Chapter 5 Stranger's room

Steve's POV

I found myself in the middle of a bleak, foggy woodland. The air was thick with silence, broken only by the distant howls of wolves. The trees twisted into weird shapes as I went deeper into the woods, and the shadows seemed to reach out for me.

Suddenly, some shadows began to chase me. Faceless beings appeared to emerge from the darkness. Their laughter rang as they approached, and my pulse hammered with fear. I rushed, yelling for aid, but to no avail. When I looked back, I noticed a lot of dark shadows. Just as I felt completely trapped by those shadows, I shut my eyes tightly and covered my face with my hands.

I awoke covered in sweat and panting for air. I realised it was all a horrible dream. The room was bathed in warm morning light, and the noises of the waking world gradually replaced the eerie remnants of my dream. I couldn't shake the feeling of worry that persisted after the severity of the nightmare.

After a few seconds, when my nerves calmed down a little, I looked around and realised, after a moment, that this was not my room. The room was totally different. I started having bad thoughts because the room was giving off a very different vibe. Quickly, I removed the blanket from myself and got up from the bed, but as soon as I placed my left foot on the floor, a wave of pain ran through my leg. I hissed in pain but covered my mouth with my hands to suppress the sound. I ran my eyes into the room.

In the warm glow of early morning light, the bedroom emerged as a haven of comfort and serenity. The walls were a deep grey colour, reminiscent of the night sky when the stars were hidden behind clouds. The walls were covered in artwork that hinted at a deeper, darker link-paintings that had been swapped in the shadows, representing the interest of the owner in crime and its consequences.

The centrepiece was a king-sized bed. It was covered in sheets of the finest silk, dark as midnight, and decorated with scarlet roses, a symbol of dominance. The floor was covered in a thick, luxuriant carpet in a muted shade of beige, providing a soothing sensation underfoot.

The room was a symbol of both luxury and threat, a place where the owner governed with a velvet-gloved hand and where the echoes of whispered secrets were drowned out by the heavy, silky curtains that concealed him from inquisitive eyes. A wide window enclosed by heavy drapes let in golden sunlight, spreading a warm, ethereal glow throughout the area.

The room exuded an air of authority, a subtle reminder that within these walls, the owner was not just a man; he was a legacy, a symbol, and the embodiment of the fearless and the dark aura.

I closed my eyes and kept my left hand on my chest to calm myself down. It was too much to take in the morning. I woke up from a bad dream and found myself in a stranger's room. I got up from the bed, but another wave of pain hit my leg, and I fell down.

I glanced at my foot; it was wrapped in a bandage. I looked around and dragged myself near the mirror. With the help of the dressing table, I stood up and looked at my condition in the mirror. My forehead was also bandaged, and dried blood stains could be seen near the corner of my lips. I opened the first two buttons of my shirt and saw many bruises near my collarbone and shoulder.

I traced my fingers on those bruises and felt pain. Closing my eyes, my mind filled with the images of last night, and my eyes got wet. The worst could have happened, but the man with the gun saved me. But who was that man?

Instantly, I opened my eyes in shock with my mouth open, realising that I was in the room of the same man who shot those four guys. I hurriedly closed my buttons and turned to walk, but the pain in my leg didn't allow me to walk fast. But I couldn't stop right now; I had to run from his house. What if the man killed me?

I came out of the bedroom and looked around. There was no one, as far as I could see. I walked a little further in the alley, but hearing some footsteps, I hid behind the pillar nearby. I waited till the footsteps were completely gone. Coming out, I moved a little fast, ignoring or bearing the pain in my foot, limping, and reaching near the stairs.

After checking carefully that there was no one downstairs, I quickly went down and walked straight towards the door, crossing the living room. As soon as I came out of the door, I gasped, "Oh Jesus!". The outside was covered with an army of men holding guns, all wearing black.

The men were roaming here and there to secure the whole area. Wondering who could be the owner of this whole army and mansion, I went and stood in a corner where no one could see me. I looked around, looking for a way to escape from here.

"Will you be able to get out of here on your own?" A deep voice came from the back, and my body stiffened. Slowly, I turned my head to see the person. I moved a step back as the man was standing close to me.

The man was familiar. I have seen him somewhere, but I don't remember where. He was wearing a tuxedo suit and standing there with his hands inside his pants pockets. He looked straight and said, "I don't think so, so you can cross them."

He was absolutely right I could not escape from the sight of so many people. Not at all from those who have been trained just for this purpose, that if they see any stranger, they will shoot him or her.

"I am not harming anyone. I just want to leave from here." I said, looking down as he was staring at me like he was boring holes in me with his dark gaze.

What if he was the owner of this mansion and caught me running without his permission and would hurt me now? But to my surprise, he said, "Let's go. I will drop you off at your place."

"Huhh...?" Fully confused, I looked at him with wide eyes. Was he trying to help me? To be sure, I remained standing in the same place. When he realised that I didn't move, he turned and glared at me. Without a second thought, I walked in his direction while limping because I didn't want him to get angry and shoot me.