." Lukas grinned, but it was a malicious, dismissive smile. "I don't need things. I just need... answers."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, now completely uneasy.

Lukas reached for her with lightning speed, grabbing her wrist with one hand and pulling her toward him. Her hand flew reflexively to her bag, but Lukas didn't let go. "I think you know more than you let on. Everyone has secrets, but you... you have a lot."

The woman tried to resist, but Lukas squeezed her so tightly she could barely breathe. Her eyes widened in panic. "I... I just..."

"Enough talk," Lukas said calmly, letting the words fall on her like a judgment.

With a quick, almost casual tug, he twisted her arm behind her back, causing her to cry out loudly. Her flashlight fell to the floor, the light extinguished. He held her as she struggled against him, but it was in vain. In Lukas's hands, she was nothing more than another victim.

Lukas felt her movements weaken the more she fought against him. Her fear hung in the air, and yet to him, it was just another game, another sacrifice to be seen through. He didn't let go, but brought her to her knees without another word. The darkness of the room seemed to close in around them, as if they were both plummeting into another world, one where there was no escape.

"You are not here to survive," Lukas said, his voice almost a cold, deadly whisper. "You are here to serve me."

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he meant. Her body began to stiffen as she tried to escape him. But it was too late. Lukas's grip was like iron, unwavering and relentless.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," she murmured, finally losing control of her voice. "I just wanted to…"

"Stop lying," he interrupted her in a stern tone. "You willingly submitted to the game. And now you will face the consequences."F

Lukas took a deep breath, not missing the opportunity to frighten her even further. He pulled one of the artifacts from his pocket and shimmered through the air in his hands. The artifact glowed for a moment before Lukas threw it to the ground. It shattered with a loud crack, and from the rubble rose...

The night was dark and heavy, the streets deserted. Lukas moved like a hunter, his eyes scanning the buildings in search of his next victim. He had long since cast off the dark cloak of normality, and his actions were now pure instinct—an unstoppable hunger for control and violence.

He spotted her at the bus stop. A young woman, no older than her mid-twenties, wearing headphones and deeply engrossed in her cell phone. The neon lights above her flickered, and the light rain pattering on the asphalt intensified the stillness of the night. She had no idea she was already being watched.

Lukas strode slowly toward her, a silent, almost invisible predator. His movements were so smooth and silent that she didn't look up until it was too late. His shadow fell over her, and she yanked off her headphones, the fear in her eyes only a blink away.

"Sorry, I think I'm lost," he began in a voice that was meant to sound soothing, but echoed in the darkness like a vicious promise. She smiled uncertainly and took a step back. "Uh, this is the bus stop... Maybe you should..."

She didn't get to finish. Lukas pulled a knife from his pocket in a flash and stabbed. The first blow struck her side, a dull thud as the metal pierced through her jacket and into her flesh. A scream choked in her throat as she staggered backward. But Lukas was relentless.

"You really should look around," he whispered coldly as he stabbed again. This time he aimed for her thigh to make sure she couldn't run away. She fell to the ground, her eyes wide with pain and panic.

The rain began to intensify, and her screams mingled with the drumming of the drops on the asphalt. Lukas didn't take his eyes off her for a second, studying her every move like an artist completing his work.

He knelt beside her as she desperately tried to pull herself away from him. Blood trickled in thin streams across the ground, and her trembling hands searched for something to hold on to. But there was nothing. "What... do you want?" she gasped, tears and rain mingling on her face.

Lukas just smiled coldly. "To make you disappear." With those words, he delivered the final thrust. The blade sliced ​​through her throat, a final, gasping breath escaping her lips before she lay motionless.

He stood up, slowly pulling his knife from her throat and watching the blood slide down it. The night around him seemed to fall silent for a moment as he stepped back, cleaned the knife with a cloth, and returned it to his pocket.

His gaze wandered once more to her lifeless form. Then he turned, pulled up his hood, and disappeared into the darkness as if he'd never been there.

The cold of the night embraced Lukas as he wandered through the empty streets. The adrenaline rush from the last murder still pulsed in his veins, but his face remained cool and expressionless. It wasn't the act itself that satisfied him, but the absolute control he possessed over the lives of others—and the knowledge that no one could stop him.

A few streets away, his gaze fell on a small bar. The lighting was dim, and the few people still sitting there were engrossed in conversation or their drinks. Lukas briefly considered whether to go in. Perhaps his next victim was already there, unsuspecting and completely at his mercy.

He entered, drawing little attention except for a brief glance from the bartender. Lukas sat down at a table in the corner, where the shadow almost swallowed him. He studied the other patrons, their movements, their gestures, their weaknesses.

A woman in a red dress caught his eye. She sat alone at the bar, her glass half empty, her shoulders slumped. She looked as if she were fleeing from her own thoughts, lost in a world she no longer understood. Perfect.

Lukas waited patiently, watched her drain her glass and finally stand up to leave the bar. He let a few minutes pass before following her, always at a safe distance, his footsteps as silent as a

Shadows.

The street was still deserted, and the darkness swallowed almost every movement. She didn't seem to notice that someone was walking behind her; her step was uneven, as if the alcohol had made her a little dizzy.

"Sorry, you dropped something," Lukas said suddenly, his voice calm and kind.

She turned around in surprise, her brow slightly furrowed. "What? I didn't drop anything—"

That was when he struck. A blow to the back of her head sent her staggering before she sank to her knees. Lukas grabbed her roughly, pulling her into a small, dark alley where no one could see her. Her confused, shocked face was the last thing she showed before he pushed her against the wall.

"Why... why are you doing this?" she gasped, her voice shaky with fear.

"Because I can," Lukas answered coldly. His grip around her throat tightened as she gasped desperately for air, her nails scratching at his hands until they finally gave way.

Her lifeless eyes stared into space, and Lukas carelessly dropped her body to the ground. He checked her pockets, took a small piece of jewelry—a gold chain with a simple pendant—and pocketed it.

"Thanks for the souvenir," he murmured before leaving the alley as if nothing had happened.

Lukas pulled the hood of his jacket further over his face as he walked calmly down the street. The city was asleep, and only the distant sound of a barking dog broke the silence. His next destination was already clear, but there was no need to rush. The game was only exciting if he took his time.

He turned into a park where an old man sat on a bench. The man was wrapped in a blanket, staring thoughtfully at the ground. A perfect victim – weak, isolated, and no one would miss him.