A NAME SHE SHOULDN'T KNOW

Episode 4: When Worlds Collide

The night was colder than Lena had expected. Even with the thin blanket pulled around her, she shivered as thoughts of Dante and the world he belonged to swirled in her mind. She kept replaying the evening—his car, the massive gates, the quiet authority he carried like armor.

She shouldn’t have gone.

Her rational mind screamed at her: Danger. Stranger. Run.

But deep down, she knew running wasn’t an option anymore. He had chosen her, and she had crossed into his world. That meant one thing: there was no turning back.

The next morning, Lena woke to pounding rain against her window. Her uniform was still damp from yesterday, and she had a vague sense of exhaustion that sleep hadn’t washed away. Her aunt was already up, bustling in the kitchen.

“You’re late,” her aunt scolded, eyes narrowing. “You need to focus. Don’t forget, work doesn’t wait for excuses.”

“Yes, Auntie,” Lena mumbled, her mind elsewhere.

She tried to eat breakfast, tried to focus, but every sound reminded her of Dante—the hum of traffic, the distant rumble of engines, the way shadows moved differently in the rain.

By mid-morning, her fears were confirmed.

He was there again.

Waiting. Leaning casually against the school gates, eyes scanning, searching. His presence made the air itself feel heavier, like it carried a warning she couldn’t ignore.

“Why are you following me?” she asked under her breath, tugging her bag strap tighter.

Dante didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied her, head slightly tilted, lips pressed together. Then he smirked.

“Because the world you live in…” he said softly. “It’s fragile. And I think you’re going to need help sooner than you realize.”

Lena frowned. “Help? I don’t need help.”

His eyes darkened slightly. “You will.”

She didn’t understand. But she had a sinking feeling she soon would.

That evening, after her long shift at the food stall, Lena walked home, rain slicked streets reflecting the neon lights like fractured mirrors. She was exhausted, her muscles sore from standing all day, and her heart still raced from the earlier encounter.

A shadow moved behind her. She froze.

“Lena.”

The voice was smooth, low, impossible to ignore.

Dante stepped from the shadows, black coat dripping with rain, eyes sharp and unreadable.

“You shouldn’t be alone here,” he said.

“I’m fine,” she replied, though her voice was unsteady.

“You’re not,” he said. And before she could react, he took a step closer. The streetlights glinted off the faint scar above his eyebrow, and Lena felt her heart skip.

Something wasn’t right. The hairs on the back of her neck stood.

Dante’s gaze swept the streets behind her.

“They’re following you,” he said.

Her stomach dropped. “Who?”

“People you wouldn’t want to meet.”

Before she could protest, two dark figures emerged from an alley across the street. Men. Big, silent, moving fast. And they weren’t here for anything innocent.

“Run!” Dante shouted.

Lena’s legs moved automatically, adrenaline pushing her forward. He grabbed her hand—strong, firm, unyielding—and pulled her toward a side street.

Gunshots cracked in the distance. The sound echoed off the walls, making her ears ring.

“Stay behind me,” Dante ordered. His voice was calm, but there was a deadly edge to it.

The two men were gaining, but Dante didn’t panic. He moved with precise, practiced steps, leading Lena through narrow alleys, over puddles, past dumpsters. Lena couldn’t keep up with his speed, but she didn’t fall.

Finally, Dante stopped. He pressed her against the wall of an abandoned building, checking the street behind them.

“They’re gone… for now,” he said, breathing slightly heavier than before.

Lena’s chest heaved. “What… what just happened?”

“They wanted to send a message,” Dante said. His gaze returned to her. “And now, you’ve received it too.”

Her head spun. “Me? Why me?”

“Because you’re involved,” he said simply. “Whether you like it or not, Lena, you’re part of my world now. And in my world… danger follows anyone who matters.”

Lena swallowed. She didn’t fully understand. But one thing was clear: she had just glimpsed the reality Dante lived in. And it was far darker than she could have imagined.

The walk back to her neighborhood was tense. Dante’s presence was a shield, silent and overwhelming. Lena tried to piece together what had happened, but the adrenaline made it impossible to think clearly.

“You’re brave,” Dante said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Not many would survive tonight and still keep standing.”

“I didn’t…” Lena began. “I didn’t do anything.”

He smirked faintly. “Exactly. That’s why you survived. Fear doesn’t always protect you… sometimes it paralyzes you. You… didn’t freeze.”

Lena felt a strange warmth at his words, though she wasn’t sure why. She wanted to tell him that she hadn’t chosen this—that she had no place in his world—but the words died in her throat.

Because she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

And the truth was… a part of her wanted to see it again.

The next day, Lena barely slept. She couldn’t stop imagining the gunshots, the men chasing her, Dante’s hands guiding her through danger. The city felt smaller now, confined, as if shadows had followed her into her home.

Her friends noticed she was distracted. She smiled when they spoke to her, nodded at their questions, but inside, she felt a storm brewing. Something she couldn’t name, couldn’t control.

By evening, Dante appeared again, waiting outside her school. This time, he didn’t speak at first. He simply watched. And Lena realized, with a shiver, that he was always watching—always knowing, always anticipating.

“You’re curious,” he said quietly, as she approached.

Lena frowned. “I—what?”

“You can’t help yourself,” he continued. “You’re going to want to know why it happened last night. Who they were. And why I saved you.”

She bit her lip. “And why?”

He stepped closer, his gaze intense. “Because I said so,” he replied. But there was something softer in his tone, almost a warning wrapped in care. “And because the world you live in isn’t ready for the truth. Yet.”

Lena didn’t know what to say. And for the first time, she realized she didn’t need to. Something about him made words feel unnecessary.

The black car pulled up, silent and sleek. Dante held the door open for her, and this time, she didn’t hesitate.

Inside, the city lights blurred past as Dante drove in silence. Lena could feel the weight of the world he carried, heavy and constant, like a storm that never passed.

Finally, he spoke. “Tomorrow, I’ll show you why danger exists in my world. And why someone like you… can’t just ignore it.”

Lena nodded, though her heart pounded with a mixture of fear and something else she didn’t want to name.

Because a part of her knew—danger wasn’t just following her. It was becoming a part of her.

And so was he.

To be continued…