In the stillness of the night, in a dark room, only the sound of crying echoed.
Alia broke down—
"Victor… my parents died a year ago…
Me, my brother Ivan, and my little sister Sophia,
we are all alone in this vast world."
She wept uncontrollably, and seeing this, Victor's hardened heart softened.
He gently placed his hand on Alia's cheek, looked deep into her eyes, and said—
"Don't cry anymore, princess…
I am here by your side."
Victor kissed Alia's forehead and embraced her.
Alia quietly surrendered herself into his arms.
But right behind them was a mirror.
In that mirror, a mysterious smile appeared at the corner of Alia's lips—a smile that neither Victor nor Alia could see.
A smile that no one noticed.
Because… this crying, this broken story—was all a staged trap.
In reality, Alia's parents hadn't died.
They were alive and safe in Bangladesh.
This story was a drama Alia had created—
to mislead Victor.
But Victor—he was no fool.
He understood but said nothing.
Between these two began an invisible game of chess.
One night...
Alia was driving her luxurious Bentley.
Shadows of buildings fell across the deserted city street ahead.
Suddenly, her phone rang—
an unknown number.
"Are you Miss Alia?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"It doesn't matter who I am.
But listen… danger is right in front of you.
Your time is running out."
The caller abruptly hung up.
Fear flashed in Alia's eyes.
A second later, a hail of bullets started—
shots fired from rooftops on both sides!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Alia swiftly drove away.
She stopped in a quiet alley and stepped out.
Silence surrounded her…
Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind.
Alia swiftly struck the boy down, pointing her gun at his head and shouted—
"Who are you?"
The boy calmly said,
"You see me every day,
yet you don't recognize me... I am your shadow."
Surprise flashed in Alia's eyes.
At that moment, five more attackers rushed in.
But Alia alone was enough—
she defeated them all with her skills.
Finally, pointing the gun at the boy, she demanded—
"Who sent you?"
The boy laughed and said,
"Your closest person…
someone you trust blindly."
Hearing this, Alia did not hesitate.
She ended the boy with a single shot.
A mad smile suddenly spread across her bloodstained face.
She laughed while running her hands through her bloodied hair.
Getting into her car, she left for her secret hideout.
Alia's Secret Room...
At home, she locked the door behind her.
Entered the washroom, wiped the blood off, freshened up.
Wearing a comfortable gown with her hair loose,
the maid came to fix her hair.
Meanwhile, the bodies lying on the city streets disappeared mysteriously.
And the expensive watch Alia dropped was picked up by someone.
A pair of blue eyes shrouded in mystery watched.
Alia stood before the mirror, fixing her hair, suddenly asking—
"Where's my watch?"
Then clutching her head, she said,
"Damn it! I forgot..."
But she didn't think more and lay down on the bed.
Early next morning...
Alia sat down to eat soup.
Just then, a coworker entered the room.
Bending slightly, he said—
"My queen of the second world...
I want to give you a secret document.
This document can change your world."
A spark ignited in Alia's eyes.
She looked at the document.
Now only a game remained before her...
A game of blood, politics, and betrayal.
At that moment, after seeing the papers, Alia said,
"In our secret kingdom, this is normal. You know very well what I can do.
You have no idea how I can create hell in Victor's life.
But I won't—because it will harm both of us.
You may leave, Yash."
Alia took a drag of her cigarette, exhaled smoke blending into the air, then stepped out, getting into her Mercedes, turning on the music—"Dice and Roll." She smiled.
Ahead, a car stopped. Alia turned and drove toward an agent named Massio.
Massio looked at her with red-brown eyes and said,
"You look different today."
Alia smiled and replied,
"You people are becoming too many."
Massio laughed, then whispered,
"Alia, I know you know about Victor, and Victor knows about you.
But be careful when you talk to him, understand?"
Alia smiled sweetly,
"I know."
Massio whispered again,
"I don't want to lose you, understand?"
A mysterious smile appeared in Alia's honey-colored eyes. Massio trembled in fear.
Alia drove her Mercedes directly to Victor—her husband, her shadow, and her danger.
Victor stood silently, holding a gun, staring at Alia with that cold expression on his lips.
Alia smiled, slowly saying,
"This is exactly what I wanted, Victor."
She slowly pulled a gun from her bag and aimed at Victor.
An unusual calm yet heavy silence fell over the bright but shattered light around them.
The two stood—eye to eye. No sound, only the rhythm of breathing.
Suddenly, Alia skillfully moved forward, disarmed Victor, pushed him to the ground.
She strangled him and lifting him slightly, said:
"The city doesn't know, this is a game... a game where no one loses.
The more danger comes, the more we both get hurt, you and me."
Then she threw Victor aside.
Victor laughed lying on the ground, lips bloody but eyes burning with fire.
"You let a psycho go so easily, Alia?"
His voice trembling—
"He will bring your danger right to you."
Alia screamed back,
"It hurts, doesn't it? Do you still want revenge on your big brother?"
Alia was silent for a moment, no tears in her eyes—only fire.
Again she said,
"I won't back down!"
Saying this, she disappeared into the dense darkness—Alia's shadow.
---
Alia returned silently to her home.
Closed all doors and windows…
Entered the washroom and stood under the shower.
Cold water poured over her body.
But she stood like stone.
Suddenly—
a wail burst out from her chest.
Tears mixed with shower water.
"Walking through the valley of death's shadow,"
"Why am I trapped in this world?"
Her voice broken, tears streaming from her eyes.
"I look back once...
and there's nothing left of this life for me.
For so long I smiled,
yet beneath every smile hid tears."
Alia looked at her own hands.
These hands... once only dreamt of spreading wings,
now soaked in blood.
She cried and said—
"There's nothing left in my life now…
only seasonal beats, just surviving...
but no feelings.
I can say—
at 22, I became CIA,
and now at 26—
I am the queen of a dark world, called Lady Queen Boss."
She looked at the mirror and whispered—
"Am I really Alia?
That girl who once feared darkness?
Who screamed at the sight of blood?
Or am I now a ruthless existence—
for whom death is but a plaything?"
A lonely smile flickered at her lips.
Water dripped from her wet hair.
She slowly stepped out from under the shower,
dragged herself to the bed, and lay down with eyes closed.
---
She had survived half of her Russian life like heaven,
but today that heaven no longer gives joy.
Something is missing…
perhaps she has lost herself.
---
Shadow's Reflection
Like the silence before a storm,
around Alia was woven a quiet shroud.
Her eyes fixed on the outside window.
Two birds perched on a tree branch—
two lives, side by side.
Alia's chest trembled.
She thought—
happiness is something
you can never earn even with millions.
The more you run after it,
the further it drifts away.
A tear slid down her eye.
Closing her eyes, she slowly fell asleep.
---
Afternoon passed...
Alia woke and stood on the balcony.
Gazing at the sky—
the sky seemed as heavy as her.
She took a deep breath.
From her lips came a sorrowful chant—
"One year of false love…
False money…
False addiction…
False friendship…
Everything false...
Only one thing is not false—
God, humans, nature, trees, faith."
Suddenly the sky thundered.
Rain fell, lightning flashed in Alia's eyes.
Her wet face shone in the light.
She whispered—
"When I face everything together…
then this year, this moment…
will fall like leaves from my life."
Alia slowly walked inside.
Darkness was not swallowing her;
she was becoming darkness herself.
---
Suddenly, from somewhere, Victor's shadowy figure appeared…
but just as Alia tried to see clearly—
Victor was gone.
Alia stopped.
She told herself—
"My worries run so deep
that now I see shadows as people."
She stepped outside.
Five maids approached with umbrellas—
"Ma'am, it's raining, here's an umbrella..."
Alia replied with sadness—
"No, I don't need an umbrella.
Go now...
Let me be alone."
The maids bowed their heads and left.
Alia walked on.
Wet earth beneath her feet—
and only the roaring rain above her head.
A voluntary exile of a dark queen.
---
Facing Disaster
Alia stood silently.
On either side, colorful flower gardens—
flowers torn by the fierce wind falling onto her.
Suddenly, a huge convoy appeared ahead,
rows of bodyguards behind.
Victor stepped forward, eyes blazing.
Alia spoke coldly—
"Wow, I can't believe it!
You did this?
Which part of me did you think was weak?
Did you think I'd be scared and run away?"
Victor said nothing.
Alia wiped her eyes with both hands, but no tears came.
Her coworker rushed up, standing beside her.
Alia said—
"You can have a hundred soldiers,
but I need only one."
Victor smiled lightly—
"I know..."
A moment of silence.
Eye to eye, a war within.
They silently got into Victor's car.
They went to the bungalow—on a huge rooftop.
The sky was tinged with red.
Victor gently touched Alia's cheek, silently asking—
"Why are you like this?"
Alia turned away—
"You know how I am."
Victor smiled slightly—
"I almost forgot what your personality is like..."
Then suddenly serious—
"I want to end you, Alia."
Alia stood silently, eyes empty—
"Then do it. I don't want to stay in this world."
She walked away from the rooftop a little,
looking at the sky, thinking… who will Alia kill next?
Just then Massio rushed in.
"Victor! Have you lost your mind?"
He hugged Alia.
Alia closed her eyes, whispering—
"Does he really love me?"
Victor's patience ran out.
He shouted—
"Massio! How dare you touch her?"
Massio replied calmly—
"What's wrong with a touch if it's comforting?"
Victor could not bear it anymore.
He grabbed Alia's hand, pulling her close—
"Alia is mine.
No one else can touch her!"
Massio said angrily—
"Oh? If you love her so much,
why did you try to kill her?"
Victor roared—
"That's my personal matter!"
Massio yelled—
"Personal? Calling an attempt to take a girl's life personal?"
Alia shouted—
"Be quiet! Both of you shut up!
Once Victor, now Massio...!
You've all turned my life into a circus!"
Looking sharply at Victor, she said—
"Speak carefully, Victor.
I wanted to be with you,
Now let's see what you do!"
Without looking back,
Alia got into her car.
Rain fell on the rooftop,
and an unknown chill pierced Victor's chest.