The sight of the girl lying lifeless on the floor, her pitiful cries and inhuman suffering, tore Saha apart from the inside. Seeing her devastated state, Saha could no longer hold herself together. She scrambled from near Adrík's feet, crawling and tumbling over to embrace the girl.
Saha draped the girl's battered body with her own shawl. The girl buried her face in Saha's chest and fainted, her sobs fading into unconsciousness. Tears streamed endlessly from Saha's eyes, but today those tears were more like a furnace of fire than fear.
Saha lifted her head and looked at Adrík. He was still leaning against the wall, a wine glass in hand, savoring the scene. That demonic satisfaction remained plastered across his face.
Saha (in a terrifyingly calm voice): "What you did today, Adrík, is unforgivable. You thought you could terrify me and keep me beneath your feet? But from today onward, know this—I no longer fear you. I hate you… a hatred that will burn you alive."
Adrík let out a dark, ho-ho laugh. He downed the wine in one gulp and stepped in front of Saha. Bending down, he gripped her chin firmly.
Adrík: "Hate? Perfect! That's exactly what I wanted, Saha. Love is for the weak. Hate me as much as you can! Because your hatred will bind you to me for life. Every morning you'll see my face and find a new reason to hate me. That… is my victory!"
Saha said nothing. She only stared into his eyes, a mixture of green and gray, and silently made a solemn vow. She realized it was no longer the time for tears or pleading for mercy. To defeat this demon, she would have to become a demon herself.
Adrík grabbed Saha by the collar and pulled her close.
Adrík: "Tonight was a lesson for you. Now go, clean yourself up. My men will take care of this disaster outside."
Saha stood rigid, knowing that Adrík had struck at her soul tonight, but her mind was clear. She whispered to herself, "Adrík, today you've sown the seeds of your own downfall. I will dig your grave from this very room."
Before fainting, the girl suddenly clutched Saha's hand with a desperate grip, her nails digging into her skin. Bringing her face close to Saha's ear, she whispered in a frail, broken voice something that made the ground beneath Saha feel as though it had vanished.
The girl's trembling voice said, "Saha… if you want to survive, don't trust Adrík… and don't trust me either. He used me to put on a show for you. He knew seeing this would break you. But the real secret isn't in this room… it's inside the tattoo on your neck."
Saha jolted and looked at the girl. Her eyes no longer held tears, only a strange emptiness. The girl moved even closer, whispering:
The girl: "In the ink of your neck tattoo, he has mixed a smart-toxin. It's not just a mark—it's a slow-acting poison. If you ever stray more than ten miles from him, the ink will release the toxin into your blood. You will die, Saha… he will never let you be free."
The girl collapsed after saying this. Saha froze in fear. Her hand instinctively went to her neck. What she had thought was a mere mark of ownership was, in reality, an invisible noose inside her body.
Adrík, from across the room, saw Saha's reaction and laughed like a madman again. Slowly, he approached her.
Adrík: "So… what did she tell you, Saha? Did she reveal our little secret? Oh, I had wanted to keep it as a surprise."
Adrík came close and planted a deep kiss on Saha's neck tattoo. Saha shuddered at his touch.
Adrík (whispering): "Now you understand, don't you? Even if you wanted to leave me, you cannot. We are literally 'one soul, one body.' The moment you think of leaving me, your heart will stop. You are now a bird in my cage, and trying to escape will kill you."
Saha stared into the mirror. The black sun and thorn design on her neck now seemed like a venomous snake. She understood just how meticulously Adrík had planned her captivity. She was no longer just a prisoner—she was trapped in a living death trap.
Two months passed. In that time, the playful girl Saha once was was gone. She now roamed Adrík's mansion like a living statue, silently crafting a dangerous plan. She knew that unless she freed herself from the poisonous tattoo, she would never be truly independent.
It was three in the morning. Adrík was deep in sleep. Silently, Saha got out of bed. Over the past few weeks, she had carefully blackmailed Adrík's personal doctor to procure a special chemical injection capable of neutralizing the poison in the tattoo. But the process was excruciatingly painful.
Saha stood before the mirror, holding the syringe. She knew that if the needle was not placed precisely, she would die.
Saha (thinking): "Adrík, you tried to bind me with my own body. Today, I am betting on that very body."
She pressed the syringe directly into the center of her neck tattoo. Her hands trembled, but seeing her reflection reignited her hatred. Gritting her teeth, she plunged the needle into her skin.
"Ahh…!"
A sharp, searing pain swept through her body. It felt as if molten lava flowed inside her throat. As the blue liquid from the injection merged with the tattoo ink, the design flared red like fire. Tears streamed down Saha's face, but she pressed her mouth to stifle any sound, fearing Adrík might wake.
Suddenly, black toxic blood began oozing from the tattoo. Saha pressed her back against the wall and collapsed to the floor. She struggled to breathe but felt the slow-poison in her blood being gradually neutralized.
At that exact moment, the room's lights flicked on. Adrík stood at the door, holding a pistol. Seeing Saha's bloodied neck and the syringe in her hand, he immediately realized what had happened.
Adrík (roaring): "Saha! What have you done? Are you trying to die? That injection could have killed you!"
He charged at her like a madman. But Saha lay on the floor, a demonic smile on her face. Blood flowed from her mouth, yet her eyes were free.
Saha (weakly): "Your chains… have broken today, Adrík. Even if I die… I will not die as your prisoner."
Adrík scooped her up, screaming for a doctor, fear finally visible in his eyes. He realized that in trying to dominate her, he had pushed her to the brink of permanent escape.
As Saha's body rested in Adrík's arms, the black blood from her tattoo soaked his white shirt. The injection's potent chemicals sent a shock through Saha's nervous system. Even a mafia don like Adrík, who had witnessed countless deaths, shuddered at seeing her lifeless form.
As doctors rushed Saha into the operating theater, Adrík paced like a tiger in front of the door, her blood still on his hands. Alexander stood at the end of the corridor, smiling faintly.
Alexander: "See, brother? You wanted to trap her in a cage, but she destroyed herself to find freedom. Whether she survives… is uncertain."
Adrík leapt forward, grabbing Alexander by the collar, tears streaming from his eyes.
Adrík: "If Saha dies, I will turn this entire city into a graveyard. Nothing must happen to her!"
Inside the operating theater, Saha's heartbeat kept faltering. The doctors tried to revive her heart with shocks. Her mind wandered through a dark tunnel—she saw her mother calling, her school, her happy days. But then her memory flashed to Adrík's violent touch and the girl's cries.
Suddenly, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred. Inside Saha's body, the battle between the toxin and antidote reached its peak, and her heartbeat flatlined.
Doctor: "She's gone! We couldn't save her!"
Adrík, seeing this through the glass, went mad. He pushed the doctors aside and leaned over her. Grabbing her lifeless cheeks, he screamed:
Adrík: "Saha! You can't leave like this! Open your eyes! Didn't you want freedom? I will give it! I will release you—just take a breath!"
At that moment, Saha's fingers twitched. But she didn't open her eyes. The doctors examined her, stunned.
Chief Doctor: "Sir, she didn't die. But her brain has gone into a deep coma. The injection neutralized the poison, but it also damaged many brain cells. When, or if, she will regain consciousness… is uncertain."
Two months later:
Saha lay in a luxurious medical room in the mansion. Tubes were attached to her nose and mouth. She remained in a deep coma. The black tattoo on her neck was no longer black—it had faded to a light gray, a dim memory of her suffering.
Adrík now sat by her side every day. He no longer dealt in mafia affairs; he just held her hand and wept. Alexander handled all of Adrík's work.
But one night, while Saha was still in a coma, Alexander entered the room with a pillow in hand.
Alexander (whispering): "Saha, you've become Adrík's weakness. My brother cannot have any weakness. Tonight, you must sleep forever."
As he raised the pillow to cover her face, Saha's eyes suddenly opened. But there was no recognition, no fear—only a profound emptiness.