Benno Berfelden

Clouds of steam tore through the frosty air. The Omega police officer, who had been on the trail of Benno Berfelden's killer for months, woke up tied to a chair in a country house. Standing before him was not the monster from the dossier, but a tired man with sad eyes.

“I won’t hurt you,” Benno’s voice was velvety. “That’s a lie,” the omega hissed. —I can change. I can cope with myself.

Omega laughed bitterly: "You're standing at the edge. How long can you believe Icarus's tales? Marble will turn to lava again."

A strange tenderness flashed in Benno’s eyes: "You don't want a world where a killer can be gentle. His heart thirsts for blood, and then suddenly..."

His fingers, capable of ending lives, gently tucked a strand of the omega's hair. Then they grabbed his chin harshly, forcing him to look into his possessed eyes.

"You will wake up in the middle of a masquerade. Young faces will carry bouquets to bow before your portrait."

These words sent a chill through him. Benno gently ran his hand through his hair. —You will be my salvation and my curse. Forever.

The hunter became a prisoner of one whose obsession turned out to be more terrible than any hatred.