Chapter 1

Boom! Thunder rumbled through the sky, and Willow Nason fell to the ground in fright. She was in an old house in her rural hometown, surrounded by stacks of firewood and weeds. The house's interior was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything. Ever since she was young, she had been afraid of the dark. Now, she managed to suppress her fear and groped her way to the door, pounding on it with all her might. "Is anyone there? Open the door!" There was no sound, and the only response she received was the pouring rain outside. She had only come inside to fetch firewood, and now she was locked in! The old house was surrounded by walls on all sides, and the roof was covered with old tiles that occasionally fell off, leaving only the wooden door as an exit. However, she couldn't push it open no matter how hard she tried. Boom! Rumble! Another thunderclap tore through the sky. Thud! Suddenly, something fell from above, smashing through the roof and creating a loud noise. "Ahhh!" Willow screamed in terror. There was now a hole in the roof, and rain poured in. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the previously boundless darkness of the interior to some extent. In her fright, Willow saw a person lying on the ground. It was a man! The man had fallen from the roof just now. Judging by how the man was curled up, he seemed to be in great pain. "Are you... are you okay?" Willow asked from a distance. The man didn't respond. 'Oh my god. Is he dead?' Willow's heart tightened at the thought. Fear coursed through her, but she slowly approached, extending her hand to check for the man's breath. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand. She was about to scream, but the man covered her mouth. He embraced her from behind. His hand on her mouth was wet and sticky, and the smell of blood was obvious. "Don't worry, I won't kill you," the man's voice was magnetic. It also carried arrogance, a hint of unrestrained hoarseness, and even a touch of urgency. Willow nodded with frightened wide eyes, signaling that she wouldn't scream. Then, the man removed his hand from her mouth. However, he collapsed to the ground in the next moment. Willow quickly reached out and support him, but her own body ended up falling on top of his. And in the next second— Her lips unexpectedly met his. The man let out a muffled groan, his hot breath spreading between their lips, filling the icy night with heat. "Save me, and I'll give you everything you desire!" The man's breath was heavy and ladened with uncontrollable hoarseness as he murmured near Willow's ear. "I, um..." Willow had no time to react as her lips were forcefully sealed... Flashes of lightning illuminated the dark sky and rumbled with thunder. The brilliance of the lightning fell upon the intertwined figures, flickering and burning with fervor. After a long while, Willow passed out. A roar echoed from the roof as a helicopter approached. The man looked up at the sky, knowing the helicopter was here to pick him up. Bathed in the light of the lightning, he gently touched the woman's face beside him. The light was dim, and though he couldn't see her features clearly, her cheeks were delicate, and her skin was warm and soft. He took off the jade pendant hanging around his neck and placed it in her hand. This pendant was a precious heirloom of their family. "This is a token between us. In the future, bring it with you when you come to find me." Now, he had to leave. Willow remained asleep as the man climbed the ladder lowered from the helicopter, and departed. - At dawn, Willow woke up with a start. The scenes from last night flashed through her mind. The man's heavy and scorching breath echoed in her ears, causing her cheeks to flush. How could she dream of something so embarrassing? As she moved, her whole body ached. Looking down, she realized she was in a disheveled state, her clothes only partially covering her. Shock coursed through her. That wasn't a dream; it had really happened! She looked around, but there was no one else besides her. The man had already left! She got dressed and stood up. There was a bloodstain on the straw-covered ground, and she couldn't tell if it was hers or his. The man had been hurt last night, and she could still vividly feel the effects of the medicine he had taken. But her first time was taken away just like that. Her eyes stung, and she looked up through the hole in the roof, forcing back her tears. The sky was now a misty white, clear and cloudless after the rain had washed it. The glow of dawn was spreading, indicating the passing of the storm. Yet, her emotions remained trapped in the previous night, with dark clouds looming and heavy rain pouring. She clenched her fist, and something cut into her palm. It was a jade pendant. Did the man leave this behind? She threw it to the ground with force. He took her innocence and gave her a pendant as if that would suffice?! A surge of anger and despair welled up within her, giving her the strength to grab a large stone from inside the house and smash open the wooden door. Her old house was only two or three meters away from her own. She trudged through the muddy path back home. As she pushed open the door, what she saw before her made her head spin. Her boyfriend was actually in bed with her cousin! On Willow's bed! On the ground, clothes were strewn about in disarray, and their bare arms lay outside the blanket. Her heart clenched tightly in pain. Xavier Hughes, her boyfriend of two years from university, suddenly said he wanted to visit her hometown and meet her mother during their summer break. She was dating Xavier with marriage in mind, thinking that eventually he would have to meet her parents, so she brought him back home. Unexpectedly, her mother had gone to a distant relative's house to deliver a gift early yesterday morning and wouldn't return until the next day. She ended up entertaining Xavier by herself. Her cousin had heard she brought her boyfriend home, so she came over warmly and even offered to help her cook. After dinner, her cousin urged her to fetch firewood to heat water for a bath. In the countryside, they used a large stove to cook, starting fires with straw and firewood. Baths were taken using heated water in a pot. Little did she know that the door behind her was closed and locked just as she entered the old house. It was already dark by then, and after the door was shut, she couldn't see anything and hadn't brought her phone. Suddenly, heavy rain started, trapping her inside. She was locked in the house for some unknown reason, and her virginity was taken by a man that fell from the sky. Already physically and emotionally wounded, she had intended to lean on Xavier's shoulder and cry. But unexpectedly, he delivered a fatal blow to her heart! Her cousin, Samantha, woke up first. She sounded surprised and panicked, exclaiming, "How did this happen? Wills, listen to my explanation. We were drunk yesterday. I thought he was my boyfriend, so I..." The commotion also awakened Xavier. With one look at the situation and at the disheveled Willow, he quickly got dressed and started explaining in a hurry, "Wills, I thought it was you yesterday..." "Stop talking!" Willow growled lowly, tears flooding her eyes. "Let's break up!" With that, she turned and ran outside. Xavier hurriedly put on his clothes, rushing to follow her. Willow ran back to the old house. She needed to retrieve the jade pendant and find that man. She needed to settle the score! However, just as she entered, the old house, worn down by years of neglect and pounded by a night of heavy rain, suddenly let out a thunderous roar and collapsed entirely! It brought down the adjacent old building as well. "Willow!" Xavier screamed hoarsely, his voice strained and desperate.