A woman woke up in a dark room, lit only by a lantern hanging from one of the wooden pillars. The smell of damp earth after the rain filled her senses. The sounds of night insects filled her ears, one after another. The woman placed her hand on her chest, her heart racing at the thought of where she was.

"Was I kidnapped? Am I being kept in a hut in a haunted forest?"

The woman tried to move her hand. Pain shot through it; her hand felt stiff.

"Am I a captive of a perverted mountain demon who needs warmth? No! This can't be happening. I must leave this place immediately," Briana muttered. The confused woman was Briana. She stumbled off the ancient-looking wooden bed.

The door handle moved just as Briana was about to get off the bed. The cold hit the soles of her feet, chilling her to the bone. She froze, rooted to the spot, and stared at the door, her breath ragged.

"God, please save me!"

The door opened wide. A grown man appeared behind it. Briana gulped harshly. The man looked terrible, but not like a demon. He wore only cargo pants that hung low on his hips, which made Briana swallow nervously.

He was tall and large, with cold, sharp eyes. His hair was not too long, reaching the nape of his neck. There were scratch marks on the left side of his face.

Briana couldn't stop feeling scared, even though the man hadn't done anything terrible to her. Maybe not yet. She was counting down the moments.

"Are you awake?" The man's voice was deep and hoarse. At first, it sounded like the growl of a rare desert lion. Briana's whole body broke out in a cold sweat. The young woman's eyes kept looking at him, more precisely watching his movements.

Briana would kick his ass if that big, muscular man took even one step toward her. She would do anything if that stranger dared to act indecently.

But the opposite happened; when the man approached, Briana could only tremble in her seat.

He came closer and closer until finally, a tiny shriek escaped from Briana's lips: "Don't!"

The man suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

With difficulty, Briana said, "Don't come any closer!"

"Miss, calm down; I don't want to hurt you," he reassured her.

He tried to sound gentle, but Briana couldn't believe him. What kind of criminal would admit his intentions to harm?

Briana wasn't easily fooled. "I don't believe you," she said, mustering courage. "If you come any closer, I'll kill you!"

The man's jaw hardened. His eyes seemed to darken as he looked more sharply at Annie, appearing dangerous and sadistic.

"Killing you? What's in it for me, you idiot?"

"Who are you, and how did you kidnap me?"

"Kidnap you?"

"Yes! You kidnapped me!" squealed Briana.

"Okay." The man answered curtly. He stayed where he stood, arms crossed, scanning Briana from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Briana demanded.

"Sean. Just call me Sean." His voice was wary and indifferent. He looked her right in the eyes, which were cold and calm.

Those deep eyes made Briana forget her other questions, lost in their dark depths. Suddenly, she noticed a smile—a smile at the corners of his lips that resembled a wolfish grin. He didn't look perverted; he looked more like a cannibalistic figure capable of swallowing her alive.
"I came to check on you. You've been unconscious for ten days."

"Ten days? Have I been unconscious for ten days? How could this happen?" Briana shook her head quickly. She couldn't believe the story. Other than a slight dizziness, she felt fine. "No! No way. You're just making it up."

"Miss!" The stranger looked annoyed. "You can check the bandages on your head yourself. You also have a broken bone in your hand. Don't you realize that?"

Briana gasped. She immediately tried to move both hands. Sure enough, her left hand felt very sore and painful. She saw that some leaf and oil concoction covered the injured part of her left elbow. Meanwhile, her right hand, which was fine, moved to feel the bandage around her head. The man was right, she thought. She was bandaged tightly around her head.

"Argh! What's with these foul-smelling leaves and oil?" Briana winced, holding back nausea as she sniffed her elbow.

"It's medicine."

"You're a healer? A shaman?" Briana asked. "Oh, my God! Where am I right now?" She grabbed her hair in frustration.

Briana was having a panic attack. She felt confused and disoriented. She found herself in a wooden house dimly lit by lanterns, which seemed like the dwelling of a creature from the world of fairies. Sean, however, appeared to be an immortal—perhaps a vampire or a werewolf.

"What the hell is going on?" muttered Briana.

"I'll explain everything. But first, you need to eat. Someone will bring you food," Sean replied.

Briana's eyebrows shot up. "I don't need food!" she screamed.

Sean, who was about to turn away, stopped in his tracks. He stood there, staring at Briana.

"Be a little polite, Missy! I understand you're shocked and confused, but I don't like people screaming in my house," Sean said sternly. His voice was like a lion's roar, and his words silenced Briana instantly. She fell to the floor, staring at him in shock.

After making Briana feel as small as a mouse before a cat, Sean left the room without another word. Another wave of pain throbbed in Briana's head as she wrestled with her thoughts after he departed.

Briana clenched her fist despite the pain. The organizing man was scary, but she had a right to know why she was in this very place. "Just watch, I'm going to make a calculation with you, you annoying Mr. Tarzan!"

"Ehmmm!"

There was a deafening sound from outside the room. Briana tried to cover her mouth with both palms, but the pain returned.
"Damn it! That cold, cruel man was eavesdropping? Huh!"