Autumn's hand reached up to Ivan's, her fingers desperately trying to pry his grasp loose. Her eyes slowly reddened as they welled up with tears, falling down her almost crimson face like a river of pain. As hard as it was, she tried to word a 'no' to Ivan, who seemed to have turned deaf to her pleas. But her voice was hoarse, barely audible, so she summoned all her strength and screamed, "No!" with all her might, trying to fight Ivan off her.

Unexpectedly, a fist collided with Ivan's face, immediately separating him from Autumn. The force of the blow sent Ivan stumbling backward, releasing his grip on Autumn's...