BENEATH THE MASK

CHAPTER ONE Author: Treasure Rukky ⏱️2026-06-19 14:11:59 Sasky’s POV I knew something was wrong the moment my boss started sweating. The conference room was freezing. The air conditioner has been working since morning. Yet George Falson kept wiping his forehead every few seconds. At first, I thought he was nervous about the investors’ meeting. Now I know better. If only I had paid more attention. Maybe I would have run. Maybe none of this would have happened. Or maybe fate had already made up its mind. The presentation had barely ended when the doors exploded open. The sound was so loud that I nearly jumped out of my chair. Three armed men stormed inside. Then five. Then ten. The room instantly erupted into chaos. People screamed. Chairs crashed. And Someone knocked over a projector. I sat frozen for half a second, unable to understand what was happening. Then the gunshots started. Everything changed after that. A man beside me bolted for the exit door. I remember thinking he might actually make it. He didn't. The bullet hit him before he reached the door. I can still hear the sound his body made when it hit the floor. The entire room went silent. Not completely silent though. There were still cries. Still sobbing. Still prayers. But it was the silence of the people realizing they were trapped. The silence of people realizing they might die. “Everybody down now”. The command echoed through the room. I dropped down immediately. So did everyone else. My cheek pressed against the cold marble floor. My heart beat so hard I thought it might burst through my chest. Heavy boots moved around us. Slow. Unhurried. Like they already owned the place. Then I saw it . The symbol. A crimson snake curled around a black skull. The blood drained from my face. “No!” “No way!” Not here. D Karmas. My stomach dropped. I had heard stories about them before. Everyone had too. Some said they were nothing but ruthless killers. Others claimed they were modern-day armed men, who punished criminals the law couldn't touch. The truth? Nobody really knew. Because the people who got too close to D Karmas rarely lived long enough to tell the full story. I squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe this was a robbery. Maybe they just wanted money. Maybe– A loud cry interrupted my thoughts. I raised my head slightly. My boss was on his knees. Actually kneeling. The same George Falson who spent everyday barking orders at everyone like he owned the world. The same man who once fired an employee because she arrived three minutes late. Now he looked pathetic. Terrified. Sweat dripped down his face. His expensive suit was wrinkled. His hands were shaking. “Please,” he begged. “I can explain.” The masked leader standing in front of him didn't look impressed at all. He tilted his head slightly. Almost as if he found the sight amusing. Then– WHACK! The butt of a rifle slammed into George’s face. Blood sprayed across the marble floor. Several people gasped. I flinched. George collapsed with a cry. The leader crouched beside him. Slowly. Calmly. Dangerously. “You can explain when he arrives”. George froze. The entire room froze. Even I stopped breathing for a second. Because everyone knew exactly who he was. “Karma is coming”. The words landed like a bomb. Someone started crying. Another person whispered a prayer. A woman fainted beside me. And suddenly I understood why. The stories about Karma weren't just stories. They were warnings. Children whispered his name like a ghost story. Criminals disappeared overnight after crossing him. An entire organization collapsed because of him. Nobody knew what he looked like. Nobody knew where he lived. Nobody even knew his real name. But everyone feared him. Even the people working for him. A phone rang somewhere. The masked leader answered immediately. The change in his posture was instant. His back straightened. His voice became respectful. Almost careful. “Boss”. Silence. “Understood”. The call ended. No explanation. No unnecessary words. Yet every armed man around him suddenly seemed more alert. As if the devil himself had announced he was on his way. A strange feeling settled in my chest. Something wasn't right. Fear was one thing. But this? This looked completely different. These men weren't simply afraid of Karma. They respected him too. And somehow, that was far more terrifying. “Everybody stand”. Nobody moved fast enough. A gun fired into the ceiling. The explosion nearly made me scream. And dust rained down. “Now”. Everyone scrambled to their feet. Including me. My legs felt like jelly The leader began walking among us. Looking. Searching. His eyes move from face to face. Then stopped. On George. “Where's your assistant”? George immediately pointed at me. My jaw nearly hit the floor. You traitorous snake. Even now. Even here. After years of treating me like dirt. After dumping his work on me. After taking credit for my ideas. He still found a way to drag me into his mess. The leader followed George's finger. Our eyes met. And for some reason… His gaze lingered. Not long. Just enough to make me uncomfortable. “Step forward”. I wanted to ask why. I wanted to demand answers. But the words refused to come. Before I knew it, I was standing beside eight other people. A small group separated from the rest. George wasn't among us. Which somehow made me even more nervous. Why is that? Nobody explained. Nobody needed to. We were shoved toward the rear exit of the building. Outside, a large black truck waited. The kind you saw transporting military equipment. Not people. Definitely not terrified office workers. One by one we were forced inside. The metal doors slammed shut behind us. Darkness swallowed everything. Someone started sobbing. A man cursed under his breath. I sat against the cold metal wall trying not to panic. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. I had rent due next week. I still hadn't fixed my leaking bathroom sink. My landlord was already threatening to throw me out. And now I was being kidnapped by the most feared organization in the country. Life really hated me. A few minutes later the truck stopped.