"What do you want from me?" said the forceful voice of a young man trying to sound brave but failing.

His voice echoed in the vast chamber that he was sitting in, but that did not hide the tremble in his voice.

"What do I want from you?" said a second, much louder and stronger voice. The voice was so distorted that whether a woman's or a man's, it was impossible to tell. "I will ask you something and you will exactly as I say or else I will tell the whole city exactly what you did to gain the incredible amount of money that you own." The voice continued, with an almost mocking tone, knowing very well that it had power over her company. "Do otherwise and I will ensure that every single person knows and it will compleately ruin your perfect little reputation."

The moonlight from outside set a ghoulish glow onto the abandoned house holding only it's two temporary inhabitants. The man looked at his feet, his brain wired while there was a very long silence, then finally he gives in, still looking at his feet, he says-

"Fine. How much money do you want?"

"Money?" The person's maniacal laughter rang through the room. "Oh, Alain. It is not money I wish to have. "

"How do you know my name?" said Alain's alarmed voice, this time not even trying to hide his fear, his skiny face turning pale.

His allof conversance ignored this question and continued with its enquiry.

"I want you to-" The booming voice paused for a second, as though trying to find the appropiate word, " eliminate some of my distant acquantances which are perturbing me"

"You want me to assassinate people?" said Alain. He finally looked up from his feet to stare at the brawny sillhouette of the thunderous voice.

"If that is the word you wish to use, then yes. And you know what happens if you don't play along"

The little colour remaining in Alain's face drained as he said with an intimidaded voice, that was not his own:

"Who are you?"

There was another short pause before the menacing voice said in a quiet whisper, that was still carried around the immense room:

"I am the puppeteer, and you shall be my puppet."

Miles away, a girl named Giulia Harfang woke with a start.