The game began after 15 years of losing her twin brother. Ivy is now 21 years old, the same as her twin brother.
Ivy stood at the edge of the garden, her small hands gripping the stone railing as she stared out at the darkening sky. She could only watch in silence as the world seemed to the anger she felt inside, the ocean's waves crashing violently against the rocks below. "Argh..." she muttered under her breath, the sound of the water filling her ears. Each wave hit harder than the last, and it felt like the sea was sharing her frustration. Her twin brother was missing. Gone. And she didn't know where to look.
The smell of saltwater drifted toward her, "Ah..." she sighed, inhaling deeply, but it didn't calm her nerves. How could something so wild, so untamed, make her feel this sense of sadness? Maybe it was the memories of playing in the gardens with Ethan, their laughter mixing with the crashing waves. Maybe it was the way the wind now whipped through her hair, carrying the chill of the evening air with a motherly touch. Or maybe it was the way her feet sunk into the grass beneath her, grounding her to a world that felt like it was slipping away.
"Ugh..." Ivy groaned, her heart heavy as she stared at the sky. Dark clouds were rolling in now, casting shadows over the horizon. She knew it was going to rain. She could feel it. The birds had disappeared, the sky was darker than it should have been, and the party inside felt like it was a million miles away.
Ivy loved the rain. Normally, it made her feel better—like it was a sign that things would start over, fresh. She loved the way raindrops would hit the leaves, the smell of wet earth rising around her. It proved that life was a cycle, just like how they were taught in science. Water evaporates, condenses, and falls back down. "Tick-tock..." The sound of her internal clock felt like it matched the rhythm of the rain that hadn't even begun yet.
The day was like the beginning—where dreams and hope started. "Mhm..." Ivy thought. But condensation? That's when reality hit, when the harshness of the world tempered everything you dreamed about. The world that had stolen her brother. And precipitation—her favorite—was about letting go, about cleansing and starting again.
But how could she start again without Ethan?
The first cold drop of rain hit Ivy's arm, and before she knew it, another followed. "Phew..." she sighed, watching the sky grow darker as more drops fell, forming tiny rivers down her arms. The beads of water covered her, but she didn't mind. The rain was a welcome distraction from the storm inside her.
She lifted her gaze toward the gray clouds overhead; her mind was confused. The rain fell harder, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, Ivy welcomed it, hoping the rain could wash away the heavy emotions pressing against her chest.
This world—the rain, the angry waves crashing against the rocks, the dark sky—was the only thing that made sense now. The world inside the grand hall was filled with laughter and music, but it felt foreign. Cold. Out here, there were no questions, no worries, just the steady rhythm of nature. "Creakk..." Ivy's heart felt tight with each thunderous crash of the waves.
Turning on her heel, she let her feet sink into the sand with every step. The sound of her shoes crunching against the wet ground was oddly soothing. She was heading back now, back to where it all began, back to the house that had once been filled with happiness and the sound of her and Ethan's laughter. Her footsteps felt heavy, like each one was pulling her deeper into the reality she didn't want to face.
"Ahh... huft," Ivy exhaled, her frustration poking at her with each step. 15 years ago, when she was playing in the garden with Ethan, the memories flashed through her mind. He was always there beside her. "Where are you, Ethan?" she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible over the wind.
It had been 15 years since Ethan went missing. The party, the people—none of it made sense anymore. Whenever someone asked if she was alright, it felt like they were questioning the reality of her brother's existence. "He's not just gone," she told herself. "No way..." She shook her head, pushing away the creeping doubt. Ethan had to be alive. She could feel it deep in her bones, a sensation that wouldn't let her believe otherwise. There was no proof that he was gone. He had to be out there somewhere, waiting for her to find him.
Then, Ivy's heart raced as she approached her bedroom. Each step made the beeping louder, the air sounding the quiet in the house like a relentless scream. "Ugh..." she muttered, her hands clenched tight. Like every vein in his body came out.
She hesitated at the door, hearing the squeal of the floorboards beneath her. "Hmph..." Ivy sighed, pushing down the unease. She feared what might lie behind the door but knew she had to face it. Slowly, she pushed it open. The beeping... it was coming from her computer.
"Ah..." Ivy sighed in slight relief, though her body remained tense. When she neared her desk, her breath hitched. The screen was locked, and words appeared in bold, haunting letters:
I know who you are, Zero.
This isn't a game. Return our files.
I have all of your secrets.
If you want your identity to stay hidden,
you have thirty seconds.
"Argh..." Ivy growled under her breath, her fingers trembling. The name 'Zero' was like a slap to the face. It had been 21 years since anyone had called her by that name. Her hacker name, "Zero," was known only to a select few in the dark world she navigated. To the rest, she was 'Zero,' the ghost hacker who could disappear in the blink of an eye. But whoever had sent this message, they knew.
They knew who she was.
Ransomware. Of course. Ivy's mind flashed through everything she knew about the attack. She had dealt with this before—malware that locked people out of their systems, holding their data hostage. It was a messy and complicated hack, one Ivy herself had used a few times when necessary. "Clangg..." The sound of the computer's beeping felt like a hammer against her head, warning her time was running out.
"Tick-tock... tick-tock..." The countdown began, appearing on the screen like a bomb waiting to explode. Ivy slid into her chair, her fingers already flying across the keyboard. "Zoomm..." She worked with precision, hacking her way into their system, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Whoever they were, they had to know she was coming for them.
They knew her identity. They knew she was looking for Ethan.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the files. They had the information she needed—whoever had Ethan, whoever had her brother, they were playing a dangerous game. "Oh..." she murmured, biting her lip. This wasn't just about some files; this was about Ethan. It had always been about him.
The clock ticked faster, and Ivy's breathing grew heavier. "Phew..." She couldn't afford to let her guard down. Every second was crucial. As her fingers danced across the keyboard, the tension in her body wound tighter. She had been in worse situations, but something about this felt different.
"Clack, click..." Her keys clicked rapidly as she executed the counter-hack. Her muscles tightened, her mind laser-focused. She couldn't let them control her. She couldn't let them think they had the upper hand. Not now. Not when she was so close to finding him. Ivy could feel the pressure building inside her, but she couldn't falter now.
"Well..." she muttered under her breath, wiping the sweat from her brow. She cracked a small, tight-lipped smile. "You picked the wrong person to mess with," she whispered.
I should've used more protection. "Hmmp…" Ivy muttered as she stared at the words on the screen. Lodging herself into the system of Dominic "Dom" Ivanov, one of the most dangerous men in the world, had been a reckless move. But she had no choice—he had the information she needed.
"Ugh..." She bit her lip as frustration bubbled up. The worst part? His files had led her straight back to square one. Dom's not an innocent man by any means, but he is not involved in the crimes related to her brother's disappearance either. The deeper she dug into his files, the more she realized how dangerous this game was becoming.
"He's fearless," she whispered, her spine shivering. And being fearless meant dangerous.
Ivy glanced at the countdown on her screen. Twenty seconds left. "Bluffing," she typed quickly into her encrypted system, shooting a message to her hacker team. Her fingers moved sharply over the keys; each taps a surge of adrenaline. Her heart raced as she attacked the firewall of whoever had dared to threaten her. Encryption codes danced across the screen, each more complex than the last. "Ah… come on," she sighed under her breath, feeling the tension grow in her chest.
Tick-tock… tick-tock… The countdown was relentless, like a clock taunting her. She glanced at the screen, her eyes widening in disbelief. "No..." she whispered, her voice shaky. A message flashed on the screen:
1106 Norway Rd.
Her heart sank. "Oh…" Ivy felt her throat tighten. That was her address.
Her home.
"I can't believe this…" Ivy's voice barely rose above a whisper. She had been too careless, too focused on finding Ethan, too wrapped up in the chase. She hadn't considered the full scope of her enemy. Now they knew where she lived. A flood of emotions surged inside her—anger, fear, and regret. She clutched her hands tight, her nails digging into her palms.
She had been outplayed.
But they had no idea who they were truly dealing with. "Well…" she muttered under her breath, her fingers trembling but resolute as she cracked her knuckles. She was Zero, after all—the Queen of the dark hacker world. And she never backed down from a challenge.
Her fingers raced over the keyboard as she scrambled to set up a counterattack. Whoever they were, they had underestimated her. "Wanna play games? Hmm... then, let's play," she murmured with a tight smirk.
The situation felt heavy. "Phew..." Ivy took a deep breath, steadying herself. She needed to get ahead of this to protect herself and Ethan's search. She felt her pulse quicken, adrenaline surging as she prepared for whatever was coming next.
She wasn't going to lose. Not now. Not ever.
They knew where I lived. "No way..." Ivy whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. There was no escaping the reality that she had been compromised. Dominic "Dom" Ivanov was infamous for his lack of mercy, coldness, and ruthlessness. He wouldn't forgive someone like her—a hacker who had dug too deep into his dark world and uncovered secrets that should have remained buried.
Her mind raced. Ten seconds left.
"Ugh… Think, Ivy. Think," she murmured, her hands moving swiftly, her fingers flying across the keyboard, desperately trying to break through the firewall. Sweat beaded at her forehead as she furrowed her brows, her body tense.
Tick-tock... tick-tock...
Her breath hitched. Five seconds.
Then—"Aha!" Ivy gasped, her heart leaping in her chest. She had done it. She had broken through their firewall. The countdown froze, and the beeping on her computer went silent. "Whew…" She let out a relieved sigh, her body sagging with exhaustion. For a brief moment, she smiled, triumph flickering in her eyes. "I did it… I actually did it."
But the smile faded as quickly as it came. She wasn't out of the woods yet. They still knew where she lived. "Huhh…" Ivy whispered, frustration clawing at her. They could be watching her every move. "No way this ends here."
"I could expose them," she muttered to herself, her voice trembling as she weighed her options. But would that work? Could she really threaten a man like Saint, a man who had no qualms about killing? She shook her head. Not likely.
"Come on, Ivy, think," she whispered again, her voice hoarse. "Think, think, think…"
The air was cold. The stakes had never been this high before. One wrong move, and her world would come crashing down. But she can't stop now. Ethan. Her brother. His face flashed in her mind, a boy who had gone missing at that party all those 15 years ago. She had to keep going for him.
Her fingers hovered over the keys for a moment. She typed quickly, sending a message to her hacker:
I won't hand the files over to the police, but you must leave me be.
Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she hit enter. This had to work.
It was either really smart or really dumb—there was no middle ground. "Ahuh..." Ivy sighed, a tremble running through her fingers as they hovered over the keyboard. She had just threatened the Mobster of the most powerful mafia. Dominic Ivanov, to be exact—a man notorious for his ruthlessness and cold nature. "Argh..." Ivy groaned, the reality crashing down on her like a wave. Threatening a man with no mercy? "What was I thinking?" she whispered, the weight of her decision sinking in. There was no turning back now. Her stomach twisted painfully as she knew her life could very well be over.
"I have to go," Ivy muttered to herself, her voice shaky. "I have to leave this place now."
Her computer suddenly screeched, the noise cutting through the silence like nails on a chalkboard. "Ughhh!" Ivy grimaced, her hands flying to her ears. Then, as if things couldn't get worse, everything went black. The lights were out.
"Uh-oh..." Ivy's breath hitched in her throat, and she could feel her heart pounding, her palms suddenly clammy. "Oh no..." She rushed to the window, peeking through the curtains only to spot a huge black car parked outside. Her pulse quickened. "No way... No way..." Ivy gasped, fear gripping her chest tightly. Her mind raced, a million thoughts crashing into each other like a storm. She needed an escape plan, fast.
But her brain was blank. "Ouchh..." Ivy pressed her forehead against the cool glass, trying to calm her breathing. None of her ideas could save her. "Where did I go wrong?" Ivy whispered, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
"Think, Ivy, think!" She clenched her fists, anger bubbling up inside her. How had they gotten past her firewalls? She had designed them to be impenetrable, a fortress no one could break through. Not even Dominic's people...
"Unless..." Ivy's voice trailed off, her eyes widening in realization. "No way..." They had physically accessed it. Her fingers trembled as she backed away from the window. "They were already inside," she breathed, panic making her chest feel tight.
Tick-tock...tick-tock...
Her time was running out.
They must've broken into my home.
My heart raced as I heard the sound of my front door slamming open, the loud crash pounding through my ears. "Ah!" I gasped, instinctively clutching my chest, feeling my pulse throb violently. My brain tried to keep up with the reality of the situation. Running wasn't an option—I couldn't escape. "Ugh..." I muttered in frustration. They were closing in.
I have to hide.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for a place they wouldn't check. "No way..." I whispered under my breath. The only option was under my bed, but it was too obvious. "Wait!" I remembered the small space under my mattress. It was perfect. My body trembled as I scrambled to slip into the hidden area, silently begging for this to work. "Please don't find me, please..." I mouthed, feeling the weight of every second crush me.
Creakk...
The door to my bedroom slowly creaked open. My breath hitched. My body stiffened, my chest rising and falling silently as I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that whoever entered wouldn't think to check here. Oh God... don't let me die today, I thought, my mind spiraling in panic. I had too much left to do; I still had to find him—my brother. I couldn't die here, not like this.
"Hmm... She's not here," a cold voice muttered in Italian, sending a shiver down my spine. "Dom's men..." I thought, gritting my teeth as the weight of the words settled over me. The Russian mobster, of course. Dominic Ivanov, the man everyone called Dom, was clearly involved in this. The realization made the hair on my neck stand up as if something invisible was gripping me. I was in real trouble.
"Ah... huft," I exhaled quietly, relieved but still trembling. The footsteps began to fade, but my heart kept hammering in my chest. They were going to keep looking, and I knew it wasn't over.
"She has to be. Look harder," a second voice barked, more impatient and forceful. I could feel my heart pounding louder than before, threatening to break my ribs from the inside. Ugh... My chest felt tight, and every breath I took made it worse. Stay calm... I urged myself, but the panic was drowning me. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep myself from gasping too loudly.
Suddenly, I saw shiny black shoes right beside my bed. No... no way... I forced myself to keep still as a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. My hand flew to my mouth, desperately trying to muffle any sound that might betray me. The shoes shifted closer, followed by a pair of hands reaching down. I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath until my lungs burned.
Aha... I sighed in silent relief as the man finally stood up, his voice filled with frustration. "She's in this room," he hissed. "I saw her through the window."
"Boss will be furious and angry if we don't bring her to him." Another voice joined in, colder and more menacing. My heart dropped at the mention of him—Dom. I had no doubts that they worked for him. Argh... this is bad. I could feel the pressure above me as the bed dipped slightly.
Creak...
The sound sent a chill up my spine. Oh, God... I swallowed the fear bubbling in my throat as the bed dipped even further. They were pressing down on it.
"Feel this," one of them muttered, and suddenly, the pressure on my back was almost unbearable. "Ugh..." I groaned silently, my body aching under the weight. I bit down harder on my lip to avoid screaming. If they heard me, it was over. Please stop... I begged in my head. The pressure eased off just a little, giving me a moment to catch my breath.
But my brief relief vanished when I heard the words that shattered the last remnants of hope.
"Found her."