The Traps of Black Swan

Leon rubbed his stinging cheek and realized the surface that hit his cheek wasn't too rough or wide but cold. It reminded him of her slender legs wearing lace strapped designer pointed heels.

'She hit me with her sandals?' The thought of it enraged him.

His breathing twitched, eyes turned red in anger. He looked like a wounded demon that was in need of blood to heal.

'Did I fall into her trap?'

Squinting his eyes, he looked around the darkness, 'What is in here?'

He tried to put his brain on the activities that happened a few minutes back.

'Was she alone in the party hall?'

'Was President Dawson panicked due to her?'

'Why didn't my men notify me about her in the hall?'

'Why wasn't she terrified after falling down?'

'Why didn't she cry?'

'How could she be so calm?'

Now he was careful to even touch the 'rack' without knowing what could be there.

'Are there men to beat me?' He thought. He held his breath and tried to focus if he could catch the breathing sound but he couldn't. It was like only he was the man alive in the darkroom.

'She couldn't be alone to avenge me, is she?' He desperately looked around the darkness but failed to find the hint of light or any clue.

Aarvi who heard her team say Leon was spinning around let out a chuckle as though she was watching a comedy, "Leon Harmon, remember, I was looking around in the warehouse... just like you." She reminded the past too.

Leon stilled and grounded his teeth. Yes, she was right, she had desperately looked around in the darkness without knowing what to do and he is doing the same.

She was frightened that day hearing seven men laugh at her and now she was laughing at him.

Time sure changes a lot of things.

Leon tried to be cool, he had heard her voice from the left so he was about to move but her voice closed to his left ear that surged his heartbeats due to hard speculation of her movements.

"Welcome to my showdown." She repeated Leon's exact words with smugness but it wasn't her final confrontation, it was just the beginning.

Leon assumed she was next to him and rushed to hold her.

'Bump'

Crashing against the 'rack' he stumbled back with a stinging forehead and strained neck.

Leon instantly regretted keeping his guard down. If he hadn't, his men would have definitely noticed the unusualness of his disappearance.

He hated his new thought but he knew escaping was the best choice. Even if he might look like a coward, sometimes taking a step back is the best choice to attack next.

But he looked around at the realization he had twirled many times and lost the sense of direction and didn't know where the door of the room.

He felt like a trapped mouse in a cage. "Ahhhh…." He let out a yell in fury erupted due to helplessness.

Hadn't he laughed at Ava Kelly for being a bird without wings? He was in no better situation.

Nonetheless, there was still hope for him. Breathing heavily, he pulled his mobile out to call Dylan Harmon. He was sure Dylan was enough, he is like a mini-army who is smart and tactful.

'Yes, he will save me.' Leon thought.

How absurd of him to remember Dylan only when he wanted to keep his ass safe?

Leon pressed his forefinger on the fingerprint scanner to unlock his mobile but his mobile wasn't unlocking.

Her team member burst into laughter, [I specialize in hacking bro, you should have kept your internet off.]

In other words, Leon's mobile won't accept Leon's fingerprint or the passcode so he can't call anybody. Call? He can't use his phone at all.

They initially wanted to use a network jammer that blocks any outgoing or incoming call but that would also cut their communication with Aarvi which wasn't safe so they hacked Leon's mobile.

Leon was so riled up at his unresponding mobile that his hands were trembling terribly.

Aarvi's team wanted to piss him off more for ogling at their boss so they played a small video on his mobile screen.

Leon's eyes widened when his mobile went dark. He was thinking it was switching off but the screen turned grey and slowly the black image of the middle finger appeared and slowly zoomed in.

"F*CK YOU AVA KELLY" He stressed each word loud and clear in an extreme hatred.

'Crash' Followed by his words, he broke his mobile by smashing it on the ground with all his might.

His anger is his greatest weakness. If he had kept his mobile, he could have at least answered the incoming call.

Aarvi innocently blinked without understanding why he cussed at her out of blue. 'Anger management is really important.' She thought by blaming it on Leon's anger while her team celebrated silently.

[Boss, ready?]

Aarvi hummed as she elegantly stood like an ethereal beauty. She held her unwavering confidence with a hint of mockery.

Aarvi looked down so that she don't squint her eyes when the lights turned on.

'The end is near.' She thought and the lights turned on brightening the whole storage room instantly.

Leon who had just roared in the dark felt his eyes suddenly go blind so he covered his eyes with his forearm without knowing what was going on.

Aarvi took just two seconds to adjust and raised her eyes to see Leon covering his eyes.

[Boss, it seems like you used quite a strength.] The girl burst into laughter looking at Leon's bright red cheek which had the imprint of Aarvi's front sole shape of the heel. His forehead had slightly swollen too.

Leon realized it wasn't a flashing light to hurt his eyes but the lights were on. His lips arced slyly to fight if men were there, then keep her captive so he barked as he removed his hand with his head held high and voice caring the dominance, "You think I am…"

The rest of the words went down his stomach, his eyes bulged, brows furrowed, his jaws hung down, hands froze and his body froze.

Those weren't the racks but huge mirrors.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror in bewilderment. This wasn't what he expected, he was expecting a few men to surround him and beat him to death just like Ava Kelly died… almost died.

He looked right, he turned to left. He wasn't sure what to feel when his mind was muddling. Left or right, front or back, other than looking at his own reflection, there were none.

He was standing in the hall of mirrors. It was a maze or series of passageways lined with many mirrors in different angles. There were many of his reflections on the mirrors but he couldn't guess if there was a mirror or if the mirror itself is a reflection on a mirror.

It was a totally disorienting situation and Leon truly failed to distinguish between truth and illusion.

If he wanted to take a step, he didn't even know if there was a real passage or it was a reflection of passage.

He was always proud of his looks and physique but now he couldn't even bring himself to look at his reflections that increased his hatred for Ava Kelly.

He wished for the darkness feeling dizzy in the light looking at the distorting reflections.