The Beginning of the Dark Game;

The Beginning of the Dark Game;

Minutes later, she arrived at the address in the email.
The terrace floor of one of the city's most luxurious hotels had been prepared for the night. Red velvet curtains, crystal chandeliers, antique furniture in the corners... The atmosphere was both enchanting and disturbing. Shadows danced under dim lights, and there was a mysterious air in every corner.

Arzu stopped in the hotel lobby. She opened the QR code on her phone, noticing her hands were trembling. Her heartbeat had accelerated, her palms were sweaty.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she murmured to herself. But she couldn't turn back—that woman was attacking everything she had with shameless hunger. Just like her husband, she was determined to destroy Arzu too.

Her feet automatically moved toward the entrance. Tonight, she would face that woman and take her revenge...
The security guard at the door scanned the QR code and took her phone. There was a metallic box next to him.
"Welcome. You need to leave all your electronic devices here. They'll be returned when you exit. You can go up to the terrace floor."

Arzu put her phone, watch, and everything in her small purse into the box. Her connection to the outside world was now cut off.
With curious glances, when she got on the elevator, adrenaline had accelerated her blood. With each passing floor, she felt her heart beating faster. When the doors opened, she saw dozens of people wearing masks of different colors.
Having so many members frightened her even more, but the game had begun.

At the same moment, on the other side of the city, Ateş was also putting on his suit. He picked up the black mask and paused for a moment.

Ateş's status was Black, which was the highest accessible class called 'Royalty.' For some, he was defined as the heir to money, for others as the heir to power. And Ateş was both...
He put on the mask and murmured while looking at his reflection in the mirror:
"So, you want to play this dark game, Arzu... Then, I'll make sure you enjoy it."

He gave a low growl and nodded.
"Let the game begin, Little Sparrow."

He headed toward the door. Just then, Cem entered the room.
"Are you ready? Your driver is waiting."

"Yes. Is the whole team ready?"

"We've surrounded the hotel. We have our men inside too. If anything happens to Arzu, we'll intervene immediately."

Ateş nodded.
"Also, get me a voice changer device."

Cem let out a short laugh.
"You're joking, right?"

Noticing Ateş's steely gaze, he realized he was serious.
"Boss, you'll have a mask on your face. Say you change your voice too. But what happens when you get close? She'll recognize you as soon as she sees your face."

Ateş's lips curled with a sly pleasure.
"She won't touch me. I once obeyed her, served her with all I had. But she lost that chance long ago. Now, she will be the one serving..."
A dark shadow clouded his eyes.

Cem, with a somewhat worried expression, said, "What if she gets matched with someone?" He swallowed and continued, "We'll protect her, but how will we protect people from you? You know you can't kill anyone, right?"

Ateş's teeth clenched. The mere possibility of someone touching the woman he loved drove him crazy.
"I can't promise you that!" he said in a threatening tone...

Then with quick steps, he too set off for the same hotel.
Neither of them knew that tonight, not only Arzu's life but both of their fates would change.
Because in some games, there are no winners, only losers.

When Arzu stepped onto the rooftop terrace, she paused for a moment, momentarily stunned by the overwhelming grandeur that met her eyes.
The hall was immense, crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, scattering fragmented reflections across the marble floors. The guests, adorned in jeweled masks, gold-embroidered cloaks, and gowns sewn from the finest fabrics, looked as though they had stepped out of another world entirely.

Everything here was excessive, everything was meant to draw the eye, everything… possessed a dangerous kind of beauty.
Even behind her mask, Arzu couldn't help but draw attention as she slipped into the crowd. Her silver-grey dress hugged her figure like a sculpture of grace, her poise betraying a natural nobility.

Her gaze, hidden beneath the mask, remained as deep and captivating as ever. As she moved through the room, the whispers and stares that followed her seemed to murmur one of two truths:
She didn't belong in this world or perhaps she was exactly the prey it had been waiting for.
After a while, Ateş arrived at the event hall. He made his way to the VIP box reserved for him, took his drink, and began scanning the room. He was hunting his prey.
And then… her eyes locked onto something.

A man stood leaning against the stone wall at the edge of the hall, wearing a black mask. The glimmer and sparkle of the crowd seemed to dim around him. He was clutching a crystal glass so tightly that it looked like it might shatter any second, its tension echoing the low hum of the room.

His eyes were sharp as a hunter's, furious as a storm. Arzu's heart skipped a beat.
Those eyes so intense, so lethal left her with only one question in her mind:
Was she in danger, or was she simply being watched?

What she didn't know was that she did know the man behind those burning eyes.
Ateş's gaze followed her every step. Arzu, however, didn't even turn her head. She was too seasoned, too composed. Even though she could feel him, she didn't flinch. As always… she knew the rules of the game.

And tonight, she had her own mission.
As she moved carefully through the hall, she began to watch the women out of the corner of her eye.

She intended to gather every piece of information about that woman tonight. It didn't take long to notice that the women moved in small, tight-knit groups.
In the far corner, she observed women heading to the restroom always in pairs or more. She was certain Işıl Gemici followed the same pattern.
Waiting for her chance, she trailed the group discreetly, following the signs to the restrooms at the back.
The restroom was spacious. Women stood before the mirrors, speaking in hushed tones while pretending to fix their makeup.
Arzu stepped closer, pretending to touch up her lipstick, her ears tuned to the whispers.
"Did you hear? Ateş Yamanoğlu is here this year," one woman whispered, her voice brimming with excitement and awe.

Arzu's heart clenched.
That name.
It wasn't just a name. It was her first scar, her first love. The man for whom she had given up so much her innocence, her trust, even parts of herself.
What was he doing at this sordid masquerade?

"I know, right? I can't believe it," another woman giggled. "Even if I were just his mistress, it would feel like heaven! He's rich, powerful… the head of the mafia. He's like a god in this world."

"Oh, don't say that! He terrifies me," the first woman laughed. "Too charismatic. Too dangerous."

At that very moment, the restroom door slammed open.
A tall woman in a flowing grey satin gown strode in, graceful yet menacing. She removed her silver-embellished mask, revealing her face, and spoke in a voice as cold as ice:
"The fact that you think you can even approach Ateş while I'm around… what pathetic wishful thinking," she said.

Her voice dripped with contempt, echoing in the narrow space like a slap. The other women froze, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.

The woman in grey took her time washing her hands, seeming to feed off the tense silence. Then she put her mask back on and left with her head held high, exuding pride and menace.

The atmosphere in the restroom remained thick with tension.
Arzu pretended to fix her makeup, though her heart was pounding in her chest. She leaned toward the others and asked in a hushed, curious tone:

"Who was that woman?"