Chapter 10: Chapter Ten.

The once-lively club was a scene of devastation. Dead bodies littered the floor, their lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.

Blood pooled around them, staining the floor in grotesque patterns. Xena covered her mouth, trying to suppress the wave of nausea rising in her throat.

Her foot accidentally stepped into a puddle of blood, and she recoiled, her entire body shaking. 

“Oh my God… Elena, please don’t be dead.” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. 

She willed herself to keep moving, her legs trembling with each step. As she made her way through the carnage, her vision blurred with tears. 

Suddenly, she heard the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked. 

Her breath hitched. She froze, every muscle in her body locking up as fear coursed through her. Slowly, she turned her head, her heart hammering in her chest. 

Behind her, a man stood, his face partially obscured by the shadows. The cold glint of a gun in his hand was unmistakable. He aimed it directly at her, his expression hard and unreadable. 

Xena gasped, her breathing shallow and erratic. Her hands instinctively raised as her voice came out in a shaky plea. 

“P-please… d-don't kill me.” she stammered, her voice barely audible. 

The man’s gaze flickered over her, assessing her quickly.

His grip on the gun tightened, and Xena’s heart sank. She didn’t dare move, her body frozen in sheer terror. 

Time seemed to stretch endlessly as the two remained locked in that tense moment.

The tension in the dimly lit hallway grew as more guards emerged from the shadows, their presence heavy and menacing. One of them, his voice deep and cold, broke the silence. 

"Is she trying to escape?" 

The guard pointing his gun at her spoke, "No, she wasn’t among them." 

The first guard, a burly man, stepped closer. His piercing gaze landed on Xena, roaming over her in a way that made her stomach churn.

His lips curled into a sinister smirk as he began circling her like a predator stalking its prey. 

“She’s perfect, Highest price if you ask me.” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “Put her with the others.” 

Fear gripped Xena as one of the guards grabbed her arm roughly.

She tried to pull away, but his strength far outweighed hers.

Panic surged through her veins as she was shoved forward, her mind screaming for a way out. 

Just as she was about to be dragged away, the sound of deliberate, heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.

The guards immediately straightened, their faces paling as they recognized the presence approaching from the shadows. 

Viktor emerged, his towering frame radiating an aura of authority and danger.

His piercing eyes scanned the scene, cold and calculating. The guards parted respectfully, bowing their heads slightly as he stepped forward. 

“Get the girls out.” he commanded, his voice low but carrying an unmistakable edge. 

The guards began to move, but Viktor’s eyes landed on Xena, and he froze. 

She was unmistakable. Her delicate features, wide, terrified eyes, and trembling frame struck a chord deep within him.

Recognition flashed across his face. She was the same woman from the airport—and the woman that was living rent free in his head, the one who had caught his attention with her innocence and charm. 

Xena saw him too, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as fear and recognition collided within her.

He was the man from the airport, but here, in this environment, he seemed far more terrifying. 

She struggled harder against the guard’s hold, panic overtaking her. 

Viktor’s jaw tightened as he watched her fight. His fists clenched at his sides, and an inexplicable fury bubbled beneath his composed exterior.

His sharp gaze shifted to the guard holding her, his hand resting possessively on her waist. 

His patience snapped. 

Without a word, Viktor pulled out his gun, his movements fluid and precise. He aimed it directly in Xena’s direction, his steely gaze never wavering. 

Xena’s eyes widened in sheer terror. Her breath hitched as her legs nearly gave out beneath her. 

"P-please." she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

The deafening sound of a gunshot shattered the air. Xena flinched, her eyes squeezing shut, expecting the worst. But instead of pain, she felt the guard’s grip loosen abruptly. 

Her eyes snapped open to see the man who had been holding her crumpling to the floor, a bullet hole clean through his forehead. Blood pooled around his lifeless body, and her breath came in short, panicked gasps. 

She looked back up, and her breath caught again.

Viktor was still holding the gun, the barrel now slightly lowered but still pointed in her direction. 

"P-please..." she managed to stammer, tears streaming down her face. 

Viktor’s icy eyes locked onto hers as he began to approach her slowly, his movements deliberate and controlled.

The room seemed to shrink as he drew closer, the faint scent of lavender reaching his senses. His anger surged again, his eyes raking over her attire. 

Her pajamas—thin, loose, and revealing—were not appropriate for a place like this.

The idea that other men had seen her like this, had dared to touch her, fueled his rage. 

“You shouldn’t be here.” Viktor growled, his voice low but dripping with restrained fury. 

Xena backed up slightly, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She could barely process what was happening—the violence, the fear, and now this dangerously powerful man standing mere inches from her, exuding both menace and something else she couldn’t place. 

Viktor tilted his head, studying her closely.

His jaw clenched as he wrestled with an unfamiliar emotion.

Protectiveness? Possession? Whatever it was, it unsettled him. 

“She’s coming with me.” Viktor finally declared, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument. 

The guards exchanged wary glances but nodded, stepping aside.

Viktor extended a hand toward Xena, his movements surprisingly gentle despite the lethal aura that surrounded him. 

“Come.” he commanded softly, but the power in his tone made it clear there was no option to refuse. 

Xena hesitated, her legs frozen in place.

"P-please...i—"

But as her eyes darted back to the blood-soaked floor and the chaos around her, she realized she had no choice.

Her trembling hand reached out, and Viktor took it, his grip firm but not harsh. 

As he was about to led her out of the carnage.

Xena’s ears caught the sound of muffled cries, a desperate, heart-wrenching noise that made her pulse race.

Her head snapped in the direction of the sound, and her eyes locked onto a group of frightened women huddled together, their hands bound, their faces pale with fear. 

Among them, she spotted a familiar figure. 

"Elena!" Xena cried out, her voice cracking with relief and urgency.

Without thinking, she moved toward her friend, but before she could take more than a step, a strong hand gripped her wrist and yanked her back. 

She collided with Viktor's solid chest, his arm wrapping around her waist to keep her in place. His grip was firm but controlled, his voice a low, dangerous growl. 

“Don’t run from me.” Viktor warned, his icy blue eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sent chills down her spine. 

Xena trembled in his hold, her breath hitching as fear and desperation swirled within her. Her tear-filled eyes darted back to Elena, who was trembling among the other hostages. 

"Please.." Xena whispered, her voice breaking. She looked up at Viktor, her expression raw and pleading. "Please let her go. She’s my best friend. I’m begging you." 

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, her desperation tugging at something buried deep within Viktor—a flicker of humanity he hadn’t felt in years.

His gaze softened slightly as he studied her, though his hardened demeanor remained intact. 

Viktor hated seeing her like this. The sight of her tears stirred something foreign and unwelcome in his chest, a faint ache he couldn’t explain.

He clenched his jaw, trying to push the emotion aside, but it lingered, gnawing at him. 

Without breaking his gaze from Xena, Viktor raised his hand and made a sharp gesture to his men, to release her.

The guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances. 

“Now!” Viktor snapped, his tone laced with enough menace to make them flinch. 

The guards nodded quickly and moved to untie Elena. The ropes fell away, and she stumbled forward, her body shaking with relief and exhaustion. 

“Elena!” Xena called out again, her voice filled with a mix of joy and concern. 

Viktor loosened his hold on her waist but didn’t let her go completely. Xena turned slightly in his grasp, desperate to run to her friend, but Viktor’s grip tightened just enough to remind her that she wasn’t free to do as she pleased. 

Elena staggered toward them, her face streaked with tears. She threw her arms around Xena, clinging to her like a lifeline. 

“You shouldn’t have come.” Elena sobbed.

“I had to.” Xena whispered, her voice trembling as she held Elena tightly. “I was so scared."

Viktor watched the reunion in silence, his expression unreadable. He didn’t interrupt, but his presence loomed over them like a shadow, a constant reminder of the danger that still surrounded them. 

When the two women finally pulled apart, Xena turned back to Viktor, her heart pounding. 

"Thank you." she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Viktor’s gaze flicked to her, his eyes cold but glinting with something she couldn’t quite decipher.

He didn’t respond, simply gesturing for his men to escort the remaining hostages out of the room.

"Wait!"