Chapter 1: The Cage of Death
For years, everyone in the city feared one man.
His name was Victor Moretti.
People whispered his name behind closed doors. Merchants paid him for protection. Politicians avoided crossing him. Even the police preferred not to interfere with his affairs.
Victor ruled the city like a king.
And kings hated hearing the word "no."
Especially from a young woman named Isabella.
Isabella was the daughter of a poor blacksmith who worked from sunrise to sunset in a small workshop on the edge of town. Their home was simple, their clothes modest, and their meals often scarce.
Yet Isabella possessed something far more valuable than wealth.
She possessed courage.
Unlike everyone else, she never lowered her eyes when Victor passed by.
She never bowed.
Never flattered him.
Never feared him.
The more she rejected him, the more obsessed he became.
Victor sent diamonds.
She returned them.
He sent expensive dresses.
She sent them back.
He offered her family enough money to live comfortably for generations.
She refused without hesitation.
Each rejection wounded his pride.
And wounded pride is dangerous in the hands of powerful men.
One rainy evening, Isabella disappeared.
Witnesses saw black SUVs stop beside her.
Several armed men dragged her inside.
No one dared intervene.
No one dared speak.
Hours later, she was brought to Victor's private compound outside the city.
In the center stood a massive concrete enclosure.
The Dog Pit.
Everyone knew the stories.
The animals inside had been trained for violence since birth.
They were used to punish enemies.
Many entered.
None returned.
Victor stood before Isabella with his hands clasped behind his back.
His voice was calm.
Almost gentle.
"One last chance."
Isabella stared directly into his eyes.
"What do you want from me?"
Victor smiled.
"You."
Silence.
Rain dripped from the steel fences.
The dogs barked in the distance.
Then Isabella answered.
"I would rather die."
Victor's smile vanished.
The crowd gathered around the enclosure.
Hundreds watched.
Some out of curiosity.
Others out of fear.
Nobody expected mercy.
Victor raised one finger.
The guards opened the gate.
Isabella was shoved inside.
The metal door slammed shut.
The dogs immediately noticed her.
Three enormous animals emerged from the shadows.
A black mastiff.
A scarred shepherd.
And a giant brindle pit bull.
The crowd held its breath.
The dogs approached slowly.
Growling.
Their muscles tense.
Their eyes fixed on Isabella.
One of them suddenly lunged.
People screamed.
Several spectators turned away.
Certain they were about to witness a horrific death.
But then...
The dog stopped.
Just inches from Isabella.
The animal sniffed her hand.
Its growl disappeared.
Its tail moved once.
Then twice.
The entire crowd froze.
Nobody understood what they were seeing.
Not even Victor.
And what happened next shocked them even more.
The massive dog lowered itself onto the ground.
As if bowing.
Then the other two dogs did exactly the same.
The crowd erupted in confusion.
Victor's face darkened.
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Something was terribly wrong.
Because the most violent dogs in the city were acting as if they had just found someone they trusted.
