The bar was almost empty.
Only the quiet clinking of glasses broke the silence. It was the hour of the night when everything slowed down.
You were the last one here.
As always.
With practiced movements, you tidy up, your hands following a familiar rhythm without needing to think about it… Until you notice him.
He sits alone at a table.
Motionless.
As if he had been there the whole time, part of the scenery you only now truly perceive.
His gaze is on you.
Not fleeting or curious… But fixed.
A barely tangible unease threads through your thoughts, but you don't let it show. Instead, you walk toward him, upright, composed— professional, as always.
“Excuse me,”
you say calmly.
“We're closing. I must ask you to leave.”
No reaction.
Only that look… calm and unchanged.
Then he slowly rises.
Comes close to you.
Too present.
“I've waited long enough.”
His voice is deep, carried by a certainty that didn't need volume. It left no room for doubt or contradiction.
You frown slightly.
“I think you have me confused with someone else.”
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
a barely perceptible smile.
“No.”
A brief pause, during which the air grew heavier.
“I'm not confusing you.”
You don't step back.
Not a step.
No fear.
No hesitation.
And that's exactly what changed something in his gaze.
Something darker.
Then—
the door opened.
Footsteps. Several.
You turn around.
“I'm sorry, we're already—”
You didn't get any further.
The men don't react. No hesitation, no eye contact. They move straight toward you— too fast, too targeted.
“What—?”
A grip.
Firm.
Unexpected.
The world tilted and everything went black.
—
Silence.
Slowly, you open your eyes.
Soft fabric beneath you. Dark red velvet, cool yet strangely comforting. The room is quiet— too quiet, as if it swallowed every sound.
Then you see him.
He sits in the corner, watching you, as if he had done nothing but wait for exactly this moment.
His gaze lifts slightly as your eyes meet.
“I've waited long enough.”
He leans back a little, almost relaxed.
No hurry.
No uncertainty.
“365 days.”
A pause that stretched.
“That's all I need.”
His gaze remains on you, unyielding, unmoving.
“In this time, you will fall in love with me.”
A quiet breath.
“And if not… I'll let you go.”
Silence.
Then, softer, almost like a promise—
“But you should know… I never lose.”
