She was returning from university late at night, the road almost empty, and the cold stinging her face. Suddenly, a black car with tinted windows stopped beside her — no visible plates, no markings. Before she could even grasp what was happening, the back door burst open and rough hands dragged her inside, as if the night itself had swallowed her whole.

The minutes crawled by heavily as she sat in silence, not knowing where she was being taken. The car finally stopped in a pitch-dark place — no lights, no buildings, only towering trees encircling the area like a never-ending wall. At the first chance she had, she threw herself out with every last shred of strength and ran toward the forest, stumbling over roots as the damp earth echoed her frantic breaths.

She heard footsteps behind her — steady… and eerily calm. She turned and saw a masked man, taller than the others, walking toward her unhurriedly, his stride confident like a hunter who had already claimed his prey. She tried to move faster, but her foot slipped, twisting painfully, the shock shooting through her like fire to the bone.

“D-Don’t… don’t come any closer!” she cried in a trembling voice as she crawled backward, trying to get away. He stopped a few steps away, tilting his head slightly, observing her as a predator observes the moment its prey finally collapses.

“Running was bold…” he said in a low, sharp voice.