"Are you done?"

I shook my head and stuffed more food inside my mouth, slowly chewing and savoring the meat. Truth is, I'm delaying time.

Chen Mu, where are you?

I lifted my head and looked at the man in front of me. He was leaning on the chair while sharpening the dagger in his hands.

How am I supposed to escape from this man? Can I outrun his thirty minions?

"Can I ask a question?"

"What?"

"Where is Ming Shu?"

I believe that Ming Shu has something to do with my kidnapping. I followed her in the alley and she disappeared with out a trace. It would have made more sense if the alley leads to somewhere else but it wasn't, it was a dead end.

"Ming Shu?" The man stopped what he was doing, wiped the dagger off his sleeves and slid it inside the sheath in his waist.

"Why are you looking for her?"

"Is she the mastermind of my kidnapping?"

Since I'm already here, I better get as much information I could gather and be clear about Ming Shu's identity.

The man's laughter echoed inside the tent, drowning the noise from the outside.

"You are indeed gullible and naive just like what the Dark Shadow said."

I furrowed my brows in confusion, "Aren't you the Dark Shadow?"

Well, the fake one.

The man suddenly stood up and approached me. He bended his knees so we can see each other eye to eye, "its not good if you know too much."

He pushed the tray of food and carried me in one swift. I struggled from his hold as my heart began to race. He nestled his head between my chin and collarbone then breathed in. The feeling of his breath in my bare skin made me shudder.

"What are you doing!" I lashed at him and threw punches at his chest. Seeing that it had no effect in him, I raised my hand and clawed his face.

He grimaced in pain and dropped me on the floor. He touched his faced and when he saw blood in his fingers, his eyes darkened.

With my feet tied, I crawled but he dragged me back before I could even reach the tent's makeshift door. He flipped me over and with his full weight, straddled me to the ground. I tried to push him off of me but he caught my hands and tied it over my head.

"Let me go," I pleaded, "I will not tell the authorities. I will pay you a millio-"

Before I could even finish what I was saying, he slapped me in the face. And another one.

"What did I tell you earlier? If you don't behave, I will kill you."

My eyes began to swell with tears. The different emotions swirling inside of me was ready to burst. Pain, fear, disgust, anger, hopelessness.

He took out his dagger and ran its sharp edge across my neck leaving a trail of red scrape in my pale skin.

"Please," I begged, "let me go."

But he was deaf to my plea as he continued teasing me with his dagger, cutting off my cloth and revealing my bare shoulders.

"This is where the fun starts!" The man licked his lips as his dagger pulled my torn clothes down to my chest.

"No!" I screamed in panic.

So is this my tragic ending?

I couldn't help but bitterly laugh at my situation right now. Different thoughts engulfed my consciousness.

I went through all that and I still ended here.

If only I have learned martial arts, I would have escaped with ease.

But I have to commend these kidnappers guts to kidnap this empire's first princess in broad daylight.

I wonder if father would cry when he learns that his beloved daughter is dead.

Will Xiao Yu cry?

Will Chen Mu feel sad?

The tent's door flew open and revealed one of the man's subordinates.

He managed to speak while puking blood, "Master."

The subordinate collapsed on the floor, an arrow stuck on his back.

The man who was straddling me quickly jumped to his feet. He ran towards his subordinate and checked his pulse. Seeing that he wasn't breathing anymore, he cursed in anger. He ran towards the door but was met with a sword to his throat.

Chen Mu...

This time, the tears that I was holding back streamed down the corner of my eyes.

"Fan'er, close your eyes." I heard the familiar voice instructed and I did what I was told to do.

I shut my eyes close as I hummed inside my head, trying to block out the screams of agony and anguished cry for help.

It took a moment before my surroundings went silent and I felt someone touch me. Out of reflex, I shook my body in defence and shrieked, demanding for whoever was holding me to release me.

But instead, I was held tighter.

"Fan'er, open your eyes." Once again, the familiar voice spoke.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared up at the masked man who was holding me close to his chest.

"Chen Mu, you idiot!" I cried, not minding whether I looked like a banshee, "why were you late?"

Even behind the mask he was wearing, I can recognize his eyes. The same eyes that loved to tease me and yet, it was gentle and calming.

"I'm sorry," He muttered in apology as he wiped my tears and promised me, "this won't happen again."

I nodded, believing in his words.

He enclosed me with his embrace as I cried my heart out, releasing all the oent up emotions inside of me. He lifted one of his hand and petted my hair. Unlike the rapist slash assaulter slash abductor, Chen Mu's touch was comforting.

After calming down, Chen Mu let go of me, putting a bit of distance between us. His thumb gently touched the bruise on my face caused by the slap earlier and I flinched from the stinging pain. I heard him grit his teeth as he untied me from my bound. I stretched my aching limbs and rubbed my sore wrists. The rope had left me with nothing but cramped muscles and blisters.

I was about to turn my head when he stopped me and cupped my cheeks between his warm hands, "don't look."

"Its ugly." He added.

"Is he..." My eyes widened, "dead?"

"No."

Another man entered the tent and gasped upon seeing the bloody scene in the entrance, "wow, that's a mess."

"Riu, is everything finished?" Chen Mu asked his subordinate as he swiftly draped his outer coat over my body. Blood ran up my cheeks realizing that my dress fell down to my waist when I sat up and I was basically naked in front of Chen Mu.

"Yes master," Riu answered with his head bowed, not daring to take a look at us, "do you have any further instructions?"

"Burn everything down. Nothing is to be left," Chen Mu commanded in a chilling voice, "and bring that man to the dungeon. I'm not done with him yet."

This was the first time I've seen this side of the real Dark Shadow. It was terrifying but surprisingly, I was not scared of him.

"Mu Mu, take me home."