Alysa sat at the dining table, her face pale and drawn. She barely touched her breakfast.

The rice on her plate had gone cold, and the spoon in her hand moved absently from right to left, without purpose.

Across the table, Raisa watched her with a faint, knowing smile.

> "Didn't sleep all night, did you?"

Alysa stayed silent. She lowered her head, hiding her swollen eyes.

> "Don't ignore me, Alysa. I'm talking to you," Raisa said again, her tone light yet laced with quiet menace.

Slowly, Alysa lifted her gaze. "What more do you want from me? You've already forbidden me from seeing Kenan."

Raisa took a slow sip of her coffee, then set the porcelain cup down with a soft clink.

> "That prohibition isn't nearly enough to pay for your father's treatment," she said calmly.

"Do you think the hospital bills disappear just because you cried all night?"

Alysa looked at her with barely contained hatred.

> "I'll work. I can earn my own money. I'll-"

> "Work?" Raisa interrupted with a cold laugh.

"You haven't even graduated college, Alysa. Who would hire an inexperienced girl like you? The world isn't as kind as your little love story with Kenan."

Alysa bit her lip. "At least I wouldn't sell myself."

Raisa's smile faded. She leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing.

> "Sell yourself? You're mistaken."

"I'm only offering you a chance to save your father."

> "A chance?" Alysa straightened in her seat. "What do you mean?"

Raisa reached into her handbag, pulled out a brown envelope, and tossed it onto the table.

Several sheets of paper spilled out-hospital bills, treatment breakdowns, and a final warning notice.

> "Look at them," she said flatly.

"If I don't pay 350 million today, your father will be discharged from his room. You know what that means, don't you?"

Alysa's hands trembled as she stared at the papers.

> "T-that's impossible..."

> "Every number there is real, dear." Raisa's voice softened, but her face remained cold.

"But don't worry, I've already found a solution. A certain man from the southern city-a respectable one-is very interested in you."

Alysa blinked in confusion. "Interested... in me?"

> "Yes," Raisa replied with a faint smile.

"Mr. Harlan. The owner of the largest hotel chain in the south. He's willing to pay one hundred billion... for one night with you."

The world seemed to stop spinning.

Alysa stared at her stepmother, disbelief freezing her in place.

> "Mother... what did you just say?"

> "You heard me clearly." Raisa leaned forward, her eyes gleaming.

"One night. Just one. After that, your father can continue his treatment. You'll have money, and I'll finally be free of this burden."

> "NO!" Alysa shouted, standing so abruptly her chair crashed backward.

"You're insane! I'm not something to be sold!"

Raisa rose too, her face twisting with irritation.

> "Watch your tone, Alysa. This isn't about your pride-it's about your father's life. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't forced to?"

Alysa slammed her trembling hand on the table.

> "No! You're not forced-you're greedy! You want that money for yourself!"

A sharp slap cracked across Alysa's cheek.

The sound echoed through the room, leaving a heavy silence behind.

Alysa clutched her stinging face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

> "Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" Raisa snapped.

"I've carried this family since your father became useless! If it weren't for me, you'd be living on the streets!"

> "If you truly had a heart," Alysa said quietly but firmly, "you wouldn't sell your husband's daughter."

Raisa glared at her, eyes blazing with pure hatred.

> "I don't have a choice. And neither do you."

"There are only two options, Alysa-one night, or your father's death."

Alysa froze, her lips trembling.

> "You... you wouldn't dare..."

> "I would, if it means saving myself." Raisa's voice was cold as steel.

"Think carefully. You have until tonight. If you refuse, I'll call the hospital and stop every bit of your father's treatment."

The door slammed behind her, leaving Alysa in suffocating silence.

---

By evening, the sky burned red-like it was bleeding.

Alysa sat on her bedroom floor, staring blankly out the window.

Kenan had called over and over, but she hadn't answered once.

Her phone buzzed again on the bed, then went silent, then buzzed once more.

> "Kenan..." she whispered through her tears.

"I'm sorry..."

She opened her drawer and took out a small silver ring-Kenan's gift on her twentieth birthday.

It had once symbolized his promise: "I'll always protect you."

Now, that promise felt like a wound.

A loud knock shattered the quiet.

> "Alysa!" Raisa's voice came from outside.

"Have you made your decision?"

Alysa didn't reply. She just stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Her face looked unfamiliar-her eyes swollen, her lips pale.

> "I've prepared the car. The man is waiting for you at the hotel tonight," Raisa continued.

"If you're not out in ten minutes, I'll take it as your choice to let your father die."

Alysa covered her face with both hands.

> "God... what should I do?"

She looked at the ring resting in her palm once more.

Kenan's face flashed in her mind-his smile, his voice, his warm eyes.

> "Kenan, if I could choose... I'd rather die than hurt you," she whispered through quiet sobs.

"But Dad... I can't lose him..."

Her cries broke the silence. She hugged her knees tightly, her whole body trembling.

Outside, the rain began to pour heavily-as if the sky itself wept for her fate.

After a long moment, she stood.

Her steps were weak, but steady. She looked into the mirror one last time.

> "I'll do it," she whispered.

"For Father."

She wiped her tears away and slipped into the dress Raisa had chosen for her-far too elegant for someone as innocent as her.

The dark crimson fabric clung to her like sin, gleaming under the faint light like spilled blood.

When she stepped out, Raisa stood at the foot of the stairs, smiling in satisfaction.

> "Good. You've finally decided to be reasonable," she said coolly.

Alysa said nothing.

She walked down the stairs slowly, each step feeling like a descent into hell.

> "Remember," Raisa said before the car door closed,

"Just one night. After that, everything will be over."

Alysa gazed out the car window as it began to move.

The rain grew heavier. Lightning flashed, illuminating her reflection in the glass-a young woman who had just sold herself for love she could no longer keep.

And in her heart, a single sentence echoed again and again:

> Love and sacrifice will never walk hand in hand.

The rain fell endlessly that night-wild, furious, as if the sky itself was spilling all its sorrow.

Alysa stood behind the window, watching the puddles spread across the yard. The dress Raisa had forced her to wear earlier now lay discarded on the bed. She wore Kenan's old jacket instead-the faint scent of soap and damp earth still lingered in the fabric, wrapping her in a bittersweet comfort.

She stared down at her phone. One message from Kenan had come in five minutes ago:

> "I'm outside your house. Let's leave tonight, just like we planned."

Alysa shut her eyes tightly. Her chest ached so much it hurt to breathe. Her small hands trembled as she tried to type a reply-but not a single word would come.

Tears fell, splashing onto the glowing screen.

> "Kenan..." she whispered weakly. "I'm sorry..."

Then came the sound of a car stopping outside the gate.

Footsteps hurried through the storm.

> "Alysa!"

That voice-his voice. The one that could always calm the storm in her heart.

Alysa straightened, then slowly walked toward the door.

In the living room, Raisa was already standing there, arms crossed, a cold smile curling her lips.

> "That must be your foolish lover," she said evenly.

"You know what you have to do, don't you?"

Alysa's eyes were red as she looked at her stepmother.

> "Mother... please don't make me do this. I can't hurt him."

> "Then let your father die tonight."

Raisa turned, picking up her phone.

"I can call the hospital right now-"

> "Don't!" Alysa cried, her voice breaking.

Her whole body trembled, her face streaked with tears.

"I'll... I'll do it."

Raisa's smile widened in cruel satisfaction.

> "Good. Make tonight the last time he ever steps into your life."

---

The front door opened to a rush of cold wind and the roar of unrelenting rain.

Kenan stood outside the gate in a thin raincoat, his face drenched with rain and sweat.

> "Alysa!" He ran up, breathless.

"I've got everything ready-the money we saved, bus tickets out of town. We can go tonight!"

Alysa stood in the doorway, silent, her heart pounding violently.

Kenan grasped her hands tightly.

> "Alysa, listen to me. We don't need anyone's permission. I promise I'll make you happy. I'll work hard, I'll-"

Alysa pulled her hands away, rain and tears blending on her face.

> "Stop, Kenan."

> "What?"

> "Stop talking like a fool."

Her voice trembled, but her words were firm.

"Do you really think I want to live poor with you forever? I'm sick of it, Kenan!"

Kenan froze.

> "Alysa... what are you saying?"

> "I don't need your love!" Alysa's eyes burned as she glared at him.

"You have nothing-no house, no future! I'm tired of living off your stupid dreams!"

Thunder cracked above them. Kenan stepped back, his face pale, as if her words had struck deeper than lightning ever could.

> "You... you don't mean that."

> "I mean every word."

Alysa fought to keep her voice from breaking.

"I don't want to be a fool in love with a failure. I want a real life-not poverty with you."

> "No..." Kenan shook his head slowly, rain dripping down his face.

"You can't mean that. Alysa, this isn't you. Did your mother-"

> "Stop blaming everyone else!" Alysa shouted.

"I finally realized something-love can't buy a better life! So please, just leave before I can't stand the sight of you anymore!"

The rain grew heavier, drowning out the sound of her stifled sobs.

Kenan looked at her for a long moment-searching her eyes for even a hint of truth, a sliver of the girl he once knew.

But all he saw was coldness. Emptiness. A wound he couldn't understand.

> "If that's really what you want..." he said softly.

He lowered his hand-the one that had always held hers.

"I won't force you."

Alysa bowed her head. Her eyes burned, her tears threatening to spill.

She bit her lip hard, forcing the pain inward.

> "Go." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I don't want to see you again."

Kenan looked at her one last time.

Through the pouring rain, the warmth in his eyes dimmed-like a candle flickering before dying out.

He turned away and walked off into the night. Each step he took carved deeper into Alysa's chest, slicing through what was left of her strength.

When his figure finally vanished into the darkness, her body gave out.

Alysa collapsed to her knees at the doorway.

> "Kenan..."

Her tears burst free, mixing with the rain that drenched her face.

"I'm sorry... I had no choice..."

She clutched her chest, trying to hold back the unbearable pain.

The rain kept falling, soaking her completely-but its coldness was nothing compared to the cold that had settled inside her.

From inside the house, Raisa watched through the window, satisfaction curling her lips.

> "Perfect," she murmured.

"Now everything will go according to plan."

---

Kenan walked aimlessly through the storm, the rain striking his face like shards of glass.

His mind spun between anger, heartbreak, and disbelief.

> "No..." he muttered to himself.

"Alysa isn't like that. She couldn't have meant it..."

But her final words echoed mercilessly in his head:

> "I'm sick of living poor with you."

He stopped in the middle of the empty road, looking up at the storm-black sky.

> "If that's truly what you want, Alysa..." his voice cracked, raw with pain,

"then I'll erase you from my life."

The rain still hadn't stopped that night.

In a grand, old-fashioned bedroom with tall glass windows, Kenan sat on the floor, trembling, his breath shallow and uneven.

His shirt was soaked-not only from the storm that had drenched him earlier, but also from the cold sweat pouring down his temples. His eyes were red, swollen from tears.

He stared blankly at the marble floor, his lips trembling.

> "Alysa..." his voice was hoarse.

"You can't really hate me..."

His body shuddered violently. A strange pain spread from his chest to every corner of his body-like thousands of needles stabbing from the inside out.

He clutched his chest, coughing hard. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his lips.

The door burst open. A woman with elegant black hair hurried in-Madam Liora, his mother. The sternness she usually carried had vanished; her face was pale with fear.

> "Kenan!" she cried, running to him.

"Oh God, not again... not now!"

She wrapped her arms around him, guiding him onto the bed.

> "Quickly! Call Doctor Ardan!" she shouted to a servant standing at the doorway.

"Now!"

The servant dashed out. Liora held Kenan's face, her hands trembling.

> "Hold on, my son. The doctor's on his way."

Kenan's eyes fluttered shut. His breathing came in shallow gasps, his skin turning ashen.

> "Mother... I just... want to sleep."

> "No, sweetheart. Don't sleep yet," Liora whispered, gently tapping his cheek.

"Look at me, Kenan. Please, look at me."

But his body kept weakening. Liora's tears fell as she tried to steady her hands.

Moments later, a man in a white coat entered with a medical case.

> "Madam Liora, I came as fast as I could," said Doctor Ardan.

"How is he?"

> "The same as before," Liora replied quickly.

"He's shaking, his breathing is heavy, and his chest hurts."

Doctor Ardan placed a stethoscope on Kenan's chest, checked his pulse, then glanced at the small monitor in his hand. His expression darkened.

> "His energy pressure is dropping rapidly," he said grimly.

"If it falls below the threshold, his entire system could shut down."

> "Do whatever it takes!" Liora pleaded.

"I don't care about the cost-I just want my son alive!"

The doctor exhaled heavily.

> "Madam, you know his condition isn't a normal illness."

Liora's eyes filled with dread.

> "Just say it."

> "The therapy we used before-energy transfer through physical contact with a virgin-remains the only method that can stabilize his energy flow."

The room fell silent. Only the sound of rain echoed against the windows.

Kenan opened his eyes weakly.

> "No... don't do that again," he whispered.

"I don't want to touch anyone."

Liora's eyes glistened.

> "Kenan, it's the only way."

> "No, Mother. I won't. I can't."

He tried to sit up, but his body collapsed back against the pillows.

"I'm not some animal that needs to be healed through something so disgusting..."

Doctor Ardan spoke gently.

> "Young Master, it isn't indecent. The therapy is spiritual-energy from a pure soul can balance the broken core within you."

> "Stop!" Kenan covered his ears.

"Don't say another word!"

Liora shot the doctor a look of apology.

> "Please leave us. I'll talk to him."

Doctor Ardan nodded quietly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

---

Liora sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at her son's weakened form.

His hair clung to his damp forehead, his skin pale as ivory, his eyes distant.

> "Kenan," she said softly, "I know you hate that therapy. But I can't lose you again."

Kenan stared blankly at the ceiling, silent.

> "When your father died, I swore I'd protect you with everything I have," Liora's voice trembled.

"So don't ask me to sit here and watch you die."

> "You don't understand," Kenan murmured.

"Every time we do that therapy, I feel less like myself. Like... my soul is being stolen piece by piece."

> "But it keeps you alive, my son."

> "What's the point of living if I don't even know who I am anymore?"

Liora froze. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

She looked at his face with unbearable love and pain.

> "Do you think I don't feel it too? Every night I'm afraid of hearing that your heart stopped beating. Every time I see blood on your lips, my world collapses."

Kenan looked at her-his eyes softened, but the sorrow in them was deep.

> "I just want to live like a normal person, Mother. Not bound to something so shameful."

Liora wiped her tears away.

> "Sweetheart, the world isn't fair. Some are born with power, others with curses. And you... were born with both."

She rose, took a deep breath, and spoke with quiet resolve.

> "I've made my decision. Doctor Ardan will prepare a girl tonight."

Kenan's eyes widened.

> "What?"

> "She'll be here soon. An anonymous virgin. Her face will be covered-you don't need to know who she is. Just enough to stabilize your body."

Kenan shook his head weakly.

> "No, Mother... please..."

> "This isn't a request, Kenan. It's a mother's decision to save her son."

She grasped his hand tightly.

> "You can hate me all you want-but I won't watch you die."

---

Hours passed. The night grew darker.

The rain had stopped, but the chill in the air remained.

Kenan lay still, staring at the ceiling, his body frail. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the storm inside him-but every thought led back to one name.

Alysa.

Her face haunted him. Her voice, her smile-all of it tore deeper into his soul.

> "Why do I still love you," he whispered faintly,

"after all those cruel words? Why are you still in my heart, even when I want to die?"

The door opened quietly.

Liora entered with a woman cloaked in black, her face hidden behind a thin mask. She was slender, her steps hesitant.

> "Here she is," Liora said softly, trying to hide her unease.

"She's... pure, and willing to help."

Kenan's gaze was unfocused, blurred by weakness.

> "I don't want this..." his voice barely audible.

Liora lowered her head, tears falling once more.

> "Forgive me, my son."

She turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Now only two remained in the dim room:

a broken man and a masked girl standing silently at the edge of the bed.

The air between them felt heavy.

The girl's fingers trembled as she lowered her gaze. She looked as if she wanted to run-but her feet wouldn't move.

Kenan watched her weakly, his breath ragged.

> "Who are you...?" he asked faintly.

She didn't answer. She only met his eyes through the mask-and in that brief, fragile gaze was a sadness as deep as his own.

Kenan exhaled, surrendering.

> "Fine... do what you must."