Alethea and the blonde girl were dragged to a luxurious room that was a far cry from the dingy prison cell they had been held in. They were forced to kneel on the cold, marble floor, their hands bound behind their backs. A man dressed in expensive clothing, his eyes gleaming with an air of superiority, scrutinized them like they were commodities up for sale.
He moved closer to the blonde girl, his gaze lingering on her innocent face. "Ah, this one is quite pleasing to the eye," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "She would fetch me a good price. I can see her now, trembling with fear, begging for mercy. Yes, I'll take her."
He then turned his attention to Alethea, his eyes narrowing as he took in the bruises and cuts on her face. Alethea glared at him, her eyes blazing with defiance, her body tense with anger and fear. The man clicked his tongue, a mixture of disappointment and disdain on his face. "The thugs really did a number on her, didn't they? But still, she's quite the beauty. I'll take her too."
He chuckled, amused by Alethea's murderous glare. "You have spirit, I'll give you that," he said, reaching out to touch her hair. He sniffed it, his nose twitching with pleasure. Alethea's eyes flashed with rage, and with a burst of strength, she headbutted him. The man stumbled back, his eyes watering from the sudden pain. Alethea, still reeling from her former head injury, felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.
The man's face twisted with anger, and he raised his hand to slap her. But just as he was about to make contact, a loud scream pierced the air, interrupting him. The blonde girl's eyes widened in terror as she let out a blood-curdling scream, her body shaking with fear. The man's gaze snapped to her, his expression changing from anger to annoyance.
"What is it, girl?" he snapped, his voice harsh. But the blonde girl just continued to scream, her eyes fixed on something behind the man. Alethea took advantage of the distraction to try and gather her wits, her head still throbbing from the headbutt.
The rich man's eyes widened in fury as he watched the head of one of the thugs fall from its body, landing with a sickening thud on the floor. He spun around, his face contorted in anger, thinking that one of his enemies had finally caught up with him.
"Ha! You think you can take me down? You think you can defeat me?" he sneered, his voice dripping with confidence. "I'll show you what it means to cross me. I'll crush you, and I'll make you beg for mercy."
He ordered his men to defend him, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Take him down. Show him what happens to those who dare to challenge me."
But as he watched his men being cut down like wheat in a harvest, his grin began to falter. His eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet as he tried to make a run for it.
As he regained his balance, he caught a glimpse of his attacker - a man with a face covered, his eyes blazing like an inferno. The rich man's smug expression gave way to terror as he realized he was no match for this mysterious foe.
"Who are you?" he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. "Are you ready to die? You'll never leave this place alive!"
The man with the covered face didn't respond. He simply closed in on the rich man, his movements swift and deadly. The rich man's eyes bulged with fear as he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet again.
The man with the covered face grabbed the rich man by the throat, choking him with a grip that felt like a vice. The rich man's eyes rolled back in his head as he struggled to breathe, his body going limp with fear.
Alethea, still kneeling on the floor, felt a wave of relief wash over her. She tried to thank her stars, but before she could, everything went black, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
The blonde girl, still screaming, was now frozen in shock, her eyes fixed on the carnage unfolding before her. The rich man, still being choked, was now on his knees, his fate all but sealed. The man with the covered face stood tall, his eyes blazing like the depth of hell, ready to kill the rich man. But then he heard the thud of Alethea dropping to the ground. He released the rich man from his grip and ran to Alethea's side.