The silence of the VIP room was suddenly shattered by the ringing of Alia's phone. Alia frowned, glancing at the screen a name flashed, but in the dim light, she couldn't quite make out who was calling. She looked at Viktor, who was sitting quietly beside her, with a puzzled expression.
Without a word, Viktor pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Alia to remain silent. He quickly pulled a small Bluetooth earphone from his pocket and placed it in his ear, gesturing for Alia to answer the call.
Alia, with trembling hands, picked up the phone and held it to her ear. Viktor was close enough to hear what was being said on the other end. Alia spoke in a slow, steady voice, "Hello?"
There was no answer from the other side, only the sound of heavy breathing. Alia asked again, "Who is this? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Viktor was listening to everything through the earpiece, his eyes narrowing like a predator's. He gripped Alia's hand with one of his to steady her, and with the other, he turned up the volume on the earphone. Leaning close to Alia's ear, he whispered, "Turn on the speaker."
As Alia turned on the speaker, a mysterious voice filled the room, making the blood run cold in her veins
"The game has only just begun, Alia... is Viktor right there beside you?" Alia gripped the phone tightly, her heart racing. Gathering her composure, she asked in a steady voice, "Yes, Viktor is right beside me. Who is this? Are you... Anna?"
There was a moment of silence from the other end, followed by that familiar, cold voice. Anna chuckled softly and said, "Yes, my friend, it's Anna. How are you? It seems you were busy with something quite important."
Alia looked at Viktor. His face was devoid of emotion, his gaze becoming even more guarded. Alia realized this wasn't just a casual call. She replied in a slightly trembling voice, "Everything is fine. Why are you calling me at this hour, Anna?"
Anna let out a small, mocking laugh. She said, "I heard you two are quite caught up in your 'secret' world. Be careful, Alia. In the underworld, when someone becomes too happy, the enemies around them find it hard to endure."
The call had become more than just a conversation—it was a warning. Viktor took the earphone off and looked directly at the phone, as if locking eyes with Anna. He said in a low, firm tone, "Anna, don't dare to interfere with our business. I know exactly who started this game."Alia replied, slightly annoyed, "Come on, Anna, stop with these stupid jokes! Now tell me, like a normal person, what do you want?"
Anna laughed from the other end. "Why are you getting so serious? I was just joking! Anyway, tell me, where are you guys right now?"
Alia glanced at Viktor, who signaled her to tell the truth. Alia said into the speaker, "We are in the VIP room."
Anna went silent for a moment. Her playful tone vanished instantly. In a very slow and serious voice, she said, "In the VIP room? Really? Look, I don't know what you're doing there or who you're with, but keep one thing in mind—that place is no longer safe. I called to warn you. Get out of there as fast as you can."
With that, Anna hung up. The line was now just filled with the sound of a busy tone. Alia put the phone down, lines of worry etched on her forehead. Viktor was staring out the window, his jaw set firmly. He realized that Anna's warning was no ordinary jest.Alia's voice trembled slightly as she looked into Viktor's eyes and asked, "Viktor, is what Anna said true? Do you have more enemies out there? Why did she say something so strange?"
The composure Viktor had maintained until now shifted instantly. He pulled Alia closer, resting his forehead against hers. Viktor's voice was now very low, yet it held a cold, firm edge—the kind usually seen before he headed into battle.
Viktor replied in a slow, steady voice, "I am not short of enemies, Alia. But I didn't think they would track us all the way to this VIP room tonight. Anna was right; we might have walked into a trap."
He moved away from Alia and stood up straight, drawing a small pistol from his jacket to check it. His gaze no longer held the deep affection he had for Alia just moments ago; instead, it held the focus of a fearless warrior ready to protect his companion at any cost.
Viktor caught Alia's chin, forcing her to look at him, and said, "Listen to me, from now on, you will do exactly as I say. It's time to get out of this room, but we have to be extremely careful."
It felt as though the romantic night Alia had imagined had suddenly spiraled into a dangerous, heart-pounding thriller.Alia stepped out of the VIP room and quickly headed toward the elevator, but as soon as she reached it, her body froze like stone. Five hulking men were standing there. Dressed in black suits with eyes as cold as flint, their stance made it clear—these were no ordinary guests, but professional hitmen.
Their movements and hushed whispers sent a shiver of intense fear through Alia. She realized Anna's warning hadn't been a bluff; they had truly walked into a trap.
Alia didn't waste a single second. She drew the small, razor-sharp knife she had kept hidden. Even though she was trembling, her eyes burned with a fierce determination to survive. She knew taking on five men alone was impossible, but there was no turning back. Pretending to press the elevator button, she kept a side-glance on the men, bracing herself for what was to come.
Viktor was a few paces behind. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he silently loaded his pistol. With Alia's small knife and Viktor's sidearm, an unequal battle was about to begin.The corridor in front of the elevator turned into a battlefield in an instant. One of the hulking men lunged at Alia like a savage beast, his hand raised to strike. Alia screamed with all her might and swerved to the side. Just then, as another man tried to grab her from behind, Alia swiftly drove her sharp knife straight into his chest. The man let out a cry of agony and collapsed to the floor.
While Alia was busy with the second attacker, Viktor didn't waste a single second. Moving with the speed of a shadow, he stepped in. The deafening sound of gunfire from his pistol shattered the silence of the corridor. With Viktor's precise aim, the remaining three men fell to the ground before they could even attempt a counterattack.
The entire corridor was now deathly quiet. Alia was gasping for air, the knife still clutched in her hand, its tip dripping with blood. Viktor rushed forward and held her close, his eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and pride.
Viktor whispered, "You handled that perfectly, Alia. But we can't stay here long; there are more of them coming."
Alia rested her head against Viktor's chest, trying to steady herself. After that bloody moment of combat, they felt each other's presence now, they were each other's only hope to escape the enemy's trap.Alia and Viktor reached the parking lot, which now felt like a war zone. Alia wasted no time, starting her powerful Pagani supercar. The engine's roar shook the entire parking lot.
Alia gripped the steering wheel tight. As soon as Viktor hopped in, she sped out onto the streets. The Moscow night was illuminated by the headlights of the black SUVs following themthe mafia was closing in.
Just then, a deafening sound erupted from above. Alia looked up to see a powerful helicopter tracking them. Its searchlight swept over their car, like a bird of prey stalking its target.
Alia gritted her teeth and pushed the accelerator further. The speedometer soared past 200.
"Alia, turn left!" Viktor shouted.
Without hesitation, Alia swerved into a narrow alleyway. The screeching tires tore into the asphalt. From above, the helicopter prepared to fire, while the mafia cars behind them unleashed a barrage of bullets.
There was no fear in Alia's eyes only a fierce drive to survive. With the incredible speed of her Pagani and her expert driving, she prepared to lose her pursuers in the labyrinth of the city.Alia pushed the Pagani's engine to its absolute limit, maneuvering through the traffic and sharp turns with insane speed. The helicopter was hovering dangerously low, right above them. Just then, Alia saw a massive mafia SUV blocking their path on the road ahead.
Alia realized they couldn't outrun them like this forever. She said firmly, "Viktor, cover me!"
Alia leaped out of the moving car with incredible force. She still held the same knife, and tucked at her waist was an extra handgun Viktor had given her. The moment she stepped out, she vaulted onto the roof of the mafia SUV. Her eyes were burning like fire.
As one of the mobsters aimed his weapon at her, Alia spun like the wind, snapping his wrist in one fluid motion. In an instant, she was in the thick of them. Viktor stepped out of the car, firing his pistol at the helicopter to keep the pilot distracted.
Alia was now in full combat mode, showing no mercy. Each strike and movement was as precise as a professional assassin's. She began taking them down one by one, slamming them to the ground. Even though they surrounded her from all sides, they couldn't keep up with her speed. The helicopter's searchlight scanned the area, but the combined assault of Alia and Viktor had left the mafia squad in complete disarray.The battlefield has fallen into a deathly silence. The night sky over Moscow is darker than ever, hovering over a landscape of lifeless bodies. The aftermath of the struggle is stark both Alia and Viktor are covered in blood, their expensive clothes torn and stained with dirt and gore.
Alia, exhausted, slowly collapses onto the frozen ground, lying back against the icy earth. The bone-chilling cold seeps into her body, but she pays it no mind. She stares fixedly at the sky; the stars on that black canvas seem like silent witnesses to their brutal fight.
Alia's breaths come out as thick mist, vanishing into the air. In a low, faint whisper, she speaks in Russian, her voice laced with deep fatigue and a strange sense of peace:
"Тишина... наконец-то тишина. Мы выжили, Виктор."
(Silence... finally, silence. We survived, Viktor.)
Viktor sits down beside her, his own body bloodied. He places his hand over Alia's bloodstained one. Amidst the snow, at the end of this blood-red night, they gaze at the sky, letting their breaths mark the end of their struggle for survival. The silence of the moment and the biting Russian cold freeze the scene into a cinematic finale.In the biting cold of the snow, Alia kept staring at the sky. A tear rolled down her cheek, threatening to freeze against her skin. Without looking at Viktor, she whispered in Russian with a heavy sigh:
"Всё это жизнь... всё это ложь. Ничего не имеет значения."
(This life... everything is a lie. Nothing has any meaning.)
It felt as though she was speaking from the depths of her soul "This whole life... everything is a lie. Nothing really matters anymore."
There was a strange emptiness in her voice. After all the bloodshed, the struggles, and the power games, everything felt meaningless in this moment. Viktor looked at her steadily. He knew how hard it was to accept this truth. He simply gripped her hand a little tighter, as if, in this world of lies, their bond was the only truth that remained.