CAPTURED BY THE DEVIL

The peaceful village of Ravens Hollow woke to birdsong. Children laughed as they chased each other through dusty roads. Mothers prepared breakfast over charcoal fires. Farmers carried their tools toward the fields, unaware that this ordinary morning would be their last. Then... A deafening explosion shattered the silence. BOOM! The village square erupted into chaos. People screamed. Gunfire echoed from every direction. Masked men dressed in black tactical gear stormed through the streets with military precision, firing into the air as terrified families fled. "On your knees!" one of them shouted. Another kicked open the door of a small grocery shop and dragged the owner outside. "Please! I have children!" the man cried. The terrorist didn't answer. A single gunshot rang out. The man collapsed. Panic spread like wildfire. Parents searched desperately for their children while smoke swallowed the sky. Then everyone heard it. The heavy sound of a black armored vehicle rolled into the center of the village. The gunfire stopped. Every terrorist stepped aside. Even they lowered their heads. The vehicle door opened. Black combat boots touched the ground. A tall man emerged, dressed in a long black coat over tactical armor. A scar crossed one side of his face. His expression was unreadable. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. "The prisoners," he said calmly. "Separate them." The villagers knew exactly who he was. Azrael. The man governments had hunted for nearly a decade. The leader of The Reapers. People whispered his name like a curse. Children cried as armed men forced dozens of captives into trucks. Among them was a young woman with fierce brown eyes and dirt on her face. Elena Carter. Unlike everyone else... She wasn't crying. She wasn't begging. She simply stared at Azrael. Straight into his eyes. One of the terrorists shoved her forward. "Look down!" She didn't move. Another hard shove. She still refused. Azrael noticed. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. His cold gaze rested on the woman who had the courage to meet his eyes when everyone else looked away. He turned without a word. "Take them." The convoy pulled away from the burning village. Behind them... Nothing remained except smoke, silence... ...and the beginning of a nightmare. End of Chapter 1