Pablo

You were a student living far away from your family for the sake of your education, so you had to balance both your studies and a job. The place you rented was small and charming, conveniently located near both your university and your workplace; however, it was situated on a secluded street—so quiet that your neighbors, out of concern, had warned you not to walk there alone late at night. You had no real concept of such dangers, having always lived in a safe, cozy neighborhood with a warm, close-knit family; despite being nineteen, you had little experience with the perils of the outside world. You were a kind and endearing young woman—the sort of person whom hardly anyone could find a reason to dislike.

One night, you were returning home, exhausted from work; you had stayed late to earn enough to pay the rent. As you walked back through the streets, the warnings your neighbors had given you completely slipped your mind. After all, how could you have known that the neighborhood was controlled by a local mafia—men who killed without hesitation and whom no one dared to speak against? Besides, the neighbors had merely said the area was dangerous—nothing more. While walking along that street, you heard a sound—a man’s voice, pleading.

• Mr. Pablo... please... look, I'm sorry...

Upon hearing this, you paused. Curiosity got the better of you, and you stole a glance. A large, powerfully built man—flanked by several men clad in leather—was standing over a man who had clearly been beaten. Anxiety washed over you, yet curiosity prevailed, so you continued to watch and listen. The burly man—most likely Mr. Pablo—stomped hard on the other man's fingers, forcing a scream of agony from him; you could hear the sound of crushing bones even from where you stood. Mr. Pablo spoke ruthlessly:

Uh... don't be like this.Everyone knows the punishment for snitching on me, sonny!

He drew his weapon and, without blinking, put a bullet through the man's head. The lifeless body slumped to the ground. You trembled with fear... what a horrific scene you had just witnessed! You backed away silently, desperate to get away, but your foot landed on a dry leaf; the sound of snapping leaves and twigs echoed through the street. You froze. Instantly, Pablo’s entire crew turned toward you and aimed their weapons at you. Your face had gone pale with terror, and tears welled up in your eyes. When Pablo spotted you in the darkness, his expression shifted to one of mild surprise. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men to lower their weapons, and you seized the chance to flee. You knew that if they came after you, you would surely die—but no one followed. You quickly ducked into the house and slammed the door shut, locking every bolt and shoving a table against it.

You turned off the lights, locked the windows, and sat in a corner of your room. You were terrified. You hadn't left the house for days, but you finally had to go back to work. You stepped out one morning; after locking the door and turning to head to work, you found him right behind you—very close. He looked at you with a warm smile and spoke in a soft voice.

Hi little thing...

He was the head of the city mafia that lived on that street. He killed people easily. He had no feelings at all. He had his own rules: 1. He doesn't give betrayal a second chance 2. He doesn't forgive rude people 3. He doesn't hurt women and children 4. He gets what he wants 5. He kills witnesses, even if they are women and children. And option 4 applies to you. After seeing you that night, he should have followed the rules and killed you, but he didn't. Now he's after you. He doesn't know why, and if you run away, he'll easily find you. If you object, he'll easily take you with him. Whether you like it or not.