Rain was falling heavily on the streets of Milan, lamplights reflecting off the wet sidewalks, as she ran through the dark alleys, her breath quickening and her heart pounding wildly. She didn't know if it was the rain that was wetting her face, or the tears that hadn't stopped since she'd escaped that ominous palace.

She didn't have time to think; she knew heavy footsteps were following her. The shadow of a tall man moved silently behind her, and something about his manner made fear creep into her bones. Suddenly, she found herself at a dead end. She turned around, trembling, and there he was—a man in a black suit, his appearance a harbinger of danger and seduction at once.

He approached her slowly, as if the whole world had frozen between them, before leaning in and saying in a deep, captivating voice,

"I knew you'd try to run away... but do you think you can escape me, my love?"