The aroma of fresh coffee drifted through the air. In the kitchen, their mother called out to her daughters.
"Sera, you really need to find a boyfriend soon," Rina teased, putting on an earring.
"First, work," Sera replied behind her coffee cup. "Love and fantasies are for people who don't need to change their lives." Everyone laughed before Rina and Eileen headed out.
Sera stepped out, bag in hand. She stopped at the elevator, but didn't press the button. Suddenly, she turned and headed toward the neighboring apartment. She stood before his door, her heart beating slow but heavy. She raised her hand, hovering in the air with hesitation.
Then, she stopped.
Sera took a deep breath, biting her lip. She turned back toward the elevator and pressed the button.
Suddenly—the door opened. Aiden walked out.
His dark hair brushed his forehead, and he wore a simple white shirt. Their eyes met for a fleeting second, but it felt like falling into a cold vortex. He approached her silently.
Then, the scent hit her: a top note of dark, nocturnal roses wrapped in warm vanilla, with a base of clean tobacco. A scent that felt like nostalgia, like a beautiful cage.
Ding. The elevator arrived. Aiden stepped inside. Sera remained frozen.
Before the doors closed, Aiden reached out, stopping them. He looked at her with a piercing, cold gaze. "Aren't you coming up?"
"Oh... yes, I am. Thank you," she stammered.
She stepped inside, trying to avoid his eyes, her cheeks burning with a heat she couldn't suppress. Aiden watched her through the metallic reflection of the elevator walls.
"Miss... are you alright?" his deep, resonant voice broke the silence.
"Are... are you talking to me?" she asked nervously.
Aiden gave a faint smirk. "Is there anyone else here?"
"Oh... right. Yes, I'm fine... perfectly fine."
He looked at her—a look Sera couldn't decipher, pulling her silently into a place she didn't recognize.
The elevator chimed. Aiden moved, pulling the keys to a Lamborghini Huracán Evo from his pocket. He walked away without a backward glance.
The car roared to life and disappeared. Sera stood there for a moment. "Who is he...?" She looked at her phone. "I need to start searching... What is happening to me?"
Aiden's Café...
The black Lamborghini pulled up at the curb. Aiden stepped out and entered the café.
"Welcome, sir?" a new employee asked nervously.
"No need for formalities," Aiden said with a warm smile as he put on a black apron. "I'm just like you here. What matters is mutual respect and working with passion."
"Aiden, I still can't believe you love working here, even though you own the largest café chain in the city," his colleague remarked.
"This place..." Aiden said, tamping the coffee with professional precision, "is always the beginning."
Sera was wandering the city, her leather backpack swaying. She stood at a street corner, staring at the clouds. "Finding a job here is nearly impossible."
The first drops of rain began to fall. She leaned against a wall in front of a café, checking papers from her bag. Behind the glass, Aiden was watching her silently.
He took off his apron and stepped out. "Hello again... neighbor."
Sera froze, her cheeks flushing crimson.
"Still red since this morning..." Aiden raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Do you have a fever?"
He walked gracefully toward his car and opened the door for her with a noble gesture. "Get in... I'll take you to Arcadia Vault."
Sera's heart raced. "I... thank you."
Inside the Lamborghini...
The car moved with seamless power. Sera sat stiffly, her heartbeat like war drums. Aiden's scent filled the space.
Calm down, my heart... Sera whispered to herself. If he intended to drown me, I was already lost from the first look.
Suddenly, he turned toward her. Her face grew so hot she felt heat radiating from her ears.
"Should we go to a doctor first? Then I'll take you home... if you don't mind," Aiden said in his deep voice.
"No... no, I'm just..." She reached for the window button, welcoming the burst of cold air.
"Did you just move to Arcadia Vault?" Aiden asked.
"Yes... just yesterday."
"By the way... I'm Aiden."
She turned to him and whispered, "Sera... My name is Sera."
Aiden repeated her name softly, as if tasting it. He smiled a mysterious, warm smile.
As the sun set, Aiden stood before a mirror. He was donning his Special Forces uniform, strapping his pistol to his holster with a practiced motion. The roar of his motorcycle pierced the night as he sped away.
From her window, Sera watched in silence. "Aiden..." she whispered to the stars.
The alley was long and damp, smelling of decay. One flickering lamp swayed above. Aiden stopped his motorcycle and took off his helmet. His hair fell over his face, his eyes glowing with that haunting mix of blue and black.
Police officers fanned out silently. Aiden drew his weapon. Suddenly, a distorted, broken female laugh echoed from nowhere.
"I wanted you... to be the second victim... but now... you are number twelve!" Luna's voice rang out.
Aiden stopped, his eyes glowing like embers.
"Aiden... I will have you... I will have her... your eyes... they will be mine!" Luna hissed.
A body fell from above, dangling by transparent ropes. Luna swung toward him, a knife aimed at his eyes. Aiden dodged with feline grace. She fired a shot, grazing the shoulder of his uniform.
Luna lunged again, burying a knife in his arm.
"I want you... to bleed," she whispered.
"If I weren't a cop... you'd be a cold corpse by now," Aiden said with lethal coldness, pulling the knife out of his own arm without flinching. "Don't... make me lose my mind."
10:00 PM. The living room was cozy. The family was watching a movie.
Suddenly, Sera froze. The faint roar of a motorcycle reached her ears.
"I'll be right back, just a minute," she stammered, rushing to the balcony.
Below... was Aiden. He parked his bike and removed his helmet. His hand was covered in blood.
Sera gasped, covering her mouth. Their eyes locked. The world stopped.
Blood flowed in a terrifying silence, a thick red line down his arm. Aiden walked toward the entrance without looking back.
Inside the interrogation room...
Luna laughed hysterically. "Aiden... terrifying... I want to cut him up..."
The detective shouted, "Where are the other nine bodies?!"
"Bring Aiden..." Luna smirked. "I promise I'll tell him."
In the elevator, Aiden's phone rang. "Sir... Luna asked to see you... only you."
"She's playing a game," Aiden said, his voice cold as ice. He looked at his reflection in the elevator walls. "I'm... afraid I'll lose control in there."
Shadows danced around his features. He knew that when he arrived... something inside him might finally break free.